Hi, i rotate my dogs meat every week. Cooked to slightly cooked, Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat , little fish. He gets a raw egg coconut oil, colostrum ,eggshell powder, liver, beef kidney, hearts and gizzards are all part of his diet. A raw veggie mix. Some canned peas or something for more of a filler cus too much veggi mix gives him gas. Oh, probiotic yougurt sometimes,and always a quarter cup OVERCOOKED brown rice. 50% protien, rice and veggies, 10% organ meat(i am looking for spleen and other things in my area)
Hoof soup ice cubes, for the natural glucosamine. Usually two or 3 a day. He is almost 12 and arthritic with torn acl.
I add dehydrated chicken feet. As a treat.
I cook meat in oven, i trim all the fat but its still greasy. I drain the juice during cooking at least once and the the rest after.
I boil my hearts and gizzards ,kidney, lightly cook liver in coconut oil in pan.
Will these things cause pancreatitis? The grease ftom the meat?
Wonderful news. Now, please play it safe and keep him on a bland diet, maybe 1/2 cooked chopped chicken and rice or something, but use a quality kibble with water added or presoaked as a base (1/2 of the diet).
Two or three meals per day.
You dodged a bullet, stay away from that raw, homeopathic crap. Just my opinion based on the fact that I don’t enjoy going to the emergency veterinary clinic. I tried that stuff too, back when, with negative results. No thank you.
Hi Jasmine, the vet sounds awful, can you see another vet there instead if her, 50% carbs that’s what most vet diets have 50-60% carbs, no good for senior dogs…. sounds like he’s pooing blood, something has irritated his bowel probably the raw food, the Metronidazole (Flagyl) will stop the blood within 3 days, Metronidazole must be given with food a meal twice a day, every 12 hours, just hide it or crush it in the cottage cheese or something he loves to eat boiled sweet potatoes are another good thing to feed with some boiled lean meat/chicken/turkey etc…. this is how I give tablets, I stand behind Patch then I kneel down & sort of sit on Patches back but I’m kneeling on the floor, from behind I open his mouth & I have the tablet in between my thumb & middle finger, I open his mouth & put the tablet on the back of his tongue & push down throat with my pointer finger & I have a big 20ml syringe filled with water near my leg & I put in the side of his mouth so the water washes down the pill, but when Patch is on the Metronidazole I give it in his meals….. He’ll get better soon, it scares you big time, I remember when my Patch was diarrhing light red blood water all night & morning till the vet open, it was like a fountain but the vet told me pink light red blood is better then dark red black blood.. Vet will know if it’s the small bowel or large bowel, I forgot what vet said I think light red blood was from the small bowel. He’s a very lucky boy he has a real good mum that cares….Keep us posted
I don’t understand how this works, I clicked on the “Dry foods” there is 15 rows of dry dog kibbles, from 5 stars to 1 star….Holistic Select, Adult/Puppy Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines dog gets 3 stars, it’s in row 9, then when you get to row 14 the Holistic Select dog same formula gets 1 star… how can that be??
I did notice when the formulas used chicken & turkey they got 5 stars when the kibble had any type of fish it got 1 star… I seen a few brands that got 1 star that Patch didn’t do well on, when he first started eating them he was OK then by the 3rd week, he went down hill & was doing sloppy yellow poo’s & didn’t really want to eat the kibble no more, Earthborn, Ocean Fusion, Wellness Complete Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes , Wellness Simple Duck & Oats, Canidae Pure Land…..Patches very sensitive stomach/bowel must know when a kibble is CRAP….there was no TOTW formula’s, that’s the only kibble Patch hasn’t ever gone down hill on, no stomach/pancreas pain, no sloppy poos/diarrhea, no acid reflux, I’d love TOTW to be tested, cause why do dogs with IBD, EPI & IBS do really well on it, I’d love to no how many stars TOTW gets?….
This is why I like rotating kibbles, this way they are not on the same formula/brand long enough to get sick…
The ladies that use to post 3 yrs ago knew what they were talking about they always recommended rotating your dog foods…
Like I always say your better off feeding a Raw or Cooked diet, not a dry kibble….
Rodney Habib & others are proving dogs live longer when they eat raw/cook fresh whole food diets….People start adding fresh whole foods to your dogs diet……
Hi how is your poor dog doing?? what did vet do is he on Metronidazole??
All organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea when feed too much, my boy gets diarrhea from those liver treats, Beef liver treats chicken liver treats… when I first rescued him 4-5yrs ago, I took him to the Hunter rescue second hand shop they raise money & sell worm, flea products, collars, name tag’s, toys, jackets etc everything for dogs/cats they raise money for people that don’t have the money to desex their cat & dogs, I wanted a new ID tag & a few toys for Patch & showed all the ladies my new rescue boy, the elderly ladies kept giving Patch liver treats & these were real big thick chunky black liver/beef treats, they could have been beef liver, I don’t know, anyway that night we were up all night with bad diarrhea, pain, feeling sick, I took Patch to vet next morning cause I have never had a dog get this sick, he was put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach & Royal Canine, Hydrolyzed dry vet diet just to let his bowel rest & heal, that’s when Patches new vet told me organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea, so since then I have never given him any liver, beef, or chicken liver treats again…
Years later I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet cause of his IBD & Skin allergies & he wasn’t given any organ meat or bone in his diet cause he has IBD, he was put on a probiotic & digestive enzymes & a supplement powder to balance the raw diet but the raw diet didn’t agree with Patch cause of his IBD, it cleared up his itchy skin & red paws cause we were just feeding Kangaroo with blended broccoli, apple, celery, we were starting an elimination raw diet but Patch kept feeling very sick & regurgitating the raw back up….Maybe stick with the cooked diet, I know raw is so much easier to do there’s no cooking just start with 1 lean white protein & a few blended veggies (2-3) like broccoli, apple, celery etc & only add 1-2 spoons of the blende veggies with 1 cup raw..
I’ve been feeding raw for decades and have only had two animals in that time frame that did very poorly on raw, and they got what you’re trying to transition away from–home cooked. They thrive(d) on it! Is there a specific reason you’re wanting to do raw for this dog, and how long have you been trying to transition, because it looks like you’re feeding a lot of possibly novel stuff in a very short time frame.
With that said, I would go to the ER clinic if my dog were doing what your dog is doing, ASAP . I’ve had excellent luck with raw diets over the years and poor results with kibble, but the animals that receive home cooked thrive just as well as their raw fed cousins.
Best of luck to you and your pup.
Raw diet? Wake up. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet
If it was my dog, I would head over to the nearest Emergency 24/7 Veterinary Clinic, NOW. Not in a few hours.
