ugggghhhhhh I am soooo not a Florida person. I just don’t do well with heat and humidity or all those creepy crawly things. I remember my Grandma telling me the fire ants can kill a person. And I have heard many disgusting stories about those Palmetto bugs. I do have the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.
When I lived in Southern California, I did see scorpions crushed on the road sometimes, and a good sized lizard got into my apartment and was hanging out inside my closet one time he snuck in somehow….. but no mosquitos it was so nice. Now I live back in the North East… which definitely is mosquito country (I grew up and went to college in NY state) but here in Maine we don’t have any poisonous snakes or spiders. Or fireants. Or Palmetto bugs. It makes winter seem not so bad 😉
Don’t look at the price per weight, look at the price per unit of calories. Some raw foods are definitely cheaper than some kibbles and homemade raw can be even cheaper.
Jazz: Your dog sounds like he/she eats very well already. I was intrigued by the benefits of raw but can’t bring myself to feed it and I would be concerned about balancing out the nutritional needs. I am totally neurotic about kitchen sanitation and food safety and can’t bear the thought of the dog dragging around meat. Nor can I bring myself to even cut up a chicken for my own family. This is my first dog in 20 years and my housekeeping standards have dropped since I invited the animal into my life. I love my dog even though I clean more often, and am very happy that there is good kibble out there. From this list I learned about rotation diets which made sense in the event of a kibble manufacturer having a recall. But a raw diet is not something I am willing to do even though I think it would be cheaper to give the dog chicken than some of this kibble I’ve been buying.
Imnordrum, I have similar concerns w/ raw. I just want to ensure I’m feeding him the best I’m able, given his surgery… it’s prompted a lot of reading on food and LBDs. Which I knew nothing about prior, and thought I had been giving him great food (first 8mos) as the recommend of Eukanuba LB came from someone who raises lab guide dogs. When I actually read the label, corn was one of the first ingredients 🙁 I don’t even eat corn.
I think I would be open to trying 1 raw meal/wk, so long as he appears to be thriving and no new issues. Perhaps I could add sweet potato, I’m not game for rice unless he’s been ill. What are other vegs some of you give regularly? We do gr bean too, but he seems to get tired of that.
I also add water to every meal. I used to add warm, but we have a serious drought in CA and now he gets regular temp from faucet 🙂
Love this group. Thank you HDM!
J-L:
Not HDM… but my vet is not a fan of raw because of bacteria and how it impacts the rest of the house and the impact of this bacteria to the humans. He’s fine with cooked food as a topper because the risk of illness to humans is eliminated.
Thanks for the book recommend HDM. Just what I’m looking for! I actually do have some Nature’s Valley Instinct in my freezer that I give on rare occasion. I also have a couple chicken backs in there too. I given him 1, which he wasn’t sure about initially.
Recently p/u Evanger’s (can) whole chicken thighs, and I thought “What a waste, I can do this.” Today I p/u chicken breast, family size pks .99/lb. How could I substitute that in? I struggle w/ the correct caloric intake quantity. I feel like I just about have Jazz on the right track after his post surgery ‘chubby sway’ (is how my kids referred to the few extra pounds after his elbow dysplasia surgery in January.).
He seems to be doing well, & he always get compliments on his healthy looking coat.
I’ve mentioned raw a couple times to our vet & have been told, “whatever you do… don’t feed raw.” I don’t understand how vet’s knowledge can vary so greatly.
Have I read too much today and confused myself? It appears that it’s more cost effective to feed raw than high end kibble. Am I overlooking something here?
http://www.chewy.com/dog/grandma-lucys-pureformance-grain/dp/36506
-vs-
http://www.chewy.com/dog/orijen-puppy-grain-free-dry-dog-food/dp/29733
Hi Jazz Lover –
Sounds like your dog is eating pretty well already! 🙂
Incorporating a little raw is definitely a great idea though if it’s something you’re able to do. You could check out the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown – there’s a chapter on how to prepare a simple raw meal that you can feed once per week. The day you feed raw is called an “ABC Day.” Some other options would be to top the kibble with a balanced commercial raw or just keep some commercial raw in the freezer and feed a few meals of week of entirely raw. Or you could look at incorporating some raw meaty bones into the diet as a treat a few times a week – turkey necks, pork necks and chicken quarters are great for large dogs.
