Natural Rearing Advice

[Mumscats]

I have a girl who is on the natural rearing diet. She recently went away for a couple of weeks and has come home more relaxed than she was. She is much calmer and she was given more of the commerial foods. I am thinking about doing a mix or perhaps introducting vitamin supplaments. I would be most interested to find out what other people are doing with the natural rearing diets. She is also coming in season every 4 months and was away for an attempted mating but it didnt work out and I will give it one more try next time and wonder if there is something natural that I can give her to help her with her hormones.

[Steve]

Aloe Vera Juice.

[espinay2]

What do you mean specifically by natural rearing diet? There are a range of methods from Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Volhard, BARF or prey model raw for instance.

Also how much direct natural sunlight does she get during the day. It has been found that dogs who spend a lot of time inside can sometimes have problems with fertility.

[Mumscats]

Thanks for your reply. I am not exactly sure what natural reading died you would call mine. She has rolled oats, honey, slippery elm and milk for beakfast and meat and vegetables like carrots and celery and kelp and a few other grains for dinner with vegetable oil. This is a pretty good diet.

She is outside most days so would be getting a bit of sunshine.

[minimax]

I wouldn't call a diet high in grains or oats necessarily a good diet - and that breakfast sounds atrocious for a dog, so if you're looking for a better diet I'd be switching out that breakfast and adding in bones to the diet to start with.

[persephone]

This is a pretty good diet.

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not really .. it seems like a lot of grain & veg .....

have you had a read of THIS THREAD? not specifically for brood bitches , but very useful in deciding what dogs need in their diets :)

[WreckitWhippet]

Thanks for your reply. I am not exactly sure what natural reading died you would call mine. She has rolled oats, honey, slippery elm and milk for beakfast and meat and vegetables like carrots and celery and kelp and a few other grains for dinner with vegetable oil. This is a pretty good diet.

She is outside most days so would be getting a bit of sunshine.

cut the grains, increase the meat on consumable bone

the diet sounds horendous

[Rebanne]

Thanks for your reply. I am not exactly sure what natural reading died you would call mine. She has rolled oats, honey, slippery elm and milk for beakfast and meat and vegetables like carrots and celery and kelp and a few other grains for dinner with vegetable oil. This is a pretty good diet.

She is outside most days so would be getting a bit of sunshine.

sounds like Juliette de Bairacli Levy, especially the breakfast. Not sure about the evening meal, haven't read the book for a few years.

[Dame Aussie]

Agree, that's not a good diet, she needs more meat and raw meaty bones.

[WreckitWhippet]

and especially so if you want her to have a normal cycle and produce pups

[megan_]

How is she getting calcium? Raw meaty bones as others have suggested would be a good replacement to what she is getting for breakfast.

[espinay2]

Calcium source? Important in general but very important for a bitch.

Why the slippery elm? Usually only really needed for diarrhea/gut issues (Levy uses it in puppy gruel when initially weaning and then only for specific health issues)

I agree, grains may be too much you may want to up the protein. Even Levy recommends more meat and bone than it appears you may be feeding.

If you want a similar type diet I recommend reading her book and following her suggestions at least.

Yoghurt would be better than milk as lactose is broken down and it contains probiotics.

Eggs? Fish? Two things I would add once or twice a week if you are not.

Veggie oil adds fat as an energy source but is low in omega 3 essential fatty acids, containing mostly omega 6. So a better omega 3 source is likely worthwhile.

Edited October 23, 2012 by espinay2

[becks]

Thanks for your reply. I am not exactly sure what natural reading died you would call mine. She has rolled oats, honey, slippery elm and milk for beakfast and meat and vegetables like carrots and celery and kelp and a few other grains for dinner with vegetable oil. This is a pretty good diet.

She is outside most days so would be getting a bit of sunshine.

What is the idea behind the ingredients in her breakfast?

[BC Crazy]

I don't think this diet is a very balanced/ healthy diet for a canine at all. So much grain, oats etc. & milk ?? Which upsets a dogs tummy too.

There is no source of calcium either. I would be very concerned feeding a dog for any length of time like this

If you want to "go natural" try Barf.

Edited October 22, 2012 by BC Crazy

[Nekhbet]

way too much grain, and she's lacking vital nutrition and balance with that diet. Sounds like something you would feed a pig.

Why dont you look into the Vets All Natural range if you are not keen on processed foods, at least she wont be lacking and it's not 'dry' food.

www.vetsallnatural.com.au

[Mashlee08]

Up the meat and calcium content, throw that breakfast out the window and give her some chicken backs or something. It's a dog, she doesn't need porridge for breakfast, she needs protein.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Mashlee08

[Mashlee08]

Double post whoops! Stupid iPad. I also second the BARF. It is much more balanced then what you are feeding right now.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Mashlee08

[Alyosha]

For those jumping in with criticism, the OP hasn't qualified how much or what sort of meat the dog is having, although has clearly stated that it does have it's meat meal in the evenings.

The described diet sounds very closely modelled on Juiliette De Bairacli Levy diet which has been used for decades to improve the health of a great number of dogs. Although grain free is considered the modern norm, that doesn't diminish the great results people have had with it over many years.

My own dogs still have milk porridge over winter which assists in maintaining their condition in very cold weather. It is also still common practice with a good many Greyhound folk.

[BC Crazy]

I was always told not to give milk to a dog as they have trouble digesting it The amount of grain also concerned me, but that's just my thoughts & am by no means an expert.

Edited October 24, 2012 by BC Crazy

[WreckitWhippet]

For those jumping in with criticism, the OP hasn't qualified how much or what sort of meat the dog is having, although has clearly stated that it does have it's meat meal in the evenings.

The described diet sounds very closely modelled on Juiliette De Bairacli Levy diet which has been used for decades to improve the health of a great number of dogs. Although grain free is considered the modern norm, that doesn't diminish the great results people have had with it over many years.

My own dogs still have milk porridge over winter which assists in maintaining their condition in very cold weather. It is also still common practice with a good many Greyhound folk.

It's common for those stuck in the dark ages and feeding on the cheap. The top trainers now have moved on and are feeding combo's of premium dry and meat.