[Susan]

Hi Jennifer, a grain free would be better then Purina One but I found alot of grain free kibbles have potatos & you need a low carb diet, yeast loves carbs, I few people I know feed the “Holistic Select” Anchovy, Sardines & Salmon meal, for their dogs with bad skin problems & they say its excellent the vet diets never helped their dogs, the Holistic Select also has 2 grain free kibbles Deboned Turkey & Lentils has no potatos & their Salmon Anchovy & Sardine grain free…or you can do an elimination diet to see what foods make him itch, but an elimation diet takes time…Wellness has their Simple limited ingredients range, that way he’s having limited ingredients, less ingredients to make him itch, also sardines in spring water are excellent for itchy skin, I give a couple sardines as a treat…I’m using the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal as my boy cant have potatos or sweet potatos, he’ll break out in a rash all over his stomach & chest, then his ear starts to itch, then his paws go all red & itchy, its awful.. I wouldnt believe it if I didnt see how a little bit of potato can do all this, I found this out buy doing an elimination diet…maybe try raw thats the best for skin problems, cooking or raw works out cheaper then kibbles, ..

[Kristin D]

I want to start feeding my 5 year old Miniature Dachshund,Oscar,raw or cooked food. Any advice at all would be SOOOOOO helpful!!!!!:) Oscar is a couple pounds overweight right now because I was on vacation for a week and he stayed at a family member’s house. She didn’t walk him because I didn’t think about asking her to(silly me!!! *Face palm* Lol!!!)and she has a dog who grazes, so Oscar would always eat some(probably most)of his food. Right now he weighs 13 pounds, but I would like to get him down to about 10 pounds(I walk him just about everyday, so he should be back in shape in no time!!!). Now for “some” QUESTIONS!!!!:D YAAAAAY!!!! Lol!!!;P How much raw food per day should I feed him??? Should I start out getting packaged raw food??? Should I just give him the bones or grind them up??? What meats can he eat??? What should his daily, weekly, etc… diet consist of??? How much of what should I feed him weekly, daily, etc…??? How slowly should I introduce him to raw food??? What meats are good to introduce/start out with??? What things should I get to start out with(what kind of meat grinder, what kind of storage containers, etc…)??? What are some good books I should read??? What are some good sources(websites)I should check out??? How should I handle the meat??? How do I clean up and things like that??? Where should I get the meat??? What should I look for in the meat??? How much will this cost per month??? What veggies and fruits should I include in his diet daily, weekly, etc…??? How much low-fat cottage cheese, veggies, etc… should I feed him daily, weekly, etc…??? What kind of fish can he eat??? Should I add fish oil or probiotics or whatever else to his daily, weekly, etc… diet??? That’s it for now!!! Don’t worry, I’ll be back with MORE!!!!:D Lol!!!;P Thanks guys!!!:D

• This topic was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Kristin D.

[Cotons mom]

OK I have two cottons both a year old. I am really interested in giving them raw bones both for recreation and meals but am so afraid of them choking. The little guy is 10 pounds and his sister is 17 pounds. I feel them a raw diet (primal, S&C, and a few others) and give them frozen/defrosted tripe from vital essentials.

What animal size would be appropriate for them? and do I need to take the marrow out of the marrow bones to keep them from getting too much fat and then GI distress?

Thanks so much

[Lisa]

After about 4 months of various symptoms my 18 month old male GSD was down to 64 lbs(normal weight was 80-85 lbs) we finally got a the EPI diagnoses from our vet. He was originally on Eagle Pack, then Taste of the Wild eventually we tried to Go!Sensitive and Shine and Grandma Lucy’s Goat. With these 2 foods he improved a little and gained about 5 lbs in 2 weeks. The vet prescribed enzymes but after doing some research we decided to try raw food including raw beef pancreas. We ordered beef pancreas and green tripe from http://www.hare-today.com and from the very first feeding we saw results. Green tripe is totally gross but Reggie absolutely loves it!
It took about 3 weeks for him to completely stabilize, he went from 3 meals a day to 2, his poops are perfect and he goes about 3 times a day, no gas or stomach rumbling, he sleeps through the night again. Now he is about 100 lbs and is full of energy he probably runs/walks about 5-7 miles a day, barely sheds and his coat super soft and shining.
We are been able to reduce the amount of beef pancreas per feeding so a 16 oz tube will last a few days and his diet is probably about 70% raw he likes ground meat,organ,bone mixed with Taste of the Wild kibble or Grandma Lucy’s with a occasional egg. We switch the type of protein(fish,chicken,beef, turkey, goat, even llama) he eats every few days and their is no change in his bowel movements. He gets coconut oil as a supplement as well as 8 Gentleman Chinese herbs. We got the Chinese herb from a local holistic equine vet, we believe it was a key component in his recovery.
I love to watch him eat RMBs he throughly enjoys laying in the grass and slow tearing into the meat and savoring every bite, just like his ancestors did..this is the way canines are supposed to eat!
Raw feeding takes a little extra work but it is definitely worth it. We have a freezer in the basement and we have a small refrigerator where we keep the raw food separate from our food. I know every dog’s situation is different but this solution saved Reggie’s life.

[Akari_32]

I’m fostering a 16 year old Mini Dachshund right now and am using the Wellness Toy Breed formulas. I love the looks of them, and she eats them as well. Wellness also has a Small Breed CORE (grain free) recipe out now that looks fantastic I just bought to use for treats for my 2 year old Jack Russell mix that eats raw and needs a low carb diet, but loves his treats. Not Chihuahuas, but they are similar in size 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Louis –

It’s great that you’re being proactive about your dog’s dental health! 🙂

Unfortunately, the Milk Bone brand dental chews contain very unhealthy ingredients (kind of the canine equivalent of a candy bar for us humans!). The good news is there are a lot of healthy chews available that I’m sure your dog will love just as much.

