[Ashleigh L]

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!

[FrankiesDoggie]

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. 🙂

[anonymous]

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 it’s 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.

[Ashleigh L]

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

[samlab]

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.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by samlab.

[Oliver V]

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!

[Oliver V]

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!

[FrankiesDoggie]

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!

[simmy]

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/&gt;

[E B]

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.

[Acroyali]

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.

[Susan]

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….

[Acroyali]

Lori, check out
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html
This website helped me tremendously when one of my guys had diarrhea on commercial foods, but got constipated on raw (even boneless). Home cooked seemed to be the middle ground and he’s done phenomenally for over a year.
Cooked is more supplement heavy than raw, and I’ll say that raw is easier any day of the week but for health problems in the pet, or concern on the owners part about feeding raw meat, it’s an excellent middle ground provided it’s done correctly.
Hope this website helps you as much as it did me!

[LovelyBear]

I personally do not consume any animal products for my own health problems. But I feel in a way forced to feed my dog a vegan diet because other vegans will criticize. But I feed my dog Taste of The Wild Salmon and she is extremely healthy and I know she will do even better eating raw. Eating kibble (junk food) gives her terrible gas, bad breath and her teeth look terrible. I hate how vets always push getting dental cleaning and not letting your dog chew on what they are designed to chew on. To get money. I mean dogs who eat raw have amazing teeth. I don’t want to be a hypocrite, but there will always be dogs and they need meat to live. It would be more inhumane to give away my dog who I will do anything for. I feel awkward going into a butcher shop or meat department lol!

Would you think badly of a “vegan” who feeds their dog meat? I mean most of the animal i’d feed her are going to the trash anyways (besides the muscle meat). So technically I personally wouldn’t be supporting the industry 😉

Also when feeding raw do you think organic meat vs non organic matters? Because if it is best to feed organic i’ll have to wait to feed my girl raw, so I can afford it. If it doesn’t matter I can start soon.

And lastly my girl is a 7 year old Rottie. She still plays and runs around like a puppy. Everyone complements her on how young she looks. Will raw get her teeth back to being pearly white?

I know this is long. lol! I have many thought circling through my mind and needed a place to release some of them.

Edit: What do you do about feeding your dog raw and keeping them at a boarding kennel? About once or twice a year my family takes trips and my girl stays at a boarding kennel. I usually bring a huge ziplock back of kibble, but if I switch her to raw i’m not sure on what to do.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by LovelyBear.

[Lori E]

Hi Logan W,

I’m just starting the process of making great food for my dog and doing some research about vitamins and minerals. I found a couple of websites about RDA for dogs and i’m wondering if you think these are ok as guidelines. I am cooking the food, not feeding raw meats. The second website is university based research.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-diets-for-dogs-getting-enough-vitamins-and-minerals/

http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf

[ievent2]

Hi all,
I own a 4 1/2 year old, neutered, mix breed (lab/border collie possibly?), who is overweight, at 75 pounds. We currently feed Wellness Core Reduced Fat grain-free food; he receives 0.75 cups twice daily (a total 1.5 cups daily). I used the calculator online, and it recommends that he receive 2.6 cups daily… this seems like a lot of food! We feed green beans or carrots (raw) as treats/snacks, and occasionally receives 2-4 medium-size milk bone biscuits daily.

Looking for recommendations as our vet says he’s “too fat”, and wants to do a prescription food/diet, however, he is very finicky and does best on a grain-free diet (vomiting/diarrhea on grains or rich foods). When we reduce his food any lower, he is constantly bugging us (bring food dish, banging food dish, or sitting by us and whimpering), letting us know that he’s hungry.

Thoughts/suggestions?

[Acroyali]

https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/cardiovascular-diet/

https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/heart-healthy-diet/

Also, it might be worth checking with your vet about making sure his potassium isn’t being depleted by his medications. Ask to have his levels checked if you haven’t already. (This isn’t to say the medications are bad–heart disease is nothing to sneeze at and medications can, and are, life savers and life-extenders and helps give the dogs much better quality of life.)

When I had a dog with heart disease, he fainted once and it scared me badly. I’d never seen a dog faint like that but he came to in a few moments and seemed unshaken. My vet highly recommended adding fish or salmon oil and vitamin E for heart support (I use wholistic pet organics brand, as it contains both!) I also added COQ10 (liquid).

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/06/02/the-silent-pet-killer-that-you-can-now-avoid.aspx

While it’s not applicable for every person and every dog, I did opt to feed my dog a raw diet. For a time, he went “off” his raw food so I fed him cooked and canned and he gobbled it up. He was around Gizmo’s age; while I feel raw is best if a dog who (formerly) ate a certain diet for years and enjoyed it then abruptly stops, there’s a reason. The goal was to keep food in him so we fed him what he wanted. During the time(s) he was happily eating raw, we fed him a lot of pastured beef, chicken, and turkey hearts for the naturally occurring taurine (crucial for heart function, and I feel food sources are better than synthetic but that’s simply my preference.)

One other thing. If you live in a cold weather climate, or live somewhere where you experience very cold months out of the year, keep Gizmo inside at all times unless you take him out to potty. My dog had a horrible fainting episode when I took him out to pee when it was extremely cold (sub-zero; we were outside for less than 30 seconds when it happened.)

I know, emotionally, it’s difficult for you. I hope some of the links and suggestions help. I wish you the very best of luck.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Acroyali.