Stop listening to the homeopathic vets. That being said, there are some good ones and they mean well, however some of them are downright dangerous…. Science Based Veterinary Medicine is best. Just my opinion, blah, blah, blah
Ps: Stop looking for veterinary medical advice online, it’s true, you get what you pay for.
I hope your pup makes a full recovery and you learn something from this experience.
I am sorry to hear that. I have only ever given my dog raw chicken liver and heart but that was about month 2 into our transition. I am new to raw food but I can say that it took about three months for Bella to transition to completely raw food. I know of some dogs who can do it in less time but she took a while and we are still slowly adding more and more to her diet. Each time I add something new she does usually respond at first with diarrhea and sometimes even vomiting. One thing to note is that heart and liver meat is super rich and should be added slowly into their diet and only in small amounts. I have been told it should only equate to about 10% of their diet.
I hope your puppy feels better- all the best!
Today is april 13 2017 , i have been trying to transition my dog from homemade to raw. I cooked him heart liver and kidney the day before yesterday . All beef. The heart was hardly cooked at all. I boiled it but barly. I didnt realize it was still raw in middle i ment to cook it more. I fed it to him 2 o clock as a snack . He ate dinner as normal 5 o clock . Cooked pork,probaley more heart i dont remember, brown rice and a raw veggi mix i made in blender ,powdered eggshells for calcium.
Later that night i went to give him rice peas and chicken gizzards so he can eat with his caprofen.
He didnt touch it. Wanted to be alone rest of night.the nex t day i found puke piles in yard, and hes been squirting pink meat juice in place of poop. He still wont eat. Vet said to give it till today , that it may not be blood but undigested beef heart. I cleaned up pink water he squirted out all over the kichen floor at 4 am last night.peices of pink pulp.
He is drinking water. And it looks just like meat juice. It smells like meat juice.
He has an appt in a few hours.
Maybe he wasnt ready for so raw a meal?he handles beef pretty much raw just fine, chicken needs to be cooked more.
Maybe i gave him e coli
I am so worried, i just want him to be healthy , on a raw diet. I hahe had bad luck so far with it. He just gets sick, now hes REALLY sick.
I’m not sure if this will be of any help based on your findings, but it might be something to check into. Is your vet aware that your dog is raw fed?
Hi Samantha, I was told by Patches Naturopath when I started feeding him a raw diet, as long as the diet is balanced over the week your dog will be fine, every single meal doesn’t have to balanced but make sure the dog is getting what is needed in their diet over that week…
Sounds great what your doing, they have proven by adding 1-2 spoons of fresh whole foods to a dogs bowl of kibble reduces their chances of getting cancer, when Rodney asked Steve Brown, if you were to add just 1 fresh food to ur dogs diet what will it be, Steve said Mussels, add 2 mussel, 1 tablespoon salmon & a pinch kelp, do you follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page?? watch his video’s, Rodney has really good info, what foods to add to a dogs diet to prevent dogs dying young, preventing cancer, healthy skin & skinny coat, healthy on the inside, start adding tin sardines in spring water or olive oil, a couple sardines a day, some blueberries, teaspoon of coconut oil, there’s more healthy foods look for Rodney’s Video’s also change & rotate the protein source in diet, I stay away from chicken, it’s full of hormones unless your buying organic chicken, here’s Rodney F/B page he has just released a new video, “pet owners no longer trust vets” 2 studies this week just released, Pet owners DO NOT what to talk to vets about nutrition.
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Hi Jazzlover,
Have you increased the Omega 3 in your dog diet? tin sardines in spring water are excellent, add about 2 small sardines to the raw diet a day, how come your only feeding 1 raw meal a day? is this raw meal balanced properly, is it home made raw or premade raw diet? after adding the Sardines you watch Jazz’s skin & coat start to shine & improve….
Have you tried using High Potency Vitamin C powder for dogs? Vitamin C is a Natural Anti histamine & strengthens the immune system, we use Vitamin C in Australia, it’s also added to our dog foods, here’s the Natural Animal Solution site, I’m pretty sure Jacqueline Rudan the Naturopath does sell her products in America, the Skin Pack is really good & a good price, it will balance the raw diet if it’s homemade diet, I used it when Patch was eating a raw diet…. done the bottom of my post is a link when you have clicked on the link read about Vitamin C then go to the top & click on “Pet Health” look on your left, scroll down a bit then you’ll see “Skin System” there’s a little green arrow facing down, click on arrow & all skin conditions will come up, click on “Skin Allergies” the last one, it’s a really good read, make sure you bath weekly or twice a week or daily in the bad seasons to wash off the pollens & allergens on the skin, bathing relieve the itch I also use “Malaseb Medicated Shampoo” it’s mild & can be used daily, excellent for red paws…
For Jazz itchy lower back tail & bum area have you tried “Sudocrem” it’s a healing cream sold in the baby Section at Supermarket or Chemist, when Patch starts rolling body on carpet & bum surfing on my carpet I should bath him but some days you don’t feeling like bathing the dog so I buy the Huggies baby Wipe the Coconut Oil wipes there’s also Cucumber & Aloe. I wipe his fur down then get another coconut oil wipe & wipe his bum & around his tail area, then I apply the Sudocrem, then straight away the itch stops… When he gets his itchy bum it’s from food sensitivities, as soon as he eats something he’s sensitive too he starts rubbing his bum on carpets…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/
My puppy “Minnie” also began regurgitating her ground beef meal. Someone suggested lightly cooking the beef. It worked. Maybe she was tired of the taste. I also switched the type of bowl when feeding the beef I put it on a plate or shallow bowl. Sounds weird but it worked. I also added a table spoon of canned pumpkin after heating it to cool it back down and mask the scent for her. She eats a fully balanced RAW diet with different protein every day so i figure lightly cooking only the beef isn’t hurting. You should be feeding her an array of other protein so maybe she’s sick of the taste. I personally say to try switching to chicken, lamb or pork. Once a week start adding a new protein.
On YOUTUBE Rodney Habib “Homemade Dog Food Recipe” is what I follow as a guideline and I change up the protein plus I feed RAW MEATY BONES every other day. Since Minnie is a puppy I also add more calcium and other things to balance this for a growing puppy but it is balanced for an adult dog.
