[Nita P]

I’m not familiar with that brand if food, but if you like it, I would stick with it. For my dog Bella, I actually switched her to just white rice & ground elk meat when her ear issues got really bad this summer. I had ordered the dynovite and it arrived a few days after we went to the vet. The vet gave us a round of meds that really made her feel bad – she lost complete control of her bladder & just laid around with no energy. Took her off meds after 2 days. Kept with the rice and elk (you can use rice and chicken too) with broth mixed with the Dynovite and the Lickychops omega oils. I had a different dog in 2 weeks. Her personality changed completely too! Her ears (yeast infection, allergies) cleared up, the bad breath got better (it’s not all gone), her coat is amazing and she sheds about 10% of what it was before dynovite. She also had the paw chewing & licking issues, which are supposedly allergies. From my personal human issues, antibiotics caused yeast issues (along w/ diet choices) and I see that in my dog too. I read a lot of the info on the dynovite website and I wasn’t up for the raw diet, but I did learn a lot from their suggestions. I went to the rice/meat only with the dynovite to clear any food allergies we might be dealing with (just like I’ve done w/ myself in the past).

I don’t store it in the fridge – just in an airtight container.

We recently lost our oldest dog & I stopped the dynovite for about 7-8 days (just for no reason other than grief forgetfulness) and Bella’s paw chewing came right back. Needless to say I’ve now had a 2nd round of proof this supplement works for my dog.

I moved Bella to a full serving pretty fast and she tolerated it very well. I’m very pleased with Dynovite!

Hope that helps!

[Kristin C]

Thanks for the picture 4FF. Looks dehydrated to me so I probably won’t try it. Sojo’s dehydrated comes out like it goes in which I don’t like at all, doesn’t digest well. A 2 lb bag of Sojo’s Complete is 14.99 but that’s with no meat. So as Dori said BDN would be less expensive. I keep coming back to making my own raw food and adding a supplement that meets AAFCO standards. But that doesn’t work too well on a 2 week vacation.

[Dori]

Kristin C. As others have posted, the food is air dryer which would be a dehydrated food. It’s different than any dehydrated food. When rehydrated, as others have said, it looks and smells like ground meat. Also as cindy q. said, you do need to add water, but I also don’t add as much as they say. This is basically a personal decision as to how much water to add. Depends on how your dog likes his food. Some like real mush and don’t want to have to chew anything at all, lol, and others like a more substantial chunky food. As I’ve mentioned before I food rotational so the GA and analysis don’t really make a difference to me and my dogs. I rotate with every meal.

Cindy q. The trick with THK is to either not add as much water as stated on the box (I never do) or make up a batch that will last two or three days and put in the fridge. At meal time scoop out as much as you need for the meal. If your dog doesn’t like cold food then just leave it out on the counter until room temperature. I do it both ways but overnight works best. Also Cindy q. before spending money on actual size bags or boxes of the foods you’re trying out ask for samples at your local small pet stores, they always have samples or email or call manufacturer of food. They’ll pretty much always send you out samples for either a very nominal fee or others just have you pay for the shipping which is also a small fee. You’re going to go through way to much money buying the actual boxes or bags of the food. Also, if you rotate your foods you should try to buy the smallest size so that the individual foods won’t go bad. I realize the small bags/boxes will cost you a little more but you’ll be sure to be able to rotate and not have the bottom of bags or boxes go bad before you get to the end. That’s important with rotating foods that are not frozen and kept in freezer. Also BDN is less expensive than Sojo’s. I don’t particularly care for Sojo’s so I don’t feed it. The only foods I presently feed other than commercial raw foods are THK, BDN and in a pinch if I won’t be home or dogs left with someone else who refuses to feed raw (jeesh) I use Nature’s Logic dry. Excellent as kibbles go. They also have a good canned food but the canned foods all contain something or other that my allergy/intolerant maltipoo, Katie, cannot tolerate. It’s the only kibble they do well on and that I don’t feel awful feeding them.

[Kristin C]

I heard back from BDN and they did not provide the reconstituted nutritional analysis nor did they answering whether they’ve through feeding trials. I was mostly wondering if this is really a raw product but I think it’s dehydrated based upon their pricing. I agree that it should be used rotationally. I may try it but can anyone tell me if it reconstitutes to a mushy substance or are there chunks and hard pieces (like Sojo’s). I tried Orijen freeze dried which I like but it’s too expensive to feed on a regular basis. I am looking for options when I travel because I feed mostly raw.

[Dori]

Hi Liz S. NV Instinct raw is one of the foods I use in rotation feeding with my three toy dogs. I also use Answers Detailed, Vital Essentials Raw, Stella & Chewys Raw,
Primal Raw Formulas, OC Raw. In rotation feeding I also use The Honest Kitchen which is a dehydrated food and BDN which is another dehydrated food. The only kibble I have fed recently is Natures Logic Sardine Formula. The food is teeny tiny and they love it and have had no issues. The reason for the kibble after almost three years on raw is that if I have to leave them with someone or travel with them it would be more convenient than traveling lots of raw food which means a number of coolers with ice packs and I’m not Sure I feel completely safe with the food that way. I’ve also tried some freeze dried from a couple of the raw food companies. It’s an expensive process to freeze dry apparently so that’s the reason for freeze dried being so costly.

[Liz S]

I’ve always fed a kibble or canned for a dinner treat. But no matter what I do my chi will only eat canned. Vet visits etc. She is fine.

