[Hound Dog Mom]

You math looks right to me. BTW – to convert pounds to ounces just multiply the pounds by 16. So, 0.94 X 16 = 15.04.

[DogFoodie]

I’ve been doing RMBs intermittently, but am not trusting my math and am worried that I’m not calculating the amount that I’m given them correctly. Using a figure of 2.5% for the percent of their body weight that I’m choosing to feed, is this correct:

I’m feeding Sam as if he were 75 lbs, so the math is 75 x .025 = 1.88 lbs total daily divided by two meals is .94 lbs per meal, right?

When we get to 70 pounds, the math is 70 x .025 = 1.75 daily divded by two meals is .88 lbs per meal.

Bella, is 15 x .025 = .38 daily divded by two meals is .19 lbs per meal.

I found this conversion chart to convert pounds to ounces which will make this a heck of a lot easier to figure out when I get my digital kitchen scale. http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/pounds-to-ounces.htm

It’s just that for some reason, the math is throwing me off. You gotta hand it to kibble in the convenience department when it comes to calculating portions.

[Cyndi]

You shouldn’t give a dog any cooked bones. & most of those bones that they sell at pet stores break off into shards of bone because I believe they are cooked or something. I had gotten one of those for my other dog and he was breaking off big 2-3 inch shards of sharp bone. I immediately thru it away and will never buy another one. Raw marrow bones or nylabones or bully sticks are all I’ll ever give to my dog.

[PugsleyOtisMom]

After I cook a ham I take the leftover ham bone out of it and as long as its not sharp or small I give it to my pugs. They LOVE it and prefer it over any other chew toy. They also sell real bones at petsmart that are stuffed with different things or plain. I would recommend these to anyone

[SandyandMila]

When feeding pork necks, should beef hearts be added due to the pork neck being not very meaty? I read somewhere that recommended that. Being that its a big portion could i just add produce and supplement and make it a whole days meal? Also when feeding half or whole chicken, are all boned consumable? Mila I’m sure could handle it, she’s a strong chewer, but just worried about little bones. :\ Thanks!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by SandyandMila.

[DogFoodie]

Once upon a time, I had a shopping cart going with My Pet Carnivore and I never finished what I was doing. ::probably for the best::

Interestingly, I was just doing a quick search for local butchers and meat wholesalers that might carry RMBs and recreational bones, when I came across a breeder of Bernese Mountain Dogs who lives a few blocks from me. On her website, she mentioned that she feeds RMBs, so I emailed her and asked her if she had a local source.

I wish I could figure out how to post a picture in the forum. The breeder I mentioned has a litter of pups right now and has a close up shot of an adult Berner paw touching a tiny puppy paw. It’s super cute!

[DogFoodie]

I wish I could find some RMB like turkey necks locally. My local butcher only carries large weight bearing marrow bones.

[FreeholdHound]

I’m going to try a turkey neck next as I would like to find something for him to chew on for his teeth. Admittedly I am unsure of safe/unsafe bones but the necks seem okay. Turkey hasn’t been kind to him but I guess I’ll find out what happens.

[mah4angel]

Yes! I do believe that we are always reunited with those we love; animal and human. Whether it be in Heaven or in another lifetime, whatever you happen to believe in ^_^

There’s a whole forum topic dedicated to raw dog food menus here: /forums/topic/menus/. I’m totally no raw dog food genie haha and you can see all of my ramblings and questions on there and my current future recipe is the last comment on the thread hehe. I don’t have everything I need to actually feed him his raw diet yet so that’s why I’m not feeding him 100% raw as of yet but I will be soon!

