[JeffreyT]

Check out Dr. Karen Becker’s articles on yeast. I do her povidine foot soak for itchy paws and it’s helped.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

The fresh and frozen raw are probably the healthiest and most cost effective but the bulk of my pups’ diet is a variety of freeze dried raw, with water added to rehydrate. They are Stella and Chewys, Primal, Orijen, and Stewarts Bison. Their favorites are Trudog, Only Natural Niblets and Vital Essentials…I soak these overnight.

For a quick meal I give the air dried raw from Real Meat Food Co or Ziwi Peak and rotate between brands and proteins.

Be prepared for a cleansing reaction, like loose stools, which could happen as you go to better foods. You may want to consider adding digestive enzymes and probioitics to help with potential digestive issues when changing…I use in most meals, it also supports the immune system and overall health.

Also consider having Perfect Form on hand from Honest Kitchen or canned pumpkin, and give during transition for stomach issues. But first check to see if it’s ok to give to yeasty dog, not sure.

Fish oil can help itchy skin and also good for heart, joints, brain, etc. Good brands for these supplements include Mercola Krill, Animal Essentials, Dr. Peter Tobias, Wholistic Pet Organics and Natures Farmacy.

Good luck!

[jakes mom]

I think the cold might have something to do with them turning up their noses at first, since it disappeared a little later on. The literature I got from Darwin’s says the food can be cooked, sometimes cats just won’t eat raw or tummy can’t handle it. But I can cook a homemade diet cheaper than cooking Darwin’s so that’s not going to be an option for me! Might try cooking a bit of it “rare” to get them started if things don’t improve after a few more meals. They’re used to room temp canned or the Primal fd which I make with hot water. I was a mean Mommy this am, gave them a spoonful of raw on each plate and a bit less canned than usual so we’ll see what’s gone when I get home from work!

[Pitlove]

Jake’s Mom, thanks for the extra info. I had no idea you had to send the cooler back. I was under the impression that they let you keep it. I really don’t like that, which upsets me because I really really wanted to try Darwins. I check my emails nightly as well after work so it wouldnt be a problem for me to change the orders I just don’t want to get caught off guard.

I have a great little family owned pet store about 30 mins from me that I often by my dogs kibble at since they carrying Orijen and other really great natural brands. They also carry the Primal Raw food, so I can definitely look into that. They also carry Stella & Chewys.

Let me know how the Darwin’s goes! I really wish they made their ordering process more straight forward and streamline and allowed you to tailor your order every time.

[jakes mom]

Pitlove, I see what you mean, I went back on the Darwin’s site. The autoship doesn’t bother me that much. They will email a few days before they ship and I check emails every nite so it’s no problem for me to change or delay a shipment. I did shoot them an email asking about the availability of single proteins instead of the combos but have not heard back from them (just sent it last nite). I’ll let you know when I hear back.
I rec’d the food tonite. I have a couple of packages in the fridge, thawing. It’s packed very well, with a little dry ice. Everything was rock hard when it arrived. One thing you may not like is, they ask you to return the cooler box. Give you a return label so it doesn’t cost anything but may be inconvenient if you’re not near a UPS store.
I had another thought for you, too. Have you tried freeze dried raw? ( Sorry if you mentioned that in a previous post) I use Primal nuggets sometimes. Comes in a bag with chunks that you just crumble with your fingers and add a little hot water. Very convenient, and you could customize it for her with a bit more or less water depending on her preference. Look for it with the higher quality dry food, not in the fridge/freezer with the other raw products, also online, got mine at Chewy’s. Various flavors and bag sizes.
I’ll try feeding the kitties this weekend, when the stuff thaws. Wish me luck!

[crazy4cats]

Jakes Mom-
Yes, my cats are fine. Thank you for your concern. I always worry about them getting out! It was actually kind of funny because it reminded us of the time when our previous dog went out a window on to the roof years ago. My husband came home and no one was home and our dog was on the roof in a panic. It was when my kids were young and we went up to the school to play without him and he was NOT happy about it. I guess he thought he was going to follow us anyway he could. He thankfully, he didn’t jump either! He would have gotten hurt. I think the cats could probably handle the jump without an issue. Just glad they didn’t!

Have you tried the Darwin’s yet? I’m real curious to see if they like it.

Pitlove-
I have used NW Naturals, Nature’s Variety, and Primal raw as toppers for my dogs. I have tried feeding a little to my cats here and there and they have not been interested so far. Most likely if it was in one of the dogs’ bowls, however, they would probably eat it right up! LOL! It might actually be cheaper for you. Canned cat food is way too expensive for what you get. Let us know if you try it out.

[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.

[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, 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]

Sorry James S. Just saw your earlier post. I’m glad at least the diagnosis was for the more treatable one. What treatment has your vet suggested? Yes, Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen is a frozen food and one of the one’s I feed my dogs in rotation.

As to a list of commercial raw frozen foods, these are the ones that I use in rotation. I rotate brands and proteins within brands with the exception of fowl. One of my girls is intolerant of all fowl.

Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen (Not always easy to track down but any store that carries any of the products can usually order it in for you from their distributor)

Primal Raw Frozen Formulas (My favorite of all frozen raw foods)
Vital Essentials Frozen Raw
Nature’s Logic Raw Frozen
OC Frozen Raw
Darwin’s Raw Frozen (only available on their site on auto-delivery plan)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen
(Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen will be the easiest to find as pretty much everyone carries it including the large stores like Petco and Petsmart.)

The others on the list are typically found in smaller more local type pet food stores.

I’ve recently won a bag of Steve’s Real Frozen Raw (very excited about that) and I’ll see how that works out with the girls. It just arrived yesterday so I’ll defrost some for their dinner tonight. I’ll let you know about that one after they’ve eaten it for a while.

The only two freeze dried foods that I use, but only infrequently, is Primal Freeze Dried and Vital Essentials Freeze Dried. I use Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Tripe Treats as their treats when I call them to “come” from the yard. I keep a jar with them near the back patio door and it’s the only time they get them.

I forgot to add that once in a while, not often, I feed The Honest Kitchen Zeal formula. It contains no fowl, no potatoes, no alfalfa. Is GMO free. The Honest Kitchen is made with all human grade ingredients and made in a plant that only processes human food. It’s all documented and the FDA allows them to use the information on their packaging. It’s the only company that the FDA has given it’s approval to.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Wendy J-
I try to avoid it for my dogs also. I’ve never seen a list, but I have noticed that most canned stew type foods usually don’t have it whereas a lot of the pate styles do. The only problem is you get a little less bang for your buck with stews due to containing more water. I try to stick to budget friendly stews such as Pure Balance, 4Health and Kirkland. The other topper I use if on sale are frozen raw meat nugget, such as NW Naturals, Primal or Nature’s Variety. They do not contain carrageenan. Good luck!

