I feed prey model raw to my dog which consists of raw meat, meaty bones, 
and organ meat. (I never feed ground anything unless there is a huge 
sale on it like 10 cents a pound or something<smile>)  He is in great 
health and doesn't care for any grain products like bread etc.  If a 
vegetable is dropped on the floor he could care less...it gets left 
there.  Otto is a self regulator and just yesterday left his hunk of 
bone in pork sitting until I put it back in the refrigerator.  He ate it 
this afternoon when it was offered.  He will eat normally then not eat 
for a day, I have come to ignore it and just let him eat if he is hungry 
and if he isn't he waits for the next day.  I feed once per day, twice 
when he was younger and a growing puppy.  Otto has gone from 2.5 to 3 
lbs per day to 1.5 to 2 lbs. of meat per day now that he is 2.5 yrs 
old.  His body is not growing as quickly now so he doesn't need the 
amount of food he previously did.  I gage his food intake by the feel of 
his ribs and/or his activity levels.  If he has clocked 20 to 30 miles 
in the last couple days I will up the amount I feed to accommodate the 
activity levels.

Dogs are carnivores but most dogs act as obligate carnivores in that 
they will eat what is available to them.  So they will consume species 
inappropriate foods even though their bodies will not be able to absorb 
the nutrients from them.  Their dentition and digestive systems are that 
of a carnivore and the DNA evidence says they are the same as a Grey 
Wolf whether they are a Chihuahua or a German Shepherd Dog or a Great 
Dane.  Man has manipulated the physical appearance of our canine friends 
but it doesn't change what they are biologically.

In the wild wolves hunt their prey and gorge on as much food as they can 
consume if they bring down a large animal.  They then may not eat for a 
week until the next hunt is successful.  Different times of the year 
make hunting easier or harder.  Recently watching a documentary on 
Yellowstone it was shown that the winter is the wolves season for 
hunting success.  The weather helps cull out the weak and ill animals 
and the wolves take advantage of that.  Another thing I have read 
elsewhere is that a wolf will eat species inappropriate foods also, say 
for example they have not eaten and come upon an apple grove with apples 
laying on the ground.  They will eat the apples, any food to keep from 
starving, even though their digestive systems are not built to optimally 
absorb the nutrients from those apples they will help stave off starvation.

My Otto will eat cooked meat.  Dogs sense of smell is so strong and 
cooked food has a different odor so they are attracted to it.  I have 
never tried offering both cooked and raw at the same time because cooked 
meat is something that is rare and a treat when it happens (for the dog 
not me). The stray morsel from my plate etc., or a hamburger at a 
picnic.  Vegetables are non existent in his diet...he won't touch them.  
He will chew new grass occasionally for a few blades but he isn't 
grazing and eating any amount of it.   I am sure if I would give Otto a 
chunk of raw beef and a chunk of cooked beef he would eat both.

*If only I had the willpower to keep to my diet as well as my dogs do.* 
<smile>  Feeding prey model raw to my dogs over the years has allowed me 
to control epilepsy in a dog, and grain/food allergies in another.  Even 
though dogs or wolves will eat some inappropriate food items...I doubt 
anyone has ever seen a wolf strolling through a corn or wheat field 
enjoying a meal of wheat or corn.  Like us humans eating what we are 
meant to eat is better for us the same goes for our dogs, cats, ferrets, 
and birds.  There are many people who like me after dealing with 
multiple health issues with their animals have switched to a raw diet 
and found improvement.  Raw is not a cure all for our dogs, if there is 
a health issue it may not cure it but you can't beat allowing the dog to 
be in the best health it can be in by making sure their diet is what 
they were born to consume.

Sorry if this is to long and off topic.

Sincerely,
Lynn and Otto

Barbara Ferguson wrote:
>  
> In a message dated 6/3/2009 7:35:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> How  about those who feed their dogs raw meat?
>
>
> I feed my dog raw dog food that contains meat, ground up bone and egg  
> shells.  She loves it...although she loves anything to eat.  The raw  diet has 
> cleared up a few of her problems...particularly those related to loose  
> bowels.
> BarbF