What is safe to feed your dog

If you are interested in going the fresh/raw/natural way, be sure to research carefully for there is a considerable variation between diets. For example, Holistic diets include grains and fruits; and Petsynergy, a holistic site, recommends a balance of 50% grains, 25% vegetables and 25% meat all of which are cooked unless the meat is organic and fresh when it may be fed raw. The raw diet as promoted by Jane Anderson, whose site includes a chat room for raw feeders, holds that food should never be cooked, that grains are forbidden, that fruit and vegetables are unnecessary, and that supplements are a waste of money. (www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.ht...

Well, how about all this information on the "right" way to feed your canine friends. Are you as confused as I am? And I have been feeding dogs and cats for most of my 70+ years. Here are a few things I have learned from all this information. Switching foods periodically is a good thing. No matter how good a commercial diet is, changing to another good kibble may help prevent any build up of an ingredient a dog may be sensitive to and thus trigger an allergy. Feeding an occasional raw egg is not a no-no, the avidin in egg whites, while it does bind with biotin and prevent its adsorption is generally in such small quantities that unless your dog manages to run off with a carton of eggs at a time it should not be a concern. Feeding a meaty raw knuckle or shin bone occasionally (outside or in a crate) sure beats trying to convince my dog that he loves having his teeth brushed. And guess what, when it comes to commercial food, you get what you pay for. Not that I haven't known dogs who lived 14 years of a healthy active life on Big Red (probably 50% corn with meat by-products) and whatever they could con off their owner's plate.