THIS IS NOT TO BE REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR - PLEASE WRITE TO ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE IT - DMigas@Bluesteelgreatpyrenees.com
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Raw Meaty Bone Seminar Overview by Dianne Migas - This is the author's opinion and only her opinion of what she felt this Seminar was about. :-)
I would like to add – that some thoughts in his book differ from his presentation slightly and that is in part due to the ongoing studies. It is apparent that as there are more studies, we continue to learn.
Review
So that you understand the gist of this seminar, I will try to put it as simply and clearly as possible.
Why should we feed Raw Meaty Bones?
In order for one to answer this question one must understand how and what carnivores in the wild eat. Stay with me here – this is how the seminar went so there will be information listed here that you already know and is just plain common sense.
Dogs (wolves – dingo’s) hunt and kill prey (this provides mental stimulation as well as physical stimulation). They hunt to eat in order to survive and reproduce.
In order for them to be successful hunters they must be healthy and have all the necessary equipment to be able to run down, kill and eat their prey.
This starts with the most important part of their anatomy. Their TEETH. They use them for protection, hunting and eating. If their teeth are unhealthy then their gums will become unhealthy – their teeth will decay, become loose and fall out and they will be unable to survive. This is “common sense”.
Then the question that comes to mind is “How do animals in the wild keep their teeth and gums so healthy”?
Well as humans – we understand that when we do not brush and floss our teeth, our gums become unhealthy and lead to “PERIDONTAL DISEASE”. If left unattended we will become ridden with pain and eventually lose our teeth.
Recent studies in the Medical Community are proving the relation between Periodontal Disease and other serious illness’. We now know that when we go in for Oral surgery that the Doctor prescribes a regimen of antibiotics. This is not only to protect the area that the surgery is taken place from infection but your entire body.
One must have a quick course on Periodontal Disease and how it affects our mouths.
(Again, folks stay with me here…. Dr. Lonsdale goes on to show slides and gives us a quick coarse in Periodontal Disease)
Bacteria will invade the gum line and start to “eat away” the collagen that surrounds the teeth and holds them into place. The collagen also protects the jawbone. THIS IS THE SAME FOR OUR DOG’S TEETH AS WELL.
If not brushed and flossed away – the bacteria continues to eat away at the collagen and therefore loosening the tooth and literally eats away the jawbone.
This bacteria then provides an opening for traveling throughout the bodies system affecting every organ as it filters through the body. Over time these bacteria taxes these organs leaving the immune system depressed and open for all kinds of infections and immune disorders – which we see so widely in both humans and our dogs.
We now know that periodontal disease is a major cause or catalyst for other diseases. We know how to prevent this from happening to us – brush and floss correctly on a daily basis and avoid those foods that cause decay.
So, for our animals we are again left with the question “How do the dogs in the wild keep their teeth and gums so healthy”?
It comes down to what and how they eat. Dr. Lonsdale quotes studies and provided video in his presentation to show just what and how the dogs in the wild eat. He then showed what some of his patient’s ate and how they ate. Identical to the dogs in the wild.
One example he showed was a half breed (mixed with Dingo) eating a kangaroo tail. This dog ripped and tore what meat was there off the tail. It used its front teeth to do the ripping and tearing and it was as though the meat/muscles/tendons acted as strips of floss massaging the gums of the dog. When it came down to crunching – the dog used its back teeth.
This took time to do and the dog thoroughly enjoyed himself. But what was more impressive were this dog’s teeth and gums. All his teeth were clean and he had very healthy gums.
I hope that you can envision this and if not – give your dog a piece of large fish or kangaroo tail if available or whole ox tail and watch him/her rip and tear at it. Observe the use of the front teeth and then the back teeth. They have separate functions.
Dog’s fed a “commercial” diet, “home cooked”, “Raw Meat” diet, “Minced Meat (includes minced bone)” or all “Veggie Diet” do not get to use their teeth as nature intended. The food in these diets are either “not natural” or “not in their Natural state” and some are biologically inappropriate.
