[LabTX]

Hound Dog Mom, I’ve been reading a lot of your posts on the Large Breed Puppies topic and was wondering if you had some insight for a large breed adult puppy. I have a 7.5 yr old, 65lb, chocolate lab who has been on a RAW diet for the last 2-3 years. She has been through BARF, Tuckers, and most recently OC RAW. My wife thought it would be easier if we switched her back to dry food. The savings would be nice, but I’m worried about her health more than anything. Are there any decent dry food replacements that are going to do as well as the RAW? I will say, I have never seen a dog so excited to eat in my life. Sometimes I wonder if she’s constantly hungry on the RAW because of the way she acts, but she maintains a healthy 65lb weight.

[LabTX]

Just curious if anyone could chime in on this.

[InkedMarie]

I personally think raw is best. I feed ground raw which I think is easy: turn on scale, put bowl on scale, tare to zero, scoop food in, addthe few supplements I add and feed.

Kibble might be easier but I don’t think it’s best. Are the foods you mentioned pre made? If yes, buying grinds would be cheaper. Look at Hare Today & Reel Raw. Hare is in PA, if you happen to be lucky enough to pick up, you can save shipping costs. RR is in Maine. They have free shipping in the Northeast states if you get 30 pounds. If you aren’t up there, I think the free shipping starts at 50lbs. They have ten pound bags of complete mixes at a good price.

[Dori]

I agree with Marie most definitely. Raw, fed properly be it pre made commercial raw diets or home made, is far superior and species appropriate than any kibble you are going to find.

My one question to you is what makes you think your dog is hungry? I believe she’s so excited to eat her meals because she’s loving her food. If she’s maintaining her proper weight than she’s not hungry. Most, if not all dogs, that eat raw get seriously excited at the mere prospect that their meal is being prepared for them. My three go nuts in the kitchen as soon as they see me go towards the area on the counter that has the kitchen scale that I use to weigh out their food. One will squeal and bark and cry the entire time, the other runs and spins in circles and the other sits and stares at my every move. They all crack me up. They never got excited over kibble or canned for that matter.

[Linda G]

Dori, What kind of raw food do you feed them? I have one dog that’s very picky and have been trying to find a good raw food. So far have tried Bravo and Primal. Thanks!

[Dori]

Hi Linda G. Here is the list of commercial raw frozen foods that I feed. I rotate my dogs food. I rotate brands and proteins within the brands with the exception of any fowl as Katie, allergy girl, can’t tolerate any fowl. I have been at the point where I rotate with every meal for quite a while now. Nutritionally I find rotation is the best way to feed. Also by rotating as often as I do no body ever gets bored with a meal nor do they know what to expect to find in their bowl.
OC Raw Frozen, Primal Raw Frozen Formulas, Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen, Vital Essentials Raw Frozen, Nature’s Logic Raw Frozen, Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen,

Primal Freeze Dried
Vital Essentials Freeze Dried

The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Zeal (The Honest Kitchen is not a raw food but I do sometimes have it in rotation for the occasional time when something hasn’t defrosted enough for me to feed). I also happen to like the company for the fact that their foods are made in a human food manufacturing plant so I thought I should reward and buy their food for that fact alone. Just my thing, though. No other dog foods are made there.

[Linda G]

Dori……Thanks so much for this list!!!!! I would love for my dogs to be excited about meal time. I will definitely give these a try and see if I get a high five! 🙂

[Dori]

Linda G. What have you been feeding your dogs? Just being nosy.

[C4D]

I have a 10 yo chocolate lab that I used to feed a blend of 5 star kibble & canned mixed. We did raw about 3-4 nights a week for the last 6 years & raw or fresh cooked with a “raw” premix for dinner for over a year now. I have 2 large dogs and usually large dog fosters so I need to keep costs down or I would do raw or fresh all the time. We noticed an energy increase in our already energetic 10 yo since we’ve increased the raw.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by C4D.

[Dori]

Yep, C4D. That’s typical in raw fed dogs. They almost like regress into younger dogs. Their health and energy goes way up. I believe it’s the elimination of all the processed foods and grains and gmo ingredients. The truth is we really are what we eat. I never gave that much thought until Katie came into my life and I had to deal with all sorts of food issues. I always say I would be so much healthier if I ate closer to what I feed my dogs. I am too much of a junk food, no time each what I can grab along the say type of person. Plus….I hate to cook unless the mood strikes me.

[Linda G]

Dori – I was mostly cooking chicken and adding rice and/or vegetables. Had 2 dogs – One was sick for about 2 yrs (old age 17 yrs old), and was worried about her eating and started cooking for her. Now my other dog won’t eat anything else, but cooked foods. I was worried that she may not be getting all the nutrients needed, so started looking at raw foods. Started with Nature’s Variety…had kibble with freeze dried chicken in it. One dog wouldn’t touch it…..the other ate the freeze dried chicken and left the rest. Then tried Bravo….neither dog touched it. Moved to Primal Freeze-Dried Formula (Duck) and it’s a hit and miss. Just got some small packs of Acana – Lamb and Okanagan Apple and Orijen – Six Fish. Trying to find that right combo that they would enjoy eating.

[LabTX]

Thanks for all of the replies, sorry I’m late getting back to the forum. I am currently feeding OC Raw pre-made patties. We get them locally so we do save on the shipping, but I’ll look into the grinds as well.

Dori – It may just be a lab thing, but she just acts like she hasn’t eaten for days. From the replies above that may be normal, the running, jumping, spinning which wasn’t the case in the past. She was excited to eat, but not acting like that. Our main concern, which I’m working with her on now is awareness of our 14 month who is now walking around on the same level as she is. She’s knocked him over and stepped on him more than once getting excited because someone has stood up and it’s within an hour of their “normal feeding time.”

[InkedMarie]

LabTX: there is a current recll for some OC products, better check that out

[Dori]

LabTX. The OC Raw recall is for salmonella concerning their turkey. As Marie suggested, please take a minute and read up on the recall. I can’t remember off hand which states it affected. Not too many. Oh, it was a voluntary recall if that makes any difference. Nice when companies don’t have to be hit over the head to do a recall.

Just came across this.
http://m.petmd.com/news/alerts-recalls/oc-raw-dog-recalls-more-2000-lbs-dog-food-due-possible-salmonella-risk-32754

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.

[Linda G]

Here’s another article regarding OC Raw Turkey from Susan Thixton of Truth About Pet Food dot com:

OC Raw Dog Recalls Turkey & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulation

[LabTX]

Thanks for the posts on the recall. I just happened to sign up for the DogFoodAdvisor recall notifications the last time I was on the site, and that was the day the recall went out. All of our OC Raw had different use by and lot numbers so I think we’re in the clear.

[Author]

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