Raw Food Diet for Wolf-Hybrid Dogs
Wolf-hybrids are the most common exotic canine varieties kept as pets. Wolf-hybrids are not dogs as many people assume, but rather a cross between a domesticated species of dog and a wolf. They do not have the same nutritional requirements as domestic canines and should be fed a balanced raw food diet for optimum health.
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What is a Hybrid?
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A hybrid is technically an animal produced by breeding two different species, such as the wolf (Canis lupis) and the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Wolf hybrids still retain much of the wild nature of wolves and may have higher prey drives and defensive instincts than domestic dogs. Hybrids can be more difficult to train than domestic dogs as they maintain stronger pack instincts and do not respond to conventional training methods.
Why Not Kibble?
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The digestive system of wolf-hybrids does not digest the grains used to make commercial kibble as easily as some domestic breeds. This means the animal absorbs fewer nutrients from the food and produces more feces since her body can’t break down the grains. Kibble is also made with by-products and chemical preservatives that many hybrids are allergic to. You can give kibble as a treat, but it should not be the bulk of the animal’s diet.
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Raw Food Basics
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Raw food diets are based around the premise of feeding raw, unprocessed foods to the animal. The majority of a raw food diet is uncooked meat and bones. Beef and chicken are the most common meats, although more exotic choices such as venison and buffalo are acceptable choices. Many hybrid owners also feed raw chopped vegetables to mimic the vegetable matter that wolves ingest in the wild when they eat the stomachs of large prey.
Portions
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Animals on raw food diets generally eat less food than those on kibble diets. Raw food is digested faster and with much less waste than kibble, resulting in smaller feces. A wolf-hybrid on a raw food diet should be fed according to his weight, with dogs of a normal weight being fed approximately 3 percent of their own body weight. An 80-lb. wolf-hybrid would need to bed fed 2.4 lbs. of food each day to maintain his current weight. Thin animals can be fed up to 5 percent of their body weight, with overweight dogs needing 2 percent to lose weight.
Considerations
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Raw-fed animals should be monitored closely by your veterinarian for signs of nutritional imbalances. In the wild, wolves ingest a fairly balanced diet of meat and plant material from kills such as deer and elk. Animals fed strictly raw diets in captivity may lack vitamins and minerals if not offered a variety of raw foods. You can add a canine vitamin to the hybrid’s diet to add nutrients if necessary.
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References
- Photo Credit wolf image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
