Nick Ridley on feeding a raw diet
Nick Ridley looks at the pros and cons of feeding your dog a raw diet
What to feed your dog?
Now that is a thorny question, however, I have a simple answer: whatever they look and do well on. For the past six or seven years I have been feeding the Ridley cocker clan on a pre-prepared raw diet. We are currently feeding them on a food called VOM. Probably not the best marketing name but it comes from Norway and was originally designed as feed for high-performing sled dogs. I have to say our dogs all look really well, and that’s bearing in mind Harry is 13 and Percy two in a couple of months – he has been brought up on it – so it seems to suit all ages. Feeding a dog a diet of raw meat and bones is not a new idea and the aforementioned sled dogs and foxhounds have been fed on this kind of diet for generations. When I was a lad all our family dogs were fed on bones collected from the local butchers.
Contradictory
These days there is a lot more science behind dog food, and when it comes to feeding a raw diet there is an overwhelming amount of conflicting information, much of it anecdotal. There are numerous websites extolling the virtues of a raw diet and there are others condemning raw diets as unsafe and unhealthy. When choosing how and what to feed your dog, you need balanced information so that an educated choice can be made. Keep in mind there are benefits and risks associated with all choices of food for your dog, so you must decide if the benefits of a raw diet outweigh the potential risks.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at a raw processing factory and was surprised, not only at the process but at the high quality of the ingredients that went into the food. So, what are the pros and cons of a raw diet? Well, the first thing is the storage and management of the food. Some brands come in plastic tubs, others in frozen rolls or even meatballs. Therefore, you will need a specific freezer or freezer space to store the food.
Obviously, you have to remember to defrost the food before feeding but once you have a routine in place of having one being used and one defrosting, it works quite well. The brand we use can also supply freeze-dried food, for which you just add water to the required quantity. This really helps get over the problem of storage, especially if you happen to be away on a shooting trip. That said, I have an insulated fishing bait bag and have found that with a couple of ice blocks I can easily manage a week away with the food stored in the bag in a plastic container. Don’t defrost the frozen sausages and they gradually thaw out over a period of time.
Another concern that is often voiced when talking about raw diets is the fact that raw meat carries various nasties that can cause serious illness in humans. That is as maybe, but it is a case of simply having a good hygiene routine, which should be no different when handling our own food, especially chicken. It is true any raw meat can carry pathogens, such as E. coli, listeria and salmonella, which can make pets and humans sick or even cause death, but we ensure all the dog bowls are washed in boiling water and all surfaces and hands are washed after feeding. We have grandchildren and don’t allow the dogs to lick their faces and we make sure they wash their hands after any interaction with the dogs. It’s common sense.
“It is about having a good hygiene routine, no different to handling our own food”