Six keys to feeding raw dog food

Raw pet food is thought by some to be the gold standard in pet nutrition, and just like kibble raw diet recipes are as complex to formulate. If you feed your dog raw or are considering feeding your dog raw, you’ll want to read this article to help you determine what to look for in a healthy, well-balanced meal that won’t just feed your pet but nourish your pet. Cause let’s be honest, we eat fast food and call it a meal, but is it nutritious? The same goes for pet food. There are two versions of meals: feed and nutrition.

In Canada, there are about the same number of households with cats as there are dogs, and the average cost for annual care – including dental, pet food and dental insurance – is $2,075 per cat, and $3,075 per dog. With that in mind, it’s no wonder more and more pet parents are seeking optimal pet nutrition, including premium kibble and raw diets, as preventative health measures.

There are two ways to feed our dog a raw diet: the wrong way and the right way. It’s that simple. The wrong way – albeit well-intentioned – consists of purchasing a steak or chicken from the grocery store or butcher and feeding it to your dog. Voila. Done. Healthy pet, right? Wrong. This is an unbalanced meal.

Pet health is reliant on gut health. Meat alone does not provide the complete set of vitamins, minerals and pre-biotics needed by your pet to develop healthy hearts, bones, and connective tissues.

“Studies have found low calcium, low phosphorus, excessive vitamin A and excessive vitamin D in raw diets, amongst other imbalances. -AVMA”

Unbalanced pet foods can cause health complications in dogs over time. When selecting raw diets for your pet, look for these red flags to avoid diet imbalances.

1. Meat Quality. Choose lean meat, with fat content between 2-13 percent, more than this and it may be made exclusively from trim.

2. Organs. Look for whole animal recipes to ensure organs are added to the blend. Heart meat is muscle meat, while liver and kidney contain trace minerals and vitamin A in their natural form.

3. Bone Content. A balance of meat and bone is important. Too much bone content and your pet’s stools could be dry, hard, or even powdery and difficult to pass. Choose raw food companies that use whole animals to ensure the meat to bone ratio is naturally balanced, or choose recipes with a guaranteed analysis.

4. Fat Content. If the food feels greasy, or your dog’s stools are greasy (or is having diarrhea), add more muscle meat or change brands. Stay under 15% fat content unless you’re feeding duck, which is naturally high in fat even in its whole state.

5. Carbs and Veggies. Vegetables help regulate blood sugar and contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients and antioxidants. The finer the grind, the better the absorption. Carbohydrates should also be added in small portions, but never grains in their raw form as they are not digestible.

6. Supplements. Choose recipes that contain whole food supplements such as, kelp, spirulina, apple cider vinegar and essential fatty acid oils. It’s best to add apple cider vinegar and essential fatty acids to get the most nutrient value from these sources.

If you’re composing your dog’s raw meals at home and this all seems too complex, there are two solutions to choose from. Purchase Sojos Mix-a-Meal Fruit & Veggie Recipe. Just add water and the protein of your choice and you’ll have a well-rounded meal. Or, purchase a reputable commercial raw food, such as NatuRAWls, Stella & Chewy’s or Instinct.

And remember, a healthy pet is a happy pet.

Learning to dog

Sunday Morning Coffee Talk – May 3

Cedar is learning to be a dog 

Believe it or not, this is the first time in four years I’ve given him a bone to chew on. Until now, I’ve given him other chews because he has inflammatory bowel disease, but I wanted him to know the joy of mowing down on a frozen raw bone.

This week, I slowly introduced a frozen beef knuckle bone to him, allowing him to chew for just 20 minutes at a time every three or four days. He’s had some bouts of diarrhea, but overall his digestive system has managed quite well. He loves the frozen bones and I love watching his inner dog come out like a lion.

 I also love sitting outside with him early in the morning while he chews, as I’m doing now. Raw frozen bones are an excellent treat for dogs. As other natural treats, like goat milk. Beardog Cafe recently brought in raw goat milk for dogs and cats. “Known as the "universal milk" the vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein and fatty acids in raw goat milk are easily absorbed by a variety of mammals. Humanely sourced from free-range goats ethically raised without antibiotics or added hormones, Primal Raw Goat Milk is appropriate for dogs and cats at all stages of life.” -Primal Pet Foods

Feeding cats Primal Goats Milk also helps to ensure they drink adequate amounts of liquid, which is a key factor in preventing urinary tract issues.

Well, time to refill my coffee cup and resume lounging. Happy Sunday everyone!

The coffee cup game, antler chews, and new treats!

I never sleep in, but I slept in this morning. Sleeping in for me is not waking up naturally by 6am. My alarm woke me up at 7am. I’m up, groggy, but awake. I’ve got tea in hand and a slice of homemade banana bread. Breakfast of champions, I say!

How’s everyone faring during this pandemic? Are we going stir-crazy yet? If your pup is showing signs of boredom there’s a number of easy to play games you can do with your doggo at home, one of which is my favourite. It’s the hide a treat under a cup game. I’ve posted a video on YouTube of my dog, Raven, that you can watch and easily replicate. I started with just the one cup to make it easy for her and to teach her what to do, and then I slowly amped it up to 10 cups. Some cups had treats in them, some didn’t.

I’m always looking for the best nutrition, treats, toys and adventure gear to bring in to Beardog Cafe. I found a few treats that will be on shelves in a few weeks. That includes Stella & Chewy’s Raw Coated biscuits, Backcountry Steak and Turkey Patties, and Backcountry Lamb Venison Jerky (made in the USA), and Bristly Dental Treats (if you like the Bristly toothpaste, you’ll like the dental treats). And of course, we brought in JT’s Antler Chews, locally sourced. We hope to get more in, in sizes 8” long and 1-2” thick. These seem to be the most popular. JT, if you’re reading this, can we get some more in this size range? Thank you!

