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Search Results for 'raw diet'

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  • #25602

    In reply to: Dehydrated Food.

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I think the increased stool volume has to do with how the ingredients are processed not the quality of the ingredients. The Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy’s both use human-grade ingredients. I believe it’s the fact that the vegetables are in larger pieces and (at least with THK) raw that causes the poor digestibility. Dogs don’t produce cellulase so they are unable to breakdown the cellulose in plant-based ingredients unless they are cooked and processed. With my dogs’ raw diet I cook and puree all their vegetables.

    #25600
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Wow Melissa, I’m so happy to hear you’re going the homemade raw route! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the results. 🙂

    I would suggest getting as many different varieties of organ meat as possible (remember, hearts and gizzards are considered muscle meat not organ meat). Liver should only comprise 5% of the diet and 5% should be “other” organs – the more organs you can get to make up the “other” portion the better. Ask for items like kidneys, lungs, spleen, pancreas, brain, etc. If you can get gullet and trachea these are a great source of naturally occurring chondroitin (good for the seniors’ joints) – not organ meat though. Obviously if you can get green tripe go for it (muscle meat).

    The Nupro would be okay to use for a trace nutrient supply but it wouldn’t completely balance the meals. You’re going to want to be sure to add a source of vitamin e and vitamin d (I use cod liver oil for vitamin d). You’re going to want to add some ground nuts/seeds for manganese (I use a combination of sprouted pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/flax/chia). I think it’s a good idea to feed tinned oysters once in awhile as they’re a great source of trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium. I’m also an advocate of small amounts (10% – 20%) of fruits and veggies (I most often use organic greens, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower and berries – be sure to puree) for antioxidants and kefir or yogurt for probiotics. Cage-free eggs are a great source of omega 3’s, have a great amino acid profile and will contain some of the b vitamins, vitamin d and vitamin e – I recommend feeding eggs at least once a week. I mix in various fresh herbs like parsley, garlic and cilantro. I also add coconut oil and apple cider vinegar to every batch. The most important thing to keep in mind is that variety is key!

    If you are looking for a supplement to “balance” the diets, I’d recommend Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. It makes AAFCO compliant meals and it’s really cheap in comparison to other pre-mixes plus there’s a quantity discount when you order several bags at one. I don’t use pre-mixes too often but it’s my favorite to use when I do. He also advocates adding various fresh ingredients (up to 20%) so you have the freedom to customize a bit while being assured that the dogs are getting a balanced meal. If you want to make your own supplement – buying the ingredients separately definitely is the cheapest route. The pre-made supplements like Nupro are much more expensive. Check out Swanson’s, they sell all the ingredients you’d need and everything is super cheap and you can often get bulk packages (I use a lot of the Starwest Botanicals items in my whole food supplement).

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
    #25597
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi sippmanjr –

    I personally prefer raw (my dogs eat a homemade raw diet) and in terms of the best – I believe raw is as good as it gets. I would also give preference to dehydrated, canned and freeze-dried foods over kibble. However assuming you’re looking for a kibble, if I had to choose my “top 5” they would probably be (in no particular order): Annamaet (Aqualuk, Salcha or Ultra), Dr. Tim’s Kinesis, Nature’s Variety Instinct (LID Turkey or Rabbit), Wellness CORE Puppy or Earthborn (Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast). I love Orijen foods and their new large breed puppy formula is an improvement over the previous formula (the old formula was way too high in calcium) but it’s still slightly high in calcium for me to recommend. Don’t feel that you need to pick one food and stick with it, rotating is healthier and it’s good to get puppies accustomed to a rotational diet as soon as possible. If you feed kibble, I’d also recommend topping the kibble with a quality raw, canned or dehydrated food or healthy fresh foods (like eggs, tinned sardines, lean meats, or plain yogurt or kefir) as often as possible.

    #25592
    princeismine
    Member

    Hello,

    I have a three year old Frenchie who I need feeding advice for. I have been feeding her Taste of the Wild Kibble (TOW) for the past year and a half or so with no problems. I don’t think a healthy diet consists of kibble only, so a few months ago I added Small Batch Raw Patties (SB) to her diet (gradually over a week). She was getting TOW in the morning and SB in the evening for about a month or so then she started to get an upset stomach. She’d wake me in the middle of the night to go out and eat grass (feverishly) and sometimes her stomach would gurgle VERY loudly. I stopped giving her SB and went back to feeding her TOW only and no problems. Within the last month, I introduced Answers Raw Goat Milk (probiotic), which I’d give her just before giving her the kibble with no problems. About a week ago, I reintroduced SB (again, gradually) and last night and EARLY this morning she cried to go outside and began eating grass. Her stomach was also gurgling quite loudly. I’m really trying to avoid feeding her a diet of kibble only, but am at a loss as to what brand(s) of raw, dehydrated or moist foor to try next. Any suggestions from breeders or owners who have Frenchies that are doing well with their food would be GREATLY appreciated. Please note, I don’t have the time to cook her meals, so I’m looking for a pre-packaged suggestion.

    Thank you!

    Heidi

    #25583

    In reply to: Dehydrated Food.

    Molzy
    Member

    Awesome, thanks. I wi definitely give it a try. I have a dog who I think needs a more liquid diet, I have him on canned food now but would prefer to support a company like honest kitchen. Eventual goal is raw, but might not be affordable at the moment. I’ll give the thrive a shot once he is doing ok for a month.

    #25559

    In reply to: Dehydrated Food.

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I’m like Sandy, I group dehydrated/freeze-dried/air-dried all into the same category.

    I find that freeze-dried foods tend to not rehydrate well – the only exception being Grandma Lucy’s.