Jazz Lover: If its working and your animal is healthy and thriving, why change? I give my dog good kibble (Wellness Core and Fromm) moistened with hot water and some coconut oil, and she’ll get cooked food from our meal, like meat and some plain rice. When I have some older eggs they get boiled and put on top of the kibble in lieu of meat. Dog gets small bits of cheese for treats and has no interest in fruit, veggies, peanut butter or bread. I do not feed my dog grains and she doesn’t seem to be missing them.
I have no guilt about not doing raw because frankly I can’t deal with it in my house. Plus the thought of raw meat and bacteria just freaks me out. As a cook I get grossed out by things such as bone-in chickens and large hunks of raw anything, and forget about anything that looks like it would on the animal itself (tongue, liver, etc.) If I didn’t function so much better on a higher protein diet I would probably be vegetarian. I would cook for my dog if she didn’t do well on the kibble. We are in a rural area and I could buy a cow or hog, but this is not something I have any interest to do. My dog does well on what she’s being fed and there’s no reason for us to change it. Plus she can be boarded on a kibble mixture. I can’t send her off to the kennel when I travel with 20 pounds of meat. lol
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This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by
lmnordrum.
Meky6ra –
Kibble – CJ Foods
Canned – Simmons
Raw – Self Manufactured
I’m trying to do the best I can to feed our 89lb lab the healthiest I’m able.
Currently he has been on Orijen LB Adult. Jazz is now 1 yr old (Apr). Generally, I give him 3 cups daily, w/ Grizzly Salmon Oil. I substitute out 1/2 cup dry for 1/2 can Merrick, raw vegs or a couple sardines packed in water. I plan to give him Fromm for a change and switch back & forth for variety. For training snacks, I use apple, or died unsulferated, unsweetend fruit.
I don’t feel going raw entirely is something I can afford, however I’m open to toppers & suggestions, even the possibility of one meal per day other then dry.
Thank you
I totally agree Patty. I should be stocked up for a little while. I made 15 pounds of chicken and 8 pounds of beef.
C4C, I will post back after Max has been eating it for a little while. I’m trying to go all homemade. Money has been tight since I moved and started a new job. Max got tired of THK so I reintroduced some kibble but he’s not doing so hot with it. I want him on all raw but commercial is too expensive. He needs 3-3.5 lbs a day. I think I have my sourcing figured out so he should be on full raw soon. It’ll definitely be cheaper than THK and commercial raw.
I use this recipe for Satin Balls:
1 pound of raw ground beef
8oz package of cream cheese
1 jar of all-natural peanut butter
12 egg yolks
10oz package of wheat germ
a cup of flaked oats that have been soaked in heavy cream
Mix ingredients. Form the mixture into balls and freeze. Thaw and feed as treats or food supplements as desired.
My dog LOVES them. I roll them into small balls and use them for treats.
Never heard of it. But some small companies don’t advertise and aren’t well known even if they have great food. Example- Maverick Pet Foods makes a great raw product called Genesis Raw.
A 3 star food is average for that type of food. Your average DRY dog food may not be as good as your average RAW or WET dog food. So a 3 star wet or raw dog food may be superior to a 3 star dry food. I typically look for 4 or 5 star rated foods within the category that I feed to my two dogs.
Anyone heard of Common Sense Raw dog food? It has been tested over generations of GSDs. The breeder from whom I got my GSD is now a distributor. Never heard of it.
Tripett is my favorite. I used to use it all the time, they’ve got several varieties to choose from too which is nice. If you can get the raw though (Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore are probably the best) your dog will benefit a lot more. The raw green tripe is loaded with enzymes and beneficial bacteria, that’s all destroyed during the canning process. I may be in the minority here, but imo the canned smells MUCH worse than the raw.
Hi-
I’ve seen Tripett recommended by several posters. I can’t find it in my area so I use Solid Gold about once a week. I’ve also tried Merrick’s. I would be ok suggesting either of these also. It’s a little stinky, but not too bad. I guess raw is really odorous! Good luck.