Sounds like maybe there could be a Leaky Gut Issue that is causing the initial inflammation. Go to dogsnaturallymagazine.com “ultimate guide to fixing hotspots naturally” for a list of things to feed to help repair and prevent leaky gut. Good luck. I hope everything works out ok. Keep up posted on her progress to Raw š
Love, Leelina
To Pitluv:
I am truly sorry for the loss of any beloved furry family member. As I previously stated I am also new to RAW and we are all learning, this is why we come to these forums. To listen, share and hopefully help. I literally read more and more on the subject online every single day. I’m petrified of getting it wrong and harming my baby girl. I’m 110% committed to her health and nutrition as well as education and training.
While I appreciate your passion, you come off extremely strong for no apparent reason. As the rest of us post advise in which someone was seeking you never actually answered her question, you simply tried to shoot the idea down. My advise to you is to NOT BE SO COMBATIVE. I’m guessing that you work in a traditional vets office or maybe for a big name pet food company. Not judging but the 2 seem to go hand in hand these days. I considered not responding to you at all and writing you off just as Ashleigh did because people like you spend far to much time trolling online for things to be negative about.
In regards to my “questionable remarks” as you put it… I’ll do my best to address them in order they were received. If you read Minnie’s Meal Plan you’ll see that IT IS BALANCED DAILY as Dr Becker recommends. I believe in balance over time as a standard but for now Minnie is a growing baby so I’m gonna pack everything she needs into every single day. On that note Dr. Becker also says to “feed the best that you can, the best you can afford” and the best that I can afford and do for my pet is A HOMEMADE RAW FOOD DIET. I choose homemade because I know exactly what is in it. I wouldn’t feed her anything I wouldn’t eat. The best I can afford is FULLY ORGANIC MEATS AND VEGGIES FROM TRUSTED BUTCHERS AND SOURCES. My situation isn’t everyone else’s situation. Some can only afford sale meats. My advise is simply to do the best you can just like Dr. Becker recommends.
In dogsnaturallymagazine.com there is an article about Salmonella:The Bad Bacteria by Dana Scott and she references a couple vets who break down a dogs mouth and intestines so that its easy to understand why a healthy dog should not be harmed by food borne pathogens. In the case of the poor rotti, there is just no way that you can be 100% sure that his gut wasn’t already compromised. It is very sad and stories like that are why I feed Minnie foods rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids to help prevent a leaky gut issue.
I guess all I can tell you is where I started like naturalmonarch.com and it just ballooned out from there. I’ve been to too many websites to keep track of or site for reference and I continue to learn every day. I implore everyone to do the same. Also, seek the guidance of a Holistic Vet and or Holistic Pet Nutritionist in your area. Nothing against traditional vets but their clinics and/or schools are funded by major pet food companies and pharmaceuticals. And now i sound like a nutjob, sorry for that š
Everyone please have a beautiful afternoon. Minnie and I are off to the beach
Love, Leelina
Just thought I’d mention…with some of these homemade diets, you can source your meats from highland packers on stoney creek mountain. They supply all sorts of products for raw feeders, and yiy xsn just cook the meat etc for home cooked meals. Just call or email them to ask for their list if what they offer. This makes homemade diets much more cost effective. Grocery store etc meats would cost way too much.
Another good book is Raw and Natural Nutrition for dogs by Lew Olson.
Hi Leelina-
“i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker” “In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week.
It is interesting that you follow Karen Becker, but have adapted the balance over time theory, which is exactly what she warns against doing.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/11/08/best-to-worst-pet-food-types.aspx
“Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first.
Mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth is what begins the digestive process in canines unlike humans.
Could you provide a credible source for your statement that animals have different enzymes in their gut and mouth that allow them to destroy pathogenic bacteria & parasites? Information from PubMed or Google Scholar will be just fine.
And lets not forget the risk involved for the humans in the home when feeding a pet raw grocery store meat.
“Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please donāt be turned away by nay sayers.”
Again, I’m going to have to ask for a credible source of information on this considering my boyfriends Rottweiler was very healthy before he passed away of E.Coli poisoning.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/42/5/686/317224/Human-Health-Implications-of-Salmonella
“Fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was evaluated in 20 dogs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to determine whether dogs would shed the organism after consumption of homemade raw food diets [25]. Salmonella organisms were isolated from 30% of the 10 dogs that were fed homemade raw food diets, but they were isolated from none of the 10 dogs that were fed commercial dry food.”
and in another study
“In a similar study conducted in 2004, research beagles were fed commercial raw food diets identified as being contaminated with Salmonella organisms. Five of the 7 dogs that shed Salmonella organisms after consuming a raw food diet meal shed a Salmonella serotype that matched the serotype isolated from the diet that was fed [26]. This study used commercial frozen raw food diets that were naturally contaminated, and clinically healthy dogs became colonized after ingestion of a single meal.”
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide to some of these questionable statments!
Hi Leelina-
“i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker” “In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week.
It is interesting that you follow Karen Becker, but have adapted the balance over time theory, which is exactly what she warns against doing.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/11/08/best-to-worst-pet-food-types.aspx
“Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first.
Mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth is what begins the digestive process in canines unlike humans.
Could you provide a credible source for your statement that animals have different enzymes in their gut and mouth that allow them to destroy pathogenic bacteria & parasites? Information from PubMed or Google Scholar will be just fine.
And lets not forget the risk involved for the humans in the home when feeding a pet raw grocery store meat.
“Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please donāt be turned away by nay sayers.”
Again, I’m going to have to ask for a credible source of information on this considering my boyfriends Rottweiler was very healthy before he passed away of E.Coli poisoning.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/42/5/686/317224/Human-Health-Implications-of-Salmonella
“Fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was evaluated in 20 dogs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to determine whether dogs would shed the organism after consumption of homemade raw food diets [25]. Salmonella organisms were isolated from 30% of the 10 dogs that were fed homemade raw food diets, but they were isolated from none of the 10 dogs that were fed commercial dry food.”
and in another study
“In a similar study conducted in 2004, research beagles were fed commercial raw food diets identified as being contaminated with Salmonella organisms. Five of the 7 dogs that shed Salmonella organisms after consuming a raw food diet meal shed a Salmonella serotype that matched the serotype isolated from the diet that was fed [26]. This study used commercial frozen raw food diets that were naturally contaminated, and clinically healthy dogs became colonized after ingestion of a single meal.”
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide to some of these questionable statments!