[Bobby dog]

Pitlove:
Here’s my list of grocery store foods. There are other recipes in some lines that fall into my criteria; this list only includes food my cats will eat. All have ingredients I don’t like. None contain soy, wheat, or corn, some contain fish, but are not fish based recipes, and if starches are included most are either rice or potato. Most carbs are 12% and under DMB some are a little over; %’s are in parenthesis using info from the company’s site.

Fancy Feast – Turkey and Giblets Feast Classic GF, no fish (7), Tender Liver & Chicken Feast Classic GF, no fish (7), Tender Beef & Liver Feast GF, no fish (7)

Pro Plan line:
True Nature – Chic & Liver Entree Classic GF, no fish (2)
Savor – Beef & Carrots Entrée Classic GF (10), Chic & Spinach Entrée Classic GF (10), Turkey & Veg Entrée Classic GF (10)
Focus – Chic & Beef Entrée Classic GF (5), Kitten Chic & Liver Entrée Classic (2)

Friskies – Poultry Platter (11), Special Diet Classic Pate’ Turkey & Giblets Dinner no fish (9), Special Diet Classic Pate’ Beef & Chic no fish (8), Classic Pate’ Turkey & Giblets (14)

Beyond – Chic & Sweet Potato Pate’ GF (11) and Chicken & Brown Rice pate’ (10)

Sheba – Turkey Pate’ (7), Chic & Liver (7), all Sheba recipes are grain free and fish is only in the recipes with seafood in the title.

Iams – chicken (13), chicken & liver (13), beef (14) pates’

Purina One – Classic Turkey GF, no fish (7), Classic Chic GF (7), Classic Beef GF (7)

My seniors have not taken to a rotational diet, they are 17 and like what they like. I am always on the lookout for new foods to try. My current rotation includes a few Wellness CH recipes, Innova cat & kitten, CSCLS, Cali Nat’l, BB kitten pate’, Grandma Mae’s, Nutrisource, Triumph turkey, Weruva Marbella Paella or CITK Fowl Bowl & Chic Frisk a’ Zee, Tiki Cat sardine or shredded chicken recipes, and my senior female likes Pure Balance GF Chic & Turkey. A few times a month the seniors will also eat NV raw chic or beef medallions, Primal FD Turkey, and Stella & Chewy FD Chicken Dinner, but they all still demand their kitty crack.

I contacted Purina and asked what types of meat they source and if they use any 4D or 3D meats in any products. Here’s their reply:

“Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry. Our Company is extremely committed to food safety and quality control. Keep in mind that our products are formulated by professional pet nutritionists and veterinarians and are produced under strict quality standards. To learn how we ensure this quality, please visit: https://help.purina.com/answers/how-does-purina-ensure-the-quality-of-its-products.

Purina only uses high quality meats. Nestlé Purina PetCare Company purchases its meat from suppliers who process meat for human consumption under the supervision of a U.S.D.A. inspector. All meat used in our pet foods comes from facilities certified by the U.S.D.A. where the animals are inspected by a U.S.D.A. inspector. These suppliers are carefully selected by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, which provides detailed ingredient specifications to those suppliers to help ensure the integrity of the meat it purchases. We do not utilize dead, downed, disabled & diseased meats in our products.

We hope that this information is helpful and that you will contact us again should you have additional questions.

Again, thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.”

Regardless of their reply I would never risk their health by only offering foods they won’t eat, however this reply was a bit of a relief for me.

weezerweeks:
I checked my cat food list. The only brands that I have fed that come in larger cans are Friskies, 4Health (Tractor Supply Co. & Del’s Feed house brand), Wellness, EVO, and Innova. FYI, Fromm’s canned dog foods contain taurine. I have not fed it to my cats, but I used to feed NV canned dog foods to my cats before they reformulated it and took taurine out. At least I think it was NV, it was before I kept a cat food list. 😉

[Dori]

The commercial raw foods that I feed are:

Primal Raw Frozen Formulas
Primal Pronto Frozen Formulas
Natural Variety Instinct Frozen Raw Diets
Vital Essentials Frozen Raw Food
OC Raw Frozen Food
Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw Food
Answer’s Detailed Frozen Raw Food

I used to feed Darwin’s but I stopped. They add more fat to the diets now and also lowered the protein level of their diets. And, of course, they raised their prices.

For a dehydrated, once in a while I’ll use The Honest Kitchen Zeal. It’s the only one that I feed.

As treats I only give them small pieces of fruits and veggies. Whatever I happen to have in the refrigerator or counter.

I don’t feed any commercial treats. Too many recalls, too many grains.

Please feel free to ask any other questions.

[Oceans11]

Dori, yes! I would be interested in what brand you are feeding your dogs. I have tried: Raw Instinct-chicken and beef. Primal raw freeze dried chicken, and every natural canned food. Also, Freshpet.

[AJ A]

By the way. I have tried Primal and Natures Variety Instinct, over $100 still sitting in my freezer. If I think about raw meat I expect to see raw food and not a paste looking mushy something once defrosted. Also the smell is anything else than close to raw meat.
The only real raw food I found is Darwin’s. It was all real meat, unfortunately the meat was ground and dogs should get at least little chunks to satisfy their way of eating. Darwin’s uses 10% veggies in their food and veggies should not be offered to dogs as well. They don’t hurt but their body is not designed to digest veggies. Dogs are carnivores and their body is all made for eating whole carcasses, skin, feathers, fur, organs, in other words the whole prey. On their menu you can sometimes find some wild berries and grass, assisting in digestive disorders.When you see a dog eating grass he has an upset stomach.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Rhonda:
How often you rotate is up to your pup. Some do well rotating brands frequently, some need a longer transition period. My dog can eat different foods for each meal with no issues whatsoever.

I feed about half a meal of kibble topped with either canned, fresh foods, or commercial raw freeze dried or frozen. His kibble is the most constant out of the rotation. He will eat one brand/recipe of a smaller bag until it’s finished, about a month. Then I switch to another brand with a different protein and carb source. All other foods change with every meal or every few days for canned food.

Sounds like you’re set for your pup’s treat menu! For commercial raw my dog does well on Stella & Chewy freeze dried Chicken, Pheasant, Venison, or Duck, Duck, Goose, Primal freeze dried Turkey & Sardine, Primal frozen Venison, Nature’s Variety Instinct freeze dried Lamb, Nature’s Variety Instinct frozen beef, lamb, or venison.

Here’s a few DFA articles on rotation and info to help you choose a commercial raw food:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/
/choosing-dog-food/raw-dog-food-fat/
/best-dog-foods/raw-dog-food/

[Bobby dog]

Hi Linda:
I am always on the lookout for average to low fat commercial raw foods. I find most recipes too high in fat. Good or bad fat it’s in there and I want the majority of my dog’s calories to be from protein not fat. Here’s an article on fat in commercial raw foods:
/choosing-dog-food/raw-dog-food-fat/

From my list I only have one food that may fit your needs Primal Frozen Venison. On a dry matter basis using the numbers from their site it is about 16% fat. Their Frozen Rabbit recipe is also low fat (17% DMB), but you mentioned rabbit might not agree with your dog.