Hi Justine-
I have had similar issues with my dogs, however, they did have parasites. I’ve tried several supplements as well. Currently, I feed Victor grain free joint and health kibble. I use various toppers such as canned, raw, dehydrated and fresh mixed in. I almost always use a digestive enzyme and an occasional probiotic. They are doing much better now. I strongly suggest checking out dogaware.com website as they have so much information on digestive issues. If you are looking to change dry food, give Victor a try. Many on this site have done well with it. Also, plain pure pumpkin might be a great addition to your dog’s food. It is very healthy and adds fiber that is both helpful for constipation and loose stools. The supplements that I have used with success that I discovered from dogaware are: Gastriplex, Vetri Pro BD, Perfect Form and Phytomucil. I hope you find a winning combination because I know how frustrating your situation is. Cleaning up runny poop is not a good thing! Good luck.
Hi, Cavvie lovers! I have 3 of this beautiful breed. I have Laverne, a Ruby retired show champion who weighs around 17 lbs. and tends to have mild intolerances and trouble in the past with anal glands. She is 9 yrs. and has a murmur according to my holistic vet. No meds, though. She’s lived with us for 3 years now. Hazel is my 7 year old Black and Tan who weighs around 19 lbs., all muscle. She was born with a murmur but has never had meds. She’s been with us for 5 years. She and Laverne are registered therapy dogs. My newest is Rupert, a 7 year old Blenheim retired show champion who weighs around 19 lbs. I’ve had Rupert for 3 months now. He has a grade 5 murmur and MVD, asymptomatic, however he is on enalapril twice a day. Now that his health is pretty good for him (he came to me not so healthy) I plan on making him a therapy dog, as well.
I had to try many foods due to Laverne’s intolerances, which started with loose stool, rumbly tummy, not wanting to eat at times and of course the dreaded anal gland issues. We are finally (hope I don’t jinx us, lol) doing great with Wellness totally. I’ve always used Wellness cans and biscuits/treats but their kibble size was just too big for them, especially Laverne who I needed it to work for the most. So I used others, like Acana Singles, Merrick, Instinct LIDs, Zignature, Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s, Victors and probably others I’ve forgotten about. Some worked and I’ll still feed if needed…Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s and Victor, but a lot of others didn’t. I even tried premade raw, which was fine but too hard for my household to deal with. Foods like THK didn’t go over well. However, recently Wellness came out with new Small Breed formulas…YAY! So I tried them. I now rotate through Small Breed Senior, Small Breed Whitefish and Small Breed Simple Salmon along with their canned Stews for topping kibble and Yogurt biscuits for bedtime snack. I use their Pure Bites for training. Things are great, atm!! I do add a probiotic/enzyme supplement and a fiber supplement called Firm Up with each meal. It’s simply dried pumpkin and apple pectin. They also get coq10 for their heart. This has been working for us for 2 months now and I will continue this regimen. Sometimes I will use other canned toppers, like Simply Nourish, Fromm or Weruva for variety. All 3 have such soft wonderful coats and great skin. I did shave them down a little for the first time this summer and can honestly say that I love the haircuts! I kept their ears and tails long. I will keep them cut this way. I hope some of this info. gives hope for you guys with other Cavvies, my heart breed! 🙂 <3
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This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by
Mom2Cavs.
Hi Akari 32! I know it’s frustrating & expensive when your precious pooch has signs of a miserable existence. I’ll be very brief as I want to throw out FOUR key items to attack and most importantly resolve the origin of the problem. Spend the money, keep the routine simple (stop adding things), be patient for results. Malaseb Shampoo. The Miracle Pack (Probiotic Miracle & Enzyme Miracle for a healthy digestive system). Brothers Complete Advanced Allergy Care (Dry Dog Food). As a reminder, a lot of raw food or canned food is NOT a “complete” diet, which in turn you have to start adding things (more money). Maybe you can save some money for a full blood work panel testing in the near future if all else fails. I wish you & your pups the very best of luck.
I think my dogs would eat anything if it was mixed in canned or raw first.
Hi Jennifer P-
Welcome to DFA! First of all, there is no such thing as a perfect food. It is best, in many people’s opinions on this site, to feed a variety to your dogs. There is an article in the review site’s library about diet rotation. I have fed Blue in the past, but thought they were too expensive for what you get. Right now, I am feeding my dogs grain free Victor dry kibble. I also add a different topper almost every meal so they can get different benefits from the different foods. I’m not a Blue hater but probably would not feed it again. Find at least one more kibble that is a different brand with a different protein and starch binder to give them some variety. Print the best dry food list and bring it to the pet store with you, or even better yet, check them out on the internet on their own sites to compare. Also you can start adding canned, dehydrated, raw, eggs and/or sardines to their kibble to make it even healthier. Good luck!
