SAVE LIVES with Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue

 Never give your dogs raw wild game. They contain parasites - but you can if you cook it well!

1. Trichinella: This parasite causes trichinosis, which can be contracted by consuming undercooked meat from infected animals, particularly carnivores like bears, pigs and wild boars. 
2. Tapeworms: Various species of tapeworms can be found in the muscle and liver of ruminants such as deer, elk, moose etc. While these tapeworms can infect dogs and other carnivores, they do not directly infect humans unless eaten raw.
3. Toxoplasma: This parasite can be present in the meat of any mammal, including wild game. Cooking meat thoroughly eliminates the risk of infection

Domestic pigs [pork] can carry the parasite Trichinella spiralis, which causes trichinellosis (trichinosis) in humans. Any mammal eating raw or undercooked pork from an infected pig can lead to infection. 

• Raw Fish - Anisakis simplex – A roundworm (nematode) found in marine fish - like salmon, cod, herring, and flounder. It causes anisakiasis, which can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and, in rare cases, intestinal inflammation if the worm burrows into the gut
• Diphyllobothrium latum – A large tapeworm in freshwater fish such as pike, perch, tilapia, and trout. Causes diphyllobothriasis, which can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency and other health issues
• Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini – Liver flukes in certain Asian freshwater fish, linked to liver disease. I don't buy any fish from Asian waters even for myself. The water is not clean there. 
•     I look for fish from Pacific Coast of US, Clean rivers or lakes in US; Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden and Estonia [these countries have the strictest environmental requirements] - and of course always cook fish. I like to poach it in water and debone completely for the dogs.
  
• Feeding Raw: Puppy's dinners should include muscle meat (chicken, turkey, lamb, bison), Ground up Bones (for calcium and marrow), not more than 5% organ meat (liver, heart, kidney), gristle, small amounts [again only 5%] of fresh organic, pureed fruits/vegetables for vitamins and fiber.  Most of this can be pureed together until about 9 weeks old, but always include some small chunks of meat in there for puppy to chew now. It gets the stomach muscles and digestive juices working. If he gets diarrhea, you can put a very small amount of psyllium husk powder mixed in - BUT ONLY 1/8 of a teaspoon a day and monitor, and only if needed. Or you can add a little more [10%] pureed veggies. Baby food is great because it is already pureed and many Organic labels ones to choose from.

NOTE! Liver - I would keep the amount of raw [or cooked] liver down to the least amount of organ meats - i.e. 2% of the meal. Remember, liver is the organ that detoxifies the body. Also, it is extremely rich in vitamin A and other nutrients that can cause toxicity if overfed. I recommend only about 2 times a week to give liver. Excess vitamin A can interfere with bone growth and cause hypervitaminosis A. Symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, bone or joint pain, and even lameness. That's why it is so important to get your diet recipes perfect for wolfdogs. 

Puppies are more sensitive to nutrient imbalances than adults - and wolfdogs are even more sensitive than domestic dogs - so small, controlled portions of organ meats are essential. Like the size of a dime mixed in the dinner once a day. You might want to make your dinners devoid of liver, and then add it into the dinner in a controlled manner. Hope this is not too confusing. But it is a necessary ingredient that the dogs need. Dont leave it out.

Planning: You can make a huge batch of the pureed meat mixture and freeze it in meatballs or dinner portions, defrosting the day before as you need it. There are some well-balanced, fresh-frozen foods out there if you get tired of making the dinners that contain all the vitamins and nutrients needed so you don't have to guess. You can also get a puppy vitamin to add in your home cooked-dinners.

You can give puppy a large bone - like a raw turkey leg or even a chicken leg with some meat on it to chew on and have some fun. If he is eating the bone or large pieces of bone are breaking off, take it away. Right now raw beef - even bones - should be avoided until the screw-worm situation is settled. Well cooked beef is fine.

HOW MUCH TO FEED WOLFDOG PUPPY

Up to 4 months of age, he should eat 4x day. 1.5-2.5 cups A DAY [divide it into 4 small meals]

Puppies 4 -8 months old should eat 3x day - 3-6 cups A DAY [accordingly as the puppy grows]. This is when the puppy grows the most but don't overfeed. Add a little warm water to the meal to aid digestion

Pups 8+ mos. should eat 2x A DAY - feed according to their weight, daily exercise, and condition.
OK, so if you want to add in some crunchy stuff for convenience or to make puppy's dinners go further, you can always add in FREEZE DRIED kibbles. :)

Otherwise, we don't feed dry dogfood/kibble.
 

You can also Google FROZEN FRESH RAW DOG FOODS.  Farmer's Dog is "gently cooked" and has a lot of veggies [maybe too many that may not do well with his tummy], but you can mix it with your own recipe to make it go further. Raw frozen INSTINCT is a good one as most of the ingredients are organic, human grade and raw. My boy Muraco loved the venison and lamb. Ollie is another fresh-frozen cooked food that is very nutritious - and there are many more. Some are raw, some are cooked. Just check the labels as each meat source can be different. Also be sure to also check the Dog Food Recall List regularly as it changes. Some brands have a good frozen fish recipe [i.e. wild-caught Alaskan pollock]. Avoid raw salmon altogether as the parasites can cause salmon poisoning. Cooked salmon is fine. Always debone fish completely! Poaching the fish is easy and nutritious.

If you do not want to feed raw meat, then you can still follow these recommendations with gently cooked meats.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FEEDING YOUR DOGS IN THE BEST MANNER? Take the time to watch this video. It's long, but Dr. Becker tells you everything you need to know.  Dr Karen Becker is a veterinarian, author, and leading voice in integrative animal health, known for her proactive, functional medicine approach to pet care and her passionate advocacy for wildlife conservation.

 Pet Fooled FULL MOVIE - The Shocking Truth About The Pet Food Industry