[Molzy]

In my opinion, the medallions are WAY easier than the bites! My cat has been on NV for over a year. He looks great, hardly sheds. I tried the bites when they came out and don’t like them. Too many edges to get freezer burned, and harder to manage portion sizes. The medallions are all the same size, where I felt the bites didn’t always measure out the same in my measuring cup, and it was harder to split up his meals for the day. Just my opinion, but thought it might help. I’ve been very happy with the natures variety raw!

[RescueDaneMom]

I think any incorporation of raw or fresh foods is a good thing. I’ve just started adding raw to my dog’s diet. I think it’d be easier for you if you stick with the 20% rule. You can add up to 20% (by volume I think) of additional fresh foods without throwing off the balance of nutrients in commercial kibble. That way you don’t have to worry about adding extra supplements and such to make the food complete and balanced. I think it has also been said that you can feed one meal of raw and one meal of kibble and still be ok with vitamins/minerals.

I add the following things to my dog’s food (not all at the same time): lightly cooked eggs (over easy), cottage cheese, kefir, canned sardines in water, and canned pink salmon. I will also add some canned tripe by Tripett.

I also add commercial raw, either Primal or Stella and Chewy’s. Lately I’ve been using the Primal grinds (muscle meat, organs, and bone) which are not complete and balanced. If you used more than 20% of this in a meal than you would need to balance it. You can get Primal from an independent pet store. See primalpetfoods.com for more info. Also a bonus, the bones in the grinds are ground up so small that there is no hazard of choking!

If you are interested in learning more about raw food there are two books that are always recommended: “Real food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Taylor & Becker and “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. They have recipes for raw and cooked foods. I have made one batch of raw using Taylor & Becker’s recipe. I wasn’t too difficult but I had to go to two different stores to get what I needed. It is easier for me right now to use the Primal grinds instead of making my own raw food.

In my opinion, commercial raw food is a good compromise if you don’t want to go full raw. Yes it is still processed, but very minimally and much less than kibble. It is also convenient for those that are busy or simply don’t have or want to take the time to source raw meats and make their own raw food meals from scratch.

These are just my opinions. There are others here that have way more experience than I do such as HoundDogMom, Pattyvaughn, and pugmomsandy. They may have more feedback for you.

[Oceans11]

Your Pugs are adorable! I thank you and appreciate your comments. I made the mistake of going in and reading the comments on supplements – too much information for now! If I feed our puppy Raw Instinct Bites and alternate with an all meat kibble (Fromm perhaps??) and give him a bone every 3 days or so, won’t this be enough for a happy healthy pup? Doesn’t the Raw Instinct and kibble have the right mix of all the nutrients they need?

Also, have you any experience with using Diatamacious Earth as a preventive for ear mites?

[pacer1978]

I’m sorry if these questions were already asked. There are so many posts, that I feel it may just be faster to ask instead of reading through every topic on the forum. I am mostly a kibble type since that is convenient and fast, though I do feed my dogs premium kibble: NV, NP, Earthborn Holistic, and Fromm for instance.

Here are my questions. If I do incorporate raw into their diet, how do I go about doing that? Where do you purchase this from? Is there a butcher you go through? How much does it cost typically? I have stayed away from raw thinking it would be unsanitary and very expensive. Plus, I try not to give my dogs bones since they inhale their food and seem to cough and gag a lot after eating one. My thought is that it gets stuck in their throat. Not to mention, I will come home to a pile of bile with sharp bones in the mix and that freaks me out. I’m afraid the sharp bones will do damage to them. Sometimes I will purchase the NV raw patties and freeze dried food and sprinkle or chop that up into their food, but probably don’t do it often for it to make any difference. I’m sure that their raw food is not the same anyway since it is probably still processed in some way.
I know many of you here believe 100% in the raw diet, but I remember when I first investigated it, I had read articles that didn’t support it. One lady explained how she switched to raw and her dog ended up extremely sick with contamination. Any ideas on that? I feel right now with supplements, treats, and premium kibble I am spending so much on their food as it is. I want the best for my dogs, however. I feel you shouldn’t take them on if you can’t provide for them the best you can. Who knows…maybe the raw is cheaper than what I’m spending right now. On the other hand, I’m the main person that handles the feedings in my house. I doubt on the nights I’m at school my husband will have the patients or agreeableness to feed and deal with raw food. Anyway, just looking for your thoughts on some of these questions. I always thought raw was too difficult to feed since there really isn’t a place for me to purchase this other than my grocery store. For some reason, I figured most people purchased it another way. Thanks for anyone reading!

[Oceans11]

Thank you pugdmomsandy for your thoughts. I hope our little guy doesn’t have any gastrointestinal issues. We haven’t had a puppy in a good while. Over the years we have raised many great wonderful dogs (Shepherds and Dobermans) but never a little dog. After reading so much about diets for dogs, it’s a wonder our dogs lived to ripe old ages and never had digestive problems being raised first on Purina Puppy Chow and later on Iames dry kibble. Now after doing some reading and being educated on this forum, I feel so guilty having fed our dogs the same food day in and day out. I feel like a novice dog owner now and am thankful to everyone for sharing their wisdom and making this my number one go-to web site. I have to admit that right now after trying to take everything in, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed but thankful that so much helpful information is available.

[pugmomsandy]

You can do that. In fact you can alternate anything and everything – kibble, canned, freeze dried, raw. If he’s used to change you can mix up his meals, or you can feed one type of food per meal. My boys are used to change. This morning they had some raw, canned and freeze dried together. Now I wouldn’t have done this 2 or 3 years ago. But they’re used to it now.

[Dfwgolden]

I have a 16 week old purebred Border Collie puppy out of working stock lines.
He’s an amazing pup in every way, intelligent, lively, loving, and very social.

However….

Ricky has since I got him had very loose stools. We have three other dogs two Golden Retrievers and a Chihuahua (Shh, don’t tell him I called him a dog!)
None of our other three ever had loose stools, Ricky also poops a lot!
Not like 4-5 times like some puppies do but like 8-10 times a day.

His potty training has been an extreme difficulty and is not progressing as it should.
We’ve tried changing foods and adding supplements.
He just has show no signs of improvement.

I am a big fan of the raw diet but am not currently able to feed that with my finances.
He is currently on Diamond Lamb and Rice Large breed puppy.
My other dogs eat Diamond with no problems what so ever, they have a nice shiny coat and have never been in better health.

What do I do about this? I just am all over the board here and don;t understand why he poops SO MUCH and why it is so loose.
He is 100% healthy (had a blood panel done and everything) he is on Revolution for fleas and HW.
He gets feed in the afternoon around 12:00pm and at night around 6:00pm
Then gets a small snack of food before I leave for school around 7:00am of so.

He is very active and shows know underlying issues what so ever. His coat is beautiful! No smelly breath, or itching ect.

I just am baffled.

[Oceans11]

I am picking up our 10 week old Coton de Tulear puppy next week. The breeder has him on kibble and is sending some home with us. I plan to transition him to Nature\’s Variety Instinct Raw and give him raw meaty bones several times a week for teeth cleaning purposes. My question is whether or not I should alternate giving him kibble and the raw diet?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Katie,

Bless you for taking on this big boy. He’s lucky to have you.

I would think it’s likely that the chewing and biting could be food intolerance / allergy issues as much as it could be compulsive behaviors. Would you be in a position to try to distract him every time you catch him chewing? A quick walk, a quick game of fetch, a doggie massage? Also, maybe give him something healthy to chew on that is tastier than his nails or fur. That’ll give him some extra calories also. Try bully sticks or raw, meaty bones like a turkey neck for snacks and chewing satisfaction. Samoan81’s suggestion for satin balls is a also a great idea.

I think I’d get him off of the grains though and would definitely increase his protein. His body needs more protein to repair and rebuild. I wouldn’t use anything less than 30% protein. He’s an adult now, so you don’t have to be as concerned with Calcium levels ~ which are what you limit with a large / giant breed puppy ~ not protein. While she mostly suggests foods with grains, the Great Dane Lady has a list of foods she recommends along with some great advice. Have you visited her site: http://www.greatdanelady.com/. Also, here’s a link that’ll take you right to the page of foods she recommends: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/criteria_list_of_better_foods.htm.

Also, one food I’ll suggest you try adding to his diet is Abady granular. It’s usually very well tolerated and is very calorie dense, about 800 kcals per cup. Their website is very strange, but I would suggest calling them and telling them what’s going on and get their recommendations. They’re extremely helpful over the phone. Here’s their website: http://www.abadyfeeds.com/ and here’s their phone number: Tele: (845)473-1900 * Toll Free: (877)-99ABADY .

Have you tried giving him some pureed pumpkin for the loose stools? That usually helps a lot.

Peace & Blessings,
Betsy

[pugmomsandy]

It depends on the cuts of meat you’re using for the homemade raw and if it’s regular, free range, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. You probably don’t want the regular chickens that have been injected but rather get some that are less processed, no antibiotics. You can find discount prices when the sell-by dates are coming up. At the health food store, I can get a package of turkey neck with giblets for around $1.49/lb. But duck necks are about $2.69/lb. Ground beef 80/20 is less than $1/lb and containers of heart and gizzard are under $2/lb. I guess it also depends on your area of the country. There is an initial investment of freezer space and a meat/bone grinder but they are well worth it. Or you can use boneless meats and supplement with bone meal or other source of calcium. The recipe book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor has simple recipes with and without bone. I would say my average (guessing) would be $2.20 a pound and my dog would eat 6 oz per day = 11.25 lbs per month = $24.75 per month PLUS supplements. Kibble would be $15.60 per month for me ($79 for 100 cups). I don’t ever use the $0.39/lb bag of chicken thighs!! But yes, you can get homemade to be real cheap. Let’s say a combo of ground beef 80/20 or 70/30 and chicken heart/gizzard and some supplements would be cheap, in rotation with the Core. I think it would work out. You can also join a local raw feeding group and order in bulk with them. I like to buy tripe which is $2/lb for me. I also feed raw sardines which I bought on sale for $1.19/lb. You can also add up to 20% of unbalanced raw food to his diet without having to worry about extra vit/min supplementation. Maybe give him a chicken wing, a heart and piece of gizzard a couple times a week.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[gixx0r]

Thanks again for the suggestions, I now have our boy Dez on Core Wellness Small Breed kibble, but have gained the sudden fascination of the raw diet. I am close with my local butcher shops so I think the meat products won’t be a problem, my question is, from a pure cost standpoint, is it cheaper to create my own raw menu or use premium kibble?

I know the cost of pre-packaged raw balanced diets are far greater than kibble, but how about preparing your own?

[Nancy M]

TO ANYONE WILLING TO RESPOND…….

Currently, my dog is on Hills Prescription I/D low-fat, dry and canned. He’s on that for a reason (will spare the details), and he was stabilized, until I started introducing some raw (very small beef bone with marrow in it…..a very tiny bit), but it gave him the runs pretty good. Was a big NO-NO, as it turned out. He rebounded well and ate his next meal with no issues. Thought he was over it, but it appears that he still has some pretty loose stools today.

So……my question is this: since he has always tended to have digestive issues on and off, (food, stress, illness now) can someone recommend some digestive probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes that I should probably be using for him? I would love to eventually get him on a much better diet, but due to his illness and needing to keep him as stable as possible, I would love to get something in him that will help with his digestive system. He has always been on kibble, and I’ve always tried to feed the premiums or naturals, which as I’m learning, are just awful for dogs. Now he’s stuck on something even worse……Hills.

I have used yogurt in the past, I do have pumpkin that I’m giving today, but I also noticed that THK has a powder mix that when mixed, is kind of a milky drink. It says it has the pros, prees, and enzymes in it. So before I get some of that just to have on hand, has anyone used it? Or can you give me other options?

As long as he’s on this Hills, I feel like I should be giving him something extra and soothing to his gut and good for his body, so I’d like something I can use regularly.

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

You could probably get away with feeding some of it, but you will have to be careful not to overdo it. I feed a high fat diet, but I don’t feed more fat than protein. I’m not sure how you can know how much fat you are feeding every day on completely homemade raw. You can make sure that you are only adding some of the pork fat on days that you are feeding lean meats like chicken and turkey, or wild game, but I would probably not add it on days that you feed pork or beef.

[pugmomsandy]

Nancy M,

Sorry to hear that, but I wouldn’t have started off by giving fatty marrow! Now he might need a bland diet for a week. How about starting with just a bite or two of regular raw food. Just a bite or two per day and increase from there. Instinct comes in bite sizes and you know Primal comes in the small 1 oz size. Half an ounce in the morning and the other half at night when he feels better. Be sure to check the guaranteed analysis on the different flavors and make sure there’s less fat than protein.

[Nancy M]

Well, looks like we’re not off to a very good start with the raw. Gave my little guy a SMALL (a little larger around than a Ping pong ball, about 1/4 inch thick) beef bone, with the marrow in it (just got from the butcher shop this morning), and already have the runs. Not a good indication of things to come if I keep with my plans to start a raw diet! Any comments?

[GizmoMom]

Fewer poop is normal, but I think it’s too soon to be giving liver. The liver is probably causing the diarrhea.

If you follow this guideline, organs should only be introduced at week 7.
http://preymodelraw.com/page/articles.html/_/raw-chat/how-to-get-started-feeding-a-prey-model-raw-diet-r19

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by GizmoMom.

[PrincessPiper]

Nancy, if you buy the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet,” there are some recipes in there for a high protein, balance low fat diet and also recipes to feed to a puppy. I would make them and then start adding a little bit each day to their current diet. My little one transitioned very quickly but I think that was because she is so picky and absolutely loves raw. Good luck!

[Nancy M]

I have already written on different topics, but basically right now, what I really want to do is get started. I have read almost non-stop on this subject, ordered a couple books, but need to start a beginning program. Right now I have a 3 year old Sheltie who is on a Hills I/d diet (dry and wet) and will be getting my new Sheltie Pup next week who is being fed ProPlan Focus Puppy Chicken/rice, with Pedigree Wet chicken/beef. I want to get both of these dogs switched over to a much better diet, preferably raw or combination/mixture of that.
How can I get this started? Just by adding a little raw meat/organ meat/meaty bones a little at a time, with their current kibble? The puppy will be easier, I think, but the older one is on the Hills diet for a reason; must have as low fat as possible…..also has issues with sensitive stomach.

Please advise ASAP.

P.S. I ALREADY HAVE ABOUT A HALF BAG OF PRIMAL FROZEN NUGGETS (sardine and turkey formula) to finish using up so I thought I might just start back in mixing some in with the kibble for awhile. I had started this once, but then I had to go out of town for a bit, and decided to start back again later. It’s later, so I’m ready to begin again.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Is chicken quarters, chicken breasts and beef liver all you’re feeding her? How much of each? That’s really unbalanced. If you’re feeding too much of the bone-in chicken that could be causing constipation. She may also need some fiber if that’s all she’s getting.

Personally I would suggest checking out a book with balanced recipes (such as “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown) or getting a pre-mix (such as The Honest Kitchen’s Preference or See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix) and feeding the balanced mix as at least half of her meals, you can feed raw meaty bones and offal for the other meal or just feed raw meaty bones a few times a week supplementally. You may also want to get her on a quality multi-strain probiotic supplement. Loose and/or mucusy stools can be normal during the initial transition as your dog’s body is adapting and detoxing. My dogs didn’t have any issues at all switching to raw but I know some others’ on here have had problems so maybe they can give you a more detailed time frame of how long it should take the dog to adjust.

[PippaY]

My 8yr old welsh terrier got her blood work back:
Low red blood count, indicating a spleen issue(?)
Low albumin, indicating a liver issue and protein absorption issue ..maybe leaky gut?
There are 6 other blood abnormalities according to my vet…as I don’t have the blood report, yet.

Other issues:
Growing mammary tumors that don’t seem to bother her when touched (she was spayed prior to first heat cycle.) She has a few other masses that don’t seem to bother her – in the upper pit of her back right leg and the backside of her left leg.

She’s very itchy. Not sure if it’s a food allergy or possible cancer-related itchiness?

She’s still pretty spunky but is more listless and seems more depressed than her usual self.

DIET questions???
I fed her purina pro plan sensitive stomach “select” for years until late September (2013) when she stopped eating it (throughout late august/early September). She also got very bloated like she was filled with excess liquid. She had diarrhea for a few days, the vet put her on antibiotics, which seems to help to reduce the bloat, but her mammary tumors which the vet thought could have been swollen glands, continued to grow. I switched her to Acana rangelands (high protein) beef formula and have since eased her into Origin’s fish formula in the morning and the Origin fish formula + Primal raw food at night. She’s less hungry in the morning and will eat well at night. She’s starting to show signs of weight loss.

My vet seems to want to address the tumors first. And am going to call him tomorrow about nutritional options… Wondering what you all think – would probiotics be a good thing? If so what kind? Should I feed her more raw food to ramp up her protein intake? Could the liver issues be the cause of the tumors? I have a hard time picturing what sort of food could help the lumps/tumors, but have you all found such a thing?

There is a lot to address! – liver then tumors… Or try to tackle both at the same time? Nutrition for albumin and liver, biopsy of tumors?

[abby13]

I have an english bulldog that is 1 1/2 years old. She has spina bifida and is completely incontinent. Sometimes I have to assist her with the number 2s. Changing her diapers gives me the excellent and horrific view of her poops. Sophie has an EXTREMELY sensitive stomach. I am very well versed in dry dog food but am extremely incompetent when it comes to supplements. I have read nearly every thread on here and it seems like information overload! I currently feed Sophie Nutrisca. That is the only kibble that hasn’t made her bowels completely crazy. I work at a pet food store, so I have tried nearly everyone. Anytime I remotely try to switch her, its diarrhea, pure liquid. She gets dehydrated quickly and that scares me! She has done well on the Nutrisca, however I am interested in switching her to a commercial raw diet. Again no matter how slowly I try to transition, its pure diarrhea, liquid and I am changing diapers every 5-15 minutes. Poor baby. So the Nutrisca we have stayed on, however, now even on the Nutrisca her bowels switch from rock solid I have to help her excrete them to pure liquid. I have her own cranberry extract powder, and salmon oil. Occasionally I give her raw eggs. I am looking for a digestive enzyme or SOMETHING to help keep her number 2s more consistent. Pumpkin doesn’t work. Haven’t had much luck with yogurt. Anytime I take her to the vet (who delivered her and wouldn’t put her down when the breeder wanted him to due to the SB and who is an expert on SB and has pooled his resources all over the country for Sophie’s SB) he suggests switching her back to Science Diet which is what he had her on when she was living with him before I adopted her. Yes then her poops where normal, no problems but I absolutely refuse to put her on that and I refuse to go to another vet, not many in my area are spina bifida literate. There has to be a supplement of some kind to help her. I don’t hear a lot of tummy gurgles. Like I said she goes from being constipated to diarrhea by the day. Any suggestions for my poor baby?!

[Nancy M]

Sandy,

Loved the info in your post of 10/7…… Great info! Thanks for sharing!

[Nancy M]

That’s great news!…thanks for telling me that! At least I feel like I’m on the right path….you’ve been very helpful. The thing for me is I’m trying to keep fat content down to a bare minimum and I’m very leary of doing his raw diet with the ground beef…..I’d have to do something quite different. My 3 year old Sheltie has CYHLOTHORAX and the fat content in the blood/chyle (which is somehow leaking into the chest cavity) is a bad deal for him, so fat in the diet has to be closely monitored. Thanks again! Not sure what I’m going to do.

[theBCnut]

Dinovite is how I started on raw. I did his yeast starvation diet for half of my dogs’ food. And then I kept looking into other recipes for raw food and got a couple books. I read every website I could find and talked to other raw feeders. Now, I use Darwin’s commercial raw, grinds from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore that I have to add stuff to, meat from the butcher, and even one of my buck goats. I use premixes like Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl and Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer, that you add to boneless meat. I have used DinoVite and am soon going to try CarnivoreRaw with bone in meat.

I felt like using DinoVite let me start feeding raw quickly and gave me time to learn more, so I could take the next step.

[Nancy M]

Hound Dog Mom,

I have read several of your posts, the last one being about puppy food…..I have thoroughly enjoyed your obvious experience, so I want to ask you this: you and others do talk often about food rotation. I have become familiar with that concept over the years and use to do it some. Many others say it is not necessary or hard on the dog’s system. And I’m sure it can be, if you don’t do it correctly. So tell me your opinions on the correct process of rotating dog foods. And whether or not it would be different when the rotation is from raw to cooked to, from kibble, to any of them, etc. You catch my drift here? Some say you must “fast” the dog for 24 hours, some say, to just do it gradually.

Also, I’m getting a new Sheltie pup next week (12 weeks old) and want to know the best foods/diet I can start him on, once he gets through the adjustment period. At this point, I’m not ready to go the raw way (outside of maybe some raw beef bones), but I’d like to start this little guy off on the right foot and improve from there.

Thanks for your insight and great discussions…..

[idpoodlelover]

I have a 12 year old standard poodle that I recently switched to a RAW food diet (SOJOS) and now he is loosing weight he is down to 39 pounds – he loves the food but seems like he is hungry all the time. Should I switch to something else – any suggestions?

[Nancy M]

Thank you again!

I have another question for you though, this time pertaining to a new 10 week old Sheltie puppy I am getting next week. Do you have suggestions as to which HK formula might be best, along with opinions on the pro-biotic, goats milk supplement? I want to start this new little guy off the right way with a good nutritious diet. I am not raw food savvy, but in time, I want to combine some raw with a good cooked/prepared food.

I welcome all comments, from all members.

[Nancy M]

Thanks for the replies…..

Specifically to InkedMarie:

Actually, I have tried the HK, Preference formula, which seemed like it had the lowest fat content, but depends on the meat/protein you use with it. I had added a tablespoon of some Primal nuggets that I was trying to use up (the turkey/sardine) and within about an hour or two, he was passing very loose stools, so I stopped and returned to just what he had been on. But yes, I like the HK concept and the simple preparation, compared to either raw or cooked. Thanks for your input. I love the SHELTIES…..have had at least one in my life since 1992.

[Nancy M]

I have A “just turned 3 year old Sheltie (yes, just 3!), who was diagnosed with CHYLOTHORAX (chyle leakage into the chest cavity) in May and must be on a low-fat diet (less than 10%, but preferably around 6 or 7). He is currently doing very well, almost can’t tell he’s got anything wrong, except for high respiration rate. He has been on the Hills I/D low-fat dry/wet, along with the Rutin supplement, for several weeks, but I absolutely cringe at the ingredients of their foods. Because he IS doing well right now, I hate to change anything, but still wish their was something much healthier for him. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this? I tried replying to a vet (can’t remember her name) who had posted some good information on low fat diets, but I don’t think it went through…….I wasn’t finished with it anyway. I’m not too keen on the raw diets so I would prefer something that’s cooked/homemade, but at this point I would do just about anything to save this dog. He has been the best dog ever…..

[pugmomsandy]

There’s only so low-carb you can go if you’re looking for mid-protein and low-fat. Middle protein will be around 30. That’s Nutrisource, Amicus, Pulsar, Nature’s Logic lamb, Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets, Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Chicken, Merrick Classic, Avoderm Revolving Menu, Simply Nourish grain free, Wellness Small Breed, Wellness Simple grain free, THK Thrive and Embark. The 4 to 4.5 star foods are mid-protein, generally speaking. A few of them are 3.5 because they have some potato or pea protein or other gluten meal boosting the protein content. You can always mix two kibbles up to get a combo that you like.

[sippmanjr]

How do I safely add sardines and eggs into my puppies diet without changing the amount of calcium they will be getting. I have looked at nutritionals on sardines and it seems they do have a solid amount of calcium. Also what other raw natural foods do you think I should be adding into her diet and how do I go out about that. Obviously the base of the diet will consist of dry but I definitely want to add natural raw in as often as I can and as early as I can. Also , chew like Elk and Deer antlers have calcium as well. I just want to make sure they are not getting an abundance of these minerals from the toppers or treats.

[Molzy]

Hello,

First off, thanks for all the help with my previous questions.

I just found out that MPC is delivering near me this weekend, and I can still order by Thursday! But I’m very confused on what to order. At this point I want to stick with ground meat for my dogs digestive issues, so I was looking at their ground whole chicken or chicken super mix. What is the difference? How is the bone to muscle meat to organ ratios on these?

Right now my plan is to start with a pre made raw (bravo), and use MPC meat for part of each meal, so that I know he’s getting the vitamins and minerals he needs. Hopefully I’ll become comfortable to gradually switch. I have purchased and skimmed through dr. Becker’s book and the ancestral diet book recommended here, but both seem to have recipes geared towards chicken thighs or ground meat without bone, so I can’t figure out where the ground whole fits in.

If anyone can help with what a good first order would be, it would be much appreciated! I promise I plan on doing a lot more research, but I feel like I’m at a road block.

Thanks a ton!

[Cyndi]

I’ve just been going by what people on here feed their dogs for treats. I buy Vital Essentials Freeze dried Niblets that I use for treats & I also have a bag of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Treats. I also make my own Turkey or Chicken little meatball treats that my dog loves. Ever since I switched my dog to a raw diet, 5 months ago, I don’t buy any of those crappy treats anymore. Some of those Purina or Del Monte treats are made with chemicals and poison, I’ve read, just like their dog “foods”.

http://goodnessgracioustreats.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/where’s-the-beef/

[Cyndi]

Adam, I am so very sorry for your loss. I went thru a similar experience with my cat and my Doberman a couple years ago. I was feeding him Pedigree and then Purina One. They both died suddenly and with no explanation. I adopted my new dog Bailey in January, although I was still heavily grieving for my best friend that I lost. I happened on this site and did a ton of research and it’s been 5 months since my Bailey has eaten any commercial dog “food”. I feed her a raw diet and she’s never been healthier. It is a bit more expensive. I even took on a second part time job to be able to keep feeding her a raw diet. She eats better than I do. I will NEVER feed another pet crappy commercial dog food again.

Hang in there. There is another dog that is out there waiting for you, just wait until you’re ready. Take your time to grieve. Believe me, I know it’s really hard, and the pain does ease up some. It’s been 2 years and a month for me, but I can just think of my Moose and the tears start flowing.

Good luck to you!

[betsycam]

My sister has an older dog with the same kinds of problems and I suspect he has had a chronic systemic yeast infection for years. She feeds Taste of the Wild and the dog has not gotten better.

My dog is raw fed but he is old and he developed a systemic yeast infection for while. I started him on the Nzymes.com skin program, and took note of their food recommendations. Since sugar feeds yeast and carbs/starch are sugar, it is very important to eliminate those carbs! I discovered that one of the Bravo Blend formulas I had been feeding my dog contained sweet potatoes, and Nzymes discourages feeding grain-free foods that use sweet potatoes or even potatoes as an alternative carb source. I cut out that formula and fed a raw diet with no grain or starchy veggies, and he cleared up!

The other thing I did was give him a thyroid med that includes T3 in it (dessicated pork thyroid gland). This is trickier to do since vets will usually prescribe thyroxine which is just T4. My dog’s thyroid had been tested by hemovet.com’s lab (Dr. Jean Dodds) and his T4 was normal and his T3 was at the very low end of normal. The vets said he wasn’t hypothyroid, but I went ahead and used an over the counter porcine thyroid pill which I believe also made a huge difference. I would have this dog’s thyroid tested at any rate.

Go over Nzymes.com’s recommended food list for their skin program – they do recommend some diets that aren’t as difficult as feeding raw!

[pugmomsandy]

If you look at the ingredient lists, they are at the FAR OPPOSITE ends of the spectrum. It’s almost like for someone who hasn’t eaten meat in a long time, and then they eat a big bowl of chili or a big steak. Not saying that Beneful doesn’t have meat, but it’s not anything like the meats and organs and fish in Orijen and now it has a bunch of legumes. A dog has gut flora that adjusts to eating certain foods. Right now, he has the ones most adapted to Beneful. So it might be quite a shock to go to Orijen. Also Orijen has quite a bit more fat. I would put it in the high fat category. This also might possibly cause some digestive upset. But I’m just being cautious! You won’t know how your dog will do until you try it. And also try several foods. A rotational diet is (IMO) best. Find a couple kibbles, some canned foods, some raw foods, etc. Back a few years ago, I weaned mine off Beneful with regular Merrick (the old recipe with gravy) and Blue Wilderness mixed together.

http://urbanpawsmagazine.com/archives/59

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[sippmanjr]

Hi Hound Dog Mom ( or other who know what to do )

I have decided to wean the wean the litter onto wellness core puppy. It was one of your 5 recommendations and they have been great to send puppy packs with samples for everyone. I will be rotating my dog with the NV instinct as well as Earthborn. My question is… How do I safely add sardines and eggs into their diet and my girls diet without changing the amount of calcium they will be getting. I have looked at nutritionals on sardines and it seems they do have a solid amount of calcium. Also what other raw natural foods do you think I should be adding into her diet and how do I go out about that. Obviously the base of the diet will consist of dry but I definitely want to add natural raw in as well as often as I can and as early as I can. I want to be able to have recommendations for all the new owner so they can continue these puppies on a healthy lifestyle. Thank you all for the info. This has been a great forum!

[ellgee]

This is my first post although I have been an avid reader of DFA for a long time.

I am at my wit’s end with my French Bulldog’s allergies. I do have an appointment with a vet allergist/dermatologist on 11/1, but I just don’t want him suffering until then.

He has been on several 4 to 5 star foods over the years and is currently on Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost (chicken) which I add some of the raw bites (duck) too. Yesterday I came home to soft stinky poop in the house! He hasn’t had an accident since he was a pup! I know he must have GI issues because we have to wipe his bottom after every poo and this isn’t anything new.

His skin is very red with crusty spots, he is losing tons of his hair. I am bathing him twice a week with Douxo chlorhexadine shampoo. Last time I took him to the vet, he told me that in looking over Dudley’s records, this happens at the same time every year leading us to believe these are environmental allergies. And due to a weakened immune system, he gets these skin infections and staph. Last go round, he was on antibiotics and steroids. I do NOT want to use steroids long term if I can help it. He is on a daily Benadryl which doesn’t do much as far as I can tell.

I was reading on the Supplement Forum and my head is spinning. So much information.

My question is since we don’t believe it to be food related (but who knows???) should I try to boost his immune system? Should I feed him an elimination diet?

Help!

[DieselJunki]

I actually know exactly whats in my dogs food. Chicken, Beef, Turkey, and Pork, including all their bone (well except for most of the beef, to dense), and organ! No euthanized pets in my dogs food! But then again I feed big chunks of raw meat and not kibble. I have watched that youtube video. It is very disturbing but something that will never stop until more people really start to care and research their CARNIVORES dietary NEEDS.

[Cyndi]

My Bailey is 50lbs. and has been on a raw diet for 5 months. I give her a half a turkey neck, along with gizzards or heart and liver, 2 or 3 nights a week for dinner. She has never had any problems with them. A turkey neck is basically one long bone with a lot of meat on it, not a bunch of little bones. I think they would be totally fine for a smaller dog. It would take a bit longer for them to eat it, I would imagine, but I’m sure they’d do fine with them… Good for cleaning teeth too!

[Sully’sMom]

Duke the Boxer: this is what they’ve told me so far:

“The rabbit protein we use in our canned and raw diets is from China. We employ a U.S. educated food scientist in China to oversee our rabbit sourcing. All rabbit protein is tested before shipment from China and again after it arrives in the U.S. for processing into our diets. We are very confident in how we handle our sourcing from China. We source most of our ingredients from the U.S. and turn to other locations only as needed. We are very stringent on our sourcing and have good relationships built with our vendors for quality ingredients.”

I replied that I was asking about the kibble and have not heard back. Personally, if the canned and raw diet rabbits are from China, I personally would likely not order the rabbit kibble….(aren’t there US rabbits??)

[Akari_32]

If I didn’t have such a mixed lot of dogs, I wouldn’t see a problem with it, but since I do, I’d like to ask and see what you all think. Prepare for super long post of stuff!

We have three dogs, one my moms, and two are mine. Mom has an 8 pound, 1 year old, Jack Russell/Maltese. He’s got a super high metabolism. Eats a whole cup of food, yet remains slightly (by less than a half pound) under weight, by my best guess, seeing as he was only supposed to weigh 4 pounds to begin with. It’s hard to keep any meat on him because he’s such an active nut. On top of regular food, he gets a couple treats a day (Zuke’s Hip and Joint and Denta Sticks), and every month or so, all three dogs get a raw meal replacement (turkey neck/back, pork hock, etc).

My dogs, 9.5 year old 130 pound Rottweiler/Austrailian shepherd, and 10.5 year old lab/retriever mix, are outside dogs, much to my dislike. I sneak them in a few days a week when moms working out of town. As soon as money starts looking better, I’ll be getting my own place, where they will be indoors, always. Haley, the lab mix, does have trouble keepig weight on when fed according to the bag these days, but is otherwise healthy. I’ve been feeding her about 5 cups, as aposed to the 2.5-3 she used to get, and that’s doing the trick. Dweezle, the rott mix, also eats 5 cups, for perspective. Neither of these two are very active, but I have recently taken to taking Haley and Bentley (the puppy) on nightly walks, because that dog can drive just about anyone up a wall! He drives poor old Haley nuts LOL Dweezle, do to his dog aggression, can’t be taken out often. He absolutely hates the neighbors dog (in his defence, no body in our neighborhood likes that dog), and has gotten in some trouble with them (thankfully they didn’t press charges…). Can’t risk running into them on a walk.

Because money is currently tight, I do coupon for my dog food. I try to keep the bulk of it Wellness Core (Original), but recently got a great deal on Racheal Ray Zero, so that’s what most of their food is right now. I also got paid to coupon for Purina One Smart Blend (both chicken and lamb for something different), so I have tons of that, as well. Because I do not want the Purina to make up the bulk of the diet, and I’m running low on the Racheal Ray, I need to buy either some more Wellness or more Racheal Ray. I have great coupons for both, so I just need to do some math and decide which is cheaper at the moment.

I have been trained over my research of dog foods to avoid reduced fat type foods because they are typically lower quality (those in my price and couponing range, anyways). Curiosity got the best of me, and i checked out the Reduced Fat Core on this site as well as a few others, and was surprised at how good it actually was, better, IMO, than the other Wellness foods. My concerns, though, are that with two outdoor dogs, and Florida’s “winter” creeping in on us, as well as a feisty littler terrier puppy, would the reduced fat formula be a suitable staple for my dogs?

As far how feeding time goes, I mix all three dogs food in a large bowl with a large can of Pro Plan (coupons for one free can, so I’ve got tons!) and an egg. Haley has some problems digesting large quantities of dry food, and Bentley has trouble eating lager kibbles when they aren’t a little wet (when he doesn’t get fed at the same time as the other two, he gets his food wetted with water). Their dry food is currently 6x 6 pound bags of RR Zero, 2x 6 pound bags of RR Just 6, and 3x 3.5 pound bags of Purina One (and 4 more bags of RR and about 30 more bags of the Purina stored). Their diet can also include, but is not limited to, Blue, all other kinds of Wellness, Hills (SD and Ideal Balance– neither ever in bulk), and anything else that gets store coupons to mix with manufacturer coupons (not usually much else, though).

Any thoughts on the reduced fat Core would be great. If you don’t think it’d be a good choice for my case, please feel free to suggest something else! I’m open to anything. Shoot all your ideas my way!

[RescueDaneMom]

I tried to post this in the supplements forum but it wouldn’t acknowledge that I was logged in.

I was looking through Starwest Botanical’s products on amazon for ingredients to make HDM’s superfood supplement. I came across a “GreenPower Blend” that they make.

Ingredients:Organic Barley Grass Powder, Organic Wheat Grass Powder, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach Powder, Organic Alfalfa Leaf Powder, Organic Kelp Powder, Organic Dulse Leaf Powder, Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder, Organic Orange Peel Powder, Organic Beet Root Powder, Organic Dandelion Leaf Powder, Organic Lemon Peel Powder, Organic Ginkgo Leaf Powder & Organic Wheat Grass Juice Powder

Would this be an acceptable whole food/ green supplement to add to a homemade raw or cooked diet? I wasn’t sure about the ginko leaf powder. Thanks!

• This topic was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by RescueDaneMom.

[pugmomsandy]

This video may help you:

/choosing-dog-food/karen-becker-best-worst-dog-food/

And some more articles:

http://b-naturals.com/index.php?main_page=index&main_page=newsletters

http://thewholedog.org/artcarnivores.html

You can feed any kind of food any time. Kibble one meal, raw for one meal, dehydrated for another meal, canned food the next, etc. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

[laurieangel64]

does anyone know anything about raw diets?are they good?bad? can they be used in rotation or as a supplement with dry kibble?i have 2 dogs at the moment.an 3month old shitzu and a 1&1/2 year old poodle,peke,pom&american eskimo mix(lol,i know).they are both currently on a dry kibble rotation diet,2brands,3 varietys.iam considering the benefits of a possible raw diet but have some concerns as i know nothing about it.i did feed my 1&1/2 yr old raw goats milk from answers for 1st few weeks as he came 2 me young and wasnt ready 2 be weaned yet.but am a little leary of raw meats etc.if it is a good diet can it be used partially as in some raw ,,some dry kibble?or does it have to be one or the other only?thankyou in advance for any help/direction in this area

[pugmomsandy]

The review of Tucker’s Raw Frozen was just posted yesterday. It has very few ingredients. Might give it a try. Do you use canned food currently? I’ve fed Sojo’s, The Honest Kitchen and Addiction dehydrated foods so far and no problems with those. Stuart Raw Science and Wysong Uncanny are two other foods I’d like to try. There are lots of options to use to avoid and a kibble-only diet.

[KiraLynB]

Hi, we have been feeding our bichon puppy raw food since we brought her home at 8 weeks. She has had some diarrhea problems here and there, and her stools are pretty much always soft. How long is the transition period for her tummy to get used to her new diet?
It is very messy! lol
We were feeding her Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw Duck, Rabbit
BARF store was out this week so now she is on Vital Essentials Rabbit.
She is also on EBarf from barfworld as I read somewhere it would help. I’m not sure if it is helping at this point.
Is it okay for me to switch from Stella and Chewy’s to Vital Essentials? The store owner told me it was fine.. but I’m assuming she said that because she was out?

[Melissaandcrew]

I have been reading that recently as well, especially pertaining to a raw diet. However, I have never been told to supplement E when using fish oil, when feeding a commercial diet. So, I am not sure if this is the case or not.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Huskymom-

Owning rescues, I have several with bowel issues. The one that is most severe is one of my dober gals. After years of trying every food I could think of, I discovered she did best with a lower fiber diet. She eats commercial raw, Victor grain free ultra pro, and Abady granular. Anything else and we are back to the squirts and weight loss.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi jimmianne –

There’s no such thing as a single “best” food. The less processed the better – so raw would be the best option, followed by fresh cooked, then dehydrated or freeze-dried, then canned, with dry food being the worst option. With whatever you feed, variety is key – don’t stick with the same food. Rotating foods helps to strengthen your dog’s gut by fostering a diverse population of microflora, gives your dog a variety of nutrients and give you options in the event of a recall. If you’re going to feed a dry food as the bulk of your pup’s diet I would add a quality “topper” – such as raw, dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned or healthy fresh foods (i.e. eggs, lean meat, plain yogurt or kefir, cottage cheese, tinned sardines, etc.). Canidae looks good on paper but I personally wouldn’t risk feeding – the majority of Canidae’s products are manufactured by Diamond who has very poor quality control and numerous recalls. Unless you live in the same state as Canidae’s plant or in a neighboring state you’re probably getting product manufactured by Diamond.

As far as supplements, some good supplements to consider would be probiotics, digestive enzymes, quality fish oil and whole food supplements (with “super foods” like kelp, spirulina, bee pollen, etc.).