I still worry if I’m giving Bailey the right vitamins/minerals/supplements, etc. Check out See Spot Live Longer dinner mix. I use that often. All you do is add it to boneless meat. I also use, on occasion, Dr. Harvey’s Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Herbal Dog Supplement. Other than that, I add Coconut oil, some tinned sardines a couple times a week, a fresh, cage free egg every couple days and some Apple Cider Vinegar, that’s pretty much it. It really did seem overwhelming to me at first, so I know how you feel, but once you get going and get the hang of it, it’s really easy. I’m still learning and I read everything I can about raw feeding and all the threads and stuff. The different kinds of raw foods you can feed your dog, once he’s used to it, are endless…
Zach M ~ You’re very welcome! 🙂
Thank you! I’m scared to start feeding raw food, also :-p I worry about bacteria and getting the vitamins/minerals right. I would really love to make my dog’s food for her. I wouldn’t worry about the quality of the ingredients in her dogfood.
meky6ra and Zach M this reply is for both of you. I have been feeding my 50lb. girl a raw diet for a little over a year. Here is a thread, in this Raw Dog Food topic, of mine that I started before I jumped in to raw feeding…
/forums/topic/help-with-starting-my-dog-on-a-raw-diet/
There is a ton of information on this site, especially in all the threads in the Raw Dog Food Topic. I asked questions, did a TON of research and was scared to death to start feeding my dog raw, lol! But, I did it, and my dog is healthy, happy and I am so glad I did. It is pricier than feeding kibble or canned food, but their are so many resources out there and raw feeding groups that can help cut down on the cost. I chose to feed my dog homemade raw, but there are alot of commercial raw products available that many people use and love.
Zach, You could start by giving your dog a turkey neck or a chicken back. It’s mostly bone, but has some meat on it. Your dog can consume the whole thing, bone and all. Unless your dog is a very voracious chewer or a gulper, you shouldn’t have any problems at all. Your dog will figure out how to crunch and chew the bone up and it is very good for their teeth.
Good luck to both of you! Take the time to ask questions and research and then, take the plunge…..your dog will love you for it! 🙂
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This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by
Cyndi.
For crystals, it’s important they get plenty of moisture. Dry food is the worst you can feed but if you must, add canned & warm water. Better is canned, raw or dehydrated.
This thread has blown my mind! I wonder if I can even think about affording to feed my dog raw! How much does it cost you guys monthly? How long has everyone been feeding raw? How would you transition a dog to a 100% raw food diet?
P.S. I’m sorry if those questions have already been answered!
Now that you know what RMBs are you’ll probably be able to find a lot more easier locally than you thought you had. Attached is also another link you could use, actually the whole site is very informative, if you need help finding resources in your area. http://www.dogaware.com/diet/rawfoods.html I’m pretty new to raw myself, just started feeding about a year ago RMBs and commercial raw and hope to get started again very soon, the forum here is a great resource if you have any questions and everyone is very helpful.
RMB stands for raw meaty bones. From http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-feeding-primer/ “This can include chicken backs, wings and necks (or even whole carcasses), lamb necks, pork necks, turkey necks, ox tails, beef ribs, turkey tails; any meaty bone that can be completely consumed by your dog. If you are feeding meatier meals (turkey or lamb necks), feed about 50% RMB, if your choices are bonier (chicken backs, pork necks, wings or ribs), feed about 30% RMB.
Large, weight bearing bones such as marrow and knuckle bones are not considered RMB’s if the dog is not able to consume the bone. These can be given as a recreational bone..” I can find at my local supermarket chicken wings, leg quarters, turkey necks, beef oxtail, pork neck bones, whole chicken, whole turkey, whole quail. Others you could find at at a local butcher or wholesale supplier and also online at sites like Hares Today, My Pet Carnivore, and if you have Primal pet food at a local pet store they also have chicken necks, chicken backs, and turkey necks. That site is a good reference and there are so many more knowledgable people on DFA that can help you. Feel free if you have any more questions!