[Susan]

Hi Dee, its a really good thing your doing taking on an 2 elderly dogs & they are getting a 2nd chance in life…. You can cut up the chucks of meat in the chucky foods & put thru a blender maybe try & see if he’s OK on a thicker wet food, I found the thicker wet tins were better then the pate wet tin foods, stayed down better….
Just be careful with the fat %, 5%min fat in wet tin food or raw food when converted to dry matter(kibble) is around 20-25% fat, if it were a kibble…..
When I rescued my boy he was regurgitating raw, cooked & wet tin foods back up into his mouth, onto the floor or ground while walking or playing I had to keep him still for 20-30mins, this seem to happen more when the wet tin or raw was too grounded like a wet mince consistency, very sloppy & not chunky…. over the years Patch has gotten better & now can hold any wet tin or cooked food down, nothing comes back up no more & he was put on a acid reducer (Losec) to stop the acid reflux that comes with it, the vet seem to think he had Hernia the diaphragm where the food pipe joins the stomach flap wasn’t closing when it was suppose to close…lower fat diets with no grains, no rice, no oats, no barley etc, are best, add some boiled sweet potato or potato & pumkin added to the wet tin or cooked meals also helped the food stay down with Patch…..
I was soaking a kibble that was easy to digest “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb in warm water, (Not boiling hot water), as soon as the kibble was soft all the way thru swollen (a good easy to digest kibble should only take about 20-40mins to become soft all the way thru) then you drain all water out of the kibble bowl, I was putting about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of the soft wet kibble on the side of a bowl & cuffing my hand & squeezing out all the water from the kibble, then adding the squeezed kibble to the blender then I’d just squeezing another 1/4 to 1/2 cup wet kibble after squeezed adding to a blender & you just pulse blend for a few seconds & the kibble becomes real light & fluffy when kibble isn’t squeezed properly, it is like slop but that might work for your boy you’ll work it out, I was feeding about 1/2 a cup per meal, for a 40lb dog, your dog is bigger so he’d probably eat under 1 cup of the blended wet kibble per meal, I divided meals into 5 small meals a day, 7am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm & 8pm…..blending the wet drain kibble works out cheaper then buying the wet tin foods & his dad can eat the dry kibble or have some of the wet soaked drain kibble as well…
Taste Of The Wild has wet tin grain free food & the fat % starts at 3% fat which is 11% -13% fat when converted to dry matter, http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/#our-brand
You can email the company & ask any questions you may have…..
Just don’t feed any wet tin food that is higher then 5%max in fat, it may be tooo much fat & may cause bad acid reflux…you’ll know when he starts eating grass or my boy grinds his teeth & swollows & swollows & licks his mouth when he has acid reflux…. I’d stick around 2-4%max fat in wet tin foods, if he’s on a vet diet like Hills wet tin food the Hills wet formulas have already been converted to dry matter, I think that’s what confuses people coming from a Hills vet diet…

[Grace]

Hello,

Has anyone heard of or have any feedback about Rawsome Pet Foods that’s based in Kansas? We have a 14 month Irish Wolfhound with various allergies and are considering incorporating raw foods as part of his daily diet.

Rawsome was a recommended brand on a local speciality pet store’s website. Description sounds promising and they have a Facebook page, but when I googled it I didn’t find any additional information [other than a brand in UK with same name].

http://www.360kc.com/PetsandSupplies/GoPetGo/m-Available-Pet-Food-Brands.html/#promoTabAnchor
“Rawsome Pet Foods is a Kansas-based manufacturer of 100% human-grade raw foods and treats for dogs and cats. Rawsome was founded with the goal of improving the health, happiness, and lifespan of pets through proper species-appropriate nutrition. Rawsome products are produced using only the highest quality human-grade ingredients. All of our meats are 100% human-grade, USDA-inspected, antibiotic-free, and contain no added hormones or steroids. Our meats are all free-range and raised in the Midwest using sustainable agriculture. We take pride in only using farms that help preserve our earth for future generations. Rawsome foods are biologically appropriate for your pet, meaning that they mimic your pet’s diet in the wild.”

Any feedback or information about this brand is appreciated!

Thanks!

[Acroyali]

Jessica, have you thought about using one of their meatless pre-mixes and adding protein (cooked or raw) on your own? It’s not for everyone but I know of a few people who do this and love it. They can feed “real” food without having to worry about all the balancing (and time prep if you’re going for cooked.)
One girl I know who feeds this way also keeps a few cans of wellness (the 95% meat variety) to add to the premix if and when she forgets to buy or thaw or cook meat. It’s a nice middle ground for those who want to do a home prepared diet but are unable to at the moment.

[crazy4cats]

I mix toppers in all of my dogs’ meals. It is very important that you decrease the amount of kibble you are feeding when you do this. I actually compute the calories of the toppers and decrease their kibble by the same amount of calories.

Mine get a little canned food in their kibble every morning meal. Usually a canned stew as they are usually lower in calories and easy to mix in their food. I mostly feed the canned Nature’s Domain turkey and pea stew sold at Costco. Also have fed some Wellness and 4Health stews.

For the evening meals, I rotate between an egg, tripe, commercial raw and/or sardines for their meal mixers. The canned foods are mostly complete and balanced, but the evening toppers are not and must be at less than at least 25% of their diet.