My number one recommendation for a healthy and effective dental chew is raw meaty bones. My dogs are fed an entirely raw diet and their dinner every night consists of raw meaty bones, but raw meaty bones can be fed to dogs that don’t eat raw as well. The best options for small dogs are things like chicken necks, wings and feet. Larger dogs do well with items like chicken backs, chicken quarters, pork necks and turkey necks.

If you’re not comfortable with feeding raw (which is completely understandable, many aren’t) the next best option would be a natural chew – things like bully sticks, dried trachea, pig ears, etc. These treats are high in protein and low in carbohydrates making them species-appropriate and healthy – plus dogs go nuts for them! Just be sure to get these types of treats from a reputable supplier (avoid treats imported from China!). A great site to order chews from is BestBullySticks.com – they have a wide selection and their chews are sourced from free-range Brazilian cattle.

While I do feel that RMBs and natural chews are a much better option than commercial dental treats, if you do choose to go with a commercial dental treat there are some things to look out for. The vast majority of commercial dental treats are loaded with unhealthy ingredients (like the Milk Bone dental chews) but there are a few out there that aren’t so bad. You just have to be sure to always read the ingredient list – avoid items like propylene glycol, artificial colorings, corn, wheat, soy, by-products, digests, etc. The downside to commercial dental chews is that, for the most part, they’re all fairly carb-heavy (even the healthier options) and they’re typically very expensive (RMBs are cheap!). A few commercial dental chews that I would feel comfortable recommending: Zuke’s Z-Bones, Cloud Star Dynamo Dog Dental Bones, Halo Spot’s Chew, Get Naked Dental Chew Sticks, Newman’s Own Organics Dental Bones and Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials Dental Chews.

Also, be sure that you’re brushing your dogs teeth regularly (at least three times per week) – while dental chews are certainly a valuable tool for dental health, the only way to ensure optimal dental health is through brushing.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[pugmomsandy]

I agree with crazy4cats. I would definitely contact the company. They should easily give you the phosphorus content. You and your vet might check into the Lamb Kidney Support formula from here:

http://www.myperfectpetfood.com/products.html

Or the kidney diet from Darwins:

http://www.darwinspet.com/our-raw-foods/our-raw-dog-food/intelligent-design-ks/

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
I was trying to find websites I looked at for my hyper-t kitty when he needed help eating. One of the main reasons given for kitty’s not eating was a change in routine. I really hope that is all it is for your kitty and it is not health related. When I used to have to leave town for extended periods of time I would take my JRT with me and take my two kitties to my parents house. When I brought them back they were so funny. They would sit on my bed and wake me up in the middle of the night and morning by just staring at me. It was like they were telling me they never thought they would make it back home again and would start purring and rubbing up against me as soon as I woke up. They would do this for about a week until they settled back into to their routines.

The first thing that caught my eye was the sweetener in the ingredients. The second was the ingredient that I guess keeps the kibble from getting hard. I really don’t know anything about those ingredients, but if I fed this food it probably wouldn’t be long term. Honestly, if a kitty is not eating I would pretty much give anything a try and this food would be no exception. 🙂 Here’s the links I used for the ingredients that I checked out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructooligosaccharide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucono_delta-lactone
http://www.modernistcookingmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-ingredients/more/sodium-alginate

I reluctantly added two Friskies flavors to my senior female’s diet. She was not eating well and did not have a long term interest in any of the new foods I tried. She looked haggard and I had to find something that she was excited about eating. I re-visited the Friskies recipes. I added two from the Special Diet line, the Beef & Chic and Turkey & Giblets; AE is Country Style Dinner. They are all pates’, carbs are about 5% for SD and 11% for Country Style Dinner, and none of the recipes have fish. Drawbacks are by-products are listed first (named meat is like third), giblets are high on the ingredient list for the turkey, and all have added color. Haven’t had to try the Country Style Dinner, but my girl is happy, looking better and that’s what matters.

[David D]

I’m looking to start my dog on a raw food diet and have a couple questions.

#1) I read on http://rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html that it’s best to start out with chicken. It also says that the meal should be 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organ. Reading further it says that a chicken is 33% bone. Should I buy some extra chicken breasts to make the ratio work at 10% bone?

#2) I contacted one of my local butchers and he sells “raw course ground beef scraps” for $0.50/lb. Is this a good thing to feed?

Thanks in advance!

[Zanes Mom]

It’s interesting that you would say that about the kibble because about the time his problems started the dog food he was on ( not Acana) was suddenly unavailable for a period of time and the reason given was manufacturing issues. Hard to know of course.
When I first visited this site I could never imagine feeding raw but as I learn more I really want it to play a part in Zane’s diet so I appreciate your good wishes. Thank you again for your insight and suggestions.

[Naturella]

Sheltielove, a few of us here are college students, myself and my husband included. We also shop on a super tight budget for our dog, but so far we have managed to keep our food costs at $6.07/month for 4-5-star food. That is pretty low, although I am not counting Bruno’s (the dog’s) additives in the price. He gets an egg, a raw meaty bone (usually a chicken back or pork/beef neck bone piece), 1/2 can of sardines, and a tablespoon of coconut oil every other day and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt every other day. And The Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated food as a topper (1 tsp/meal, aside from when he gets coconut oil or yoghurt). The price of THK is calculated in his food cost though. Right now we are stocked on kibble and THK till the end of August, 2015.

