[Corey K]

thank you for the feedback. I actually tried the raw diet, and the highest end foods with him prior to the issues and he will not touch them. He seems very picky and also will not eat canned food. I was just reading about the cranberry supplements and may give them a try. He eats IAMs large breed for ages 1-5 now because it’s the only thing he will consistently eat. I am confused about one thing I’m reading. I keep reading that the struvite crystals do not need treated unless there is an active infection. He does have an active infection and is on an antibiotic. My vet tested his urine a week after the begin of antibiotic and it was back to normal. I plan to keep him on the antibiotic for 4 weeks. Why does it say that the crystals are only dangerous if there is infection – is that simply because the infection needs treated? Or do the crystals behave differently or pose a different threat if accompanied by infection? So confusing!!!

[InkedMarie]

Corey: dry food is the worst thing you can feed a dog with crystals. Best is raw, dehydrated or canned. I had a dog with struvite crystals & he did not go on a script diet. If you must feed dry, please add some canned to it plus warm water to make a stew. It’s very important that you make sure he gets enough liquid & ample opportunity to urinate. Do you give a urinary supplement or cranberry? Ask your vet if vitamin C would help.

[lauren c]

I would like to connect with other people who have medium size diabetic dogs. I have a 9 yr old , Carolina Dog, approx 40-50lbs ( her wgt fluctuates due do illness) who has been “raw fed” for the past 8 years. She is on 15 units of insulin 2x a day. We presently have her on only a beef diet…of raw meat ( Performance Dog) almost 1 lbs 2x’s a day. We also add a combination of blended chick peas/ pumpkin and cottage cheese to make up approx 3-4 oz of the 16oz per meal and we add green beans or broccoli or mixed veggies too. I added the chick peas because her sugar levels were so up and down and she couldnt gain wgt. We finally have her stabilized for the time being and now I am ready to try to rotate her diet a bit. She has been diagnosed since fall 2013. I rather not feed anything with a high fat content. I have been investigating dry kibble….do any of you use it with your diabetic dog? What brands? And if you feed raw….what do you feed?

Thanks,

Furry

NJ

[Lisa C]

About the raw diet – vet also said no way. She highly does not recommend it, saying it isn’t FDA regulated and all this other honkey. I was still fuming from driving him all the way there, driving home, and then her calling and telling me they weren’t doing the surgery (couldn’t she tell us that while we were there?) so my head is a little foggy, but yeah she definitely said no. So far this AM he hasn’t puked, but he did poop a lot. Fingers crossed he makes it through the day without puking.

[Ysabella J]

Hey everyone,

I have a 3 year old, 65 pound Golden Retriever. For about the past 4 months or so I have noticed her licking her behind a lot more than usual. I would say about 3-4 days out of the week and usually when it happens it is multiple times during the day. I know that she is licking back there due to anal glands because every time she does it, out comes the nasty smell.. I took her to the vet, they expressed her anal glands and said they were small, nothing abnormal about them.. She had never had this done before. Well 2 days after I brought her in she started licking again. I started adding pumpkin to her diet regularly with no help. She is fed Orijen kibble & Merrick canned food for breakfast and Stella & Chewy’s raw for dinner. I haven’t switched her diet in over a year. I am really not a big fan of bringing her in every 3 weeks to get her anal glands expressed after reading an article published by Dr. Becker. She doesn’t scoot at all whatsoever, it’s just the licking… I can’t find much information about this online, so now I am here.

Anyone have any advice? I am open to anything… Thanks in advance!!

[Susan]

Hi Melissa & Iusol, Im not pushing no one to take Predinsone, I hate the drug..Its a band aid drug that covers the health problem, it just supresses ur immune system, puts you in remission but with IBD it does help with some dogs when the bowel is so badly inflamed…. as long as the dog is only on the steroid for 1-2 months, no longer… I have had so many arguements when I join a group called IBD about this drug these ladys dogs were dying from IBD & steroids were the only thing that helped save their dogs, well that’s what they told me & now Im starting to understand the drug a little bit more… like my vet says she hates the drug but it does save some dogs lives when nothing else has worked….I have Auto Immune Disease LUPUS & I was put on Predinsone in the begining of my illness when I was younger & it made me very ill…..If I was Lisa I would be asking my vet so many question & yes Iosul Patches vet 1-2 months ago wanted to put Patch on Prednisone, I said NO.. I even posted a post 1 month ago asking for help on forums, in the end I ended up doing my own research about IBD & I join a group that have dogs that have IBD & Im starting to undersatand this rotten disease a bit better now…a dog just doesnt get IBD & then you change its diets & oh he’s all better now, he can eat anything now…if that has happened with anyones dog (like I have read on this site a few times) then their dog has never really had IBD, it either had something else wrong (parasites) or he had IBS.. there’s a big difference between IBD & IBS, I think people get this mixed up as Im learning..also alot of dogs owners on this site are very blessed & have very healthy dogs & their dogs can eat a high protein diet or a high fat diet.. when I first join this site I’d read people were feeding their dogs this & that I thought WHY cant my boy eat that or eat this so I asked the vet about putting Patch on a raw diet, my vet nilly had a heart attack as Patch was very sick at the time & I didn’t understand that his bowel needed to heal & rest not put more fat into his diet… then I’d read on this site that vet diets aren’t good, so I tried changing Patches vet food, then Patch went back down hill again, that’s when the vets wanted to cut him open, I said NO….Finally I though stuff it, the vet prescription diet has helped my boy get better it may have corn in it but it has made him poo normal, he’s playing, he wants to go for his walks, he’s a happy 5 year old dog acting like a puppy & he’s not crying in pain….I still dont want him on his Eukanuba Intestinal but sometimes they do need the balanced vets diet just for a little while to get better, then you can slowey change their diets but on this site ur made to feel guilty cause ur dogs on a vet diet….sometimes there’s some people that come on this site so desparate for help they will do anything they read… giving vinegar to a sick dog is not a good idea, I google info on ACV its good for some dogs with minor problems but not real sick dogs..but until you have a really sick dog, I think no one should really being saying do this or do that, like I wrote ASK ur VET about Metronidazole or Prednisone the vet will either say, oh NO he doesnt need that or no we think chewy has this.. I always write what has happened with Patch & what did worked with Patch on post, if that person wants to try what made Patch better good-luck to them, I wish when I came on this site 1 year ago I got some good advise, I think a couple of ladys did help a little Paddy & Crazy for Cats had some real good advice but I couldnt get that kibble being in Australia.. When I read Chewy’s story it sounded just like what Patch & I was going thru last April 2013…sorry for the book

[Ashlee S]

Hi, I’m new to the forum. But long time dog owner. I currently have three large dogs. I know all of my dogs would benefit to a raw diet but I’m lost on where to start. My dogs are currently fed on taste of the wild. I’m more than happy to research a lot on my own but I could use some help on where to start. What to feed? How much?

Here’s a little info on my dogs, if it might help.

