As rawfeeding became more popular, it evolved with increasing knowledge and awareness of what is appropriate diet for carnivores. Years of observation of wild canids yielded data that were adopted for formulating canine raw diets. Since dogs and wolves are very closely related as far as their digestive tracts and dentition is concerned, what wild canids eat is considered the gold standard of raw feeding.
Modeled after the predominant type of diet consumed naturally, this new style of raw feeding is called the prey model. Most carnivores naturally eat whole animals, from mice and birds all the way up the food chain to large herbivores. In the process, the entire prey is consumed, either in one meal or over several feedings, depending on the size of the catch. This includes muscle meat, bones, organs, hide, fat, tendons and ligaments, and the rest. The general proportions are about 80% meat, 10% edible bone, and about 10% organs, including liver, brain, kidneys, and such. They can comprise one meal or be balanced over 2-3 weeks, as practical. Not every meal has to be balanced but the diet should add up over several weeks to maintain the general ratios.
Prey model diets aim to restore the correct source of nutrition, in its ideal form, and in the right proportions. There are many commercial raw diets, which we will touch upon later, that attempt to do just that. They generally include the right proportions from a single source in one meal, with many different sources available. The most popular ones are beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, rabbit but almost any type of meat can be found on the market - venison, buffalo (actually bison), duck, beaver, ostrich, and even some more exotic animals. The key is to maintain the general balance.
Following this model offers a balanced, natural diet that dogs are supremely adopted to eating. The diet has the optimal amounts of meat, fat, bone (correct calcium:phosphorus ratio), minerals, vitamins, fiber,and even indigestible matter to support digestion, metabolism, and all body functions. As we discussed in the previous blog, dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates and this model offers none. In nature, canids might consume some digested stomach contents (popular myth, largely disproven through observations), eat grass, herbs, and other plant matter but not in any appreciable quantity . Thus prey model does not include grains or plant matter in any great quantities, if at all.
There are different forms of prey diets available - whole animals, ground whole animals, separate components that are mixed in the right balance. The choice is largely based on availability, affordability, and not in the least on one's comfort with feeding whole furry creatures or recognizable chunks. Many raw feeders are also not comfortable with feeding meaty bones and prefer to feed ground form only. There are many choices, none of them necessarily right or wrong. The key is to feed the right balance of meat, organs, and bone over few weeks and offer some variety of sources.
Feeding meaty bones offers numerous benefits over ground diet but as I always say, something is better than nothing and even ground raw diet is superior to kibble. And many raw feeders become more comfortable over time and will eventually end up feeding meaty bones.
Here is a link to an awesome photographic 'cook book' for meaty bones: http://www.rawfeddogs.net/Recipes
