[Lilmonster]

Thanks for replying Cyndi! You’re definitely way more pro than me at least 🙂

Yeah we love our little ball of adorbs – Bailey is super cute too, love the ears! I feel like such a creeper that I know your dog’s name lol, but I seriously read through that entire thread of yours from when you first started, and reading about you getting over the initial difficulties got me thinking that maybe I can manage this raw thing too. So I have you to thank most of all! 😀

[USA]

Hi Liz

Sorry to hear about your guy’s problems.

I read your post and I have a couple of suggestions for you:

Avoid Kibble and all dry or dehydrated foods because they can expand in the stomach even if re-hydrated prior to feeding.

Stick with 3 smaller meals instead of 2 larger meals a day.

Digestive enzymes could help prevent the buildup of any gasses due to improper digestion and could speed up digestion.

Probiotics are usually a good idea for gut health and overall immunity. Probiotics can absorb water in the gut in higher doses so be careful and watch out for straining to poop if you use them.

Some of the raw meats in Walmart contain a solution of salt and other things but you can wash most of that off to minimize any residual salt. Ground meats should be 100% meat and all of the meats in Walmart though maybe not the best in terms of quality are still Human-Grade. Buying meats for your dog in a supermarket guarantees you a certain quality. Even high quality raw dog food does not guarantee you that the meat is Human Edible. Raw dog foods are usually much higher in fat which leads me to believe that even though they might claim to use Human Grade meats they are using the trimmings which are mostly fat.

Buy a premix like Steve Brown’s dinner mixes which will make a boneless raw meal balanced and complete except for Omega 3’s. You can buy sardines in water and add some a couple of times a week to his meals and this will take care of his Omega 3’s

http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/smartlist_13/dinner_mixes.html

Keep up the good work and make sure you don’t feed him near exercise time and continue to limit water around meals and exercise but give him access to water at all other times.

I have a question. Did the surgery include attaching the stomach to the abdomen to prevent the volvulus (flipping of the stomach)? If so then at least any future bouts of Bloat will not be life threatening.

Give you pup a hug for me!!!

[Dori]

Hi Lisa. So glad you went with the NV Instinct Raw and that he is keeping it down. Please give it some time while he adjusts to his new food and puts on the needed much needed weight and while his gut heals. Please keep me posted as to how your dog continues to do on the NV Raw. I’m glad you read my post when you tried the NV Dry that it had Turkey Meal in it. I’m hoping that his issues are mainly poultry and grain based intolerances and now he will begin to get well. : )

Also glad to read that you are using a scale. You might be tempted to feed him more than you should just cause he’s too thin, but don’t do that. You can feed him less than you normally would while he heals and eventually on your scale and on NV Feeding Guide you can put in the weight that you believe he should be and then figure it out from there. Remember, raw feeding is less than dry kibble. Just give him a little time to eat and keep food down. Again, please post and let me know how he’s doing.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Dori.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Jennifer-

I am going to agree with your vet on the cause-Pig ears are a huge no no for many breeds of dogs that are prone to pancreatitis, so definetly would be for one who had an attack. Very high fat content. What was the fat content of what you were feeding him before? You may have said and I missed it. Right after an attack, one does need to heavily restrict the fat etc in order to allow the pancreas to rest and reduce inflammation. Most vets will say restrict the fat content from this point forward to 10-12% MAXIMUM, not minimum. Good luck finding foods that report a guaranteed minimum, lol.

As an owner of mini schnauzers for 25 plus years, I have dealt with it more times than I wished to. Schnauzers are very prone to pancreatitis and severe attacks at that. I was a good sheep and followed the protocol. And what that got me was a bunch of schnauzers who were more fat sensitive than ever. I only had one that continued to have fat content issues, and we went with Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy weight for her, with some other brands mixed in for variety. The rest of the crew were transitioned SLOWLY to various brands, and types and they are “safe” up to about 16.5% total fat in a meal. If I wish to feed them say Acana grassland which is 17% fat, then I mix it with Lamb/Apple which is 15% fat. You get the idea.

These days, I feed a combination of dry,canned, dehydrated and homemade raw(they did well on Natures Variety Instinct raw as well-but like anything else watch the fat content) When I make raw, I use lean meats-skinless chicken, lean beef etc and so far, no issues. My point being while you have to be conscious of fat content, each dog has an upper threshold and it may take a bit of research to find yours. Just remember to do everything very slowly, and don’t go crazy and think Milo can have 17 or 18 percent fat because other dogs do. good luck-Melissa

[Lilmonster]

Hi everyone!

Another lurker here eager and (almost) ready to make the switch to raw. Like other newbies, I have so much respect for everyone here for not only committing so much time and effort to their fur babies, but also taking the time to answer endless, potentially stupid questions from nervous dog moms like me! I would never even have known about raw diets, let alone been able to work up the nerve to take the plunge if it weren’t for this forum, so thanks to all of you!

Some background info: My fiancé and I just adopted our little one, Lily, two months ago from a rescue. She’s 41 lbs and the vet estimates her age at around 1, much younger than the rescue thought – her teeth were pretty yellow when we first got her but presumably because she wasn’t given anything to chew on to clean plaque, so they thought she was 2 yrs 8 months (!), which leads me to think she sadly may have been malnourished as a puppy since they were feeding her as an adult. As soon as we gave her bones and chew toys her teeth became pearly white. Anyway, we switched her to Fromm’s Surf and Turf kibble when we got her, but we noticed she started itching more and more. Took her to the vet to ask about the itchiness as well as a suspected UTI, but the diagnosis for the itching was understandably vague. We’re not sure if it’s a food allergy or environmental – she doesn’t have fleas, and we’re pretty sure it’s not a yeast issue. She doesn’t smell yeasty at all and I think the vet would have picked up on that. So after a recent bout of diarrhea due to too many high fat treats after a training session, I figured it would be a good time to begin the transition to raw after her system cleared up. I fasted her for a meal then fed her a mixture of white rice and pumpkin for two meals, which brought her poos back to normal, then began feeding her a 50-50 mix of ground turkey and pumpkin with the See Spot Live Longer mix added in. The vet is holistic and also trained in Chinese medicine, and she suggested that I switch to beef instead of turkey since chicken and turkey is considered “hot” and could be contributing to the itchiness, so yesterday I made the switch to ground beef and her poo was still fine this morning. But then I remembered reading somewhere (I think on preymodelraw) that it’s not recommended to start with beef, but I think for the time being I’ll stick with it just to avoid changing her diet too many times (unless anyone here would strongly advise against starting with beef?). At the moment, her daily food (divided into two meals) is 1 lb 90% lean ground beef + 2 tbsp SSLL + 1/2 tsp hempseed oil + 1 tsp coconut oil (just started adding it) + 1 human probiotic. She is also currently on a one week course of antibiotics for the urinary problem.