I have read your reviews and the lack of positive review on the Royal Canin brand. I did not find the Satiety one reviewed but am guessing the ingredients are all comparable within the brand. My vet recommended this food after my dog got extremely ill (rushed to the hospital ill) on a grain free food I food highly rated on this site. He was hospitalized for 2 days. He had also gained a couple of pounds so she put him on Royal Canin Satiety two years ago and he is doing very well at 11 yrs old. He gets 1/2 cup in the morning and for dinner he gets Dr Harvey’s Freeze Dried food ( lots of veggies, oats, etc) with a teaspoon of oil, pumpkin and a cooked protein (switch between chicken, turkey, fish and eggs.) He hates raw meat and vegetables.
I don’t want to worry about the Royal Canin but feel concerned when I read your reviews. Am going to show this site to my vet but wanted your thoughts. He has some arthritis and some benign lipomas but is otherwise in good health with a clean coat and energy. Good appetite. Does take synthroid twice a day but this has been for a long time. Comments?
I know I made sound dumb here, but I don’t really know what an RMB is. At first when i started reading the forum I thought it ment “raw meat bone”, but now I think it means recreational marrow bone because that is what it said when I looked it up..could someone clarify what it is and where to get them? Give me all the info you know please! Thx
I am new here but I have always had & still have quite a few rescue pets.I used to make all my pets home made foods,I cannot actually say I have or would feed my pets raw foods,/meats if bought from farms run into a lot of money,hence I steam store bought chicken because of what is injected in all meat/s minus farm grown unless USDA orders that be done.I have an older cat that was not treated very well by her previous owner,I have tried many different cat foods but she cannot keep it down,some times she does great,but I am still very concerned about her condition. Because vets. now are so out of the question money wise,I do as many home natural remedies as I can,but I plan on keeping up the work done on her & look for more remedies. Not to change the subject but we found a cat running towards a highway,I ran & picked her up & she seemed to be in distress & not very well taken care of,I brought her home to see that she had been fixed,her eye was running & the other eye she kept closed,I also found she had some sort of mites on her,I bought a flea solution & continued bathing her with at least a months rest,I couldn’t seem to get rid of what ever it was so I took her to a great vet.(now retired) he said to me that what ever is on the out side”IS” also on the inside,I found a solution that is used on plants to keep bugs off vegetation,I went back to this vet & questioned him about this product & he said it was alright,between bathing with the solution & feeding her the same it was an on going deal but in the end the greatest rewards was; we now have one of the sweetest fluffy cats we could ever want,those mites on her body was some thing I had never encountered in my life time,they were like knives sticking out of her back.We have five cats & two dogs. Good Luck every one & God bless us & all our fur babies.
Thanks for your response. I am weary he needs any more calcium with the amount of ground bone and raw bones he already consumes. I was under the impression he received a large amount of vitamins and trace minerals from the organ meat. The “Natural Mix” that I mix in with the other grinds has ground green tripe, beef heart, and beef liver in it. Am I wrong to assume that? It would be the same concept as Eskimo’s getting all the nutrients they need by eating seafood, lard, and organ meat and extracting the same minerals and vitamins as someone in an equatorial climate getting all the nutrients from a diet heavier on fruits and veggies. What do you think?
As far as using whole carcass grinds, the fur and feathers are not digested. In dogs, they act as fiber, and help to keep everything moving through the digestive tract. All the digestive enzymes that are needed are in there naturally. Some dogs need digestive enzymes added when eating a kibble diet, but unless you have a dog with EPI or some like disease, you should not need to add digestive enzymes to raw, because there are enzymes in all raw meat. Cooking and processing destroys a lot of them.
Hi Dane –
First off, if he’s drinking large amounts of water, urinating frequently and he won’t gain weight you need to get him to the vet to have some diagnostic tests performed. These are potential symptoms of kidney disease or diabetes. A dog that’s fed a raw diet shouldn’t drink much water at all – my two (large) dogs don’t even drink one bowl of water per day between the two of them. I’m not trying to scare you but if something is going on the sooner you catch it the better the prognosis will be.
Second, are you adding anything to the Blue Ridge Beef grinds? Unless they’ve recently come out with a new complete and balanced product that I’m not aware of, I thought they just make meat/organ/bone grinds? Meat/organ/bone “grinds” (as they’re referred to) are not a balanced diet. They’re meant to serve as as the base of a meal and they make things simpler by already having the muscle meat, organ and bone in the correct proportions. Supplements still must be added to make the diet complete. While it’s possible to balance a homemade diet using whole foods only, for simplicity’s sake and to get him on a balanced diet as soon as possible, I’d recommend adding a multivitamin (look for one with <10% DV calcium – one I frequently recommend is Twinlab Daily One Caps). I’d also add 1/2 C. of cooked and pureed vegetables (baby food veggies are fine if you don’t want to cook and puree them yourself) and feed a tin of sardines or salmon once or twice a week OR add a capsule or two of fish oil daily. These additions will provide him with the vitamins and minerals he needs, a little fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.
“A wide range of fruits are grown commercially in Canada, including apples, tender fruits (peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, prunes and cherries), grapes, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. A number of these fruits are native to Canada such as cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, saskatoons and the labrusca grape. Canada’s fruit industry has adapted well to our cold climate and short growing seasons, with Southern Ontario and Southwest British Columbia, which enjoy about 180 frost-free days every year, producing much of the fruit grown in the country, while regions of Quebec and the Maritimes also have significant fruit production, despite having only about 120 frost -free days per year.”
“Canada’s fruit imports from the top ten supplying countries. In descending order (by the share of total import value in 2009), these were the United States (44 %), Chile (7%), France (7%), Italy (6%), Mexico (5%), Australia ( 4%), China (3%), Costa Rica, Argentina and Ecuador (each 2%).”
However, Orijen doesn’t use that many fruits but that would definitely be back-up if they absolutely ran out.
“Free Range” only applies to the barn if the poultry has access to the outdoors. The term has nothing to do with cages or grassy pastures. Refrigeration only helps for so long & of course freezing is not considered fresh. Ice fishing is fine, they go where the particular fish are & open holes to get them. Orijen’s high prices reflect increased high quality ingredients (in the 1st 5 listed) per formula. But unless they’re producing in small batches, that’s a lot of food that we’re assuming is constantly “fresh”. How would we know if they snuck something into a freezer for a month, ha! Just kidding.
Hey,
New to the forum! My dog, Makai, is a 3 year old red heeler/Shepard/unknown mix. I started feeding him Blue Ridge Beef about 6 months ago. He has lost about 10 lbs since and looks pretty thin, so I have increased his food intake to 1.5 lbs per day split into 2 meals. I order in bulk to get a discount and get 15-2Lb chubs at a time. I order a even mix of a fattier beef, a leaner beef, chicken with bone, venison with bone, and a natural mix which has organ meat in it. I mix it all up and make 12 oz balls which is 1/2 of 1.5 pounds. This is all I feed him. I have noticed him drinking ridiculous amounts of water! I feel like it is much more than he used to before eating this new diet. I read that they will often drink less water when doing raw food because of how much water is contained in the raw meat. He also strains to poop sometimes I think because the chicken with bone and venison with bone feels like there is quite a lot of bone in the meat. I am worried I might be missing an integral part of his diet here, and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. I am worried he is having issues, because I am having to let him out to pee like 6-8 times a day! It’s insane. Plus I can’t seem to get him to gain any weight.
Bailey was totally fine when I started feeding her whole carcass rabbit grind. I was already feeding her raw though, but when I added that into her rotation, she was completely fine, no digestive issues at all. Good Luck! I’m sure Mila will do fine. 🙂
When feeding the whole carcass grinds that contain either fur or feathers, is there any digestive issues or concerns I should worry about? Should I add any digestive enzymes to aid in the process if she’s never had fur or feathers before? I’m interested in feeding and seeing if Mila would like them. I’m sure she would. I’m still feeding kibble and canned with some eggs and sardines occasionally but would really like to go back to raw soon. 🙂
I use Wilderness mostly, sometimes Merrick or wellness core. I rotate. Kibble with coco oil for breakfast, raw meat and egg for dinner.
crazy4cats, I’m with you! I use a 5 star kibble that I can afford (barely) and grind fresh raw meat. The meat, chicken thighs and beef heart mostly, along with my farm raised eggs is cost effective for 3 large dogs and 12 cats. The kibble gives balance. I add coco oil for my seasonal allergy dog and I spend considerably less money than if I just bought these wonderful but too pricey foods. Thanks to Dr Mike and his team we can choose from great foods in the 4 to 5 star range. He’s laid out the details for us in such a user friendly way!