Cookie who is the oldest is turning 12 years on the 24th, she’s a female Labrador weighing around 65 pounds. Cookie is overweight, she has cancer and arthritis. She can’t walk far distances and isn’t comfortable swimming any more, so exercise isn’t the easiest way to her weight off. Cookie, although overweight she doesn’t eat much. She is a retried mom who quickly gained the weight when she was spayed late at the age of 7 years. And I have yet to get her weight off. Although she has cancer and arthritis she is active for her age and condition. She’s fine with small walks around the block but anything more she limps her way home.

Mia, is my female bloodhound. Mia is 6 years old,she has a long chronic past of yeast infections in her ears which have significantly gone down since switching to TOTW. Mia’s a very active girl. It’s very easy to control her weight, compared to my other two dogs. She does eat A LOT but she never strays from her weight too much. Usually a steady 85 pounds. She’s eating 3 1/2 cups a day of just kibble with occasional raw cow bone

Bentley is the hardest to keep his weight. He is currently overweight, I’m getting his weight down right now by cutting back his food and feeding vegetables and raw cow bones recommended by his vet. Bentley is a heeler/hound/lab mix. I adopted him back in August of 2013. He’s a year old. He’s closer to the size of a heeler than anything but weight wise he’s a hound/lab. Last time he was weighed he was 63 pounds a few weeks ago.

I exercise my dogs daily besides cookie who can’t handle daily walks. I take them swimming at least once a week and hiking once a week but they get daily walks and runs. So lack of exercise isn’t the problem it’s balancing their food.

I know I need to make this decision on my own but there’s no problem with suggestions. If you could help steer me in the right way you suggest would most benefit my dogs I would greatly appreciate it.

And also if you could estimate on monthly costs, I would greatly appreciate it. Or Estimate on how much to feed so I could estimate the cost. But would GREATLY appreciate any links or forums you know of where I can start my research in raw feeding that would be great. 😀

Thanks!

Just for a reference of my dog’s here is a picture
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy312/bloodhound74/10269495_10204245391361703_3714956536614035392_n_zpsaecdda73.jpg

[Kelsey K]

Hi all!

First time poster here. HDM, thank you for all of this great information you’ve compiled! I very well could’ve missed it in the previous 73 pages (let me know if these questions have already been answered!), but I had a few questions about raw food and puppies.

I am a first-time LBD owner and will be bringing home an 8-week old berner boy in a month. I’d love to get him on a raw diet ASAP but am worried about the calcium content. My FIV+ kitty boy is currently eating Natural Pet Pantry (NPP), and I love how healthy it’s kept him.

Can I start feeding raw to a Bernese at 8 weeks old or should we start with kibble first? Any suggestions on a specific commercial raw? I’ve been looking at Darwin’s or NPP, but am totally open to anything and everything! If not raw right away, what’s the best kibble for a BMD? I’m eyeing Fromm, but I want to do everything right!

Thanks in advance for the help!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Kelsey K.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, Chewy reminds me of what my Patch was doing 1 year ago, vomiting early hours of the morning, having diarrhea, vet diagnosed him with Pancreatitis & IBD, he had to be put on a low low fat diet, nothing over 10% fat & a lower protein % so nothing over 24% protein, he was put on vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal diet & a dog probiotic this helped with his pooing problems, he does perfect poos now but he still vomited maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks, so I started to cook him boiled chicken breast & 2 tablespoons of boiled pumkin for breakfast, this stopped his vomiting of a morning & his licking & licking his lips after eating but he was still having his pain on his right side under his rib cage, so I stopped the boiled chicken & now I give him tin tuna in spring water, I drain the small tin of tuna & mix with about 2 tablespoons of pumkin & I warm in micro wave the amount I need to use that morning & put rest in fridge for next morning, I then spread the tuna & pumkin on 1 piece of toast, there’s enough for 2 breakfast, I cut the toast (white bread no grains) into 9 squares & hand feed, so he doesnt gulp it all down too quick, the toast seems to keep everything down when he burps, he doesnt seem to have his pain like he did with the boiled chicken, all his vomiting has stopped too….
I’d see a new vet & start with a new low fat diet & see how things go, when I first started the pumkin Patch did have soft poos for 2 days know its perfect, Im also adding the Wellness Simple Duck & Oats to his Eukanuba Intestinal, the Wellness Simple has been good as it digest easily & isnt a hard hard kibble, I also add water to Patches kibble then drain, then add water again, then drain to wash off excess dust from kibble & to soften kibble, the Eukanuba Intestinal is a low residue kibble it breaks up real easily so its easier to digest there is a puppy formula awell, the Wellness Simple also soften real easliy when water is added, Patch was also vomiting up undigested kibble about 6-8 hours later 1 year ago, I forgot last year Patch when Patch was real sick he was put on Metronidazole for 2 weeks, its an antibiotic for their stomach & bowel its stops the diarrhea, ask ur new vet can you have a script & try the Metronidazole, I just go to my chemist & only pay $9.20 instead of the high vet charges, I wouldnt do raw as it high in fat & bacteria ur boy mighten be able to digest raw at this time until you work out whats wrong, something is wrong, alot of puppy foods are real high in fat, you mite need to try a low fat adult kibble just till you stop the pooing & vomiting..or get a vet precription diet just till u get everything under control as ur boy is probably starving with the vomiting & diarrhea…..Good-luck

[Lisa C]

I’m sure this has been talked about numerous times on here, but there’s no search box to try and find answers in the forum. Sorry!

We have had our Chewy since December of last year. We got him at eight weeks. He is a Pekingese/Chihuahua/Cocker Spaniel/ mix (we did a DNA test!) So he’s not quite a year old yet, but later in the fall he will be. The first month or two we had Chewy, he had no problems. We fed him dry puppy Nutro (the pink bag) that was recommended by someone who claimed to have researched foods. after the first 1-2 months, he started vomiting EVERY day. At least once a day. It’s now mid-July, and yes, he still vomits EVERY single day! I think there’s maybe been six total days since Feb that he hasn’t puked at least once. We’ve had numerous tests done at the vet. Blood tests, X-rays, stool samples. Everything is negative. They have no answers for us! The next step would be putting a camera inside him — which I’m sure is an expensive procedure that I cannot afford. He acts normal – he still loves to go outside and play, gets excited when we come home, plays with toys. But he always acts so hungry. We’ve tried so many different kinds of foods, wet and dry. At the vet’s request, we tried two different brands of prescription food (dry only), (which is expensive) 🙁 first Hills and then the Purina RX. The vet also made me buy the $30 box of RX Purina probiotics. None of that fancy overpriced crap did anything but make him vomit even more, and even worse, all undigested.

This week I’ve started to keep a daily journal of everything he eats, and his daily puking habits. The vomiting occurs in the early mornings. Occasionally at night, but mostly mornings. He seems to do alright on the Nutro Puppy Chiot wet food, last week he went maybe 1-2 days without puking on that alone. But I know he can’t just live on wet food, at least from what I’ve read they also need dry food for their teeth. For a few weeks we tried feeding solely cooked chicken, which is LOVED, but still puked out that, too. The other problem is obviously is switching the foods so many times gives him baaaad diarrhea. Yesterday I decided to try yet another food, Solid Gold wet, and going from the Nutro can to that has made him diarrhea two days in a row. We have to keep him locked up in the kitchen the last two nights because he just won’t stop pooping. Of course most of the time his poops are normal, but every once in a while that one food will tip him off and it’s all downhill from there.