We all know the commercial diets contain all kinds of preservatives, additives, grains and the quality of meat and meaty by products is simply poison. Dogs fed these types of diets make up 85% of the dental patients seen in veterinary practices world wide. Consequently many of these dogs have more than just Periodontal Disease – they have other ailments as well.
But we feed raw meaty bones so our animals should have healthy teeth and gums right? Not necessarily…it is important that your dog be given a safe appropriate raw meaty bone for chewing. The time it takes to chew is key – Dr. Lonsdale said a good time would be 20 minutes for ripping and tearing. This will provide the benefit of cleaning the teeth and wiping away any bacteria in the gums for all the teeth. It also provides great physical and mental stimulation as well.
Now, with our large and giant breeds who do not have to rip and tear apart wings, backs, and necks of chicken. We give them in pieces. Our dog’s back teeth are getting what they need to keep them healthy because that’s where they chew and crunch these pieces. Carcasses are better (especially if it’s a carcass chicken with the wings and neck left on) because there is some time to chew and crunch apart – but depending on the size it may not be sufficient to
provide the benefits for cleaning the front teeth. Remember the 20-minute time factor of ripping and tearing.
So what should we be doing for their front teeth? The so-called “recreational bones” (that are and were originally recommended) are comprised of large leg bones, bone marrow – all of which are extremely hard and can break teeth.
Dogs in the wild usually leave these bones. They may take the meat off but they don’t chew on the bone. Because if they had a break in any of their teeth they then would be susceptible to periodontal disease and then they would have similar problems that our dogs do. Not to mention it could (depending on the tooth) interfere with their means of defending themselves and ability to hunt and kill as well as eat prey. They would not survive in the wild. Their instinct tells them these bones are not necessary.
So, Dr. Lonsdale advises to avoid those types of bones – he also stated that he has seen a lot of dogs come into his previous practice with broken teeth and the cause was “recreational large bones”. These teeth should be removed because they will spread bacteria throughout the body and the dog will eventually become ill despite the natural diet. Maybe not to the degree a commercial fed dog would, but bacteria will spread nonetheless.
Suggested rmb’s safe for “chewing and ripping” that will take the time to provide the benefit of keeping the mouth free of periodontal disease. (For our big dogs)
Just to name a few.
The above will provide the benefit of “flossing and brushing” of your dog’s teeth and gums. Your dog should have no periodontal problems if this is done on a steady basis. Remember the time factor and remember if you brushed and flossed once a week – you would have some serious problems as well as breath!
Check your dog’s teeth and breath on a regular basis.
There is not sufficient data that demonstrates the dogs in the wild need the vegetation from their prey’s stomach’s to survive. In the studies the stomach contents were left behind though the stomach lining was eaten.
Does this mean we should not feed any veggies or fruit and just feed rmb’s? Yes, and No is what he said. Remember dogs eat what is readily available and depending on their environment some may be more accustomed to scraps and say for example rotten fruit. In certain areas there are no rotten fruit and yet dogs survive just the same.
He stated rmb’s should make up the major portion of the dog’s diet. He also stated that dogs do not eat in regular intervals and we should fast. We can give veggies (put through the juicer) and table scraps. He totally disagrees with the use of probiotics and supplementation.
Suggested feeding:
1. 85% of the diet should be Raw Meaty Bones consisting of:
- Preferably Wild Prey Whole animals – rabbits, mice, chickens and so forth
- Whole Carcasses (most of the meat removed for human consumption)
- Chicken pieces – backs, necks, wings (be careful dog does not swallow smaller pieces such as necks whole – can cause blockage)
- Whole Fish – be careful of Northwest Salmon – use whatever is available in your area and you may also use canned (unsalted) sardines or mackerel or salmon.
- Large / whole pieces of either kangaroo tail, ox tail, sheep’s head, or goats head to provide the “brushing and flossing”
PROVIDE VARIETY AND MUST BE RAW
2. 15% Table Scraps and Pulped Veggies*
- If meat products (scraps) remove bones
- Veggies must be pulped
- Offal can be found in chicken backs but if lacking - add liver, hearts, and kidneys in small
portions.