You might consider making your own raw if you are unable to find a suitable commercial diet. Here is a list of books for making raw and home cooked diets:
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/bookreviews.html

Since your dog is not too thrilled eating TOTW kibble maybe try another brand or have you ever thought about supplementing with canned instead? Here are some low-fat canned foods I feed Wellness Core Weight Management, Innova Large Breed Sr., and Weruva’s Marbella Paella, Paw Lickin’ Chicken, and Bed and Breakfast recipes. On Weruva’s site they list their nutrition information in dry matter basis. Other low-fat canned foods I want to try are Fromm’s Four Star Shredded Chic or Beef and Petsmart’s Simply Nourish bisque or stew foods.

Feeding a balanced diet is important, however if my dog had a health issue it would definitely be priority for me. Regarding Sojos foods and mixes there have been comments posted on DFA about the vegetables coming out of their dog as they went in and lack of info on their labels. Some posters suggested grinding the mix before feeding it. You can do a search for comments on Sojos here’s one thread:
/forums/topic/sojo-premix/

Concerns have also been posted about The Honest Kitchen foods and mixes. Posters have commented on digestibility issues, label accuracy, feeding recommendations, and questionable information provided by customer service and the owner of the company. Check out the comment sections on the review side for more info:
/dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-grain-free/
/dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi All-

Just received an email informing me that Primal Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling a single lot of Raw Frozen Feline Turkey Formula 3 lb. size.

Akari-
Something that helped us with the open door issue is to add a screen door that automatically shuts when you let go of it. That way when you are bringing in groceries and such, it closes behind us. But, it doesn’t help when someone stands there holding it open. (my mother!) LOL!

[crazy4cats]

Hey Guys-
I only feed my dogs raw a couple times per week. I usually feed either frozen or freeze dried. When I was on the Primal website doing some comparisons, I ran across this statement:

It is important to only serve Primal raw foods when completely thawed. Frozen foods can be difficult for animals to digest. Never microwave any pet food. Microwaves cause the fat molecules to radically change, making fats less digestible, and ultimately they can become harmful to your pet’s long-term health.

I often forget to thaw out the frozen nuggets and mix them in their kibble partially frozen, not really thinking much about it. According to their statement, feeding it frozen can be tough on them.

Any thoughts on this?

[Dori]

Hi Beverly. Glad her eyes seem to be clearing up and that she’s liking what is a fabulous food. Don’t forget that you can rotate through the different proteins and, of course, through other freeze dried foods. Primal is my favorite of all raw and freeze dried foods. Second for freeze dried foods is Vital Essentials.

And now I’ll have to start bugging you to go to gravatar.com and post a picture of Sugar. I can’t wait to see her. We love doggie pics. 🙂

[Dori]

I’m looking forward to seeing Sugar in your avatar. Even if you’re on a windows machine you can still go to gravatar.com and sign up and then they’ll walk you through the steps to post picture. I just can’t walk you through it because I’m on a Mac.

As to the foods that I feed, they are all commercial raw foods from companies that I like and trust and all three girls have done very well on all of them. I feed all three girls the same meals. I also rotate proteins within the brands and I also rotate with different brands. All proteins with the exception of any and all poultry (fowl) regardless of how or where it is listed in the ingredients. Nothing with feathers because Katie is highly intolerant. These are the companies I feed.

Primal Formulas Raw Frozen and Primal Pronto Raw Frozen and sometimes Primal Freeze Dried
Vital Essentials Raw Frozen Foods and sometimes Vital Essentials Freeze Dried
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Food Only
Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen
OC Raw Frozen
Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw

Once or twice a week I split a can of sardines in water with no salt (from grocery store) between the three girls.

For treats I give them small pieces of organic (if available) fruits and veggies. Apples and cucumbers must be peeled because they carry a lot of bacteria and are waxed to make them pretty for us. Make sure to not feed any seeds or pits from any fruits as they are toxic to dogs. Of course as I’m pretty sure you already know, no raisins, grapes or onions.

If you want any more info, please ask.

[Pam P]

I feed my dog Answers fermented raw food and kefir. My son’s Mastiff mix had such itchy skin she had to go on antibiotics for a wound she scratched raw that wouldn’t heal. I started her for one month on Nature’s Logic Sardine. Nature’s Logic is one of a very few that doesn’t use synthetic vitamins and minerals. The synthetic vitamins and minerals come mostly from industrial waste such as coal tar for one. They aren’t good for humans and they aren’t good for pets. She started detoxifying on Nature’s Logic. Then I put her on Answers Fermented Raw food for a month. The itching became less. Now she is on only Kefir for a month and her itching has just about stopped. The kefir is a detox diet. She hasn’t lost weight. Her energy is 300% higher. I’ll see how she does after another 2 weeks to see if we gradually get her back on food or keep her on kefir for another 2 weeks. The key is to clean and detoxify the system and then to make sure the immune system is strengthened. Allergies are an immune system issue. I also give my dogs organic extra virgin coconut oil, sardine oil, pumpkin seed oil, and royal jelly. Royal jelly is excellent for the skin and coat. Its what the queen bee is fed. I learned that from an owner of champion show dogs. I have also given them canned sardines. Frozen sardines can be purchased in bulk online. They have small bones which are loaded with calcium. If I was going to feed kibble, I would lean towards Nature’s Logic or one that doesn’t use synthetic vitamins and minerals. They are a little lower on the meat, so I would add gizzards and some raw meat to it, preferably a balanced frozen meat. There are several to chose from….Nature’s Logic, Primal, Instinct, and others. I hope this gives you some ideas.

[Dori]

Hi John P. First let me say that I’m a commercial raw feeder grain free foods so I’m not going to really be of much help with kibble. I do know that a lot of people on this site consider Acana and Orijen made by Champion to be a quality company. The only kibble that, on rare occasions, I have put in rotation is Nature’s Logic Kibble but only the Sardine. All others contain either some sort of beef or poultry (eggs). One of my dogs has many many food intolerances and sensitivities. The list is quite long so I won’t bore you as they don’t pertain to your dog. But she is highly intolerant of all things poultry which includes all fowl. Below is a partial list of what I feed my three dogs and they all do very well on them, I’ve left out any of the beef that I feed because your dog has an intolerance to beef. I feed all my dogs the same food because of my allergy girl, Katie. I feed a rotational diet so here goes.

OC Raw: Fish & Produce Patties, Lamb Patties, Rabbit Patties, Goat Patties

Primal Raw Formulas and/or Primal Pronto Formulas: Venison Patties, Rabbit Patties

Vital Essentials Raw: Fish Patties, Rabbit Patties

Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw: Venison (also contains lamb), Rabbit (also contains pork)

Stella & Chewy’s Raw: Venison, Lamb, Rabbit
I’m not a great fan of Stella & Chewy’s but will feed it if I’m in a pinch.

