I may sound completely naive, but dogs are carnivores, yes?
Yes - although you will find conflicting information that will tell you they are omnivores ! look at their teeth they are sharp and pointy, for ripping and tearing meat and breaking bones - *not* for grinding cereal / rice or vegetable matter.
We feed them these carefully balanced diets and then wonder why their teeth fall out ....
What you have just said is precisely what the book Raw Meaty Bones is all about - peridontal disease causing
systemic diseases in dogs (and cats).
Is there not a dog food out there which can mimic the total effect of stripping a carcase .. fat, protein, gristle, bone, sinew .. or did all these wild dogs die of terminal halitosis and lack of vegetable matter??
Healthy dogs don't actually
need vegetable matter although a lot will eat graze on various grasses and plants, especially herbs that they need. Mine eat rabbits on a regular basis, although not with the fur - I'm afraid I am just a bit too squeamish for that. Again referring to the book Raw Meaty Bones - Tom Lonsdale recommends feeding whole carcasses as often as possible in order to be feeding a "complete" diet.
their collie used to go along picking herself huge brambles when they were fat and juicy .. now where can I find a doggy food which simulates that
Mine pick blackberries off the bushes every single day when they are ripe. Tilly will only pluck off the ripe ones, she passes the unripe ones ! she has taught Lola and the puppy to do this too, and my neighbours dog as well ! you can buy berries and feed those if you like !!!
