[dawne]

Anon101 – Thanks so much for your insite and the link to more related information. I really am uncomfortable with feeding my boy a raw diet. You are absolutely right about my vet knowing my boy. He’s been seeing her since 8 weeks old and does have some gastro issues that need to be considered. I’m so thankful for everyone’s input.

[anonymous]

skeptvet says:
April 21, 2019 at 1:23 pm
There is no perfect food, and a food that works well for one dog may not work for another, so the best you can do is choose a maintenance diet from an established company (one with veterinary nutritionists on staff to oversee formulation and quality control) and then monitor important signs, such as weight, stool quality, coat quality, etc. There are many good choices and only a few I would recommend against (raw diets, and BEG diets).

Above is an excerpt from :

FDA Webinar Discussing Dietary Risk Factors for Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Also: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2010/01/nutrition-in-large-breed-puppies/

Hope this helps!

PS: I mix foods all the time, I can’t afford to throw out good food.

[Anonymous]

Thank you 🙂 we might try it and other base mixes, I have to look at them more. I do plan on feeding mostly premade raw (at least for now) though.

[CockalierMom]

Shrub, glad to hear everything is back to normal. Since you were able to add the bone broth back without any problems, you just may need to take it slow.

Since you mentioned Dr. Harveys’s, are you going to be trying the Vibrance mix for raw food?

[CockalierMom]

Anon , NO that was not specific to my dog or examination. The vet said that when dogs get diarrhea it can cause them to strain and it is not uncommon to see blood in the stool as a result.

I do know what the OP’s case is because I read the message, unlike you who thought the problem was from RAW food. You do not have to go to veterinary school to know that when you feed a dog too much of a new food, they will get diarrhea. Please quit attacking me when I post a message.

[CockalierMom]

Shrub, I am not a raw feeder, but have experienced what you are going through when my girls were eating food without probiotics. I believe you just added too much too fast and your girl’s digestive tract needs time to adjust, and like you said just do it more slowly. I have used kefir in the past with good results and since you used Answers bone broth, you may want to try their goat milk. I have heard a lot of people say they had better results with goat milk. Also, you may want to try adding a little raw, instead of cooked. It is my understanding cooking kills off the digestive enzymes that come from raw.

BTW, when I had problems, my vet told me a little blood in the stool when they have diarrhea is not uncommon, and as long as it goes away after a digestive upset not a problem, as in your case.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why you’re so flustered. I never intended to use this as a source for professional advice, just advice from people who probably have experience with feeding raw. Before rushing to the vet, I’d prefer to ask other people if they know anything that could have caused it, or what I can do that might possibly help it. I never said I wasn’t going to take her to the vet, I intend to. I came here because I wanted helpful advice presented in a kind, respectful manner. I did not come here to have someone tell me I shouldn’t feed this way, or to make it seem like I don’t care for my dog by insinuating I am against taking to her to the vet. You’re only making a worrisome situation even more upsetting. Also, I wouldn’t feed her any of those prescription diets. The ingredients are horrible. I’d prefer to help her body with real food, not garbage.

[anonymous]

“dehydrated bones”

That is bone, it can calcify in the gut and turn into a cement like substance and cause a blockage, GI upset at the least.

Obviously you have been listening to the homeopathic crowd. Your info about raw food is wrong.
” Dogs aren’t built like us and are designed to be able to handle it. As long as your dog is healthy and doesn’t have any underlying problems they should be just fine.”

Good luck with that.

BTW: Your dog is a senior, has she had labs done recently? My advice still stands. Take her to the vet. I would have an x-ray/ultrasound done to rule out.

If you think I am blowing smoke, I am not. I have experience and knowledge in these matters. Find out the hard way, I did.

Please provide an update after your dog sees a real vet (not the internet).

[Anonymous]

I should add that she has been eating dehydrated bones practically all her life without problems. I haven’t been feeding her any raw bones yet though.

[Anonymous]

Anon, I haven’t been feeding her any bone at all, just muscle meat. The same kind we eat, fully cooked. I’ve also done many months of research on raw feeding and I have very little concerns about bacteria. Dogs aren’t built like us and are designed to be able to handle it. As long as your dog is healthy and doesn’t have any underlying problems they should be just fine. My dog is healthy, and we’re not even at feeding raw yet. We’re going to wait it out a couple of days, but are still going to take her to the vet to make sure nothing else is going on.