Dear Ashleigh,
I’m so sorry if you’ve been discouraged by negative postings. I’m also new to RAW and finding more hurdles than helpers. The problem is everyone thinks they know everything rather than just sharing what they’ve learned. I hope you are still looking into and exploring the world of raw. Here is what I’m learning and would like to share…. Obviously every dog(like every person) is different but what works for most should work for all, barring complications. I’m feeding raw with a spin. When Minnie first came home I started her on an organic GROUND WHOLE CHICKEN WITH ORGAN MEAT AND BONE. I’m lucky enough to live in an area of Southern California where that is available to me, made by NATURAL MONARCH. Knowing that she also needs other protein sources i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker. She’s a traditional vet gone holistic and i like that. She has a youtube video with Rodney Habib that outlines a raw food recipe which i follow but i change up the protein. I like that this recipe doesn’t call for too many supplements. In addition i feed Raw Meaty Bones every other day. My puppy is super finicky so we’re only doing Lamb Chops, Pork Spare Ribs and Beef ribs with the occasional Chicken Wing. She refuses to eat chicken sometimes as well as chicken feet and turkey necks. She’s kind of a butthead š but we’ll keep trying. In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week. Also, Human grade is best. Dog food or food intended to for pets does not have that same regulation. i don’t care what anyone else says. Let those guys eat dog grade food instead of human graded. Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first. If in doubt just cook the protein in question and feed everything else raw. Minnie doesn’t like the taste of ground beef(youtube recipe) but i already made a giant batch so i cook it then add a tablespoon of pumpkin to kill the scent and smell and she loves it. I also add lots of parsley, kale and mint to ward off any leaky gut issues. Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please don’t be turned away by nay sayers. Here is a sample diet of what Minnie eats but keep in mind that she is a growing toy breed puppy and eats 3 times a day but only eats 6.5% of her body weight per day (18 weeks as of today between 6 & 7 ounces per day)
sidenote, I’ve started mixing in the rodney habib video recipe into her already ground chicken mix plus as said before pumpkin to the beef mix after lightly cooking it. The beef, i only heat the beef.
Monday… Lightly cooked Beef mix with pumpkin then a pork spare rib the Natural Monarch Raw Chicken with mix
tuesday… Ground Turkey with rodney habib mix then ground chicken mix
wed… ground beef mix then ground turkey mix then a beef rib
thurs… chicken mix then a lamb chop then chicken mix again
fri… beef mix then turkey mix
sat… beef steak with bone then chicken mix then turkey mix
sun… chicken mix then lamb chop then beef mix
Upon writing it out, i see that i obviously feed lots of ground meat but that’s because Minnie is a spoiled puppy. I feed her enough Raw Meaty Bone to have the benefit of the nice breath and clean teeth and gums plus the calcium from those and her chicken has ground bone as well and the egg shells provide sufficient calcium. I plan to introduce more WHOLE proteins after 6 months. It is safe to fast dogs for a day after that point. But right now she’s just too small and too dang picky.
Pulsing spinach, kale, parsley and other super green veggies into your mixes is also sufficient however, i also juice so i mix in the pulp into Minnie’s food.
I hope any of this was helpful.
Love, Leelina
Addendum:
What food did your veterinarian recommend? It doesn’t sound like you are overfeeding him.
You can presoak the kibble in water or plain homemade (nothing added, boiled chicken water)broth. I would say no snacks, except maybe a raw carrot here and there.
How about: https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-fat-dogs-chicken/dp/46804 Only 250 calories per cup!
I hope these articles help: https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/the-skinny-on-pet-diets/
and https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
I would increase the walks, even if they are slow and leisurely.
PS: Brush his teeth once a day, they love chicken flavored toothpaste.
Hi Barbara, stick with the homemade raw diet, change from the carrots to frozen beans you get in supermarket they will thaw, also one day or 2 days a week feed 1 raw meaty bone for breakfast instead of the 1/4 of a cup meal, it can be a chicken leg NO skin, chicken wing, NO skin, chicken bones are soft easy to digest & will clean his teeth & he’s getting a different protein in his diet, also start adding tin sardines in spring water to his diet add about 2 small sardines to 1 of the meals so he’s getting his omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins & minerals for his skin, joints, brain & heart, sardines are very healthy…. watch his coat start to shine after eating sardines or feed tin pink salmon or tuna in spring water drain the water…Replace 3 or all of his breakfasts with the tin salmon instead of the grinded meat, the weight will start to fall off with fish, is his grinded meat very lean, not much fat?? Tuna or Salmon would be more leaner & higher in protein, change the proteins in his diet around a bit, in 1 week he should get at least 3 different proteins in his diet, the bones in the tin salmon are good leave them, just crush them with a spoon if your worried..
It takes time to lose weight, it’s quicker to gain weight but losing weight is hard, do not go back to a kibble, kibbles are very high in carbs unless you see vet & feed the Hills Metabolic + Mobility vegetable tuna stew wet tin food, this vet diet is suppose to be very good & dogs do lose weight..
With his 2 walks a day start walking him at a faster pace, get his heart pumping, at first you start off slow then each week you increase the walk & speed also throw a ball out in the yard or up & down the hallway & have play time once a day, you will get there… if after changing to the tuna sardines & salmon for breakfast instead of the meat & if in 2 months he hasn’t lost any weight see a vet & try the Hills Metabolic + Mobility wet tin food, Hills guarantee your dog will lose weight within 21days from 13% to 60% weight loss… Good Luck oh for a treat or snack, give a few small peeled apple pieces, size of a kibble, you can even add grated apple no seeds or peel in his meals.
Hi Emmygirl,
It’s good you have found a food that works, stick with it for now…Royal Canin vet diets also has their Potato + Venison-PV, Potato + Rabbit-PR, Potato +Salmon-PS & Potato + Kangaroo wet & dry formulas, I don’t know why but my boy seems to do better on Royal Canin vet diets then the Hills vet diets, but we don’t get any of the Hills d/d novel proteins wet & dry formulas they don’t pass our strict quarantine laws to come into Australia & why we get the all the Royal Canine vet formulas is cause the Royal Canine is made in France & passes our strict quarantine laws……
Be VERY careful feeding a raw diet, raw freeze dried or raw air dried diets, Donate the Canine Caviar if kibble bag is open a kibble only stays fresh for 2 weeks google it, the oils go rancid as soon as the oxygen/air hits the kibbles…changing diets can make your dog have another flare & put him back to square one again, your dog needs time to heal his bowel/stomach & be on the Hills d/d for a good 6 months, my vet wanted Patch on a vet diet for 1yr so everything healed….
The only freeze dried raw I give Patch is the K-9Natural or Sunday Pets Green Lipped Mussel treats as a treat after his bath but I just found out as soon as you open these freeze dry foods some have to used within 10 days, they have written it on their packaging now, I didn’t know until the lady in the pet shop told me the other day, maybe that’s why Patch became ill again about 1 month ago it could from the Green Lipped Mussel treats, I was giving him once a week every Thursday….