    As the for best dehydrated type foods, my favorites are The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s and Ziwipeak. I also really like Addiction’s dehydrated in terms of ingredients and digestibility (for my crew it digested better than a lot of other brands I tried, poor digestibility is a common problem with dehydrated foods) but if you feed Addiction I’d highly recommend mixing it with a high protein canned or raw food because the protein levels are too low for my tastes. I also like Wysong’s Uncanny but it’s ridiculously expensive and as far as feeding as an exclusive diet, I don’t believe it’s complete and balanced (could be a good mix in for a lower protein food like Addiction though!).

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
    #25455
    Pugsonraw
    Member

    I took my two pugs that have seasonal allergies off their daily Benadryl dosage. They are normally quite itchy year round despite eating a raw diet daily, immune supplements, super greens, anchovy and sardine oil, coconut oil, probiotics and digestive enzymes… etc. I really check out all products and ingredients before giving them anything new.

    Decided to try to Skin-eze for them, not really expecting to get any major results and it seems to be working. They have been on it for about a week and definitely less itchy than when taking Benadryl.

    I was looking to see if any of the ingredients are harmful. It appears they are all natural, but wanted to get some opinions.

    Here is the link…. http://www.allergicpet.com/products/skin_eze.

    #25432
    bruno
    Participant

    I think you may be interested in a formula that would be a compromise between the raw diet and commercial (kibble) pet food. I have one that is Brown rice, pearl barley, dehydrated raw carrots, red & green peppers, brocolli, garlic including a packet of high-end vitamins and minerals. This one takes the time to cook a pot of rice (20-30 min), you add your choice of fresh meat and it makes about 2 weeks worth of food. The other formula is Rolled Oats plus the veggies and so forth. This one takes one-minute to hydrate. Both would eliminate dealing with raw meat and eliminates all the cons of processed food–meat contamination, lack of nutrients from processing and questionable ingredients. If you or anyone is interested in seeing/reading about these formulas please visit California Gold
    P.S. I disagree with the responder that stated that raw veggies are not good for dogs. I haven’t had any problems with any of my dog’s customers in over 13 years and raw is good!

    #25420

    Topic: Chicken Necks

    in forum Raw Dog Food

    Okay, question for the raw feeders here. I was out pricing meats today at various supplier throughout the area, and they all seem to be big on selling chicken necks for dogs. I will not give whole bones as I have too many dogs to feel confident that someone will not gylp it down just to try to steal anothers. So, can these somehow be utilized as a ground product? For example, Sandy had posted a starter recipe and it said 5.25 lbs chicken with bone. What cut of chicken? Can the necks be used as this? And, would that suffice as the “bone/calcium” source in the diet, or would a calcium supplement still be needed?

    #25316
    Cyndi
    Member

    I have a question for any raw feeder that would like to help. I have had Bailey on raw for just about 5 months now. I give her raw garlic and use different flea sprays, Mercola’s being one of them, so I’m 99% sure she doesn’t have fleas. I check her all the time too. It’s been maybe over a month now, not sure, but she’s been scratching and biting at herself and licking her front legs. The leg licking is like frantic leg licking for like 5-10 seconds and then she’s done and goes about her business. The itching and scratching isn’t constantly and just about every time she does it, I check her over and I find nothing. So, I’m thinking she maybe allergic to something she eats. In the mornings I give her the ground beef, ground tripe and ground organs for 2 or 3 days and do whole carcass ground rabbit for 2 or 3 days, with either sardines or eggs or veggie blend baby food alternated & right now I’m using the See Spot Live Longer mix on the beef days. For dinners I rotate between a chicken back/feet/heart/gizzards/liver or turkey neck/gizzards or a large rabbit piece & a rabbit head.

    So, I know how a typical “elimination diet” goes, but I’m wondering if I just cut out something from her diet for a while, if that would work? & what should I start with? Is chicken the likely culprit here? I wish I could pinpoint when her itching and biting started, but I have no clue. Any help, as usual, is greatly appreciated!

    #25235

    Have a quick question re See spot live longer. Now that winter time is coming to NY, I expect to have more time on my hands, lol, and think I will finally try some premixes and catch up on reading some home made raw diet books. Question is how much to order..Can any one tell me what the recc feeding guidelines are? I mean after mixed with the one lb of meat, how much am I feeding each dog? Please and thank you: )

    #25224
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Are you saying you want to switch them to a boneless meat & veggie diet? Because meat & veggies is not a good diet for long term use. If you do just want to feed meat and veggies, then I would suggest the recipe book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor. It has boneless recipes (meats and organs) and gives you the amount of calcium supplement or bone meal to use along with a vitamin mix recipe. Your dog needs a source of calcium if you’re not feeding bones. Another option is to use a premix where you just have to add boneless meat and some oil like Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer, The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s.

    #25223
    Jens
    Participant

    A quick question. I add a fair amount of fresh meat as topper to their kibble. The two pups are almost 1 year old and I was thinking to switch to raw. I guess they would probably need about 3.5% to% of their body weight in meat. Does it matter what meat you feed? With that I mean the weight including a bone or so. Although I am a very good cook, I would prefer to keep it simple by just cutting up the meat for them. All meat has roughly the same calorie content and I was going to add maybe 20% of veggies to the food, like peas, cucumber, carrots or apples. Any thoughts?

    #25135
    Chip
    Participant

    I have two dogs, both German Shorthair mixes… one is an older male (11 years old), the other a younger (5 years) female. I love them both very much, both were shelter/rescue dogs. When we adopted the younger dog, we switched from feeding her Hill’s Science Diet (which is what we were sent home with from the shelter) to some sort of Purina Dry Kibble, since she wouldn’t eat the Hill’s. Since then and after finding this website (my knowledge about dog food and their ingredients greatly increased), her menu evolved from the low quality kibble to a mixture of Honest Kitchens dehydrated raw food (a company that I love) mixed with Blue Buffalo Freedom. I consider both of these foods to have above average to excellent ingredients and I feel good when I buy it for my two dogs. The problem is is that they both have very sensitive stomachs… when we started with the HK and BB it seemed to FINALLY fix the problem with terrible diarrhea that they both were experiencing with all the foods we tried (Castor and Pollux, Nature’s Recipe, and so on). Their bowl movements (I feel strange talking about this) were FINALLY healthy… fluffy yet firm, regular, didn’t stink. It was a miracle. Unfortunately, after about two years of eating various styles/flavors of HK mixed with BB, the younger dog “Jessie” decided that she absolutely didn’t want to eat it anymore. I got tired of preparing it only to have to dump it out (it’s very expensive) and then wash her dish (as I did after every meal since it’s a part raw diet). So, we tried some different brands thinking that it would add a bit of diversity to what they were eating. We went with Wellness Complete Health kibble and canned but soon found out that the diarrhea had returned (we introduced these foods slowly). We tried going back to the old food but she couldn’t shake the diarrhea (the older fella was having some problems as well, but not nearly extreme). We finally took her into the vet, which I dread doing because I know exactly what’s coming… a fecal exam (which is always negative), a bill for $100, and a lecture about how the food I feed them isn’t quality/adequate because it wasn’t “formulated” by veterinarians and pet nutritionists (in their words) as Hill’s Science Diet is. I don’t have a problem with giving the HSD Prescription i/d gastrointestinal a try… my problem is that the ingredient list is full of low quality foods and chemicals, yet they charge more per can/bag than the food with (what I consider to be) high quality ingredients that I was feeding my dogs. I’m sick of being treated as though I’m being insolent because I actually question what it is specifically about Hill’s that is supposed to calm my dog’s stomach. Is it the corn? The iodized salt? The food coloring? I know it sounds as though I’m being snippy right now, but this has been an ongoing problem as I’ve brought the dogs to the same vet in the past few years every now and then with small bouts of stomach problems and am told the same thing every time and mad to feel as though I’m an ignorant and irresponsible pet owner for not switching to Hill’s and I’m sick of it. I don’t have any other options to switch to a different vet, so that won’t solve anything. It has been three days and there hasn’t been any improvement so far on the HSD and, sorry it has taken me so loooonnnnngggg to get to the point, here is my question: Does anyone have an alternative to HSD i/d that actually has quality ingredients? Or, does anyone have any useful advice about what our next course of action should be? I thought I read something in one of the comment sections a long time ago about how German Shorthair Pointers are sensitive to a certain ingredient that is fairly common in most dog foods… does anyone know anything about that subject? And, is it just me, or do veterinarians actually know anything about dog nutrition, or do they just espouse what they are told by the salespeople from Hill’s? I don’t doubt that Hill’s probably does make some important prescription foods that certain dogs need, but the i/d just looks like crap to me. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.

    #25107
    LisaLynn
    Participant

    I am adopting a mini aussie pup and will be bringing him home next week (he will be 9 weeks). I’ve had standard aussies, border collies, shelties and lab mixes in the past and I also have a 4 yr old chi but always bought food that was suggested by the person/breeder I adopted the pup from. Now it’s been a while since I had a pup and I want the best for him! I don’t swallow what vets recommend anymore. But I am so confused about nutrition; namely breed-specific percentages of protein, fat, carb, sodium content and calcium. I’m considering mixing Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (Dry) with *Abady granular (*not rated on this site and I understand why), some occasional raw meats, yogurt and organic antioxidants. Could someone please explain in simple terms what the appropriate ratio is for a mini aussie (appx 30 lbs adult size) and a 7 lb adult chi as far as dietary percentages? Thank you for any feedback!

    #25098
    Molzy
    Member

    Thanks Patty. I guess I had been thinking I would completely eliminate kibble, but perhaps I will leave a little in, just to give us that option when traveling or boarding. But it wouldn’t be 50%, so I guess I’ll still need to balance the raw.

    I ordered two of the book I see mentioned on here a lot, the canine ancestral diet and the dr. Becker’s one. They should arrive Friday, so I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!

    For the premixed, would I just buy ground meat at the store then? Without any organs or bone?

    Thanks again, sorry for all the questions!

    #25096

    In reply to: ELI5 Raw Feeding Guide

    Chuck
    Participant

    I think for now I am going to mix something like primal patties and her Wellness CORE kibble and start to add in things like people suggested, chicken necks etc until I feel more comfortable making meals for her.

    Does that sound like it would be an adequate diet / nutrients in the interim over just dry kibble?

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Chuck.
    #25075
    theBCnut
    Member

    I understand that for areas that have affected deer, you have to be careful what parts you feed raw, so do research before using anything. I have heard that it is brain, spinal cord, and some organs that you have to be leary of, but I really don’t know for sure. The Honest Kitchen Preference, See Spot Live Longer, and Urban Wolf are all premixes that are good, and I believe that you can add cooked meat to them as well, if there is a worry about your venison. Darwin’s and Aunt Jenny’s have great commercial raw diets. Check out Grandma Lucy’s products too. If you want to order grinds that are not balanced and add your own stuff, Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore are great.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by theBCnut.
    #25058
    Molzy
    Member

    Hello all,

    I am considering switching my dogs to a raw diet. We have two 1.5-year-old Australian Cattle Dog Mixes. They are both rescue dogs. We adopted LoJack last October, and Quincy came home with us in July. Both of them came to us eating Science Diet, which we pretty much immediately threw out. I worked in a high-end pet store for years, and I am kind of a food snob when it comes to my pets. My cat, Ralph, has been on Nature’s Variety frozen chicken for over a year now, and does amazingly on it (for him, it has helped with his urinary tract infections). The dogs have eaten a variety of Nutrisource Grain-Free Salmon, Pure-Vita or Merrick dry kibble. My boyfriend and I are big on “Eat Local” and both of these companies seemed pretty good for commercial dog food. Now that we have graduated from grad school, we can start entertaining the idea of paying a little more to feed raw. When we just had LoJack he would also get raw meaty bones once in a while for his teeth, we haven’t tried giving Quincy those due to some digestive issues we’ve been struggling with.

    Anyways, I am thinking of originally starting with a pre-made raw, and possibly slowly adding in some other stuff. My boyfriend hunts, so hopefully we will have some venison this year for them, and we also live in the country so there is the possibility of contacting local butchers for organ meats and stuff. We already own a hand grinder for the meat (though we may invest in an electric one if we end up going with raw!).

    Anyways, what are your recommendations for pre-made diets? At this point, we would like to stick with a grind because of Quincy’s issues with chunkier food (I want to make sure that raw works before trying chunks, then slowly add chunks in to make sure we don’t cause issues). I am considering doing Nature’s Variety since it is balanced for cats and dogs, which would be nice, but it is also a little expensive, so I figured I would see if anyone else has any suggestions. I would also consider a pre-mix with ground meat.

    One last question – can they have venison bones? We saved a bunch from the deer we got last year and froze them, but I got worried about chronic wasting disease, so we have never tried them. They are thinner than the beef/bison bones we normally feed, so I worried about him swallowing chunks as well.

    Thanks!
    Molly, LoJack and Quincy (and Ralph the cat)

    #25051

    In reply to: ELI5 Raw Feeding Guide

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    1. Is it better to get a premade mix of raw food online or buy meats from the supermarket or meat market? Or is it better to have a mix?

    As a newbie to raw, I think it would be better for you to feed a food that is complete and balanced whether that is commercial frozen raw like Nature’s Variety, Primal, Bravo, Stella & Chewy’s, Darwins, and others, or dehydrated/freeze dried raw (but more expensive) food like Orijen freeze dried, Primal, Stella & Chewy’s. Meat by itself is not a good diet. For beginners, I would buy a commercial raw or use a Premix such as Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer, Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen. You add meat and some oil and that’s usually it. No additional vitamins needed. You can make these in advanced in big batches and freeze in serving sizes or a couple days worth in one bag/container. You can feed up to 20% of an unbalanced food without having to worry about additional vits/minerals. For example, topping kibble with some meat or scrambled egg (but not more than 20% of the meal). As you become more comfortable with raw you can give homemade a try but be sure to use a recipe book.

    2. Is ground or whole better? Your dog might like the texture of some chunks, versus ground. But in any case, raw meat has enzymes that also helps keep teeth clean. The ripping of the flesh and tendons from the bone cleans the teeth too. I have small dogs so I use a coarse ground. My dogs don’t have a preference for meat sizes. They eat it all.

    3. I keep seeing people talking about feeding bones, including chicken bones… I was always told that chicken bones are dangerous? This is going to be the one that the hardest to get my wife on board with.

    Raw bones are edible. The cooked bones are dry and splinter. Also there are recreational bones versus consumable bones. Most small animals can be consumed whole (chicken, rabbit, quail, turkey). But dense, weight bearing bones from larger animals are for gnawing only (marrow bones/leg bones). For heavy chewers, they can break teeth. For instance, my small dogs eat chicken legs, turkey and duck necks and feet and pork baby back ribs. They gnaw on beef/bison rib bones and marrow bones/femur for the enjoyment and it keeps their teeth clean. I feed these outside and don’t worry about cleanup when the weather is nice. You can train your dog to eat bones in the house on a towel, blanket or tarp. This winter, I’ll be feeding my small dogs in a crate or I could feed them on the bathroom tile and mop.

    4. Do you need to add supplements to these meals? If so are they included in the premade mixes or am I adding them?

    If you use a complete and balanced commercial premix, no additional supplements are necessary. Although there are a lot of people who give whole food supplements like supergreen foods (chlorella, kelp, barley grass, etc), bee pollen, and herbs, a complete vitamin E.

    5. What is the best site for ordering?
    I’ve heard Chewy.com is good. I’ve always used Petflow and amazon.

    6. Does someone have a schedule or process I can literally follow to the letter?
    Sorry, I am sure this has been answered over and over again but I would really appreciate the help. I am not too concerned about the cost as Wellness and Core are not cheap, however if I can pre-make these and feed her in the morning because we are often in a rush and it’s so hard to get her to eat kibble before we leave.

    At my house, they eat raw if I have it thawed out. If not, they get other foods (kibble, canned, freeze dried). Darwins comes in convenient packaging and serving sizes and most commercial products come in patties or small bite sizes or chubs (which are the least convenient for me). You just have to remember to thaw! You can put 3 days worth out to thaw in the frig. I also use dehydrated foods (The Honest Kitchen, Addiction) where I just add water and let sit. I make some ahead of time and put it in the frig. But these are not raw.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    #25047
    Molzy
    Member

    Thanks for the advice everyone! So far he’s been ok on canned foot, I am currently working on switching him over to Chicken Soup cans, and if that works I will start considering raw.

    Aimee, I have heard that it may be seizure related, or allergy induced seizures. I will ask my vet about it. I’ve found I can talk him out of an attack if I catch him at the beginning. The wet diet seems to be helping a lot.

    Thanks again for your advice!

    #25016
    losul
    Member

    PrincessPiper,

    If you happen to live in one of the areas where chronic wasting disease (a prion disease similar to BSE in cows or scrapie in sheep) is prevalent in wild deer/elk/moose populations, as a precaution, you might want to avoid feeding (or eating yourself) these tissues- brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, no matter raw or cooked.

    Its now spread to parts of at least 21 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_wasting_disease

    #25001
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Cut it open and squeeze it out. Use gloves – you may also want a gas mask. 🙂 Then just be sure to freeze it for a few weeks prior to feeding.

    #24999

    In reply to: Green beef tripe?

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi PrincessPiper –

    XCaliber isn’t a balanced food but could safely be fed for a few meals a week if being fed in conjunction with a balanced diet. As long as the fat level doesn’t cause loose stools and she isn’t prone to pancreatitis it should bother her. I’d recommend checking out Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” if you’re interested in making homemade raw meals – it contains easy to make, AAFCO compliant recipes.

    #24995
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi sparkysgirl –

    If you’re feeding one meal per day of a balanced commercial food I think it’s fine to feed a muscle meat/organ meat/bone blend (called a “grind”) for the other meal. If you want to feed an entirely raw diet you would need to either feed a balanced commercial product or learn how to properly balance a “grind” or completely homemade meal.

    #24974
    theBCnut
    Member

    I’m not HDM, but…
    When the deer/elk is being gutted, you want to seperate the stomach from the intestines as cleanly as possible. That means it is better to lose part of the stomach to keep any contamination from the inestines out of it. After you have the intestines removed, seperate the esophagus, then you can cut open the stomach and lightly rinse the insides. You can feed the esophagus, the trachea, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, basically everything that comes out of there except the intestines.

    #24972
    PrincessPiper
    Participant

    HDM…I have a question about collecting the tripe. Our family has 4 elk permits and our granddaughter has an elk and deer permit. God willing we will all harvest and I would like to save all the good parts of the gut but I have no idea how to collect the tripe!! Do you just cut the stomach open? LOL…my hubby said, “good luck with that and don’t even ask me to do it!” I have a fairly weak gag reflex so I’m sure I will probably puke when I do it but I’m willing to try!!

    #24937

    In reply to: GreenTripe.com

    theBCnut
    Member

    PrincessPiper
    Don’t worry about freezer burn unless your dog does. Just because it is freezer burned doesn’t mean it is bad, it just changes the taste and dogs don’t seem to mind that. Partial defrosting, repackaging, and refreezing is common practice among raw feeders.

    Sully’sMom
    Canned tripe is not raw since the canning process requires high heat, so it loses some of it’s positive traits. But the canned green tripe is still very smelly, so it makes an excellent topper. Some of them are not balanced, so they should not be more than 20% of the diet.

    #24786
    Molzy
    Member

    Hello! I’ll apologize in advance for the length of this post.

    We adopted an Australian Cattle Dog (Quincy) at the end of July. He is a year-and-a-half old neutered male, and we were told he was given up due to not being housebroken. I am beginning to suspect that the real reason may have be what I can only describe as his gulping disorder.

    For the first two weeks at home he was totally fine. We switched him from Science Diet to Merrick Lamb and Rice, which he gets twice a day. We did have to board him about two weeks after adopting him due to a family wedding, and it was after this that he started his first episode of gulping/swallowing. Usually at night, he will begin frantically swallowing and gulping. Quincy will frantically search the house for carpet fibers to pull up, and will eventually vomit and then re-eat his food if we don’t get to it in time. This went on for about a week the first time – we brought him to the vet, they said he looked fine, and that it was probably just all the changes in his life. I did give him a gas-x one night, because he was swallowing so much air I was concerned about bloat. He ate some carpet this first time, when I fell asleep with him out of his kennel (he normally sleeps in bed with us, but when he is having these bouts I have learned to kennel him so that he can’t get into anything). He threw the carpet up about 3 days after that.

    At that point, we thought he just had a sensitive stomach. So, when we switched his food again (our other dog has an iron stomach, and had done well with us rotating food, so we already had a bag of grain-free salmon from Nutrisource), we weren’t all surprised when the symptoms started up again. This time I gave him a couple of doses of pepto-bismol to ease his tummy troubles, and about 6 days later he stopped vomiting. I should note – when he vomits, it seems associated with these bursts of gulping/swallowing/licking. I thought it was him having an upset stomach and panicking about it, but the vet thought it was odd that he is willing to eat his vomit right away, and that a nauseous dog wouldn’t do that? I am beginning to think that the actual issue is the gulping/swallowing, and the vomiting may be a side effect of that, rather than the other way around.

    I switched him to rice and boiled chicken, and he seemed to get better. We put him back on Merrick (chicken and rice this time, because they were out of lamb and rice), and he did fine for about a week. Then last week, he threw up again (he had had a minor bout of swallowing, but nothing like he normally gets). We fasted him for 36 hours, and brought him to the vet. Again, his stool and activity is normal. The vet gave him an anti-nausea shot, and sent us home with some anti-nausea pills and canned science diet ID (for gastro-intestinal health). He was fine for about 3 days, and then last night had one of his worst bouts of swallowing/gulping yet. He didn’t throw up at all (that I know of, I did fall asleep for a little while), but did try to eat a rope toy. I kenneled him for the night, and this morning he ate grass like crazy.

    His bouts tend to start at night when we’re going to bed, and he works himself up into a frenzy. Once it starts, it tends to last for multiple days, and kenneling him seems to work to calm him down a little. Our other dog (LoJack) has been totally fine through all of this. They are never outside without my supervision, and he doesn’t get human food (except for the two occasions he has stolen it off of the counter). I haven’t been feeding treats for a few weeks now, but tonight had to give him some zukes at training class. The only other thing would be that he did start HeartGuard and Frontline, but both of those started after his initial attacks. One last thing I should mention is that he plays a LOT with my other dog, and they usually wrestle and play tug of war every night before bed, but will often stop for >2 hours before going to bed. I haven’t felt like there was any correlation between them playing and one of these attacks. When we walk he is on a gentle leader or harness, but he is on his collar when on his tie-out in the yard. I remove the dog’s collars when they’re wrestling so that they don’t hurt each other.

    Has anyone dealt with similar symptoms? What did you do? My Internet searches have found that others have this issue but I haven’t found anyone who has solved it. We will probably do blood work and an X-ray next to rule out anything normal, but I want opinions from others on possible nutritional changes that could help. I refuse to switch to science diet unless I absolutely must. I’m considering trying raw, but currently scared of anything that might upset him, since I’ve been cleaning vomit for the past month it seems! I do natures variety raw with my cat, and our other dog has been on grain free nutrisource or merrick for the past year.

    Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it!

    BlackandBlue
    Member

    Ooh nasty anal gland problems (thank goodness my dog hasn’t gone there). For now I’m going to “bask in the glory” (thx Freeholdhound for that quote) of Wellness Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes. Never thought I’d say that about a 3 1/2 star dog food. Cause I can’t tell you how many food trials I’ve done with my dog, including raw medallions, dehydrated, and homemade. And you’re right Somebodysme, peas could be a problem for my dog and food with peas will be avoided.
    At the vet, they suggested my dog go back on Royal Canine Potato and Whitefish veterinary diet. Yes, my dog did OK on it, except for really goopey eyes that disgusted my kids (caused by white potatoes). So, I refused the food and found the Wellness Whitefish. Anyway, there’s some Royal Canine Veterinary Diets that are only available in Canada that may work for my dog. Such as the RC Catfish kibble. I don’t know why they don’t sell that in the US? (Sorry I’m stooping so low as to be seeking out Royal Canine dog food but I’m in ear infection fallout.)

    theBCnut
    Member

    Then about 12 oz of raw. Plan on having to adjust that amount. Actually what I do is feed the amount or raw that suits me and adjust the kibble up or down. I find that easier than having a few ounces of raw left in the fridge. It’s about cup of kibble to a half pound of raw. It’s not anything like exact, since your raw may have more or less fat on any given day and your kibble may have more or less calories than mine. I hope I’ve made this clear as mud, I mean clearer for you. LOL!!

    BTW, my favorite book is Steve Brown’s “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” and my second is Dr Karen Becker’s book that I alway say the title wrong, something like “Real Foods for Healthy Dogs and Cats” Sorry, I’m not at the bookshelf for the exact title, but you should be able to find it. I got mine on Amazon, I believe. Oops, nevermind, you were asking about other premixes, not books, that was from the OP.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by theBCnut.
    #24574
    bodzio
    Participant

    We just got our 10 week old Eskie from the breeder and needles to say, he’s on Purina Pro program :(. I have been reeding these forums for information about nutritional needs of our new family addition and must say you folks are amazing with the amount of usefull information.

    I had a couple of dogs in the past and never fed kibble, but rather raw/scraps/veggies to them. but that was 20 years ago or so. this time I am really looking into well balanced nutritionaly raw food diet.

    Could you please recommend the best way of weening our Eskie of purina and should I still provide some kibble to balance his diet with raw food?

    #24500
    albertboh
    Participant

    We only use raw-food with our bulldog now. She was having a ton of issues with the grain-filled dog foods that my mom typically bought her (gas, bloating, infections/rashes). I tried all sorts of stuff to change it up too, like adding probiotic supplements to her diet, as well as digestive enzymes. There are a few brands out there are specifically for pets and not just human-grade stuff. We also mixed yogurt in with her dog food helped to help with some yeast issues issues we had. It’s our own special “cocktail” but it seems to work for her brilliantly. It took us forever to find the right mix, but now we are thrilled and she seems much happier. :O)

    #24449
    BeachMiles
    Participant

    We are heading out on a 10 day trip, including cross country air travel. Gracie is on a frozen raw diet. We pack it in DRY ICE.

    I have found , through experience , that you can carry a cooler with up to 5 pounds of Dry Ice on board.

    #24341
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    What is your budget? Unfortunately – while healthier, as Patty pointed out – most dry food alternatives (dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned and raw) are much more expensive than dry dog food. If it’s not possible to feed an entirely raw, dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned diet you can “top” the kibble with these foods or alternate (i.e. raw for breakfast and dry for dinner). Healthy leftovers like lean meat, steamed veggies, eggs or plain yogurt are also a cheap way to dress up kibble and boost the species-appropriateness – just keep the addition of unbalanced toppers to 20% or less of the meal. Unfortunately dehydrated, freeze-dried and commercial raw foods would probably be off the table for someone on a budget but there are some quality budget friendly canned foods. Walmart sells a food called Pure Balance which is rated 5 stars and costs $1 per can, Tractor Supply sells a food called 4Health which is rated 4.5 stars and costs $0.99 per can and Costco sells a canned food called Kirkland Cuts & Gravy which costs $0.79 per can. Home cooked and homemade raw can be done fairly cheaply – but homemade diets do take some research. I agree with Patty about the lack of dental benefits with dry food as well – it’s just a myth that dry food cleans the teeth. The only way to assure dental health is to brush your dog’s teeth regularly or have regular dental cleanings at your vet. Raw bones can aid in dental health to a certain degree, but they’re no substitution for teeth brushing.

    Since I’m limited on my kibble options for Harry but I do want to rotate his diet (using Natures Logic & raw at this point) I ordered some of the See Spot Live Longer premix. I like that I can control the protein & avoid chicken/turkey. I looked into the Urban Wolf and HK Preference but both contain sweet potato. Any other suggestions for adding variety?
    Jeanne

    #24280
    sparkles1962
    Participant

    I have a Jack Russell that I have had the same issues as the Mini-Pin. Had bladder issues years ago, and vet put her on urninary so. For years was throwing up on the food, not an issue for the vet. Then last year started with the pancreatitis. We have been working with a holistic vet, acupuncture, and herbal/homeopathic remedies. Amazing results. But, still working on it. I am now making her dog food. That really helps. I used Darwins raw food/chicken and duck. The only issue I had with that is the small bones, she was throwing those up and it was too costly.

    My dog has a duality of chronic inflammatory pancreatitis that is creating damp phlegm in her kidneys and hence bladder stone issues. This is what the holistic vet is working on. It surprises me, that the regular vets don’t even know this. However, I am looking for a good nutritionist vet, for making the appropriate raw diet myself. There is someone online, that you can pay for this service (but I’m a little leary to give my personal info online)! Here is the information I found online, if you are interested. She had some good things to say, such as me feeding a natural diet that included sweet potato is not good for my dog because—if the stones she is forming are calcium oxalate, you should not be feeding sweet potatoes due to their content of oxalic acid. It is also vitally important for kidney health to have sufficient calcium in the diet to 1. meet the dog’s needs and 2. bind excess phosphorus, and in typical, supplemented diets this is usually severely deficient.
    Looking online at dog diets with pancreatitis….is overwhelming!!!
    — Sabine Contreras
    Canine Care & Nutrition Consultant
    Creating Healthy Lifestyles for Canines
    BetterDogCare.com – DogFoodProject.com

    #24272
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I bought Epigen from the Wysong website. I use various canned foods as toppers. As far as foods for weight loss goes, I’ve never fed low fat, just normal. I have pugs so they gain weight easily and I get obese fosters too but they still lose weight on regular (5 star grain free) kibble and regular fat canned foods and even home made raw food in which I leave the skin on.

    Also I wanted to point out (if you didn’t know yet) about the “body condition score”. You should take this into account as well, not just weight alone. That being said, my pugs are heavy but not fat. They are very strong and muscular. They look like some of my other fosters that weigh 17-20 lbs. They gained weight when I started feeding them higher protein kibble and raw food.

    This one is 23 lbs but does not need a diet! For me, I only go by body condition. And he’s been wearing that harness for a couple years whether he was 18 or 23. That photo was last year so he does have new harnesses!

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_2697640x479_zpsbe52d943.jpg

    #24264
    julez4you
    Participant

    Help! My 4 month old GD pup is off to a bit of a rocky health start and I need some advice. When I brought him home from the breeder he had just finished his 1course of antibiotic from a case of puppy acne. He was being fed Purina- so my 1st objective was to get him switched over to a better food- but given my experience with Danes and their sometimes sensitive tummies- I played it safe and switched him to GO! which has acceptable calcium levels but is not very high in protein.

    About 1 week after he came home he had a horrible episode of blood in his stool- so vet put him on Metronidazole and bland diet while tests came back. Turns out he had worms (dont recall which one but it was long and white when it came out in stool- so she treated him with dewormer.)

    During this this time I was also trying to transition him to a higher protein food slowly and tried adding in HK Love or high meat cans. Both ended up producing loose stools even in small quantities, so I decided to try and do a slow switch to a higher protein kibble such as Canine Caviar. After 2days of adding in only a little bit of the new kibble (1/4 of overall quantity) it was like a water hose. At first I thought maybe it was just something in the formula- so I tried NV LID Turkey (again- only tiny amount) and he had nonstop diarrhea that brought us back to the vet and once again, back on Metronidazole and bland diet.

    At this point I’m petrified to try anything new in his diet. He’s currently on straight GO! Duck formula and daily probiotic and enzymes. I eventually want to switch him to raw- but with my older dog 100% raw fed, the expense of having a growing Dane pup on raw too is a bit much.

    2 weeks ago, he also broke out with a bad skin infection around his genitals- red, pussy, scabby bumps which I’m sure are the end result of his multiple immune suppressant treatments- and fearful at the thought of yet another antibiotic treatment, I’m trying to treat with medicated shampoo at the moment.

    I also want to help boost his immune and digestive health more and have a great organic canine wellness blend from a local herbalist, but since I noticed that one of its benefits is joint/ mobility and it has horsetail and oat straw in it- now I’m wondering if I need to be concerned about added calcium this my be contributing? Any thoughts on whether or not I should continue giving it to him?

    Also- if you have any tips on diet or skin problems- I’m all ears. I’m trying to do the best for him but seems that for every good intended actin I try to take- I just end up causing him more problems. 🙁

    And at 4 months he still hasn’t had his 3rd distemper or rabbies vac because he’s had something chronically going on since.

    Please help! Julie and Bentley

    #24253
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    You actually don’t want to feed vegetables raw. Dogs can’t digest the cellulose in vegetables very efficiently and for this reason they should be cooked and pureed to in a sense “pre-digest” them prior to feeding. The meat, bones and organs are what you would feed raw with a raw diet but if you’re not comfortable with feeding raw meat that’s certainly understandable. A cooked homemade diet is still much healthier than commercial pet food. My favorite books of those Sandy mentioned is “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” – while this is more aimed at raw feeders there are many principals discussed that are common to both raw and home cooked diets. The recipes could also easily be converted to cooked by omitting the bone-in meat, adding boneless meat and supplementing with 800 – 1,000 mg. calcium per pound of meat fed. My favorite pre-mixes are See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix and Urban Wolf. BTW – GOOD choice on going homemade. As Sandy said, it’s not something to be taken lightly but if you do your research and properly prepare the meals you will be setting your dog up for a long and healthy life! 🙂

    #24194
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    For easy homemade, use a premix like Urban Wolf, Grandma Lucys, The Honest Kitchen, and there’s another one by Steve Brown – can’t remember what that one is called. All you add is meat and some oil.

    For some recipes, get “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker/Beth Taylor or Steve Brown’s “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet”. “Real Food…” has cooked and raw recipes and a vitamin mix recipe and when made to recipe, it exceeds AAFCO/NRC guidelines.

    For something simple, there’s http://homemadedogfood.com/easy-cooked-dog-food-recipe/ It uses a vitamin/mineral supplement and a fat supplement. Although I wouldn’t feed this single recipe forever. I’d give some variety.

    You don’t have to stick to one product or recipe long term either. Try Urban Wolf and some other brands for variety.

    Homemade food cannot be taken lightly. Although it’s the best, without proper vits/minerals/EFA’s, a poorly balanced homemade diet can be harmful. Do alot of research. I would say use some of HoundDogMom’s raw recipes, but since your’re a little squeamish of raw…that probably wouldn’t work out! She ran her recipe through a nutrient analysis and it is complete and balanced.

    When I started raw, I used “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats”. And I have dog food grinding parties at my house!

