The last day of kibble.

This afternoon I took the kibble container, turned it upside down, and shook the last few pieces into Mona's stainless steel bowl.  Mona munched on it throughout the evening, and finished it about an hour ago.  Maybe it's because the metal reflects light so well, but when I walk past that bowl on my way to the kitchen, I notice how empty it is.  The kibble is gone.


It sounds silly, but the big change we're making has really hit me.  No more conveniently and absentmindedly dumping kibble in a bowl.  I'll now be making a conscious choice every day as to what Mona eats.  And, of course, I'm anxious to see the results of this change we're making.


So... here's to a healthy dog!

Educate yourself.

I really don't intend to do much in the way of defending the raw diet to those who don't approve of it.  I've done my research, I really do feel it's the healthiest food for Mona, and it's the right choice for me, period.  But I do feel the need to speak up when someone has no good reason to back their disapproval.  If you're going to tell me you don't agree with something, you better have something to back it up with.

What it all comes down to is DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.  Do not let any one person make up your mind on anything, particularly when your pet's health is in question.  Even if your vet tells you what to feed, do some research.  I'm finding that very few veterinarians know much in regards to pet nutrition.  I realize there are exceptions to this, but for the most part, vets aren't required to take many--if any--courses on nutrition.  As a result, their main means of "education" comes from the pet food representatives, whose views are biased and whose information is often incomplete or incorrect.  Read the ingredients.  Learn what those ingredients mean, and what their role is in your pet's diet.  Compare labels.  Check it ALL out.  Then and only then can you decide what is truly best for your pet.

Hello, all!

I'm beginning this blog with the intention of closely documenting my adventures in living a raw lifestyle.  I have decided to take the plunge and feed my dog, Mona, a completely raw diet, specifically a whole prey model diet.

I do not hate kibble, nor do I judge those who choose to feed it.  It is all I've ever known, and I actually make a living selling premium dog foods at our local pet store.  I have no complaints about the kibble I've fed.  I've spent the last couple years learning everything I possibly can about commerical dog food, and I feel incredibly confident in my ability to explain the differences between a high-quality food like Evo or Wellness and the crap you get at the grocery store like Ol' Roy.  It has become my passion to educate people about the vast differences in pet foods.  I have converted many unknowing customers from a junky grocery store food to a premium brand, and have enjoyed hearing about the great changes it has made to their pets' health and wellbeing.

I'm finding that a lot of raw feeders are incredibly anti-kibble.  I get the feeling they think all commercial pet foods are bad.  However, I'm pretty passionate about the importance of a high-quality kibble (versus something full of fillers and by-products).  It will be hard, if not impossible, for me to completely abandon my support of kibble.  Perhaps raw feeding really IS that much better, but the fact of the matter is that many people do not care to deal with the "hassles" of raw--locating reliable and affordable meat sources, learning about the proper ratios of meat/bone/organs, storing large quantities of large meat, and dealing with thawing and freezing that meat.  Let's face it, kibble is convenient!  And for those who do not wish to live a raw lifestyle, I will still be able to show them the best kibbles out there.

However, as good as I  feel the best grain-free/holistic/organic/high-meat-content kibble out there might be, I'm thoroughly convinced that raw feeding is even better.  At least for my family.  In particular, I'm anxious to experience the benefits raw feeding will have on Mona's skin, coat, teeth, and energy level.  And of course, the poop.  I've learned raw feeders love to talk about poop.  So, lucky you, you'll get to hear about poop from me too.

And, as my thoughts are typically all over the place, I'm sure some of my blog entries will be too.