The life and times of an English Airedale Terrier puppy

Monday, March 05, 2007

I've been BARFing

No, not barfing as in being sick, I've begun eating a BARF diet! This is a raw meat & meaty bones diet. Ever since I came to live with mum & dad at 15 weeks, I have not had the greatest digestion. Sorry to be a bit gross, but I have frequently had very bad wind (think people having to leave the room) & lots of tummy upsets. Mum & dad changed me from the food I was on when I came to live with them to a high quality complete dry food, but I was still having problems once or twice a week, & eating anything much apart from that brand of dry biscuits & treats gave me a very bad tummy. Because I got bored of dried biscuits & more dried biscuits I was frequently scavenging for food, which just gave me even more tummy problems.

Mum & dad spoke to the vet, but she didn't really offer much help, so they just carried on with the dry food, giving me boiled rice & chicken when I was really bad, whilst looking into alternatives.

They did a lot of research & reading on BARF feeding, and also got advice from a couple of people who are feeding their dogs this way. A lady at the Wheaten Terrier Health Initiative gave them lots of help. They have been feeding their dogs this way for over 10 years. Mum also got help from a lady with an Airedale just a little older than me who has been fed this way since 8 weeks old (just like Jaffa has been).

I have now been eating raw for a week, & I have to say I'm feeling pretty good on it. I have had no smelly windies, my poops have been much smaller & firmer, I am getting a GREAT variety of foods so mealtimes are something to REALLY look forward to. Mum & dad have noticed that I seem more calm & relaxed already.

My first BARF meal was some lamb, as mum knows that the lamb kibble was the best one for me tummy wise. It smelt sooooooooooooo good as soon as the packet was opened & tasted even better. Mum thought I would gobble it up as I tend to hoover up my biscuits, but I actually ate it slowly, enjoying each mouthful.

Mmm, how tasty does that look? Mum has also been giving me a couple of tablespoons of natural yogurt & some blitzed up fruit or veggies as part of this meal each day, as well as a teaspoon of garlic powder & some kelp. I have also tried rabbit, chicken, beef, tripe (stinky but oh so yummy) raw eggs with the shell & mackerel.

Can you seem my tongue in this photo? That's a sign of how delicious I was finding my meal. I used to drink LOTS of water as my biscuits were so dry, but now I am drinking a lot less as my food is naturally full of moisture.

For my other meal in the day, I am getting raw meaty bones. This means things like chicken wings, turkey necks, rabbit portions, lamb neck, lamb flank. These bones are about 50/50 meat & bone. I have to crunch it all up with my teeth, so I get nice clean teeth as well as tasty food. Mum says once a week I can have some lambs heart, liver or some other offal.

Here I am trying out my first ever chicken wings. At first I did not have a clue what to do with them. I kept licking & licking but knew there must be more to it than that.

After a few minutes I tried picking it up & crunching it between my back teeth. Much better. I was able to break it down & eat it all up. Yummy!

I am loving my new food. I know it isn't for everyone & I hope I haven't grossed too many of you out. I reckon I was allergic to the grain in my biscuits & even the rice mum & dad were giving me to help my runny tum. Mum & dad are off to the butchers tomorrow so I can't wait to see what goodies they will bring back.


Thought I'd leave you with a photo of me & my fat daddy! Is he bigger than your fat daddy Simba? He has those glasses that go dark when you go out in the sunshine, he's not really posing in his sunglasses in the house! You can really see what a big boy I am getting to be. And yes, there is a fridge in our lounge! Dad's mum & dad moved out to live in Spain last week & they gave us their HUGE fridge freezer, so our little fridge is now waiting to go to a new home. They have taken my 2 toy poodle cousins Sammy & Suzy out to Spain too, so I hope they can speak to & understand the woofs & barks of the Spanish doggies out there!

Licks
Oscar x

23 comments:

Sunshade said...

OHhhhhhh Oscar!!! I'm so glad you're eating BARF too!! I wanted to suggest to you about my diet before when I heard you had digestive problems because I knew BARF would make your GI problems better since it's the purest form of protein a dog can have, but I was worried your mommy might get freaked out about it so I didn't.....

Isn't BARF the greatest???

ps. you're gonna live a long LOOOOOONG time on this diet!! Mum wishes she had started me on this diet when I was just a wee pup so I wouldn't have all the problems I got while I was on low quality kibbles.

Love nibbles,
Miss Sunshade

Sunshade said...

Oscar Oscar, Sunshade say say I can write write one comment.

I wanted to tell tell you that I LOVE LOVE my chicken back-backs. I still have all my teeny teeth, but I can eat eat whole chicken back backs and leg quarters and basically a whole whole chicken!

I can't wait to try try all the other kinds of bone bones, but mummy say say I have to wait wait until I get my adult teeth to eat the hard bone bones or it's not good for my bebe teeth.....

Love lick-licks,
Jaffa

jaffeboy said...

Ooo... I'm glad U R BARFing now!!! It is the yummiest of the yummiest. MaMa started me on BARF only when I was 7 mths cos she didn't know any better. Lucky Kaylie was on it since about 9 weeks. Look forward to those lamb, beef, chicken, duck, deer & many more differnt meat & bones!!!

Suki & Joey said...

Wow, Oscar, you are such a big boy! I had no idea till I saw you next to your daddy! :) Your diet sounds cool. My food is the next-best-thing to BARF, I think, at least that's what my mommy says. I get Natural Balance kibble now, mixed with the same brand of canned food. Twix and I eat the same food, now, cuz mommy was getting tired of me stealing his old food. His chocolate-colored coat is SO much shiner, now! I hope your gas continues to stay away!
Puggy kisses xoxo
Suki

Sophie Brador said...