When your dog is doing REALLY well & off meds have a look at “Zignature” formulas the Kangaroo has the lowest fat & protein % out of all the Zignature formulas, read what the Hills d/d fat, protein% & fiber% is & when your looking for another kibble/wet tin make sure it has Limited Ingredients same as the Hills d/d has & is around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber as the d/d, you can go up a bit for the protein cause you wont find too many normal formulas that low in protein & when the protein & fat is real low that means the carbs are real high….
Hi, i have just come across this site. We purchased a very thin gsd 2 year old that we assumed they hadnt fed her. But after us feeding her she had constant very very runny water diarrhea with blood in it, constantly vomitting and rapid weight loss. After vet examinations and a biopsy she had ibd. Extremely sad. Looked everywhere for advice. I see many people are trying there ibd dogs on say potatoe, duck and a 3rd item. My advice is try to do 1 food at a time.
We had no idea what food she was allergic too so we put her on vet dry food bag called anallergenic in the meantime. We did try hypo-allergenic first but immediately had the runs and blood flowed from her for hours.
I now have had her on raw 4 paws dog food, i tried the turkey first (nothing else! no pills from vets or anything) Well my gs is happy healthy full of life and has gained 10kg.I am trying the roo next. What a difference. Then ill try the potatoe duck. Eventually my dog will have several different options to eat.
I know any supermarket food inflames her bowels immediately, chicken, any meat in there is bad.
Raw 4 Paws is a premium quality, natural, complete and healthy raw diet for dogs.
Raw 4 Paws is grain, yeast and dairy free – to minimize allergy tendencies. All ingredients sourced for the production of this amazing product is fit for human consumption, and contains no added preservatives, artifical colours or flavours, chemicals or fillers.
100% Australian – made, sourced and owned.
We love Raw 4 Paws, and are certain you will too.
Just google this and give it a go–im certainly glad i did.
I just got a puppy and I’m trying the raw diet for his second week with me. So far so good. His stomach has adjusted to the meals and he’s plowing through cut up chicken like a champ. I’ve been feeding him sardines for an omega 3 addition. It’s working well and he handles the bones fine.
I wouldn’t worry about the bones. I’d feed it whole, just due to the fact that it’s less work for you. Your dog should be able to handle it. If you feel uncomfortable with bones then you can stand by and watch.
What veggies? š
Is anyone aware of a commercially available raw, freeze-dried, or dehydrated dog food that does not contain fish oil? I’m trying to transition one of my dogs to a commercial diet that doesn’t contain synthetic vitamins and minerals. My other dog is doing great on Nature’s Logic kibble but unfortunately, all of their formulas include either fish meal or fish oil or both. From the research I’ve done, it seems like every commercially available raw/freeze-dried/dehydrated food contains fish oil.
I have 5 dogs and am preparing to move to a raw diet. I think that I have the formula down with meaty bones, muscle meats, organs and fruits and veggies. My dogs are 33lbs, 26lbs, 17 lbs , 11lbs and 6lbs. I understand that I will need to use 3 percent of body weight for determining amount of food. Can someone tell me roughly how much of each to buy to last 2 weeks for these dogs and the amounts of each?
Another concern is my smallest dog only has about 18 teeth and she is tiny, what are safe meaty bones for her?
Hi, I had a very similar question as well! I contacted Chewy and it is their own branded food but I forgot to ask where they manufacture but I would guess somewhere in the south/FL where they’re based. It looks quite healthy and I am considering it for my two dogs.
My dogs rotate between THK revel and raw from Stella & Chewy’s or Primal throughout the year and they do quite well for it. I’ve read a few articles on how rotating diets allows for better nutrient variety and I find it to be a nice way to be more cost effective. DFA has a helpful guide in the FAQ (/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/). Hope that helps!
Where do you usually source your beef from? The grocery store or supermarket can be an expensive way to do it sometimes. If you haven’t already, could you talk to a local butcher about saving some quality scraps? Many will, or if you have freezer space, buying in bulk can help tremendously.
If she does well with beef, have you considered substituting beef heart? It’s usually cheaper, VERY high in taurine and a very nutritious additive. It’s considered a muscle meat, not an organ, and while some beef heart is fatty, many are pretty lean. Does she need 90%FF or is this just what you’re able to locate the easiest?
Another option is going right to the source and finding a local farmer that raises beef. You might be able to get scraps and meat for cheaper, especially if you’re able to buy in bulk and store in the freezer.
Another somewhat inexpensive thing to consider would be beef tripe, if you can handle the smell! I’m not sure if it can or should be cooked, but I know fed raw it’s great for digestion and teeth and has a good cal/phos ratio. Some people swear by it and say it’s the perfect food for dogs and (if fed alone) is a complete diet, but I’m not as 100% convinced that they need nothing else. I’m not sure if you’re into that idea or not, but if so it’s something you could definitely consider sourcing as it’s very inexpensive compared to “real” muscle meat!
You could also bulk the meals out with these things (heart or tripe), as well as kidney, liver, or tongue. I can feed tripe, livers, gizzards and all sorts of weird stuff but for some reason beef tongue really grosses me out so I don’t use it š
Assuming that she would do well on any “relation” to beef, I wonder if any hunters (or, again, butchers) would be willing to share venison, or if the butcher would have any leftover venison from last season…sometimes hunters have deer processed and then (for some reason) never come to pick the meat up. If she does well on beef, she MIGHT do well on venison, so this might be another option to keep in mind. It would probably be too expensive to purchase on it’s own, but if you can get a freebie…
Hope this is (somewhat) helpful!
Many people feed boneless raw; they just add pulped (usually steamed) vegetables and sweet potatoes or pumpkin for fiber. The shells (provided you’re giving the correct amount finely ground) would be good for calcium that would otherwise be present in bones.
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html#cooked
There are guidelines in this article for those who wish to feed a raw diet that does not contain bones. Hope this is helpful!
I have no recent personal experience using Dinovite, but I do know of many owners who have used Dinovite with good results and others who have had their dogs do nothing but refuse it, or throw it back up whenever it was fed. It seems like people either absolutely love it and swear by it, or hate it and swear it’s nothing but a gimmick.
Has your Pug had Dinovite in the past, before starting the yeast starvation diet? What about beef, eggs, and fish (even though you’re feeding fish oil and not the whole fish, it still could be some form of reaction.)
Raw dog food recipes don’t need to be complicated and not all dogs need (nor thrive on) diets that include vegetables, grains, sweet potatoes, and all the “extras” recipes throw in. Some dogs do better with, some without, some it seems to make no difference. Prey model raw is pretty much 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organs (half of this being liver.)