I’m so, SO tired of waking up early every morning to scrub vomit off of our apartment carpet. (It’s already ruined.) but most importantly, I just want Chewy to be a normal, healthy dog, and not have such horrible vomiting problems. and of course because of this, you can feel all his bones. We recently took him to get groomed and they said they noticed he was really skinny. He’s skinny because he vomits every day! My boyfriend says we should try him on a raw diet, but I don’t want to do something too drastic without help first. I guess our next step could be getting a second opinion at a different vet, but we’ve already spent a lot of money. I appreciate ALL comments and suggestions. Please help us and our Chewy 🙁

[macsmommy]

Dane H, I have been feeding my dogs Blue Ridge Beef since they were puppies and I have always mixed their food with Sojos Dehydrated Veggies. You can’t just feed meat to them, you should feed them a balanced diet. There are vitamins included in Sojos as well. You can buy a bag Sojos for a good price, free shipping, at doggiefood.com. They’ll email you discounts as well.

With that said, I have however recently learned that Blue Ridge Beef’s owner, Steven Lea, also owns a collection facility that picks up dead diseased, and dying animals. The mailing address is the same for both companies. I was mortified when I heard this. So I contacted Dee at their office, and she could not adequately put my fears to rest. She told me that “anyone that has common sense would realize there would be no future in us selling diseased food to our valued pets.” Now, mind you, I have been a customer of theirs for 5 years!! She did not directly address my question regarding rendered meat being in their products other than referring to what my common sense should tell me which was quite offensive and infuriating. To me, owning a pet food company and a collection facility for dead, diseased, and dying animals is a HUGE conflict of interest. Apparently, the owner, Steven Lea, also applied for a permit to build a Rendering Plant, but the city commission was not keen on the idea, so Steven Lea withdrew his application. Needless to say, I am not feeding my dogs Blue Ridge Beef anymore. I have switched to Primal Formula. They have a freeze dried formula that my dogs love. It is 100% human grade raw meat and I feel safer with this product. It’s a little more expensive, but well worth it.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by macsmommy.

[Katie J]

Thank you, Betsy and crazy4cats!

I did purchase that booklet and found it very informative. It’s on my phone to reference at any time. I still want the other two books as well so I can be properly armed for when I do decide to go raw. My boyfriend wants to do kibble/wet and raw, but I would prefer to go completely raw. The convenience of kibble in the AM when we are generally scurrying off to work may just be the deciding factor assuming both dogs can handle the split diet. But honestly why would any dog go back to kibble after having tasty raw?! Lol!

I’m using Answer’s as well in his AM feeding. He only gets a small splash, but it’s been doing wonders with his digestion while we find good he loves.

He really seems to like the variety or at least the better quality over 4Health. Another thing I learned here was that while 4Health is rated well it’s made by Diamond, and I am not comfortable with making it a staple in his diet. I may have missed it, but does Diamond make the wet food too? Because I really like the price point!! Anyhow I would have stopped the variety had he shown a poor reaction to it. As long as things are going well for him, I want to continue. Though if we stick to kibble with a wet topper, I will likely pick 3-4 brands to rotate and rotate the proteins within brands.

And thank you for the new job congrats! I am looking forward to the change and growth potential. Plus the extra money is nice 😉

[DogFoodie]

Katie, you’re doing a great job!

Commercial raw is expensive and can be out of reach for a lot of folks, myself included. Making homemade raw balanced, takes research and care and you’ve certainly demonstrated that you’re up for the challenge. In the meantime, you might want to check out Steve Brown’s great little download about supplementing a diet of kibble with fresh whole foods. The download costs $2.95 and is worth every penny! Here’s a link to the download: http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html. Steve Brown’s book, Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet, is probably one of the books you have on order.

Answer’s goat milk is great. My dogs love it too. You just reminded me to get a carton out of the freezer. My dogs are always getting something different, too.

Congratulations on the new job!!

[Katie J]

I can’t edit now. But I wanted to add that I am really thankful and grateful for all the advice given here and in other threads that I have read. I went from almost buying Purina’s puppy formula to having two solid (in my opinion) brands to rotate and a couple that I I want to look into as a potential third. I have nearly figured out how to balance a raw diet and have both of the “bibles” on order. I am pricing making the switch and putting together a plan to do so. With a new job for me in the future (I just received the offer this week), I plan to get that ball rolling.

It’s been awhile since I had a puppy. A long while. And I have tried to spend a lot of my free time researching and learning to make things better for him. I’m certainly not perfect and still learning. Without the kind folks here, who knows what crap I would have gotten him from Petsmart or whatever my local store has been told to push! I had to listen to about a 5 minute speech on Evanger’s canned. They left out the part about the huge recall though.

To me, little Gichin appears to be flourishing. I see a happy and playful puppy that is growing what seems like daily with appropriate and normal elimination. He’s officially settled in after nearly a month in his new home. His potty training has been fantastic. I can’t remember the last time he had an accident.

And I really have this forum to thank for all of it as they help me tweak everything to make things perfect.

[Katie J]

He’s eating Earthborn and trying Fromm currently. I didn’t know these were poor. I meant that I could not justify a commercial raw diet. We are pricing a homemade raw diet. This pup hasn’t even digested anything below a 4 star food since I brought him home. I picked up samples because I was concerned he didn’t like the first food I bought him. We have since found good he does like and plan to rotate with those. Thanks for your concern though.

[Stefan m]

Got my 2nd German Shepherd puppy coming next week and want to try raw diet.

The first 2 weeks will be fed chicken thighs and each following week a new food including green tripe, beef tongue, liver and version over the time frame

Being fed 2-3% of his adult bodyweight…

Snacks I have homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes,apples and blueberries blend.

An egg and chopped kale will be with the AM meal…veggie blend as noon snack and PM meal more meat with Salmon oil.

Any advice or kuddos??

[Travis A]

Yea we actually have a special needs dog too so it is a bit challenging at times but still worth it in the end. But I haven’t looked into the Victor line-up yet but will do so for sure. That’s exactly what i was wanting to do is sub a grain free with a non grain free if it doesn’t affect them in a negative way with the switching, but i did want to get something like a neck or other raw treat more or less to add into their diets and see if they like it and do well with it. But with a larger breed dog i know i need to focus on Calcium consumption so how do i measure that, not all brands give that info on their products. Thank you all so much for the assistance as well i really appreciate it, i will upload some photos soon of my boys as well.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Travis-
Sounds like you have your hands full! You could always rotate between the Zach’s kibble with a grain free kibble to keep your costs down. I’m rotating between Victor grain free and a grain inclusive brand right now. Another thing besides the raw meaty bones that Besty suggested, you could add an egg or a sardine to their kibble a few times a week to boost their diets a bit. Eggs are a pretty cheap addition! I add sardines once a week and eggs twice a week to my dogs’ meals. I also add a few Northwest Naturals frozen raw nuggests a couple times a week. That is a a little more expensive though. I wish you well on your quest!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Travis,