3. PROVIDE CLEAN NATURAL WATER AT ALL TIMES
Things to avoid:
§ Excessive meat off the bone – not balanced
§ Excessive vegetables – not balanced
§ Small pieces of bone – can be swallowed whole and get stuck
§ Cooked bones – can get tuck and can splinter
§ Mineral and Vitamin additives – create imbalance
§ Processed Food – leads to dental and other diseases
§ Excessive starchy food – associated with bloat
§ Onions and chocolate – toxic to pets
§ Fruit stones (pits) and corn cobs – get stuck
§ Milk – associated with diarrhea. Animals drink it whether thirsty or not and consequently get fat. Milk sludge sticks to teeth and gums.
§ Minced Meat (this includes ground up bones) – animal does not get the benefit of chewing and ripping – hence not cleaning teeth* if your pet does not have teeth then this is ok.
The above was basically how this presentation was set. There was talk of the major companies who own these commercial foods – such as “Mars, Inc.” and so forth. I believe he included all of that for those who were in attendance and contemplating “switching”.
(See below on “switching”). Also, he did want to get us fired up to get ready to battle these companies as for they are trying their best to put a stop to the notion that Raw is better than their foods.
Discussions…………………
Note: as with all Q&A portions of seminars the information tends to jump around a bit – so please be patient and try to imagine as if you were in the audience.
Vitamin supplementation was brought to the floor
Question:
How do we know are animals are getting what they need?
- Our dogs come from generations of ill fed dogs. We also feed farm-raised animals, which are not “free to choose their diets as their wild counterparts”. Prey animals are able to eat a more variety of foods, which are in their natural state – where as our human grade animals are fed mainly grains. Not to mention that the environment plays a major role on all forms of life.
Our soils have been depleted of their rich nutrients and so has much of the water – hence the vegetation and animals ingesting from these sources are sure to be lacking as well.
Answer:
- Ideally you want to feed as natural as possible. In doing so one should try to feed whole “wild prey” animals when available. If you or someone you know hunts then you could feed items like “wild rabbit”, “wild squirrel” and “whole fish” and so forth. The prey should be killed “clean” – meaning using a “stainless steel or Nickel bullet” – remove the bullet and give the entire prey. Be careful of fur – our animals are not used to it and it can cause problems for “some” dogs. Do not give any “kill” that was killed with a LEAD BULLET. Remove hook from fish (laughter) – and give whole fish with scales and all. Be careful of Northwest Salmon – avoid it.
- The above animals eat in the wild and though we have depleted quite a bit from our waters and soils – in the natural environment of where these animals live is greater in nutrients than those that are farm raised. Therefore, these prey animals getting a richer nutrient based diet will intern pass that to our dogs – hence no need for additives. The “wild prey” given in it’s natural state will allow our dogs to get what they need in balance as they need it.
- As they need it is important to us because it tells us (and observations demonstrate) that animals in the wild eat in “intervals” – they do not eat daily therefore, we should fast our healthy adult animals one to two times a week. Do not puppies or ill animals.
There are several benefits for feeding “wild whole prey”
- We ensure our pets get exactly what they need – therefore, there is no need for table scraps and veggies – hence saving you money and time. And the animals much prefer this.
- Because they eat the whole animal they are also getting the benefit of ripping and tearing it apart – they get the “teeth cleaning” benefit as well as the mental and muscle stimulation as well. Many of our pets will “shake” the dead prey first – maybe this satisfies the need of the “hunt” in our animals – just a theory.
- Studies of wolves and dingoes and then domestic dogs were observed – it became apparent that according to what prey animal these carnivores ate dictated what they did and did not leave behind. Stomachs of certain animals were left (with contents) and some ate the lining of their prey (specific) and left the contents behind. It is difficult to understand that if they ate the stomach contents in some animals and left it in another type of animal, whether or not it had to do with – the carnivore reached it’s nutritional value or if they left the stomach on
certain prey intact because it had no nutritional value for them.