Good luck to you!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Ruby F]

http://Www.healthextension.Com
I don’t believe there is any flax or pea proteins in any of their kibbles. I know there is no pp. That can cause long term permanent intestinal damage. This company is family owned since 1969. Never been recalled. All U.S.A. sourced. Made in NY. Warehouse not even open weekends, so order beginning of the week. Free shipping over $99.00 & the original formula is chicken based @ $60 per 40 lbs bag.
They have small bites, & several other formulas.

Anyway check it out. If you order there use promo code emf and you will get 20% your first order. I raise boxers & they do pretty well on this. I prefer raw, however I lost my sources when I moved… sigh.

Flax decreases fertility. Our average litter is about 8-9… our smallest ever is 6. Fertility is going to be strongly connected to diet & overall health.

Good luck!!

[Acroyali]

Melanie:
If the Kangaroo diet was helping, is there any way you could get another novel protein source that your dog has not had (venison, rabbit, etc?) There are some dry and canned varieties on the market that might fit the bill, as well as some pre-made raw diets (many raw food suppliers have exotic proteins–my cats vote for Hare Today’s rabbit chunks.)

One of my dogs had seasonal allergies completely unrelated to food. We did the testing route, and while identifying at least some of his triggers certainly helped it wasn’t a cure all. For awhile we did allergy shots and prednisone. It lasted 4-5 days and he’d be miserable for the rest of the month. As he got a little older, we worked for a few years with a wonderful vet on building a healthy immune system any way we could. We added a few things (mostly in the form of probiotics and other nutritional supplements, as well as medicated baths, etc). More importantly (I feel) is that we subtracted things that we suspected could possibly be linked. We gave him only clean, filtered water. We stopped using fabric softener (that helped tremendously!), and stopped giving annual booster vaccines (he was older, even our allopathic vet agreed with us on this) and stopped using flea prevention on him (as it seemed to be doing no good anyway). We let his immune system rest as much as we could. I can’t say it “fixed” him and I can’t put my finger on the one thing we did that did the most to help, but it seemed that the combination of factors helped him build an immune system that knew what it was doing. He had occasional break-outs, but I’d say he was 85-90% better. Just my personal experiences of course. I wish you luck with your little dog.

[steve johnson]

My rescue dog Barney was throwing up in the mornings and I took him to the vet a bunch of times. We tried the prescription diets they recommended but it didn’t help. In our case, I think it was the dry kibble causing the problem–it was a good brand Orijen, but maybe it didn’t agree with him. I was reading about acid reflux on this site http://www.askariel.com/dog_cat_acid_reflux_treatment_a/277.htm and I switched him to a raw frozen diet. We ordered the Gastro ULC and Power Probiotic and followed the diet suggestion that the nutritionist gave us. Barney is eating Primal raw frozen rabbit with some Natural Balance canned fish/sweet potato. The vitamins did seem to help. He still has an occasional bad day, but nothing like before.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by steve johnson.

[just_dogs02]

I have two dogs, a year-old lab and a poodle puppy. Several months ago, my lab started eating her poop. I’ve used Forbid, pumpkin, pineapple, and even “Yuk” pills to no avail. She eats very good food (Fromm’s large breed currently, but she’s also eaten Blue Buffalo Large Breed). And the only snacks I feed her a carrots.

I’m not thrilled about feeding her a raw diet, but would if that was the best thing to stop the habit. Thus far, the only thing that works is picking up her poop immediately and giving her a carrot (treat).

I’m thinking about going grain free and high protein. Any suggestions? She’s a fifty-five pound lab in excellent shape. (She doesn’t need to loose weight.)

And what are the “digestive enzymes” I’m seeing listed in this thread. Do you mean something like probiotics?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

jazz

[Gerritt A]

I joined looking for some advice on senior dog foods. Our senior is about 12 – 13 years young and is a 14 lbs poodle/bichon mix – or something thereabouts. She is used to walking 3 – 5 miles per day and is out in front, not being pulled along so she seems to be enjoying it. She was eating a dry Wellness adult dry and wet mixture. Vet suggested she get on a senior diet and we did this about six months ago – again Wellness. Since then she has had two UTI’s. Urine pH was 8.5 on the current one. Vet was concerned that we were perhaps not getting a good urine sample so we had some draw from he bladder and it was consistent with the “caught” urine. Also had her bladder ultrasound to check for stones or a tumor. Nothing (good news!) Granted this is my first day of looking around on the site but i see nothing specific about selecting a senior food. Did I miss it?

[anonymous]

Environmental allergies tend to wax and wane, so, you may think a diet change is working….
Also the storage mite is in the same family as the common household dust mite that exists on the skin of all living things and is constantly being shed (airborne) including you.
Often the dog has allergies to both, not just one.

Below is an excerpt from an article that you may find helpful http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/faqs-about-house-dust-mite-and-storage-mite-allergies?id=&pageID=1&sk=&date=

Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.