Lucky you! Sophie would love the BARF diet, and she does get a partially raw diet. She does the same thing with her turkey necks that you did with your chicken wing. Still! She's been eating them since she was a puppy and every single time, she licks and licks before she finally eats it. It must just be something you doggies do. Happy eats!

Molly the Airedale said...

I don't eat a BARF diet but it does look tasty! So you and Sunshade have one more thing in common! BTW your daddy doesn't look so fat to me!

Love ya lots,
Maggie

Bogart H. Devil said...

Hey Oscar... I'm soooo jealous!

Mom used to feed me homemade food when I was a puppy but then I got pancreatitis - which was awful. She thought she was giving me the best stuff but it didn't agree with me... so just have your mom and dad watch your poop - mine knew that something was wrong when I didn't want to eat or poop and my poop was black like tar (yes, they're brilliant I know). I had to spend almost a week in the hospital... pancreatitis made it hurt every time I ate or pooped, so I tried to stop doing both... didn't work.

Not to scare you at all, I know Miss Sunshade eats BARF and does really, really well!!! Enjoy that SPECIAL YUMMY food for me, will ya?

Oh, and my daddy is fatter than yours!

Love,
Bogart

Liberty Doo Dah said...

Hiya Oscar!

Mum used to feed me a BARF diet too (well half BARF and half holistic kibble). For some reason, I got uninterested in the BARF meal and REFUSED to eat it! Mum wants to keep trying, but I just don't like it! Mum is frustrated with me! Sge bought me some venison & I just sniff it and leave!
AireSTUBBORN!
Liberty

Joe Stains said...

that BARF looks reallly good, we looove yogurt!!! we love all the veggies and fruit we get since tanner's butt broke!!!

Rachael said...

YAY! Another happy raw-fed dog!

Fu Fu said...

Oscar, good to hear that your mum is taking good care of your diet. You sure look like a big handsome doggie. :)

~ fufu

Boo Casanova said...

oscar,

i hope you are doing fine with the BARF. i was on BARF for a few months then i started not eating my raw meats and mom got really frustrated with me and stop feeding me raw. :-) i'm eating kibbles again now. dad is more than happy i'm on kibbles but mom wants the best for me.

wet wet licks

Boo

Nugget said...

Yummy! Of course I'll eat anything! I hope the new diet helps your tummy.

Simba and Jazzi said...

The new diet looks good. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Simba x

Oscar's mummy and daddy said...

Sunshade - I'm certainly enjoying my BARF so far.

Jaffa - I'm sure it won't be long until you get your grown up teethies, then you can eat lots of exciting new stuff. My adult teeth are HUGE

Jafeboy - My mouth is watering just thinking about it

Suki - I try to steal the cat food, but now it is up high

Snickers & Butchy - Happy to be your food tasting guinea pig!

Sophie - Well they are still tasty to lick aren't they?

Maggie - It was a flattering photo!

Bogart - Thanks for the warning, mum & dad will keep watch on my poop

Liberty - Hmm, maybe you're too ladylike to tear those bones!

Joey - See, Tanner does have a few pros

Rachael - Ooh, didn't know Moxie was raw too. She looks GREAT on it

FuFu - I bet you are the size of my ear, if that

Boo - Another one who got bored? Hmm, well if I do I will have to go back to biscuits I guess. Mum did find some with no cereal

Nugget - So far I am much nicer to be around with no windies!

Simba - So whose fat daddy is the fattest?

Licks
Oscar x

Simba and Jazzi said...

Half the size of fat fat Daddy. I win, I win. Fat fat Daddy will be on my blog tomorrow. If Mummy can work out how the new computer works.

Simba xx

Marvin -The Hollow Hound said...

ooooh that sounds a very interesting diet Oscar! MMMmmmmmm! I am droooling at the pictures.

I have what Jeannie calls in polite language, "a weak stomach" even though I am only a Mutt. I eat tinned tuna, sardines, and pilchards in tomato sauce, white rice, all mixed in with Hills Science Diet dry biscuits or James Wellbeloved. But I am not a pedigree like you!

Jeannie was so surprised how big you are! Not in a nasty way, just she did not realise quite how big Airedales were, we do not see many around here!

She is very taken with your pictures! love Marvin xxxx
and Jeannie xxxxxxx

Myeo said...

Firstly we dont think Simba's daddy is Fat Fat. And dont even mention your daddy being fat. Your mom is so pretty and your dad is good looking no wonder you are a handsome boy too. Hmmm, does that makes sense?

We dont eat raw so we are not sure how it taste like. But it sure look yummy judging from your bowl.

Love
Boy n Baby

Tansy said...

Splendid, Oscar! We are now upon occasion receiving a raw meal, and I find it delicious! We eat it very quickly, however, no tarrying here. Our flock would love to have it everymeal, but I understand our people are vegetarian and must acclimate.

You are handsome. I hope to meet an Airedale like you some day. Although I'd probably bark.

Bon Appétit!
Tansy

Headgirl said...

Good job you're not a vegitarian!
I like my meat too.
Glad the diets working.
Pats to you x

Buster the Wired Fox Terror said...

I still say pizza and fettucine alfredo are the way to go!

Bussie Kissies
Buster

Scrappy and Pebbles said...

Your dinner looks real yummy. I love yogurt and vegies too but I am not on a Barf diet

Oscar's mummy and daddy said...

Simba - I have now seen your daddy, wouldn't say he was fat fat though...

Marvin - Don't call yourself a Mutt! You are a very handome boy.

Boy & Baby -Yeah, must have got m mum & dad's genes, hahaha

Tansy - You are lucky your vegetarian people give you raw meats at all

Blue - Bet you'll get lots of good steak in Canada

Buster - Yeah, in an ideal world of course pizza would be no1 choice

Scrappy - Do you get yogurt all over your nose too?!

Licks
Oscar x