Here is a thread for help with starting a dog on raw dog food: /forums/topic/help-with-starting-my-dog-on-a-raw-diet/ BUT it will take a few months to transition her all the way up the ladder to raw food, so I wouldn’t be super worried about it quite yet 😀 I think the most important thing is to just get her off of Science Diet food. And if you have any of the Science Diet left, PLEASE donate it to a local shelter! I know that Science Diet is not at all optimal for our wonderful furry friends but shelters need all that they can get 🙂

I also wanted to add something that I forgot to my original comment, which is to start feeding raw meaty bones and organ meat (livers, hearts, etc.) when she is fully transitioned to DNA (or another freeze or air-dried raw). RMB’s as we call them are GREAT for dental health! And it’ll be a great introduction to real, raw meat. Pork necks, chicken necks, ox tails, chicken backs, chicken feet, pork feet, etc. are all RMB’s (as opposed to recreational bones like thigh bones, etc.) that are recommended. And the organ meats will supply extra nutrients. Just make sure to freeze them for two weeks just to be on the safe side 🙂

RMB’s and organs (and any table scraps, etc.) should make up no more than 20% of her daily diet (because it will throw off the balance supplied in the pre-made food), so you’ll want to give her maybe one pork neck one day and maybe one chicken heart the next day, and so on and so forth. BUT like I said, this is all a long way off so I wouldn’t focus too much on this portion of the feeding.

In reality, the longest transition time will more than likely be right now, switching from Science Diet to whatever 4-star GRAIN-FREE food (totally forgot to mention that the four-star food should be grain-free) you choose, whether it be Nature’s Domain or something else. This is because her tummy isn’t used to the lack of grains. It’s almost like a detox process. So, that transition will most likely take the longest to complete; probably a month or so.

This is why adding fiber (with things like pureed pumpkin, hemp, chia, and flax seed, etc.) and probiotics/digestive enzymes (with things like yogurt, etc.) is important because it helps to nourish the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut as well as balancing out any other digestive problems.

I’m trying to pack in a lot of information into one comment so that you won’t have to do too too much fishing for information. It’s stressful, I know! The most important thing is to just pull the trigger and do it. I second-guessed myself and I waited until I felt I had found the perfect food, but no food is 100% perfect. There is no supplementing a wolf’s primitive diet with just one food, try as we might hehe ^_^

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jessica1 –

The Organix puppy formula is 1.05% calcium and has 2.89 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. – so yes, it’s a good choice. It would be perfectly fine to use both grain-inclusive and grain-free foods in a rotational feeding program. Many people are under the assumption that dry food is good for dental health – you’re not the only one. For the most part, this is a myth. Some dogs that thoroughly chew their kibble may may derive some benefit in comparison to a soft food however this benefit is minimal and will not be enough to prevent periodontal disease and – in my experience – most dogs don’t thoroughly chew kibble and therefore would receive no benefit. The only food that promotes dental health is a raw meaty bones diet and any dog eating commercial food, be it kibble or canned food, will need their teeth brushed on a regular basis or they will get eventually develop periodontal disease to some degree. Your vet telling you that your dog will have good dental health as long as he eats kibble would be the equivalent of your dentist telling you that you don’t need to brush your teeth as long as you eat crunchy foods – kind of silly, right? About 85% of dogs fed commercial foods over the age of 3 have some degree of periodontal disease, oftentimes it goes unnoticed by owners. Many people think “doggie breath” is normal, but it’s not. A dog’s breath should have no odor. All of the Organix canned foods appear that they’re labeled for adult maintenance, however if you’re only using the canned food as a topper and the bulk of the puppy’s diet is going to be a dry food approved for growth or all life stages this is fine. You could also top the Organix puppy kibble with a canned food labeled for growth from another brand, there’s no reason you can mix different brands of kibble and canned food. I hope that helps!

[kcarter137]

I have been lurking around on a few of the “Raw Food” Forums and decided to do homemade-cooked food. I would do raw but my boyfriend has vetoed it (hopefully I can slowly incorporated some raw items without him knowing). I have Dr. Beckers book, I have read it a few times and understand that I am going to need to supplement her food due to lack of bones but still have some questions. We are going currently reintroducing foods after being on a elimination diet of pork and sweet potatoes for the last few months due to her allergies. So far we have discovered she is allergic to rice and chicken. She can have fish. I still have a few more weeks of reintroducing items. I know the rice irrelevant. The dermatologist she’s seeing said that if she is allergic to chicken then she cannot have any “feathered” protein.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Will I need to supplement her feed with anything to make up for the lack of “feathered protein”?

[DellUSN]

Hello, Hound Dog Mom.