Natures Logic Kibble: Sardine (It contains millet which is a pseudo-grain. Katie can’t tolerate grains but for some reason the millet in Nature’s Logic doesn’t seem to bother her. Could be because I feed it so infrequently and never for more than one meal every so often.

I’m an advocate of rotational feeding for my three dogs so I rotate their food pretty much with every meal and don’t feed them the same protein without a three day break in between. It’s the only way I can get around Katie’s food issues. Dogs with allergies should also avoid corn, white potatoes, rice (all), soy. They are all pro-inflammatory so you’re basically feeding the allergies and making things worse. You need to feed non-inflammatory foods and ingredients as best you can. It’s pretty difficult to avoid every single thing all the time but it helps a great deal to do your best.

Hope some of this has helped. I’m sure someone else will chime in soon to help with kibble feeding.

Oops! Don’t forget about checking to see what’s in the treats you give your dogs. For treats I only give pieces of fruits (no grapes) and veggies. No seeds or pits with the fruit please (toxic), I also peel apples and cucumbers. I don’t feed any commercial treats due to grains and too many recalls for my liking. Too many pesticides used on both. Good Luck and if I can answer any questions please ask.

I just wanted to mention that the only fish that Katie cannot eat is salmon. All other fish foods she’s fine with but is very sensitive to salmon.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

Weezerweeks. Freeze dried that I have fed and will continue with in rotation with commercial raw diets are Primal, Vital Essentials, Natures Variety, Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance. Fair warning though…Grandma Lucy’s seems to produce larger stools. I think it has more fiber than the others, also I can’t discern any ingredients in their poop for that food. The girls do really well on all these freeze dried foods. I’ve tried others but I didn’t care for them. The girls ate them but, then again, they’ll eat everything. The only food Hannah has ever turned down in her entire life and just would not eat was Dr. Harvey’s Oracle Tripe. Which was funny because she loves their tripe treats. She liked the tripe bits (treats) in the food but not the food itself.

[pugmomsandy]

Check out Nutrisource grain free lamb and Pulsar fish. Natures Variety Instinct makes kibble plus raw freeze dried bits, although I wouldn’t call this brand budget friendly. Instinct also has a a freeze dried raw to use as a topper. It’s their Raw Boost powder in a canister. Just scoop and serve. Stella and Chewy’s and Primal have freeze dried raw.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

HI Dori,
So glad to hear from you and overjoyed all is well with your husband. Couldn’t ask for better news.
Well here at schnauzerville we are dealing with something that worries me and I am reaching out to all.
My pepper the almost 12 y.o. is going into a semi-heat if that is possible -no bleeding but (excuse me all for being so descriptive) her vagina looks swollen I am so fearful of pyometra, what are the signs ,how do i know, should I take her to the vet?? Eating, drinking ,walking aok.
Millie has stopped her bleeding after 3 weeks ,she is still swollen . My first foray with females -Pepper was never spayed her horrible original guardians treated her badly, never took her to a vet, at her advanced age spaying is not an option with her other health issues.
Any advice Dori
i am so worried about my angel Pepper
as for THK yes we are keeping it in and even with the grain free protein inclusive line I still notice pieces of undigested veggies, emailed them they never replied.
We are about to finish the natures variety instinct raw duck a bit hit with pepper and Millie,
Next I think I will try either the primal turkey and sardine or the OCraw-we really are becoming the adventurous schnauzers here at schnauzerville.
Take care & Dori so happy again to hear the good news!! Celebrate

We are on diets here lunch is various cooked veggies Millies face is a riot but she is way too heavy at 16 lbs

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie.

[lovemypuppy]

I switched my puppy at 10 weeks to a commercial raw diet. She’s been on it for only a week but already appears healthier. I chose Primal Formulas because there are 8 different formula options, it’s convenient (pre-portioned into 1 ounce nuggets), it is rated for all life stages with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1, and the ingredient list is commendable, IMO, with all veggies being organic and the addition of fish oil, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil. The only supplements that are added are zinc, copper, and selenium – the rest is all food derived.

[brit]

I use eggshells for calcium if I am cooking the meat or using raw meat without bones. We use organic eggs for ourselves and our pets so I collect at least 6 eggshells, rinse the shells with cool water and leave to dry overnight. I put them in my little Braun coffee grinder (also handy for grinding dry herbs etc) and grind them to a powdery consistency. Use approx 1/2tsp per lb of meat. If I give chicken necks that morning (usually give them at least twice a week)I don’t worry about calcium that evening I buy Wholistic Pet Canine Complete and use on the food (I use half the dose that they suggest) as a supplement plus some herbs that I grind and add. During the winter I give a tsp of Carlsons Cod Liver Oil (unflavored) a couple times a week (its low in A and D which is good as some is way to high). I make all my own dog food but often cook and also often feed raw (usually Primal raw). So if I am buying something like Primal I don’t need to add calcium because it has bone ground in. Usually breakfast is cooked sweet potato/plain goat yogurt/raw egg yolk although often I buy canned Alaskan salmon, rinse it and use a small amount. Then evening meal is either the Primal with crushed raw veggies (I put them through my Greenstar Juicer which has a gadget that allows them to come through whole but crushed) or cooked meat with the veggies. If I have a dog that needs to gain weight I throw in some organic oat flakes while meat is cooking.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by brit.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by brit.

[mountainhound]

Rice is not a part of a raw diet, a lot of people do the prey model style because its easier, no grinding or blending veggies (most dogs dont need veggies)
Look info facebook groups and also this website which is a good starting guide to feeding raw, or you can always get some premade from a petstore like bravo, primal or vital essentials. http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf

[Dori]

Hi Kimberly C. It sounds as though your dog is having food intolerances/sensitivities. First off he should be on grain free foods. Avoid corn, soy, white potatoes, rice and all poultry. That’s for starters. You also mention that your dog has seizures. Very important is to avoid any foods that contain rosemary in any form.

I have three small dogs all of which are on commercial raw dog foods. One of my girls has a multitude of food intolerances which is what led me on the road to raw feeding about three years ago. I started by eliminating all the ingredients I mentioned above. I feed commercial raw foods. I’m not inclined to make my own because, well…. truth be told I just don’t feel like doing it. Here is the list of commercial raw food companies that I have researched to death over the years and that I trust. Primal Raw Pronto, Primal Raw Formulas (these are Primal’s complete and balanced foods…you don’t have to add anything to them in the way of supplements). Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Dog Foods, Vital Essential Raw Foods, OC Raw Dog Food, Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen. I also from time to time have on hand their freeze dried foods (they’re raw and you can feed as is without hydrating). As for dehydrated foods, the only one I use is The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal formula. The others contain some type of poultry or white potatoes that I choose not to feed. I feed what is called a rotational diet. I rotate different brands and different proteins within the brands with the exception of any and all poultry. I also do not feed any commercial treats. For the most part they all contain some sort of grain and there have been way too many recalls of dog treats for me to take a chance with my dogs. For treats I feed them little pieces of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I puree them. Sometimes they’re cooked from our dinner. For the most part since I use them as treats for them I’m not particularly concerned about how much nutritional value they get from the fruits and veggies. The enjoy them, as they would a commercial treat, and that is my intent in giving them to them. If they get some nutritional value from them, even a little, that’s great; if not, that’s not the purpose I give them the treats. Of course you know you can go on google and just google what fruits and vegetables you can feed your dogs or go in reverse and type in what fruits and veggies you should not be feeding your dogs. Always, of course avoid onions, grapes, raisins. As for fruits, never feed anything that still has it’s pit or seeds. They tend to be toxic. As for apples I always don’t feed the peel. Apples are sprayed continuously to detract worms. They are also highly waxed to appear pretty for the consumer. I think I read somewhere, but don’t now remember where, that the skin of an apple has more bacteria than any other fruit on the market. That would probably hold true for cucumbers on the market due to the same reasons. I feed both but I peel them. Hope any of this has helped you. If you have any other questions, please ask.

