Calling all Raw Feeders!

[fuzzymom]

I am tired of people posting threads promoting a kibble-based diet for cats, dogs, and ferrets. Time and time again I have posted, recommending a raw diet. A while ago I had the idea of a pet care guide to post on the forum, which focuses on a raw diet. This time, I'm going to do it. I want to write up something about the feeding of obligate carnivores, and also have a separate one for the care of ferrets.

This is what I have so far for the feeding of obligate carnivores. It is a rough draft and will be edited and revised a few times before I actually post it. I also want to include pictures, so if you have any to share, I will post what I am looking for. Here is what I have....

Pet food companies will claim their food healthy for your pet. With labels like “Real chicken” and “Wholesome grains” it is hard not to think of how healthy that sounds for our own dietary needs. However, when you have a pet that is considered an obligate carnivore, food is one of the most important decisions you will make about their care. What sounds healthy for a human, may not be the best option for your dog/cat/ferret. Because dogs are not considered to be obligate carnivores, this will focus on cats and ferrets, though dogs can benefit from this information as well. This is meant to inform you, the loving pet parent, about your pet’s dietary needs as an obligate carnivore.
First, the definition of an obligate carnivore. “Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutrient requirements are considered obligate carnivores…..Obligate or true carnivores depend solely on the nutrients found in animal flesh for their survival. While they may consume small amounts of plant material, they lack the physiology required for the efficient digestion of vegetable matter and, in fact, some carnivorous mammals eat vegetation specifically as an emetic. The domestic cat is a prime example of an obligate carnivore, as are all of the other felids.” (Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore) Cats, even those of the domestic variety, are considered to be obligate carnivores.
The body of a cat is designed to kill, comsume, and digest animals. The teeth are highly developed to serve the purpose of cutting meat from a prey animal like scissors. The teeth in front are used for the capture of prey. So you may be asking, “How does this influence what kind of food they should eat?” The effects of kibble-based diets on a cat’s teeth can vary. One very common problem is plaque buildup on the surface of the teeth. Because a cat’s teeth are meant to sink into the flesh of their prey, the teeth and gums are cleaned as they are rubbed by the meat. When a cat is fed kibble, this natural, teeth cleaning act, is not performed. Because the kibble is dry, it simply splits as the cat crunches on it. Only the very tips of a cat’s teeth are cleaned when fed a kibble-based diet. This can result in plaque buildup, gingivitis, tooth decay, and bad breath.

Please let me know if there is anything that needs to change, misspelled, information to add to what I've already written. Any changes you think I should make, please write in bold within the document. I plan on taking this one section at a time. I defined what an obligate carnivore is and identified cats and ferrets as being obligate carnivores. The next section is on the teeth of obligate carnivores. How they are designed to work. The effects of kibble-based diets vs the effects of raw diets.

Is there anything I should add to any of those paragraphs? The pictures I need are for the 3rd paragraph. I need pictures of a cat/ferret fed a kibble-based diet showing the effects on their teeth. And I also need a picture of a raw fed pet's teeth.

[Heather]

Sounds good so far. I"m a terrible speller but there were no spelling errors that jumped out at me but I'm sure there are others who are better at it than I The unfortunate thing is that sometimes people don't have the knowledge to switch (which is why this forum was created), don't have the time to complete the switch (I've got it down to a science when I get new ferrets in but I've been doing it for years, I've switched over 30 ferrets through my rescue alone), and underestimate the sheer stubborn nature of their charges to perform the switch. Having the knowledge of the best high quality kibbles and moist foods is as important as the whole raw thing in itself (note I don't get involved in these discussions because I've not fed kibble in over 10 yrs and haven't a clue as to what is good or not ) In a perfect world we would all be feeding our furkids how they should be fed, but fear of the unknown and vet and kibble propaganda have left most pet people with the idea they lack the knowledge and the ability to feed their own furkids. Having the knowledge of how to best feed your furkids if you cannot feed raw is also important .
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I have a hard time when people won't consider feeding their furchild the optimum diet but that being said I'm also aware that sometimes it's beyond some peoples capabilities or capacities. I would far rather see a furchild fed the best quality kibble than have someone feed it raw and "wrong" or as cheaply as possible. That's as bad as poor quality kibble
Here's a pic of an after shot of fuzzy teeth. This is Porthos showing off his perfectly clean "toofies"

Here's a pic of a ferret, Fun-Go B Squiggly with Samurai eating raw

Just so you know, Giuli is at present trying to tie in a website to go with this forum. She started out as you are now and it rather "grew" from there It's almost done which will be fantastic.
ciao

[fuzzymom]

The digestive system of a cat is very specific in it’s design. The digestive tract of carnivores are short, while those of herbivores and omnivores tend to be long. A short digestive tract means digestion will be fast, leaving no time for bacteria to take hold and cause your pet to get sick. Bacteria is a big concern of those considering feeding their little carnivore a raw diet. Washing your hands, keeping work surfaces clean, and utensils clean, will help keep your pet safe. A carnivore’s digestive juices are better suited to digesting animal tissue as opposed to plant tissue. Their intestines are specifically designed to break down and absorb as many nutrients as it can from the meat. This would be very hard for it to do with plants and so when fed a diet high in plants (like kibble), the body is not able to get as many nutrients. This causes the animal to eat more (This is often why cats and ferrets will eat more kibble than raw food. The raw food is so nutrient dense, they don’t need to eat as much of it to satisfy nutritional needs).
Now you may be asking, “What do I feed them?” Very few kibbles are acceptable to feed to an obligate carnivore. In order to make kibble, the meat has to be cooked, which destroys a lot of nutrients. Then, in order to make it that dry, crunchy shape, they have to add in a lot of plant material. There are a select few brands of kibble that use very little plant material in their kibble, but they are a little harder to find. A raw diet, consisting of raw meat, bones, and organs is a great way to provide your little carnivore with everything he/she needs.

That is the next bit that I have written for it. I feel like it needs more in the paragraph about the digestive tract. The next paragraph is about raw feeding basics. So I ask, what is the proper ratio of boneless meat, bones, and organs required? Do any of you supplement with vitamins or minerals. (Ferretone? calcium powder?) I will also include a tid-bit about whole prey but not go too much into that.

The paragraph after the basics will consist of how to make the switch. I might also include costs and time expense in that paragraph.

I will be including a link to this site for ferret owners, though if anyone has any other links that may be useful, please feel free to post them.

((I am focusing on cats in this, though I do mention ferrets as being obligate carnivores as well. I figured it was easier to keep referring to a single species than switching back and forth.))