If I am feeding a mixture of raw brands – Raw Advantage, Primal, Stella & Chewys, Columbia River Natural, do you still suggest your *Whole Food Supplement Mix? I have a 10 year old male Choco Lab that weighs about 90 pounds.
my mistake, I kinda just assumed honest kitchen was the same as sojos-who does call themselves dehydrated raw, thought maybe it isn’t. It still may help get your dog to eat, Marie. You can get it online, or smaller pet boutique type stores will have some variety of it. Petsmart and Petco both carry nature’s variety, and they have a dehydrated product as well
Nature’s Variety Instinct – Raw, Dry & Canned. I was surprised this food did not make the Editor’s Choice List!
So where would I find this dehydrated raw food and how would I feed it?
Hi C4C and cindy
Remember that I am also feeding some homemade raw, so some of the things I add are to balance out that. Oysters are a good source of zinc and selenium, nuts and seeds have manganese in them. Vits E and D have to be added. I told you I forgot some.
If I were feeding just kibble or already balanced foods, I would still add a little coconut oil, antioxidants, omega 3s, garlic 3 days a week, digestive enzymes, and probiotics a couple times a week.
Try kefir instead of yogurt. You’ll find it somewhere in dairy at the grocery. It has a better variety of probiotics than yogurt. It’s great for people too.
BTW C4C, they also call me “the Big Dummy.” That’s what I get for taking on that crew.
Dehydrated is neither kibble or canned, usually it is somewhat powdered, though it may have chunks in it. They use a dehydrator(low heat) and forced air to dry the food. Think beef jerky, herbs, dried fruit, all of these are different forms of dehydrated, but they are not raw.
The honest kitchen is dehydrated, but its not raw. Marie my standard poodle is very picky but she just started eating Orijen and she finishes all of it.
Hi,
Mine is an year old, 100 pounds, not neutered, male Presa Canario we call BUGGA. I got him when he was 8 weeks and he has been on a raw based diet ever since. I was feeding him Healthy Paws (Canada) chicken, turkey, beef on a regular basis with bison and venison every two months (since those were more expensive). Within four months, he and my cats would not eat anything except beef. (Note: They had all rejected Salmon since day one) Later a different brand supplier told me that Healthy Paws adds some beef related fillers in almost all of their products and that could be one of the reasons that they had become addicted to beef and my cats still are to this day (they really haven’t had anything except beef for 7 months now, I’m not sure how healthy this is for them).
After two months of continuous beef, Bugga got sick and I still have no clue what had happened (my vet couldn’t determine exactly). He had gas issues and would throw up every three days, along with this constant smell which I suspect was the anal glands. He wouldn’t eat properly but was otherwise his usual self. The vet, although, a raw diet enthusiast, suggested that some dogs don’t do well on Raw and that I change his diet for a few weeks. I started feeding him Royal Canine wet food cans and his stomach/intestinal issues seemed to be curbed. After two weeks of this, I gradually put him back on Raw and to my relief he wasn’t just a beef addict anymore. He was more than happy to gobble up whatever came his way.
But in a month again, he had become picky and seemed bored with his food. He would eat some days and then not at all. He ate people food nonetheless, rice/cottage cheese/yogurt/cheese slices/loves flat-bread. I alternate between brands (Bold Raw and Naturaw) to keep him interested, even switched to hormones and antibiotics free products, added green tripe and raw eggs, used probiotics, digestive enzymes, omega 3-6-9 oils, vit E oil, diatomaceous earth, organic pumpkin and sweet potato, coconut oil, kelp mix.
Now, I have had to mix in Kibble (Nature’s Variety Grain free)! He ate the raw food with kibble for a week or two, I haven’t bought more kibble. He can go hungry for a day but not eat any more raw and then reluctantly eat it to satisfy the hunger. I really want to help him and give him what his body wants, but I am so lost now. I don’t know how to get him excited about some good raw food again. I want to know if I feed him kibble or other canned food for a while, is it possible that he doesn’t go back to raw at all. Has anyone else faced something similar with their dog?
2 months, 1 week ago