She was on Science Diet. Once I found out how bad it was I tried switching. I gave her ample time. I tried HQ kibble.

I’ve heard good things about Instinct Raw. I got a sample bag of the boost treats and she LOVED them. I think the fact that they weren’t too hard really appealed to her.

I’m going to give this stuff a go I think.

Who else feeds Instinct Raw?

[Dori]

THK is not cooked, but it’s not truly considered a raw food either. They use very low heat to dehydrate the ingredients. This keeps most of the integrity of the nutrients but since low heat has been used it cannot really be considered raw. I really like the company and their philosophy. I’ve spoken to Lucy Postin from time to time and I really like her.

[Naturella]

Hey, T. I second Sue on not giving leftovers. When you first said “human food”, I thought you meant things like raw/cooked lean meats and veggies (no seasonings or only such that are dog-friendly, like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, a little bit of garlic). Yoghurt is ok, but only if it is plain – not the sweet-ish, fruity-ish stuff a lot of us eat. Noodles are sometimes okay if that’s all they are – one noodle (he really doesn’t NEED it though), and not covered in pasta sauce and seasonings. Cheetos are not very good for humans or pets (they contain formaldehyde and burn like they’re made of pure petrol if you set them on fire).
Bottom line – anything on your plate for dinner is PROBABLY not good for your doggie, especially cooked bones of any kind, because they could splinter and cause all kinds of internal disasters if he/she doesn’t choke on them first.

Good news though! What you CAN give to your dog are raw or lightly cooked lean meats (no bone) and veggies/fruits, eggs (probably just 1 egg/week for a teeny dog like a yorkie), canned sardines in water with no salt added (their spinal bone is okay to give), plain yoghurt/kefir, and safe seasonings like the ones mentioned above (a pinch of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic are totally fine). Also coconut oil and canned pumpkin (the plain one, not the pie-filling cans) – the latter can help your dog’s tummy when introducing new foods. You can add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin with every meal at which new food is present, and watch the stool. If it is still bad, back off the new food, and give just pumpkin or just his BB kibble until the stool is normal. Sometimes probiotics and digestive enzymes may help strengthen his/her gut too.

It is really good to supplement a dry kibble with canned or otherwise wetter food, or any of the fresh foods mentioned above. So maybe try that for your pup, and good luck!

[Naturella]

Hey, all! 4FF, did you try copying and pasting the code, or just typing it in? IDK if it will make a difference, but as Dori said, maybe just try calling them. It took off my shipping AND the 10% off the food. I only got 1 lb of the Green Tripe Supreme, but I will use it in rotation with THK’s Keen, Force, Embark, and Love, so it should last a while! I’m excited to try this – and the coupon basically made the food free, it is like I’m just paying the “shipping” (amount-wise, I am not really paying the shipping). So it was cool, I got to trick the hubby into believing the food was free and that we just paid shipping, so I could get it… Muahahaha! Ok, time to stop now… lol

P.S. This is probably not the place, but quick question – is THK dehydrated RAW or COOKED food?

[Dori]

Kristin C. I feed rotation raw foods to all my dogs as I mentioned above but I was wondering what your concerns are about this food. Also would you please post here when you do hear back re reconstituted analysis? Thank you. This food will be fine for rotation feeding but it’s important for people that feed one food for long periods of time, which I’m totally against, to have as much info as possible, but we all do what we’re comfortable doing. Thanks.

[Kristin C]

What are you feeding him? I have one dog who is pretty sensitive. When her stools are loose I give her some canned pumpkin and that clears it up. I have been adding green tripe to her diet which I think helps. I find she does better if I feed her raw food, versus kibble. In fact, I started feeding her raw because I was beside myself on all her barfing and diarrhea while on kibble. If you are integrating healthier, whole food into his kibble diet maybe take it a bit slower. It’s no different than a human used to eating processed food and getting an upset stomach when he eats a salad.

[Dori]

I’ve recently started using BDN in rotation for my girls. The food looks and smells good and the girls love it. I haven’t seen any negative issues with the food. It’s a very small company and I suspect that is why there prices are as good as they are. They don’t seem to spend too much money on packaging, advertising, etc. so I guess that also lets them sell the food as inexpensive as it is. When I was doing research and asking questions I just called them and someone, usually a woman by the name of Chris, picks up the phone. She’ll stay on the phone with you as long as you like, seems pretty forthcoming on everything. I think they’re out of New Jersey if memory serves me. With all that said, I feed my three dogs commercial raw foods in rotation and I rotate their foods with every meal (they eat twice a day) so their digestive systems are very healthy. I can’t think of any food that I would feed solely as long term. I recommend rotation to everyone.

[Kristin C]

Hi Holly-I know you posted this a while ago and have probably figured some of this out. I feed my dogs mostly raw, but I think if you are using this only as a kibble topper and not more than 25% of their diet you can use whatever’s left over from dinner. I personally would avoid the fatty part of the meat. I use a ratio of 80% meat/organs, 5% fruit/veg purée, 15% sweet potato or pumpkin. You might want to omit the rice as that’s probably already in the kibble, if not another carb. Eggs are good, as is a little fish oil, vitamin e and yogurt. Any cooked meat is fine. I avoid pork and fish because I feed raw. There’s a book called See Spot Live Longer that has a few pages on how to supplement your kibble FYI.