If and when we feed vegetables of any sort, it’s mostly limited to a handful of leftovers (we like ’em steamed, too!) and herbs (parsley, dandelion, etc.)
yeah, I was told to stick to this diet till I saw improvements in her skin. The few websites that talk about the Yeast Starvation Diet seemed to suggest you could keep your dog on this diet for awhile… but maybe this is not the case. I have searched and found some good raw dog food recipes that I will implement. I just was not sure how long it takes for a dog to fully transition over to raw and if her throwing up is a part of that or something else.
Thanks for your help.
I can’t answer your question but want to mention that that is not a balanced raw diet. You need edible bones and organs. You need more proteins….fine to take some time to make sure the dog does well on a certain protein but father two months, she should be on another protein, at least.
Hello Everyone,
I need some advice! I recently (2months ago) transitioned my 4-year-old pug (Bella) to a raw diet- the “Yeast Starvation Diet” (ground beef, cooked whole eggs, dinovite, and fish oil). She was having major yeast issues- non-stop itching, dark balding spots, little black spots, inflamed ears and feet. At first, she was doing great- she loved the food and her itchy, irritated skin subsided. However, the last few weeks I noticed she has been regurgitating her meal. This happens at least once a day. I am worried and not sure if I need to take her in or if this is normal?
Thank you for any advice!
Erika
Hey everyone. I have wanted to feed my dogs raw for a long time but I don’t think I can afford it. My dogs have always had 5 star rated wet and dry dog food mixed like now I feed them Wellness limited ingredient diet dry and Holistic select wet food mixed in and it costs me about 70 dollars a month but I know raw is much better for them plus I have tried many many kinds of 5 star rated dry and wet dog food an my dogs only eat it cause they are very hungry because they don’t really like any i have tried. I have 2 small dogs both weight about 15lbs. Can anyone tell me a raw or freeze dried food I can feed them that won’t cost me much more than what I’m paying now? Or is that totally impossible to feed them raw or freeze dried for around that same price per month. I am on disability so I have limited income an i cant afford to go much higher. Both my dogs are in pretty good health. My pomeranian is 11 years old and acts like he is 4 years old or less. My shi-tzu is 10 years old and he isnt as active as my pomeranian and he does have some medical issues but the vet says he believes that he was inbred at a puppy mill. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
My 9 year old mutt has Adenocarcinoma. She was diagnosed 30 weeks ago and was only given 10 weeks at best to live. She is thin and always hungry but has a belly the size of a walnut after a bypass. She eats wet food and uses Raw Goat’s Milk by Answers for supplements. She is just hungry all the time. Does anyone have any recommendations for food that can keep her full, are full of nutrients to help her gain weight, and won’t be heavy on her stomach? Any help or recommendations are appreciated.
My Rollo, a 4 1/2-year-old Jack Russell, has been to 5 Veterinarians, one was a specialist in internal medicine. Rollo’s been scanned, colonoscopy, tried different diets and tried anti-inflammatory medicine, all which has not helped. He usually yelps only on the first poop, but sometimes on a second poop.
I’ve conferred with a veterinarian nutritionist, but diets are not helping, Dr. Katz feels it might be stricture or scar tissue in the anus area but we have yet to do a barium test. He talked about a stint to open the anus???
I’ve read that your university has had good results with Irritable Bowel Movements…
This is been going on for the last year… Rollo has been fed the best QC dog food, we tried raw but his poops were too hard .
Can you please advise me or my vet on your latest research…more than happy to pay a consultant’s fee.
Any help will be appreciated.
I wonder if the cartilage would work for my knees!! Let me know .
I would recommend Answers Pet food. It is raw. easy to feed and really the fantastic. All the kibbles you are feeding are bound to not be great because they are PROCESSED and limited. This is very low in carbs. It is fermented and truly wonderful. As far as I am concerned all dogs should be on a diet like this. You can feed just the meat which is complete and that will keep the calories down ( depending on how much you give him) and it will be so good for him. Contact the company and ask they about the Fermented fish stock they sell this may help his joints a lot. I know the owner drinks it herself because she had a broken back at one point. Good luck and keep me informed!
Pitluv
Do you know if commercial raw pet food companies like Hare Today and Darwins take any precautions above and beyond the raw meat that is sold in grocery stores?
Asking because I occasionally use hare today grinds as a topper but it’s not a regular feature in my dogs diet (too expensive).
I cook most of the grocery store meat I purchase for toppers. I feed a few raw chicken hearts a week.
For your adult dog check out BalanceIt.com. They make a supplement to add to meat and carb of your choice. Also, there’s an easy recipe video with few ingredients. Search “Homemade dog food recipe Rodney Habib” on youtube. These are suggestions for your lab.
I would recommend further research for your Bernese. Calcium/phosphorus content and ratio is very important or wait until he is an adult.
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Edit: about your rough draft raw menu. It isn’t a complete diet. Have a look at DogAware.com.
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html
Hello all! I’m about to take the leap to switch to raw food for my two dogs. My 6 year old black lab is 90 pounds. And my 5 month old Bernese mountain dog is 56 pounds. I know a little bit about raw diets from research but up until now we have been a strict dry dog food house.
I have a few ideas on some items I want to use. I’m hoping you guys can give me some feedback on my ideas. FYI I’m on a slight budget. That’s part of why I’m doing this so I can see if I can afford it in the long run. None of these items are set in stone. So please please please tell me if there’s something that’s a big no no or if something else instead would be better. With my dogs weights they both require 4 lbs total a day. Around 2 lbs each. I’m gonna start there and figure out if that’s enough for them.
Monday
4 lbs chicken leg quarters
Tuesday
4 lbs chicken leg quarters
Wednesday
3 lbs chicken leg quarters, 1 lb of tripe
Thursday
2 lbs chicken leg quarters, 2 lbs ground chicken
Friday
Whole chicken, split between
Saturday
3 lbs chicken leg quarters, 1 lb cut up chicken liver
Sunday
3 lbs. chicken leg quarters, 1 lb of tripe
Both my dogs have only ever been feed kibble, my oldest for 6 years. So I want to start out slow and simple to see how they do. And with one protein so it complicates things less. I need some feedback for piece of mind. Thanks guys!
Thanks for the suggestions, anon101, crazy4cats!
I like the option of adding real food whenever I can, as long as I can ensure that I’m not overfeeding. I’m still researching, but raw mixers, quality wet food, and even healthy food I’m eating (that are equally safe and healthy for dogs) are some of the ways I’m looking to add variety to my dog’s diet. The 25% guideline seems like a good start to keep things simple. š
Has your dog with the “sensitive tummy” been diagnosed by a veterinarian? Has he had an annual exam that included lab work (the best diagnostic tool) to rule out medical issues?
