janet_rose
Posted : 6/5/2010 6:34:57 PM
I am so glad that she is doing so well, but the "not human food" comment from the vet bothers me. It is gradually changing, but most current vets got the majority of their nutritional training from commercial dog food reps - not exactly an unbiased source of information.
I favor a “human quality” raw meat/fish diet for dogs and your vet probably considers that “human food” even though we usually cook our meat/fish before consuming it. Unless one feeds just whole prey or a commercially-prepared (read “expensive”) raw food, this type of canine diet requires a little study and some work, but it is no harder than a good human diet. There is a large community of raw feeders that are happy to help a newbie.
Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. They have the teeth and the short digestive tract of a carnivore (which is the way the term in defined). Some people claim that dogs have "evolved" into omnivores, but no one has ever been able to tell me just how they think a dog's digestive tract differs from that of a wolf. That is because it doesn't!
Meat/Fish/Bones
Both dogs and humans eat meat/fish. People need to cook the meat/fish to kill pathogens/parasites and to chemically change the meat/fish for easier digestion, but sometimes they take a chance and eat raw (like sushi). Dogs do well on raw meat (with all chemicals intact) like their wolf cousins. That is a species-appropriate diet for a healthy canine and produces small poops. Canines in the wild do not cook their meals. 
Dogs have no digestive juices in their saliva. The rest of their digestive tract has very strong digestive juices that can dissolve bone and can kill pathogens that would make humans very sick. Most dogs constantly encounter pathogens which healthy dogs usually handle well without getting sick. They lick their butts and eat stuff (bugs, dead/live prey, all sorts of poop, etc.) from the ground.
Raw bones can supply the calcium a dog needs and can keep its teeth very clean. However, the structure of a bone is chemically changed by heat. Such heated bones should not be given to dogs because they are prone to splintering and developing sharp points.
Bones given to a dog should be chosen based on the size of the animal, its dental health, and the strength of its bite. Many dog owners avoid the hard leg bones of large animals because they fear that their animal will break a tooth. (Note: Some dogs have to be taught to chew bones before swallowing.)
Vegetation
Both dogs and humans eat vegetation. Humans are true omnivores and can properly digest both cooked and raw. Dogs get very little nutrition out of raw vegetation. Even much cooked vegetation goes right through their system undigested because their digestive tract is so short. That yields large, smelly poops and can even result in a dog eating the poop (smells good to them!). Try feeding a dog some raw carrot and then watch for orange poop!
Some people claim that wolves get vegetation from the stomachs of their prey. That vegetation is very bitter with digestive juices and no wolf would touch it.
The fact that dogs will voluntarily eat some vegetation (grasses, vegetables, fruits) does not make them omnivores. Many dogs do like things that are sweet. This is analogous to children eating candy - it can make them vomit, they don't get much (if any) nutrition out of it, and it is not a dietary requirement.
Variety
Both dogs and humans need variety in their diets to be sure of meeting all of their nutritional requirements. Neither should eat the same food all the time - commercially prepared or not. There is too much chance of leaving out a dietary need or of not getting the right balance of nutrients.
Lots of dogs have had health problems because their commercially prepared food was not "complete". Dogs produce taurine, but for good health at least some dogs also need supplemental taurine in their diet. Taurine is destroyed by cooking and until fairly recently the dietary need for it was recognized for cats, but not for dogs. Who knows what else commercially prepared foods lack that at least some dogs may need.
Dogs with Issues
Like humans some dogs have problems (allergy, chemical sensitivity, digestion, etc.) with certain foods. Like humans some dogs have weak immune systems and can not handle the pathogens that most members of their species handle easily. These poor animals should get a diet that does not make them sick and which tries to supply all needed nutrients.
That does not mean that all members of the species need to be on such a restricted diet. Dogs don't all need to have a diet completely free of normally encountered pathogens anymore than all children need to be on a diabetic diet because some children are diabetic.
Things to remember
(1) The best diet is one that is tailored for the health and well-being of the individual animal.
(2) A good diet is one that is species-appropriate, but minus excessive pathogens and all parasites.
(3) A good diet is one that is varied (to get adequite nutrients). For a carnivore that is different meats. Variety also reduces the chance of allergies developing.
(4) Cooking chemically changes a food and can make that food less nutritionally complete.
(5) Never feed cooked bones to carnivores.
(6) Transition from one type of diet (kibble or raw) to another (kibble or raw) on a gradual basis. This allows the digestive tract to make its normal diet-related adjustments. In some ways this is analogous to feeding a starving human small amounts at first to allow his digestive tract to adjust.
ETA: Editted to correct numbering above and to convince the system to let me put paragraph breaks where I wanted them. 