Now, how did we do that?
Part 1 – lucked out! Our local Petland had a special during the months of November and December 2013 and was giving away FREE small bags of Holistic Health Extension. I stocked up on those with 4 bags.
Part 2 – Petland also sends me a coupon for $10 off of $25+ purchase – a great way to get bigger bags for less. I got 3 14-lb bags for about $20 each (with tax and all).
Part 3 – Luck again – there is an awesome little pet specialty store with amazing sales on top notch brands when they’re a month away from expiring, plus they give away free samples. Got me some of those too.
Part 4 – I facebooked a bunch of companies to ask for samples of their foods – some sent just coupons, some samples and treats, and some – whole small bags of food. Two bags of food came this way.
Part 5 – Planned couponing – for more info and to speak to this site’s real coupon guru Akari_32, see this thread – /forums/topic/coupons/
Part 6 – Scouting for deals and sales online. Websites, such as petflow.com and chewy.com will have flash sales at which you can get food for $1/lb – I got 19lbs of food this way, all in 4- or 5-lb bags of great, various flavors and brands.

Part 7 – MOST IMPORTANTLY – all of the above methods will be kind of on the hard side if you do not rotate protein sources (flavors) AND brands of food. More on diet rotation and why it’s important – /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/ But this way you get to take advantage of all or most deals and sales versus being stuck to a specific brand/flavor.

Also, some of the more affordable overall brands are: Earthborn Holistic, Victor Select and Victor Grain Free, in some places NutriSource (not around Kennesaw, GA though – here it is soooo expensive!), Taste of the Wild (a Diamond product), Canidae (in my area it’s not too pricy), and possibly Dr. Tim’s.

As for Diamond – they manufacture several brands. They had a huge recall in 2012 and handled it poorly. Hence the issue of many with them.

As for Nutro, I cannot speak, although I have fed their small breed puppy food – one bag, first food we bought for our doggie before we discovered this site.

Hope this helps! Welcome, and keep the questions coming! 🙂

[neezerfan]

I got my dog from a rescue at age 2 1/2. At that time the vet said he was underweight. He was 12 lbs, she said she’d like to see him at 13 or 14 lbs. His ribs and hip bones were prominent. I started him on the rotational diet I’m feeding my other dog(different brands, proteins, raw, canned,dried). He developed large,loose stools(cow patty type). I tried to figure what was bothering him. Was it the lamb, carageenan? Couldn’t figure it out. When I clipped his hair down for the hot weather and saw how thin he still was, weighed him and saw he had actually lost a half a pound, to the vet we went. She tested him for EPI and that was negative, so suggested we start with the limited ingredient diet. It’s working wonderfully for him, his poops are normal, he’s holding steady at 14 lbs. But I’m a DFA dogfoodie! I want some alternatives for him. I asked the vet to try the potato and rabbit but she wants me to wait for that another 3 months. He does like the food, so that’s not a problem.

[Akari_32]

Right?? LOL

Bentley’s fur is growing back pretty well. Almost at full length again on his but and thighs. You can see his legs are still red, but he seems to not be losing any more fur, so whatever. I think its the Pure Balance I had to buy him. They didn’t have any of the 95%, so I got him the puppy stew kind, and its making him itchy. That and everyones allergies in general are just really horrible right now. I haven’t been able to breath for like a month, and a lot of people are catching colds, as well. So thats not helping him, either. But his new diet should help! Wish there was an affordable raw diet for the cat. I would love to try it. He really loves his beef heart lol

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Akari_32.

[Susan]

Hi Tiffany, when I first rescue my boy he was doing sloppy poos with jelly on then & mucus, did the blood tests for parasites all blood test all came back good, vet said Colitis & he was put on Metronidzole for 2 weeks, I went back to feeding him chicken necks for breakfast & his Opitmum kibble & tin food at night again every 13 days he would be up early hours of the morning with his stomach/bowel making gurgling noises & he’d have to go out & do his jelly poos, I called them, then finally vet said looks like he has IBD, he can’t just eat anything, no more chicken necks there’s too much fat & just bone, he needs to be put on a stricted diet, so he was put on Vet prescription Royal Canin Hypoallergenic cause he also has skin problems being a Staffy but the fat was 19% in the R/C HP it was too high fat% then he got Pancreatitis, in the end he was put on Eukanuba Intestinal Low residue kibble, this stopped all the jelly poos stopped his gurlging bowel, I also cooked him boiled chicken breast mixed with a little pumkin, rice & a boiled egg, now Im giving him Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal its a limited ingredient kibble & his poos are excellent better then when he was on the Royal Canin & Eukanuba Intestinal Vet diet, maybe look at the Wellness Complete Health range they have a large breed puppy formula & also give a cooked meal but keep everything the same, very simple once he gets use to the cooked or new kibble dont just change it or rotate it until you’ve worked out what he can eat & what he cant…once I had him just on the Eukanuba Intestinal & he was doing real good for 6moths, I started an elimation diet for breakfast only & his kibble for dinner & I found he couldnt eat Potatos or sweet potatos, he got a rash all over his chest & had diarrhea, if he ate a biscuit with wheat in it his paw would get real red & swollen.. unless thats what you do start an elimantion diet, you start with 1 protein normally boiled chicken & add rice then after 1 week & their poo is good add something else new to their diet for the next week, I saw an reaction within 2 hours of adding the potato, so the next morning I added the potato again to make sure it wasn’t from grass his rash & it was the potato, you can google elmination diets for dogs….
Have you tried a kibble where the protein% & fat% was lower then the Taste of the Wild & seen how he goes..
if you do cook make sure that he has the same meal for at least 4 weeks to settle everything as soon as Id change something in Patches diet he’d be pooing sloppy again, so I started watching what he was eating & writing it all down…can tin fish is good but not in oils, I use tuna in spring water & drain the spring water, I add a little boiled pumkin & a boiled egg you can also get salt free Salmon
another good site is yahoo group called “K9Kitchen” run be Monica Segal..also Lew Olson Book called “Raw & Nutrition for dogs” it has cooked recipes for dogs with health problems, that’s where I started with her book, its only cost $12 on Amazon she explains about using the egg shell after boiling the egg & drying the shell out & crushing the egg shell for their calcuim…..