I’ve been searching around this site for a little while now and I’ve noticed your activity and knowledge about pet foods. I signed up so that I could attempt to contact you directly through private message, but I guess that’s not possible here. Either way, I’ve been reading a lot of your advice on here and I had a couple questions for you. I have a 4 month old Chocolate Lab (40 pounds) named Rooster who I just got a couple weeks ago. Having studied to become an Registered Vet Tech before I joined The Navy, I understood that importance of nutrition for large breed puppies, or any breed of puppy for that matter. After some research I decided to go with a 4 pound bag of Wellness CORE Puppy Formula. His transition over to the food went very smoothly and he’s been devouring it, so I bought him a 26 pound bag. I currently feed him 4 cups a day dry kibble (2 AM, 2 PM) and he’s doing well on the schedule. I read a post that you made about rotating dog’s brand of food and source of protein. I was curious if this was something that should be implemented at young age and some other brands you recommended for my pup. Also, I was very worried about my dog and people food because I’ve seen so many people just go nuts feeding there dogs junk food. He has not been exposed to any people food yet, but I’d like to get him on some raw meats and bones if possible. At what age would he be ready for that and what sorts of things would you recommend for him in that field? I really anticipate your reply and appreciate any input you offer. Thank you!

[SandyandMila]

The Primal website also shows in a video that u can thaw the portion by putting the bag in a big bowl filled with cool water for about 30 mins, so I might try that. It’ll be her first one so she’ll be a little hesitant at first. I hope she enjoys it. 🙂 I love the videos of Gertie eating her meaty bones, maybe I’ll post a pic. Thanks for your help.

[Hound Dog Mom]

You could add some of her regular food to it, but I really don’t think it would be necessary as long as she’s getting at least once balanced meal a day. The only think I would look out for is constipation from too much bone – if this does happen just give her a handful of hearts/gizzards or boneless chicken when you feed her a chicken back. It’s perfectly fine to feed partially frozen – I give my dogs partially frozen RMB’s all the time because I often forget to take them out of the freezer far enough in advance.

[SandyandMila]

I do plan on feeding them intermittently, but don’t want it to be unbalanced. Should I add some of her food (canned and/or kibble) or HK Embark to make it a meal? I’ve had it thawing over night but its still partially frozen, can I feed it like that or should I feed it tomorrow?

[Hound Dog Mom]

As long as she’s getting a balanced food at the other meal I think it would be fine to feed a larger RMB (such as a chicken back) as an entire meal a few days per week. Just see if it makes her constipated, chicken backs are basically all bone with some skin (very little meat) so the high bone content could make her constipated. I don’t typically give my dogs just an RMB as a meal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio would be too high. So, for example, if I were feeding a chicken back I’d give a chicken back + 1/4 lb. gizzards + 1 egg. But if you’re just feeding RMB’s intermittently making a meal of it shouldn’t pose an issue.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Sandy. Unfortunately, the ingredients in greenies are really really bad – giving your dog a greenie would be about the equivalent of giving your kid a candy bar. 🙁

I give my dogs raw meaty bones daily (turkey necks, chicken backs, pork necks, etc.) and natural chews (bully sticks, pig ears, dried tracheas, etc.) for dental health. I also brush their teeth. Most “dental chews” on the market are full of unhealthy ingredients.

[pugmomsandy]

Greenies have been known to break apart and cause blockages. That’s all I’ve “heard”. But I don’t like the ingredients in it either. I use to use it and did not have any problems. For teeth cleaning I now use bully sticks, marrow bones, cow hoof, rib bones.

[SandyandMila]

I’m going to be feeding Mila her first RMB (chicken back) tomorrow. Exciting!! Question, how much of her food should I feed her, is the chicken back 20% of her daily intake? Thanks.

[Hershy]

Hello, again, HDM,
Still searching for the best food to meet quality for a price I can afford. Have ruled out the Kirkland-wasn’t happy with many reviews I read. Wellness Core Puppy is on your list of favorite foods in the “grain free” list.
Do you know yet if Wellness Large Breed Puppy will be on your Grain inclusive list? Calcium (min) is nice and low. I’m leaning toward this one for now. Also wondered what the asterisk comment means relating to food quality. “Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO…” – do they mean these ingredients are of no benefit for the puppy, and a waste to add, or maybe amount of it not enough of to do the job? I realize they are not the bare bones nutrients a dog needs, but why do they put this on the bag? Seems the comment would be more useful on the bag that does NOT have these ingredients? ; ). I think I’m giving this way too much thought..

Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Deboned Whitefish, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Peas, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Salmon Meal (a natural source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Tomatoes, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Salmon Oil (a natural source of DHA – Docosahexaenoic Acid), Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Salt, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min.) 26.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 12.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 4.5%, Moisture (max.) 11.0%, Calcium (min.) 1.0%, Phosphorus (min.) .90%, Vitamin E (min.) 150IU, Omega 6* (min.) 2.5%, Omega 3* (min.) .50%, DHA .137#37;, Beta-Carotene* (min.) 5 mg/kg, Lycopene* (min.) .25 mg/kg, Taurine* (min.) .09%, Total Micro-Organisms* (min.) 20,000,000 CFU/lb. *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Thanks!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by Hershy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by Hershy.

[Hound Dog Mom]

My dogs love the rabbit heads (and whole prey rabbits) from Hare Today. Brains and eyeballs are a great source of taurine and DHA. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Rabbit heads are excellent to feed your dogs. There are nutrients in brains and eyeballs that aren’t found anywhere else in the body in an amount that could possibly help. Yes, they would be considered an RMB. An RMB is a bone that is consumable and has meat attached. That is pretty much any bone that isn’t large animal weight bearing. So a cow leg isn’t an RMB, but a cow rib can be for a large dog. But it isn’t for a small dog if the dog can’t consume it. Small goat legs are RMBs for 1 of my dogs, but not the other 2.

[Cyndi]

Absolutely! You can even feed the whole rabbit!

[dowsky]

are raw rabbit heads considered a rmb and also are they good to feed to my dogs

[Cyndi]

Hi Ceara,

I think Patty answered your questions better than I could have. I didn’t have too much of a problem with my Bailey choking. Even when she got down to a piece the size that I thought was too big for her to swallow, and she tried to swallow it, she made sure to chew it a few more times and then swallowed it. I don’t think you have to worry too much about your dog choking. The bones in chicken crunch right up and once they get the hang of using their teeth the way they were meant to, they’ll have no problems. Oh, and, like Patty said, when I started, I did remove the skin from the chicken. Even now, sometimes I’ll take most of the skin off.

They say to fast for one meal before starting on raw. I feed Bailey twice a day, so, when I started, I fed her dinner one day, skipped breakfast the next morning and then started her on raw for dinner. As you may have read early on I had a few concerns, but I feel silly about all the concerns I had. Your dog’s gut just has to get used to eating & digesting food that it was meant to have. You may see pieces of bone in his poop some, that’s normal, and he may even throw up some. Don’t give up, just hang in there. You’ll be doing the very best for your dog feed him a species appropriate diet and he’ll thank you for it! 🙂

[theBCnut]

Hi Ceara

Some dogs do need all the tricks to start on raw and some just get it. If your dog is a scarfer then you may have to hold on to the chunk of food or attach it to something until he gets the hand of it. How big was yous dog? Sometimes giving them pieces that are too big to eat does the trick. Mine started well with chicken and turket necks. They are a big chunk of food but the bones are smaller. Usually when starting raw they don’t suggest starting with high fat meats because the sudden increase in fats alone can cause stomach upset. In fact to start with they even take the skin off of turkey and chicken.

[cearaandtroy]

Cyndi, thank you so much for this post. You asked a lot of the same questions I needed answered, and I was freaking out over the idea of feeding raw being so challenging. But it seems like you have gotten the hang of it pretty well! So I hope you don’t mind if I add in a few questions.

My pup Troy is a pretty good sized guy, 52 pounds. He just gobbles down his kibble so I’m worried about starting him off on chicken legs/wings/etc. I don’t want him to choke on the bones. How did you prevent that from happening when you first started with your pup? Or should I just start with bigger pieces of rmb?

Also, last night I was making some pork ribs so I thought I would let him try a bit raw to see how he would do. The silly dog scoffed at it, wanted nothing to do with it! I kept trying and he refused to eat it. Did this happen with you? It makes me feel like raw feeding will be an even bigger challenge than I thought. I finally got him to eat it after I lightly cooked it (no cooked bones, of course), but that’s not exactly raw haha! Do I just have to fast him and introduce raw food when he’s hungry? I’m so unsure about everything!