    #24188
    sfranklin
    Participant

    I am trying to figure out where to start with the whole homemade food idea. My dogs itch non-stop and I really believe it is from their commercial dog food. Any suggestions on supplements to make sure I have a balanced diet? I saw on Amazon something called Wizpet dog food supplement, I haven’t been able to find anything about it. If anyone could point me in the right direction as to where I can find out more information on supplements that would be wonderful. I am leaning towards the cooked dog food, my dogs now love all raw veggies and fruit (the ones they are allowed to have) so that I don’t have a problem with, I just don’t know if I can do the raw food personally, I may be a little squeamish. Could I do cooked (rare) protein and then raw everything else? I have been reading so much on here I think I am in information overload and am lost as to where to start. Thanks for your time!

    #24186

    In reply to: Tapioca

    aimee
    Participant

    I recently found a reference regarding the digestion of cassava starch ( tapioca) which was done in the dog. In an uncooked state (raw) 57.6% is digested before reaching the colon. In the cooked state ( as would be found in kibble) 97.4% of the cassava starch is digested before reaching the colon.

    Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire (Mai-Jun 1998)
    Foecal and ileal digestibility of diets rich in wheat or tapioca starch in the dog.
    Wolter, R. (Ecole Nationale Veterinaire d’Alfort, Maisons Alfort (France). Unite Alimentation Nutrition); Pereira do Socorro, E.; Houdre, C.

    #24104

    In reply to: Yeast issues

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Switch the dog to a species-appropriate, low carbohydrate diet. A raw, home cooked, dehydrated or canned diet free of any grains or starches is ideal. If you must feed kibble look for a high protein (>30%) grain-free/white potato free kibble. If kibble is necessary, I think somebodysme made a good suggestion with Nature’s Variety Instinct.

    I would also highly recommend starting the dog on a high quality, multi-strain probiotic supplement and an enzyme supplement. Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that will help to get the body’s microflora back in balance (a yeast infection is an imbalance of microflora). Enzymes will help to rid the body of toxins that can contribute to yeast overgrowth and help the dog to more efficiently digest the food.

    Yeast infections can also be caused by deficient levels of IgA and German Shepherds are prone to IgA deficiencies. If there is an IgA deficiency the probiotics and enzymes should help and you may also wish to consider an immunoglobulin supplement (such as IgG 2000 DF or colostrum) and coconut oil (the lauric acid in coconut oil is beneficial to immune function). You vet could test for an IgA deficiency.

    You should also regularly disinfect the parts of his body that are yeasty. You can use a solution containing 1 gallon water, 1 C. hydrogen peroxide and 1 C. white vinegar. You can also bathe him using an herbal shampoo (such as tea tree) – avoid oatmeal shampoos as oatmeal feeds the yeast.

    Good luck! 🙂

    #24097

    In reply to: Yeast issues

    somebodysme
    Participant

    I’m in the same boat so maybe someone will pipe in. A light bulb finally came on with my dog. What I thought was all caused by food allergies are partly allergies and partly yeast. When I get her on a food that she’s not allergic to, the rash on her back clears right up but her feet flare up. The feet are yeast and the back rash is food allergies. Or at least this seems to be what we are figuring out. On a low carb food such as Nature’s Variety, the feet heal but her back flares. On an brand new meat such as lamb and/or rabbit, the back heals right up but the feet flare because the only food I tried was too high in carbs. SO now I will try lamb Nature’s Variety but the problem is that it’s not readily available and she has some stool issues with NV.

    So if yeast is your only issue, I’d suggest giving Nature’s Variety LID a try. Of course, most people will suggest you need a raw or cooked diet. I haven’t crossed that bridge just yet…HA!

    #24095
    shelties mom
    Participant

    This sound to be a yeast problem, no. 1 thing to do is to address the diet, preferrably an anti-inflammatory raw diet with no grains. Adding a probiotic supplement will help since antibiotics destroy all good along with the bad bacteria, so these drugs often make a bad situation worse.

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

    Be sure not to over-vaccinate or over-medicate.

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/08/17/stop-using-pet-steroids-until-you-read-these-disturbing-truths.aspx
    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/12/23/environmental-allergies-and-your-pet.aspx

    Use natural flea control products:
    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/03/31/dangers-of-flea-and-tick-problems.aspx

    Have you tried this product for his ears?

    I have a Doberman with horrible stomach issues. Her culprit seems to be higher fiber and rice. After dealing with it for years(meds, restricted diets etc) her diarrhea and weight loss resolved on Abady granular, Natures Variety raw and Victor Grain free Ultra Pro.

    #24036
    rileys mom
    Participant

    I currently feed my Sheltie puppy (Riley) Earthborn Holistic Grain Free – Meadow Feast. I am very happy with the food but I have been reading a lot about the benefits of a raw diet. I can’t afford to have him on a completely raw diet, but I would like to add some raw food to his kibble. I have been looking at Primal and Nutrisca freeze dried raw food. Would it benefit Riley to have a little bit of raw added to his kibble?

    If I do add raw how much of his kibble should I replace? I am currently feeding him 1 cup a day split into 3 meals. He is about 10lbs and 6 months.

    Thanks

    #23963
    kaoconnell
    Participant

    My 9 1/2 yr old irish wolfhound mix was diagnosed with IBD after numerous tests and a endoscopy 1 week ago. Just got the results back and they put him on prednisolone. He is also on Cipro, Sucralfate, pepcid ac tramadol and metoclopramide. He is not eating very well. I have tried many different canned foods (evo..wellness ..prescription gi ones from the vet) but he is picky also. I have also done home cooked and raw. The vet wants his belly to heal up before we do a allergy blood test to see if that is the cause. Im at my wits end trying to get him to eat.. any ideas?? He usually weighs 114.. last vet visit..102. So I’d like to get his weight up also.

    #23955
    jamie_aa
    Participant

    Hey I have a question for HDM

    I wanted to see if you knew anything about the calcium levels in the Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diets. My local pet store started caring this and i wasn’t sure if the calcium level would be ok for my Saint Bernard puppy? I was originally just going to buy the BARF Raw dog food online and have it shipped but I would rather go get the food myself.

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