I couldn’t tell if you had already looked for a local retailer of Victor products or not. I live in the Chicago area, but my friend is in Texas and when I was looking for a local retailer for her I was shocked to see there were lots of them. Lots. Not to pester you, but do check and see if you might have a retailer near you. Click on the tab in the black bar at the top of this page that says, “find a dealer.” http://victordogfood.com/

Also, something you could consider would be supplementing your dog’s diet with raw, meaty bones as an introduction to raw food. Something as simple as a turkey neck in place of a meal of kibble. And, if you keep the extras to no more than 20% of your dog’s diet, you don’t have to worry about throwing off the nutritional balance of the kibble. I don’t feed raw full-time because of my schedule and it worries me far less when I know I’m feeding it less than 20% of the time. Here are the forum search results for “raw, meaty bones” or RMB’s as they’re called: /forums/search/raw+meaty+bones/

[Travis A]

Thank you all very much for the suggestions, and I understand affordable is relative to my means, so that 50 lb bag lasted right at a month for my 2 boys so all i spent was the $33 for that month on food which is pretty good for a decent food, i’m having a friend pick up another bag of the Zach’s in Lubbock,TX so that will save me on the shipping but it’s also not grain free and while my dogs seem to be ok with it, i’d prefer to use grainless food to prevent any issues. I will look into the victor brand though along with the other suggestions, thanks again for the assistance. I know it’s the wrong forum but i was also looking into some sort of Raw diet that won’t break the bank either, any starting place suggestions on that? And is it ok to start my 5 month old’s on it?

[gmcbogger38]

I would just like to get some opinions about a dog food made locally (within 10 miles) around where I live. The food is a limited ingredient diet and they have different protein levels. Lowest is 21% protein and highest is 28%. I can’t copy and paste (dang phone), but I will list ingredients exactly as written on their website: Meat and bone meal (beef/pork/bone), whole corn, chicken fat, mineral and vitamin packet. It lists all of the minerals and vitamins, but I didn’t want to write those all. Now, I know “meat meal” listed as ingredient is not necessarily good because you don’t know what it is, but this does list beef and pork, so technically it’s not an unnamed meat meal. I don’t know much about bone meal, but why is that considered a bad ingredient? Raw fed dogs eat bones. I’m not too worried about the corn, as my dogs have done fine with corn in foods. The reason I would like to get opinions about this food is because I am on a tight budget until I am finally done with college (less than 10 mths). I have not contacted the company about the price, but from what I’ve heard (couple years old) the food is 50lbs for around $20, which they do no advertising, besides website, and have plain bags. I know it is not the best food and I am doing a rotational diet, but I just need to find some more affordable foods to rotate with, for now. Thanks for any input!

[Dfwgolden]

Hi everyone!

Ok so I have serious question for xx large breed dog owners.
I have a 12 week old male Great Dane puppy.
When we got him he was on Diamond Puppy formula and doing iffy.
We feed ourdogs a grain free rotational diet.
And they have done awesome. However Bane has seemed to decline since we got him.

He’s growing normally and everything however he has had soft stool since day one.
And these past two weeks it’s literally been water/patte.
Two days ago He had to go CONSTANTLY. And just explodes I kid you not it’s like an explosion.
A norm poop just falls even if it’s diarrhea however his blows like a gun. Splashing everywhere.
Including in our new car… Three times within two hours.
And it’s not just a little it’s A LOT.

He’s been on-
Diamond Puppy
Whole Earth Farms
And recently Diamond Naturals Large Breed chicken and rice.
This last food is when he hit his worst.

After two weeks of this I took him off the food sunday afternoon. And only gave him canned pumpkin salt, plain crackers, plain yogurt (live culture) and some probiotic human capsules.

Last night I finly have him some solid food:
Wellness Simple Salmon formula.
This morning he finally pooped and it was solid! But very orange defiantly could tell it was from the pumpkin! Haha!

He has since pooped three more times all of which have been mostly solid but could be better.
Shaped but mushy.

I’m wondering if it’s poultry and the Petco guy recommended it as a way to start into a LID and see if that helps. (The simple)
He had his ears cropped about 3-4 weeks ago and was on antibiotics which could possibly play a roll? And he is down on his probiotics?
He was only on them for a week though and this didn’t start up to water until recently.

He is on dewormer and flea/tick. Sintenal. And has received his last round of puppy shots. No rabies yet.
My dad brought up the possibility of Giardia and Coccidia. Had a fu work up done today he he’s clean as a whistle on his fecal Giardia and blood.
Our vet is a dane breeder herself

Bane is eating and drinking normally and has shown no signs of “illness” he’s just his goofy self as always!

My biggest
Concern however is the fact that if he does do good on wellness simple that we won’t be able to keep him on it.
It’s $68 for 27lbs.
And with him already eating 6 cups a day and is having 4 other dogs.
You get the gist.
I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas area and believe it or not my food choices although broad are limited to either $&!+ or high dollar.

We’ve done 4Health and Diamond and Proplan and purina one (which believe it or
Not the weight loss formula did fantastic for out over weight senior golden)

The vet said it’s possible he has a grain and poultry allergy.
Which limits my choices even more as even “duck and oatmeal” formulas contain chicken fat.

I leave for a month long Vacation with Bane to Poplar Bluff Missouri on the 15th white it being so Rural that lowers my availability even more.
Meaning I don’t have time to try a raw diet for him.

I need something that’s no more than $45-$50 a bag that can basically “hold him over” until I get back In 4 weeks.

I’m in need her Hound Dog mom! Lol.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Linda,

I know of Nature’s Kitchen. It is made by Maverick Pet Foods in Hollywood, FL. Their website is yum4dogs.com. I don’t use the NK but I have used the Genesis Raw which is made by the same company. I really like their food. The company has really good principles. If you want to feed a good, commercial cooked diet then you have found one. I hope it works for your dog.

ps- I filled out a request for Dr. Mike to review the Genesis Raw. You might want to do the same for Nature’s Kitchen if you are interested in DFA reviewing it.

[Terri M]

Thanks so much for all the help regarding raw diets! My holistic pet food store highly recommended it as well.

Judy, thanks so much for your reply as well. Wouldn’t you know….my vet gave me Fortiflora!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I need a prescription for Rx Biotics??? Do you advocate the use of rabbit in raw the most?? I’ve heard so many negative things about fowl – no chicken or duck (anything with feathers) so it certainly doesn’t leave many other options except for beef. Also – do you give any other foods (i.e. fruits/veggies) along with this diet? OmegaDerm was also given. Please advise!

Thanks!!!
Terri

[Judy M]

I am a holistic veterinarian. I have had the best luck in allergic dogs using raw diets like Stella N Chewy’s frozen raw. They have rabbit, which is a novel protein. Lamb works sometimes, but not always. I have found almost all American, English, and French bulldogs do better on raw diets. They are very prone to skin allergies. Also, probiotics are a must.

[Katie J]

I’ll definitely pick up that book you’re suggesting this weekend. We’re planning a puppy outing at our local town center that has several pet friendly stores.

