[pitlove]

Hi Patty-

I think thats a really great question you are asking, but unfortunetly difficult to answer, so I will give you pros and cons.

Pros (from what I’ve heard) from a raw diet is healthy teeth, small stool, evidence of help with allergic dogs. Cons are pathogen exposure, potentially not balancing the meals correctly, possible GI obstruction from bone content.

Weight loss can be tricky. The key is to burn more calories than what is being consumed. If she is not active and is still getting extras in her diet (like the pork pattie and other treats), but isn’t getting enough exercise to burn off those calories, she will not lose weight even on a raw diet. And yes, I’ve seen overweight dogs on raw diets. Raw isn’t a cure all for weight control. You, the owner, still have to put in the work and get the dog exercising. Walks are good, fetch in the yard is good. We use something called a “flirt pole” with my dog to burn calories. The big thing is going to be no more treats! Also, you will need to make sure that everyone in your household is on board with trying to help her lose the weight. Explain to them that she can live up to 2 years longer if you help her lose weight and yall want to keep her around for as long as possible.