Please remember to check any and all foods you feed your seizure dog so that you avoid rosemary in any form. Studies have shown (in people so far as no study has been done in animals as of yet) that if one has a predisposition to seizures, rosemary can trigger a seizure.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Dori.

[lovemypuppy]

I wouldn’t say I’m educated, but I’m getting there thanks to sites like this! 🙂 Good point! Knowing what my finicky pup will eat is tricky since it won’t necessarily be the same as another’s finicky pup.

After speaking with some local dog peeps, I decided to switch her to raw with only one protein source (Primal Duck Formula). She doesn’t like most treats but has never turned her nose up to freeze dried meats, including duck.

I’m hoping she likes the new food and transitions well with little GI upset. I’m also hoping the single protein source will aid in sorting out her potential allergies (environmental or food). Once she is settled for a bit, I will start rotating her food … seems like a great idea all the way around.

We are so excited to have our first ever puppy-dog! She is the cutest thing ever and brings so much joy to our family!~ Thanks for the link and food recommendations!

[Dori]

Kimi. The ones I trust the most are Primal Formulas Raw, Vital Essentials Raw, Natures Variety Instinct Raw. There are others I use also but thought I’d give you my favorites. If you want others just let me know.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Hi everyone,
This is a question for Dori or anyone who feeds commercial raw.
Is it o.k. to just go from one protein source to another without a transition period when feeding commercial raw. I am almost finished with my bag of Primal rabbit -can I just say tomorrow give my gals Vital Essentials fish alone or do I have to add a small piece of fish patty with the rabbit?
Thanks so much ,so sorry if this question seems like a no brainer to most of you!

Dori
How are you haven’t seen you posting, hope all is well with you

[Jan E]

I have a Rotti/Malmute mix, now 11yrs old, diabetic x 3 years. I’m a fan of rotating foods but must be careful of glycemic index and glucose spikes. The best food for good control for the longest time was Merrick canned, then suddenly she lost her desire for the food.She did this sudden change in the past w/ Freshet rolls, Primal raw, Evo canned… I wondered if they changed recipes?… Currently on Canidae – can chicken & rice – she is finicky and this is what is currently working. Any suggestions for top diabetic foods? (I joined this editors forum I don’t don’t have to do the the calculations…)
Thank you!!!
Jan

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Hi Everyone,
I need some advice if Millie my 7 month old mini schnauzer is : 1. too young to stop Puppy kibble? 2. If she isn’t too young to stop the puppy kibble, can I feed her the various kinds of the grain free Honest Kitchen(that would be the rotating) with toppers of lightly cooked meat or poultry for 1 of her meals? Does the Honest Kitchen have enough nutrients for a young gal or would i have to add various supplements/antioxidents/oils to that meal?
For the 2nd meal would it be ok to give her commercial raw? Rotating within say Primal or Vital Essentials (or whatever raw co. that will ship to me) their various lower fat proteins.
I do know the VE does not add the fruit/veggies so could I top that meal off with maybe some cooked veggies.
BC mentioned that it may be time to cut out her noon meal,so I am trying to figure out how to get her off kibble & increase the raw & introduce the dehydrated.
Thanks so much to all for the great advice and guidance you ALL have given me in these past months. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me & the girls 🙂

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Naturella,
My late husband ADORED TRIPE their is a dish called Menudo (no not the group), that he ate like it was candy!!!

On another note has anyone ordered the tripe from “mypetcarnivore.com.?
If so can a recommendation be made as to which kind to get. Is the food offered on this site of good quality. And excuse if this next question sounds off the wall, this is giving real raw correct? Or is it the same as say giving Primal. I am a newbie to commercial raw but slowly trying to get my 2 girls on it full time.
I also wanted to try the ABC diet and see this website has the hearts I cannot seem to find anywhere else.
Thanks in advance for the feedback

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

BC,
If you wouldn’t mind I need your input.
Millie my 6 1/2 month old is eating A.M. 1/3 c Orijen Puppy kibble (which is about to go out of the rotation) mixed w Horizon Legacy Puppy (that bag is larger so she will be on that a little longer) as a topper she is getting 1 oz lightly boiled beef.
Noontime: 2-3 Primal Rabbit nuggents w either carrots or cooked squash & zucchini 1-2tbsps.
Suppertime: 1/3 c kibble (same as brkfst) w 1oz boiled chicken.
She does get cocotherapy dried fruit or veggies 2 handfuls
A few times a week she will either a bully stick or a cow ear.
I want to take the noontime feeding out as well as eventually giving her kibble less frequently and adding the honest kitchen in the rotation
She picked up wt. very quickly she is close to what the breeder told me was her adult weight (15lbs).
In your opinion am I feeding her enough? too much?
According to the bags of kibble & that is if she were only eating kibble she should have almost 1 c per day. But since I add the meat as toppers & the raw for lunch, I hesitate to increase the kibble.
Thanks so much

[Dori]

Hi Deanna. Life stories are always welcome. It lets us all know background stories and whether one is old or new to the world of companion animals.

If your vet is a traditional vet than he/she will give you all the cons of feeding raw. Bacteria, yada yada yada. None of that, in my experience is true. All dogs have a bit of salmonella in their guts. It is dogs that have been fed kibble and/or inferior foods that will or could have an issue with salmonella in foods. A healthy dog (gastrointestinal health I’m speaking of) have no issues with a commercial food that may have a little bacteria in it. I’ve actually never known or heard of a commercial raw fed dog that has fallen ill from bacteria of any sort from a commercial raw diet. The issue with salmonella contaminated raw foods is more of an issue with the animals owners (humans) and not the owners. We are the ones that will get sick BUT only if we are slovenly. I’m sure cooking for yourself and your family now or in the past you have handled raw meats and poultry. When done you are always cautioned to clean all surfaces, clean all utensils and scrub your hands and all surfaces that the raw foods have touched. It’s the same thing. Raw meat and poultry is raw meat and poultry regardless of whether your feeding it to yourself and loved ones of the human variety or your animals. A lot of the traditional veterinary community seem to think that commercial raw feeders are indiscriminate as to what we feed our animals. I’m not sure where some of these vets are getting their education from or lack thereof. They don’t really keep up with the times and would prefer to just scare you off.