Speaking of treats, I was inspired this week to do something for folks who purchase our signature gingerbread for dogs. That something is the classic frequent purchaser card: buy 10, get 1 free. We’ll roll this out in May and for those loyalty customers who have shopped at Beardog Cafe within the past month, we’ll spot you five stamps.

That’s it for this Sunday, folks. Stay healthy. Stay happy!

Stella

Frozen treat day, camping mugs and pet food donations

Hello friends of Beardog Cafe! What have you been up to this week? What have you done that you’ve never done before, or have always meant to do but didn’t have time?

I did a couple of things. For one, I finally ordered our Live Life Ruff camping mugs. They won’t arrive until June-ish, but after eight months of thinking about it, I finalized the artwork and placed the order. Second, our Live Life Ruff beach-wood mini-planters will be in-store very soon. They are oh, so cool!

Speaking of cool, a slight reno project for the store got a green light. It’s just a small change, but we think you’ll love it. The change will create the look, feel and experience of Beardog Cafe that is closer to its original vision. And more fun for you.

We also placed an order for frozen beef knuckle bones and ribs for your doggos, and we brought in bulk boxes of frozen raw that we shipped to Goldbridge for a customer. Frozen chews will be received in limited quantity, and this coming Saturday will be our first weekly frozen treat day. We expect the knuckle bones and ribs to sell out by the end of day, so be sure to come down early to get a frozen treat for your doggo. As we lean into May, we’ll also start carrying frozen yogurt and refrigerated goats milk (read more about the benefit of giving goat milk to dogs). Goat milk is also excellent for cats!

Last but not least, we were happy to see other businesses and organizations in Lillooet follow our own $450 donation of pet food to the food bank with their combined donation of pet food valued at $500. Looks like our community pets-in-need will be well fed during these hard times. Love it!

Three dates and reminders to keep on your calendar/radar:

• Weekly Saturday Frozen Treat Day starts April 18

• Shop safely at Beardog Cafe. One customer in-store at a time. Browse with your eyes, not with your hands. Keep 6’ between you and staff.

• Do something this week you’ve never done before, or make that decision you’ve been putting off. It feels so good!

Happy Sunday, Beardog Cafe friends.

A car, a bike and a cake pan

I bought my first bicycle the same year I bought my first new car. I was 20 years old then. I drove my car countless times between Edmonton and Banff, and sold it 11 years later for $500. The stereo I had installed in it was worth $1100, but I sold it with the car to a young fellow. He loved the added woofer I had wired in and was so excited it was included with the price. I thought he was buying the car just for the stereo. I still think that today. Good for him! He got a good deal and he purchased something that made him happy. It made me happy to know I could do something for someone.

My bike, on the other hand, I still have. I can’t seem to part with it. I no longer ride it, my back won’t allow it. But I’ve hung it from the ceiling as a reminder of times and places that are special to me. It’s the memories I have of purchasing that bike with my dad’s help (also a biking enthusiast) that continue to bring a smile to my face every time I think of it, of moving to Banff and riding the trails, of digging deep to pedal up the steep roads to a favourite lake and then riding gravity home to my main-floor flat in the heart of the town.

In a way, I’ve come full circle. A few years ago, I sold my house, the first house I ever purchased. I sold it for a good price to a young, single parent who wanted to raise their child in a home close to a school. I left everything in that house that was special to me, but I did take my potted plants and even some seeds from the garden. My plants are thriving, and my memories of my home live on.

Today, I am living in a one-floor flat in the heart of another mountain-town and I’m making new memories that I know will bring me happiness in the years to come. These days, I drive to the lake instead biking. And this year I hope to master the paddleboard and teach my dog to ride on it with me.

That’s the golden ticket for me. It’s what we do every day to bring joy to our lives and those around us that count. Even now, during this pandemic, the approach to life should be the same: to bring joy to life.

Animals and wildlife are my joy. Nature is my joy. And living a simple life is my joy. Cedar (my dog) is my biggest joy. Oh, and baking, definitely baking is my joy. And having the opportunities to connect with others who love their pets is my joy. Thank you for that.

This Sunday, I want to share with you a recipe that is near and dear to my heart. It is the first cake I ever baked with my mom. Each time I bake it – using the same pan we baked it in decades ago – it makes me feel close to her. She passed away last year, and I miss her dearly. Thanks for the never-ending joy, mom, and for this cake.

Coffee Chiffon Cake

• Bake at 325C for 1 hour, 10 minutes

• Use 1 x 10” tube cake pan

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cup flour

• 1 1/3 cup sugar

• 3 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 5 egg yolks

• ¾ cup cold water

• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

• 1 cup (7-8 egg whites)

• ½ tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

1. Sift flour, 1 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Make a well and add in order: oil, egg yolks, water, and coffee. Beat until smooth.

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer until foamy white and double in volume. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, one tbsp at a time, until meringue stands in firm peaks.

3. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over beaten whites, gently folding in until no streaks of white remain. Spoon onto ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

4. Bake slow in oven at 325 C for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until top springs bake when lightly pressed in centre with fingertips.

5. Invert pan, placing tube over a quart-size soft drink bottle. Let cake cool completely. When cool, loosen cake around outside edges of the tube and down sides with a spatula. Cover pan with a serving plate and turn upside down. Shake gently. Lift off pan. Drizzle with mocha glaze over top of cake, letting it rundown the sizes.

Mocha Glaze

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 squares (1oz each) unsweetened chocolate

• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp water (or more if needed)

Instructions

1. Melt butter with chocolate in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted.

2. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee and cinnamon. Add sugar alternatively with hot water, beating until smooth. Add more hot water to desired consistency but be careful not to water it down.

3. Drizzle over cake.

4. Share with friends and family!