Prey model, BARF, or Pre-made?
Okay, I just need to understand what's the main difference between these? I really want to feed my dogs(four year old wolf mix and 6-7 month old chihuahua puppy) a raw meat diet, but I'm not sure which one to feed. I guess even raw meat has different types to feed.
So, what are the pros and cons of each of these? Which one do you prefer, and why? Which do you think is healthiest, more natural?
Update:@Dalmations: I feed both of the dogs a raw egg once a day(one raw egg for each dog)
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Prey Model - 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% organ. Healthiest & cheapest way to feed raw. No veggies (dogs are CARNIVORES), just things like chicken leg quarters, turkey necks, pork neckbone, etc.
BARF - Outdated way of feeding a raw diet, almost half vegetables. Honestly I don't think it's that healthy to feed a dog that much vegetables - they are **carnivores**.
Pre-made - Very expensive frozen or preserved raw diet. It's not that good either, you don't get to control what is put in the food (same as kibble) and it is just way too expensive.
http://rawfeedingtips.yolasite.com/
I wouldn't feed them vegetables. It's just unnecessary. Only way I approve of feeding vegetables to a carnivore is if it's a treat.
Raw prey model is by far the best - it simulates a dogs' natural diet which is muscle meat, bone and organs and the occasional whole raw egg. This is all they need to thrive.
BARF adds vegetables and grains such as rice that a dog cannot digest properly to be of any use nutritionally. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores so why feed them something with no nutitional benefit.
Pre-made is expensive with too many additives and preservatives.
Edit: Yes wild dogs can and do eat fruits and such in the wild, buts it's such a small portion of their diet to be beneficial at all. The fact remains they are carnivores, just not obligate carnivores like cats.
I guess my dogs would be on BARF, as they get some veggies(pureed). I highly recommend this guy's book Real Food for Dogs. http://healthydogforlife.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding
Edit: Dogs are Facultative Carnivores..meaning dogs in the wild do eat some fruits and veggies, but the main diet is meat. Pureed veggies are digestible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore
I'm sure they do derive some nutrition from what they eat in the wild, no matter how small. My dogs derive some nutrition from the veggies they get. I know this because once I started feeding veggies, they haven't eaten grass like crazy. I only feed veggies once or twice a week. Unless I feed tripe, and being that has greens in it, maybe veggies only once a week.
Feed raw GROUND. My sister had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever that she fed whole prey model to and the dog choked to death on a chicken leg! It was very sad. I feed Nudge ground meat with ground liver/organ and ground eggs in shell. No fruits, veggies, etc. No bones. Brush teeth once a week. I don't want to risk my dog's life.