A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage

[Susan]

Hi, yes I have a dog with Seasonal Environment allergies & food sensitivities causing IBD & itchy, yeasty smelly skin, red paws, itchy ears & hive like lumps + IBD symptoms sloppy poos, gas/farts etc…
It has taken me 3yrs to finally work Patch out, in the beginning my vet said to keep a diary & you’ll start to see a pattern as the years go by & yes we did….
It’s best too see a Dermatologist they’re a but more expensive but in the long run you’ll save money, Dermatologist specialize in the skin….
Baths, twice a week or weekly baths or as soon as dog is uncomfortable & is scratching real bad then bath to relieve their skin…..I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, baths wash off any allergens, dirt, pollens & yeast if dog has yeast problems, Malaseb kills any bacteria yeast on the skin & keeps the skin nice & moist leaving the dog feeling so soft, Malaseb can be used daily if needed…..
I like using creams on my boy instead of medications he doesn’t do well on meds…I use “Sudocrem” sold in supermarket in baby section, I apply the Sudocrem on Patches red paws, around mouth, above his eye where he has white fur he seems to have all the problems, some nights when he’s real red around his mouth from eating I used Hydrocortisone 1% cream & on his paws & other parts of his body as well, I check patches body out as he’s sleeping at night before I go to bed & apply the creams, now I’ve removed the foods in his diet that he’s sensitive too his ear problem has all clear up, I did an elimination diet the best thing for food sensitivities & found when he eats carrots & beef he started shaking his head & scratching his ears, chicken causes his paws to go red 20mins after eating chicken, raw chicken was worse, also kibbles with grains made his poos sloppy, now he eats grain free kibbles that are Whitefish/Salmon or Lamb….if you don’t want to do the elimination diet & cook or do raw then it’s best to get a vet diet like Royal Canine PV- Potato & Venison or PS-Potato & Salmon or PR- Potato & Rabbit kibble or wet tin… then when dog isn’t scratching ears & is stable not itching you start & add 1 new ingredient with the vet diet every 6 weeks, no treats nothing else, it can take 1 day to 6 weeks for a dog to show symptoms for a food sensitivities…Once you find out what foods your dog is sensitive too you can stop the vet diet & start a diet without the foods he’s sensitive too.
I live Australia & I saw a Naturopath cause of Patches IBD, I wanted him on a raw diet.. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, we have a skin pack made by the Naturopath called Natural Animal Solutions, Skin Pack & it has DigestaVite Plus which balances the diet & fixes the gut, then it has Omega 3,6 & 9 Oil you add high dose for the first 2 months to diet & Vitamin C to work as a natural antihistamine…..
Here’s Jacquelines site there’s a lot of good reading & what natural products to use…on your left scroll down a bit & click on “Skin System” then click on “Skin Allergies” & she explains all about the skin & what causes what. She also has a F/B site & will answer any questions.. called “Natural Animal Solutions” NAS
http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php

[Susan]

Hi, have you tried another dry kibble with lower fat% & a different protein with limited ingredients, also is his kibble a fish kibble??
My boy is 8yrs old & went off any kibbles that is fish/salmon, he seems to get acid reflux from the fish kibbles now, especially when they have fish or salmon oil, he grinds his teeth he has IBD, over the years I’ve learnt what all those weird things he does mean…..

As dogs & humans get older we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid in our stomachs, it’s called “Hypochlorhydria” low stomach acid, so it can be harder to digest food & food sits in stomach causing acid reflux…
I would not be feeding the Raw Hide, google, “how is Raw Hide is made”, Rodney Habib has a excellent video, it will shock you.
Can you cook a cooked diet for him, even if you buy tin tuna in spring water & add boiled sweet potato & veggies a couple days a week & the other days buy lean grounded pork or lean beef mince…. I make rissole, I add 1 whisked egg to 1kg (2lbs) lean pork mince or lean beef mince, finally cut up 1/3 to 1/2 a cup broccoli, 1 teaspoon finally cut up parsley, 1 grated carrot mix all together & make 1 cup size rissoles & bake in oven on baking tray 15 mins into baking take out drain water/fat & turn rissoles over put back in oven, I boil sweet potatoes & freeze the rissoles & sweet potatoes in sections…. When a dog stops eating something is wrong & its normally their stomach or pancreatitis… he’s telling you this kibble is no good & would prefer to go hungry then have his pain or acid reflux or have whatever he’s getting… If they could talk life would be so much easy, I would not want to be a vet, a lot of the times test results don’t show anything wrong, & its a guessing game until you work out a diet that agrees with him….

[Susan]

To Hound Music,
I forget to add in my post above, Maggie was also feed tables scraps, what ever they ate for dinner Maggie ate as well…
I just thought anyone that was interested in Maggie’s story would watch the full video interview by Rodney Habib on Planet Paws & got the story straight from Maggie’s dads mouth….
Maggie loved her Good O’s they were only given as a treat maybe twice a week, the Good O’s weren’t talked or advertised again, people like twisted the truth & Maggie’s dad didn’t want the Good O company receiving free advertisement for a poor quality moist treat/kibble that was not Maggie’s proper diet, she just liked her Good O’s treats, if she was given a better quality natural treats she’d probably would have loved those treats instead of the Good O’s…
Maggie was not feed any kibble of any kind….after Maggie’s story hit the media, a picture of (must be the picture your talking about) Maggie chewing a red/orange coloured round moist kibble, the Good O company started to say Maggie ate their food & lived to ripe old age of 30, that story was quickly dismissed & made clear to Australian viewers, Maggie did NOT eat any kibbles & was only given a couple of Good O’s maybe twice a week as a treat….
No supplements were given either, this is a farm in the out back of rural Victoria Australia, there’d be no pet shops for miles, to buy a dog supplement would be a miracle, you’d be lucky to find human vitamins in the local shops & we only have a few Australian dog supplements & most are sold online, we are talking about a old farmer & his dog, living a quiet stress free life, smelling fresh air, country living, Maggie’s slept on the back veranda in the Summer & in the barn with the farm cats in the winter…..the only healthy supplement that came Maggie’s way was her dinner & 1 cup of fresh cows milk straight from the cows utter that she drank every morning at 6am & the baby cows placentas when born & baby calves that was born dead…
A lot of Australian dogs are feed a supermarket kibble as the base or a grain free kibble with either fresh kangaroo mince or table scraps left over from dinner are added with the kibble or they are feed what ever is shot & killed on their property is feed to their working dogs, our Pet Shops have rolls of fresh Roo’s mince & rolls of fresh Chicken Mince, sold very cheap around $1 a roll & we also have pre-made raw diets as well, it’s cheaper to feed a raw diet then a premium grain free kibble in Australia…
Hound Music did you watch the video where Maggie’s dad was interviewed by Rodney Habib?? he would of mentioned if Maggie was given any supplements, he’s a very honest farmer & didn’t gain anything from Maggie’s story, he just enjoyed taking about his old girl Maggie……

[Acroyali]

If your dog has stopped eating, and has bitten you bad enough to draw blood in 4 places during a routine procedure he’s done without issue in the past, I’d get to the vet. Yesterday. Something could be wrong, or hurting bad enough, that eating is the last thing on his mind and being messed with creates cranky behavior. (I liken it to having the stomach flu and having a manicure or facial done. I normally enjoy those things, but not when I feel rotten. If your dog feels poorly, this could explain his reaction but a vet visit is an absolute MUST to figure out what, and where, the source of the problem could be.)

I’ve fed raw for many, many years and have never had a dog “turn” on me, so I can’t offer any suggestions on that. (My personal experiences have been dogs that are more even-tempered, less high-strung and much easier to live with and train when fed a species appropriate diet.) Over the years I’ve had only two pets that couldn’t handle raw, and those instances were due to health problems in the gut. One was able to be on raw once he healed, the other was not and ate homemade cooked.

[Salz]

Hi all! I am a frequent lurker of this forum, and wanted to ask for some input. I am a pretty knowledgable raw feeder, especially for large breeds, but am adding a new member to my family next week and wanted to ask a few questions.

My partner and I will be picking up an 8 week old Dane puppy next weekend, so I’m doing all I can to prepare for her arrival. I currently have a 1 year old Dobie/Rottie mix who has been on raw since I rescued him at 6 weeks. I did extensive research about Ca/P ratios, fat content, protein levels, etc, and have always had all of that on point with his diet. I kept him very lean at a young age and his growth has been spectacular. He’s still filling out a little and will continue to grow slightly, for the next six months I anticipate, but since we’re almost there I’ve allowed him to bulk up a little over the past few weeks.

I follow the BARF model and feed meat grinds, a veggie mixture, and added supplements a few times per week, but I have kept it pretty simple for him in his first year to ensure proper growth. With the new puppy, I want to start her off the same. My concerns lie in the fact that she is a GIANT breed. I’ve read a lot of articles on Dane forums about not starting a Dane puppy on raw until they are a little older because of their nutritional needs, and this has stumped me and caused some worry. I’m looking for anyone with Dane puppy nutrition experience, especially with raw feeding. Or, if anyone could point me in the direction of any helpful articles or websites, that would be great too. Thank you all for your knowledge!

[HoundMusic]

new here and in a bit of a panic. i’ve been feeding raw to all my pets for over a decade with no issues. sadly, my 8-year old siberian husky has had issues eating things he’s not supposed to. he had a blockage where they needed to remove 30 inches of his intestine.

In this situation, I would have to agree with your Vet. Raw might cause more trouble than it’s worth in this instance. Particularly the bones, but also, keep in mind there can be a greater risk of infection with a dog who has just undergone major surgery and could very well have a compromised immune system for a while.

BTW, I was also a very long time raw feeder, but around April/May of last year, an older dog ate a raw pork neck that caused an obstruction. He would have been long dead if castor oil and force feeding him broth had not worked, as I cannot afford such a major surgery. Then, towards the end of the summer, that same dog was diagnosed with osteomalacia, which is basically the adult form of rickets. And I am more careful than most about balancing the calcium:phos ratio and including foods rich in Vit D. I ditched raw for home cooked, and let me tell you. My dogs were pooping out old, stagnated bone fragments for a week after being on a diet higher in fiber and of a very soft, digestible consistency. So there is a risk of blockage, and there is a risk of improper nourishment as well.

There is also some evidence that kibble does actually digest faster than raw:

https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/

And besides that, bones are going to give this dog an unduly hard time after having had such a surgery. If I can make a suggestion, crock pot food can be very mushy and is incredibly beneficial for sick or recovering dogs. So, if you don’t want to go the prescription diet route, that might be a better alternative.

Otherwise, Science Diet is not exactly my favorite brand, but I have one with chronic prostatitis (also caused, or at least aggravated, by raw) who can eat nothing but SD Sensitive Skin & Stomach or the lower protein/fat Advanced Fitness formula. I mean it. He even has a hard time with boiled chicken & rice. So don’t entirely rule out SD, because it can work wonders on sick dogs.

Just my 2 cents.

[Annie J]

Good article! There are plenty of board-certified veterinary nutritionists who would be happy to serve you and develop a diet that meets your intentions while ensuring the pup gets the nutritional requirements she needs. I know you have good intentions but this is a critical time in the baby’s life for growth and development of her skeletal, central nervous, and other systems. I can tell you from experience that we’ve had at least 3 young animals come in to our specialty clinic due to malnutrition from online diets that people swore by. the most unfortunate case was actually a 4 month old german shepherd pup who was extremely painful and couldn’t walk. when we took x-rays you couldn’t even count the number of micro-fractures this poor boy had all over his body from months of improper calcium/phosphorus ratio, amongst other nutritional deficiencies. the family members mean well but please at least seek advice from a trained veterinary nutritionist before keeping her on a homemade diet. Raw food harbors numerous microbial agents/pathogens that her immune status may not be able to tolerate at the moment but a nutritionist can also advise about this

[Annie J]

Pancreatitis can be a pretty severe disease and can ultimately end a dog’s life, so now is not the time to experiment. A dog with panc needs to be restricted to a low-fat diet, at least until the pancreatitis has resolved. If Patchy doesn’t like canned food then try the dry versions of the low-fat diets (Hill’s I/D low-fat, GI low fat Royal Canin, Purina EN, etc). Pancreatitis can be the primary problem from dietary indiscretion (“garbage gut”, table scraps, bacon, etc) or secondary to another disease so if it’s not from her eating weird things then resolve the panc first then have her reassessed. Definitely avoid raw food, at least until her panc is taken care of- there are a plethora of pathogens in raw diets so don’t give her body anything else to fight off at this point in time. If you want to do raw in the future just make sure it is “AAFCO” approved on the label and sear the raw meat for a few secs before giving it (studies show it reduces the infectious bugs considerably). This certainly wouldn’t take care of toxo or parasites, just enteric bacteria. My friend’s dog got incredibly sick while eating raw food and when she was hospitalized they had to keep her in isolation (addtl $$$$$) until her antibiotic treatment was long enough for her to stop shedding salmonella. Cod liver oil in the future is a good source of omega-3s but is fatty so definitely not for a dog trying to overcome pancreatitis. Digestive enzymes are really only needed if they have a different pancreas-related disease (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) so if Patchy can make her own enzymes no need to feed her another animal’s. Sounds like your vet provided good advice and since they assessed Patchy’s overall condition I’m sure they’d be happy to give you guidance about how you want to manage her condition 🙂 hang in there Patchy! lay off the fatty foods

[FrostHollow]

“Lowering the protein seems to help as well, and that is not something that can be achieved on a species inappropriate raw diet.”

That’s actually one of the factors I’m looking into.

All the brands that seemed to have the longest lived dogs were between 19-21% protein, which I thought stood out because it was unusually low by today’s standards. Compared to the supposedly higher end brands that average 25-35% protein, I had to wonder if, even though they might use lower quality source ingredients, that was less important in the long run than moderating the protein.

I even noticed that with brands like Purina, dogs were shorter lived on Pro Plan then they were on plain ol’ Dog Chow, even though one is higher quality, more nutrient dense, and they both have the same research & development behind them. Dog Chow is 21% compared to PP’s 26%.

Now, from raw to holistic, expensive kibbles, one thing that has always remained consistent with my dogs is that I’ve gravitated towards higher protein foods, 26-28% on average, higher for in whelp bitches or champions being specialed. My dogs are plagued by the Big C, and my research into the correlation between protein & longevity suggests it can be a factor in triggering certain types of cancer.

Food for thought, anyway.

[HoundMusic]

“Maggie the oldest dog in the world” she lived till she was 30yrs old & just died last year, she was feed a raw diet from the day she left her mum

Um… that dog was NOT fed a raw diet. There was an Australian dog, either her or another recent one that made it to a similar age, that was given kangaroo and emu (?) meat, but the owner never makes any mention of it being fed raw. And I have no doubt whatsoever that did not comprise the entirety of the diet, but was rather given as a nutritious supplement. Because no dog can survive on a diet of straight meat for very long. Take a good look at one of the pics in the following article about Maggie. She can be seen eating what appears to be round, artificially colored kibble pieces.

World’s Oldest Dog Dies Peacefully At Age 30

There was also a dog in the upper 20’s who was fed a vegetarian diet, and one I think who was also pushing 30 who ate nothing but :::drumroll::: Kibbles N’ Bits. I think the common factor in all the oldest dog cases were a combination of genetics, fresh air/exercise, and a satisfaction with their life. Lowering the protein seems to help as well, and that is not something that can be achieved on a species inappropriate raw diet.

https://www.elsevier.com/connect/controlling-protein-intake-may-be-key-to-longevity

[Martha G]

As long as it’s not overcooked with that “charcoaled edge” look we humans like so much, metabolically should remain nearly identical in the dog’s digestive system. After all, they use hydrochloric acid as a digestive juice, so a little heat denaturing shouldn’t affect the quality. I, too, cook my raw diet if it includes chicken as I’m so concerned about its handling before I get it. I’m sure you’ve already tried this, but just to double check – any luck with eggs?
Hope Pakalolo continues a healthy recovery. Also, have heard from our group of great results with bone broth.

[Susan]

Hi, do you follow Rodney Habib on his Face book page?? he has over 1 million viewers, he’s trying to work out the same question you ask, at the moment he’s trying to find the best foods to feed dogs with cancer, google one of his video on “Maggie the oldest dog in the world” she lived till she was 30yrs old & just died last year, she was feed a raw diet from the day she left her mum, she lived Melbourne Australia on a dairy farm & worked everyday running 20km a day hearding the cows every morning & bringing them back of an afternoon, she drank 1 cup of fresh milk straight from the cow 6am, ate dead baby cows when they were born dead & ate the baby cow placenta’s… the video is a beautiful video with Maggies dad talking to Rodney about Maggies life….also she wasn’t over vaccinated, she just had her puppy vaccinations & that’s was it, she was desexed at 14yrs old when she feel pregnant after one of the new farm hand brought his dog with him..

[HoundMusic]

A lot of these things have a genetic component, the puppy mills and backyard breeders that continue to breed dogs even when they are aware of hereditary disorders, doesn’t help

To an extent, yes, but environment plays a more drastic role, IMHO.

For instance, I lost a gorgeous show CH male Beagle at 10yrs from a line of extremely healthy, long lived hounds who averaged 16 years. Not long after I bought him @ 5yrs, he had a focal seizure. Nothing I had seen before purchasing this dog indicated anything of the sort was in the bloodline, and when I questioned his former handler and owners of littermates, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., no light could be shed on the problem. The seizure he had with me was apparently his first and only. A dog that seizes at such a late age either has been in contact w/ environmental contaminants, has been poisoned, has an underlying health issue such as a tumor or Cushings, or is being exposed to something in the food either directly or indirectly causing the issue.

Lo and behold, this dog’s littermate sister also had the occasional “hypoglycemic fit”. She was also the only other dog of about a dozen or so relatives that also ate raw. P.S., I have had, on two other occasions, have dogs with violent seizures immediately after starting the raw diet, when ideopathic epilepsy was unheard of in the bloodline.

Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger.

To answer the OP’s question:

My youngest dog was a 4yr old GSD euthanized due to complications from degenerative myelopathy. At the time of death, however, she had been on Eukanuba dry/canned foods, and died about 2-3 months before their massive melamine recall. A friend of mine with 3 retired police S&R dogs who also fed Euk dry was experiencing the same symptoms as I was with all my dogs. So yes, I believe in this instance, diet contributed to her early death.

My oldest, incidentally, was a 15yr old black GSD mix who also died of degenerative myelopathy, after battling it for three years. He was switched back to raw after I first noticed symptoms, and made some major improvements in overall health and mobility afterwards. He was NEVER paralyzed. He was treated homeopathically with green tea and ginkgo biloba, and did better than most dogs on conventional meds who’d had the disease half the time. He did “go down” 48hrs before we made the decision to euthanize, but he walked, with assistance, the six blocks to our vet. I will be damned to Hell if diet did not prolong and increase the quality of his life.

And yet, 100% raw + Beagles = inevitable catastrophe. And it fed my Beagle bitch’s mammary tumor like I’d thrown gasoline on a fire.

[FrostHollow]

To give some background on myself, I’ve been a breeder/handler of show champion English Cocker Spaniels for about 17 years, and have owned the breed since the mid 90’s. Currently, I’m retired from the show ring, with no aspirations of getting back into it. We are left with seven dogs now, after spending the past 18 months losing the older ones left, right and sideways, mostly to various forms of cancer. The most recent death was Sandy, a 13 year old champion bitch who passed away last week.

After about 23 years in the breed, she was the oldest Cocker Spaniel I’ve ever had.

Average age of death for my dogs has been 10-12 years, which is below the breed average, while several breeder friends have dogs in their kennels that routinely live to be 14-16+ years. Insult to injury, they normally feed Pro Plan, or something along those lines. Whereas I am <i>very</i> conscientious about proper diet (I feed raw), husbandry and vaccinating minimally; but considering that most of my dogs have died below the breed’s average lifespan, I begin to wonder if I am somehow doing something wrong.

Only days after Sandy’s death, I’ve already had several dog park and local encounters with dog owners of very old dogs, only to learn they were being fed a steady diet of the worst the grocery store has to offer. At first I began to think there might be little to no correlation between diet & longevity, but that refutes much of what I’ve seen in regards to dogs in poor grade health recovering on a better quality, especially homemade, diets. Then I began to formulate a few theories, two in particular, that might explain why those other dogs were so long lived while mine tend to die earlier – and neither theory has anything to do with the actual brand of feed.

While it’s not very scientific, I’d like to test those theories by asking other dog owners how old were your longest AND shortest lived dogs, and what was the main diet of those dogs? Working on a spreadsheet, and if I get enough replies, I’ll share my theories as to what might contribute to longevity in dogs (which, upon research, seems to have some credibility) and the final results of my polling.

I’ll start off the thread by answering my own question:

Youngest dog: 3yo Corgi bitch euthanized due to genetic disc problems. Fed generic Dog Chow type feed before I purchased her, lived with me for 6 months and ate mostly home cooked, some raw.

Oldest Dog: 13yo Am. Cocker Spaniel bitch. Fed Science Diet for several years, raw fed since 2014. Died of systemic cancer.

[Kelly B]

My dog and cats are fed 4Health brand food. My cats are doing great, their hair is so soft and shiny, We have very few hairballs at all. There is very little poo waste.

My senior dog Boo was getting Mast cell tumors, with the switch to 4health and added boiled chicken on top his last 2 hard mast cell tumors shrunk down and disappeared. he still has and gets fatty ones but he is 14 years old.

I have had problems with very expensive foods when another dog left with my ex husband had skin problems that got worse trying all the great expensive food. What cleared that up was when Bear and Boo got put on a raw diet for 8 months.

Boo and the cats have done really well on 4Health for the past few years and I do not ever plan to feed another kind of food to my cats or any other dog I may get.

[Tracy D]

Hi there, I am new to this forum. My dog Patchy has just been diagnosed (sort of) with pancreatitis and my vet told me I would have to take her off her raw beef mince diet. She advised a canned dog food with minimum fat as it is the only way they can monitor her as they “know” how much fat is on the food. Fair enough I can see the wisdom in that but…all I have read is that a raw food diet is the answer to sickness and she been raised on that. I really do not care for canned food and nor does Patchy. Naturally if at the end of the day the vet’s advice is the only answer then i will have to do that but I don’t feel this is good enough. So I have a few questions for the group if you could be good enough to help me with this:
Would raw kangaroo with low fat content be a good choice?
If so and as they are not farmed but eat wild, then how would I know how clean the meat is from parasites and toxoplasmosis, not to mention any other scary things that I don’t know about?
Could a high quality Cod Liver Oil help her general health? Not that she is otherwise unhealthy but quite the opposite.
I read here that animal sourced digestive enzymes can help, does anyone know a good one?
Many thanks to you all

[Christine S]

“I thought the OP was posting a cautionary tale to warn others about the dangers regarding raw diets.”

Absolutely not. Raw feeding had nothing to do with my dog’s blockage, either the first time or this time. This last time was the previous surgeon’s fault.

[anonymous]

I thought the OP was posting a cautionary tale to warn others about the dangers regarding raw diets. I had no idea that she would want to continue this practice, especially after what her veterinarian advised.
PS: I have tried raw diets, supplements etc. No thank you!

[Christine S]

No, I believed this subforum under the umbrella of a general dog food forum was for discussing raw food diets and therefore might contain some members skilled and experienced in raw and homemade diets. I figured those uninterested or inexperienced with raw/organic/homemade diets would not bother commenting, but, this is the internet. thanks for everybody’s helpful suggestions, i’ve opted to go with the advice of my nutritional mentor. she wrote a blog post about it here in case anyone also finds it useful:

https://sfraw.wordpress.com/2016/11/16/qa-recomendations-for-healing-after-major-abdominalintestinal-surgery/

[Suzanne F]

I used to feed raw, but now I feed canned only. For now it’s Wild Calling rotational diet Bison, alligator and rabbit. Wild calling is like 92% protein and no carbs. He eats sweet potato or yams and dehydrated pumpkin & cranberry by Diggin FirmUp on occasion. He’s not a fan of canned pumpkin. The doctor did a blood test to test for allergies and I did Dr Dods saliva test to test for food intolerances. He has many of both. Since I’ve made the changes he’s more willing to eat and less reflux. Also switch between Apple cider vinegar powder capsules and Zantac 150 mugs 2 times a day, ProPlan FortiFlora probiotics once a day. I feed him 3 times a day and a snack before bed. The empty stomach can make him throw up bile or or a white foam. Hope this helps. If you have any suggestions I’m all ears.

[Susan]

Hi Christine, yes you would be stressing out, I know I would be… sometimes a dog just can’t eat a raw diet, a dog needs to be healthy with a healthy gut/bowel & not have a compromised immune system to be feed a raw diet, I have a boy with IBD & I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet, I had to add digestive enzymes, a probiotic & a supplement to the raw also I couldn’t add any bone or organ meats to the diet, I added the supplement that replaced the bone & muscle meat until we slowly introduce everything to his diet…..The raw diet didn’t work out for my boy, he kept regurgitating up digested raw meat & water kept coming back up into mouth 20mins after eating causing bad acid reflux..
Maybe look for good Animal Nutritionist & she can make up a few balanced cooked meals for him that are very easy to digest, here’s the link for “Balance It” click on the “Click on” link, you fill out the quick 40 sec form asking what are your dogs health problems but if your dog has too many health problems more then 2 health problems you have to contact Balance It & one of the vet Nutritionist makes up a special diet for your dog….this way he’s eating a proper balanced cooked diet…
https://secure.balanceit.com/
For now feed the vet diet till you work out what you want to do, is the vet diet dry (kibble) or wet (Tin food)???
Have a look at “Wysong” here’s their link & contact them ask about their Epigen starch free diets in the wet tin foods there’s organic chicken, Rabbit, turkey, duck, salmon & beef these diet would have better ingredients then the vet diets have you may feel better feeding them… http://www.wysong.net/epigen-canned

[pitlove]

Hi Christine-

This is not a raw feeding forum. Yes, there are raw feeders who post here, but this website is not dedicated to raw feeding and many of us here do not feed raw.

Your dog just went through a serious intestional surgery and at least until you know he/she is stable, I would use the theraputic diet as recommended and then perhaps in time, discuss crazy4cats suggestion of BalanceIt.com with your vet.

[Christine S]

but the VCA did not give me an order for prescription food, the tech just said to feed either of those two brands, and that homemade diets were bad. i thought this was a raw dog food forum? i don’t want to feed junk with questionable meat sources, or anything i wouldn’t eat myself. i am able to source local grass fed organic meats without additives or fillers and have worked with a raw food nutritionist in the past so feel confident the meals i make are nutritionally complete, but i was curious if someone could recommend something similar to a highly digestible prescription diet that doesn’t use crap meat in it.