They were consistent however, in which parts of different animals they ate or left behind. *Note – I do not have all the animals he listed – but I do know that with rats they left the stomach (with contents) and the liver behind. With “bunnies” as he called them – KITTIES left paws, tails, lungs- stomach lining . They mainly eat the heads of all their prey – except for fish (this was left occasionally).
- YOU will also feel assured that your pet is getting everything it needs and therefore, will relax when it comes to adding vitamins and supplements.
Question:
What if prey animal is not an option?
Answer:
- Be creative – check with your local butcher or look up wholesalers you will be surprised what can be obtained in its natural state. Try your best to provide your pet with the “whole wild prey” and if not feed above as outlined and remember you are giving variety and good quality food which intern will be ingested by your pet and he/she will also get the benefit of that quality food. Feed your pet with variety and it will get its balance over time. There really is no need for supplementation it creates imbalance in their chemistry make-up.
- He then provided studies that demonstrated that animals with certain diseases were reversed of these diseases when fed a natural diet and their teeth and gums were in optimum condition. In most cases results were seen within 6 months time – he showed his video of a dog who within 3 months was brought back to optimum health after having the damaged teeth removed (20 removed from lower with 1 that fell out on it’s own – all lower jaw) – this particular dog was in his video taken from a National Talk Show. The little dog was seen on TV eating chicken wings with no lower teeth and had gained 20% of her body weight back. All ailments plaguing this dog were gone.
Incidentally, this dog was owned by a very affluent woman who vet cared her dog at one of the most prestigious Veterinary clinics in Australia. When Dr. Lonsdale was referred to this woman by a RN who managed a “nursing” home (patients didn’t want this smelly dog around them anymore) the records were sent and only ONCE did they note on the last visit that the dog’s teeth had tartar.
We were privileged to see this dog’s teeth (via video) prior to Dr. Lonsdale removing them and they were horrible – green and brown crust all over and puss pockets - that poor animal was such a mess. The eyes, the tear stains (constantly soaked area from draining), ear discharges, foul mouth and immune disorders were present. All the other vet did was treat all the “acquired” illness’ never once recommend dental care.
Feed your pets once a day and if so outside – if they roll their pieces/carcasses in the dirt and eat it – then they have supplemented themselves naturally. Many animals will bury food and then go back and eat it. This MAY suggest that the animals are obtaining the nutrients that it needs via the soil or that it is saving it for later consumption. Note – they sometimes do this not always.
- One suggestion from the audience was to contact local “hunting clubs” and “fishing clubs” many people like to hunt but do not necessarily eat their kill. This was also suggested to add variety to your pets diet in addition to check with your butcher or ethnic butchers to obtain the large appropriate pieces for the “chewing and flossing”.
Question:
What about poor Genetics – do we supplement then?
Answer:
- Again, the appropriate diet will help a long way in addition to keeping your pet’s teeth and gums in optimal condition. Certain “genetic flaws” will always be. If your pet suffers from “hip dysplasia” the diet will not reverse that. BUT it will keep all of your pet’s chemistry working as it should and help your pet live a more comfortable life.
- It is important to understand that this is not the miracle cure for all ailments; Genetics do play a part as well other elements in the pet’s life. However, one must keep in mind that if your pet is getting exactly what it needs the way nature intended you can prevent the onset and in some cases reverse diseases. Keep in mind the following:
1. Quantity (how much you feed)
2. Quality (what you feed)
3. Frequency (how often you feed)
4. Genetics*
- Dachshunds are genetically predisposition to back problems. This is an ongoing study as to why this breed suffers with this. Feeding an appropriate diet over generations may help eliminate this we just don’t know. It is possible that the diet will help the dog better cope with the problem but to date we have no studies or reports of it having an impact. We need you folks to be kind and send us your findings.
- Toy breeds tend to have very crowded mouths (dog used in video was a toy breed) and they are prone to have dental problems – due to the genetics (teeth do not have enough room in the small jaw structure). These dogs once their dental problems are corrected and put on an appropriate diet have done well with limiting and reversing diseases.