[Kristin C]

Thanks for mentioning BDN Cindy. I have not heard of it and am very interested so I emailed them with a few questions. I’m afraid their pricing might be too good to be true though. I’ve been using Darwin’s for the last few months and their trial was worth it, but they’re changing their formula and not offering any samples so I cancelled after my first auto shipment. Plus their meat turns brown in the frig and that can’t be good. My homemade raw stays nice and pink unless it’s older. I see you’ve queried on BDN on another post so I’ll keep my eye out for anyone else chiming in on whether they add supplements to it. I may just try it as “supplemental” feeding.

[Julian R]

Hi Kristin,
I adopted my chow/akita mix almost two years ago and I started feeding him raw meats more or less after a month of his arrival. I started slow, mixing ground beef with canned wet food. I eliminated kibble right away or should I say he rejected it once he was presented with an alternative diet. After about a month of a raw/canned mix, I just fed him raw meats. Once I have made the full decision of a raw diet I searched for commercially available raw meats (http://www.darwinspet.com) but it was not a cheap option. I turned to my local meat markets and bought chicken (breasts, necks, hearts, thighs), turkey legs (cut in pieces), pork neck bones, beef kidney and heart, and ground beef. I followed the advise from (http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjhomemade2.html) to understand the proportions needed (lean meat:bone:fat:organs).
Now let me provide potential answers for some of your questions.
How much raw food per day should I feed him? Raw diet is more nutritious than kibble and canned food so there is not need to feed them as much. Based on your dogs desired weight I would estimate 3-3.5 oz daily.
Should I start out getting packaged raw food? It tends to be more expensive and if there are good meat markets in your area with a good selection, you can buy what you need at a lower price.
Should I just give him the bones or grind them up? Most dogs can handle bone (make sure they are uncooked) but one has to be careful since choking can still happen. Avoid chicken necks since they can cause choking in small dogs. Pork necks are a good option since they are meaty and dogs can easily break them (at least medium-large dogs). Now since you have a small dog you can give him small pork neck bones but not too small that he will try to swallow it whole. Supervision is key here.
What meats can he eat? chicken, beef, pork, venison, rabbit, turkey, duck, lamb, etc
What should his daily, weekly, etc… diet consist of? The article in dogaware.com provides a very straightforward guide to establish your weekly dog diet, in summary it states that it should be 30-50 % meaty bones, 45-65 % lean meat (including eggs and dairy products) and 5% or less of organ meat.
How slowly should I introduce him to raw food? Start slow mixing 3/4 of of his usual food with 1/4 of raw. Increase slowly over a 2-4 week period.
What meats are good to introduce/start out with? Chicken is usually a good start and lean ground beef is also good. Do not feed him chicken with the skin since it will be too rich for him.
What things should I get to start out with(what kind of meat grinder, what kind of storage containers, etc…)? I don’t use a meat grinder and most likely you can ask your local butcher to do the grinding you need. I ended up buying a freezer for his food and I thaw enough for 2-3 days inside the refrigerator. I keep thawed food in a closed large glass container inside the refrigerator.
How should I handle the meat? I have a cutting board, knife and other utensils to handle his food which I do not use for anything else. I wash everything with plenty of dish soap and hot water. I obviously I wash my hands thoroughly after handling raw meats. How much will this cost per month? For my 62 pound, I spend in average $70 a month. What veggies and fruits should I include in his diet daily, weekly, etc…??? About 6 months ago, I found out about a dog raw food vendor that distributes a great variety of raw food in NJ, CT, MA, NH, and VT. (http://www.topqualitydogfood.com/). They don’t mail so one has to picked up at specific services areas where they stop and it is once a month only. Anyway, they have meats mix with veggies and fruits which I give to my dog. You can see more information about giving vegetables and fruits to your dog. Keep in mind that vegetables should be preferably cooked and give as a puree mixed with meat for better absorption. How much low-fat cottage cheese, veggies, etc… should I feed him daily, weekly, etc…??? Cheese is as an occasional part of his diet but I dont feed him daily perhaps once a week but not too much.
What kind of fish can he eat? most fish except salmon or trout fromPacific Northwest. I feed my dog Chilean Salmon.
Should I add fish oil or probiotics or whatever else to his daily, weekly, etc… diet?? It is recommended to complement his diet with fish oil. I am not sure about probiotics, though.

I advise you to take a look at the books recommended if you can or at least check the websites. Also, try to connect with owners of small dogs that feed them raw. I strongly believe it is the best diet for dogs but it requires some learning from the owner.

[Kristin D]

Thank you, Bobby dog!!! I actually own the book Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs!!! I like it a lot so far!!! It’s a GREAT book!!! I just got Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw food!!! I got chicken to start out with cause it’s easier to digest. I’m gonna be feeding him a forth a cup of kibble maybe less, 2 raw chicken medallions, and a tablespoon of canned food a day. I’m gonna be feeding him the raw at a separate meal than the other food. Does that sound like too much food for a little miniture Dachshund??? I will give him less kibble a day if that sounds like too much. I don’t think it’s too much but I could be wrong. I feed him three small meals a day. I would feed him an 1/8 of a cup of kibble and a half a table spoon of canned food for breakfast and dinner. For lunch I would feed him two medallions. Once again I ask is that too much or too little of food??? Should I give him more canned??? Lol!!! Idk!!! Maybe I should give him TWO tablespoons of canned a day… I am trying to get him to lose weight though… Whatever you guys think I should do please tell me!!! Lol!!!

