Diet - The BARF Diet
I have experienced & seen so many health issues with canines that I made it a priority many years ago to research ways to help improve our babies. I have made many modifications to the diet and care of my own dogs until I finally found what REALLY works for both longevity and overall great health with my breeding program.
I began my research by looking abroad. It is proven that the Europeans breed with only the highest of standards. Starting at the beginning, they have a "Breeding Warden" that has to actually witness the breeding & whelping process of all bitches to ensure correct documentation. They also use only premium (human grade) ingredients when feeding & supplementing.
You may have heard of the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods or Bones And Raw Foods) Diet. This diet originated abroad and is not a new concept for the Europeans. The European dogs that are fed BARF have a stronger immune system, less allergies and skin problems, and a longer lifespan.
With the BARF diet, raw meat and organs are by far the most important ingredient in your dogs diet; up to 85%! Your dog will digest approx 90-95% of any meat so you won't see much of it in their feces afterward. Of high interest will be the guts / organs & the liver. Liver is a very valuable organ to feed, but not too much. Liver is very important as it contains large amounts of nutrients you won't find in muscle meats. Just be sure to not base more than 1 meal a week with it as it also contains some waste products. Liver is very rich in Vitamin A.
Kidneys also have alot of nutritional value. They lie between Liver and muscle meat.
If you have cooked meat as leftovers from your meal, its ok to feed it to your Boston, however do not let it become the main source of meat for your dog. Do NOT feed your dog pre-made hamburger patties or sliced sandwich meats as these are generally pumped with unhealthy preservative chemicals which are not good for your Boston.
Next is Beef. Try to stay away from Pork or Veal as pigs are normally raised on kibble feed not pasture feeding and so there isn't as much value in these.
Chicken is good, but not the greatest in value for the same reasons as pork and veal. If you use chicken, your Boston will love chicken wings, backs, and necks. Also be aware that Boston's are very prone to allergies and chicken is a known cause of some major allergy issues. I personally try to stay away from Chicken for that reason.
The best source of raw meat are wildlife game animals such as deer, elk, moose.
Other great meat sources are lamb, goat, rabbit, turkey, duck, goose, ostrich, & emu.
Vegetables, if served righ, are also good for your Boston. Dogs can not digest whole pieces very well. In the wild, the normal vegetables that a dog will receive are found in the stomach of its prey. This means the vegetable are already partially digested. To duplicate this, grind the vegetables to a complete mush. I suggest broccoli, yams, turnips, rutabagas, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, pumpkin, lettuce, cabbage, beets, cantaloupe, apples, pears, and peas. Do NOT feed onions, garlic, tomatoes, raisins, grapes, or the peels of any tropical fruits.
Along with their meats and vegetables, your Boston will also need a few other items for a complete balanced meal:
-
Raw Egg; including shell
-
Goats milk, Yogurt, & cottage cheese
-
Fats
-
Uncooked & Raw Bones
A fellow local BARFer, Nicole Lavorgna, supplied us with some information on a local vendor that was selling for roughly $0.40 / lb. Call Fells Point Meat at (410) 539-5600. Ask for Leo!
For More info visit: http://www.barfaustralia.com/#
Sample BARF Meals
|
Silk Balls: 10 pounds hamburger meat Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf. Roll into baseball sized balls and freeze. When feeding, divide as needed (1 ball per 50 lbs of dog per feeding) * I dont even thaw mine when feeding, they plow right through them and the roughness of it being frozen keeps their teeth really really clean. |
Veggie Cubes With Chicken Quarters
4 cups cooked brown rice
Mix ingredients in a blender. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and give 5 or 6 cubes along with a couple chicken quarters. |
|
How Much to Feed My Boston Billinghurst recommends 60% RMBs and 40% veggies, etc... however; 60% to 75% CAN BE RMBs and the rest should be a combination of veggies, organs (also known as offal, to include liver, heart, kidney, green tripe, etc...), ground meat (e.g. lean beef, chicken or turkey), eggs and supplements. If you are just starting BARF, remember to start slow by adding new food items every few days or even weeks, until your dog gets used to the new food (especially the richer foods like liver). This is only a guide to help get you started. If your dog is on the skinnier side, up the food (RMBs) and reduce the veggies....if your dog is on the heavier side, reduce the RMBs and up the veggies. To know if your dog is 'just right,' rub the back of your hand.....his/her ribs should feel the same. If you can't feel his/her ribs, then reduce the daily food intake. Multiply your dogs weight by 16 to get the number of ounces he weighs. For example: For a dog that weighs 70 Lbs. Here's the formula you would use to calculate the daily food intake: 70Lbs x 16 = 1120 ounces Remember this is only a place to start - adjust everything up or down, depending on your dogs condition. Dr. Billinghurst suggests feeding a puppy 10% of its body weight in food every day. Ie: an 11 lb puppy would eat about a pound of food daily..divided into 3 or 4 meals. Please feel free to download our Weekly Meal Plan below to help you organize, prepare, and proportion your BARF Meals! |
|
Diet - The Kibble Diet
If you still have to feed your Boston a regular kibble diet, then there is only 1 kibble brand that I reccomend.
-
Purina ProPlan Focus Small Breed Sensitive skin & stomach - No chicken or grains.
Home-made Doggie Treats!
Beef Yogurt Pups
Ingredients:
16 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Beef bouillon granules
Instructions:
Dissolve bouillon in water, Combine water and yogurt in blender and blend thoroughly, Pour into small containers for freezing, cover and freeze.
Peanut Butter Puppers
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. Be careful as these cookies burn easily.
Peanut Butter Yogurt Pups
Ingredients:
1-32oz. container of vanilla yogurt
1 cup of peanut butter
Instructions:
Put the paenut butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave until melted. Mix the yogurt and the melted peanut butter in a bowl. Pour mixture into cupcake papers and freeze.
Frozen Beef-Boston Yums
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cube beef bouillon
4 small pieces of beef
Instructions:
Dissolve bouillon in water and tear meat into smaller pieces about 1/2 inch squares. Freeze in ice trays for about 12 hours or until solid. Great for hot days!
Banana's for Boston's
Ingredients:
1 egg
1c fast-cook oats
1/2 banana
1/3c milk
1/2c all-purpose flour
1/8c rice
Instructions:
Squash bananas, and beat the egg. Mix in oakts, milk, flour and rice then spread evenly in a microwave safe dish. Heat in microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. when done, let them cool.
Then cut and serve.
Sparrows Point, MD (443) 800-5709 ChesapeakeBayBostons@gmail.com