Polly’s DIET SHEET FOR PUPPIES up to Six Months
(based on the BARF diet - Bones and
Raw Food - the Natural Diet) based mainly on the Chicken Wing Diet but you can adapt it to suit your
own dog and below are a few variations
8 a.m.
Small meal of mince and veg.
Lunch time -
one or two chicken wings - according to size of puppy (after morning exercise)
5 p.m. - Minced meat 50% and some veg . Optional - 1 or two chicken wings, larger pups more.
Don't forget a nice meaty red meat bone to chew on at least once a week. At six months
give your pup the chicken wings for the evening feed, with a small amount of fresh meat and mostly
veg. This then cuts out the middle feed. If you wanted to give your adult dog something in the
morning, you could give for a medium size dog, say collie size; 3 chicken wings am, 2 chicken wings
and small amount of mince and his veg. p.m. Aways feed the chicken wings after exercise.
If you wanted to feed mainly a chicken wing diet, a medium sized pup of 5 months collie or lab. could
be eating 5 or 6 large chicken wings a day. Watch its weight. Keep them slightly hungry. Some
red meat and Offal should be given at least once a week. If you want to get more weight on a dog
(adult) then red meat will have the most fat. Never ever feed just a meat diet, bones must be
included for the ideal calcium/phosphorus ratio.
If you decide to feed a minced Barf Diet, with the odd chicken wing, always make sure this contains
ground up
bone as often as possible, thus giving the correct amounts of calcium your dog needs.
Pets at Home do frozen minces and they should have ground up bone in them. If you wanted to do a
mixed diet, a collie/spaniel size, feed about ½lb mince + 3 chicken wings a day. As a rough guide a
dog would require 2 – 3% of its body weight in food. For puppies 2 – 3% of their ideal adult body
weight.
The minced meat could be beef, lamb or tripe, organ meat; the veg. can be any type but not onions,
put raw veg. in the food processor and chopped fine and mushy. Mix well with the meat. Frozen
tripe, chicken, I get rabbit as well for a treat
and tripe can be obtained from the large pet stores. Other meats can be obtained from me, or direct
from Landywoods, or The Dog Food Company. These come in 1lb. packs and can be delivered in a
bulk buy. No dog larger than a spaniel or collie would need more than ¾ - 1lb daily. Mix some live
yogurt with the patty a couple time’s aweek. Some people do not feed vegetables every day, others
do. It is not essential, so basically up to you but you do need to look at adding some vitamins for the
growing puppy.
All the food should be fed raw as it is more easily digested. Raw egg, shells as well.
Liver or heart can be fed once a week. If the puppy does not like raw liver, toss it in a
little oil to brown the outside but do not cook.
All types of raw vegetable can be fed. Also fruit, nuts, apples, to name
a few. No Sultanas. Most dogs love raw carrot and carrots and garlic will help to get rid of worms.
Do not add any calcium supplements, the natural bones will provide all the necessary
calcium required. Check your mineral content on the label if you buy from a pet shop. You can buy
vit. from a Health Shop, or over the internet.
Vitamin supplements should be added to the patty daily. Buy from pet stores, on line or chemist ½
childs dose.
Don’t give same ones every day. A couple of times a week should be enough.
Some of the things that can be added for a puppy. For an adult I find Cod Liver Oil and Seaweed
powder is enough just a few times a week.
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Cod liver oil - 1 teaspoon
Flax / linseed oil - 1 teaspoon
Vitamin B,C,E (B - Brewers Yeast)
Alfalfa tablet if you can get them
1/2 kelp tablet and Vit. E
If you are feeding the C/Wing diet, adults could be eating up to six chicken wings plus the raw veg
per day, according to the size of the dog and the size of the wings. Medium sized adults 3/4 large
should be enough. Large dogs could be eating a couple of c/w after morning exercise and 1lb mince
for evening meal. Still add the vitamins to veg. Don’t give all the suppliments every day, vary them
over the week. Some raw tripe mince added to the veg will make it more palatable.