[Naturella]

So, we went to the vet today to get Bru his 3-year rabies shot he was due for (last year he got the 1-year one). I also wanted to talk about titers and skipping the rest of the vaccines. The vet we saw was not my usual semi-holistic vet, who does TCM, but another one. Still, she seemed nice and talked to us about titering and how most vaccines last a while, BUT, that if we plan to be taking Bruno to the dog park and socialize him with “questionable” dogs, we should vaccinate, and how it is cheaper than titering, and how expensive it is to cure some of those diseases that he may get if we don’t vaccinate and he happens to get sick, etc. My husband was so absorbent of the information and I was worried. I didn’t want to do the DAPP and Bortadella again because I KNOW he has immunity for at least the Bortadella (kennel cough) – my roommate’s dog got it bad, and Bruno did not, and he was around her a lot. So he has some good immune strength, I believe. But the doc said $250 for titers and $150 for shots, so that was kind of the dealbreaker for us there… It was one or the other for the hubs, and shots won… 🙁 He took them ok, was acting normally and what not. Now he’s all sleepy and seems a bit distressed… He growls at every movement – the wind blows outside, he growls. Ice gets dispensed in the freezer, he growls. And he was growling occasionally before, mostly at people/kids/dogs making noise outside, but OMG, it is like he got growl shots today, not rabies/DAPP/Bortadella shots! Geez… Last year he had no negative reaction to the shots and I don’t know if the sleepiness and growling are from the shots per se or just from the distress of being at the vet and being done things to, but otherwise he eats okay, pees and poops okay so far, and was playful with a dog-friend who lives in our complex, so he’s mostly alright…

Bottom line, I’m not too happy though – I think because we got the 3-year rabies, I will just “forget” to remind my husband of the other annual shots until 2017… And by then, I hope he will be more okay with skipping them… I’m thinking every 3-5 years as a booster should be fine (do them in 2017, then 2020, then 2025, 2030, etc., for as long as my sweet little baby is around), aside from rabies, which is every 3 years anyway. Hope it works out…

At least everything else on Bru checked out with accolades! He has great body condition and weight – now at 14.5 lbs – still growing as a lean muscle-machine! lol Vet did say to try to keep him between 14.5-15 lbs though, would be ideal for him. But as long as his body condition is good, I don’t care what he weighs… Muscle is heavier than fat anyway. Also great eyes, teeth (yay RMBs and brushing!), skin/coat (yay raw eggs, coconut oil, and sardnies!), and ears! Negative heartworm test and fecal float. Clean bill of health. 🙂

P.S. Vet also said to do year-round HW prevention… @Dori and @weezerweeks, what do you do for HW – year-round or no? (They live in GA as do I, and I think y’all may have told me in another post, but I forgot… 🙁 )
I read somewhere that it’s safe not to administer the pill between December and April, so I MAY try that if hubs does not notice… He freaks out at the possibility of Bruno being sick, and even more at huge vet bills, sooo he would rather take ALL preventive measures than “risk it” (even if it MAY be okay and better for the dog) and have a sick dog and a humungous bill…
I mean, I do understand him… But I am trying to instill a more holistic lifestyle in our household and all these meds and shots are messing with my philosophy, lol… Oh well, I’ll take meds too in emergencies – like when I had a pinched sciatic nerve – “ohmygodworsepainIhaveeverfeltIwantedallthedrugs”… After all the meds I was a happier camper, with nice crazy vivid dreams from them narcotics ;)… But still… the less chemical additives, the better I believe. Anyway, went off too far on a tangent, reeling back in to vaccines and opinions on them! 🙂

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

[Haleybop]

Hi! I feed my 10-month-old beagle Back to Basics (all four high-protein varieties while the duck is still in stock). I add coconut oil in the morning, an additional source of lightly cooked protein for lunch, and a capful of raw ACV (to help keep yeast in check) for dinner.

Since BTB is a high protein/high fat quality food, I’m wondering about my choices for adding additional protein for that one meal. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, BTB does not have any probiotics in it. After a recommendation from Hound Dog Mom, I bought Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms. My dog actually chews her food and bites these capsules open. So, I started opening them and pouring half of it in her lunch (she’s only 24lbs). Do you think the probiotics in this item will even make it past her stomach and into her intestines or am I wasting the product? I know there are some dog products out there that your sprinkle on their food, but I wonder about their effectiveness, as well.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!!!

[InkedMarie]

I can’t help with the leakage but I wanted to comment on the crystals. A previous dog had recurrent crystals. My vet said special food wasn’t necessary. It’s very important to get enough fluid into your dog. Dry food is the worst; wet food is best: raw, dehydrated, canned. If you must feed dry, please add canned & water to it. Aldo make sure he has ample opportunity to urinate. My vet also told me to give my dog one vitamin C tablet but don’t do that without talking to your vet.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Kristen D:
I am not a raw feeder so I don’t have much info to share with you, but I can help you get started with some websites and books. I would like to incorporate more raw foods into my dog’s diet so I try to bookmark websites that are recommended on DFA for future research.

My dog’s diet is mostly kibble, but I feel it’s important to incorporate fresh foods so I follow Steve Brown’s ABC diet for kibble feeders. The rest of his diet consists of fresh vegetables & fruits, eggs, sardines, goats milk, canned, lightly cooked fresh meats, or commercial raw for toppers. I try feeding him RMB’s, but each time he buries them in the yard. I have to be careful with any raw or pet food due to a family member with health issues so I am unable to feed him RMB’s indoors. The meats that I have tried so far don’t appeal to him and I end up lightly cooking them. lol

Here’s some books that several regular posters on DFA recommend: Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet – Steve Brown, Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats – Dr. Karen Becker, Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals – Dr. Lew Olson.

