Carnivorous

My dog is a carnivore. His digestive system was designed to eat raw meat and raw bones and nothing else. Buzz gets sick if he is given processed dog food. He can consume sticks and vegetables and other whole food items without them causing stomach upset or diarrhea, but they come out his rear in the same condition they entered his mouth, so they clearly don’t nourish him, all he gets out of them is the joy of chewing.

The thing is, the only meat in the house is Buzz’s food. In fact, as I learn more about the dairy industry the human food in the house has become increasingly vegan. To me the connections between being good and careful with pets is extending outward to animals that are typically considered legitimate sources of human nutrition. And finding a way of eating that works so beautifully for my dog has made me realize that perhaps I can feel better if I change how I eat.

To anyone interested in making informed food choices for themselves, I cannot recommend the podcast “Food for Thought” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau highly enough. The author is incredibly straightforward and kind—not just to the animals she is trying to protect, but also to any of her listeners that may still be eating meat and dairy.

Vegan eats for the human:

(Parsnip-Scallion pancakes + Chana Masala = yum!)

In contrast, here's Buzz with his dinner of two pig ribs.


Buzz appreciates my understanding of his carnivorous ways. “Thank you, lady”


Notice the strange, completely flat way he splays out when he eats.


The funniest thing anyone ever asked after hearing that Buzz only eats raw meat was "Yeah, raw meat, but you cook it first, right?" Ummmm....no.


Months on raw: 6
Ear infections: 0 (Amazing!!!)
Trips to the vet: 0
Choking problems: 0
Pooping Problems: 1 (after he ate all that birthday cake)

Raw feeding a dog takes a little bit of work. Most of it is at the front end of the switch, learning about what to feed in what proportion and how much of it. I was lucky when I started Buzz because I had Bruno, Vinnie, and Gino’s Capofamiglia and the Canadian Who Won’t Give Me Piper, to answer my questions and offer reassurance. I may put together a post on raw feeding information resources. We’ll see…