A little cooked rice or porridge oats could be added occasionally. It is important not to overfeed, just
keep them slightly hungry. Some puppies are pigs, others are very picky. If your puppy likes its
food, don’t be tempted to feed extra just because it’s always hungry. Provide a raw meaty bone that
will keep it busy. With a
dog like a Labrador you will have to monitor their consumption carefully, so that you do not end up
with a very overweight dog! The above gives you some idea of what to feed. It is up to the owner to
use
commonsense on what best suits their dog. You can still give your dog its treats like biscuits or
chews but do not use biscuit with the natural diet. It does not require a mixer. On this diet your dog
does not need lots of extra treats, perhaps 2 or 3 biscuits for supper. Your dog will be healthier with
no problems of allergy that can come with a high carbohydrate dry diet. Also if you are feeding a dry
diet and some of course are better than others, check the protein content. This should not be more
than 18% - 20% protein. High artificial levels can lead to hyperactive dogs and the problems that can
go with it! If your dog seems "on a high" after being fed, or rushes around, it could be that the protein
level of the food you are feeding is too high.
Raw food for dogs is a natural diet. Heat alters raw food, with a negative effect on health.
Biologists have yet to discover any wild carnivore that cooks its own food. Cooked food
takes longer to digest and heat destroys enzymes and antioxidants which are very
important for good health.
Remember you are feeding a "wolf species" a hunting animal. Their digestive system is short and
acidic, perfect for handling bacteria. How they like to dig up an old bone weeks old which is teeming
with bacteria! Salmonella, E.coli and other bacteria are not a problem for the healthy dog. Think
dog/wolf and not human.
Live yogurt for dogs on antibiotics is good for restoring the good bacteria in the gut but it is also a
Useful and healthy addition to a meal which can be added once a week.
The oils added to the veg. will produce a dark shiny coat. Adult dogs of 1 year can be fed
once a day the same diet but in one go, or if you have an old dog divide the meal into two. The
actual contents of the natural diet does not need to be changed for young or old,
They should all get the same but obviously a puppy must have the calcium for bone growth.
The old wives tale of eating raw meat makes dogs vicious does not apply!
Cooked bones are dangerous, do not feed any, they are difficult to digest and can splinter
and cause serious problems. Whole chicken carcasses can be eaten raw. Raw meaty bones are
essential for the carnivore and will help to prevent Hip Dysplasia and OCD. This is especially
important with the larger breeds of dog which are prone to these problems. Unfortunately due to
incorrect feeding of the breed parents for several generations, hip dysplasia and other skeletal
problems will not be eradicated by what you feed but a correct diet could help to stop the progression
of bone problems such as OCD and others.
Two or three decades ago we had not heard of a lot of these complaints. Dogs were fed on scraps
during war times and raw meaty bones. Fresh vegetables were grown in the garden and cheap meat
and offal was purchased from the local butcher. Now we tend to buy convenience foods for our pets
and ourselves. With it has come the decline in health, particularly the growing bones of the young
dog and bouts of diarrhea and sickness and overweight dogs.
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Perhaps it is time we all looked at what we are feeding our beloved pets. Should they be eating
something else? Are they intolerant to carbohydrate? Should we be feeding vast amounts of grain
in their diet? We have become brain washed by the media coverage of manufactured dog foods,
instead of taking time to prepare something more exciting for our dogs. By preparing the meal
ourselves, we can be sure they are getting good quality meat with no artificial additives and the right
amount of calcium for their growing bones. Young dogs need meaty bones to eat and exercise their
jaws on but only raw ones.
The above information is based on the BARF DIET by vet Dr. Ian Billingshurst who has written and
lectures on natural nutrition for canines in this country and in Australia where he lives and practices as
a veterinary surgeon. Diagnosis of any medical condition that your dog may have, must be carried
out by a vet, therefore it is important that you are guided by your veterinary surgeon. However, you
may like to discuss the natural diet with him. I take no responsibility for any decisions you may take
with regard to feeding your dog.
If you are on the Internet, you might like to check out the BARF DIET
Try putting in Barf Diet, or go to w.w.w.barfworld.com
BRIT BARF is another web site which you can join to discuss how to feed your dog. Very good site
for the beginner just starting to feed natural.Amongst all the information read - Learn More - BARF &
PUPS and NOGRAINS. Also some of the dog magazines on the market are now promoting a natural
diet. I can also lend you books on the Barf Diet.
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