IN A.M.: ½ pound or more of whole RAW chicken wings, or RAW necks, or a combination, or a large back when pup is full grown, ALWAYS RAW!! Keep extras in freezer. If you get frozen wing sections at your market, pup may swallow sections whole, don’t worry as they will totally digest the bone. Serve these wing sections slightly frozen to force chewing.

IN THE AFTERNOON: A mixed food based on Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s recipe which has evolved over time (see enclosed recipe). The veggies must be pulverized in a juicer or a food processor before mixing. Feed about ½ pound of the mixed food. If some is left, refrigerate for later. Offer more if eaten quickly up to about 3/4 lb for older larger pups.

AT NIGHT: more of the above. Every 2 or 3 days give the pup raw meaty beef, veal, lamb or pork neckbones or other consumable bones for eating exercise. During the winter I get deer bones from the processor. The dogs love them. Get whatever is a good price at the market and freeze for future meals. Avoid the large cow femur or marrow bones as dogs chip teeth on them and the marrow can cause diarrhea. A softer bone is better. Pup will consume it over time.

Good dog biscuits for occasional feeding are available from Innova. You can find distributors at http://www. naturapet.com or possibly through delivery from http://www.waggintails.com. Wellness biscuits are also good. http://www.wellness.com. http://www.balancediet.com. Avoid heavily advertised products as they are mostly owned by people food conglomerates and whatever they aren’t permitted by law to put in our food, goes into dog food as there is only self-regulation. http://balancediet.com.

Always have fresh water available. A 2-qt flat-sided pail that hooks onto crate door works well. Anchor it with a double ended brass snap available at hardware stores or Cherrybrook.

AFTER FEEDING, TAKE PUPPY OUT TO THE YARD. PUPPY PEES AND POOPS WHEN IT WAKES UP, AFTER IT EATS, AND AFTER PLAYING. IT OFTEN POOPS TWICE FOR EVERY MEAL EATEN.

There are quite a few commercially made raw food diets for dogs available now. Do an internet search for names and distributors near you. Oma’s Pride is good and our NJ co-op places orders with them every six weeks. Check out www.omaspride.com. Bravo, www.bravorawdiet.com is good as is Aunt Jeni’s and a place in Huntington, L.I. called Armellino’s.

Dogs love Macho Sticks. You can order them as well as other good treats from www.sitstay.com. Also from www.cleanrun.com or www.bullysticks.com. White Dog Bone has some good treats, too, including American rawhide which is preferable to imported. www.whitedogbone.com. The retriever sticks are the best in my opinion. Never leave your dog alone with rawhides as they can choke on them. Macho sticks are safe to leave down.

Canine nutrition books to read are Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s "The BARF Diet" (www.barfworld.com) and Kymythy Schultze’s "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet."

Call me with questions at 908-537-9146, or e-mail msbanta@earthlink.net

Revised February 2007