I hope you will consult with a veterinary health care professional before proceeding. If my post offends you, don’t read it, maybe someone else will benefit from it.
BTW: There is no cheap way to do raw that is safe.
Some science based veterinary medicine here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+food
And: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpt below:
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if itās a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.
Hi there everyone! So a little background on my dogs. I have a 6 year old black lab who weighs 96 pounds and a 5 month old bernese mountain dog who is about 56 pounds. My lab has had some digestive problems for awhile now. Nothing serious, just a sensitive tummy. I’ve switched his food more times than i can remember trying to find one that he will take to. He finally started to respond well with Eukanuba. My bernese however, seems to have the absolute worst gas with this brand. I’ve always thought a raw diet would be interesting to try but never looked into it any further. After my bernese I decided to do some research. I would like to try it but have some random basic questions that hold me back from taking the plunge. I’m having trouble coming up with a meal plan for them. I get a little overwhelmed trying to put one together and making sure they are getting a balanced meal and im not breaking the bank. We decided to start them on chicken, since it’s cheap and simple. I’ve looked at getting a bunch of leg quarters to start, but then that’s as far as I’ve gotten with the meal planning. Is there anyone who also does this diet on a budget and has advice for me. I want to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need but I need to do it as cheaply as possible or I have to switch back to kibble…which now that i’ve done my research I really don’t want to do. Thanks so much
First let me begin, this website that Mike Sagman has set up is superb. As you read my experience please don’t get caught in minutia of thought..just read this and hopefully this can and will help others. I love dogs, all dogs…cats too. I have been showing and breeding top Labrador Champions for over 30 years. So with to this I will assume that my input will be really about the large breed dogs and yes you may consider all dogs for that matter. I have tried all of these foods. Many work, some results are ok and others well just didn’t go well. Many dog foods since their really are just a few manufacturers, some are private branded under that specific companies ingredients, for their specific brand. I read many posts about this or that, and raw versus X.Y.Z, form of foods. Every time I try to go to the “other side”, well I end up, rather baffled at the terrible results. Therefore, I will let all of you know, grains, corn, etc. are not the cause of your dogs allergy’s, its all about the genetics. It you have a dog that has allergies, its about, the breeding. Same for cancer in dogs, it could be environmental, but less than 1%. It is indeed genetic. The longest lived dogs in the US have been on the following foods, this is research fact direct from the Doctors that did the research: Purina, Science Diet and Eukanuba Brands. To those that profess to Raw diets and rotating foods I will mention frozen or fresh raw foods (frozen still has salmonella once defrosted and eaten) is well your on your own. Rotating foods is not good either as it completely screws up the stomach and intestinal flora in a dogs digestive tract. No your not going to get good advice from the local specialty food store as these people have no idea about the foods they sell. Zero. Every dog is different and you will need to find out what works best for your dog…I will now share what typically works for Large Breeds and especially Labradors Retrievers and many others. But beforehand I will explain. I just went with another brand of puppy food T.O.T.W. over time it did not go well..at five months old and recently the same bag, the last 1.5 weeks, it reared its ugly head. Not Giardia either. I switched that 47lb boy straight onto Eukanuba Puppy Large breed yesterday, problem over best stool in his life so far. As I write this 1X more this morning per wife, that one perfect too. Grain free is not always the best way to go…..its really marketing b.s. and has always been. Even I get lectured by the top show Veterinarians! This is not knocking you or any other brand that works for you…but the finest show stock in the US are all on those three major brands above…blue buffalo duck and potato limited ingredient, grain free may be your best bet for skin allergy issue dogs. Also chopped or baby carrots, blueberry’s, strawberries, cantaloupe and even watermelon are fat free treats that dogs love too. Will add for those following: Especially Labs and watch their weight…for older dogs drop to 28% or then even lower 26%.. the in their prime Eukanuba 30/20 add 1/2 tablespoon each of Nupro Gold Label Supplement/ and then both of each the Silver Label Container for older dogs for arthritis with 1 tablet both meals of Cosequin tablets (250 count Bottles) its the a show/wellbeing secret obviously now for all of you. Also for my older dogs they get Dumor white 5 lb container with red lid a 1/2 teaspoon of MSM at Tractor supply or online (this brand only, measuring cup is inside, use the lower line mark on the measuring cup) some warm water mixed in morning meal only and boom in two weeks your going to be very happy indeed. Also for those that have a dog with surgery the MSM will heal them in two weeks and fur already growing back. The Vet will give you a strange look on the follow up…I assure you they will give you a weird look and be thinking boy this dog heals fast. Then you say its the MSM and he/she will laugh of course and say “I shoulda known”. Then they will know your in touch with the knowing. All the best always to everyone here and I hope this helps anyone that can use this information.
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This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by
samlab.
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This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by samlab.
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This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by samlab.
Hi everyone! Iād appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.
I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix thatās 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchenās beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.
Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone! I’d appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.
I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix that’s 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchen’s beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.
Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?
Thanks in advance!
Hi all,
I’ve been searching the forums for info on how we can calculate the ratio of dry to wet food (or other mixers) for those who like to mix it up. I want to make sure I can calculate correctly so the meals remain complete/balanced without adding too many calories. Do people just rely on the caloric number to determine the ratio, or do you calculate other percentages as well?
I looked online for a calculator online that can do this and only found one by Merrick. They have a very clever calculator that can help you figure out the proper ratios of their dry/wet/mixers in order to ensure a balanced meal. BUT, given they’re owned by Purina now (AFAIK), I’m unlikely to use their dog food any time soon. I would likely use Acana for dry food and whatever 5 star brand for wet (and 5 star brand for raw mixers), so there’s no doubt I’ll be using various brands to put a proper diet together.
P.S. I read the editor’s quick suggestion on how he adds 1/4 of a can of a singular meat wet food to dry food, but didn’t indicate how much he reduces dry food to compensate for calories, or if he does that at all.
Thanks for any advice or suggestions!