- Correcting the future of genetic problems starts with an appropriate diet and this will take time as it took time for the commercial fed diets to “wreck havoc” on the genetic make-ups. Commercial foods create an “unbalance” in the animals “chemical constitution” and over time we have seen the results. It will take us time to get our pets back to where they should be and correct the chemical constitutions.
- Other factors must also be taken into consideration – how your pet is raised. Is it allowed to jump and leap at such an early age? Strenuous exercises at an early age is no good and you owners need to accept some responsibility in educating and insuring your pets have a safe environment. Many factors come from this point – did you allow your pup / dog to be fat most of it’s life – etc. Understand that this diet will not change all the wrongs but it can help get your pet’s chemistry back in order and hopefully (if not too late) will have it’s bodily functions working (as in lubricating joints and so forth).
He went on to add….
Behavior changes have been seen as well. Hyper dogs became calm and less excitable. Lethargic dogs have bounds of normal expected energy. These studies support that the dogs were getting what they needed and how they needed in order to get their “chemical constitutions” back on track. Temperaments were stabilized.
*If you have a dog that has proven to be aggressive / biter there may not be any hope for this dog. Behavior is dictated by a). Chemical Constitution (which plays a part of genetics) and b). Learned behavior. So, please be careful if you think that this will change certain types of behavioral problems – diet will not change everything.
Making The Switch
Providing your dog has teeth (laughter) then feed the above outlined diet as best you can. Puppies should be fed and observed twice a day – do not over feed! Puppies can handle wings, backs, and necks* - be observant that they do not gulp or swallow – that goes for all ages!
I do not advocate switching “cold turkey” to elderly animals – say 7 and over. I would do this gradually and if their teeth are in horrific condition get them corrected and start off with mince/meat & bone. You can then later (when healed) introduce RMB’s (if they are left with no teeth stay with the mince). Gradually means to watch and see how they consume and digest – stool volume.
Question:
For the elderly should they be put on a course of Probiotics to help them along?
Answer:
Not necessary – they will be getting back to eating the way nature intended and if you do it gradually then your pet will do fine. I am not convinced with the use of probiotics being beneficial to either humans or animals. I don’t agree with them.
Question:
What if my dog won’t eat the raw pieces?
Answer:
-You will have to become a master of manipulation! Cats usually are the difficult ones but if your dog won’t eat – try mixing it with something he/she enjoys. They’ll come around its their instinct.
Question:
What if my dog won’t eat the veggie/table scraps?
Answer:
Most household dogs do already get table scraps and if you are mixing it in with the veggie mix then mix less veggies at first and then increase until you reached your total of veggie/table scraps.
Suggestion from the audience regarding Veggie Mix…
Rub veggie mix on the Wings, Backs, or whatever your dog likes.
Question:
What about parasites?
Answer:
- Most animals have worms and when feeding Human Grade you have eliminated that risk – however, when feeding “wild prey” you can be sure that your dogs may ingest tapeworms but not to worry this will not kill your dog. Parasites tend to call “sickly specimens” their hosts. If your dog is healthy he/she will overcome, as do their wild counterparts.
One parasite that you must be careful is the Hydatid Tapeworm – this can be passed onto humans and be deadly. Depending on your region will necessitate the need for caution. You can research this more or read the information on this parasite in my book.
Question:
What about Heartworm preventative?
Answer:
Well, this will cure your concern for the other parasites if you give it. It really depends on your region. I suggest you continue with your heartworm preventative when it is necessary.
The balance of the Seminar was instructional on how to fight "Big Business" which you can go directly to his site and read for yourself. www.rawmeatybones.com
Bottom line, I felt he tried to suggest the importance of feeding a biologically appropriate food and would consider whole prey to be the best since when eating whole has the total benefits as described above.
Dr. Tom Lonsdale was charming, intelligent and I walked away enlightened and great respect for him.
For his schedule on upcoming Seminars which I would highly recommend click here: Speaking Engagements
Dianne Migas