My little guys are pretty active. When they aren’t napping, it’s full on puppy mode for both of them! Plus we make trips about 5 times a week to where I board my horses, and spend several hours playing and exploring. I figure once the pup is full grown, we’ll be going through about a pound a day between the two of them. But I have no idea how big the pup will get. I could be underestimating. The co-op I plan to purchase from estimates about $1.50 a day to feed a 40 lb dog, and I think we will be under that weight between the two of them. I can get behind that! I am a little overwhelmed with their offerings as a lot of it is large portions. I’m not sure how to feed it all. I guess those books would answer that for me!

Next I want to look into supplements for their raw diet. I gather that they can have human multivitamins. The only draw back is that I have to make sure it’s safe for dogs and the mix may not be optimal, right? I know that Hound Dog Mom buys things separately. But I’ll admit her list of supplements confuses me quickly!

[RescueDaneMom]

I started feeding raw as a topper then went 50/50 then switched to full raw. Some dogs can handle kibble mixed with raw and some can’t. If yours can’t, then you can do kibble for one meal and raw for another meal.

With smaller dogs, I would guess that it will probably be easier for you to feed grinds. You can purchase a cheap grinder on Amazon. I just did this recently and got a good grinder for under $90. It grinds chicken bones with no problem. Turkey bones are too hard for small grinders so you can’t grind those or beef bones. The only bones I’ve tried thus far have been chicken. You may also be able to get already ground meat/mixes from your co-op.

You may want to look into purchasing Steve Brown’s book called “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” There are raw recipes with and without bone and he specifies what you need to do if feeding a puppy.

Hope this helps.

[USA]

Hi Cordell

You deserve to be praised for the time and effort you take to prepare your dog’s meals!

Personally I would not mix raw with cooked. I believe that over time a dog who eats only cooked foods will develop changes to his digestive system that will make it harder to deal with the bacteria in raw food. For senior dogs I think this problem could be even worse.

I would think about about adding digestive enzymes tor your dog’s diet to replace the ones that are lost during cooking. I would also read Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet”. While your homemade supplement looks wonderful, Steve’s book will help you make sure you are feeding your dog’s a diet that is perfectly balanced and nutritionally complete.

Keep up the good work!

[theBCnut]

Since I have squeamish people living in my house and they may have to feed, I use raw as a topper, actually I feed about half and half, but I still mix kibble and raw. I know several people who do likewise with no problems. Or you can feed it as a seperate meal.

To use See Spot Live Longer, you can adjust the amount you make as you need to. Two tablespoon of SSLL per 1/2 lb of boneless meat, one tablespoon of SSLL per 1/4 lb of boneless meat, whatever works for you. DHA is in fish oil and if you don’t feed a meal of oily fish once a week, you need to give fish oil.

You can also give raw meaty bones as long as you don’t exceed 20% of the diet with unbalance foods..

[Katie J]

So I have went through this entire thread (skimmed a tiny bit) and couldn’t find my answer surprisingly enough. I have been toying with the idea of going raw for my new pup that I mentioned in the Editor’s Choice forum, but worry that I could screw him up if I get the balance off. The puppy stage is too important to screw up. I keep researching raw anyhow because I want to switch to raw eventually for him and my terrier mix. I even recently found a co-op that delivers close by.

My bug question, as I see most people are feeding medium – large dogs, is how I maintain balance for small dogs? My terrier is 15-20 lbs (just guessing but I can weigh him), and my pup is 8-9 lbs (he weighed 7 lbs about two weeks ago at the vet). For those who haven’t read the other thread, he’s almost a 4 months old Shiba Inu/Akita Inu that I purchased secondhand but was a pet store pup. Yes, he is very small for his age, and no, I have no idea how big he’ll be. He seems to be growing like a weed though! Anyhow to maintain the proper balance for the pup, would I have to rely mostly on grinds? I assume I can find a proper balance for my terrier without solely using grinds. I haven’t even looked into the cost of a grinder yet. If I were to use a premix like See Spot Live Longer, do I give these little guys 1 lb of boneless meat? Seems like an awful lot! And on the topic of supplements, I know a lot of puppy foods have added DHA. Would I want to add that in a puppy raw diet? I was also toying with the idea of placing an order with the co-op for a few things to try to add in to the current diet of kibble and wet my pup is getting to help him transition. Is it safe to use raw as a topper on kibble? Or should I feed raw as an exclusive meal?

Thank you for all of this information! I discovered this website about a week ago and have since made it my personal mission to find out how to give my dogs the best!

[Cordell N]

Hello,
I home cook for my three dogs. A 7 month old Australian Shepherd, a senior Boston Terrier and a senior Bassett Hound. I make their food in a crock pot twice a week.
I use a combination of meats which usually include chicken thighs or chicken quarters and ground beef and chicken gizzards. I also add ground lamb if I can find it in the discount area.
I throw in carrots, green beans and other vegetables from my garden like squash and tomatoes. If I have some fruit that needs to be eaten I throw that in also. I add some water and cook until done. I remove the everything and debone the chicken and mash with a potatoes masher and mix well. I then cook my carbs in the liquid. Sometimes rice, potatoes, lentils, oats or barley. I least that cook until very well done add a can of pumpkin and mix it all together. I would estimate that the meat comprises about 75% of their diet.

I add a supplement I make at feeding that includes ground egg shell, nutritional yeast, kelp powder, lecithin granules, ground multivitamins, salmon oil, yogurt, apple cider with the mother and Brazil nuts. I also put a cube or two of cooked beef liver or canned sardines on top a couple of times a week.
I would like to add some raw food and bones to their routine.
I bought the following at the Asian and Mexican markets.
Chicken and turkey necks
Pork neck bones
Beef feet cut up
Pork heart.
My questions are can I give a neck a couple of tomes a week as a treat?
Are raw pork neck bones and cut up raw beef feet safe as treats?
Should I cook the pork heart in the crock pot with my other meat or serve a small portion raw on top of their cooked food?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Cordell

[theBCnut]

They can eat all of those either cooked or raw. If you are going to cook them, make sure you do not give them the bones, but if the game meats are going to make up more than 20% of their diet, you need to add back calcium to rebalance the food. Two good sized egg shells per pound of meat.

[Susan]

Hi, Patches vet said no to raw but that was cause he has IBD, he said too much fat & bacteria..next time ask ur vet why he said NO, what are his reasons…I’m reading Dr Karen Becker book called “Real Food for Healthy Dogs & Cats”, she explains that when changing to a raw diet it takes up to 3 months for dogs with digestion problems. here’s a link to her probiotics for dogs, her probiotics have 14 strains.. http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

[jakes mom]

Thanks BCnut. The ABC diet for the dog recommends salmon and sardines. He loves it but of course the cats beg, too! I have been offering the cats some raw as well, but only one will eat it. She adores it, screams when she sees it!
Bobby dog, you said it! If I could at least find a couple of things that everybody liked! Especially important for my hyperthyroid guy, I’m constantly trying to get extra calories into him.

[theBCnut]

A lot of vets are against raw diets. I think it is a lack of education on their part. They always bring up the possibility of pathogenic bacteria, but look how many kibbles have been recalled due to pathogenic bacteria lately.

Like Betsy, I wouldn’t add anything to the elimination diet until it is the thing you are testing.