[Melissaandcrew]

My Iggys need carbs in their diet or the would look like coat racks. They always get food with carbs, whether its dry or homemade raw.

[Patricia O]

Thank u so much for your responses ! Yes i know I am the problem ! 🙂
He is sooo spoiled !
However now he has been eating this raw chicken drumstick all by himself without problems :)- however i am concerned he is not getting a balanced diet . So my question to u is what supplements should i give him so he gets a balanced diet 🙂
I am adding so organ meat like giblets and liver …. Thank u guys !

[Shawnna G]

I have a Irish Wolfhound mix who is epileptic and we are in the process of switching over his food.
Our vet warned us about three things when switching his food over – Turkey (which can effect the seizure threshold), Rosemary (which can cause seizures in some epileptic dogs) and salt (because if interacts with his medicine).
I was looking at Natures Variety – however be careful because most of their products have Rosemary in them. I decided on a homemade diet (we may do raw after he fully adjusts) and Acana limited ingredient dog food. (About 3/5 homemade and 2/5 Acana).

[Marilyn E]

I’ve been feeding Darwin’s for 2 years and am very pleased with the quality. (darwinspet.com). I have a standing monthly order, and it arrives by UPS. They send return labels so you can ship the boxes back, which is Eco friendly. If I don’t get around to taking them to UPS, I just leave them out on the next delivery day and the driver takes them. Darwin’s has 2 lines of food, one is free range, no hormones or antibiotics; the other is human grade, USDA inspected. Darwin’s is an complete diet–includes veggies, organ meats, ground bone.
To answer the other part of your question: I supplement the raw with probiotics, coconut oil, omega 3s, and Spirulina-Astizanthan (Mercola Healthy Pets online). I do feed treats cuz I don’t know how you train without it, but if I don’t use meat leftovers, I use high quality treats, such as freeze-dried liver, Real Meat brand dog treats, or ZiwiPeak dehydrated raw food.

[Naturella]

Kim, I’m glad I could help! 🙂 Many many many good people on this site have helped me enhance my knowledge of most things dog (and even cat, although I don’t have one), and I know you will learn a lot here too.

As far as travel – kibble is very convenient, so if you get them used to something, that will be easy when you travel with your “pack”. Also, dehydrated raw/freeze-dried raw are fairly convenient options too, plus, I hear boarding places will still feed dehydrated, but not actual frozen raw. Some brands are The Honest Kitchen, Sojos, Grandma Lucy’s, Nature’s Variety (I think they have freeze-dried).

One interesting brand I wanted to invite you to try is Wysong. Their Epigen line has zero starches as binders, which makes it pretty unique, plus it is very nutritious and protein-rich, and the kibble is tiny. They also offer some dehydrated/freeze-dried options. Epigen is on the pricier side of dog foods, but I think it is quite worth it. Aside from Epigen, they have other great kibbles that are also small and have no corn, you just have to look through the ingredients. I have a bag of the Nurture with Quail (has some brown rice) by Wysong that I will try in my rotation soon, and it was pretty affordable ($5 for 5 lbs on Petflow.com), plus, you can find even better deals on them on some of the online shopping websites (Petflow.com ; Chewy.com ; Wag.com). I just love their philosophy as a company, so check them out. But all other suggested brands are completely viable options, and GREAT choices as well. Don’t forget that rotation of food brands is also essential for the dog’s well-being as this way they get not only varied proteins, but varied combinations of vitamins and minerals, which helps make their overall diet more “complete” and “balanced”.

Let us know if you have any more questions! 🙂

[Stacy D]

Yes he absolutely gets enzymes. Enzyme Diane 6x powder 1 1/2 tsp per meal. I also have raw beef pancreas and raw green tripe. I’m going to ferment fresh raw goat’s milk for probiotics. I’m active on the epi4dogs forum as well. There they talk a lot about cooked diets and alternating raw with kibble, which I would never consider doing. I’m looking for someone to give me straight advice about raw diet. One person says cook the vegetables. Another one (including Billinghurst) says don’t cook, just pulverize. Of course the EPI dog is a different set of rules.

[Susan]

Hi Stacey, google “Raw diets for dogs with EPI” I know EPI dogs cant digest too much fiber & need a very low fiber/FAT diet, enzymes are suppose to help with the digestion of the food, u soak their food in a enzyme for 20mins, but Ive also read that enzymes can give mouth ulcers thats why Ive never tried any enyzmes,..here’s a good site
http://www.epi4dogs.com/diet.htm scroll down to Meat/Protein Vegetables, vegetables must be fully cooked & mashed up & you only add 1 new vegetable at a time, 1 new veggie a week to see if they can tolerate that vegetable, once you work out what he can eat & what he can’t you’ll be right but you have a big dog to feed, so maybe do 3-4 smaller meals a day that way its not too much for him to digest..also google “foods that are low in fiber” I dont know if pasta is low in fiber, I know brown rice has more fiber then white rice, the pasta will help fill him up & maybe gain weight, you need to do a bit of research, I did the research last year when I thought Patch had EPI….Wild Salmon oil is suppose to be good for dogs with EPI & Gastro problems, but you start with a real little bit then work ur way to the dose over 2 week period, Ive always been too scared that the Salmon oil will give Patch bad diarrhea so Ive never tried, it helps their stomach & skin…. if you keep scrolling down there’s recipes aswell, but you must take it very slow & cause they always feel hungry he’ll gulp his meals so maybe just add little food in his bowl then a little more, I have 2 bowls, 1 bowl has the meal then I put Patches bowl on a little chair so its level with his stomach & I just add 1 spoon at a time & feed slowly I have to lift the bowl when putting in food or he’ll gulp the food as Im adding it to his bowl, he’s getting better, he seems to gulp his food more as the day goes on..it takes a bit longer but that way he doesnt get his pain & have his bad burping after eating…its an awful disease….poor boy

[Susan]

Hi Kathy, I forget itchy skin, yes Potatos are a high carb & can cause itch, see how she goes with the potato, as alot of the kibbles have potato now & the Wellness Simple has their Potato & Salmon, Turkey & Potato & they’re suppost to be for skin/stomach problems, but Potato makes my boy itch with his skin allergies, thats why I got the Duck & Oatmeal, & Lamb & Oatmeal kibble as it has no Pototes but all dogs are different… maybe try sweet potato first…you’ll see, as soon as Patch eats something that doesn’t agree with him he starts his scratching & gets his hive lumps all over his head & body…
like 4FootedFoodie said there’s alot of good dog diet books, also Lew Olson has a book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs” it has cooked meals for certain illnesses, its an excellent book & easy recipes & what vitamins to add, like grounded up egg shell for their calcuim…its only $12.80 on Amazon…in the end home cooked ends up being cheaper & healthier & ur dog will be happier…

[Stacy D]

Hi I’m new to raw feeding and have a GSD with EPI. And he’s a gulper. I’m in the second week. I started out feeding ground chicken and things were going great. When I started adding small amounts of other proteins and organ meat his poops started turning yellow and mushy. I’m back to feeding just chicken but clearly need to be giving him more as he’s not getting all the nutrition he needs. Help!!!

[Paul B]

Green tripe is excellent if it is sold in sections or even ground. It’s hard to find it but it has so much great fiber that is missing in most raw diets! Sounds like you know enough to do a great job.
Paul

[milly w]

Vegetarian Dog Food

To most Americans, leading a vegetarian lifestyle is the right way to healthy living. As a result, they feel obliged to extend this sort of lifestyle to their pets. Such beliefs have brought about a wide-scale marketing campaign for vegetarian dog foods.

Depending on your definition of vegetarian, certain ingredients and food types may be incorporated or removed from a vegetarian diet. As a minimum requirement, most meat sources – pork, beef, fish, etc. – are usually removed from the diet. Animal products such as milk and eggs are also usually not incorporated into the diet.

Why do people switch their pet diets to Vegetarian Dog Food?

Most vegetarians believe that vegetarian diets are healthy when compared to the traditional diets, which include animal-source foods. Vegetarians extend this assumption to their pets, which of course is not always true. For example, dogs do not suffer from disorders such as high cholesterol. Therefore, cutting your dog’s meat intake with the intention of reducing its cholesterol intake does not serve any real health benefit to the dog.

Other folks believe that meat contains contaminated bacteria that may harm their dog. This may be a real and legitimate cause to worry; however, meat products that have been properly canned or dried pose a far lower risk of disease transmission when compared to raw vegetables or fruits.

Some people cut their pet’s meat or animal-source intake with the premise that it causes food allergies. Pets rarely develop food allergies. When it comes to pets, the risk of developing allergies due to protein intake from meat or protein intake from plants is the same. Cutting meat intake rarely helps solve this problem.

The most likely Effects of switching your Dog’s Diet to Vegetarian

The nutritional demands for dogs are very different when compared to those of humans. A perfect vegetarian diet for a human may; therefore, not be suitable for a dog. A vegetarian pet food that meets all the requirements – of the dog species – is very difficult, but possible to develop. However, it becomes even more difficult when you decide to use ingredients that fit a purely vegetarian diet: a vegan diet.

A protein and calcium need of a dog, for example, is much higher when compared to that of a human. Such nutrients are usually derived from animal ingredients.

Of course, it is possible to derive such nutrients – Calcium and protein – from synthetic substitutes; however, the process is much more expensive and far less reliable. The process may prove very effective theoretically, but fail miserably in the “real world”.
Finally, even if the dog eats the vegetarian diet that you serve it, it may not consume it in the proportions that its body requires. Pets enjoy a cookie or a fruit on an occasional basis; however, they may not enjoy consuming vegetarian products for their survival. Therefore, even if you come up with a vegetarian diet that meets all the requirements, your dog may not take in as much as its body needs. Thus, it will suffer nutritional deficiency eventually.

In a concluding remark, vegetarian diets are healthy – to a certain extent. However, they may deprive your dog of certain essential requirements. If you must serve your companion with vegetarian dog food, ensure that it takes it in sufficient quantities, and that it has all the essential nutritional requirements.

[Cyndi]

I have learned that you feed 2-3% of the dogs body weight. Closer to 2% for less active dogs and closer to 3% for more active dogs. I’m not sure though about growing puppies. Hopefully someone else that knows can chime in and give you a better answer. I feed my dog closer to 2% now because she was getting a bit on the pudgy side, so I feed her a bit less.

Awesome that you found a website that sells green tripe. That’s the kind of place Hare Today is. They raise rabbits and chickens and goats & stuff just to sell to raw feeders.

Freezing and defrosting foods is something just about all us raw feeders do. Most of us buy in bulk and freeze until needed. For instance, I’ll get frozen goat pieces. I thaw them out just enough to break them up into individual servings, then refreeze until I feed them. Then I’ll thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and feed it the next day. I do the same with raw ground meat. I’ll thaw it, portion it out and refreeze. As long as you’re not freezing it for over a year, it should be fine. The sooner you use it the better I believe.

Here is just one article I was able to find quickly…
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/starting-puppy-on-raw-diet/

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Cyndi.

[charles h]

Thanks Cyndi,

From my understanding with Raw food can you not simply calculate the diet amount (percentage) on the dogs weight. I mean if she was a greedy dog who ate and ate then I would say I need to limit the food amount but shes quite self-regulated and has a very steady weight so surely the ‘rules’ of feeding are slightly not applicable?

I will think about what the best day is to go through some fasting.. Definitely something to think about moving forward…

I think I have found a website that does Green Tripe and other bits, it is actually a raw food diet site based off a farm in the UK.

What are your thoughts on freezing and defrosting foods for raw feeding is it a good idea?

Thanks,

Charles

[Dori]

Oh my goodness. As stated above, missing a meal or two is not starving an animal. I too feed raw. A lot of people feeding raw and kibble or canned will sometimes let an entire day go by with no food. Only water. It’s called “fasting”, not starving. Also, you should be feeding your dog twice a day anyway. Much healthier for them.

Another thing, is it possible that your dog is losing interest in food because you’re feeding your dog way too much food. I’ve always heard and read that the rule of thumb is to feed your dog between 2.5 to 3 % of their body weight daily. Not per meal, but daily.

Does anyone else think that 6 – 7 % body weight of food daily is too much? That’s a heck of a lot of food. No??????

Also, if your dog is showing no interest in chicken (poultry) then maybe you might think of feeding a rotational diet. That might perk up her interest in food. I’m wondering if it’s not a lack of interest in chicken or food, it may be that she’s just full. 6 – 7 % of her body weight is a lot of food for any dog. She may just be full and your feeding her too much.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[Cyndi]

It wouldn’t be “starving” her for a day. Most places that recommend raw diets, also recommend “fasting” for a meal, or even a day. I do that on Sundays. I will give my dog her a.m. meal and then not feed her again til Monday a.m. meal. Oh, my dog is also raw fed.

One suggestion, have you tried feeding raw green tripe? Most dogs LOVE it, I know mine does. Maybe offer a meal of that after you fast her for a meal, or a day and see if she will eat it. I bet she does.

I know you haven’t been feeding her raw for long, but have you been rotating proteins yet. Maybe try giving her something different for a while and then go back to chicken or something. There are somethings my dog has gotten tired of and refused to eat, so I pretty much just tried other things and left the stuff she doesn’t care for out of her rotation. I might try to go back to them after a while though…

Good luck!

[aimee]

Hi Daria,

interestingly enough, Ca/Ph ratio isn’t even discussed in the discussion of diet for growing large/giant breeds in Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 2012. Nor is a specific ratio mentioned in recommendations for large breed growth. Dr. Larsen ACVN in an article on feeding large breed puppies writes “The ratio of calcium to phosphorus should be approximately 1:1 to 1.5; however, absolute amounts of each nutrient appear to be more important than the ratio per se.8 Clinical experience supports this, as developmental problems with extreme ratios in the presence of adequate dietary concentrations of calcium and phosphorus have not been reported.”

Based on those sources I personally don’t draw a line in the sand in regards to ratios during large breed growth.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Charles –

Non-raw treats definitely should not cause an issue with a raw fed dog. My dogs eat raw but receive all kinds of treats from cooked “human food” to biscuits and dehydrated meat-based treats. No issues ever.

Some things you may want to try which would be closer in resemblance to a fresh raw diet would be air-dried (like ZiwiPeak which BTW works great as training treats) or freeze-dried raw (my dogs like Wysong, Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Vital Essentials).

[DogFoodie]

Hi Vianca,

Just to be sure I’m understanding, you’re trying to decide between the grain inclusive Small Breed Adult and the grain free Small Breed Core, right?

I think Wellness products are great and have used the Small Breed Core in my Cavalier’s rotation. She loves it and does very well on it. The kibble size is great for a smaller dog. It’s sort of a flat triangular shape that’s thinner than the other Core products. I’m always amazed at how good she looks when she eats it – even the whites of her eyes become clearer.

That said, I still don’t feed it to her exclusively, because I feel a rotational diet is better and healthier for her. She’s actually eating a Fromm grain inclusive formula currently and is doing well on it also and I have a Wellness grain inclusive formulas on deck to try soon. I feed her lots of different brands as well as raw and dehydrated foods. Variety cancels out my worry of any nutritional inadequacies any one food I feed may have.

So, if I were you, I’d choose both!

[charles h]

Hey all,

Been raw feeding my 8 month old Black Lab/German Shepard for around 3 1/2 months now and so far so good…

However just recently maybe the last two weeks/three weeks she is showing much less interest in food.

I try to feed around 6-7% of her body weight which works out around 650-750 grams a day. Some days she will only eat 200 grams of food and even that is with a lot of encouragement. She has no interest in Chicken whatsoever anymore…

I’m just worrying she is not eating enough although the self-regulation is a big part of the Raw Food diet I feel she isn’t doing this she is simply not eating.

Her stool seems fine and she is fine in her behavior so I do not suspect a health problem.

It did occur to me she might be starting to come on heat for the first time but this is going on a little long now.

Someone suggested to me starving her for a day then starting again the next day with two meals morning and evening to see if she eats as normal but I hate starving her 🙁

Any advise?

Thanks,

Charles

[DogFoodie]

Hi Paulee,

I just looked quickly at the ingredients in the Nature’s Domain kibbled diets and I don’t see artificial coloring listed. It’s actually a myth that kibble helps to clean teeth.

Things like raw, meaty bones will help and I’ve seen some food additives that are supposed to help, but the best way to keep teeth clean is to brush them just like you would your own teeth! : ) I use a special toothbrush with a longer handle and an enzyme toothpaste just for dogs.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cajun Girl-
I add canned pure balance, nature’s domain and whole earth farms. I also add eggs, sardines and raw nuggets as well. Since I’ve been adding eggs and sardines a couple times a week, their coats have become noticeably shinier. The canned food and nuggets are balanced, but the eggs and sardines are not. So they cannot make up more than 10-20 percent of their diet. Good luck!

[Melissaandcrew]

Btw Erin-Check out Dogaware.com for the articles on pancreatitis. Interestingly enough, it states that research has shown that LOW PROTEIN diets can PREDISPOSE dogs to pancreatitis. I love the dog aware site-lots of info on diets for many health conditions, feeding raw etc.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Sue-

I think you have misunderstood my post. As a mini schnauzer owner of well over 25 yrs, I am well aware of schnauzers, pancreatitis, and hyperlipidemia. I have never had a schnauzer who has needed restricted protein due to either of those conditions. I am not sure what you are referencing(study perhaps) that says dogs with chronic pancreatitis require lower protein, and I wholeheartedly disagree with that. Fat must be watched for schnauzers in general, and yes, its more important with those that have had a previous flare up, but levels of ANYTHING tolerated vary widely from dog to dog.

My dogs routinely live to be 16 plus years of age, so no, I have not “gotten lucky”. Its skill and knowledge, and access to state of the art vet care that they live so long. Its pretty ballsy to comment about someone else’s dog’s medical condition and what “might have occurred” without knowing the full facts of the dog. In Meg’s case, she had lupus as well as pancreatitis, which flared up when company would let her get ANYTHING even slightly fatty/greasy-ie meat trimmings, chips etc. One small item of forbidden food, and it was off and running. And yet, all blood work was COMPLETELY normal in between. Please do not think to lecture me on how I possibly could have prevented my deceased dogs medical condition. For the record, she died of LYMPHOMA with a 2 yr quality filled life after diagnosis which is typically unheard of.

Erin-I would not feed a food so low as 22 percent protein. Owning so many of our own schnauzers over the years, as well as dealing with pancreatitis dogs in the vet hospital I worked at, as well as running a rescue specializing in schnauzers, I can only tell you what works for us and the dogs in our care. IF protein were an issue, all my dogs would now be dead as they eat primarily a raw diet, as well as kibble that are all over 33% protein. My oldest are 14,14,15 and 16 yrs. All alive, healthy with perfectly normal blood work confirmed with recent testing. Take all the info every one offers, consult your vet and make a decision that you are comfortable with since you know your dog best. Good luck!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Liz:
I like Wellness products; both my dog and cats do very well on both their kibble and canned.

She might be a picky eater, but I wouldn’t be concerned with the kibble she likes. Many picky eaters will not eat anything consistently which in turn affects their health. Knowing she has a food she eats consistently and does well on will gives you an opportunity to look for other foods she might like to add to her menu.

You have listed several kibbles that you have tried and one you are looking at. If I had a picky eater I would reduce the amount of kibble and add a topper to each meal to hopefully entice them to eat other foods. I don’t have a picky eater, but I believe in using a topper for each meal to reduce the amount of kibble I feed and add a more healthy species appropriate food to his diet.

Check out Freshpet; my dog loves this food. It is a cooked food that is refrigerated and sold in plastic wrapped tubes (slice and serve) or pouches (small, soft kibble form). Many pet and grocery store chains carry it. It is rated very well on DFA:
/dog-food-reviews/freshpet-vital-complete-meals/
/dog-food-reviews/vital-dog-food/
/dog-food-reviews/freshpet-select-slice-serve/
/dog-food-reviews/freshpet-select-roasted-meals/

I feed a rotational diet of kibble topped with, commercial freeze dried/dehydrated/frozen raw, canned, or lightly cooked fresh meats for each meal. I change the animal protein, carb source, and brand of kibble every month; toppers every day or two. Rotational feeding also ensures my dog will have no issues switching foods when a dog food recipe inevitably changes; they always do. I can just move onto a food he has done well on in the past if any digestive issues occur. Good luck with your pup!

[Kritterlady]

4FootedFoodie, thank you for the update. The person I talked to from corporate told me they have taken over the facilities due to the rapid growth of the product while building their own facilities. This would qualify as a copacker though they are making only food for Blue Buffalo according to their standards. That being said, I feed 80% raw and 20% rotation diet between several of the 5 star brands Blue Wilderness included. It’s easily accessible at Petsmart and petcos in my area and the price is within reach.

[pugmomsandy]

http://www.thewholedog.org/artcarnivores.html

http://www.thewholedog.org/artcookedfood.html

“Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olsen

“The BARF Diet” by Dr Billinghurst

“Raw Meaty Bones” and “Work Wonders Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones” by Dr Tom Lonsdale

“Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker/Beth Taylor has easy recipes and includes puppies.

[InkedMarie]

Since frenchies are known for allergies, a raw diet would be perfect!

