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:)))
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ReplyDeleteI am not saying 'for' or ' against' any one thing, Im just saying that we need to think of these things. I have actually had a lady(we were discussing feeding raw, she thinks I am crazy, as her dog she had growing up-kibble fed, vaccinated- lived to be a ripe old age of 16) question me about these things, about how far you take this "Natural Rearing" . As for where I am in my journey right now.... I feed raw mixture of RMB- game animals, grocery store meat, freezer cleanouts, farm raised & commercially prepared raw for dogs. I do think that grocery store meat is deficient, due to the feed lot style of farming cows, chickens, pigs etc. So when I have to feed mostly grocery store meat for a period of time, I do supplement, with a small amount of fruit/veggie mix, either home prepared or commercial like Sojos grain free. Barring that I would supplement with a multi-vitamin. When I am able to feed game meat/organic-grass fed meat mainly, I do not supplement. I wish I could have available game/grass fed meat all the time, but in my situation that is not possible. My goal is to raise what animals I can to feed my pack(dead & frozen). I try to use as natural products as I can when it comes to worming, pests, and illnesses, because I feel they are less harmful than pesticides & chemicals. I use a holistic vet, whose first response is not to advise or push chemicals to treat chronic symptoms, but to find out the "source" of the problem and treat it there, of course I would provide emergency care, through my Holistic DVM for illness or injury. I do minimal vaccinations, Rabies, because it is prescribed by law. I almost daily research these things, and other alternatives to conventional treatments, and try to help others(as well as myself) find ways & products that do things as close to naturally as possible while still fitting in our busy lives. Love and Attention and Stimulation is necessary for all beings, and dogs give it in abundance and deserve it in return. I know by the adoration in my dog's eyes that they know that I love them and want and do what's best for them:) There are people that practice Natural Rearing (raw feeding, no chemicals, no human interference, etc) to all degrees, from one extreme to the other and we need to respect them all. I feel if someone has done the research, (maybe even more than the typical Allopathic vet's education) and they feel comfortable and their dogs are healthy, more power to them, we are all on a journey, all in different places & situations:) 7 hours ago · Like ·
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