[CockalierMom]

Shrub, since you are feeding FULLY COOKED meat and NOT RAW, this clearly has nothing to do with raw meat. Was the bone broth also chicken? Your dog could have developed a sensitivity to chicken but if she has been eating the same food for awhile her digestive tract may not have the gut bacteria to handle additional foods.

What percentage of her regular food did you replace with the cooked chicken? Is she eating a food with probiotics?

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2011/06/salmonella-and-other-risks-of-raw-pet-diets/ excerpt below

C. Health Risks:
As I have pointed out before, raw diets are more likely than cooked diets to be contaminated with infectious organisms, including Salmonella. Such organisms have been found in raw diets (1, 8-12) and have been found shed in the feces of pets eating these diets (13), they can be passed from pets to humans (13-16), and they have caused illness in both pets and humans (16-18).
Another recent paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, written by Dr. Kate KuKanich (19), specifically addresses the subject of Salmonella contamination in pet foods and treats. Her analysis of the literature shows that uncooked foods and treats are far more likely to be contaminated with Salmonella, and that up to 69% of sled dogs and 61% of racing greyhounds fed raw meat shed this organism in their feces even when they have no diarrhea or other clinical symptoms. This is compared to a rate of shedding of less than 5% up to 15% in studies of other healthy dogs. While Salmonella contamination after cooking has been found in dry diets, the risks for uncooked foods and treats are substantially higher, and Dr. KuKanich concludes, as I would,
Ample evidence exists for the risk of Salmonella contamination in raw food diets; thus, it is advised that pet owners avoid feeding raw food diets to pets.

[anonymous]

Stop the raw immediately and take the dog to the vet, TODAY. This has been going on for more than a week. She needs treatment by a veterinarian, not the internet. BE HONEST ABOUT THE RAW WITH THE VET.

Give us an update so others will learn from your unfortunate experience.

Whatever you are feeding her does not agree with her and is causing her harm. She may have an obstruction especially if you have been feeding bones and such.
Or not, but something is wrong.
Even cooked chicken has a lot of small sharp bones in it, especially if you haven’t carefully chopped it up.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/actually-raw-chicken-likely-does-lead-to-paralysis-in-dogs/ excerpt below

“Dr. Brady can call me a dupe or lackey of Big Pet Food if he wants (and I suspect he will). The truth is, I am open to the idea that fresh food, even raw food, might have health benefits. However, the evidence is clear that raw has risks, and it is up to the proponents of raw diets to prove there are benefits that make these risks worth taking. Not with anecdotes, faulty logic about what is “natural,” rhetorical assaults on the pet food industry, or mere passion. They should prove it with data, with reliable evidence derived from appropriate scientific research. Until they do so, there is no reason for pet owners to take the risks they deny exist for ourselves, our pets, or our families.”

Yet Another Study Shows the Real Dangers of Raw Diets for Dogs

Read article and comments, use the search engine there to look up topics for more articles.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Nothing is being sold at that site, no dog food, no supplements, no books, no membership fees.

[haleycookie]

Dogs can have small amounts of blood in their poop from a variety of things. This sounds like it’s probably a sensitivity to chicken or a switch in the diet. Dogs with sensitive systems can have these symptoms too.
If you’re still wanting to go the raw route perhaps try to slowly mix a premade raw food (nature’s variety, primal, Stella and chewy) and see how that goes. Transition the same way you would with a new kibble. Over the course of several weeks.
There may also be an under lying problem. The answers was a cooked plain broth so I’m not sure why that would cause any upset. I would go to the vet and mention it to them. I would first mention the answers and see what they say. Then perhaps mention the raw chicken later. Traditional vets will immediately jump the gun and blame it on raw as they are trained to support large kibble companies only and that may bring them to a wrong conclusion when something else may actually be going on.