[SheSaid]

I guess I was not clear.. puppy has been salvaged..he is eating and drinking and NOT in danger anymore. He was when I got him. He WAS… on deaths door and no way to get him to the vets, but is now within 48 hours up, and in fact just within the last few hours wanting to play. The mention of his bowels was to only let you know that his kidneys are working and his bowels are working, and that I know for certain it is not diarrhea.. it is the adjustment to regular food and hydration. This is not my first time around the park with starving animals, as I have been taking animals in for 15 years or so. This is why this puppy got dropped off at my door. I have to say, I have NEVER lost a dog to death except old age, not once. I needed quick advice on what now.. that he is eating . I needed brands of food for a large breed puppy to give it the nutrition it needs to regain muscle and grow healthy bones… I have had big dogs before, just never one this big. He is the biggest puppy I have ever had in my care. I feed my dogs all home made food. Chicken, rice, veggies.. but I know that the danes grow fast and furious and need the right nutrition and especially this one, having had such a horrible beginning. I know that if he does not get the nutrition he needs he can have problems with his bones and joints, more so than other smaller breed dogs. I needed to know what to feed him, his breed, until I get my research done.. on how to prepare his meals from scratch. I am sorry my first message was not clear. I can see all very well intentioned people here who love animals… but I still need the info I first requested. What brands of food are recommended that are safe and nutritionally sound for his breed..and his age. Thank you all for caring.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hey EHubbman –

Glucosamine and chondroitin are fine for puppies. A dog’s natural diet (raw) would be very rich in glucosamine and chondroitin as cartilage and bones contain high levels. Dogs foods, even those with added glucosamine and chondroitin, don’t contain enough to say so – so I wouldn’t worry about it’s presence in a kibbled dog food.

I have not been able to find any evidence suggesting that supplementing a large breed puppy’s diet with glucosamine can be harmful, however I don’t believe it to be necessary either. My two get lots of RMB’s so I know their diet is rich in glucosamine and chondroitin – I probably won’t add any supplements until they’re seniors. I do, however, typically recommend that large and giant breed dogs eating processed foods receive supplemental glucosamine and chondroitin (or whole foods providing these nutrients) starting between 1 and 2 years of age (when they’re young it can be a low dose, just for maintenance).

This is an excerpt from an article about large and giant breed puppy nutrition written by integrative veterinarian Dr. Susan Wynn:

“There are no studies so far that indicate whether it is effective or harmful to supplement with glucosamine to large breed puppies because of their risk of DOD. In general, I wait until I recognize a risk factor in a dog.”

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi swampstomper –

This is a great question! I have fed my dogs a raw diet for about two years now and none have ever gotten sick and neither have I or anyone else around my dogs. Healthy dogs are fully equipped to handle the bacterial load present in fresh raw meat. For starters a dog’s saliva has antibacterial properties – there is a lysosome in their saliva that destroys bacteria (why they lick their wounds). Carnivores (like dogs) have extremely short digestive tracts in comparison to, say, a person’s digestive tract. Their digestive tracts are designed to get food in and out quickly before the bacteria have time to multiply to harmful levels. Lastly, dogs have very acidic stomach acid – much stronger than our stomach acid. In terms of nutrition requirements and their digestive system, dogs are not much different than their ancestors (wolves). Wolves not only eat fresh kill but also scavenge rotting carcasses (not that I’d recommend intentionally feeding a dog rotting meat! my dogs have, however, gotten a hold of many dead things over the years and never gotten sick). Dogs are meant to eat raw meat. The only instance in which I’d caution against a raw diet is for a dog with a compromised immune system. It’s also important to keep in mind that kibble-fed dogs are not immune to bacterial exposure – look at all the recent kibble recalls for salmonella! Salmonella is a normal constituent of the canine digestive tract and dogs fed raw and cooked diets have all been known to shed the bacteria in their feces.