As to how much I feed my dogs, specifically Hannah, as she weighs 7 lbs. like your yorki does, it depends on what I’m feeding. If I’m feeding Primal Pronto (it’s a complete and balanced diet from Primal made in little “kibble like” bits frozen) then I scoop out 1/4 cup in the a.m. or p.m. just as I would have done with a kibble. If it’s in a pattie form, then I read the packaging for her weight and feed her accordingly. Typically it’s 1/4 of the pattie per meal. For varying meals even though all three of my girls weigh a little bit differently I pretty much feed them all the same amount. Lola, my 5 lb. girl is very very hyper so she burns everything off quickly. If she’s awake, she’s in motion. Katie my 6 lb. girl is tall for a Maltipoo and very petite in structure. She was the runt of the litter and due to be put down before I rescued her into our family. She has a lot of issues food wise, environmentally and muscoskeletal so I’m always making sure she keeps her weight on. Hannah, my true couch potato, and at her age that’s okay with me, she stays on the lean side. Because she is 15 1/2 years old and a touch of old age arthritis I keep her on the lean side. I’m not big on having a scale to weigh them on a regular basis. I feel my dogs. If they have a little bit of coating on their ribs that I don’t mess with the amount I feed them. If I feel one of them and can too readily feel their ribs where with my fingers I can actually feel an identation then I know that dog needs a bit more food. If I have to press down too much to feel ribs, then I feed a little less for that dog. Kind of like ourselves. We have heavier days and lighter days. Winter we’re indoors a bit too much in the summer we’re very active.

I got both Lola and Katie both when, I guess I was around 61 or so. I thought I’d go insane. Literally, I was shedding tears all the time. I then thought it was one of my bigger mistakes. It was tough going having to 9 week old puppies at the same time. I hadn’t had a puppy in so long I’d forgotten the colossal amount of work let alone having two. Well, now that all is said and done I have to say that Lola and Katie are the best of pals. They are not siblings in the true sense of the word but you’d never know it. They sleep by each other, they rough house, play, everything together. But honestly I didn’t think I’d make it through those first couple of years. Hannah was none to happy about any of it either. Now they all pal around together. When I call them to let them out in the back Hannah won’t go out until she waits for the other two to catch up. All three wait for each other by the back door before they’ll come back in. Very very cute. Of course, if one of them barks, they all start barking even though the other two haven’t got a clue why or what they’re barking about. Very funny. Some times irritating but mostly have given me so much love and quality to my life. At 66 I’d probably be able to handle a puppy again but certainly not two at a time. Though I think I would rescue a senior at this point in my life. At one point in your life you want babies and are all about babies and as you get older you see the need that seniors (whether they be humans or dogs) need.

One last point on commercial raw feeding. Once you do it you’ll wonder what took you so long and what you were so worried about. Also, feeding commercial raw foods is not at all what you think it’s going to look like. It’s not like you’re going to toss a whole animal at your dog for dinner. I couldn’t possibly handle that. Really it just looks for the most part like ground meats in shapes of hamburgers. Other than the “kibble like” bits that are meant for the squeamish kibble feeders trying to make a transition into raw and also because they defrost so darn quick.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Oh Dori,
This has been a real nightmare, I wanted to downsize, yard etc, saw this townhouse well didn’t like the cabinets tore them out & found BLACK MOLD -well you can imagine gutted the entire 2 stories to the studs!!! As I said a nightmare that is a sinking well of money!!!

I guess while reading your post you do make sense – why have someone else cook, when I could do the same.

It’s funny I got the Primal Nuggets from Wag.com will have to check on the “Pronto” since it ships from the manufacturer.

I can get the “Vital Essentials” & Nature’s variety Instinct Raw here so that’s good , they also had Nature’s Logic it was on Susan’s list in 2013 but just read the review here and I will pass on that raw brand.

This is another reason I so miss living in a city-the availability of everything.

Well if i can rotate different brands with the lower fat proteins , I guess that would be ok., since you said each protein though the same is just a bit different when you change up the brands.
I am going to call Answers as you suggested along with OC Raw, see if they will ship directly to me. This local feed store cannot get either from there vendor.

You are wonderful, thank you again.
Have a great weekend

[Dori]

Cheryl,
Don’t let the fact that Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw is sold at those large stores deter you from using this food. It has a very good reputation and I feel comfortable feeding it to my girls. Though I don’t shop at large box type pet stores, at least three of the local “boutique type” dog food stores that I shop at carry the food.

As for Fresh Fetch, it’s been on Susan’s list for a while. I did research them at one time and their shipping prices were astronomical. Shipping cost more than the food did. If they’ve changed their shipping prices (which I doubt), I’m still not sure why anyone would pay their prices for food and shipping when you can research complete and balanced cooked diets and make it at home for a heck of a lot less. As to Frenchie’s Kitchen, again very expensive for a cooked food. If my memory serves me correctly, the shipping on frozen food was free but the cost of the food was crazy high. Again, one can cook a complete and balanced diet at home from recipes found on this site and others and many great dog books. That is if you want to feed cooked or supplement raw feeding with cooked meals to bring the cost of feeding down. Though I have no inclination to cook complete and balanced meals on a daily basis for my dogs, if that’s what I chose to feed my dogs I would make them myself. I don’t cook on a regular basis for hubby and I anymore so I’m not about to start now.

I’ve renovated probably every home we’ve lived in and so I know what you are going through. It’s exhausting and takes up almost all your waking and sleeping thoughts. Whenever I start a renovation project it is pretty much all I can think about. Glad I can help you in my small way.

OH! Just wanted to say about the Primal Pronto, any place that sells Primal will also sell the Primal Pronto. It’s actually the same food as the Primal formulas just made into small “kibble like” bits so you can scoop out and serve. The real plus of the frozen foods that are the little bits like is that if you’ve forgotten to put the days frozen meals in fridge to defrost, you can just scoop them into their bowls, leave on counter and approx. 15 minutes later they are soft and ready to serve.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Dori,
Please, please forgive me for not replying sooner to your kind post of letting me know the foods in your rotation.
I am in then process of renovating a Townhouse I purchased last May and between that and the girls well i am under a great deal of pressure.
I am trying to get all this in my brain and figure out how to go about the full transitions and rotations to raw and probably Honest Kitchen varieties.
It’s pepper i most worry about, so far it seems Millie can transition easier than pepper.
Concerning Nature’s Variety Raw ( and I don’t mean to sound like a snob) is that a good company-I know you do EXHAUSTIVE research,I just thought since all the big box stores carry it, that it was just a so-so company. AS I guess you can surmise by now, I make it very difficult for myself. If it’s too easy, I always question why??
But your endorsement means a great deal.
I can’t seem to find the primal pronto but will call the company next week.