I have Steve Brown’s Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet, ordered the Dr. Becker’s book, and have read through many of the threads on this forum but like other newbies I’m getting lost in all the information and feeling as overwhelmed as Cyndi was in the thread where she first started, lol. I’m thinking of sticking to the ground boneless meat with the See Spot Live Longer mix for a bit while I figure out all the supplements that are needed and place my meat orders. A few questions that I’d really appreciate if someone could help out with:

– I know you can’t add the See Spot Live Longer dinner mix to bone-in meats, but am I also correct in assuming that if I begin adding RMBs in the PM and continue to feed boneless ground meat + See Spot Live Longer mix in the AM that it would be too much calcium? Ideally I’d like to continue using the SSLL simply because it’s the easiest way for me to not have to worry that her nutrition is unbalanced while I’m still learning to balance her meals myself. I did see the most recent topic mentioning CarnivoreRaw but that’s a bit out of my budget. Hound Dog Mom, do you use the Twinlab Daily One with or without iron? Also, I noticed the Twinlab does have calcium in it, does that not matter because the amount is so low? If I choose to go the multivitamin route, can I then add other things like fruits and veggies and such without worrying about overloading on a specific vitamin/mineral or will I have to be careful with what I add?

– This may be a bit much to ask, but if one of the veterans has the time to respond I would be so grateful. Could someone make a list of the essential vitamins/minerals (or alternatively, foods that will provide those vitamins and minerals) that MUST be added to a diet that consists of boneless meat in the AM and RMBs in the PM, and the approximate amounts? This is the part I’m feeling especially in over my head with. Vitamin D, vitamin E, fish oil, manganese, so many different things I’m seeing that they need, it’s hard to not feel kind of scared to do it all from scratch, which is my eventual goal. I think I’m having a hard time figuring out what is absolutely necessary vs. optional but ideal.

– So from what I’ve read so far it seems to be a good idea to start her on chicken backs and quarters, then begin alternating boneless meat every other meal. How many meals should I feed the backs and quarters before I begin incorporating boneless meals? Also, should I already be giving her supplements during this time, or should I wait until she adjusts then begin adding supplements. As for stuff like organ meats, heart, and green tripe, how long should I wait before beginning to incorporate those? I promise I have read the other threads, but I’ve seen a few different recommendations on timelines so I thought I’d pose the question again just so I can be clear about it.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to answer my questions!

[Corinne M]

Hi Jennifer,
I’m so glad to hear that the info was helpful – I remember how hard & overwhelming it was for me to learn about pancreatitis when it my dog was going through it. So it’s nice to know that someone else can make use of what I learned. I’m sorry to her about your experience with the vet – I think I just lucked out with mine. But I don’t want to leave you with the impression that your vet did anything wrong in prescribing Prednisone, because I think that it’s something that is widely used to treat specific problems, but just like any drug or herbal remedy, there are times & cases when it’s just better to avoid it – an argument could be made that giving your dog a corticosteroid so that he’s not in constant misery from the itchiness is a compassionate thing to do. The flip side is, there are risks associated with using it and if the “itchies” can be eliminated through diet & supplements maybe that’s worth trying.
I also don’t know why they are pushing Royal Canin – maybe they’ve had other dogs do well on it and think it’s the right thing for Milo. But I agree with you, if you suspect it’s triggering allergies it’s worthwhile to look at other foods.
My dog’s are doing great on what I feed them – I alternate between homecooked, home-prepare raw, and commercially prepare raw. But here’s the thing – I only started doing this about 4 years ago because one of my dogs had a blown-out immune system & I had to learn how to feed him in a way that was anti-inflammatory, avoided chemicals, avoided allergens, etc. etc. And to be honest, I have made mistakes along the way that could have done more harm than good (for example, I got the phosphorus/calcium ratio totally wrong for awhile and only discovered it after labwork came back with creatinine levels waaaaay high – I could have caused kidney failure in my dogs if that had not been caught & corrected). And I still consider myself to be learning – so I keep a close eye on them and read everything I can get my hands on and keep it simple and safe. I will do some research for you & report back what I find, but in the meantime, keep up your search for a nutritionally complete & balanced high-quality commercial food that meets the requirements for Milo’s pancreas.
I do think a simple boiled chicken & rice diet is useful when dogs are sick – fewer ingredients to upset their system. But, the recommended fat ratio for a dog with damaged pancreas is REALLY specific so I would only home cook right now if I knew for certain that the recipe I used was safe in terms of fat ratio. The recipe I used after Max had pancreatitis was formulated for me to deal with his other issues but I’ll look for info on a basic safe recipe for you.
BTW: Thanks to the other posters who found my post helpful. I learn so much from you all and from this website! I really appreciate the resources & people here!
Corinne

[Lisa C]

Losul, thank you for your post. Chewy’s umbilical hernia is very small. The reason why it hasn’t been done yet is because when he went in to get him spayed/neutered a few months ago, they forgot to do it. It was on the list of things to be done, but I guess they spaced and forgot. They said they were going to do it for free for us since they made a mistake. My boyfriend has said multiple times that he wondered if the hernia was causing vomiting, but the vet says no, that isn’t why. Yesterday he was only on the NV Instinct Raw and he didn’t puke this morning, so that’s good. I agree I wanted the surgery done a long time ago :/

[Liz W]

I have fed my dog, 9 yr.old GSD, 117lbs a diet of raw (various pre-made brands as well as prey style from local butcher) and a small amount of Honest Kitchen (no grain) mixed with about 1 cup grain free kibble split into two meals, raw in morning and kibble mix in evening for several years. I started looking into diet when I first adopted him from the shelter as he had Perianal Fistulas as well as skin issues (prob allergy based). The PF’s have been in remission for about 4 years now and the skin issues improve every year.
Three weeks ago he bloated and required GDV surgery. I fear it was the dinner, kibble base that was a contributing factor so I’m paranoid about going back to that. Although I’ve always been very careful regarding feeding, no exercise around feeding, limited water at feeding time etc to prevent bloat… it still happened. He has lost 14lbs after this surgery so I need to start getting some weight back on him.
Now we are post surgery and trying to find a diet I feel comfortable with. We travel a fair amount ( 6 months) and I had no luck finding fresh meat on the road (can’t hunt down local butchers as we need to stay to the large freeways due to the size of our RV). I can’t seem to find meat that doesn’t contain salt. (Walmart and similar is the main shopping place when we travel, just off the hwy that we can fit in the parking lot.) Thus I can only fill our small freezer from home with some pre-made raw patties (compact for transporting) and have to carry dehydrated, canned or kibble to have enough food with us until I can replenish the raw meat portion.
I am trying to keep him on mostly raw pre-made right now. I have just tried to go from 3 feedings of about 10 -12 oz to two feedings of 15-16oz. I added a small amount of kibble 1/3 cup to his dinner portion for the last 4 days and he did fine. Last night I feed a bit larger amount of kibble 2/3cup (mixed with HK) and he slept well but seemed off this morning and tried to vomit. (nothing came up)
I just fed him a 10 oz meal of raw only and plan to stay with 3 small meals and see if that helps.
I give him a raw meaty rib bone once a week but have not started that yet as I’m not sure if that would be too hard on him stomach. Not sure about when I can start that at all.
Does anyone have any experience with feeding a GSD raw POST GDV surgery? Any suggestions to bring my boy back to health and avoid another bloat episode would be greatly appreciated. I’m also wondering about starting him on some probiotics or enzymes but read mixed opinions on the need for them when feeding raw.
Any ideas?
Thank you,
Liz

[pugmomsandy]

CarnivorRaw from youngagainpetfood.com has the bone-in supplement.

[fey W]

Raw is less wasteful, cheaper and much easier. On raw the dog gets to eat zero carbs and chew on bones to naturally keep teeth clean and possibly sugar levels more stable. It is low in ingredients so perfect for allergy prone dogs.

My dog is currently eating cooked food. I had to cook up a whole chicken and bone it, cook up pork and chop those meats, cook up hamburger and rice and mix together along with a small amount of liver and add in a calcium source, some bits of this and that to balance the diet. Then I had to go back to the original amount of raw ingredients to figure out how many meals that would be and divide accordingly so I won’t over/under feed her pack up in 2 day packets and freeze. On raw I give her boneless red meat and every 2-4 days she gets a bit of raw bony meat plus organ along with the same supplements I have to give her with a cooked diet minus the calcium of course. She loves it all but sure has more enjoyment from the raw.

Never heard that dogs get snappy if taken off raw. Many dogs get possessive of raw bits so practicing trading is a great idea. Many people only find out their dogs can be possessive when some delicious raw bony thing is given, even rawhides, bully sticks don’t have the same value.

My lucky never ever had any parasites from raw feeding or fleas or ticks or contaminated water, Sassy once got a tapeworm from eating a flea. Raw meat from the store is very safe. I have always cooked raw meat and it is very easy to keep juices contained and the kitchen clean, lots of water and soap.

A great primer on raw feeding is here.
http://www.chanceslittlewebsite.com/prey-model-raw.html

[Melissaandcrew]

I am sure it was covered here but I can not find it. I want to order some premix balancers for raw meat. I am going to order Steve Browns for BONELESS, but I could have sworn somewhere I saw one mentioned for bone IN meats? Or have I lost my mind?? LOL

[Corinne M]

I say maybe it is, maybe it’s not. More importantly, your vet says it is…or rather, your vet says your dog needs a specific diet right now to address the BUN/Creatinine results. Feeding a raw or homemade diet is the “best thing” for your dog only if it is supporting your dog’s wellness. Creating a nutritionally complete recipe plus providing the right supplements is tricky — especially when your trying to address kidney issues. There are many exceptional commercially prepared foods (look at 5 start rated reviewed foods here on this site) that might be better suited for your dog right now – could be raw, freeze-dried, canned or dry. The point is, it needs to specifically address the health problem. The other things I would look into & discuss with my vet would be:
– how did these test results compare to his prior bloodwork?
-did he fast before having the blood drawn?
-what did his other levels look like? Calcium? Phosphorus? Sodium:Potassium ratio?
– Is his BUN level in the “normal range for raw-fed dogs?
– was protein detected in the urine sample?
And I would ask my vet, “If I were to change his diet as you suggest, what do you expect we will see on the next test? How long do you think it will take to see a change?”
I feed raw. I’m an advocate of feeding raw. At the same time, I trust my vet and when he tells me there is an issue I tend to believe him.

[Ben M]

I just got a Bouvier puppy and was looking for a good dog food. After looking through some documents and doing some research I was leaning to the Nature’s Variety Instinct: Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey…when I went to the site to verify my decision (I saw they had reformulated recently) I found the calcium levels higher than what i thought was recommended at 1.9%

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-grain-free-limited-ingredient-kibble-dog-food-turkey

The have a large breed puppy formula which looks better….however the 1.2%(min) throws me a little as to what the (max) would be

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-raw-boost-grain-free-kibble-large-breed-puppy-food-chicken

Can someone help me out…maybe I’m looking at it wrong?

[tapiskootskiyas t]

Hi Glen B.
As my user name implies, yes I am a musher.
I can only speak from my own experiences so please keep in mind I “ain’t no perfeshnl”.
That in mind, I can see you truly want to honor this responsibility you’ve accepted.
Lotsa KUDOs to you.

I can honestly say tho that as humans we have a tendency to overfeed our dogs and sadly with too often the wrong types of food.
Why???…. because we think they are always hungry.
Not really the case.
I can go around my kennel with 10lb chunks of meat feeding as I go.
If I have any left and any of my dogs see that they will act as they are starving.
They will go so far in their starving act as to stash their meal and go argue with their brother or aunt or…just to try muscle away some more.
I feed fat more only towards fall and during winter. Just raw, unadulterated fat.
Beef, moose, pork, deer, all kinds of foul….you name it.
I use it mainly as a source of heat energy for my dogs.
Matter of fact, I do the same for myself. More butter, fatty cuts of meat, nuts, fish.
And more amino acids. Don’t, repeat Do Not feed raw egg to your dog. It depletes their amino acid levels. 1 scrambled egg per day is great. Yes, in the wild they would eat them if they found them. But they would also instinctively know where and how to increase their amino acids to balance.
I am 56 years young, smoke 1-8 cigs per day, 5’9″ tall, weigh 180, wear sz32 pants(with long johns under) & 44-46 jacket, snowshoe my trails(pack them for my team)…..
I can go on for quite some about my activity level but…
My point is, if my dog seems happy and healthy I would assume he most likely ain’t sick and suffering. Dogs don’t lie.
Also, if the vet couldn’t find worms or any other affliction your dog is most likely good to go.
It takes time to build lean, strong muscle. Fat builds up a lot quicker.
Point in question, I have seen but 1 “over weight” runner in many years following the marathons, sitting on my couch watching the TV, NOT!!.lol
Most chicken today is raised ii intense farming methods. They are butchered young, about 6-8 weeks of age. Older chickens have a higher level of amino acids. Hence the more wholesome flavour in soup made from a worn out layer or an open-range grazed, 6 month or year old.
Most beef are slaughtered on their second year, even if they are “feedlot beef”. Also, yes, beef is higher fat content. Since you get your chicken cheap, maybe ask a butcher for some beef and/or pork fat trimmings. Probably get it free. I do.
My dogs get extreme trotties from milk and milk products. Just about killed a whole team once. “watered” them with watered down baby formula thonking “energy”…. went mushing away in the bush miles from home. If they weren’t loyal to me and follow me, I wouldn’t have had the heart to go on without them…. wouldn’t be telling this big long story to you today.lol
My (approx)recipe for active working dog from 50-80 pounds, daily, in winter 4-7 lbs red meat, about 8-16 oz raw fat, cook 1 tbsp rice(I use WildRice), I cooked egg, 1 tsp raw veg oil, 1/8 tsp doggie vitamins, and always fresh water.
The red meat has liver kidney, heart and lung in accordance with whole animal weights.
Actually, I now feed my dogs whole animal diet. Viscera, epiderma, skeletal, the whole works, including(not excluding much of anything) goose, duck, pork, moose, fish, deer, elk, etc., etc..
Cheaper and easier, and yes, healthier .
However, my dogs are pure northern spitz breeds of sled dogs. For all intensive purposes, practically domesticated wolves.
I won’t and can’t promise all this info will work for Pitbull, but I can ascertain to you that all domestic dogs are 90%-99% wolf DNA.
Please reconsider the raw eggs. It is actually cuts down on the body’s ability to convert food to usable energy, not very healthy for dogs.
Whole raw fish is an excellent diet. Just cut off thorns, horns, barbles form the likes of catfish.
I am truly sorry if my “novel” has bored, offended, angered, insulted, or hurt you in any way.
My intention is to assist other dog lovers assist their dogs to have a healthy, long life.
Please take what you can use.
HAGD
Musher.. out for now

[Cyndi]

I agree with Heather, raw feeding is the best you can do for your dog. Most vets don’t like raw feeding because it keeps dogs healthier usually and out of their offices.

Someone else hopefully can chime in and help you out and let you know what else you should be doing.

I can suggest taking a look at Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” or “Real Food for Healthy Dog’s and Cats” by Dr. Karen Becker. Maybe those might help you out some…

[Heather M]

I’d say it is absolutely not caused by the raw you are feeding, but more than likely a genetic preponderance in your dog to have kidney issues. My one critique would be the quality of your protein. I’d choose something that was naturally low fat like rabbit. And I personally don’t care for chicken as a protein source, given the way it is processed in this country. Actually, beef as well…Lots of factors may contribute to his high BUN levels. I don’t think it’s the raw diet, but moreover your protein choices and possibly your dog’s predisposition to kidney problems.

[Michelle B]

Hello!

I have a 3 year old lab/hound mix who chews his feet raw, needs me to express his anal glands manually monthly, is prone to ear infections, and commonly has dandruff. I have concluded this is due to food allergies (his littermates have diagnosed food allergies). I know I should get it officially diagnosed, I just want to do my own research before I have a vet tell me to buy Royal Canin or Hills for money making purposes.

Here’s my dilemma:
He has eaten lamb and rice food, chicken and potato, and now salmon and sweet potato. I have revisited previous ingredient culprits in the “grain free”, “filler free”, and “no by-product” versions no avail. I want to avoid hydrolyzed foods as long as possible because I’m just not comfortable with the high level of processing and chemicals.

Should I try a holistic kibbles made from kangaroo (etc), attempt a raw diet, or just cut to the hydrolyzed chase?

Also, if I start a raw diet, should I avoid previous allergens, or should I revisit them in hopes that naturalness of it would avoid a reaction?

Thank you so much!

[desiree s]

hi,
i converted my 8 yr old papillon to raw food about 6 months ago.
However his recent blood test showed extremely high kidney BUN readings of 41mg/dl and low creatinine readings of 0.4mg/dl.
My vet has always been against raw feeding and instructed me to immediately switch to a low protein renal kibble diet.
However, after much calculation i realised my raw home made diet only has about 15% protein..
Here is the recipe i use for 28 days of food:
Raw chicken breast and minced 1878g (56%)
Raw beef minced 336g (10%)
Canned green tripe 390g (11.6%)
Chicken heart and liver 252g (7.5%)
Romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, carrot 504g (15%)
Topping of steamed pumpkin or sweet potato.
2 tspn ground egg shell
(No bones given as he has no teeth and refuses to try and chew bones)

As he is fed about 120g of food each day, i calculated his protein intake from above should be about 18g.

Am really confused as he is extremely picky and loves his raw food but his blood test results show such risk of kidney problems that i am afraid to continue with raw feeding too!
Is there something wrong with my recipe?

[DogFoodie]

Here’s the NV website for the product you choose and there’s an interactive feeding guide: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw-freeze-dried-dogs-and-cats

You can feed it as is our add water if you like. Whichever you choose, I would probably start by adding a small amount to his current food and only increase the new food and decrease the old when the stool is firm. I would start with about 25% of the daily ration of the new and 75% of the daily ration of the old food divided into about three meals.

I’m curious as to why you’re using a scale. Are you trying to measure out portions by weight rather than volume? What is the portion size you’re trying to measure out?

[DogFoodie]

It looks like you bought freeze dried raw. It’s complete and balanced and can be served like kibble. Freeze dried raw is a great product. Make sure you measure out portions. You definitely don’t want to overfeed it.

I had frozen raw in mind. Next time, take a look at the pet food store for the freezer section.

But, the product you chose is a quality product and will be highly digestible. It’s clean and easy to serve.

[Debbie L]

Good info in your responses and thanks. Like others say they do with raw meat, I too wash my hands and everything the meat touches. I was also concerned, not just about the safety factor of handling raw meat to myself, but the possibility of pets getting a bacterial infection such as E. coli, salmonella, etc. from eating it. Over the years there have been recalls off and on for ground beef contaminated with E. coli. Don’t know if dogs and cats could be sickened with that in the same way as humans or not. Then if you remember a few years ago there was the scare of salmonella (I think that’s what it was) in raw eggs.

If you’ve had luck feeding raw then by all means continue it. I believe I sway a little more to the high quality dry and wet foods. Whatever the source of food for our pets, we all share in common wanting to keep them healthy and live long lives.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Debbie L.

[Carol M]

Hi I am new to this forum and would like to ask if there is a mfg. food that would be good for him. The vet currently has him on Hill’s C/D, the initial test showed him to have 11-20 crystals in the test urine.

Would something like one of the Orijen foods be good to help modify his urine pH (8.0) and eliminate the crystals? We have 3 other dogs and my husband is not willing to go the homemade food route.

I also feed Dr. Jone’s Ultimate Canine health formula powder to all the dogs, they also get some raw whole milk to go with the powder.

Your points of view would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

[Lisa C]

He didn’t keep it down, it seems because he’s still vomiting up some of that dry that we gave him the other day (when the vet made us feel awful and told us to). The little bit of pumpkin he got seemed to really help him make some healthy looking stools though. The last of this Nutro wet can will be given to him tomorrow morning, and then I head to the store to find the suggestion on here “nature’s variety – instinct raw”. How long will he need to be on that to see any real difference? 1-2 weeks?

[Corinne M]

Personally, although I feed my dogs raw, I wouldn’t presume to try to convince anyone to do the same. It’s messy – and sometimes it’s just a pain in the neck! When I am busy (or lazy), I buy prepared raw dog food that includes only high quality, human-grade ingredients and I find the warnings and disclaimers about “contamination” slightly hilarious since it’s the same stuff I buy at the butcher’s counter to feed my family. Some of the “cautions” make it sound like I’m bringing a nuclear weapon into my kitchen – when in fact it only contains fresh, ground meat & vegetables.
If you are avoiding a raw diet because the of the safety questions, I can tell you that high quality, fresh, human-grade foods are safe for you to handle & for your pup to eat. If, on the other hand, you are avoiding raw dog food because your pup had a hard time digesting it, I would tell you that there some great resources (this website especially) that can give you some suggestions on how to transition your pup off commercial kibble if that’s your goal. And, if you and your pup find kibble works best for you, there are also some great articles here about how to select an excellent quality dry or freeze dried dog food. In the end, the fact that you are even posting on this site makes me think that you are probably already feeding your pets a lot better than 99% of pet owners out there because you are clearly concerned with nutrition & wellness.
Best of luck in whatever path you decide upon.
Corinne

[USA]

Hi Alina

I will take the limping question.

Limping suddenly after he was groomed is a sign of trauma. You checked the foot pads on the injured leg and tried to detect any swelling or dislocations. Good Job!

If all his other legs are fine and he is not showing any other symptoms the limp can be from an injury to the foot, ankle, knee, or spine (pinched nerve, etc). It can also be a sprain or strain to soft tissue which will not show up on an x-ray.

I suspect he jumped out of the tub or off a table or he was manhandled and his leg was pulled into an unnatural position during his nail clipping. At the very least the “Groomer” should be able to tell you what happened. I would be very wary of going back to the same place if I were you.

You should try to restrict his movements so he does not add to his injury before you can determine what is going on. Especially no jumping and avoid stair climbing. Maybe walk him on a leash until his leg gets better so he can’t run.

The vet should manipulate his leg from the ankle, the knee and the hip to see if he can determine the site of the injury. He should also pay special attention to the knee to rule out luxating patella and do a drawer test to rule out an ACL injury.

I hope everything turns out okay and your pup has a speedy recovery!!!

[Corinne M]

Hi Ashlee,
I feel compelled to respond to your post because I also found this site when I got interested in dog nutrition after one of my dogs developed health issues…and to be honest, it hasn’t been an easy road. However, I can tell you that the journey has resulted in major improvements in all of my dogs’ health & wellness. And I’m committed to continuing the journey – but it’s daunting at times, expensive (but the costs are offset by reduced vet bills), and sometimes overwhelming. I made some mistakes along the way, mostly in trying to get the supplements right & balancing the calcium/phosphorus ratio in homemade/raw feeding – but fortunately, my dogs are healthy and thriving on a natural diet. So if my experience can help others to avoid some of the pitfalls along the way, that would be great.

So here’s my 2 cents based on what I read above: I would start with Cookie, since she has cancer & arthritis (and is over weight) I think she’s in greatest need. This may be “off subject”, but the first thing I would do is cease any vaccines completely. Her immune system is compromised by the cancer, so your vet should be able to give you a waiver if you need one in order to keep her “tags” current – if your local jurisdiction wont accept a vet’s waiver, you can pay for titer testing in lieu of vaccination. But to be honest, I don’t think you would/should have to go thru that expense ( I can elaborate if you need help getting around city requirements). Next I would get a consult with Dr. Jean Dodds at Hemolife http://www.hemopet.org/veterinary-diagnostic-laboratory.html
you can do this by phone or email if you are not located in southern California. Call her and explain Cookie’s situation & that you are looking to switch her diet. She can tell you what labwork would be appropriate to determine a course of action (especially testing Cookie’s immune system & inflammatory issues) you can print the lab order from her website & have your vet do the blood draw & have your vet send it to her for the testing. Ask her to call you with the results and her recommendations – she can tell you what supplements to use to assist with Cookie’s immune support & inflammation/ arthritis. I would ask Dr. Dodds about raw feeding for Cookie – if her immune system is an issue, you may want to buy a high quality prepared raw food like Bravo Balance http://www.bravorawdiet.com/product/balance/index.html and *lightly* cook it – just enough to be extra safe. Of course, getting Cookie’s weight down to optimum level will help with the arthritis – if you feed her the Bravo Balance at the amount appropriate to her *ideal* weight, her weight should normalize in a few months without her feeling deprived. Bravo’s website has a feeding calculator you can use to determine the amount to feed – just remember to plug in her ideal weight, not her actual weight. Here’s a link: http://www.bravorawdiet.com/product/feeding/howmuch.html
I only suggest a prepared raw diet because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of feeding a “nutritionally complete” raw diet – and it sounds like Cookie needs help ASAP. As for cost, assuming Cookie’s ideal weight was 60 pounds, you would feed 1.2 lbs of food per day and I think a 5 lb chub of their balanced brand is like $27 – so her food would be about $42 per week. When I make raw/homemade my cost is about $2 to $5 per pound, depending on my protein source (and not including cost of supplements). Expensive – but I’ve saved a TON on vet bills; my dogs never get skin issues or yeast infections anymore.

As for the other dogs and your journey to switch to raw, there are some great resources here on this site and suggestions for other resources – just read everything you can get your hands on and learn about the diet/wellness connection. If you find it challenging at first maybe switch first to a home made diet, then take the leap to raw when you are ready. At least with home cooked you have control over your ingredients & can deal with specific ailments (like Mia’s yeast infections) by eliminating foods that are common culprits for yeast imbalances.
Best of luck to you in your journey!
Corinne

[Dori]

Melissa I am so sorry to hear your sad news. Hopefully your pup will remain asymptomatic and with a loving mom like yourself will live a long happy life.

Losul: I too would never put any of my dogs on prednisone without a definitive reason and after getting at minimum a second opinion. Putting pup on those meds is only masking what the real problem is which I believe is probably something in the food she’s feeding.

Lisa C: I would not put my dog if it was vomiting on a daily basis on any type of medication whatsoever without knowing definitively what the problem is. Nor would I have an endoscopy done on a dog that is in the condition that your dog is in. I don’t think he’d survive the surgery. My advice to you is to introduce slowly a commercial raw diet staying away from chicken and all poultry in the title and further down in the ingredient list. I’m not saying that poultry is the culprit but if that’s what I’m feeding then I would change the protein. Commercial raw foods that I feed are Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Primal Formula raw, Vital Essentials raw, Stella & Chewy’s Raw, Answers Detailed, Darwin’s Raw (only available on line directly from them on an auto order basis). Stay away from poultry, commercial raws are grain free (dogs do not need grains), stay away from white potato and tomatoes. The last two are inflammatory and your poor dog does not need anything to cause more inflammation that it’s going through. I would go to the store, buy one of the raws, also some digest enzyme, a can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling type) and immediately start transitioning your dog to a commercial raw food. Yes, of course your dog is going to initially have some diarrhea that will be due to his physical condition and the switch but that will right itself pretty quickly. I don’t mean to scare you but if your own vet is telling you that your dog looks like a survivor of a concentration camp and also won’t do surgery then I really don’t know what your waiting for to make the food change. Though I typically agree with ACV, I don’t in a case of constant vomiting due to its acidic nature that is worse coming up then going down. This is from my own personal experience with my illness and nausea and vomitting.

I don’t mean to sound so harsh and as if I’m scolding but I’m really quite concerned about your dog. I only found this particular forum today. I can’t believe has long this has been allowed to continue.

[tapiskootskiyas t]

Melissa.
I use a dog team to haul wood, hunt, go to the store. Not because I’m secluded but because I want a small enviro footprint and of course I love dogs.
Dogs are 99% wolf DNA. Dogs are omnivores that are just about 90% carnivore. They ain’t like a bear.. …or a pig.
I have fed my dogs whole carcasses of deer, moose elk, beef, pork, goose, rabbit, you name it, whole fish is awesome, beaver, excellent.
The first thing they(dogs((and wolves))go for is the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. The dogs then go for the fatty net looking thing around the stomach/s and guts. Of course the dogs ingest some of the plant food matter that is in the digestive tract of.
Sorta the same as when humans eat a salad.
Dogs don’t make up their own amino acids which is why I don’t feed raw eggs to mine.
I had noticed my dogs do not eat about the last 3 feet(in a larger animal)of the big gut (just before the anus).
But they do eat everything else, epecially with deer, moose and the larger wild 4 leggeds but do pretty ell the same with rabbit and fowl.
I decided to look more closely. In the gut the pellets(poop) have a greenish slimy substance on them. The closer they get to the anus the less greasy stuff until all that’s left is the brown pellets.
After talking to the vet that was here at the time, and doing some research in books at the time, that slime is essentiLly vegatable oil, loaded with amino acids. The partially digested plant material…hmph….wow
Vitamin C in the marrow, vitamin B in the brain,…..
A prey has pretty well everything in it that a predator needs to live a healthy life.
Also, a dogs body takes 11 days(or so)to engineer a battalion of enzymes to properly digest a new food which is why several dog food companies as well as a host of dog nutritionalists say to “chip” dogs on to a new food.
My dogs are very healthy.
My old leader ran in front for 14 years from the time he was 1&1/4 years old. He passed away peacefully at the age of 16 human years just before his 17th birthday. He would have 117&1/2 if he was a human.
I like to think it is in part because I had an open mind about diet for 90% carnivore 10% omnivore.
On the other end of the spectrum, I made a foolish mistake this spring thinking I would save myself some time and money and the fact that I am starting to get a little…. umm… lazy will do. I bought 2 pallets of commercial dog food instead of gassing up the truck and cruising the hiways for fresh accident killed dog food. I am 56 and used dogs since I was 6 and for the first time in my life I have witnessed hot spots/sun spots on a dog.
Back to meat for me. LOL…I am still learning.
I hope this unintentional yarn helps.

[DogFoodie]

Certain species of green frogs can be toxic to a dog if ingested.

I’ve never had a problem with raw, but always clean work spaces, utensils, bowls, etc. thoroughly.

[FreeholdHound]

Hi! Been working hard lately and having my hours cut. I got it into my head to treat my daughter (and myself) to a trip to Ireland next year. I was there in 1992 & have been longing to back ever since. Decided to bite the bullet & get my azz in gear to make it happen.

I’ve been checking out the Reel Raw site this morning & have a few things in my basket already. Going to chance a few chicken backs for the 1st time to see how/if Harry handles a bit of poultry besides his turkey necks. I’m not going for a big order as my small freezer is pretty stocked but $9.99 shipping isn’t too bad for the assorted things I’m ordering.

[Dori]

Hey Jeanne. So nice to see you back on dfa. I was worried that something might be wrong. Glad to know you’ve simply been living your life. Hope all is well with you and yours.

I’m about to place an order with Reel Raw. I didn’t know there was a raw food site that delivered for free. So glad I found these posts. Shipping on raw is always so expensive though understandably so due to what’s involved. Not like shipping kibble.

[Dori]

I agree with Marie. My dogs have been on raw for approx. 2 years maybe longer, I’ve lost track. Anyway, neither my dogs nor myself have ever had an issue. I wash my hands, boards, utensils, etc. just as I do when handling raw meat for my husband and myself. If we eat meat, poultry, fish, etc. at some point its touching my hands, boards, utensils. It’s the same thing with raw food for dogs. Just clean up after preparing. No difference imo. Of course, that’s if you’re buying raw food from a reputable source be it a grocery store, butcher, or commercial raw manufacturer.

[InkedMarie]

Since you mentioned raw, why not feed your own? I do prey model raw using ground. I buy my bone in ground from Hare Today or Reel Raw, I use boneless from the grocery store.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Jeanne! How is Harry doing? I just got my order from Reel Raw yesterday. Everything was correct and the meat looked great. I love the free shipping! I couldn’t afford it otherwise. I’ll let you know how Max likes it after he tries it.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Lauren,

I’m of no help either. Sounds like you’re doing a great job and your raw diet is probably ideal. While we’re waiting for him to see your posts, maybe you’ll find something that would be helpful in his comment history: /forums/users/usa-dog-treats/

He has the same user name on the review side, unfortunately I’m unable to share a link there.

[FreeholdHound]

I’ve been AWOL from the site for awhile & look what I missed! Bring me up to sipped on this Reel Raw site!!! Just gave it a quick peak & it looks great. Everyone still pleased with products?
Jeanne

[Naturella]

Hey, all!

Well, Photobucket seems to hate me tonight so I will have to just write out the picture of Bruno’s 2014-2015 Menu, all gotten through coupons!

Starting Point – Mid-July, 2014.

1. Earthborn Holistic (EBH) Primitive Natural (Grain-Free, Chicken) – 14 lbs – 3 mths – till mid-Oct, 2014 – got for $20 with Petland coupon for $10 off $25+.
2. Back to Basics (B2B) Open Range (Grain-Free, Red Meat) + 3 samples of Victor Joint Health (Grain-Free, Beef) + 3 samples of Victor High Pro (Grain Free, Beef) – 5 lbs – 1.5 mths – till end of Nov, 2014 – got for $13 with manufacturer coupon for $7 off.
3. Holistic Health Extension (HHE) Lamb and Brown Rice (Grain-Inclusive, Lamb) – 4 lbs – 1 mth – till end of Dec, 2014 – got for FREE with Petland coupon for a free small bag of that brand.
4. Dogswell LiveFree Salmon (Grain-Free, Salmon/Fish) – 4 lbs – 1 mth – till end of Jan, 2015 – got for $4 on Petflow sale.
5. HHE Allergix (Grain-Free, Chicken) – 4 lbs – 1 mth – till end of Feb, 2015 – got for FREE with Petland coupon for a free small bag of that brand.
6. EBH Great Plains Feast (Grain-Free, Buffalo+Lamb) – 14 lbs – 3 mths – till end of May, 2015 – got for $20 with Petland coupon for $10 off $25+.
7. Wysong Nurture with Quail (Grain-Free, Quail) – 5 lbs – 1 mth – till end of June, 2015 – got for $5 on Petflow sale.
8. Nature’s Variety Instinct (NVI) Rabbit+Raw Bites (Grain-Free, Rabbit) + 1.5 lbs of Victor Ultra Pro (Grain-Free, Chicken) – 6.5 lbs – 1.5 mths – till mid-July, 2015 – NVI for FREE with manufacturer one-time coupon; Victor Ultra Pro is from samples and 1lb from a friend – all FREE.

PLUS: The Honest Kitchen (THK) Force (Grain-Free, Chicken); Keen (Grain-Inclusive, Turkey), Love (Grain-Free, Beef), and Embark (Grain-Free, Turkey) as toppers – 2-lb boxes of each for $4 each on sale from Petflow – should last till mid-July, 2015 too BECAUSE one box makes 6-8 lbs of wet food and dilute it lots so I will say that THK’s 8 lbs of dehydrated food will make 32 lbs of wet food. That’s $16 ($20 with shipping) for 32 lbs of food!

