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Hey Kristen,
My vet says (which have researched to be basically true) that a wild dog or wolf's diet is 90% raw meat and 10% or less plant matter. I feed my dogs raw meat. My beagle will get a turkey or chicken leg once in a while and they both will get some chopped meat from the store, but mainly I feed them patties and freeze dried foods that I get from a pet store around here. That's really really really easy for me. It's just as easy as giving them kibble. Ideally I would give them more raw meat from the grocer and just a little of my juices and smoothies. Dogs can't digest fruits and veggies very well whole because they don't have the same enzymes in their mouths like we do. We could live on all meat, but we aren't designed to do that ideally and dogs can eat all vegetables and survive but they aren't designed to do that. Their teeth and digestive systems are designed for raw meat. The vet explained to me that dogs have been bred for size, ear shape etc but haven't been bred to do better on cooked food so their digestive systems are basically still the same as a wolves - so they can handle bacteria that would kill us. You should see Boogie "wolf" down a big bone and chew it to pieces. Fluffy had few teeth left when I got her but still wants Boogies bones. It makes them incredibly happy to get raw meat. I used to have to force feed Fluffy, but now she eats like a little piggy and is 3 times the weight. It's like she was saying "finally! real food!!!" I once bought her chopped sirloin and I thought that she would jump out of her skin she was so happy.
I know that dogs can be vegan and if it's important to you that your dog is vegan I would NOT suggest you feed them raw. Raw veggies are hard for doggies to digest unless broken down in the blender.
I have to say that only eating raw fish, eggs and dairy and having been a vegan for decades in the past I was very glad to find the freeze dried foods. I don't like going to the meat section of the store - but I will do it for my Boogie (at least sometimes).
Anyway, That's what I do. I can tell you the names of all their little packaged foods. You really don't need packaged foods for dogs with teeth. Just throw them a raw bone and they know what to do with it! Wait unti you see how happy it makes them!
Greenbunny
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