I know you must be familiar with Susan Thixton.
She provides a “Best Foods list yearly.
Have you ever heard of “Fresh Fetch” or “Frenchie’s Kitchen”Fresh Fetch looks interesting-
these are cooked so you may not be too interested in them, just thought you MAY want to look at them.
Dori, thank you so much again, I sound like a broken record but you are really a very special and lovely person.

[pugmomsandy]

Yes, Raw Meaty Bone (RMB) is actually raw meat and bones. My personal dogs are raw fed (ground to whole prey) and eat dehydrated foods and my fosters eat kibble, canned and dehydrated foods. I’ve used Amicus, Back to Basics, and currently use Muenster Grain Free and Pro Pac Ultimates Grain Free and Nutrisouce Grain Free regularly and all the dogs’ stools have been solid, even with the addition of canned foods. How much are you feeding of EVO BTW? Also, you might find a Rotational Diet beneficial. My dogs always have solid stool no matter what I’m feeding since I change regularly.

http://urbanpawsmagazine.com/archives/59

For a dry, shelf stable dehydrated raw product, check out Stella and Chewy’s, Primal, Nature’s Variety, and Vital Essentials.

Here’s the raw feeding pictures topic:

/forums/topic/pictures-of-dogs-eating-raw-raw-meals/

[deborah d]

btw….if you do raw, most of them only have the one meat protein. ie Primal Turkey and Sardine only has Turkey and Sardine. Bravo turkey only has turkey.

[pugmomsandy]

Over the last five years, I’ve used Amicus, Back to Basics, Perfect Balance Grain Free, Nutrisource grain free, and Pro Pac grain free. I haven’t had any soft stools on these from my foster dogs. Since your boy is small, you might consider adding some real bone to his diet and reducing his kibble some. I’ve found that adding a Raw Meaty Bone 2 or 3 times a week firms up stools. Even something as small as a chicken neck or wing. He can even have a meal out of a drumstick. Another option is to feed a premade raw nugget like Primal nuggets or Primal Pronto and Nature’s Variety Instinct has a small nugget formula. These raw foods have include ground bone and you can just give him one 1 oz nugget with his kibble meal or a couple pieces of the small nuggets.

[Dori]

Cheryl,
The commercial raw frozen foods that I use in rotation are:
Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen (if you can’t find it, please call them and speak with Jacquie, she’s the owner, and she’ll let you know who sells the food in your area. Don’t go by the store locater on their website because a lot of stores carry their goat milk but not their food and they are listed in their store locater because they do sell Answer’s Detailed just not the food).

Primal Pronto and Primal Formulas. Vital Essentials Raw. Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw.

Stella & Chew’s Raw (I feed this once in a blue moon. My dogs eat it but I’m not crazy about it. I come back to it periodically to give it a try because it does get good feed back from posters and is highly reviewed on this site and wonder if I’m just missing something). I will say that the company has a great reputation.

Commercial Frozen Raw foods are, by nature, high in fat. None of my three toy dogs have issues with high fat so it’s not a concern of mine. Beef, in my experience, will always be higher in fat than other proteins. If memory serves me, I think Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw and Vital Essentials Raw are probably lower in fat than most others. As I said, my girls don’t have issues with high fat diets. I have always contended that it is not the quantity of fat in a diet, it is the quality of the fat. Now, with that said, I don’t feed foods that have a higher level of fat than they do protein. I’m not paying high prices for fat. You have to keep in mind that the lowest % of fat that I feed is probably around 38% and up to around 58 – 59%. You have to know your animals and what they will be well with and can tolerate and thrive on. That goes not only with fat but protein and carbs as well. Also I think I’ve told you that I do not feed any food that has poultry, fowl, of any sort. One of my girls is highly intolerant of all forms including the different chicken and turkey fats that are put in some foods. Interestingly enough, she has no problems with eggs so long as it is no more than once every two to three weeks, maybe longer.

Moving on the Freeze Dried, I feed Primal Freeze Dried, Vital Essentials Freeze Dried and again, once in a blue moon I’ve wanted to like Stella & Chew’s Freeze Dried.

Dehydrated Foods: The only dehydrated food I feed is The Honest Kitchen. I’ve tried a lot of the others and for one reason or another I don’t like them.

There are, of course, foods in all categories above that I don’t feed for my own various reasons but that doesn’t mean that because I don’t care for them or how my dogs do on them, that they are not going to do well for other dogs. Katie, my allergy girl, has a list of food intolerances as long as my arm that I must avoid. Katie is the reason that I went to commercial raw foods and my other two dogs were lucky enough to come along for the ride and thrive on their diets. Dogs, like people, are all different. We all react to different ingredients differently. Some issues I have with some foods may not be an issue with others or may not be any issue for their dogs. (I don’t mention cats because I don’t have any. I’m allergic to animals which is why my dogs have always been of the hair variety and not fur). I am, fortunately, in a position that I can feed all 5 star rated commercial raw, freeze dried and dehydrated foods from companies that I trust that (in my opinion) have quality ingredients and quality customer service.

Ask away, I’m happy to help with my experiences and my trials and errors of which there have been many along the way. I’ve pretty much got all the kinks worked out for Hannah, Katie and Lola. I’m hoping that Millie and Pepper are well. Though you didn’t take Shawna’s advice years ago I’m glad you’ve jumped on board now. Better late than never as the saying goes.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Dori,
would you mind if you could give me some choices for a dehydrated food beside the honest kitchen or in your opinion is that about the best available? I know you mentioned Sojos.
As for commercial raw beside Primal & Vital Essentials any brand that comes to your mind with some lower fat offerings. i don’t think I will be able to get the OC Raw seems very hard to get and they don’t ship to consumers.
I just like to have options for them-I guess there are enough varieties within the same brand, but I want to make sure there diet is balanced overall.
Thanks so much Dori.
I have so much going on right now, it is so hard for me to devote the time I really need to research all the various brands.
I so appreciate all the information you have given me.

[Sherri G]

Hi there –

I have a four year old English Bulldog (Oliver) who is…”special”. Ha! He has a very sensitive stomach along with some random other issues. Oliver had to stop eating kibble at age 2 because while he doesn’t have Mega Esophagus, he was having kibble get trapped in his cardiac sphincter, causing him to randomly and sporadically regurgitate. Soft, pate-style food and a Vegan Digestive containing Slippery Elm, Marshmallow and Licorice finally stopped that issue. Going to canned food, Oliver gained weight. He began a prescription diet food (canned) exactly one year ago and has lost 12 pounds.

A week and a half ago, Oliver began having awful gas (something of note: he does not receive any “people” food) which led to extremely horrible diarrhea. And when I say “diarrhea” I mean a gushing geyser. (sorry!) Naturally, we went to our beloved, trusted vet. After two trips and some tests (blood and stool) nothing out of the ordinary was detected. She felt he could have simply built up an intolerance to his food. She suggested switching to I/D (canned) to help with diarrhea and a course of Metronidazole.

