Raw Diet for a Newfoundland Dog

The Newfoundland is a large breed of dog with a massive head and muscular body. Males can weigh as much as 150 pounds, while females can reach 120 pounds. The Newfoundland is an active dog on land and in water, and some breeders believe a diet of raw meats and vegetables is more beneficial to the dog's overall health than a diet of commercial food.

  1. The Raw Diet

    • Proponents of the Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods (BARF) diet insist that carnivorous animals like dogs and cats are healthier when they eat food that their wild ancestors would have consumed. The Newfoundland thrives on a raw diet, according to breeders such as Marithyme Newfoundlands in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Springhaven Kennels in Lake Hughes, California. The breed possesses strong teeth and jaw muscles ideally suited to consume and process raw food such as meat and bone.

    Benefits

    • Advocates of the BARF diet argue that heat-processed foods lack essential vitamins, fats and proteins necessary to keep carnivores at the peak of health. Commercial food may also contain artificial colors, chemicals, pesticides or preservatives that are not healthy for dogs to consume. Pet owners have reported that switching to a raw diet has alleviated their dog's skin conditions, diarrhea or bad breath.

    Volume

    • Feed your pet approximately the same amount of raw food as you would commercial food, advises holistic vet Christina Chambreau. She recommends starting with half meaty bones and protein and half pureed vegetables, with the addition of leftover table foods like rice or potatoes.

    Precautions

    • Raw diet advocates stress that pet owners must be knowledgeable before switching their pet's diet to 100 percent raw foods. An unbalanced raw diet--for example, a regimen lacking in calcium--can actually be detrimental. Research and knowledge is key to feeding your dog the right foods in the right amount.

    Safe Food Handling

    • Raw meats can potentially contain bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli. Though a healthy dog can handle these pathogens, the human caregiver should use caution when handling raw foods. Choking is another concern among pet owners, but raw bones aren't as brittle as cooked bones and present less of a danger of splintering. Grinding bones and meat before serving to your pet also eliminates any choking hazard.

    Sample Diet

    • A typical diet for a large breed like the Newfoundland includes twice-daily feedings of fruits and vegetables, yogurt, eggs, raw meat and supplements including flax oil, fish oil, wheat germ and Vitamins C and E. For those who lack the time or experience to prepare the food themselves, frozen, prepackaged portions are available for purchase online.