I'm bringing home a new Westie puppy in a few days and am in obsessive mode about learning and deciding which is the most optimal diet for my new baby. Just read Dr. Ian Billinghurst's book, "Give Your Dog A Bone". I thought it was excellent and have been all revved up to follow his plan. But then I find this article about a Prey-model diet. This author (Lily Allyn) refutes the notion that dogs are omnivores, says they're carnivores and therefore should eat whole-prey food. She makes a compelling case and now I'm vascillating. My new puppy has an outstanding pedigree and if she proves to have the qualities of a champion by the time she's 6 months old I plan to show her. I'm worried that a Prey-model diet might keep her too lean to develop into a show dog. Anyone out there have experience with these diets, or is an avid reader and obsessive researcher like I am and can contribute to my education?
BARF vs. Prey-model diet
- Thread starter Kellster
- Start date
Congrats on the new puppy! I'm glad to hear you're doing so much research on health and nutrition. While there are healthy dogs on both diet plans, I personally prefer to feed closer to prey model raw.
My boys get mostly meat, bone and organs, but also get a generous helping (about 1.5 cups) of cooked veggies about once a week. They're in wonderful health. I'm no doggy nutritionist, but I think that the BARF models--I saw one that recommended 40-45% veggies per meal!--are excessive on the greens. I'm sure a dog can do well on that much veggies, but I'm not convinced they actually need that much. Especially since mine have been perfectly fine on a minimally veggie diet.
I think it's also easier to go with the prey model raw. My dogs eat a combined total of 4-5 lbs of meat per day. If I went with the BARF diet, that equates to about 2 lbs of veggies that need to be prepped, cooked and pureed. EVERY day. That's no fun. With the prey model raw, I toss them each half a chicken for dinner and call it a done task.
Good luck!
My boys get mostly meat, bone and organs, but also get a generous helping (about 1.5 cups) of cooked veggies about once a week. They're in wonderful health. I'm no doggy nutritionist, but I think that the BARF models--I saw one that recommended 40-45% veggies per meal!--are excessive on the greens. I'm sure a dog can do well on that much veggies, but I'm not convinced they actually need that much. Especially since mine have been perfectly fine on a minimally veggie diet.
I think it's also easier to go with the prey model raw. My dogs eat a combined total of 4-5 lbs of meat per day. If I went with the BARF diet, that equates to about 2 lbs of veggies that need to be prepped, cooked and pureed. EVERY day. That's no fun. With the prey model raw, I toss them each half a chicken for dinner and call it a done task.
Good luck!
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