Jenn and Charlie-- I have been feeding a raw diet to my 2 Berners basically since I brought them home from my breeder (I also feed a raw diet to my 5 cats too). While I know what to feed your pet is a personal decision, I have found my pets to be healthier and I feel good about knowing what I am feeding my dogs and cats. As Pat alluded to, it is important that you understand the principles of raw-diet feeding and nutrition before you decide if this diet is for you and Charlie. There are several books and websites out there that can aid you in understanding this. One is "Give Your Dog a Bone" by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. This book is easy to understand and explains the principles of the BARF diet. There is also a yahoo group specifically for people that raw-feed their Berners called Natural Berners.
The only drawback to the diet that I can see is 1) you must do your homework to understand the proper nutrition for the BARF diet (feeding raw meat alone is not a balanced diet for your Berner), 2) there is a VERY small danger of choking on bones fed whole--same could happen with a rawhide or anything else that a dog might eat, 3) generally need to have a large freezer to hold food Someone else asked if it is okay to feed dogs raw pork. I have been feeding pork neckbones to my 2 Berners for two years now. Not only is that their FAVORITE meal, I have seen no ill effects of feeding raw pork to them. In our area (Minnesota) we actually have a buyers group for purchasing raw food for our pets. The buyers group is open to anyone. We buy meat in bulk from a local wholesaler once a month and get excellent prices. Our group currently has 146 members--dog breeds represented are all across the board--from little tiny dogs that couldn't even hope to lift a pork neckbone, up to Great Danes. If you are interested in more info on the raw diet, feel free to e-mail me privately. I hope you enjoy every moment with Charlie! Julie Latterell Cooper and Owen and their 5 feline companions