[Terri M]

Thanks so much for your replies. Yes, my vet said NOTHING else, not even chew bones, while doing the elimination diet. I’m going to give it a try. I’ve also done quite a bit of reading about boosting their immune systems with probiotics. What are your thoughts on this? My vet said “NO RAW”. Not sure why….the holistic store I’ve been going to gave me a sample for him to try and you would have thought I had put crack in front of him! He loved it! Do y’all know why vets are so against raw? My vet did mention a homemade diet as well. If this doesn’t work, I’m SO there!

[Susan]

Yes terri, Elimination diets are best, but you can do ur own home cooked or raw, instead of the kibble, I found my boy cant have Potatos or sweet potatos makes him itch more, I started with just boiled chicken breast & pumkin, then after 2 weeks I added some sweet potato & within 2 days his ears were itching, so I stopped the sweet potatos & his ears stop itching, then I added a boiled egg, he was fine, I started gaving him a little bit of banana as a treat he was fine but I noticed that he started to get his yeasty stinky smell again & I looked up bananas & they are a high carb fruit that converts to sugar that causes yeast, so now Im stopping the banana, he’s not a happy camper, he loves his banana, Im sick of cooking & freezing chicken every 10 days, Im using tuna or salmon now instead of the chicken, my vet said try goat, I went to the butcher & he said that goat is dearer then lamb, around $35 a kilo, that idea went out the door, The vet did skin scrapping & got stuff out of his ears & he too came back negitive for yeast but he itched & stank like a bread shop, real stinky yeast smell..so I dont understand, Ive googled high carb fruit & vegies & I stay away from them…I will not try the steriods as I saw on one of Dr Karen Becker videos the steriods just mask the problem, a band-aid as soon as u stop the steriods the problem comes back, I think the enviornment adds to Patches itch problem as well, we walk alot so just rubbing against a plant, grass or sniffing pollen in the air can set them off, next dog will not have any white on their bodies, the vet said white dogs are normally more prone to skin problems..
If your dog can stomach raw, then raw is best for elimination diets, there’s no carbs, that’s why Id say alot of dogs have these itchy problems….also alot of these grainfree kibbles have potatos, peas, sweet potatos, lentils, barley, legumes…

[Katie J]

A little over two weeks ago, I brought home a new pup for my boyfriend. He’s a Shiba Inu/Akita Inu mix and coming up to 4 months old. I have very little background on him as he was a pet store pup that I bought second hand. It’s a long story for another thread. I know the stigma with pet store pups as well though I have a 13 year old English Springer Spaniel that was purchased at a pet store that has never had anything but a routine vet visit and lives on Purina of all things. Anyhow back on topic. My little guy is little. He weighed at 7 lbs about a week ago at the vet’s office, but I am guessing he’s sitting closer to 8-9 now. Yes, I know he is shockingly small for his supposed breeding. But everyone that meets him guesses either one of this mix, but no one knows why he’s so small. We’re guessing that it could have a lot to do with his pet store past.

Now that that’s out of the way, time to talk food. I got him with a bag of Eukanuba puppy. He ate that fine until he caught wind of the Purina. Our adult dogs (the spaniel and my terrier mix) are free range because we lead a very busy and random life at the house. This is something I plan to change for my terrier and this pup when my boyfriend get our own place. I knew that I didn’t want the pup to eat adult food as he has special puppy needs. I nearly just bought the puppy formula for Purina until I food this website. Since then I have done more reading than I would care to admit on dog food. I decided to pick a food that wasn’t going to be a big jump in quality or price and bought 4Health Puppy. I know some people are leery of Diamond. But at the price and star rating, I grabbed a bag along with one of each of their rice free cans. My plan was to do kibble and a can topper. He licked the bowl clean for three meals. Meal four, he ate half and walked away. I switched the topper to a new flavor. Same result. We were trying two meals a day but broke it down to 3 thinking that I was trying to feed him too much at a time. No change. Though I was able to get him to finish if I spoon fed the last half of his food.

Three days ago I stopped by a local dog boutique and came home with several samples and goats milk as a probiotic. His stools had been soft too pretty loose due to the changing in foods trying to find something he liked. After the milk thawed I gave him a little in his nornal meal with the same result: ate half, spoon fed rest. Stools have firmed up since. The night before last we started samples. I have a lot of Earthborn as I had went to another store and got even more samples most of which was Earthborn. I think it was the prairie formula first that he nearly finished on his own without the milk. I only give the milk once a day. Apparently he nearly finished his next two meal with my boyfriend. I wasn’t there as I was working. But I know that he will not spoon feed. With fireworks last night, the pup didn’t get his dinner. It was too late, and he had a late lunch. I expected a hungry puppy today! Nope. Same result with goats milk. This was his second feeding on a new flavor of Earthborn. I forgot the flavor. But it was blue packaging. I still have the primitive flavor left to try from Earthborn. I also have Halo, two flavors of Fromm, Acana and Orijen puppy. I wanted to get through all of the cheaper stuff first in hopes of finding something he likes.

A few extra things to add, I am feeding him separately from the spaniel who is very food aggressive. But I feed him with my terrier as I want to start transititioning my terrier to a better diet as well for when we move out. Sometimes the pup seems distracted because the terrier gets something different (4Health adult and the same topper the pup gets). But he does want to eat the terrier’s. He gets awfully burpy when he eats. I am looking to add sardines and perhaps switching to plain Kefir for the probiotic. Switching to raw right now is not something I want to do. I am unsure about getting the right balance, and his puppy stage is far too important to screw up. I do plan on introducing him to all the raw elements I want to use in the future, and at around a year old, we may make the switch. And I cannot afford to do commercial or dehydrated food. I love the guy, but I can’t justify spending as much to feed him as to fees me not to mention it’s not in the budget.

Boy that was long just to get to what I wanted to ask. Is he training me to spoon feed him? It seems like all of my meals with him end with me begging him to finish so much so that I grab the spoon. His nutrition is so important to me. I can’t stand him missing a meal or wasting that food! Any ideas?

[pugmomsandy]

If you haven’t been through the DFA Library yet, there are some helpful articles there about how to choose dog food, ingredients, ingredient labels, canine nutrition, etc.

/helpful-dog-food-articles/

For me personally, I chose 1) a small kibble, 2) generally not less than 30% protein for kibble, 3) gluten free, 4) not less than 36% protein dry matter for wet food, 5) no by-products/sugar/food color/BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin/sodium nitrite, and I generally do not buy from the large corporations (the ones that also make candy bars and toothpaste and other household items).

Also, I feel diet variety and rotation is important so pick various proteins and types of foods (raw, canned, frozen, dehydrated/freeze dried, kibble).

[Susan]

Hi Amy, its not the Frontline, frontline only penetrates the first 1-2 layers of their skin, My boy had a reaction to Advantage DO NOT USE the Advantage penetrates thru the skin to their blood, within 24hrs one side of my boys head swelled up his ear & his bottom lip swelled, & he was vomiting blood early hours of the morning, at first I didnt think the Advantage until I rung his vet. the best way to know whats happening is an elimination diet, for 1 month you just feed 1 new protein & say boiled pumkin or rice nothing else no treats nothing, thats if you think it could be foods, I used chicken in Patches elimantion diet but now I think Patch cant have chicken as the lumps on his head that look like hives got worst, Patches vet said that he has seasonal allergies & cause I just rescued him 19 months ago she said I’ll start to see a pattern, I noticed last winter Patch was good, no itch but the end of summer Patch got all his hive like lumps, itching & rubbing along the wall, this winter Patch has his hive like lumps again, so I look in Patches diary & last winter I wasnt feeding him chicken, this winter I was feeding chicken, so Ive stopped the chicken…Ive heard all these test are no good as they give false readings the best would be if you could try him on raw, Im just starting a new kibble called Wellness Simple it has limited ingredients, also watch his carbs, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no carrots no high carbs that turn to sugar that makes yeasty itchy skin.. If he can handle it i’d feed raw.. & google a good Raw diet for itchy skin..Ive been thinking of putting Patch on Raw but he has IBD & I have enough trouble trying to find a low fat kibble, so raw would have to much fat for Patch..also there could be a plant or grass in ur garden or on his walks that he’s allergic to, I’ve changed Patches walking route to see if that helps….Its winter here in Australia, so if Patch has enviornment allergies or seasonal allergies like his vet said, why is he getting them now being winter & he didnt last year, thats whats making me look at his food this year, I use Malaseb Medicated shampoo, & I use a cortisone cream when he gets some of the red itchy sores, I found the cortsone 1% cream is excellent Im just using my cream…just look at the ingredients in his kibble & see if there’s Potatos sweet potatos carrots, lentils any high carb foods…A friend from the dog park had a staffy that was so itchy he was red & losing his fur she tried the vet diets they didnt work then she tried the Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys sardines & salmon & her boy is looking excellent not scratching fur all grown back..so a few people from the dog park are using the Holistic Select with great results… Im also given Patch tuna & pumkin for breakfast to replace the chicken & his hives have gone. sorry for the book..Oh a good dog probiotic this will help too…good-luck

[Amy E]

Hello, I’m new here.
5 months ago I adopted Moby, a 9 year old miniature schnauzer. He was from a puppy mill and weighed 7 lbs. when I got him. He now weighs 12 lbs and the vet says he’s a good weight. He came to us with ear infections, which we treated and cleared up.

He developed some small itchy bumps on his head, neck, legs and chest, which he licked, scratched and rubbed his body along the furniture. Vet diagnosed skin infection due to stress or allergies. Rx: zeniquin & clemastine for 10 days with KetoChlor shampoo followed by Allergroom shampoo daily for 3 days, then twice weekly for 2 weeks.

At 10 day recheck: All bumps healed and went away during the 2 weeks, except for one new bump on chest so 3 more days of zeniquin prescribed and continuing clemastine until winter arrives. Also supposed to bathe with the 2 shampoos once every 2 weeks.

Well… the bumps have returned on his head and neck. They started with just one here and there and have increased daily over this week. He’s starting to itch, rub and lick more again, even though he is still taking clemastine.

I feed him Eagle Pack Holistic Salmon kibble, but he also gets various treats (chicken based) and yogurt daily along with various other things like pumpkin, fresh veggies, fruit and sardines.

He came from Oklahoma and now lives in Minnesota. It just so happened that winter ended and spring began around the time we got him…the same time he started a new diet at our house…so it’s hard to know if his allergies are environmental or food based without testing (I’m considering doing a home-based test like Immune IQ). I suspect a life of poor diet and low exercise has weakened his immune system and now he’s more susceptible to everything, causing skin reactions. Besides the bumps, he has no other issues with his skin or coat (no hair loss, raw patches, etc). He has no digestive issues either. He’s a happy little guy, always wagging his tail, eats voraciously, sleeps like a log, potties on schedule (output looks good).

Do you think I should switch to a different food with fewer ingredients? If so, what? I’m going to eliminate the yogurt. We have another [senior] dog so feeding completely raw is cost prohibitive for me.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

[Glen B]

I recently rescued a 7-8 year old Pitbull that is too thin. I had him tested for worms and that came out negative. I think the problem is he runs around outside a few hours a day and would like to try and fix it with diet before anything else. I have no idea how much he weighs right now, but by looking at him I’d guess he needs to gain 10-15lbs.

He’s been on raw for a week. He was looking better on Taste of the Wild kibble, but for the price it was costing a week..it obviously isn’t cost effective.

I’ve been looking at “Satin Ball” or “Fat Ball” recipes in addition to his regular raw. My concern is that by putting grains in with raw meat, wouldn’t I be messing with his digestive system? Is the point of the grains wheat germ or oats specifically just for the carbs? I’d like something like oats since I could just get it out of the bulk bins at the health food store..but will it mess with his digestive system or is it just adding calories? I rather just add some carbs for calories rather than substitute with kibble.

Is it possible to go too high in fat? I’m also adding about 1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt to his food along with fish oils and 2 raw, jumbo eggs with shell a day..since I can get eggs super cheap.

Why do people say beef puts more weight on than chicken? I can get a case of chicken leg quarters much cheaper than I can full fat beef..ground or whole. I’d like to keep this as cheap as possible and am already a member of the local co-ops.

[Dori]

Yep! My three girls together probably make up one of yours. I’m so glad the poop situation is getting under control. Everything else will follow eventually. Your dogs are going to become so much healthier. Again, try to avoid any food that has any feathered friend in it. It takes a while to figure it all out. As I say, Katie came to me this way at 9 weeks old. She just turned 5 years old and something always needs a little tweaking with her. The other two girls can eat everything any anything with no problems. Do keep me posted. Glad things seem to be turning around. The one small poop a day is the way it’s suppose to be on a raw diet. The guts utilizing almost all the nutrients in the food and there really aren’t any fillers to mess with there systems.

[theBCnut]

Cats do best long term on wet foods. The most common cause of death in cats is kidney failure, which they attribute to an unnaturally dry diet. They do kind of imprint on the type of foods they are fed when young, so if you only feed dry, later they will refuse canned. Introducing raw and canned young is very important.

[Ysabella J]

Okay cat people, I am in dire need of some help. A friend of mine found an abandoned kitten that she couldn’t keep. I ended up taking care of her and in the meantime fell in love with her. Took her to the vet for a check up, got her dewormed with panacur and albon, and also sent out a fecal that came back negative. The vet believes she is about 5 weeks old. I have been feeding her raw goats milk and Taste of the Wild dry food. Cat food is fairly new to me as I feed my dog half raw & half Orijen, and never had a cat of my own, only ones that I grew up with. I am wondering if there is something too rich in her diet? She has had very loose stools for 4 days now.. I have had her for 6 days. What do I do? I am considering ground turkey, pumpkin, and rice… Poor kitty has to go so often and I’m constantly bathing and cleaning up after her. The vet says she’s hydrated and she has been drinking plenty of water.

What to do?

