Although I had been feeding my Dobermans a premium kibble and canned food for over 20 years, it was not until I lost one of my precioous babies, Byron at 3 to heart disease that I really began to look into nutrition to see if I could do better.

When I brought home my present male, Chester, I fed him what I thought was a better food. But at 2 years I noticed that he was getting a bit chunky and lacked the energy that I thought he should have. About the same time a little female, Franki , joined our family so I went back to my nutrition research.

I consulted with my vet, Dr. Soltero, who had become keenly aware of the nutritional effects of commercial food on our pet's health and encouraged a more nutritious natural diet withour kibble. The cooking or the extrusion process in commercial foods destroys most of the naturally occurring nutrients. Also filler grains which convert to unnecessary sugars. It became apparent to me that a more natural way to feed is raw. It made sense. How many animals cook their food.

I  liked the idea of raw but was not sure I wangted to deal with trying to balance ratios, raw bones and organ meats. I opted for a raw grainfree dehydrated balanced food to which I rotate additions of organic egg, canned wild salmon, canned sardines in water, ground buffalo, elk, venison, and goat yogurt. The dehydration process also kills bacteria that some worry about in the raw diet but retains the nutrients.

Chester and Franki absolutely love their food and gobble it down. For treats they are given raw beef or buffalo shank bones. I keep a few bones around to stuff later with a variety of ingredients including green beans, bananas, carrots, raw meat, just to name a few. I freeze the bones and they get them after they eat in an attempt to keep them calm for a while to avoid bloat. My dogs love the frozen bones and it keeps them occupied for a while as they lick out the goodies like a Popsicle.

I add a few supplements to my dogs food but they have never looked better since eliminating commercially processed food from their diet. There were so many unexpected results from the new raw diet: lean muscled bodies, increased energy levels and endurance, amazingly clean bright white teeth, fresh breath, and incredibly silky shinny coats.

Several of my friends have also switched their dog;s food with similar results. One of the most remarkable is a 17 year old mixed breed, Shasha, who usually stayed under a desk most of the time. After the diet change she has perked up with clear eyes, an incteased energy level and a surprising renewed zest for life.

Feeding Chester and Franki a natural grain-free diet filled with hormone free meats and organic ingredients has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Just ask them!  

Joyce Hergert