[pugmomsandy]

Try chicken feet or pork ribs or calf ribs. GreenTripe dot com sells calf ribs. Lamb chops have soft bones too but are a bit costly. Some dogs who are on raw diets and eat RMB still get plaque buildup. Could just be genetics. I’ve also heard from other raw feeders that only feed ground raw that their dogs teeth stay clean. The raw enzymes in the food help to keep the teeth clean.

[tracy z]

I have a 9lbs toy poodle who just started on a raw diet. I give him raw chicken necks for his source of raw meaty bones. However, if I don’t cut them into smaller pieces (small enough to fit in his mouth but he would still have to chew on it) then he would refuse to eat them. He would just nibble on it and then drop it on the floor and stare at me. Would this still give him the dental benefit he needs from chewing on the bones? Or should I leave them un-cut and just let him work it?

Also, other than chicken necks, what are other good raw meaty bones I can give him that’s appropriate for his size?

Thanks!

[Sandra R]

I have a two months old french bulldog and I’m feeding her for now Acana for puppies. For now she is doing Ok, but I would like to know about your opinion about rotation diet and how to do it
And if i can give her a raw diet or should I wait until she is an adult? What is the best dry food for French bulldog puppies?
Thank you so much for your help.

[Akari_32]

I decided to use the Applaws as a full meal, rather than throwing a tub in here and there. So I went out and bought 24 cans of Friskies Special Diet and Senior Diet (my previously scoped out flavors however many pages back). I tried to get away with not having to buy more cat food, but there was too much Applaws for me to feel comfortable with not adding more food that was balanced. So my 26 days of food turned into 40 days of food after the Friskies and Applaws was added lol You guys should have seen all that cat food sprawled across the floor as I tried to fit everything evenly into my rotation.

He’s on a 10 day rotation (not including different flavors):

Ideal Balance or Sheba
Applaws
Wellness
Authority Flaked Turkey
Friskies
Wellness
Applaws
Friskies
Authority Flaked Turkey
Friskies

Because of stacking difficulties with the Applaws tubs and Sheba and Ideal Balance 3 oz cans, I couldn’t really spread the Friskies out as much as I would have liked, but as soon as Wellness goes on sale again (which shouldn’t be long, I would think), I’ll be buying more, so it’ll do for now. The cats fed, and that’s all that matters lol

[Akari_32]

Oh, so I had an idea! When I’m feeding Bentley a meal with a bone, but I also want to feed the mix (since a lot of the chicken I portioned out has bone in it), what if I made the mix in a little bit of fat free, plain yogurt? Extra protein, probiotics, gets enough mix to keep his diet balanced. And every other week or so I could do the same in a raw egg? What do you guys think?

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Erin- I just googled the dry food you feed, and on line it says it is only 12% fat..which is very low and should be fine. When giving beef or chicken, if not feeding raw. be sure to BOIL it, then drain well./.use 95% lean beef. My crew has less problems with beef when it is fed raw, but that is them. Eggs should be hard boiled, and my schnauzers get 1/2 of large egg each. no more than 2 twice a week. Anything more, and stomach issues. I do give them low fat shredded cheese on occasion, but more often I give them a dash of low fat kefir, or low fat/fat free yogurt. If it were my dog, I would feed a bland diet for a week, and then start the dry back..slowly over a week. . No “additives/toppers” for a few weeks. I am betting the cheese just built up her triglycerides and it was a matter of time.

[Erin R]

We haven’t introduced anything new to her, food wise, and i don’t give her pig ears or bones or rawhide or anything edible like that. The only thing she OCCASIONALLY gets with her kibble is chicken, beef, boiled egg, etc. I’ve never given her wet food. I have been sprinkling shredded cheese on her breakfast (i’ve been doing that for a while now) so she would eat before i go into work… but i guess cheese isn’t good for pancreatitis so she won’t be getting that any more!

But she was in to the vet about two weeks ago for a mild back sprain. Then when she recovered from that, her annual vaccinations. So i guess that was pretty stressful and could have upset her stomach? Thats the only thing we can think of, anyway, plus maybe the cheese and her being part Schnauzer.

Her current food is 15% fat, should i try to find a lower fat kibble? I am hesitant to talk to the vet about food/diet because i’ve only ever been suggested things like Science Diet, Royal Canin, and foods with grains/corn despite telling them of grain/corn allergy. She does have a follow up appointment on Friday so i guess i can ask, then, but i want other opinions and maybe some suggestions on foods to look into.

Thanks!

PS – i never knew that Schnauzers where prone to pancreatitis. Now i do.

[Oceans11]

I have posted under this topic before but haven’t found anything that works. My one year old Malagasy Coton De Tulear is a picky eater. I have tried Basic Instinct Raw, Fresh Pet, various 5 star canned foods including Tripett, Orijen dry puppy kibble., Fromm Gold kibble, Blue Wilderness. What he will eat on a consistent basis is rotisserie chicken which probably isn’t healthy. We have tried giving him raw ground round and raw steak. All he wants to do is bury it. I have supplements that I try to give him hidden in his food but one whiff and he walks away (supplements: Angel Eyes, Grizzly Salmon Oil, probiotic, and Vitamin supplement). I am concerned that he is not getting any of these supplements or more importantly a nutritious diet. Because he doesn’t eat much on a routine basis, we have all too often shared what we are eating. I don’t believe he is underweight. I would appreciate any suggestions and/or advice anyone could share. Thanks much!

[Michael B]

Vital Essentials has no website and I can’t find any information about how it is handled or the origin of its products. I am beginning to not trust the company and will switch raw diet brands to Stella & Chewy’s.