[InkedMarie]

If the dogs raw diet hs meat/bone/organ/tripe in it, feed that food only. You don’t need a dry food.

[InkedMarie]

I too have a yeasty dog; paw licking & ear infections were his issues. We were ear infection free for a number of years; back they came. For my dog, the only thing that worked was a raw diet with no produce. He has had one ear infection in years two weeks ago; we think it was from the humidity but that’s just a guess on our part.

[HoundMusic]

It might be the protein levels in the food are too high. Phosphorous is a mineral that “tags along” with protein – i.e., the higher the protein levels in a feed, the higher the phos. will be. And if that is the case, it could be affecting the dog’s kidney function, which is a major cause of inexplicably bad teeth in young dogs.

Some dogs do naturally have a tendency to build up tartar, but there is plenty that can be done with diet to prevent it. Try a lower protein feed or one that specifically has been formulated for dental health. Several years ago, I had to put an older dog on Science Diet Oral Care, because at 2yrs old, her teeth were practically rotting out of her mouth after whelping a litter. Still don’t know the underlying cause for it, but I gave her the kibble pieces as treats, and it did help. I don’t care for the SD brand and wouldn’t recommend it, but there are certainly other brands that do make similar foods.

And just as an aside, in a bad case, the “bumpy” Nylabones and rawhides might also be of some help.

[anonymously]

It sounds like it could be environmental allergies which would have nothing to do with the food. If it has been going on for a while and the regular vet hasn’t been helpful I would suggest making an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist and see what diagnostic testing he recommends.
Have you used the search engine here?
Example: “If the symptoms have been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons and have not responded in a significant way to treatment by a veterinarian. Consider making an appointment with a dermatologist”.

This subject comes at least once a week. People are reluctant to go to a specialist because they are concerned about the cost, and yet they end up spending much more going back and forth to the regular vet and trying all kinds of gobbledygook remedies.

Environmental allergies.
excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
“Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems”.

Mail-in hair and saliva tests do not test for allergies and tend to be inaccurate. Food sensitivities fluctuate. Food allergies are rare.

Also:http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian

[Marissa B]

My puppy Harvey is one year old, and ever since May he has had pretty bad allergies. From when he was a puppy we had him on blue buffalo chicken and rice large breed puppy and then he got bad itchy welts with diarrhea. Then we switched him to Zignature salmon (limited ingredient diet). That seemed to work for about a month or so, the welts came back, his hair started coming out and diarrhea also followed along with vomiting. We took him to the vet, chest and stomach xray came back normal, blood levels came back normal in his cbc and LFTs. They gave us a medicated shampoo, started him on Hill prescription zd and started him on steroids. Needless to say reading the ingredients on this hills I’m not overly impressed, seems like there is a lot of fillers and its 90$ a bag!!! I don’t mind paying if it works, but now it seems like his welts are back, he won’t eat the food unless we put sweat potatoes on top and his shampoo isn’t helping. I’m lost at what to do, every time he comes off steroids he gets the welts back. I don’t have enough money to keep taking him to the vet every few weeks for tests and drugs and food etc. I’m considering a raw diet possibly because every time we put him on the bland diet he is completely fine with no itching and welts and long term steroid use at his age scares me. Any advice is greatly appreciated! 🙂

[anonymously]

If it were my dog, I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist as soon as possible. Your dog’s symptoms may have nothing to do with his diet.

Have you used the search engine here?

For example: /forums/search/allergies/
and /forums/search/raw+diet/

PS: Be careful, regarding listening to homeopathic vets, a lot of them are quacks and do more harm than good.
For science-based veterinary medicine, go here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Jessica K]

Hey everyone! Thank you for all of the replies!

Dog foodie:
Before I went to this new vet, yes, he was still being raw fed and perfectly fine on it. His skin reactions had completely subsided (with the exception of whenever he ate something off the floor, sigh) and he has not had an ear infection since. I live in the middle of nowhere so I don’t think there would be a holistic vet in my local area, but I’m sure there’s one not too far from where I live. I’ll look into it, thanks!

Shawna & Inked Marie:
After posting, I spoke to a couple of other local vets in the area who have all told me the same thing you guys have – chicken is fine but not on its own and that I would need to rotate proteins.

Anonymously:
My dog is only a year old. He was being monitored for his allergies and diet change from November to April by my former vet. His labs after we made the change came back normal and was given a good bill of health. His weight and condition has not changed since. The new vet did not even give him an exam – I only went in for this vaccines. She asked about his diet, refused to give me any advice on making adjustments to his diet, and then claimed I was abusing him. I do understand what you mean about taking advice from other strangers online but I just wanted to see if anyone else had a similar experience. I am already working with another vet and we have a consult tomorrow morning.

[DogFoodie]

She switched her dog to a raw diet as a recommendation of, and under the guidance of her former vet.

[InkedMarie]

I’d ignore the vet. If you must keep this vet, just tell them if you are happy with what you’re doing. I have one vet that was persistent but I finally told him that I did my research and am comfortable with my decision.

Chicken is not enough….find other proteins. Red meat (beef, venison, goat, pork, mutton) should make up more of the diet than white meats. Hare today and raw feeding Miami have a good selection of proteins.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by InkedMarie.

[Shawna]

Sensitivities can definitely cause a wide range of reactions including itching and excessive ear wax which can lead to infections. They just recently released research showing that a cramping disease can be caused by food sensitivity to gluten in Border Terriers. They can mess with every organ including the skin.

Feeding raw is NOT analogous to animal abuse — far from it. However feeding an unbalanced diet can cause significant issues later on. As an example — chicken (especially dark meat like legs and the fat) are excellent sources of omega 6 fatty acid linoleic acid. This is absolutely needed in the diet for proper skin health. You can overfeed it though and in doing so create inflammatory type responses. Omega 6 has to balanced with omega 3. The diet is probably deficient in trace minerals as well.

When feeding raw it’s best to vary the diet with different protein sources and veggies. This gives a wider array of nutrients. There are also commercial balanced diets available. These have to meet the same standards as kibbled diets as far as nutrient profiles.

There are TONS of vets that recommend raw but all, that I am aware of, recommend either balancing the diet using a recipe, premix or commercial OR feeding a wide variety of foods to capture all the nutrients necessary for proper health. There are some fantastic support groups on Facebook etc that can help with this if interested.

I’ve been feeding raw for a very long time to both healthy and ill (including foster dogs) with GREAT success!! It does take some thought into getting it right but it’s not difficult.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[DogFoodie]

So, he’s been eating raw and doing well on it. His allergy issued subsided once you began the raw diet. He’s still on raw and is doing well on it. Right?

Your new vet was a jerk to you. I’m sorry you had to lose your former vet in the move.

No, you’re not doing anything wrong. I would just look for a raw feeding community for support and possibly not discuss nutrition with this current vet.

Are there any holistic vets near your new home? http://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/

[anonymously]

Environmental allergies wax and wane, they get worse with age.

Tried raw diets and bones, ended up at the emergency vet x2 ($)
No thank you. To each his own.

PS: I am sure there is a veterinary dermatologist closer to you. Just ask your current vet for a referral……or maybe she can suggest treatment for the Canine Atopic Dermatitis your dog appear to be suffering from (based on your description of symptoms)

[Jessica K]

I totally understand. I will look into finding a dermatologist as soon as I can but it is most likely that the nearest one from me will be at least a 4 to 5 hour drive away.

What made sense about the diagnosis to me was that as soon as I put him on the raw diet, all symptoms subsided. He was put back onto kibble temporarily (about a month) and the same reaction occurred.

[anonymously]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

Regarding the allergies, consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Jessica K]

My dog (1year old 12 pound Dachshund mix) has had a number of allergic reactions to different brands of kibble including Blue Buffalo and Merrick so my last vet asked if I wanted to try to switch him to a raw diet. After some research, we decided to switch him over and follow the raw meaty bones diet guidelines. Since then, he has been primarily fed either chicken legs or wings with eggs, organ meat and some vegetables to supplement. I have recently started to add goat milk and/or kefir when I can.

I was planning on switching his primary source of bone/protein around to fish or beef but haven’t gotten a chance to do so.

He was due for his vaccines and because I moved, we took him to a new vet. Once she found out that he was on a raw diet of mostly chicken wings and legs, she flipped out and told me I was abusing my dog. I asked her what I was doing wrong or if she had recommendations on a different raw feeding style but she ignored me and told me that if I didn’t switch him back to kibble, that she would take him away. I tried to explain his allergic reactions and even politely asked about what to do if he was on a kibble diet and had an allergic reaction but she gave me no answer.

Am I genuinely doing something wrong? Is this somewhat of a common reaction and has anyone dealt with a similar situation before?

Notes:
His allergic reaction mostly consists of a skin reaction but he does have the occasional ear infection. His skin reaction starts off with him turning bright pink/red, bumps and then blisters.
The original vet recommended the chicken wings and legs because of his size. I did manage to find him turkey necks once (rather hard to find in my area) but had to cut it into smaller chunks.

[Acroyali]

I wonder if those who choose to force their vegan beliefs on a carnivorous animal would have a problem with my feeding my horses a raw diet…

[Logan W]

For those new or novice to homemade dog food, it does take some research and a little bit of trial and error to see what your dog will eat. I’ve been doing homemade 100% for about 7 or 8 years now and I would highly recommend it. It does require some initial time and research but it’s all well worth it. I first started with several dogs and wasn’t convinced, like many here, that anything available on the market was as nutritionally dense as homemade. I started when I first adopted several dogs and they loved eating anything I bought, but the food certainly never agreed with them and they were sick all around my house. I think the last food, both dry and soft, they ever ate from the pet store was Blue Buffalo way back when. I would give them rice and chicken till they got better then slowly start working commercial food back into their diet. Every time… they got sick. That’s when I started out on the quest for something that I could rest assured was wholesome and nutritional… from my own hands.

People are right here when they warn you of feeding your dog homemade food without understanding your dogs nutritional needs. We all know our dogs will eat just about anything and you’d hate to learn the hard way that you are malnourishing your dog. I started by searching the web for a canine version of a daily nutritional requirements list that includes not only the macro nutrients (proteins, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, etc.) but also details all the micro nutrients (different amino acids, minerals, vitamins, etc.). The lists are out there if you search. It will be a long, long list of about 30-40 nutrients.

Once I found this list, I did some calculations based on my dogs activity level and size, multiples really. Then I created an Excel spreadsheet of all the target daily nutritional requirements. From there I started searching the web for natural sources of each nutrient and cross referencing them again sites to make sure they weren’t toxic to dogs. You’d be surprised to find that much of the normal fresh meats and vegetables at the store have just what your dog needs. I created a list of ideal food ingredients and Googled each ingredient’s full nutritional profile and built a tab for each ingredient in Excel listing out its nutrients per 1 gram or other serving size. Then I would build other worksheets modeling possible combinations of natural ingredients and seeing how the resulting nutrional profile compares to the target. You’ll find, just like with any animal, that you’ll never get it perfect. You may figure out that adding sweet potatoes helps you fill one nutrient you were targeting only to provide an exceeding amount of another. This is inevitable but just make sure that you aren’t creating a recipe that has far too little of one nutrient that is very important, or even far too much of another that can cause problems if ingested in large quantities like Vitamin A, etc. Its really a process or trial and error modeling a recipe that is really close. I got a few recipes and then went for it. But I do give my dog a multivitamin once a day too just to be a little safer.

The recipes I’ve been using for some time is muscle meat and some organ meat like ground beef and beef livers or kidneys, or chicken breasts and chicken livers. Organ meat is very nutritionally dense and its what dogs go for first when they find a animal in the wild. Muscle meat is a thing we humans prioritize for some reason so remember that you dog IS NOT BEST SERVED WITH FILET MIGNONS OR CHICKEN TENDERS. For veggies, I use about 3-5 different vegetables and switch them up every once in a while. My favorites are sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, squash and zucchini. For fiber and carbohydrates, I pick between a rice (white or brown) or beans (dry pinto or black beans). There’s other things I do too, like I use quite a few eggs and I boil the eggshells to sterilize them. Then I grind the dried shells into a powder for their high calcium needs. I also add some ground flax seed and olive oil to every batch. That’s really it about ingredients… now the PREPARATION METHOD becomes vitally important.

If your dog is like any of mine, they probably don’t care to eat vegetables raw or their own flavor. Also, how you cook the vegetables and beans/grains can either retain most of the nutrients or deplete most of them. Dogs have very short digestive tracts compared to humans and that means that just because they can eat a raw carrot…. it doesn’t mean there digestive tract can break it all down fast enough before it passes. Pressure cookers are great for dog food vegetables. Pressure cookers apply high heat for a very short period of time that not only softens the vegetables so they are more digestible, but it helps retain the nutrients in the vegetables much better than, let’s say, boiling them. One could simply use a steamer, but the trick I use is adding some chicken broth to the pressure cooker so that it injects a tasty flavor in all the vegetables. I chop all my vegetables and pile them into the pressure cooker and add a couple cups of real chicken broth and set it for 10 minutes, done. I pull out the finished veggies and set aside. Then I do the same flavor-injection with the beans or rice by using the pressure cooker too. I take out the beans or rice when finished and mix it into the cooked vegetables I set aside.

Next I chop up a cook the meats/organs either in a large pan or also in the pressure cooker (depends on the meat). I add a generous amount of olive oil and pour in the eggs and ground eggshells + ground flax seed. When this is all done I mix it all together with the already completed parts I set aside. A little salt and its done. I divide the food up into glass, airtight containers that hold enough for no more than 5 days of food. I keep one in the fridge and the others in the freezer. After the first container is nearing empty, I start thawing the second container. I give me 20-30 lbs guys about 1 cup of the food nuked for about a minute, morning and night.

How’s it working? Wonderful coats, plenty of energy, no skin problems EVER, all vet checkups clear and I’ve had their blood tested drawn at different times of their metabolic cycles to test for nutrients in their bloodstream (a whole lot of expensive testing just to reassure me that what I was doing was good) and not a single thing ever wrong with them. Since their food is not very hard or dry, you do need to brush their teeth or make sure they get plenty of dental chews. Their stool should be nice and loose, but not huge and frequent. Once or twice a day is normal. Their digestives tracts are using more of the food mass than was being used when feeding commercial food filled with corn and other grains. So their stool gets smaller. You can go online and find paid recipes backed by vets, but I’ve yet to see one that is truly all homemade. They typically create recipes that require using some overly priced supplement powder they distribute or co-advertise for. Don’t waste your time on them.

You may find that your dog devours the food right away or plays the hold-put game for something better. Mine play both games depending on their mood. They usually don’t eat the food right away cause it’s just been reheated and they know not to try. So they usually meander around for a while before eating it later. But when they finally eat… they eat it all… every last piece of vegetable, bean and rice, etc.

So there’s my experience and I hope it inspires you to give it a go and stick with it. I have an electric pressure cooker only for the dog food… best investment ever. It costs me about 50 cents to feed 1 lbs dog for a week. So that’s $10 a week for one 20 lbs dog. I consider that a much better ROI than commercial dog food. Since I only have one freezer, I only make food every 2 weeks and spend about 2 hours when I do. But you get used to it and you learn the process inside and out. I’d never go back. Now if only I would eat as good as these damned dogs do!! 😉

[GSDsForever]

Just another thought, in case it is helpful: have you thought about getting a nutrition consult from a veterinary nutrition specialist (board certified) or specialty center, via your vet?

They’re not all anti-raw (etc.) and some will evaluate both particular commercial diets and homemade, as well as help you design a solid homemade one (or rotation) to your preferences, that will work best for your individual dog’s needs . . . whether allergies or low weight/trouble putting on and maintaining weight, etc.

[GSDsForever]

Be careful with just following the feeding guidelines on commercial foods vs by calorie and individual monitoring of your dog’s body condition scoring/needs — and Ziwi Peak if that’s what you feed.

While many kibbles tend to overestimate calorie needs/cups to feed, I’ve found many raw and freeze dried or dehydrated ones tend to vastly underestimate/recommend. I suspect this is true for the latter because the companies are aware that their products can seem exorbitant, even cost prohibitive for larger dogs. In particular, I’ve had this discussion with Ziwipeak, because their amounts to feed/calories recommended made absolutely no sense for my dog (or breed generally, esp if working).

I’m far from a raw diet (various styles) expert, but from experience with homemade/home prepared with fresh foods and balanced . . . could you not simply boost the fat content by adding from a wholesome source yourself?

Most healthy dogs can do quite well on higher fat diets (as shown by veterinary nutrition research on dogs and wildlife research).

[Susan]

Hi Nanci your not feeding her enough, don’t forget she was eating kibble before & kibble is higher in carbs grain free kibbles have more starchy carbs then a raw diet has, now she’s eating a leaner diet with only 5% -15% carbs..what I did with my boy when he started raw diet, I feed raw for breakfast & kibble for dinner cause of other health problems but the weight dropped off him as well, maybe look at another raw diet that has higher Kcals per cup…you said she’s eating a dehydrated diet, maybe the premade raw frozen diets might have more calories ?? I made Patches raw diet myself thru an Naturopath cause Patch has IBD & Skin problems & had to feed Patch 2 cups of raw with blended veggies a day & Patch was hungry the Naturopath said he will be hungry cause he was use to eating a kibble diet
just watch his weight if he loses weight then increase the raw 1/2 a cup more a day
this year I bought Patch the Ziwi Peak air dried raw & it said to feed 1 & 1/2 cups per day
for a 20kg dog, I knew Patch would loose weigh only eating 1 & 1/2 cups a day so I divided the 1 & 1/2 cups for breakfast & lunch then I cooked pork & sweet potato for dinner, your dog probably isn’t eating enough calories for the day….
I had a boxer & she was bigger then Patch, she was 77lbs -35kg & she ate 1/2 of what Patch eats & would put on weight just looking at food, where Patch only weights 37lbs – 17 kg & eats double what my boxer ate, Patch is more energetic then my boxer was, he must burn his calories more then what my boxer did..

[Nanci Jo M]

I switched my pit to an all raw food diet. This one is dehydrated and I prepare it with hot water. This diet has literally cured her food allergies. She had been on many versions of grain free, and different proteins. She licked her feet until they bled. The raw diet has cured her symptoms, however she has lost 10 pounds and is skin and bones. She is also constantly hungry. I feed her the recommended amount and have also supplemented with flax oil and probiotics. She also gets additional vegetables and some fruit. Any ideas why she continues to lose weight?
I am testing her stool tomorrow for worms.he has already been to the vet and is otherwise in good health.

[pitlove]

Hi Jo C-

As long as your pit can tolerate it, you can certainly add fresh foods to her diet. You will need to decrease the amount of dry food you feed when feeding fresh food along with kibble, so as to not overfeed calories. Also starting off right off the bat reducing the dry food by half is not a great idea. You will need to slowly introduce fresh foods to her diet because it’s not something her stomach is used to. It’s like introducing a new dry food. You will need introduce it slowly and moniter her stool to make sure she can handle it.

Unfortunetly mine can not handle raw or lightly cooked food in his diet. But he seems to have a lot more issues than yours does.

[Brooke C]

I have recently started my 13 week old Rough Collie on a raw food diet. He currently weighs 22lbs and expect him to get no larger then 60lbs when he’s an adult.

He’s been on raw food for about a week, ingredients I have been using is chicken with bone, green tripe and chicken liver. Carrots and leafy greens are the only veggies I have added.

My biggest problem is I can’t seem to find any other organ meat other then chicken liver. I have been to all the butchers and grocery stores in my area and no one seems to have anything at all. And the only place I was able to find the green tripe was an Asian store who apparently rarely carries it, so I got very lucky in finding it.

Are these ingredients okay? And can anyone tell me how to judge how much to feed him. Currently I feed him 9.6oz 3 times a day. Going by his current weight.

[pitlove]

Hi Blake-

One thing you have to understand about kibble and raw is that they are completely different. One is cooked at higher temps and one is not cooked at all. I wouldn’t expect an 11 week old dog to be able to handle swapping from one type of diet to another over night.

Best thing to do at this point is reintroduce the kibble and then when the diaherra has stopped slowly start incorporating the raw food into his diet. You need to transition him to raw just like you would to another kibble, but even slower.

Best of luck!

[Blake E]

We are in need of some advice, we have got own first puppy. Ted is an 11 week old Cockapoo, we had been feeding on the ‘Royal Canine Mini Junior’ but we had decided we wanted to feed him in a raw food diet. So we went into to PAH and brought a bag of Natures Menu Puppy Raw food, however after giving Ted his first meal this morning of Raw Food, it is as though this has gone straight throu him and now has diarrhoea.

So I gues my question is are we right to of done this so soon? Or should we of kept him in dry food??

Thanks in advance!!

[Katherine B]

I have a 14 lb Havanese who is 14 lbs.!! I feed both Darwin and Primal. Both are very bloody unless you buy the freeze dried. I much prefer freeze dried but it is way more expensive. I speak with one of the nutritionalist at Darwin’s when I have questions. Not sure why but he says the freeze dried is not as good for dogs as the frozen. I still use it frequently. She loves it and I don’t worry nearly as much about the safety. Sometimes the raw looks so bloody and disgusting it is difficult for me to feed. However, I have seen such improvement in her health issues after beginning the raw diet I feed it all the time. Began two years ago after listening to many of Dr. Karen Becker’s videos on You Tube. James at Darwin’s just happened to tell me once Darwin’s consults with her when they created the special prescription foods. Sophia, my little girl, has Cushings and a ‘Leaky heart valve’! After feeding primal raw for one year and adding Adrenal Gold from Pet Wellbeing to the food I had her blood work rechecked. Everything that had been extremely high before was near normal. Wish I had realized the importance of feeding a raw diet 14 years ago. I truly believe she would be a healthy dog today.

[J S]

That’s an educational article, but their dog has oxalate crystals, not struvite and the diet needed would be different due to needing a different pH urine.

PH strips can be found either on-line or at the health food store. Our Saluki/Husky struvite crystal maker is holding steady with occasional signs of what we call “pee-crawling” which means there might be some crystals starting up again (no blood is observed). The keys to her improvement are using mostly canned wet food, a bit of kibble and extra water (float the kibble) at both meals, and one of the meals we still use the Royal Canin for struvite crystals. The other meal is Canidae grain-free, which is what we feed our other dog. We also use cranberry relief powder in one meal, and a pH lowering powder in the other other (the non-Rx meal). With increased water consumption the best thing is to get her on a schedule of peeing outside every four hours or less, and so far, no more crystals or infections that have been requiring a vet. Her noon and bedtime snacks are also broken up and floated in some water to increase her liquids. We try to keep her pH lower with grain-free and more meat in her diet. One snack is Texax hold-ems dehydrated sheep lung. Hope this helps.

[Michael F]

Hi, My last two dogs lived to be 16 and 17 years old, they developed arthritis and we used
Duralactin and all natural anti-inflammatory, you can read more about it her https://www.vetinfo.com/duralactin-canine-side-effects.html it doesn’t have the side affects of Rimadyl, I’m not to saying you should stop her rimadly, I’m not sure how bad her arthritis is and it is a choice your and your vet would make. With the Duralactin we also gave our dogs Cosequin, or I guess now they make Dasaquin, we gave our dogs both the Duralactin and the Cosequin and they did quite well, I also found that four short walks a day, made it easier for them to get up and down and move around. For your weight loss, I would keep her on her diet food that works for her, and feed her the amount of it she is suppose to have for her required weight, as a topper for a treat, you might try a little boiled fat free ground turkey and or boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts, those will be much lower fat options and should still feel like a treat to her. To make it easy you can cook it up ahead of time and freeze small amounts in freezer bags, and then you’ll have a pre-made topper for her food. It’s not easy getting a dog with arthritis extra exercise, but if you stick to the amount of food she is suppose to eat for the weight you want her to be at and avoid extra fatty food additives and other people food and give her the low fat kibble as treat, rather than a fatty dog treat, she’ll eventually take weight off, you don’t want to under-feed her, because then she get malnourished, she needs a certain amount of food each day to get her needed vitamins. Give it some time and you’ll see results! A cute story about the need to feed your dog too many special treats….My parents had a toy poodle named pete, they only fed him buddig lunchmeat, they said he would not eat dog food, at age six, he looked awful, instead of being chocolate brown he was grey and going bald, his eyes looked sickly and he limped on his hind leg at time, unfortunately my parents passed away at that time, anyway, pete came to live with me and my other two dogs, and guess what, I fed him dog food, not lunchmeat, in a few months time, his coat was nice and chocolate brown again, his eyes looked great, he got daily walks with the other two dogs, and he lived to be almost 18 years old! So that is my story about table scraps versus dog food! That doesn’t mean I’m knocking a raw diet for dogs or home cooking for dogs, they are preferred to dog food by many vets and many of us dog owners, however, they have to be a balanced diet, not just luchmeat and table scraps.

[Raava]

Thank you, crazy4cats! I did so much internet searching about blood meal and a raw diet and didn’t find much, if anything. xP

(Ha, I didn’t know you had to manually use your nickname… there we go). lol

• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Raava.

[Susan]

Hi, I have a boy with IBD he suffers from food sensitivities & suffers with the Helicobacter-Pylori so he gets bad acid reflux, he can’t take steroids (Prednisone) it gives him diarrhea & nausea….cooking for him is the best, I went thru a Animal Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan (Australian) to put Patch on a Raw diet but he kept regurgitating the raw back up into his mouth when he burped, kibble seems to stay down better, so now I cook her raw diet minus any bone & I use her supplements Digestavite plus powder & the Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil…
A few people use the “Balance It’ we don’t have it in Australia….I give Metronidazole tablets to Patch when needed & he’s on an ant acid med Losec. I finally gave in after 3 years…I believe foods help heal & natural supplements…. L-Glutamine is suppose to be good, you make a bone broth & add to the meal… there’s a group on Face Book called “Canine Nutrition and Natural Health” Cat Lane can help with a balanced diet but I don’t know what she charges, I only paid $60 & the Naturopath rung me & spoke to me for 1 hr what to feed & what supplement to give here’s Jacqueline Rudans Raw Diets, she put Patch on the Maintenance Diet minus any bone & organ meats to start with & I had to add the Digestavite Plus Powder… http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php

[Raava]

Hi all, just joined b/c I have an unusual question…

I just started my dog on a full raw diet again. He’s a 30lb, 10yo husky mix. Tried it before but couldn’t keep up the expense, and he’s eaten raw on and off throughout his life.

This time I’m a little bit “OCD” about making sure he’s not lacking in any nutrients. lol I give him a pretty balanced diet: Mostly red meat like beef and pork, pork bones, chicken quarters, gizzards, eggs, chicken and beef liver, beef kidney, canned mackerel, salmon, and sardines, kefir sometimes, and salmon oil (b/c I’m paranoid about the mercury in even small fish). I’m swapping the chicken out for turkey now though (both ground and bone-in) b/c I kind of suspect a chicken allergy, but I’m not sure. He even gets oysters for the extra zinc, and a liquid vitamin E supplement.

I recently noticed that iron seems low though, and I got him some baby clams to supplement it since those are super high in iron, but then I read about cadmium in them and other heavy metals that can accumulate (might be the same with oysters, I don’t know anymore). -_- It’s always something. I discovered that spleen is high in iron too, but I can’t get my hands on that.

So I was thinking about how wolves in the wild eat… they kill their prey and eat/drink some of the blood as well while they’re gnawing on their meat, right? Well blood has plenty of iron in it… but I can’t buy fresh blood. I’ve even read it’s illegal to sell (not sure on location). So the next best thing is blood meal.

Would adding blood meal be a good idea as an iron supplement? (I’ve calculated the amount of iron in it and know how much he would need, roughly 2g, give or take.) Or do I sound like a lunatic? xD I’m just slightly paranoid about him getting ALL the right amounts of nutrients he needs. I know they say “balance over time”, but even then, the raw diet seems low in a lot of things. Particularly, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin e, and manganese.

Since I added more red meat and the oysters to his diet, his coat is getting a lot better. It was unusually dry-ish before, and not soft and shiny like you typically see with a raw diet.

And to add another thing: I really wish I knew the nutrient content of bones! I read there’s some magnesium, potassium, zinc and other things in them, but there’s no info to say how much. So there’s no telling what he’s getting from the bone content too.

As I mentioned in the beginning, he’s 10 years old already and I want him to live forever, basically…. lmao So that’s why I’m a little paranoid about him getting everything he needs. Sorry for being long-winded, and thanks to anyone who reads this. lol

• This topic was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Raava.

[anonymously]

Have you tried the search engine here?

Also, some science-based information about raw included in this blog:
More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets
Posted on July 20, 2016 by skeptvet http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

If you are interested….

[D S]

My 3 10-lb dogs eat a variety of kibble including Taste of the Wild, Orijen, and Acana. Usually, I’ll mix in a small amount of mashed yam/sweet potato, and they inhale their food. They also love Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, which I’ll sometimes sprinkle on top of kibble (without yam) and add some water. Once in a while, I’ll feed just Honest Kitchen with no kibble. I like to give them a variety.

I’ve heard many times that kibble is heated/baked and loses much of its nutritional value, and that a raw or dehydrated diet is a much better choice. Is this true? The top kibble brands obviously put a lot of research into their products and I assume they’re pretty well engineered, but I can’t help but think that I’m doing my dogs a disservice by not keeping to a more raw or dehydrated diet.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Acroyali]

IME, nutrition is a single finger of a hand. Alone it does very little, but when combined with the “other fingers” (genetics, exercise, toxic load status, etc) it all comes together as a functioning thing.
I firmly believe nutrition plays a large role in the health of any living thing. I feed raw, I’ve fed raw for decades but I still find myself getting extremely irritated when I read people claiming that a raw diet is guaranteed to “prevent” cancer or any disease known to the canine species. It’s bullcrap, I and many others have had raw fed, naturally reared dogs out of raw fed, naturally reared parents that die of a genetic disease (or, a disease with a strong genetic link) at a young age. I simply think, anymore, that diet can bring any living thing up to it’s genetic potential, and that’s the best that we, as owners, can strive for. I do feel the vet is wrong, though, and would encourage your client to feed her dog a so-so food for a month or two, then switch to a good diet for a month or two and see what differences (however subtle) are noticed.

[anonymously]

I have found this blog informative regarding vaccinations, even the comments are helpful (imo)

Routine Vaccinations for Dogs & Cats: Trying to Make Evidence-based Decisions

Also, some science-based information about raw included in this blog:
More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets
Posted on July 20, 2016 by skeptvet http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

If you are interested….

[Alisa G]

My 85-pound black lab is highly allergic to storage mites so we have taken dry food out of her diet. Combined with Apoquel, her itching is completely gone! However, buying high-quality grain-free canned food is not something I can sustain financially much longer. I’m wondering if the freeze-dried raw foods also contain storage mites? She also needs to lose some weight and my vet has provided me with a target caloric intake, with a good amount of protein so she doesn’t lose muscle. I’m pulling my hair out, having researched way too much on this site and others. SUGGESTIONS!?

[Josh H]

Vets will never admit it, but I think they get a lot of support from the big dog food companies (i.e. money, free samples to give to customers, etc). I really like my vet, but he recommended Science Diet because of the “science” behind it, but he said at the end of the day give my puppy what he likes because it doesn’t really matter. How can dog food with bad ingredients be the same as dog food with great ingredients? I do not understand that logic at all.

When it really comes down to it, all dog food is processed (unless your dog is on a raw diet), but if you look at a lot of the big name brands of dog food it is basically just processed crap. There are arguments on both sides, but I 100% believe that if you give your dog premium dog food with good ingredients, that they will be healthier and happier.

[InkedMarie]

There are many meats out there. Which of these proteins have you fed?
Chicken, turkey, duck, beef, venison, fish, bison, goat, kangaroo?
Apoquel…..please google about that. There were recently some articles out there on the harm that drug does.

I have a dog who had yeast ears & was a paw licker (no itchiness). the only thing that worked for him was a raw diet with no produce.

I just had an ah ha moment, for myself. This same dog just had his first ear infection in something like 4 years. Only thing new is the greens mix I started adding (Shawna who posted after me knows what I made). Hmm…time to stop that for him.

[anonymously]

We can agree to disagree, after all, we are just voicing opinions. There is nothing to debate.
Any pet owner with serious issues should consult a veterinarian, I assume most people know that.

I used to avoid vets too. I learned the hard way this was not a good idea.

I listened to folks pushing raw diets and such (internet forums) in the past only to end up at the emergency vet $

I now take my advice regarding treatment/diet issues from a vet that has examined my dog.
Every pet is unique, but I share information if I think it will be helpful, short of giving medical advice.

[Greg D]

Hi,
I’m new to this forum and have come
across this site as I’m researching. Im going crazy with my dogs yeast infections. I’ve read all the comments, and as everywhere on the net you always find conflicting comments, statements, opinions etc regarding causes and prevention, so I am going to simply provide some of my findings and also hope people can advise any further.
My dog, Digi, a Maltese cross has a yeast problem. Started out in the ears and the paws. This has been going on for 12 months. I started off by changing her diet to a grain free and mostly meat based diet feeding her Wellness core . She loved it at the start but the problem didn’t stop. We then changed to K9 natural freeze dried. Again, she loved it but soon stopped wanting it. The problem didn’t stop. I then started feeding her a raw diet with. I grains or carbs. The problem got worse until she actually had an allergic reaction and ended up at the vets when her face swelled up and she got a red, raised rash all over her body. This happened instantly one night after she finished eating. The vet recommended a fish based diet which against my better judgement contains brown rice, but I was desperate so we tried it. Her ears cleared up miraculously and almost instantly but she still licks her feet. She is washed in anti fungal shampoo regularly but it will not disappear. Her ears are beautiful and clean and no other part of her body seems to be affected anymore. The vet has suggested she may have an allergy to grass as well but how can I keep her inside 24/7? She would go crazy with cabin fever!
I’ve tried soaking them in hydrogen peroxide and water and tried different sprays but she continues to lick them almost constantly and they are that rusty colour. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Willing to try anything. Thank you.

[chris]

@zcRiley Yeah, the thing with Trippet is they use carrageenan which for obvious reasons I won’t be feeding to my dog. Petkind does have the other tripes called “That’s It” which doesn’t include carrageenan. I am not wanting to order offline though and it’s hard to find in my area. Thanks though for the help 🙂

@pugmomsandy Thanks for the info as well, I just asked to join and been reading a ton on there raw diets information on there page. Very interesting!

[Jennifer H]

Thank you pitluv. I think you and I are pretty much in sync on this topic. I have many intact Saints as well as not intact saints and they can all eat the higher calorie and fat foods. In fact my 2 older Saints (almost 10) are doing fine without any real adjustment to their diet. The only one I have had to adjust my regular diet for is a 8-year-old spayed girl who started gaining weight and I adjusted her portion down a small bit and she is doing good with her weight now.
I just was wondering if there are any different ideas or beliefs that I may have missed. My guys all eat a RAW diet designed and tested to meet the needs of large/giant breed dogs. It is my own formula (with vet, nutritionist and other breeder input) and I just thought I would see if maybe there was anything else I should be considering in my formula that I might have missed. Anyway, thanks for your input and information.

[Katie C]

I have an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy and I’d like to supplement her diet with some raw foods and go from there. Can puppies have livers, hearts or gizzards? Are they beneficial?

[Andrea V]

Information overload!!! I need some help please! With so much social media I believe I am asking the wrong people for advice. I have gotten a million different responses to what people feed their Cane Corso. We are bringing our puppy home in three days, he is a full blooded cane Corso. Eventually I would like to do the raw diet but definitely need to learn more about that. What is an appropriate kibble to start him on? I heard the blue buffalo wilderness is great? Any thoughts?

[pitlove]

Hi goldenstar-

Love your new avatar btw! What a cutie!

I’m personally not concerned about plant-based vs meat-based etc etc for a growing large breed puppy. That is something I would focus in on once you know he’s fully grown. I also have no problem with starting a puppy off on chicken. It is a common protein, but why introduce exotic proteins when you don’t need to? There is so much to choose from within the common proteins for variety.

If I were going to add anything at all to the diet it would be raw green tripe. However, as long as there is no bone and the chicken does not exceed 10% of the diet I don’t see the problem with that.

Circa Regal-

That is a great point you bring up and I could not agree more! We decided not to neuter either of our dogs, but even our vet warned us with our pitbull to wait until 18 months old when he was done growing.

I am absolutely a believer in not spaying or neutering early for large and giant breeds especially! It can be so devastating for their growth. Certainly though, it’s tough when you encounter a situation like yours.

[Susan]

Hi my boy suffers with Food Sensitivities & Environment allergies.. your best of doing an elimination food diet to make sure she is sensitive to chicken?? My boy is sensitive to chicken he gets red paws, itchy ears, itchy skin & sloppy poos, as soon as I feed cooked or raw chicken his paws went red & hot within 20mins, also when he eats a kibble with
barley, corn, maize, gluten meal….
“Taste Of The Wild” puppy formulas both are chicken free & no chicken fat….one is Pacific Stream puppy with Smoked Salmon the other one is High Prairie Puppy with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison….your better off feeding the Salmon kibble. Fish is a cooling meat where beef isn’t my boy itches when I made him Beef rissoles now I feed pork rissole with sweet potato for dinner & the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble for breakfast, the TOTW Sierra Mountain is an all life stages kibble & can be feed to a puppy & is chicken free. send TOTW an email ask for some puppy samples & All Life Stages kibbles for a large breed puppy & their booklet so you can read ingredients & which kibbles are All Life Stages kibbles…their samples are pretty big..

also BATHS are the best when your dog has environment allergies, I bath weekly sometimes twice a week depends if Patch is itchy & scratching after a walk…Baths wash off any pollen & allergen that are on their fur & skin & relieve any itch when you wash in the right shampoo I bath Patch in Malaseb medicated shampoo. I also wipe him down with Huggie baby Cucumber & Aloe wipes after going on our daily walks… http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Another chicken free kibble is “Holistic Select” Salmon & Anchovy & Sardine Meal Adult & Puppy Health is suppose to be really good for itchy dogs…
http://www.holisticselect.com/
If after changing kibble to an all fish kibble & your dog is still itchy red eyes then book an appointment to see an Dermatologist they are better then a vet, dearer but a Dermatologist knows all about allergies & the skin you’ll end up saving money vets just put the dog on a vet diet & give antibiotics & steroids….Have you tried an antihistamine?? especially her eyes are you sure its not a turned in eye lash?? that can cause irritation & infection, I’d see a new vet for her eye…
besides the red eyes is she itchy all over her body & scratching, red paws or itchy ears?? she may just need the eye drops & be put on a premium kibble..

[Dennis L]

My puppy has been on a raw diet since we got him. We feed a combination of food from My pet carnivore including tripe, whole ground rabbit, whole ground chicken, pork, and beef. I give him raw meaty bones everyday. He was doing great on the bones and even was eating turkey necks, but last week he started chewing all of the meat off the bone and leaving the rest. I tried giving him a chicken thigh and then I went down to chicken wings. He eats the meat off of each bone and leave the rest. He used to crunch the bones up like they were nothing, but he has no interest now.
I know he needs more than the 10 percent bone that is in his ground food so I have been adding bone meal to his food to supplement. I am really not comfortable with this as I don’t want to give him too much calcium. I am wondering if teething is an issue and if anyone has had this problem and if their pups started back up on the bones. Thanks

[crazy4cats]

Hi RobbW-
If you are feeding the Adult Chicken Blue Wilderness kibble, it has 415 calories per cup. Here is a link the the dog food calculator that may help you determine how much to feed your pups: /dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

Raw food has a lot more moisture in it and most likely a lot less calories. You either need to feed less of their current food and exercise more. Or, find a food with less calories. I tend to feed lower calorie foods and add different toppers to my dogs’ meals. In fact, I feed commercial raw mixed in their meals three times per week. You could still feed partial raw along with kibble to help save money.

I agree with the others about not adding any supplements that advertise stopping urine burn to you dogs’ diets. Changing the pH of their urine could be dangerous. Best of luck to you!!

[sean b]

Hi guys,
Is there anybody on here that has an irish wolfhound?? I am trying to get onto giving my Winston a raw food diet,but have no idea where to begin,it all seems very intimidating and would love to know if anybody here has wolfhounds and if so how much do you feed…any help would be much appreciated, how to start out with my feeding regime etc etc thanks guys 🙂

[Shawna]

Hi Katie C,

There definitely is LOTS of opinions on right from wrong with raw feeding. I think there are three really important factors and everything else is just opinion — 1. No matter what you decide to feed, minimally processed food is always going to be an improvement over highly processed food. 2. The diet MUST be balanced. That said, except for calcium/phosphorus, the balance can happen at every meal or over a weeks time. 3. Variety in the diet (even if feeding commercial prepared, balanced foods) is absolutely a must.

I’ve been feeding raw to about 35/40 dogs over the last 11 to 12 years (my own and foster dogs). I’ve weaned pups onto raw and fed 19 year old seniors raw. I personally don’t feed grains or many starchier vegetables but if the pup isn’t having specific issues these can help keep the diet financially friendly. 🙂 I personally DO like small amounts of fruits (about 5% of total diet) and veggies (about 15 to 20%). They are not necessary, I will totally agree, but they do add a lot of nutrient bang for the buck when properly processed. Since our pups live in a somewhat toxic environment those extra antioxidants etc can only be beneficial in my opinion. I live pretty clean but my pets are exposed to formaldehyde in a few pieces of particle board furniture in my house as well as the anti-stain coating on furniture and rugs. I don’t spray my yard but my neighbors do. Then there’s car exhaust and………

I mostly feed commercial raw, right now I have more money than time. But I do buy meat on sale and use a premix to help balance it. I also have freeze dried raw, and even kibble, on hand for those days I literally run in to feed the dogs and run back out, or maybe I’ve got the flu and don’t even want to get out of bed let alone dish up meals for seven dogs.

There are recipes in books and online that you can use but, as mentioned, I don’t think it’s good to rely on one recipe all the time. Dr. Karen Becker has a book with recipes called “Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats”. She uses a few supplements but, in my opinion, it’s better to use supplements (even synthetic ones) than to omit that vitamin / mineral from the diet all together because of a bias. Balance IT website is another place where you can create recipes using ingredient you chose and then use their supplement mix to balance the diet. You also DEFINITELY CAN balance over a week but you have to be way more committed to finding and using harder to find ingredients/foods.

To recap, best thing you can do is not get too wrapped up into what is wrong or right and just strive for balance using whatever fits best into your lifestyle, price range and belief system.