I usually prepare my own raw dog food, but sometimes it’s more convenient to go with a commercial raw. I also use it as a topper when I don’t want to deal with all raw meat mess. Anyway, this is the brand I’ve been using for the last couple of years. They were frozen but changed to freeze-dried raw. I got an email today that they are doing a Kickstarter campaign to celebrate their re-branding and they have good deals on Kickstarter with free shipping. Only caveat is they will ship products once they receive their bags in April or May. Anyway, I like their products and mission. So I wanted to share it here so you can check it out.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2041805440/bring-purpose-to-your-pets-diet-with-freeze-dried<a/>
New food is worse than the old one. Copper content is higher than used to be.. in certain kinds. I switched to Singles Makrele (has lowest copper content) but starting sometime in September all the food is coming with tons of oil in it. when you get to the bottom of the bag – there is an oily soup there. When you open a bag it looks like somebody dumped a bottle of oil in there … i see two issues here: first- this is not healthy, second since the food is expensive and you are buying 50lb bag of food- with so much oil in it it just means that there actually is less food than 50 lb. seems like a cheap trick to increase weight but give you less food. It maybe not so noticeable if you look just at one bag but count how many bags are being produced = big savings.. not for customers though. Unless someone will be able to explain why this new great food is drenched in oil and convince me it is super healthy for anybody. I got bags exchanged for Canadian production.. unfortunately there is no more left. Very Disappointing.. not sure why same formula could not be kept. Tired of paying tons of money and experiment on my dogs by changing their food to see if they have diarrhea from it on not if they start itching or not, then vet bills then another food..
Switched my dobbies to raw diet which is so much better than any kibble and if you can afford to buy expensive kibble – you can afford raw food.
I am a raw feeder, so I can’t suggest much in the way of kibble but I have noticed that there have been some tummy-related complaints with Blue Buffalo. This isn’t to say it’s a horrible food, it’s just that some dogs seem unable to utilize it as they should.
I know that Wellness has a very limited ingredient line (4-5 ingredients only) that can be of a big help when it comes to food intolerances. (I believe most of the line includes novel protein sources like duck, etc.)
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3#Simple Dry Limited Ingredient Diets Dog Recipes
I don’t believe it’s formulated for seniors, but it’s just my (personal) opinion that senior diets are kind of gimmicky unless there’s a serious medical reason that specifies a low(er) protein diet.
Fromm is an excellent company that, if I fed kibble, I would feel 100% comfortable feeding. They have a beef formula, no chicken.
https://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#beef-frittata-veg
Also, it might be worth checking into giving this dog some probiotics and/or digestive enzymes to help digestion. The metronydozale is a helpful drug in this instance and can stop the problem in it’s tracks, but re-feeding her gut with beneficial bacteria might help even out the occurrences of diarrhea. Both probiotics and D.E’s can be VERY helpful when transitioning a dog with a sensitive gut over to a new food, too, so that might be something to consider.
I don’t know if you’ve ever given her pumpkin, but many people swear by it to help with chronic diarrhea and firming the stools.
Hope this is helpful.
Hi, I’m not much of a meat eater, I can’t stand the smell & all the blood with red raw meat, I eat white meat like fish & chicken only & I make Patch lean pork or beef rissoles, I would never deprive my Patch from eating meat, a dogs digestive tract is short & made to digest a raw diet where our digestive tract is long & heaps bigger & can handle all the grains, carbs etc in our diet…..
I live Australia & most people feed their pets raw kangaroo mince, raw off cuts added with their dogs kibble as well as raw meaty bones for their teeth, chicken bone is the softest bone & easy to digest…or they added the Pre-made Big Dog Raw formulas or the Dr’s B Barf Pre-made raw formulas or some pet shops make their own pre-made raw meals you just thaw & put in her bowl + kibble….
Cause your girl has never eaten a raw diet & is 7yrs old maybe look at the pre-made formulas that have leaner meats & are lower in fat around 3-4% in fat that’s around 11%-16% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble) same amount of fat she’s eating at the moment 15% fat…Wet tin food when you see 5%min fat on wet tin can 5%min is around 20-25% fat when converted to dry matter & was a kibble ….Some people say not to feed kibble & raw together as they digest at a different rate but everyone I’ve spoken with at the dog park & when Patch was going to his behavior training school seem to all mix kibble with the raw diet & have no digestive problems feeding kibble + raw meat to their dogs….I suppose it depends on the dogs……
I ended up contacting a animal Naturopath when I put Patch on a raw fresh home made diet cause of his IBD & skin allergies, he was 6yrs old, we started with lean human grade kangaroo mince, not pet shop kangaroo mince added 1-2 spoons of blended raw veggies broccoli, carrot, celery & apple + 1/2 teaspoon probiotic +1/4 teaspoon DigestaVite plus powder to balance the meal cause it had no bone or any organ meat in the beginning cause of his IBD, I didn’t want him to get diarrhea, then I noticed about 1 hour after eating his breakfast he was regurgitating water + digested raw up into his mouth after burping causing acid reflux, so we stopped the blended veggies but he still was burping up water, I had to give him some of his regular kibble to wash the acid reflux back down his throat & he seemed heaps better…… cause of Patches IBD bad acid reflux the raw diet didn’t work for my Patch but my kitten/cat 11months old is feed a pre-made cat raw diet + kibble in separate bowl + 1/2 a chicken wing 3 times a week, if I don’t give her any kibble she pinches Patches Taste Of The Wild kibble….
Do you rotate your kibbles? try the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has the same fat & Protein% as the TOTW Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon & their mouth doesn’t smell of fish after eating the Roasted Lamb & Patch seems to prefer the Roasted Lamb….
It will all depend on the boarding kennel if they will feed your dog a raw diet normally most boarding kennels just say bring all ur raw pre made & made up in daily sections etc or just before she goes to boarding kennel put her back on her kibble 1-2 weeks before she’s due to go to the boarding kennels & just pack enough frozen raw meaty bones to be given 2 to 3 times a week, I’m pretty sure the Boarding kennel will thaw & give the raw meaty bone …
My boy was biting the raw bone a few bites then gulping the whole raw meaty bone & swallowing big pieces of bone, when I first rescued him, that’s when someone told me chicken frames are the best to feed, the bone in the chicken frame is very soft & flexible & cleans their teeth, so if she is a gulper & swallows any big pieces of bone in the beginning maybe try the chicken frames from supermarket, they digest easier, I use to feed chicken necks but my vet said to stop feeding the chicken necks as they have very sharp pieces of bone & are full of fat, with no meat. In Australia our supermarkets sell chicken necks, chicken frames & brisket bones also turkey legs are nice & big just remove the inner sharp bone…your dogs teeth will clean right up after eating meaty raw bones, my last cat had heaps of tarter on his teeth & to clean his teeth was going to cost $450 to clean & remove any teeth if needed was an extra $50 per tooth, the vet said start giving him a chicken wing for breakfast & his teeth cleaned up….
2 months, 1 week ago