Here’s a couple websites:
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjhomemade2.html
http://seespotlivelonger.com/

Here’s a link to the raw dog food forums on DFA for more info:
/forums/forum/raw-dog-food-forum/

[Kristin D]

Hello everybody!!! Sorry… I didn’t mention I don’t have a printer… Lol, sorry!!! If I show it to the person at the pet store would they print it??? Bobby dog: Thanks!!! I’m excited to try raw food!!! I’m a little nervous and scared but I think everything will go smoothly. Speaking of raw food I have a topic in the raw food section of the forum if anybody has advice for me, I would love to hear it!!! Thanks!!!!

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

[Kristin C]

Hi Cindy – I have recently used Orijen Adult Freeze Dried. It took about a half hour to soak and get to the consistency I was looking for. My dogs loved it and since I sometimes feed Orijen Kibble they had no digestion issues. It is expensive but I am looking for something to use on vacation since I feed primarily raw.

As for the Sojo’s, I have tried the Complete grain free mix where you have to add in raw meat. I find that it comes out much like it goes in, it doesn’t digest well. I end up soaking the Sojo’s then putting it in a food processor with my raw meat. I am going to use it up but won’t buy again.

Hope that helps!

[Bobby dog]

Hi katj813:
Look into C4c’s suggestion about Freshpet. Freshpet is a refrigerated food that is not canned, not raw, would mix easily with a dry food, and it is a kibble shape that pours easily from the bag. It is also easy to find at pet stores, grocery stores, and Wal-Mart.

[Susan]

Hi Kellye, I’m having the same problem with Patch keeping on his weight he doesnt have Diabetes, he has Pancreatitis & IBD, I want to have him tested for diabetes Ive read that some dogs that have pancreatitis will get diabetes, I was going to have him tested for diabetes….what I do is I look for kibbles with high calories, low fat%. I found the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal has 450 kcal per cup ME but then Patch started scratching his ear I looked at the ingredients again & released it has potato protein Patch cant eat Pototes so now I feed have him the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal it has 406 kcal per cup ME its less then the Duck but its higher then most kibbles that Ive found, I also feed Patch 4 meals a day, you have to work out how many calories ur boy should be getting a day & feed him a bit more, well thats what Ive been doing with Patch & he’s gain 1/2 a kilo in weight but its only been 2 weeks since I started increasing his food… I know with raw they lose weight when you first start, does he need the digestive enzymes..
I know when Patch was eating 1 cup of boiled chicken breast, boiled pumkin & 1/2 a boiled egg mixed altogether he gained all his weight back but then I found out he can’t have chicken so I changed it to tuna in spring water drained & he lost weight again, so boiled chicken breast must have more calories then Tuna does, I know pasta would put on some weight but with diabetes you have to watch their carbs but they are allowed a little bit per day…Have you tried a dog nutritionist for some recipes what he can eat with his diabetes & gain weight awell….on yahoo there’s a group call “K9Kitchen” run by Monica Segal she does recipes for illness..

[Naturella]

Ivan,

I second C4C – rotation is great for them, plus it is easy on the budget too! Websites such as http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com offer awesome sales sometimes and you can stock up on various good 4- and 5-star foods for down to about $1/lb!!! Which is an awesome deal. For Victor, try http://www.sportdogfood.com too.

As for toppers – yes as well! I also use canned (sometimes), The Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw I think), plain yoghurt, eggs, coconut oil, and canned sardines. Once a week my Bruno gets a Raw Meaty Bone (RMB) too. The effects of all those additives on skin and coat are tremendous, plus, it helps add variety to their diet and is overall better to their general health. 🙂

Good luck!

[Naturella]

Hi, katj813. Welcome to the forum!

It took me a minute to think of such a food, and the only one that comes to my mind is Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost. Now, it is not “raw” raw, it is dehydrated raw that is mixed in the bag with the kibble. It is softer than kibble and the formulas contain pretty unique proteins, so they may be more palatable to your dog. Other than that, if your mom is not willing to mix canned or your dog doesn’t eat softened food (which could be fixed potentially by just letting him try meal after meal, and if he doesn’t eat it, take it away, then serve some again at the next meal until he/she grows hungry enough to eat it), I have nothing….

But please, do your best to get it off of Beneful, or anything by Purina for that matter.

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!

[katj813]

Hi I am looking for a kibble for my dog who is staying with my mom. She likes taking the easy route when feeding my pets (I’m in college) so no raw foods, no wet food, etc. She has switched my dog to Beneful because he wasn’t eating his previous food and he eats it well. He’s 12 though and Beneful is a load of crap. The only other food I know of is Purina One which is at least better than Beneful but still not great. My dog won’t eat food soaked in water, no idea why but he’s more finicky than my cat. Are there any other food brands out there with meaty bits mixed in or something?

[crazy4cats]

Ivan-
I think it’s a good idea to rotate food. I try to rotate kibble, but I definitely rotate toppers every meal. I think variety is important. I also think it is very important to add fresher type foods to kibble to boost its nutrition as kibble is the least healthy, but the most convenient and affordable. I add canned to every breakfast. To their evening meals, I add either eggs, sardines, dehydrated, raw or lightly cooked fresh meat. I feed mostly Victor kibble, but you could print the 4 or 5 star list of foods and bring with you to your store to see what they carry and fits your budget. You will probably have to transition slowly if they have eaten the same food for a long time to avoid digestive upset. Also, some plain canned pumpkin or probiotics and digestive enzymes may also help with the transition until they are fully adjusted. I’ve seen a noticeable difference in my dogs’ coats since I’ve started the sardines and eggs. Good luck!

