The sparkling clean teeth of a raw-fed 7 year old -- naturally!

Still winning after all those years . . . Cosmo at 10 years old
In loving memory, 1995 - 2006

Ch. SR SHR U-CDX U-AGI Blazin's Back O' The Moon UD RN JH AX NAP NJP WCX CGC TT HOF
Specialty JAM and 2 Group placements at age 9;
Group placement at age 10.5!
Top 20 rankings 2004 and 2005


I feed and recommend a raw natural diet such as the one developed by Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst, as outlined in his books "Give Your Dog A Bone" and "Grow Your Pups With Bones".

The easiest place to start learning about a species-appropriate diet, including a monthly menu planner, is "The Ultimate Diet, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats" by Kymythy Schultze, and "The BARF Diet" by Dr. Billinghurst.

These books can be ordered from Dogwise.

Another good place to start is Switching To Raw by Susan Johnson.

Links to resources on raw natural diets:
Click here to subscribe to fcrBARF, an email group for those feeding a raw natural diet to their Flat-Coated Retrievers, or interested in doing so.


This is what the diet of a healthy, active adult flat-coat might look like. Since the goal is "balance over time", variety is important. Please don't attempt a raw diet without first reading at least one of the above books. Please don't un-balance an already fragile processed dog food diet by going half-way with a raw diet. And please, NEVER feed cooked bones!!
MOST DAYS:
  • Raw meaty edible bones (the main part of the diet) -- About 1 pound, such as 5 chicken wings, OR 4 chicken drumsticks, OR 2 chicken backs, OR 3 turkey necks, etc., with quantity adjusted to achieve and maintain ideal weight.

  • Raw vegetables -- run through the blender or food processor with a little distilled water until they're a mushy pureed pulp -- a mix of root vegetables (carrots, yams, etc.) and green leafy vegetables -- about 1/2 cup after pureeing.

  • Raw ground beef, turkey, lamb, green tripe, etc. -- about 1/4 pound (may be mixed with the pulped vegetables if desired).

  • Supplements -- kelp powder, alfalfa powder, salmon oil, Vitamin C powder, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-50 complex -- added to the pureed veggies or ground meat.
TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK:
  • Organ meat -- small amount of raw chicken liver, gizzard and/or heart, and/or beef or calves liver and/or heart.

  • Eggs -- whole raw, or raw yolks, with or without shell.
OPTIONAL & TREATS:
  • Recreational bones -- raw meaty beef, veal, lamb or pork bones, or shank/marrow/soup bones.

  • Nuts (except peanuts) and seeds -- pureed along with the veggies.

  • Fruit -- fed separately from other foods, preferably very ripe and run through the blender.

  • Fish -- raw, whole (preferred) or canned mackeral, salmon or sardines (may be mixed with the veggies).

  • Healthy table scraps -- in small quantities.
Note that this is a virtually grain-free, dairy-free diet (except for incidental amounts given as table scraps). For thousands of years, dogs thrived on eating raw flesh, bones, organs, and stomach/intestinal contents. Only during the last 60 years or so has it become fashionable to feed dogs a commercially prepared, cooked, processed, grain-based, "complete and balanced" convenience diet.


Cosmo -- raw pulped veggies and turkey necks, August 2000

Like Father, Like Daughter . . . Ch. SR Claymore's Tinker Bell CD JH WC CGC, raw fed since 8 weeks of age, pictured at 3 months old
Tink is co-owned by the Alea Family and her breeder, Al Jenkins
There's a FISH in my bowl. Hmmmmmmm . . .
Some of Cosmo's raw fed kids!

  • Ch. "Chance" CD RN CGC: 7 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows, Patellas and Heart OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. SR "Tink" CD JH WC CGC: 6 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows, Patellas, Heart and Thyroid OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. "Snicker" NA NAJ NAP NJP OAC OJC OCC O-TN-O TG-N CL2-R CGC FFX-AG Can. AGN CGC (Specialty JAMs): 6 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows, Patellas and Heart OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. "Cody" RN JH WC CGC: 5 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Am/Intl. Ch. "Connor" (Group Placer): 5 years old; Hips OFA Excellent; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Am/Int. Ch. "Luke": 5 years old; Hips OFA Excellent; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. "Riley" RN JH WC CGC: 4 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. "Onni": 4 years old; Hips OFA Good; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; CERF.

  • Ch. "Jedi" CD RN (Group Placer): 4 years old; Hips OFA Excellent; Elbows and Patellas OFA Normal; Eyes ACVO Normal.

BARF

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