Rambling questions/thoughts about kibble vs. raw vs homecooked...

What I've decided to do is feed Gingerbread a rotation of kibble/canned food with some cooked extras added in occasionally.

Sounds like a good plan.  This is essentially what I've been doing for the last 3 years. Everyone's bloodwork looks great, they have plenty of energy.  My 11yr old minpin acts half his age most of the time... but I've noticed since we've moved to where they have a 1/2 acre to run and chase squirrels, he's a bit sore (trying D.G.P. for that now).

Go with what you're comfortable with, and I agree that canned is *excellent* to feed along with kibble. Mine get their scoop of kibble plus a spoonful (about a Tablespoon) of canned and then a splash of warm water- doggy heaven.  They whine and bark the whole time I'm preparing. []

For my own comfort level as well, even though I've fed raw in the past, I'm not comfortable to really go back to it. Especially since Darby's tummy scare, I've cut out the bi-weekly raw chicken wings as well.

My mutt (55 lb) could match any showdog any day with his beauty.  His black coat shines so much in the sun it is blinding!  I feed him Nature Variety raw, beef or chicken, 2x a day (1 -6 oz patty) rotating with 2 big cans of salmon every week  I love NV, it has some veggies and fruits in it with bones, it is complete and balanced.   I was forced to go raw with him, cause he had the runs on everything else including homecooked.  Now his stools are firm and small. He hardly poops at at all.  His weight is perfect no matter how much I feed him. The only thing he can't tolerate is raw eggs or even cooked eggs.  He doesn't know how to eat a chicken wing or RMB, he takes them out to the yard and buries them, so that is also why he is on pre-made raw which he inhales.
 
As far as bacteria is concerned, I keep 2 cutting boards out - one is for meat only, the other for breads and other.  I use the dish washer religiuously with hot water, the dishes used for thawing his meat..  But I am very lax on washing my hands and washing his bowl, his bowl is licked clean and I put it in the washer 1 or 2 a week.  I bleach down the sink and handles every Saturday (if I remember).   
 
If I buy raw meat, I'll freeze it for a while then thaw.  Maybe that helps kill bacteria but I doubt my freezer is cold enough.  But, if I accidently leave his meat thawing too long, like 12 hours overnite and it is warm to the touch, I still give it to him.  
 
I plan to put the puppy on raw when she is well and about 1 year.  She is sick alot and so I dont want her to get possibly sick on top on her other issues(doubt that will happen tho).  Between her illnesses, I give her some NV and she goes nuts for it.
 
I also have used Steves Real Meat and Bravo.
 
If I had a tiny dog like Gingerbread, no doubt I'd give premade raw, it is so affordable.

If I buy raw meat, I'll freeze it for a while then thaw. Maybe that helps kill bacteria but I doubt my freezer is cold enough.

 
 Freezing meat below 10 degrees farenheit kills parasytic cysts like toxoplamosis; [linkhttp://www.crvetcenter.com/images/Newsletters/crvcnewsletterDec02p1.pdf]http://www.crvetcenter.com/images/Newsletters/crvcnewsletterDec02p1.pdf[/link]    To me that's a bigger concern than bacteria since most dogs seem to handle bacteria well. I wanted to try raw but being the worrier I am I checked this site about freezing and food safety;    [linkhttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#14]http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#14[/link]    and learned that freezing doesn't kill bacteria but inactivates them. Jessie loves the NV medallions but I freeze them for a week even though they were frozen before to make sure cysts are killed.  Right now she isn't getting them because she's been having some flare ups in her allergies and may have developed another food allergy; we know she's allergic to chicken. Since the medallions have chicken eggs she won't be getting them until we determine if she's allergic to eggs.

I didn't read the article, and I can't add much to the already great advise you received.

All I can add is that on a health concern point of view I've heard of more dogs dying from contaimenated kibble than from raw meats.  As for bones, I personally have seen many dogs at the vet clinic I worked at having blockages from rawhide bones than from raw meaty bones.  If you pick the right RMB's there shouldn't be a problem, if you have a gorby guts that tends to enhale, grind the bones first or talk to someone who will suggest the best bones for your dog.  My dogs do extremely well chewing on RMB's and eating raw meat...if I could afford it I would feed a complete raw diet.[]

Look at the last few years and all the dogs that have died from kibble, from diamond to hills was it? to other companies, most from that Afloxin (sp) in the grains.  By choosing to feed raw meats and veggie's fruits etc you have the ability to see them when you purchase them, to smell them and YOU can tell if they are bad or not...you choose the fresh cuts of meat, fresh veggies etc.   You do your own quality control...with dog kibble you depend on a company making money and possibly taking short cuts to do the quality control...and things do slip by...and to cut corners some companies will choose inferior products. 
 
For kibble I always add canned and I currently feed Nature's Variety Venison to Tori, Natures's Variety Salmon to Cassie rotate with Go Natural salmon.  Dilon and Beau are rotated on Natures variety chicken and Canidae.  Athena gets the Nature's Variety grain free chicken...next year they are coming out with grain free Duck and Rabbit...yummy.  I rotate canned foods, dehydrated by NRG and freeze dried by Nature's Variety...we cant get NV raw diets in my area.[&o] 

and freeze dried by Nature's Variety...we cant get NV raw diets in my area. 

 
  That's a shame; I tried the freeze dried don't think it rehydrates very well; the frozen is much better.

That's a shame; I tried the freeze dried don't think it rehydrates very well; the frozen is much better

Yes,I really wanted to try it but here in the Maritimes they don't have the demand...no demand no freezer trucks to come down[&o]  Once more people start getting into the Nature's Variety and a customer demand starts then we will get it down here...I'm crossing my fingers as I wouldn't mind feeding it for one or two meals a week.[]

I am of the opinion that all organisms need at least some raw, "live" foods as part of the diet for optimal health.  Humans can easily obtain raw nutrients by eating fresh, fruits and vegetables which most of us do without much thought.  Even just eating a salad provides those "live" nutrients.. Given that dogs are mostly carnivrous, it is best that the raw nutrition comes from meat.  I do not feed my dog a raw diet but I do throw in a few Nature's Variety raw medallions each week just for that purpose.

That's a shame; I tried the freeze dried don't think it rehydrates very well; the frozen is much better

 
Not to mention the NV freeze dried is not even the same formula as the regular NV raw.  The raw product is far superior.

I am of the opinion that all organisms need at least some raw, "live" foods as part of the diet for optimal health. Humans can easily obtain raw nutrients by eating fresh, fruits and vegetables which most of us do without much thought. Even just eating a salad provides those "live" nutrients.. Given that dogs are mostly carnivrous, it is best that the raw nutrition comes from meat. I do not feed my dog a raw diet but I do throw in a few Nature's Variety raw medallions each week just for that purpose.

 
  Jessie was getting the raw medallions as a third of her diet but right now she's on an elimination diet to see if she has any new food allergies so she's not getting them. In about a week I'm going to add eggs to her food and if she doesn't itch she'll be able to try the medallions again. If people don't want to feed raw, I think dogs can benefit a lot from adding cooked food to their diet; it's much fresher and less processed than canned or kibble.