[Dori]

Hi BRT. I just read an earlier post of yours that I must have missed. Please don’t let your dogs bring their dog food and drop it on the carpet to eat it. Not just raw, there are way many more cases of salmonella with kibble then raw diets. The issue with Salmonella is not your dogs getting sick unless they already have a major underlying illness, it’s humans that get the salmonella. It is you who have to wash your hands after handling raw (as you would with any raw food for humans that you handle), also clean counter, etc. anything that touched the raw food. As I say, just as you would when you’re preparing your own dinner. What most people fail to realize is that you must also wash thoroughly kibble that carries way more issues than raw.

If any of them are still having gas, bad breath, etc. that is also part of detoxing. Perfectly normal so long as it doesn’t last too long.

I also missed that you’ve started with the Venison NV raw. That’s good. Oh, I just thought of what I read earlier on one of your posts. If you’re dog is allergic or intolerant to chicken then I would stay away from anything that has feathers. Chicken, Quail, Turkey, Duck, etc. etc. and once again any food you feed make sure there is no chicken fat, turkey meal, etc. somewhere on the ingredient list. It’s easier finding raw foods without quite so many ingredients. Venison, Bison, Buffalo. Those are good to try EVENTUALLY down the line once he’s all healed. Katie doesn’t do well with beef if I feed it more then two days in a row but she has no issues whatsoever with buffalo. Originally I had just assumed when I discovered the beef issue that it would be all red meat but that’s not the case. Good Luck and keep us posted. I’m feeling much better so I’ll try to keep up with your progress. Just be patient. Why are you smelling their food anyway, LOL. If you think Venison smells bad then you’ll pass out if you ever feed Tripe. Now that is just plain n-a-s-t-y!!!!!!!

[RescueDaneMom]

There are some recipes at the beginning of this thread by Hound Dog Mom. I use 2 books for my homemade raw: 1- unlocking the canine ancestral diet by Steve Brown and 2- real food for healthy dogs and cats by Beth Taylor and Karen Becker. If you are looking for quick and easy, Steve Brown makes a premix for boneless meats called See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. You mix about a tablespoon or two (can’t remember which) with one pound of boneless lean meat. I imagine it would be much more cost effective for you than Primal.

[SandyandMila]

That was such a great example. Lots of people don’t transition their dogs to raw due to the cost. But if someone can make feeding a Great Dane look more cost effective than it’s definitely worth a shot. I was going to add that if you have a local co-op or wholesale supplier you can get things like RMBs in bulk that’ll last you for awhile and worth the price. http://www.dogaware.com/diet/rawgroups.html

[RescueDaneMom]

Hey Zach,

First, it’s going to depend on the size of the dog you are feeding. I have a 150lb Great Dane that eats 3 lbs per day which is about 90 lbs per month.

I used to feed 50% commercial raw and 50% The Honest Kitchen and my food bill was upwards of $300 per month.

I just started making homemade raw. I’m using Steve Brown’s recipes from Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet. The chicken recipe uses half chicken necks and half boneless, skinless thighs with heart and liver. The chicken recipe cost me less than $2/lb to make, closer to $1.50. The beef recipe cost a bit more because beef is expensive. I think it averaged out to be around $3-3.50/lb. This is significantly cheaper than commercial raw which I was paying anywhere from $4.50 to $6.00/lb for. When you need to feed 3lbs per day the savings add up.

Since I just started I don’t have a monthly food bill yet but I’m guessing it will be around $200. It should be a cost savings of $100/month for me.

I hope this helps.

[Linsey H]

Hi there, I started reading these forums back when I was first researching a puppy, and so far it has served me well, though I finally have a question. I know that there is a separate thread for large breed puppies, but I felt like my question might have been a bit too long and complicated for it.

I have a 21w, 45lb female Shiloh Shepherd and she has recently started teething. I have been restricting her calcium pretty thoroughly, though I have heard from several reliable people that I should be giving her more during her teething phase. My internet searches so far have been unhelpful and I have not found much scientific data on large breeds and teething. I am also a little concerned with her current diet ratios, so if I am doing something terrible, I am hoping that someone can call me out on it. So far my puppy has been putting on steady 2 pounds a week, with the exception of a few ~3lb/week growth spurts. She does appear to get occasional growing pains still though.

Her current diet:
She receives two meals a day which consist of kibble and toppers, and since she is a puppy she still receives a significant amount of training treats. I have been using http://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/pdf/CalorieRequirementsForDogs.pdf as a rough guideline for calories- my puppy gets roughly 1.1-1.3k C from kibble and then 200-500C from toppers, chews and training treats. I have read that large breeds have slightly different requirements after 4mo, plus my puppy is decently active- she walks a lot, plays plenty of fetch, and then gets at least 1 hour of dog play through various outlets daily. I generally adjust how much she gets of what based on what she did that day, and she has been staying very lean and well muscled.

For kibble, her breeder had her on Earthborn Holistic: Meadow Feast, and since that was on Hound Dog Mom’s list and had the right amount of calcium I have kept her on it. The breeder also suggested using Flexicose and Missing Link Puppy as supplements- I am not sure if Missing Link is the best, but the breeder said that the calcium amounts checked out (only the min is on the package).

For toppers, she almost always gets a tablespoon of pumpkin and then either raw green tripe, a raw ground mix from our butcher, or canned PetKind. The raw mix consists of 10% green tripe, 10% organs, and 80% beef – it is bone free and has been the main thing reducing calcium in her diet. As of last month, I have started giving my puppy either a raw (irradiated) egg or a chicken wing every 2-3 days (whenever she finishes .75-1lb pound of the supplement). I had read somewhere that a chicken wing contains ~1.86g of calcium and 89g total with ~38% being bone, though my math is still somewhat guestimate-y. I also have backs and necks, but I was under the impression that they had more calcium.

For treats, she either gets soft Buddy Biscuits (grain free), dried/dehydrated meat, lamb lung, Orijen treats, or cooked chicken- she definitely prefers softer treats and no is no longer interested in kibble rewards (she spits it out in training). When I had her on only meat-based rewards, she started to get a little snobbish so I reintroduced the Buddy Biscuits, but I am not sure that they are the healthiest option. I try to limit the amount on normal days to 100C, and then for days she has class (or if I work with her on a lot of new behaviors) she gets 200-300C.

For chews, she either gets Beams (fish skin), bison trachea (dehydrated, I have not been able to find raw/frozen), or tendon- though she is not as interested in the last two since she has been teething. Pumpkin filled kongs have been another option, though she is not a big kong fan. Lamb lung, jerky, or sweet potato, are rare accompaniments to the pumpkin. She is a gentle chewer and only finishes the beams in a single session. She is no longer interested in fruit/veggie chews. For teething, I have tried frozen towels/ropes soaked in a broth solution, but she has yet to go for them. Her favorite “chew” is definitely the raw bones, but I don’t want to give her too many due to calcium levels.

Anyways, my core question is this:
Does her current diet seem too far out of balance?

With the follow-ups being these:
1) Am I giving her too many calories in unbalanced toppers and treats?
2) Is my puppy getting too much or not enough calcium?
3) Are there other raw chewing options with less calcium (unless she needs more)?
4) Are there any specific books I should read in addition to Dr. Becker and Steve Brown’s books?
5) What are some of the better online resources for buying raw? My local butcher shop is pretty great, but unfortunately they don’t carry everything.