[Anonymous]

I have a four year old, 8 lb Shih Tzu. We just started yesterday feeding fully cooked chicken. I decided we’d cook the meat first and slowly cook it less until it’s raw. I thought it’d be easier for her since we already know she likes cooked meat and she’s had it many times before with little to no problems. Anyways, she had diarrhea this morning that seemed to have a little blood in it. I wasn’t really concerned, but she just had diarrhea again with more blood for the second time today. It’s not much, only a streak or two. A little while ago, maybe a week and a half, I gave her bone broth from Answers and she had the same kind of diarrhea. Same color (orangeish) with a small amount of blood. The next day her stool was normal again and had no blood. She’s acting fine, just like her usual self. Should I be worried? Should I keep feeding the chicken?? I really want to go through with it and get to feeding completely raw, so this is a little disappointing 🙁 Just want the best for my girl!

[anonymous]

PS: Ignore the whining, barking, begging, and the sad eyes. HE IS NOT STARVING.

However, do not ignore anxiety and panic, some dogs that have never been crated cannot tolerate it and may hurt themselves trying to get out. That’s why I suggested a doggy gate, so he can still see and hear others. Don’t put him behind a closed door, he’ll go nuts :-/

How about a raw carrot to chew on? Some dogs like them and they are low calorie. No more than 1 a day.

Not baby carrots, they are bleached and can be a choking hazard due to their size.

Take him on long walks as tolerated, a game of fetch? He may be eating out of boredom.

[anonymous]

Who are you quoting?
A homeopathic propaganda site?

@dawne
Listen to your vet, he is the one that has examined your pets and knows them best.
More info here (science based) http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+food

Nothing is being sold at the above site, no dog food, no supplements, no books, no membership fees, etc.

You can use the search engine there to look up topics, the comments are often informative and helpful too.

[crazy4cats]

What about what they poop out?

Deadly Bacteria Found in Raw Pet Food. Again. Should We Be Worried? Hysterical? Or Just Plain Bored.

[Susan]

Hi Jane,
I rescued a English Staffy 6yrs ago who suffers with IBD, Patch was gulping his dry food, at first I was told add warm water & soften Patches kibble, but once kibbles are soft YOU MUST drain all the water out, so your left with the soft kibble, I was cuffing my hand in the bowl around the wet kibbles & pushing out excess water so there was no water & the kibbles weren’t really wet, but when Patch ate the wet kibble he started getting bad acid reflux + swallowing & swallowing about 20mins after he ate the wet kibble, then his new vet said stop soaking his kibble in water, feed 3-4 smaller meals thru the day instead of feeding him 2 large meals of kibble.. he eats between 2 or 3 cups kibble a day depending on the brand, instead of giving him 1 cup kibble at 7am, I give 1/2 a cup 7am & the other 1/2 the cup at 9am I put his bowl on a small stool, level with the dog mouth, when he’s standing, his mouth needs to be inline with stomach when eating, you can buy those raised stainless steel bowls & they go into a wooden thing or there’s stainless legs holding the bowl.. or buy those slow feeding bowls & I put his bowl on his little kids potty plastic stool….
I feed his wet food in a slow feeder bowl & his kibble goes in his stainless steel raised bowl, I noticed he was gulping heaps of air when the kibble was in those slow feeding bowls, he was licking & licking up the kibbles, then he couldn’t get the kibble, then after eating he was burping very loud burps, so no more slow feeder bowls for his kibble meal, I like small kibbles they are easier to digest if he doesn’t chew them….
I feed Patch 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am -1/2 a cup, 12pm – 1/3 cup wet meal, 5pm – 1/2 a heap cup kibble & 7.30pm-1/4 a cup kibble, at lunch he eats either Freeze Dried Raw I add a little bit of water so the freeze dried comes to life & reconstitutes or Sweet potato & tin Salmon, he gets something healthy for lunch…
I try & reduce the amount of kibble I feed & replace with healthy foods, tin Salmon, Egg, Green Veggies, Sweet Potato, Blueberries, Mussels, Yogurt, Almonds as Kibble isn’t the healthiest thing to fed our pets..