Total food weight: Kibble – 56.5 lbs. THK – 32 lbs. Total – 88.5lbs.
Total spending (with $5 shipping from Petflow for the THK): $82.00.

This makes all the foods an average of $0.93/lb. I’m quite happy with it cause for less than $100, it is all pretty good foods, and Bruno is set for a YEAR. 🙂

Not to mention the multitude of free samples he has that we use as treats and the $60 box from Best Bully Sticks that is full of dehydrated goods that should last him quite a while too, maybe a year if I’m lucky. So yeah. $142. Great local stores that give coupons and free samples. Great friends and good manufacturer deals – I think $142 for a year’s worth of food, chews, and treats for a small dog is pretty good. 🙂

Good luck to all with your couponing endeavors! 🙂

[Melissaandcrew]

Some dogs just have chronic problems with their anal glands and require regular expression, Some have a problem once, they get expressed and all is right in their world forever. If he was scooting, expressing them was the right thing to do. If left untreated, there is the potential for them to completely impact and then “explode”-they basically abcess and then drain. Nasty for the dog. My doxie had the problem once in her life when I fed her raw for three days straight without sweet potato for fiber. Vet drained them, she did the licking thing, caused her butt to get red and puffy, so the vet rxd gentamycin spray. Problem done and over in 24 hrs. Don’t sweat the small (smelly) things, lol 😉

[Melissaandcrew]

Well, vet bills sometimes is simply the luck of the genetic draw 😉 I have a three year old that has been seeing a cardiologist since just shy of 1 yr, and her visit yesterday was not good news. In addition to her original heart condition, she has now developed mitral value regurgitation(leaky valve) with slight prolapse. In a nutshell that simply equates to a cardio bill every 6mths for the rest of her life, as if 2 yrs has not been enough. It truly sucks as you don’t expect those type of bills until much later in life.

[Lisa C]

I know what you mean, it’s just disheartening to know we’ve already spent a lot of money on him and usually when someone has to spend a lot on their pet regarding surgeries, they aren’t >1yr old. They’ve done two separate blood tests, two stool tests. I plan on trying the raw very soon. If anyone has brands/types they recommend, I’d love to try the same. Thank you.

[Melissaandcrew]

Well, the need for exploratory surgery has nothing to do with age. Its the fact that the vet has been unable to diagnose the problem that makes them want to do it-in hopes of finding an answer. However, if it were my dog, I would have started with basic blood work, tried different types of food9\(including the raw) and if food fails, I would move on to having malabsorption blood work done. For me, an exploratory would be a last hail mary play.

[Corey K]

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

[DogFoodie]

I’ve never had my dogs anal glands expressed.

When Sam, my Golden with food intolerance issues, has a reaction to a food he’s eaten, his anal glands will start to smell strongly and sometimes he’ll have some loose stool. He’s even scooted a couple of times. Even with that, once the offending food is removed, the situation seems to correct itself fairly quickly.

My guess is that the diarrhea caused the anal glands to become a bit inflamed and probably would’ve resolved fairly quickly on their own when the stool returned to normal. I would probably add a little bulk to his stool with some chia seed or pumpkin or try some THK Perfect Form or Firm Up! You could also try some raw meaty bones; ie: a chicken wing for dinner. The inclusion of some bone usual helps stool firm up, too.

Are you certain the diarrhea was caused by something he ate off of the ground?

[InkedMarie]

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

[Lisa C]

I am definitely going to try it. Our vet has made us so mad, that at this point everything she says my boyfriend and I agree they’re price gauging us. Even for shots they way overcharge. They have not been helpful at all. She still wants to do the $1200 endoscopy. It’s not going to happen until we’ve exhausted everything else, and at that point we won’t be using that vet anyways. He’s less than a year old. why does he need super expensive exploratory surgery? we stopped the chicken a few days ago and today I’m just giving him the canned nutro, because it’s the only thing in recent memory that seems to work best. After this can, I will try the raw. I just need to make sure I buy the right stuff. Thank you all.

[lauren c]

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

Thanks,

Furry

NJ

[DogFoodie]

Lisa,

I can tell you this, I use the services of several vets; one of whom is my “primary care” vet and who practices integrative medicine. The other is a holistic vet that I see for chiropractic, etc. Both of them recommend raw and when I visit my primary care vet and tell her I’m not using raw at the time, I can tell she gets a little disgusted with me. Both of these vets are highly trained and aren’t afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to believing that food can be medicine.

Most vets who practice traditional Western veterinary medicine, tend to follow whatever the FDA and AAFCO (etc.) recommend. They’re also the same vets who say, just pick “whatever” food and that as long as it meets AAFCO guidelines, your dog should be fine. I use those vets also, we just don’t talk about food.

I wouldn’t try to encourage you to do something you aren’t comfortable with, but am saying that there are some vets who do encourage and support raw feeding. Just like a teaspoon of ACV, feeding a bit of raw won’t hurt and it actually just might help.

I’ve used the food Melissa has mentioned, Nature’s Variety. I found it very easy to serve, very clean and both of my dogs love it and did very well on it.

[Melissaandcrew]

Lisa- Well, lets review here-All the foods she has recc have not worked. In addition, your dog is now skeletal on the verge of staving to death from lack of nutrition. Since there are plenty of raw, freeze dried and dehydrated foods on the market that do in fact meet AAFCO regs etc, it seems to me she is just against anything other than the old kibble foods. I am not recc that you go against vet advice, as that of course would not be appropriate. I can tell you however, that if it were my dog, I would have already tried it. Its sure as heck better and more nutritious than boiled chicken long term.

[Lisa M]

I just got my new 11 week old mini dachshund puppy. My 1 1/2 old mini Dachshund has been eating Natures Variety raw bites for over 6 months and we are happy with it. Is it okay to feed my new 3 pound 11 week old puppy these frozen raw bites (I thaw them in the fridge overnight first)? She absolutely loves them and is active and playful. If it’s okay, is there anything else she should have to supplement this? I give her the Natures Instinct puppy kibbles, but she almost never eats them.

[Lisa C]

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