I’d recommend checking out this article written by Dr. Karen Becker – holistic veterinarian and raw food advocate:

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/15/raw-meat-the-best-and-healthiest-diet-for-pet-cats-and-dogs.aspx

As far as consuming bones – there are two types of bones: raw meaty bones (termed “RMBs”) and recreational bones. Raw meaty bones (i.e. chicken backs, turkey necks, etc.) are soft and pliable and consumed in their entirety – they should make up a large portion of a balanced raw diet. Recreational bones (i.e. marrow bones, knuckle bones or the deer leg you see Gertie eating above) are more dense are not consumed entirely – they’re more for enrichment.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[swampstomper]

I’m curious about this. There’s no danger in letting them eat raw meat? Salmonella, e coli, that sort of thing?

They eat the bones and all?

[weimlove]

Crock pot recipe:
Would this be balanced?

1. One whole chicken (will remove bones after cooked)
2. Veggies (carrots broccoli cauliflower)
3. Sweet potatoes
4. 4 or 5 egg shells
5. 100 Iu vitamin e
6. Recommended fish oil amount (if fish isn’t included)

[theBCnut]

He really sounds like a typical young BC. One of the problems with them is that when people get pups, they realize that they are very energetic and they make the mistake of thinking that you have to match that energy level. I haven’t met the human yet who could. But trying conditions them to huge amounts of exercise. Nobody needs an extreme athlete BC. The trick with them is teaching them to settle. Stuffed bones, Kongs, and other toys that they have to lie down and chew for a while help. And as much mental stuff as you can find for him to do. That is the key to wearing out a BC, mental challenge.

[theBCnut]

I add in a superfood of some kind, usually 3 to 5 different ones actually, like seaweed/algaes, berries, sprouted grasses, etc. for the micronutrients and antioxidants. I also keep a premix on hand for those times that I am in a hurry or I don’t feel like fiddling with all of it. I started with one recipe that was easy and then got a couple books, Steve Brown and Dr. Karen Becker. That gave me something to feed until I had done enough research to fell comfortable and something to research. At first I just modified the recipe I had with different meats, then I tried a few more recipes, then I started out making my own. I probably have some or 6 or 7 different recipes in my freezer right now.

You can make large batches and portion it out and freeze it. You can get grinds that have all the meat, bones, and organs, so all you have to do is figure out what extras you want added. There are endless ways to do raw. The thing to remember is that like with a human diet, every meal does not have to be balanced as long as they balance over time.

[pugmomsandy]

gmcbogger38,

Check out the Raw Dog Food Menus section for some ideas. Also some good reading is “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown and some books by Tom Lonsdale “Work wonders, Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones”, Dr Pitcairn, nutritionist Lew Olsen. There’s a recipe book by Becker/Taylor “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” that I used when I first started making my own raw. You can also buy quality items from Hare-Today Gone Tomorrow and My Pet Carnivore.

[pugmomsandy]

Do you have any Mexican supermarkets? That’s where I got mine. They had chicken necks, duck gizzards, pork heart, gnawing bones and other weird things…and wild caught sardines!! And 5 different kinds of ceveche! This store even has a cafeteria center and bakery.

[beagleowner]

Well I was going crazy trying to find a food for my beagle. I fed him Beneful when he was a puppy and he loved it but it put on lots of weight. Have tried Hills Prescription for digestive problems from my vet, and then Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, then Natures Variety Chicken flavor. None really agreed and he didn’t lose weight. Had trouble with his anal gland, ears and teeth were so dark but by this time he was 14 yrs old and altho he had his teeth cleaned once, his age was prohibited this time. He also had lipomas. Well after much investigation and discussing options on these forums, I arrived at the solution. I am now making homemade food for him, feeding him ground turkey and rotating with 85/15 hamburg, vegetables, eggs, pumpkin, and soup/marrow bones for snacks. I am happy to say he is losing weight, takes glucosamine and herbs for the lipomas. No more anal problems, ear problems, and his teeth are all white. He loves his bones and when they are all clean we fill and freeze them with pumpkin. It is no more expensive than kibble but I do admit it is a lot of work, but the results are worth it. My 14 year old best friend looks great. The lipomas are getting smaller as well.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi dnaolson –

I feed my dogs a raw diet and they get raw meaty bones daily – these are great for dental health. My dogs are aged 11 months to 8 years and none of them (even my senior) have smelly breath or build-up. I try to brush their teeth daily – I forget sometimes, but they generally get their teeth brushed at least 5 times per week. Aside from specially formulated prescription kibbles (like T/D) the only food that’s going to promote dental health is a raw diet with raw meaty bones. There are some dental chews available but I have yet to see any with quality ingredients. And regardless of what your dog eats you need to be brushing its teeth, all dogs should have their teeth brushed at least 3 times per week. Hope that helps.

[theBCnut]

Mine don’t last that long.

[k9cancer]

I just got a 10 week old pup and they had him on eukanuba for puppies.

It has grain and I just lot a dog to cancer so of course I dont want to feed im crap.

Can you advise me on what is a good food for my little gentle giant.
One thing I dont want to feed him super high protein so he doesnt have his bones grow too fast.

thanks
Debbie

[pugmomsandy]

I’m pretty sure my marrow bones are several months old.

[SandyandMila]

Great thanks!

[theBCnut]

I clip the bag closed after I open it and have had stuff be fine for well over a month. BTW, dogs don’t mind freezer burn like people do. My dogs get all my freezer burned meat, for that matter, they get other peoples freezer burned meat too.

[SandyandMila]

How long do the raw marrow bones stay fresh in the freezer once the bag has been opened? I’m going to feed Mila’s first raw bone tomorrow! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

I have had the same problem with my pups with the intermittent loose stools. Recently, I made my own fruitable concoction. I mixed pure pumpkin with a little organic no sugar added applesauce and then added Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form herbal supplement to it. Mixed it all up and add a heaping table spoon to each of their meals. It has made a huge difference in their stools. They still are a little loose when out on a walk though. Like I read from another poster recently on a different thread, it can be very embarrassing and hard to clean up with one of those doggie bags. Yuck! I’m wondering if its ok to keep adding to their food for long term? Any opinions? I did buy some DE the other day and plan to incorporate into their food. Just a little nervous about it. I had never heard of it before. Of course, I had never fed pumpkin or raw bones before I started checking out this website either. Lol!

[pugmomsandy]

The wings are high bone but I mentioned it due to it’s small size since I have small dogs to begin with! Mine can also eat pork ribs easily. The beef ribs are too hard. They just gnaw on those after the meat is gone.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[beaglemom]

Thanks pugsmomsandy, that makes sense. They do have raw so I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the issue, just the increased amount of bone like you said. I will look into getting chicken legs/wings.

[pugmomsandy]

beaglemom,

Necks are very high in bone content and they are probably not use to digesting that much or even digesting real raw bones to begin with. The meat from the necks probably digested well and quickly as compared to kibble that can take up to 12 hours or more. I’d wait a couple days to give them another one and even introduce something with more meat like a whole leg (skinless to begin with) or give them half a neck with some additional meat/organs. You can also introduce more bone (and raw in general) into their diet to get them used to it with commercial products. I fed mine commercial patties for several months before doing RMB and started mine with chicken wings and then drumsticks. My recipe book calls for x amount of necks with x amount of meat so just a neck by itself if just too much bone. BUT given just a few times a week should be ok once they work their way up to it.

[beaglemom]

🙂 Thanks Cyndi & NectarMom… yea, mine have been having ground raw (Darwin’s, Primal, etc.) for about 2 months now and haven’t had any trouble with it. I know there’s ground bone in that but thought maybe the RMBs might have sat differently since the dogs probably swallowed bigger pieces of bone than they’d ever had before (but still small obviously, since they chewed them up). I was surprised it took over 12 hours to resurface such as it did. I’m keeping an eye on them but otherwise they’re great… I just hope it doesn’t mean that having a duck neck or whatever causes them to throw up each time. They clearly digested the meat well, just not all of the bone.

[NectarMom]

I had that happen too and I think. I over reacted too quickly and rushed mine to the vet. A good friend of mine has been feeding her Danes Raw for 12yrs and she said every now and then one of her Danes will throw up and she says it is common and just a case of mild Pancreatitis. It is scary though and freaks you out. I am one of those that is terrified of my dogs choking on raw bones. I am so stupid paranoid that I had ordered them raw rabbit chunks with bone and I cut the meat off away from the bone and threw the bone away. I am so weird.