Follow “Rodney Habib” on face Book, he’s always testing something, you’ll be surprise what he found when they did blind testing on Purina Pro Plan Healthy Minds, it tested positive to Glyphosate (Round Up)
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

After soaking his kibble I noticed some kibbles went soft within 20mins then there were kibbles (Vet Diets, Science Diet, Royal Canine, Purina) that would take hours to go soft, Patch never did well on these harder kibbles that took forever to go soft in warm water, so I started looking for kibbles that digested quickly & move thru stomach small bowel quicker instead of sitting in his stomach causing pain, he’d whinge & cry after eating, something was wrong…
when I did my kibble test the small kibbles went soft quickest within 20mins were – , Canidae, Wellness, Eagle Pack, Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac Ultimates these brand kibble soften very quickly…

Get a cup of warm water drop 2 kibbles in cup of water, a good kibble will float to the top of the water not sink, a good easy to digest kibble goes soft within 20-30mins, also feed large breed kibbles, they are made for large breed dogs bowel to prevent bloat, Large breed kibbles are lower in Kcals so they’re not a dense kibble, dense kibbles are harder to digest more work on stomach & pancreas, Patch does best when the kibble is under 360Kcals per cup also the fat isn’t as high in large breed kibbles, the man at Pet Shop told me to feed Patch a large Breed kibble it will help with his IBD, so last year I tried Wellness Core Large Breed Adult kibble & it helped Patch with his IBD, I think the low Kcals -330per cup, lower fat-13%max & the potato in the Wellness Core L/B Adult helped with his IBD also Potato firms up poos..
I nilly put him to sleep last year he went down hill after Summer, everything he ate he was reacting too.

I’ll try & find a link I have, its a study that was done on small breed dogs bowel & a large breed dog bowel… it explains how small breeds don’t seem to suffer from bowel problems like large breed dogs do..

[anonymous]

I don’t trust homeopathic vets, I believe that they can cause harm.
Example:
Marty Goldstein–
Dr. Goldstein is another celebrity participant, a veterinarian to the stars. He is also a strong advocate of the bait-and-switch known as “integrative medicine.” This means he will sometimes use science-based treatments, but then often gives the credit for any improvement to homeopathy, acupuncture, raw diets, herbs, and other alternative treatments he also employs.
Dr. Goldstein, much like Jean Dodds, is one of those alternative practitioners who is so nice and caring and respected (at least by celebrity clients and alternative medicine advocates) that it is considered almost taboo to point out that much of what he sells is unproven at best and, as in the case of homeopathy, completely useless nonsense.
I’ve talked frequently about the problem with the concept of alternative medicine experts. Being learned and experienced in the use of unproven or quack therapies makes one an expert only in a narrow, and fundamentally misleading sense. An “expert” on homeopathy is like an expert on astrology or a long-dead religion: they know a great deal about something fictional, but this knowledge is only useful to believers, and there is no reason for those who don’t share the faith to take their proclamations seriously. For all his good intentions, Dr. Goldstein charges people lots of money to provide unscientific advice and fake medicine, along with the real medicine and, presumably, sound advice he “integrates” with the snake oil. This does not make him an expert but mistaken and, thanks to his prominence and PR skills, a bit dangerous.

Above is an excerpt from http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/05/whos-behind-the-the-truth-about-pet-cancer/
Click on link for full article and comments, also you can use the search engine there to look up nutrition for more science-based informative articles such as http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

[Diana C]

Well, They can both eat wet canned food and dry foods.
The food should contain high protein and low carbohydrate also have good taste.
That’s why I feed my cockapoo with raw meat and bones because I think it is better than any pedigree and bakers etc and i also recommend you the same.

[malinda r]

Our dog is a 5 year old mix who had frequent loose stools that in the past led to more severe diarrhea and then late stage vomiting.

When I first adopted him 4 years ago this happened twice in six months, where he had to go to the vet for an injection to stop the vomiting, and then antibiotics. Over time I realized the kibbles seemed to be hardest on him, and also after some reading felt like he might have colitis.

In the past three years he has not had to visit the vet for illness, or take antibiotics. He does still get occasional diarrhea, but I treat it very quickly/early and it seems to halt the course of being more severely sick.

His diet:

In the am I do a little kibble and a lot of topper, kibbles I purchase are Stella and Chewy raw baked, Fromm pork and applesauce. I use the Stella and Chewy topper. I have tried some others, such as Nature’s Instinct, but it didn’t agree with him.

In the evening I give him canned with a little kibble on top. Currently we are using Health Extension lamb, but he has done well with their turkey also. So overall, not too much kibble.

I add in a probiotic from Mercola at times, herbal digestive supplement from the honest kitchen sometimes, a couple squirts of ultra oil for pets. I have purchased all this from chewy online. I try to not give these things every day, and let his body have a chance to do its own work, but when he seems a little off I add supplements to his food.

When his stool is looser, more frequent I start feeding cooked ground turkey or boiled chicken breasts. I may add in a sweet potato or some plain oatmeal. Usually if I do that for two days and then gradually add topper to the turkey and then topper and kibble to the turkey he is good by day 4 or 5.

When sick they need the antibiotics of course, but over time the antibiotics are so hard on their natural gut flora, so better to catch issues early and treat with the probiotics and other supplements before things get to a point where vet assistance is needed.

I have found when looking at food labels that foods with chicory and also beef flavors are hard on my dog. Also the monthly heartworm has caused some severe diarrhea as well!

It is really rough trying to monitor, theres me or my husband at 3am with a flashlight letting the dog out and then checking out his stool. haha. But monitoring and treating fast has been the best preventative for our dog, it seemed like once he got to a certain stage of sick no home treatment helped.

[Stacey K]

Oops “your”, not you.
I respect every single persons opinion, but for those here using “anything” that you can buy on the shelves. If you’re open to it, please find a documentary on Netflix, called “Petfooled”. It’s incredible! It has an obvious bias in favor of feeding raw and is against most kibble, but not some. I sat down with a pen and pad of paper and took notes, so I could check my food with the issues that were a concern (such as processing temperature).
Thank goodness ours checked out ok:)
I love it so much, I became an Independant Sales Rep. and would love to share some samples with anyone that would like to hear more:)

[cindy q]

The food seems like a really good price, I have a standard poodle and a toy poodle, Each meal comes packed in a container for each dog. I can feed them both for $23 a week. Do they ingredients seem good other than you dont like to buy with vegetables added? I am new to rawI was feeding them fresh pet. Thanks

[InkedMarie]

I prefer just meat, bone and organ. I don’t like paying for veggies, I can add those myself. I buy from Hare Today and Reel Raw, My Pet Carnivore and Raw Feeding Miami are all good. You need something For a stand alone freezer though.

[Patricia A]

Carol C I looked on their website and all ingredients are listed with mineral/vitamins added to their raw complete/balanced. So you can see for yourself what is missing in the grinds to make it supplement only. This is their turkey/sardine raw complete formula for an example:
NUTRITIONAL FACTS

Calories: 42 per oz.
Carbohydrates: 1.9%
VITAMINS

Vitamin A 9768 (IU/kg)
Thiamin: B1 0.88 (mg/kg)
Riboflavin: B2 2.64 (mg/kg)
Niacin: B3 17.70 (mg/kg)
Pyridoxine: B6 3.16 (mg/kg)

Vitamin B12 0.05 (mg/kg)
Vitamin C 27.05 (mg/kg)
Vitamin D 553.10 (IU/kg)
Vitamin E 136.09 (IU/kg)
Folate 0.26 (mg/kg)
Pantothenic Acid 7.06 (mg/kg)
MINERALS

Calcium 0.48 (%)
Copper 2.00 (ppm)
Iodine 0.18 (ppm)
Iron 45.00 (ppm)
Magnesium 0.05 (%)

Manganese 4.00 (ppm)
Phosphorus 0.31 (%)
Potassium 0.27 (%)
Selenium 0.21 (ppm)
Sodium 0.12 (%)
Zinc 36.00 (ppm)
AMINO ACIDS

Arginine 1.23 (%)
Cystine 0.20 (%)
Histidine 0.54 (%)
Isoleucine 0.91 (%)
Leucine 1.44 (%)
Lysine 1.64 (%)

Methionine 0.51 (%)
Phenylalanine 0.73 (%)
Threonine 0.79 (%)
Tryptophan 0.21 (%)
Tyrosine 0.68 (%)
Valine 0.96 (%)
Taurine 0.11% (%)
FATTY ACIDS

Omega 3 1.16 (g/lb)

Omega 6 2.75 (g/lb)
Primal Pet Foods Raw Frozen Canine Turkey & Sardine Formula provides complete an

[cindy q]

Has anyone ever used this raw dog food? The ingredients are chicken, ground chicken bone, beef liver, beef heart, beef cheek meat, gizzards, banana, carrot, kale, eggs, apple, hemp powder, ground flaxseed, turmeric, tripe. They are a fairly new company out of Carolina. The price seems extremely good.

[Patricia A]

Good question to ask on their f/b page. Natural Minerals coming from the food look the same in ratio from raw complete/balaced and the grinds.

[Carol C]

The reviews say “Primal Raw Frozen Grind is a supplement. And because they probably lack some essential nutrients, supplements must not be fed continuously as the sole item in a dog’s diet.”

What are the essential nutrients that are missing?

[haleycookie]

I like natures variety raw boost, Merrick Backcountry, orijen, canidae ancestry, wellness core raw boosted food, and only natural dog food. These are all going to have more meat. You could even rotate if you think your dog is up for it. I don’t think any kibble is perfect. Add meat based toppers, freeze dried raw bits, bone broths, etc and you’ll be just fine.

[Patricia A]

My limited understanding is that certain proteins in dog kibble have naturally low Taurine such as lamb, rabbit and even beef has lower then chicken. Add in all the legumes which displaces the protein coming from meat and the high processing of kibble which lowers the taurine level even more? . Consumers believed that a food touted as high protein is what to look for in a feeding a quality kibble. But really it’s the meat, meat and more meat they need for adequate Taurine levels for heart health.
Now I WAS feeding as a base to freeze dried Stella’s Chewy’s after my dogs stopped eating Fromm. I was going by the Advisors reviews at the time from a few years ago when this kibble came out . It was before the FDA statement regarding grain free and dCM. At the time I was just looking for a 5 star food with an ABUNDANCE OF MEAT. Well it seems now that the advisor has changed his reviews of the exact same recipe/protein for Stella’s raw coated kibble to MODERATE AMOUND OF MEAT? So this tells me in his breakdown that yes those peas/legumes so high up on their list of ingredients IS displacing meat protein. So what caused him to change his review? He didn’t break it down right to begin with?
I can’t bring myself to give the WSAVA big three. What do you think of Wellness core small breed? I stopped ALL kibble but at times I give a little mixed in when I feed home cooked for them?

• This topic was modified 7 years ago by Patricia A.
• This topic was modified 7 years ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Exactly Haleycookies. Wash your hands well just like everyone should do with after handling any raw food. However, Primal, steals and I believe Bixbi uses the HPP process. Primal just on some of their proteins. Many argue that’s it’s not in the truth raw state but love their ingredients and so much healthy then kibble and canned.

HPP is a non-thermal pasteurization process commonly utilized in the food industry.
The practice removes disease-causing bacteria with only minimal effect on the nutritional qualities, taste, sight or smell of the food.

[haleycookie]

https://www.grandmalucys.com/blogs/pupclectic/freeze-dried-vs-dehydrated-dog-food-whats-the-difference
This is a good explanation of both freeze drying and dehydrating.
It is raw and as with any raw meat you have to handle it properly. Wear gloves, use good cleaners and hot water on anything the raw food touches. Unfortuently most people do not do this. This is what causes a lot of recalls on raw foods, mishandling.
Freeze dried foods are probably the most expensive of the Raws. I’ve fed nature’s variety to my cats before and they loved it. They had less poop and less shedding. A mixture of the freeze dried mixed with kibble and the frozen raw.
Nature’s variety, primal, Stella and chewy, are all good trusted raw brands to try out. You have a small dogs so it should be cheaper to feed than having large dogs tho. It’s defiently less processed than regular kibble and in my opinion more healthy. It has been in most cases I’ve seen. However every dog is different so it’s wise to slowly transition. You can also rehydrate freeze dried foods or feed them dry.

[Patricia A]

I have been feeding my two Chihuahuas freeze dried for about two years now. Actually I was giving Origen Freeze dried treats for years but didn’t even realize it was freeze dried. Just knew it was a different texture that they really loved. I now have put in rotation Stella Chewy’s chicken meal mixers, turkey patties and venison blend. When I started I was using Fromm kibble as a base. Then I switched to Stella’s raw coated kibble small breed. I’m concerned about the Dcm with the legumes so stopped all kibble now until sorted out. Many questions on Stella’s f/b page regarding their kibble but their statements also say their kibble is not implicated in any DCM cases. Anyway I started out slowly . One protein at a time in tiny amounts. Just add warm water. Amount to feed for weight is on bag. Adjust according to weight gain or lose. I also slowly put in rotation Primal freeze dried. I use Turkey/sardine, rabbit and their duck. No stomach issues if done slowly. Bixbi Rawbbles is a great freeze dried also. I use this as treats or just throw some in with the pucks or patties . My dogs are doing great on this and I feel much better feeding the freeze dried instead of kibble or canned. Much easier to feed also.
Primal food does Hpp process to kill bacteria but not with all flavors/proteins. It’s on their webpage which protein/flavors they use it with. I believe Stella’s uses hPP process on all their food as well as Bixbi.
HOW HPP WORKS