After 3 days on I/D and Metronidazole, his diarrhea became worse. We switched to a chicken and rice diet and 7 days of Tylan. He is mid-way through the Tylan and our vet would like us to call when he finishes and then decide on food options.

After researching and making myself crazy (is there anything worse than not being able to make our “fur kids” feel better?), I started reading about raw food. I knew nothing about it until yesterday, when I spent hours upon hours of reading. I am not a meat eater myself and would definitely use a commercial brand – but we have yet another issue: Oliver cannot digest carrots.

After HOURS of research, I have found only 3 flavors of 3 different brands that do not contain carrots. Of those 3 brands, Primal Formula (Turkey/Sardine) seemed to be the “best rated” food. I have ordered a small bag to try.

So.. my questions are:
-Since Oliver is on a chicken & rice diet, would/should we fast him before trying the raw food? I’ve read different opinions on it but most dealt with switching from kibble.

-Do any of you have experience with your dog having chronic diarrhea or sporadic periods of diarrhea and you feel raw food has made a big change?

I apologize for the extremely long post. Our Oliver is complicated and we give him the best care we can, following our vet’s advice. I haven’t spoken to her about going raw yet but she leans more towards homeopathic and naturalistic approaches to everything so I suspect she will be in favor of it. I guess I’d like some advice/input/thoughts if anyone would care to share.

Edit: Since switching to Tylan Powder with chicken & rice, no diarrhea – just very soft stool.

Thanks so much,
Sherri (& Oliver)

• This topic was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Sherri G.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Dori,
I had wanted to post to you sooner, but was waiting.
OMG Dori, I am amazed, Millie eats it so fast its incredibly.
Pepper ADORES it she got 1 whole nugget today & it was gone in a second.
Oh, if pepper can continue to tolerate raw, at least I could rotate every few weeks with the raw and the Honest Kitchen.
I am going to take the freeze dried out for Millie due to the high fat and if they can both tolerate the raw, who could ask for more, at least for my kids.
Thank you Dori sincerely for giving me a push.

Shawna if you peek in I am so sorry for not listening to you yrs ago, I never knew you could buy commercial raw-raw to me meant raw meat poultry etc, and i just couldn’t risk giving it to Pepper.

I hadn’t heard back from OC raw-i emailed the company, I can get Vital Essentials ordered for me locally, so I know I can interchange that with the Primal nuggets.

I would like to get millie off Kibble even though I am feeding her Orijen & Horizon.
I know you told me and forgive me for asking again, in your rotation you feed raw & dehydrated, I think?? I remember you saying you don’t feed kibble of any kind, i hope i am correct in saying this.
Aimee worried me a bit especially in Millie’s case that the Honest Kitchen would need be a complete meal to feed her during her growing stage, I guess that’s why I keep the kibble in.
I add a bit of lightly cooked meat or poultry & just feed a little less of the HK mix to Pepper & that’s using there protein inclusive mixes, I guess i could do the same for Millie.
I am not confident enough to just transition Millie to HK now, so far so good with the raw, and like you told me safer to stay on 1 new food for awhile, which I am doing.
Thank you so much again.
You take care.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sam D-
I mix the Nature’s Variety frozen raw medallions with my dogs’ kibble a couple times a week with no issue. In fact, there “output” is generally better when I add in the raw rather than canned. Also, I believe that all of the Nature’s Variety raw products are already complete and balanced and would not need to be mixed with the HK base mix. I think that a few of the other brands of commercial raw such as Primal offer some raw that is not balanced and could be mixed with the base mix.

Have fun with that lucky puppy!

[l h]

What an excellent read on this! I too am leery of this food had e-mailed back and forth and kept getting scripted vague answers, such as bone content is not important we use the whole carcass, fermented veggies and fruits are more digestible. Anyway, finally got no response when I said I found it very odd that there was no nutrient panel, and no bone, muscle, organ ratio something disclosed by most every raw company I have dealt with.

As for the fish formula and peoples dogs getting ill, I for one would not feed raw fish, and there are varying opinion, but many who say fish, and pork are two meats to stay away from in raw, dehydrated or frozen for various reasons, bacterial level and other.

Yes their food calculator is way off, but then I have found the same thing with a number of brands… including darwins and vital essential freeze dried. A food with high protein and fat GA … yet food like Stella and Chewys, Primal with added veggies etc and lower fat I need LESS of, but with VE, a richer food, which you would assume you need less of, in fact you need MORE calorically.

Hard to trust so many foods, one of my dogs has major allergies, and GI sensitivities. I had hoped to add BDN into the mix, but am leery as to their lack of forthcoming info that is easily disclosed by other companies.

On their positive side, the whole bacteria and air drying process.. that is a catch 22… any food that is air dried( think people that used to make jerky long ago not in an oven) will risk that. Even frozen raw has bacteria once thawed… you cook the meat over a certain temperature, and BDN having supposedly bone in content, then you risk cooking the bone, and making your pup very ill. Plus a healthy dog, should be able to eat all these forms of raw… no issue and digest.

If BGN ever decides to disclose more info I may try, but I find their responses and secrecy very strange… sad as it does look like a good option, with the fermented veggies and all as a better way for the dog to process and digest, rather than pooping them out the other end. That being said, not fond of the potato in it although they insist only 3% as everyone knows starch and raw meat and bone digest at different rates.

Oh, and lastly for those that feed pre made raw, MOST companies Darwins, S&C, Primal with their added vitamins the vitamin E/tocopherol mix, and any Lecithin of course are most always soy based. So if you have a dog with soy among their allergies like mine, many of these foods are a no go, one of the reasons I had hoped to try BDN no synthesized vitamins, which again, unless a company claims are usa sourced are usually from China.

Yes I have researched and contacted many companies… sigh…

[Dori]

Freeze dried is typically more expensive than raw but it works well as a treat or for traveling, camping, long hikes, whatever. The freeze dried is typically exactly like the raw, just freeze dried. All the moisture is taken out but it is not cooked in any way so it’s like raw but not. Ingredients are the same. Dehydrated is a totally different process. There is heat involved therefore taking some of the nutritional value out of the food. Not that much but enough to no longer get the benefits of feeding raw. Dehydrated I also like because it’s great in a pinch for traveling for sure, but if you’ve forgotten to defrost their food. Sometimes I’m running home just to feed them and I don’t even have the time for the Primal Pronto or small size raw to defrost so I start to rehydrate their food, take them for a walk, feed them and run out the door again. Freeze dried is the most expensive, then typically raw, then dehydrated, then canned and last but not least is kibble. Typically that’s the way the pricing scale goes. Not always, but most of the time.

Also with this particularly freeze dried the bits are so small that you don’t have to add water to them if you don’t want to. If you squeeze them they’re sort of like dusty, dry like. You can add water to them if you want. Just depends on how you like to feed. If your dog doesn’t drink a lot of water then adding water is always a good way to get more moisture into them.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Dori.