What's the best way to extend your whippet's life span and improve overall health?
Diet!
So - let's talk about FOOD!
Those of you who know us well know we're utterly passionate about our whippets, and we've become passionate about feeding them right, too!
In 2016, we switched our entire pack to a raw, natural diet and they are thriving.
Our decision was based on lots of research - Jen took a course in canine nutrition, and Ken treats many of the diseases and maladies that may be caused or made worse by kibble in his practice. As many of our pack were aging, we wanted to extend their lives as long as we could, and also start extending the lives and improving the health of our young dogs. After all, who wouldn't want their whippet to be as healthy and long-lived as possible?
All of our whippets (and our cats) are fed an all raw, biologically appropriate diet, and all of our pups are weaned directly to raw. This means we've got some more reading/homework for our potential puppy homes (see below).
The most important thing to know upfront about raw feeding is that a dog's natural ph balance in their gut is perfect for raw foods - but kibble takes a different ph level to digest, making them work harder to get nutrition and taxing them over the years they eat it.
The benefits of feeding a raw, biologically appropriate diet:
- Longer life spans, less disease
- Much less waste: Smaller, less smelly poops (That's right! Our dogs' poop doesn't stink!)
- Cleaner, healthier teeth and mouths from crunching up raw bones
- Weight control - the absence of carbohydrates means no insulin cascade, keeping dogs lean and muscular.
Want to know more? Here are our favorite raw resources:
Jen's all-time go-to resource for Raw Feeding is the book, Give Your Dog a Bone, by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian who pioneered raw feeding when he saw the damage that feeding kibble was doing to his patients. This book explains why raw food is so much healthier than kibble and just how easy it can be to feed it!
Another great book (and in print, and a quick, easy read) from yet another vet from down under is Dr. Clare Middle's book, Real Food for Dogs and Cats.
And, last but not least, 2 of our all time favorite sites with great FAQ's and articles on feeding raw:
