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Search Results for 'raw diet'
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Topic: Best food for liver disease
Hi everyone!
I have an 8 year old long-haired mini-doxie named Sweet-Pea. She was recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease when tested at a visit for glaucoma. I am feeding raw meats (various kinds) mixed with rice and sweet potato. She had been off of the raw diet for several months, eating dry pedigree food since I had lost my husband and just taking care of things was overwhelming to me. But I went back to the raw after he diagnosis, and also am giving supplement of milk thistle for her liver. She has voracious hunger and thirst, and pees an ocean, sometimes not making it outside. I know this water drinking and peeing are related to the liver disease.So what do you recommend to feed her? Red meat is not the best for her, although I feed other meats when I can, and doing the raw diet seems to be too much work for my 4 dogs, including her. I’m looking for something easy to digest, easy on the liver (low ammonia-producing), and easy on the budget and to feed.
Thanks for any suggestions you have!
CathyOkay, I’m just going to throw this out here because I’ve found this to be a remarkably useful website, and if there’s anyplace I might productively ask my question, it’d be here. I apologize in advance for the length of it.
My family’s got four dogs currently: One small, one medium, one medium-large, and one large. It’s a nice range. I try to order higher-quality kibble brands to offset the lower-quality ones sometimes brought home by other people. A month or two ago, I had a two-hour phone conversation with my aunt, who’s got one small dog on a raw diet (with wet canned stuff in the mornings.) I’d hoped to simply be able to follow her precise regimen, adjusted for our pack…and got a half-page worth of notes during that convo in Microsoft Word. I should’ve figured it wouldn’t be simple, and I suppose I could start ordering some whole rabbits or tripe or turkey necks and supplements or any of the other various things I jotted down from the site she mentioned…but the whole thing still seems so overly, excessively complicated and worrisome. She said that she hadn’t even told her vet about the switch, but had been at it for about a year now.
A few benefits stood out: Cleaner teeth naturally, because no matter how much toothpaste or how many correct-ingredient-inclusive wipes I use, nothing removes the ‘icky’ stuff (which is worst on the oldest dog.) My aunt also noted that cleaning up after them is much easier thanks to the raw–and since that job typically falls to me, I’d really appreciate that. AND potential weight loss/healthy-weight management, as well…I almost always opt for the low-fat variety of everything to be on the safe side. Fortunately the hefty Brittany did recently move down to a smaller dosage of heartworm med, and can suddenly fit behind the sofa again–so I guess it finally paid off.
I’ve given the pooches everything from the raw-coated kibbles to Stella & Chewy patties to Fresh Pet to Honest Kitchen “green slop” (we’ve had that huge box for over a year now), to dozens of kibble brands that all seem essentially identical–and so on and so forth. When I try to look up which kibble or commercial raw food to try (assuming that cans would disappear far too quickly to be worthwhile), I am instantly overwhelmed and confused–I see loads and loads of brand names and packaging and shapes, but all of the food and flavors appear to be the same. I have no idea how to even tell which to buy. The sizes and portions and pricing baffle me–how am I to tell what will feed multiple dogs of various sizes and breeds for more than a couple days? We usually get a new big kibble bag about twice a month. I simply cannot tell what the raw equivalent would be…and even for dry food, I’m now kinda stumped. Every time I’m asked to order another bag, I freeze. How to choose?!?! My list’s grown so long, and we’ve tried so many…now I usually go with whichever has the best price per pound at the time, and a decent rating/reviews. I wish I could just find the perfect brand to consistently turn to, and continuously rotate through their flavors and treats. (Deciding which treat to pick up becomes a whole other can of worms, and I’m just like, “Gods, why, why, why must this be so bamboozling?! Why the hundreds of redundant choices? The dogs don’t even care, they just want our stuff!”)
Only one of the four dogs eats neatly (my Saluki, who has a snood. š The other three are slobs, knocking the bowls around and splashing before they even touch the floor. The little Beagle frequently flat-out refuses to eat from a bowl, insisting that the food be spilled onto the floor for him. Also, my mom’s a clean freak–and I’m a bit of one myself at times. For these reasons, I knew that any attempt to transition would be tough and drawn-out, if not impossible. I knew I’d have to discover the cleanest, neatest, easiest, least odiferous method.
Now, before I got older and started performing more research into these areas, my parents…well all right, let me just put it this way. The two Beagles we had at the time I was born ate cheap supermarket kibble and human leftovers, lived in the backyard, never once to my knowledge had their teeth brushed (the one had green teeth and rancid breath) or nails trimmed or even saw the vet…yet both lived happily & health-problem-free for 16-18+ years (we can’t be exactly certain because they were adopted from a shelter.) Thus it can be very difficult for me to convince these guys, no matter how many times I reiterate what the healthy-food brochures say, to go out of their way for “special frou-frou dog food” or anything they’re unused to.
WHEW. Ever so sorry to unload all that frustration here. Any advice, recommendations, or assistance that anybody ever feels like dropping would, of course, be most appreciated.
Hi jakes mom. I give all three of my girls 1/4 tsp. once a day of organic virgin coconut oil (I like the brand CocoTherapy best). I’ve seen big differences in their skin and coat with the coconut oil.
Once a week or so I split a can of sardines packed in water with no salt between the three of them. Hoping to help balance out or at least give them a little extra omega 3’s.
Hannah who will be 16 in September gets Standard Process Canine Whole Body Support, Standard Process Enteric Support, SP Canine Hepatic Support, and SP Flex Support once a day. I can’t really say that I see all the benefits from these supplements but I know at her age things may be starting to break down or at least not as efficient as they once were. The Enteric and Hepatic are for liver and kidney support.
Vitamin E soy free (Mercola). I give Hannah 200 i.u. every morning in her breakfast. Katie and Lola get 100 i.u. Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays. I pinch the capsules and squirt on their food. The vitamin E was suggested to me by one of her specialists. Figured it couldn’t hurt the other two girls to get a little three times a week now that they are 5 1/2 years old.
Hannah is also on Denamarin once a day approx. 1 – 1 1/2 hours before her dinner meal. Also for liver support. (Denamarin is a chewable and it’s a combination of SamE and Milk Thistle also prescribed by two of her vets. (In case you don’t remember Hannah has a tumor in her bladder and a mass on the lobe of one of her lungs…both inoperable not that we would have put her through it at her age anyway). Her liver levels as of last months blood work are back to normal. High end of normal but at least not sky high as they were last year.
I believe that these supplements, and most especially, her commercial raw frozen diet in rotation with brands and proteins is what has kept her symptomatic to these cancers even though she was diagnosed and confirmed by two other specialists a little over a year ago.
I also diffuse a few different essential oils in the house that are suppose to be good for tumors and cancers. Are they really working???? Don’t know. But they certainly can’t hurt her. Neither of the tumors have grown since they were diagnosed. She likes to lay near the diffusers so at least she likes the scents.
Sorry for editing so many times but I just remembered that you asked how old our dogs are. Hannah is 7.3 lbs., Katie is 6 lbs. and Lola is 5 lbs.
My 15-year old dog (small mixed breed – about 13 pounds – she’s lost weight) has developed a significant case of yeast-based dermatitis. She’s always had sensitive skin, but this reaches new heights. My new vet had her on prednisone and Baytril, which seemed to provide her some relief, and I’m using a special shampoo (though not regularly 2x/week – must correct that behavior on my part). She has large hairless patches, scabs around her face, and a good case of itching (though that has improved). I was reading this morning that carbohydrates in the diet can exacerbate this condition. I typically feed a selection of foods: her current favorite is Whole-Earth duck stew. Also provide a bit of kibble. She regularly gets probiotics, too. I am going to check the labels (and the Dog Food Advisor reviews) to ascertain the composition of her regular foods. Any responses regarding experience with withdrawing — or at least minimizing — carbs in her diet would be appreciated.
All dogs no matter what breed in order to maintain proper weight and dietary needs as long as they are healthy with no known medical conditions usually do best on a food that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs.
I’m sure if you gave us more info as to your situation (e.g income, how much access you have to pet stores, do they have a wide selection, do you prefer to order online) we could help you out a lot better.
Yes, typically canines do better with a grain free food, however, like most people on this site who are regulars will tell you, just because it’s grain free does not mean it’s species appropriate for a dog. A lot of companies that have gotten on the “grain free” bandwagon have replaced the corn, soy, wheat and rice in their foods, with high carbs like potatoes into order to bind the food together. So you need to pay close attention that the protein is not less than the carbs and the fat % is not too high either. Also, you need to pay attention to where the protein source is coming from. For example, a food that has 30% protein but you don’t see a whole meat or meat meal listed as the first second and third ingredients. That means they are using plant based proteins, which are not species appropriate protein sources as dogs are carnivores.
A few brands that meet these needs that are not avaliable at a commercial pet store like Petco would be Orijen, Acana, Wysong. Some brands that commercial stores do carry are Merrick, Nature’s Variety and Wellness CORE.
These are just ones I can think off the top of my head and that are apart of my dogs rotation. Most of us also use a canned wet food for the added moisture content and many people on here do raw homemade meals too. However if you think about going that route please do your research on how to create a balanced raw diet for a dog before just slapping together some chicken and veggies and calling that a meal.
edit: here’s the direct link to the google.doc aquariangt was talking about
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
these are foods that have the proper calcium levels for large breed puppiesKind of sad that Joe B couldn’t actually stick around and have a back and forth conversation like an adult about this topic. He came here simply looking for someone to agree with him which I find really sad and unnerving especially for the health of his dogs.
Obviously the vast majority of us here do understand the new research that developed that dogs are in FACT scavenging carnivores, not omnivores. Doesn’t mean we can’t be civil and have a conversation.
I was raised from the time of birth as a vegetarian because my mom was. I was never given a choice as to whether or not I wanted to eat meat and it never bothered me until I got older and wanted to have some control of my life. I could never imagine forcing a diet on my cat (especially my cat) or my dog just because it was my diet.
I was thinking about it the other day because I work at a pet store that sells live mice as feeders and everyone always thinks its so gross. But I sat and thought about it and was like wow you know what ya sure I love all animals and I feel some sympathy for the mice but it’s amazing that the only creatures on this earth that we allow to eat the diet they are meant to eat are reptiles, fish (when they are given feeder fish), some birds (i think). Yet when it comes to a dog eating his ancestral diet (raw MEAT) we freak out. People have told me that other pet stores have tried to make them feel guilty for feeding live mice to their snake or would not sell them live mice. I told them I think it’s fantastic.
Truly I do wish people could see the importance of this concept for dogs and cats too.
Topic: Need A Pre-Packed Raw Diet
I’ve been feeding my giant schnauzer 3 pounds of raw (hamburger, heart, liver, chicken, green tripe) per day. Now she won’t touch it. Can someone please recommend a raw-food product from whom I can purchase a pre-packed, complete, raw diet that I can thaw for each mea? Thanks.
Topic: Earthborn Question
Hello Mike,
I see that Earthborn is one of the 5 star foods on your site but I don’t see it listed as one of the Editors Picks.
Can you give me the reasoning behind that decision?
And yes I do feed that for my choice of kibble with a raw diet as well.I’m getting a St. Bernard puppy soon ,and have been researching possible diets. Of course I’m aware raw-feeding is the best option, but for an adult st. bernard, it would cost close to 300 dollars a month! Are there any good alternatives either kibble or wet food that are mostly protein, grain-free, and suitable for large breeds? I’m also in Canada, so anything available here would be great!
Hello Aimee
I’m glad my pup raising days (and child raising days) are long past š or I’d have to study all over again to get enough confidence to homemake even then half of a pup’s food properly. I think it’s very important to start off a pup on good foundation to health early for the proper build of health throughout life. And then to think that someone could be using an exclusive food (most of us regulars here on DFA never would ) through gestation, nursing, puppiehood, and adult hood, one should be even more careful. if I did ever aquire another puppy, not at all likely, but I’d definitely want to see that at least some wholesome rawness was a part of the diet, but I’d also want to make certain it was properly formulated, and well rounded with wholesome ingredients, whether formulated by myself or someone else. Getting the macronutrients right at the VERY least, and not dependent to any large degree on any one formulation.But I also think many raw maunufacturers face a dilemma, do they add a bunch of vitamins/minerals, many of them perhaps needlessly, and some perhaps harmfully,
in order to be able to put that AAFCO label on them? I think AAFCO guidelines were
designed for and are a must for heavily processed foods, the most so being kibble,
and even much more so when low grade, questionable, and inadequate ingredients are
used. I can’t imagine how nutritionally devoid most kibbles would be without rather
heavily added vitamins/minerals.But, if you take vitamin E for example. It gets used up with time, processing, and
natural peroxidation/oxidation of fats, especially the sensitive, unstable fats.
What vitamin E added when a kibble is made, needs to be sufficient throughout the
manufacturing process, the time that the kibble is stored, and then throughout the
time someone is feeding the bag. Probably if measured at the time a kibble is fed,
it would be a very small fraction left of the original vitamin E included
originally, but hopefully it would still retain at least some smaller amount. I
think the AAFCO guidelines likely allow for these losses.
Whereas a raw, minimally, but properly processed diet, fed immediately, or that is
frozen in well sealed packages is going to retain most of the original vitamin E.
The food/fats is still going to undergo some peroxidation, albeit at a much, much
slower rate. I believe to much vitamin E can be very harmful, just like to much
much of many other added nutrients. Even AAFCO is concerned with overnutrition.
“Maximum levels of intake of some nutrients have been established for the first
time because of concern that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger
problem with many pet foods today.” I’m satisfied that Allprovide has more than
sufficient of vitamin E in that food for MY dog, with the added wheat germ oil.Another example, I think you know of the importance of vitamin D in regulating
uptake of calcium and some other minerals. Probably you also know the detrimental
effects of to much vitamin D in supplemetation, including possible hypercalcemia.
And we have both seen how many raw foods, both homemade recipes and some
commercially prepared, appear to be “deficient” in vitamin D when going by AAFCO
guidelines.
I found this study interesting, “Some Observations on the Dietary Vitamin D
Requirement of Weanling Pups” and the conclusion; “Dogs fed diets with and without
supplemental cholecalciferol did not differ in growth rate, food consumption or
selected serum or urine values. Likewise,there were no differences between the two
of response to added cholecalcifrol was probably due to adequate levels of calcium
and phosphorus in the base diet and possible synthesis of vitamin D. However, it is
possible that some vitamin D could have been present in one or more of the
ingredients of the basal diet. It has been suggested that dogs may only require
additional vitamin D when there is a mineral deficiency or imbalance in the diet
(11). However, one study reported canine rickets in diets containing 1.2% calcium
and 1% phosphorus (6).It has been reported that carnivores may not possess the
mechanism of vitamin D synthesis in the skin (7). Another study demonstrated that
dogs fed a nonpurified diet without added vitamin D under conditions of total
darkness did not exhibit bone defects (Kealy,unpublished data). Previous reports
did not record the ultraviolet light status of the environment. It is not
understood at this time how the dog acquires sufficient vitamin D for metabolism.
Part of the explanation appears to be related to a very low vitamin D requirement
in the presence of adequate dietary mineral balance.The observation that large
breed dogs raised in indoor-outdoor kennel runs do not require added vitamin D is
important <b>because supplemental vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus are frequently
recommended and used at levels in excess of the nutritional require
ments of the dog, presumably to enhance bone growth and development. The data
reported here suggest that supplementation of nonpurified, commercially available
dog foods with vitamin D may not be necessary.</b>http://www.2ndchance.info/homemadediet-Kealy1991.pdf
Aimee, I know you’ve expounded about the blatant abuse of some other raw manufacturers in applying the AAFCO label of completeness on their foods, and I largely agree with many of your points, especially when it comes to all life stages/puppy, and especially the macronutrients Ca,P. etc.
I never expected you to approve of this one either. But for us, the puppy blend, good quality balanced proteins and well balanced fats, The meat, bone and beef organs in the proper proportions, and it’s other rounded whole food additions, and it’s 95% of the way there for us. I have a few more questions to ask, but as it stands for now, when my food supply runs down some, I intend to buy some Allprovide puppy blend and use at least as a sometimes meal/topper for my adult. It can replace some of the to expensive canned foods we’ve been using for the second meal of the day. I see it as a step up and less money too. The first meal will still always be raw homemade, or another solid commercial brand raw. If I did see a long list of added synthetic vitamins/minerals, for me, I’d likely just pass on this food. I’d still really appreciate someone (Dori?) to take a visit to them and report back.
Topic: Help me decide what food
Hello –
I have a 3 month old labradoodle puppy. He was 20 lbs a week ago, so I’d think he’s between 20 and 25 now. He’ll be about 65 pounds full grown most likely.
I’m currently feeding him Nature’s Variety Instinct Large Puppy kibble, which I’ve now realized is even too high in calcium for him. He gets some Stella & Chewy meal mixer in with breakfast and I always give him either a scrambled egg, cottage cheese, pumpkin, or some plain meat chunks with dinner – lunch is plain kibble, as that’s at the day care most days. He gets a raw chicken wing or thigh as a treat a couple times a week right now.
I’m going to plead ignorance and admit that I thought I was doing a great thing by getting him “fancy” kibble and only realized a week into having him that there’s much, much more to dog food than dry kibble.
So my dilemma:
–I need to provide him with some form of kibble or dry-fed food for various reasons – the day care can’t mix his food, I do travel from time to time on business so he may need to be boarded 3-4 days per month, and I’m afraid if I stop kibble altogether he might refuse it while I’m away and be a very hungry boy when I return. However, this doesn’t have to continue to be a significant portion of his food. I am happy to keep it just to stuff Kongs/food toys so he stays used to it, but I need to have some on hand. I’ve narrowed this down to – Annamaet Salcha, Avoderm Turkey, or Fromm Beef Frittata.
–I am very interested in a raw diet for him, but I can’t decide what to do here. I’d like to have some freeze-dried product on hand (narrowed down to NRG Maxim and THK Love) for convenience. But ultimately, once he’s down to 2 meals per day from 3, I’d like to go as full raw as I can do – whether it be commercial or homemade or a combo. I have found what I am confident is a very good and versatile homemade recipe (from Ottowa Valley Dog Whisperer – are we allowed to post links here?). My one and only issue with this recipe is I need to sit down and do some maths and figure out what to add in terms of calcium – if I need to alter the recommendation in the recipe based on having a largish breed puppy.
–I am also interested in supplementing with raw meaty bones, as my dog really enjoys his chicken wings and chews them very nicely. Is it okay to just use rmbs as a supplement/treat kind of deal? Could/should I give him one daily or just a few times a week or is it better to just replace a whole meal with them? I would vary the meat/bone source often.
I’m trying to do the right and best thing for my puppy, and I’m 100% open to suggestions and criticism about my plans. I welcome any and all advice, as I’m new to this and my head is just spinning. Added to this is that my wife travels 5 days a week, I work full time outside the home, and we have a 4 year old (human) daughter as well as 2 cats and about 200 fish haha! So I’m a single parent 5 days a week. I’m really at the mercy of convenience. However, I can manage an evening cooking session once a week or a couple times a month and can freeze portion sized amounts. It’s just a matter of figuring out that pesky calcium balance. The recipe calls for powdered eggshell or bone meal. OR I can add whole prey meat to the recipe – I assume I would grind this – and omit the eggshell.
If I were to make the homemade diet, I feel like I would probably feed that for 2 meals per day and continue with kibble for 1 meal. And then when pup’s down to 2 meals, perhaps full homemade with kibble in the kong or as hand fed treats so he stays accustomed to it.
Last question – there doesn’t seem to be a lot of question/issue with feeding raw meaty bones or prey model diets to large breed puppies. Does the nature of a raw diet negate the need to watch the calcium levels so closely?
Basically I think if they are putting an AAFCO label of nutritional completeness on their foods, i doubt they should be doing so. On the other hand, for me, AAFCO guidelines hold much less relevance for well rounded quality whole, foods, and really become much more relevant the more heavily processed foods. kibbles, etc. I don’t like to many excessive and uneccessary added vitamins/minerals to raw diet.
I’ve not seen guaranteed analysis of their products. The analysis they show is a bit confusing, especially the way they have broken certain items down.
I think I can assume that fat means total fat, carbs mean total carbs, it wasn’t at first plain to me from their analysis. But the total calories still don’t quite reconcile?
Going by what i can here’s the best I come up with on the puppy blend. I hope this comes out looking like a spreadsheet, never has for me before on the review side anyway š
Analysis % %Dry Matter Approximate % calories from?:
——————————————————————————————————-protein 14.02 46.6
fat 7.58 25.2 about 51% ?
carbs 6.57 21.8
water 69.92
ash/other 1.91 6.3
——————————————————————————————————-
100 99.9Going by those figures, the fat doesn’t look out of line, particularly since the product has added coconut oil and salmon oil, already. I might give consideration feeding the puppy blend (to my adult) on a supplemental basis. I’d be interested in how the veggies, particulary the kale, are processed to make more digestible., and if the mung and adzuki beans are cooked in addition to, or simply just sprouted.
Edit: yeah it didn’t come out looking like a spreadsheet, at all. I’ll have to try doing something about that later.
Allprovide looks like (or at least initially) it could be a good, very economical food option 2 feed on occaison. The proteins are mixed in the varieties. Not a big deal for me though, for some might be. The poultry varieties all use beef organs, which is good really, they are more nutritious than chicken organs, probably why they do that. The beef variety uses chicken bones. And all the varieties appear to be high in fat as in the case with so many commercial raw diets. But alot of the numbers don’t numbers seem 2 jive either, and calories per 100grams? The first thing thats fairly easy 2 pick out is the inverted calcium phosphorus ratio in the turkey variety. I think it’s going to fall short in some of the numbers, but trying to reconcile these numbers gives me such a big headache even trying, i give up. Aimee’s is great with processing the numbers, maybe she would see this and lend a hand to it?
Personally, the only variety that I would be interested tin is the puppy blend, but not for a puppy, for my adult. It has 2 major proteins, chicken and beef heart, and the fat levels are lower, or should be.
Topic: Low Carb Wet food? Help!
Really interested as to if any of you have found any canned foods out there that are low carb. I have an 11 mo pit with a yeast infection under his nail beds and aside from the foot soaks and anti-fungal meds, I’m trying to prevent/combat this with his diet. I’m going to be switching him from NV Instinct Raw Boost to Orijen Regional Red for his dry, but I have to feed him wet as well. I am having a hard time finding a canned food without tons of carbs, mainly potatoes. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Topic: TPLO Surgery Recovery
Hey guys, I have been watching/stalking this forum for awhile and it has helped me a lot transitioning my dogs to a full raw diet. One of my dogs completely ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and is in TPLO surgery right now, he should be coming home tomorrow, fingers crossed!
My dogs are fed half commercial raw grinds/nuggets, mainly Northwest Naturals and Columbia River Naturals, switching between meats such as lamb, beef, quail. The other half of their diet RMB that I find good deals on at the grocery store or local farmers (mainly chicken and turkey). We live in a small house so sadly don’t have room for a massive freezer yet! As far as supplements, they are already being given fish oil, green lipped mussel and K9 Level 5000. They also get sardines and local duck eggs several times a week. Thankfully he will not be put on antibiotics so thats one less thing to worry about. I did buy a exercise pen for him to be in for the next several weeks and was thinking for some of his meals I could use a Kong stuffed with grinds, frozen it would provide a pretty stimulating meal.
So any advice on what supplements, types of raw food may help his recovery, tips to keep him entertained, etc would be much appreciated! I’m sitting at home with all my other animals bored our of our minds waiting to hear from the vet!!
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