[Angela H]

I make a homemade dog food, but I don’t really have a recipe, I use what ever ground meat, veggies and fruits are on sale, but here is what I do;
Use;
70% meat/mixed with organ meat
20% Veggies
10% Fruit

Ingredients;
2lbs lean ground beef
1lb ground chicken
1lb ground turkey
1/2lb beef liver, chicken livers, or chicken giblets
Brown all meat in coconut oil, let cool
Steam the following veggies, fresh is best if you have them on hand, or you can use
frozen veggies (just make sure there is no corn, onions or mushrooms in the frozen blend)
Broccoli
Spinach
Kale
Peas
Sliced Carrots (they don’t have to be peeled)
Red Bell Peppers -chopped
Swiss Chard
Add the steamed veggies to the cooled meat
Then add to the meat mixture;
1 Apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 Banana, chopped
1/2 Raspberries
1/2 Blueberries
2 raw eggs, shell and all
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
1 Tbsp Vitamin fatty acid supplement, such as Dr. Maggie
Using a potato masher, mash all the ingredients together as much as
possible. Then transfer to a food processor to blend, or if you have
a hand emulsifier blender you can mix it together
Make sure to blend evenly leaving no big chunks
Put approx. 11-12 oz into Ziploc freezer bags and freeze
I take out only 1 bag as I need it and let defrost in the fridge

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

[Marla J]

To Marilyn E.
Thanks for the advice about Darwin’s. I have an introductory order coming soon. also, I used to hand out treats all the time to train my dogs, and then I found gentledogtraining.com. These trainers live in my city, but they have a training package with DVD you can order online which teaches you great stuff on how to train through leadership vs treat dispensing. I love it! They are the ones who recommended a raw diet, as they use it for their 8 dogs.

[Kellye P]

My little poodle has been diabetic for 4 years. His glucose levels are good. I have had every imaginable test run on him to find out why he can’t gain weight. Everything checks out perfectly except one time his electrolytes were off. I now put an electrolyte powder in his water. He was 10 lbs when diagnosed and is now 6 pounds. Every bone in his body sticks out. I take him to a Traditional Chinese Medicine vet, an acupunture specialist, and his regular vet. He is on Vetsulin and thyroid. I give him Caniotic probiotics, coconut oil and digestive enzymes. I have gone raw, dehydrated, bought recipes at Balance It, bought recipes from a California company that makes food based on their vet’s advice, tried Sojo’s and other “add meat” foods, dry food, canned food, etc. I have tried everything. High fat foods make him throw up. It is breaking my heart that we are heading back into winter and he’s skin and bones. Yes, he stays inside and wears shirts or sweaters all year, but he is way too skinny.

[Cotons mom]

Anyone had any experience with this company. They are located in Virginia and are actually a bison farm. I found them while doing a search for raw food.

thanks

[mandy d]

Hi Sue66b, I actually must have missed that one somehow! I’ll check out both. She’s never eaten raw before but the vet we just saw is a pretty big proponent of the paleopet diet and didn’t seem concerned about feeding her raw even with her colitis so I figured it was worth looking into. She’s doing much better after the vet visit, but I do think I’m going to try her on some different food and see if I can find something that prevents the flare ups.

Crazy4cats- I’m looking for fat around or less than 10% and fiber around 9% for a kibble, but I suppose those amounts vary for wet or raw foods. Unfortunately I think the wellness core reduced fat that we had tried in the past is the only one that high in fiber. Right now I’m adding pumpkin to her normal food for extra fiber. The formulas that fall in the range I’m looking tend to be senior or weight reduction foods, so that’s been most of what I’ve looked at but unfortunately almost all (or all) are poultry based which she is allergic too. They tend to have either chicken or turkey as the main ingredient or have poultry fat somewhere in the ingredients. Even all of the prescription GI health/senior/weight management foods are poultry based.

[Laurie B]

My vet also made the recommendation of Royal Canin SO, but after looking at the ingredients, there was no way I was going to feed that! So I switched to a kibble with a higher protein, gave a vitamin C supplement, and D-Mannose. My dog’s urine pH went down to normal levels within a week. The kind of levels where the crystals won’t form (about 5.5.) a friend switched her dog to raw for the same reason, high pH and struvites. Crystals gone, pH normal, within two weeks. Neither case had a UTI present.

[Naturella]

HDM, wow! Thank you for the detailed explanation! I keep learning tons over here!

I was confused, because on the rating side, Dr. Mike seems to regard “meal” as favorable/quality ingredient… Probably because of its high animal protein value, but now I need to go through my “stash” of food and see how many foods contain meal only and I will think about mixing them with some that contain more fresh meat in the ingredients. I do also use additives such as THK, raw eggs, coconut oil, RMBs, yoghurt, canned sardines, etc., so I think Bruno will be fine, but this is good information for future food shopping.

