Naturally Reared Carolina Dog puppies for homes committed to a Natural Rearing Lifestyle. Please explore my website for additional information.
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Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Just how far do we go?
Ok a post/conversation in another post, plus some conversations on a yahoo list I belong to, gave me a *thought*, It is something I have pondered on for along time, and may never have a "concrete" answer to, but here goes...
As raw feeders we are somewhat more open in our thinking, and we all know we are trying to do what is best for our pups, that goes without saying, and we all (hopefully) are still open to learning more about raw feeding/natural rearing as we gain experience & go through things with our dogs/cats. Some may be more advanced than others, and that is great, it is all a journey:) We talk alot about "species-appropriateness" and I totally get that idea & am all for it, but just how far should we take it?
Think for a moment about a wild dog/wolf. They have no freezers, butcher knifes, sawzalls, scales, vet clinics, spay/neuter clinics, herbal remedy books, or pharmaceutical companies, let alone orthopedic beds, whelping boxes, or surgical suites. If they get sick or injured, they overcome it or die. If the pups are sickly or not nursing, they die. They eat mostly only pure, free range meat from all sorts of animals, fresh to putrid. What they eat is usually seasonal (different things are plentiful during different seasons) and they forage for whatever they can find and what their instincts tell them they need to survive. They chase down or stealthily stalk their prey(work for it) before they can eat it, then when they catch it they rip it to shreds with their teeth and eat whatever parts they need/want. They share the world with all sorts of parasites and diseases and still have survived for thousands of years.
Now we have taken them into our homes, gave them a nice cushy bed, air conditioning, planned out meals the same time every day, vet visits, vaccinations, pest preventatives (chemical or natural), s/n surgery, medications, nice walks on a leash, & so on.
So if we are trying to be "species appropriate" (this includes myself) how far do we go with it???? Do we turn a rabbit or chicken loose every day & let them hunt it down, kill it & eat it, do we give them no sort of pest preventative(because just how species appropriate is any of it-garlic- essential oils- DE- pesticides) do we never give them ANY vaccinations, and on & on,,,just how far?
We do what we can, we feed raw, try to minimize vaccinations & chemicals, and so on, some more than others. But what about the 'damage' (difference from strictly living wild) the things we do, even the organic, natural things does to them...
What about the person who feeds raw, but must buy grocery store meats(feed lot deficient meat, with solution added, etc) it's better than nasty kibble, but there still may be deficiencies...what about the breeder who feeds goat's milk to the puppies when weaning, what about the person that does everything natural except rabies vaccine(still gonna be toxicity to the pets system in that vaccine) but gives holistic remedies(not species appropriate to a wild dog) .... and so on....
Maybe this is a rhetorical question. We all have to do what we feel comfortable with and can afford, and what we feel is best for our dogs. Whether it is feeding a certain thing, vaccinations, pest preventatives, spay/neuter surgery, or what ever, after all we are responsible for the care of the dogs we have been blessed with:)
Ponder on that for awhile:)))
As raw feeders we are somewhat more open in our thinking, and we all know we are trying to do what is best for our pups, that goes without saying, and we all (hopefully) are still open to learning more about raw feeding/natural rearing as we gain experience & go through things with our dogs/cats. Some may be more advanced than others, and that is great, it is all a journey:) We talk alot about "species-appropriateness" and I totally get that idea & am all for it, but just how far should we take it?
Think for a moment about a wild dog/wolf. They have no freezers, butcher knifes, sawzalls, scales, vet clinics, spay/neuter clinics, herbal remedy books, or pharmaceutical companies, let alone orthopedic beds, whelping boxes, or surgical suites. If they get sick or injured, they overcome it or die. If the pups are sickly or not nursing, they die. They eat mostly only pure, free range meat from all sorts of animals, fresh to putrid. What they eat is usually seasonal (different things are plentiful during different seasons) and they forage for whatever they can find and what their instincts tell them they need to survive. They chase down or stealthily stalk their prey(work for it) before they can eat it, then when they catch it they rip it to shreds with their teeth and eat whatever parts they need/want. They share the world with all sorts of parasites and diseases and still have survived for thousands of years.
Now we have taken them into our homes, gave them a nice cushy bed, air conditioning, planned out meals the same time every day, vet visits, vaccinations, pest preventatives (chemical or natural), s/n surgery, medications, nice walks on a leash, & so on.
So if we are trying to be "species appropriate" (this includes myself) how far do we go with it???? Do we turn a rabbit or chicken loose every day & let them hunt it down, kill it & eat it, do we give them no sort of pest preventative(because just how species appropriate is any of it-garlic- essential oils- DE- pesticides) do we never give them ANY vaccinations, and on & on,,,just how far?
We do what we can, we feed raw, try to minimize vaccinations & chemicals, and so on, some more than others. But what about the 'damage' (difference from strictly living wild) the things we do, even the organic, natural things does to them...
What about the person who feeds raw, but must buy grocery store meats(feed lot deficient meat, with solution added, etc) it's better than nasty kibble, but there still may be deficiencies...what about the breeder who feeds goat's milk to the puppies when weaning, what about the person that does everything natural except rabies vaccine(still gonna be toxicity to the pets system in that vaccine) but gives holistic remedies(not species appropriate to a wild dog) .... and so on....
Maybe this is a rhetorical question. We all have to do what we feel comfortable with and can afford, and what we feel is best for our dogs. Whether it is feeding a certain thing, vaccinations, pest preventatives, spay/neuter surgery, or what ever, after all we are responsible for the care of the dogs we have been blessed with:)
Ponder on that for awhile:)))