How did Wholefood Hounds come about? Why do I feed cooked dog food?

 

OK so there's a lot of confusing info out there, most vets sell a range of processed "complete and balance" kibbles and vets are the experts, right? Raw feeding is very popular especially in Australia etc etc.  

 

My answer...

 

Processed food is easy, they have balanced the nutrients for you but there is no variety which can lead to allergies and sensitivities which cause skin irritation and/or upset tummies and, well, it's a bit like eating fast food everyday with a multivitamin!  We all know it's better to eat a varied diet with lots of wholefoods, minimal processing and eat fresh fruit and veg for our vitamins.  It's the same for our animals.

 

Raw feeding...now without even getting into the debate about how much evidence there is for this method, how similar or different domestic dogs are to wolves, the chicken and egg debate of canine evolution and all that...the most common reasons against raw feeding are that the dog doesn't like it or doesn't tolerate it well and that people don't want to raw feed because of the risk from bacteria.

 

So, why cooked food...

I didn't start out to feed almost exclusively cooked food, my last dog was fed a mixture of cooked, raw, kibble, cans and anything she found in the park, she ate everything (Cocker Spaniel!!) and lived to almost 17.  I ended up researching cooked food and enrolling on a Canine Nutrition course because we got a puppy who had stayed with her Mum long after her litter mates left because she was just too small.  She was still tiny and didn't really eat much, or show any interest in food when she came to live with us.  But she did show interest in food when I was cooking and she would eat freshly cooked food (let's be honest what would you choose, a hot, fresh meal or something dried that smells bad from a packet?!).  Maybe I made her fussy or maybe she is smarter than she looks ;) but as this was all she was eating I wanted to learn how to feed her a balanced diet. So, reason number one, SHE EATS IT!  

 

Reason number two, I have two young children and Whiskey is an indoor dog.  With proper hygiene and fresh food the bacteria risk to dogs themselves from raw feeding is minimal.  They have a very short digestive tract so food passes through them much quicker and they tolerate bacteria that would make us very sick.  However, I have young children who aren't too discerning about kissing the dog, her licking them or eating food off the floor, toys on the floor, a dog who leaves food all over the kitchen floor...you get the idea.  So, for me it is much more sensible to reduce the bacteria risk by feeding cooked meat.  Whiskey is part of our family and the safest way for us all to co-exist is cooked food.

 

Reason number three, nutrition is very important to me, especially having kids, and I love cooking so I read a lot on the subject, prepare most meals from scratch and use lots of wholefoods, quality meats, fresh veggies etc.  Feeding the dog this way (modified for the differences in human and canine requirements) is an extension of that. 

 

Reason number four, Whiskey doesn't particularly eat raw food on the occasions she is given it, and if she does, she tends to vomit.  Meaty bones are the exception, they are good for her teeth, she enjoys them and they are good entertainment for her so these are something she gets as a treat, fed outside and before a bath (she has a long spaniel coat and smells after eating them).

 

So...that is why I feed my dog a natural, wholefood, home-cooked diet to my dog.  Wholefood Hounds came about because feeding a natural, home-cooked diet to dogs is time consuming!  If you want to feed your dog a natural, cooked diet but have other commitments then Wholefood Hounds can do it for you.  I live in Kinross (nr Joondalup) and source and cook all the dog food myself, then deliver it to you*, take it to markets and have a few locations I can drop off food for collection.  For more info you can PM or, text or email me and to stay up to date with events I will be at, news and products please like my Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/WholefoodHounds

 

You can exclusively feed a cooked diet or you can find a solution that fits your dog, your budget and your family.  The cost of feeding a natural, wholefood diet from quality produce is obviously slightly higher than feeding kibble but, hopefully, the dog is healthier in the long run and needs less trips to the vets for allergies, intolerances and illnesses.  As they say, prevention is better than cure. And, as with humans, some natural, fresh food is always better than none, so, even if you don't exclusively feed this way your dog will still benefit from all the times you do.

 

*Please message me to see if I can deliver it to your area, I am happy to accomodate all locations as far as is practicable.