[Kristin D]

Hi Cyndi!!! Thanks for the Instinct Raw coupons!!! Do I have to go to a website or do I screenshot it or…??? I wanna get Oscar get started on raw food soon so those coupons might come in handy!!!:D

[Nancy M]

I can’t believe this, I was just getting back on site, when your message came through. And yes! I just realized this! So scratch that! Doggone it, thought I had found a good one! Thanks for the prompt reply to make sure I knew! I appreciate it. Is there anything they don’t have their hands in? Gee whiz, back to the drawing board.

Thanks!
Nancy

[Susan]

Hi Mandy, have you had a look at the Wellness Simple Healthy Weight Salmon & Peas grain free there’s no chicken or turkey the fat is min-8% the fiber is 6%, Omega 6 is 1.80% Omega 3 is 90% Glucosamine is 3.75mg /kg…I just looked at the Wellness Core Ocean & the Fat min-16% fat thats high & that was min-16% fat so I add around another 1.5%-2% max fat on top of that, thats making it nilly 18% fat…. if u email Wellness they will email back max % on fat & the Carb %…..Holistic Select also made by Wellpet has their Grain Free Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine meal fat-min-13% Fiber-6% Omega 6 is 2.00% Omega 3 is 1.50% has no chicken or turkey….
Have you ever tried raw?? maybe cooked would be better to start with then you slowly cook the meat less then get to raw & slowly introducing from cooked to raw over 3-4 weeks, Karen Becker she says take 3 months introducing raw with dogs with GI problems in her book…I’d be to scared to try raw with Colitis..
Dogs with Colitis normally have IBD awell, I belong to the Yahoo group IBDogs & alot of the IBD dogs have Colitis so u’ll need to be careful when introducing new foods, so you dont have another flare….Good-Luck, its hard..

[mandy d]

I’m not sure if this actually exists…

My five year old mini schnauzer has periodic bouts of colitis after having an intestinal blockage&surgery a few years ago and a low fat, high fiber food helps. However she also has a poultry allergy and basically all the foods that are significantly lower in fat and higher in fiber than her current food have chicken or turkey as the protein source. We currently feed her Wellness Core, alternating between the ocean and lamb flavors, but she still has the occasional bouts and just had the worst one yet. At one point we tried the Wellness Core reduced fat version, and the fat/fiber content worked really well for her but it is turkey based and this confirmed that it was poultry in general that she was allergic too, not just chicken. I’ve done A LOT of searching in the last year here and on other websites, but I’m hoping maybe I’m just missing something and the perfect food is actually out there. I was originally looking for a kibble, but at this point I am totally open to canned or raw food, it would just be best if I did not have to prepare her food myself. Any suggestions?

Right now I’m leaning towards trying her on Addiction canned foods or the OC Raw dog goat&produce formula. Although I am a little hesitant to try her on raw food when she is so sensitive.

I also think it would also be nice for it to have things like omega 3s or other healthy oils, added nutrients for joint health (she has early signs of degenerative disc disease), and maybe something low-carb to prevent any other future health problems. But of course, I can always supplement the omegas and joint health. I can also always add more fiber too, so a low-fat, low-carb food with average fiber would be ok.

[InkedMarie]

Kristin, I feed ground raw, mostly from HareToday.com. While its ground, it’s prey model. Whether you feed whole meats or ground or both, Tracey from Hare is very helpful. You could also buy pre packaged raw. I don’t use fruits or veggies do my choice of pre packaged raw would be Vital Essentials.

[Cotons mom]

I’m not making a recommendation but am wondering if anyone has/had experience with Wild T Bison Dog Food? They are located in Virginia and I found them while doing a search for raw food. They are a bison farm and make their own products. Thanks for any info.

[Nancy M]

I have very recently acquired from my daughter, an 8 month old mini Aussie, who is currently about 20+ lbs. She has been on Diamond puppy formula, dry, since 8 weeks of age. Not being a Diamond fan, and not willing or able to go with the RAW, I am looking for suggestions as to a more healthy and favorable dog food for her. I have always used the premium brands with my previous dogs, hoping to offer much better nutrition than the run of the mill, grocery store brands, but there have become so many choices, I have no idea where to start to switch this girl over. Being an energy, performance type of breed, opposed to my more calm, laid back lifestyle, I do not wish to feed a formula that will create more energy. Truthfully, I’m not sure she will be happy with or acceptable, of a more sedentary life with me, but rather than allow her to be given off to a stranger, I am just trying to give it my best and see if it can work. I’m not sure this is going to do her justice, but time will tell.

In the meantime, I want something substantially better for her than Diamond. Suggestions, please. My first inclination would be TOTW, but depending on what her system may accept and thrive on, I could be on a trial and error rollercoaster. I thought all of this was behind me for a good while, until I lost my beloved Sheltie a couple weeks ago and now trying to give this pup a new home. Now it starts all over again. Whoopy!

Looking for input soon, so I can try to get started. Thanks much to all!

Nancy

[cindy q]

has anyone ever used this freeze dried food?

[charles h]

Hey,

Thanks again for the replies…

She did have her monthly worming tablets about a week and a half ago.

The injections she had was one for antibiotics, one for Anti-inflammatory (as she was passing blood due to swollen intestines) and one for anti-diarrhea. I mean they work to a point as in she is not passing blood, she didn’t have diarrhea anymore, etc.

She does seem to be gaining weight well and when she is not ill I do tend to feed her a slightly higher % of her adult body weight to help her gain. We had her weighed about 2 months ago and she was 22Kg, six weeks later she was 27Kg so 5Kg in six weeks seemed like good weight gain to me. She has had two bad weeks so she might have lost some weight again now…

However she was fed with about 300 grams of plain raw chicken last night with some bone. She has not been sick or had any diarrhea, so no stool sample taken however I’m prepared with my little pots to collect it if she has another bad turn.

