Dalmatians & Raw Food

By Wendy Lefebvre – Raw Feeding Advice and Support

General Overview- NOTE: Not all Dalmatians have purine issues.

A low purine diet is not a necessity if a dog or cat has not had a history of stones or shown a sign of crystals in the urine.

Dalmatians have a different kidney and liver process which makes them more prone to these issues, but it doesn’t always happen. It is recommended to feed a traditional balanced raw diet if your pet does not have a history or is showing current signs. However, with breeds more susceptible to these problems you must check urine PH regularly.
If low purine is a must, then all organs must be avoided. Red meats and oily fish need to be fed in moderation. Below is information for a tailored low purine raw diet. Unlike PMR & BARF model diets, low purine diets will focus on providing meats listed in the moderate to low purine list and organs are kept to a minimal (Lamb liver is the only recommended liver to feed in small amounts). Guidelines for low purine will follow a modified BARF guideline of 78% muscle meat-10% bone-10% low purine veggies-2%lamb liver. If you cannot source lambs liver, exclude this ratio and add it to the muscle meat ratio.

Food items high in purine:
Calf sweetbread (thymus gland)
Liver-Beef (calf)
Spleen-Beef (Calf)
Kidney-Beef
Chicken liver & heart
Pork Heart & liver

Fish items high in purine:
Anchovies
Herring
Mackerel
Salmon
Sardines
Shrimp

Vegetables high in purine:
Artichoke
Garbanzo Beans
Chickpeas
Beans/Legumes (not green beans)
White Beans
White Lentils
Peas
Soybeans

Supplements:
Brewers Yeast
Alfalfa
Buckwheat

Food items moderate in purine
Beef heart
Beef muscle meat
Chicken muscle meat
Chicken gizzard
Duck Lamb heart
Lamb liver
Lamb muscle meat
Pork muscle meat
Rabbit
Turkey
Venison
Fish:
Mussels
Trout
White fish
Vegetables:
Asparagus

Food items low in purine:
Eggs
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Green beans
Kale
Spinach
Berries

Supplementing is a MUST!

If feeding a low purine diet:
All oils should be cold pressed and organic.
Kelp should be organic, GMO free, and gluten free.
Cod liver oil
Vitamin E B complex
Kelp
Apple Cider Vinegar
Steamed cranberries -or- Cranberry supplement
Bone Broth
Fermented *low purine* veggies

Kefir is also recommended to increase the moisture content in each meal. Feed the thawed defrosted juices, add bone broth, and add water to the meals to increase moisture intake.

Links for reference:
http://www.dalmatianwelfare.co.uk/l…
http://dogsdinner2.webs.com/rawfeed…
http://paisleydals.com/barfdoc.html
http://internet.cybermesa.com/~dalc…
http://www.britishdalmatianclub.org.uk/…
http://www.thedca.org/stonecharts.h…
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjoth…