Question about fiber....

[Baloo317]

Does anyone give anything extra for fiber? Is it needed?

I have stopped feeding veggies, and am working from a whole prey model, 60% RMB, 30% MM, and 10% OM, but I'm wondering where they would get their fiber?

In a natural setting, do dogs/wolves eat carcasses including fur/feathers for fiber? Does anyone feed fur/feathers?

I have been giving them a bit of pumpkin a few times a week as a source of fiber, but I'm just wondering what others do...?

[jlab]

Carnivores do not need vegetable fiber. The fiber that carnivores require is connective tissue. Connective tissue consists of variety of proteinaceous fiber (e.g., collagen, elastin) along with blood, edible bone, bone marrow and spleen.

Since you're basicly feeding a whole prey diet, your dogs are already getting all the appropriate fiber that they need. Pumpkin is not necessary and in fact can potentially "gum up the works".

Fur/feathers are part of the skin tissue. I seem to recall Dr. Mech indicating that most fur is discarded in a wolf diet. I'd guess that most of the value comes in ripping and tearing the fur off the meat for strong jaw/upper body muscles and great teeth cleaning. I routinely feed chickens with feathers ("small feeder hens") and rabbits with fur. The main reason I do is because it satisfies a lab's prey instinct and keeps my young pup from tearing up the house!

BTW, all the whole prey suppliers have been out of whole rabbits with fur for some time now. Y'all need to stop buying these now! :'(