Moving forward I’m going to purchase these two items from amazon:

As well as keeping her on a chicken only diet with some fish oil to keep up nutrient levels. After four weeks of this I will judge if I believe she is better and ready for another meat to be added to her diet.. I’m also removing the Chicken skin to try and reduce fat levels as I know they can be hard to digest and cause loose stools…

What does everyone think of my plan 🙂

Charles

[crazy4cats]

Hi James D-
Welcome to DFA! I’m glad you pulled the trigger! I feed my dogs grain free Victor with various toppers. They have a grain free Ultra Pro formula that is 42% protein and 22% fat that might be a good option. Also Nutrisource has a few formulas for active dogs that are a lot higher in calories than average.
As for the chews I can totally relate. I have two golden labs that compete for food so they tend to gulp things before they should. They have actually passed a few socks. Yikes! I feed them thick bullysticks that are attached to vice grips that prevent them from swallowing too soon. I also,give them raw marrow bones that are at least 4 inches or bigger. However, some don’t recommend marrow bones for fear of breaking teeth. So far so good! I’m thinking of trying knuckle bones next.

[aquariangt]

Real Meat is great. Another meat option would be Sojos Simply treats. Just dehydrated raw beef, turkey, or lamb. They are the best commercially sold training treats ive found

[charles h]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply..

Yeah when she was first ill (at about 8 weeks) we took her to an animal hospital and she was tested for everything (except stool actually only blood). This is when we went through lots of different foods and digestive enzymes and all sorts to try and settle her stomach.

Since then we moved to raw food and she was great at first (like first month) but has slowly deteriorated (possibly since introducing more meat types on a monthly basis). She has been to the vets two or three times in the last couple of months each time given a set of injections and told to starve for 24 hours then start feeding again…

I will definitely read that link. We did feed boiled chicken and rice but now we find that just plain chicken with bone and no skin is actually better, she has much harder stool this way…

I’m thinking we simply take her diet right back to chicken only and almost restart the introduction to raw food again… Keeping in mind that when she first started this diet she was like a different dog…

However if it continues I guess we need to convince our vet to take diagnosis further as simple injections are not helping just masking over the problem..

My concern is that she is 9 months now and with this continuous issue and keep feeding her plain food to try and settle her stomach is she missing vital nutrients that she needs to grow and develop…

Charles

[Akari_32]

Well guys, looks like we’re keeping her LOL After talking with mom, it appears she doesn’t think anyone is capable of caring for her like we do *rolls eyes* I told her the lady with the Dachshund rescue wanted her, and that she had a few other dogs as well, and she came back with “well, she’s old right? I read they only live to be 16, so she’s on her last leg!” (Of course to that I came back with how large dogs, like my 130 pound rott mix, usually only live to be 8 or so, and he’s going on 11 this coming march). And she’s also looking at a pink cage for her XD

Last night I fell asleep on the couch, and then dragged off to bed later, and Ginger plopped down on some blankets on the floor. I told mom to put her in her bed in the closet but she insisted that she would sleep right there all night and not move. Of course, I’m half asleep, so I’m not going to argue with her and get all woke up again. Then at 2 am this morning, I hear Ginger crying, and think “oh she must need to go potty” and turned the flashlight on on my phone and got up to take her out. Well, she did need to go potty, but certainly didn’t wait for me! Peed all over my carpet. At least she has just done it, so it came up easy. Needless to say, her little butt went in the closet for the rest of the night. Then she woke me up again at 8:30 crying, so I crawled out of bed, found some shoes and took her out. She didn’t waste any time going pee when we got out there. Then she promptly came inside and drank water till she threw up. Gross dog lol Mom gave her a bunch of crap yesterday (sausage and French toast), so hopefully that’s all out of her system now and she won’t do it again.

I guess I need to get her on some flea meds now (she can share the lufenuron with the cat, I suppose), and see about getting those talons cut and getting her bathed. Also need to pick a few more dog bowls, and make a place for the collection of bowls we have now LOL

[charles h]

Afternoon,

We are having some quite serious problems with our dog and runny stool on a raw food diet. To be honest we moved to a raw food diet because all other diets she was so bad we couldn’t leave her for more than an hour. We are working with the idea of 10% bone 10% organ 80% meat… However we are finding that we need to give bone with nearly every meal which is pushing the bone % up much higher than I’m happy with..

Do you think this is a problem? She sometimes strains to poo but I believe this is better than having diarrhoea which is so bad she sometimes goes in the house as she cannot wait… If I feed anything ‘mushy’ such as mince or a pre-made raw food diet she has sickness and diarrhoea within days of eating… So its basically chicken with another meat so she gets bone and something else, the problem is when she stops eating the chicken and only the other meat then we know she will have diarrhoea again…

Any advice would be appreciated,

Charles

[Michael G]

I feed my 8 month old Australian Labradoodle Origen Adult plus raw chuck. He’s 35 lbs. and gets a heaping cup of Origen + ¼ cup of raw chuck cut into cubes in the AM and just the Origen for dinner. I also add a heaping teaspoon of nonfat plain yogurt to each meal. He’s doing great on that diet and stools are easy to pick up. I expect his adult weight to be about 40-45 lbs. The chuck is not expensive since I buy about 4 lbs. at a time.