Essentially, this technology “puts the squeeze” on food pathogens without cooking out vital nutrients or changing the fresh characteristics of food. During High-Pressure Processing, pressure is uniformly applied around and throughout the food product. High-Pressure Processing can be conducted at refrigerated or even frozen temperatures, which means the temperature starts low and stays low — High-Pressure Processing does not cause the heat degradation that happens during cooking.
Freeze Dried The process requires food to be placed inside a vacuum chamber that lowers the temperature until it is below freezing and then moisture is drawn out by slowly raising the temperature. The water originally found in the food moves to a gaseous state from a solid to void the food of most moisture.

Moisture Content:

Dehydration removes approximately 90-95 percent of moisture, while freeze-drying removes about 98-99 percent.[3]

Rehydration:

Freeze-dried pet food will rehydrate within 2-3 minutes while dehydrated pet food can often take 5-10 minutes or need to be left soaking for a few hours depending on the size of the food chunks.

Texture, Flavor, and Aroma:

When food is freeze-dried, the process is gentle and the enzymes are locked in without disrupting the texture, taste, or smell of the ingredient. This particular process greatly reduces the weight of the product and makes it convenient for storing and travel.

The look and feel of a freeze-dried product to a dehydrated is noticeable to the naked eye. Dehydrated foods tend to be a little darker, denser, and can sometimes appear leathery. In order to create a faster rehydration time for dehydrated food, they are often powdered or made granular, whereas freeze-dried foods can be kept in chunkier states.

Another key difference is that dehydration can break down vital vitamins and minerals due to the processes being a little more invasive.[2] The freeze-drying process will keep all the valuable nutrients intact ready to be rehydrated when needed.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Patricia A.

[dawne]

Hi folks! I’m sorry if this topic has been discussed to death……. I obviously know what raw dog food is. I’m really not comfortable with it and neither is my vet. However, since the shelves at my pet store seems to be fully stocked with mostly dehydrated or freeze dried foods and treats, I can’t help but start to wonder. Is there anyone here who can tell me if either dehydrated or freeze dried dog food is cooked first? And does the process of dehydration actually cook the food to some degree?Who is feeding their dog what and which brand. I was originally concerned about raw food because they always seem to get recalled for salmonella. Well, now it seems salmonella doesn’t discriminate. FYI- I have a small dogs…under 15 lbs. No health issues. Thanks so much!

[Lilli S]

Patricia,
Thank you so much for your suggestions – and I will definitely look into Bixbi Rawbbles! He used to love instinct – and even the freeze dried pieces – but no more. He’s eating great, and he loves eating the food I cook him. I just want to make sure that I’m feeding him the proper nutrition. Found out last night that he loves flounder! He had it for breakfast and boy did he gobble it down! lol
Thanks again and i’ll let you know what I find!

[Patricia A]

I have a senior also. She will be 17 in June. At this point she won’t eat anything but my cooked food. She will eat only dark meat boiled chicken. I throw in low salt green beans and canned carrot pieces. I buy lean cuts of london broil and shred into tiny pieces. I bought a bag of Purina Pro Plan . It has very tiny kibble and I tried to push the meat in it to get the taste but she just picked around and only ate the meat. So I gave up on any kibble. When we have salmon I broil for her and she loves that also. I give low salt natural peanut butter. Oatmeal mixed in with shredded mini wheats(found this on tufts heart diet treats since she has mitral valve disease-low in salt). She used to get a hard boiled egg in morning or even scrambled but she puts her nose up at that now also. Please try Bixbi Rawbbles. They are very tiny crunchy pieces of freeze dried. I get chicken/salmon and I am happy that she at least eats a few of those for proper nutrition. It must have a good taste to her because she won’t touch any other freeze dried. So maybe you can get a small bag and give that a try. Not sold at petco only pet supply stores. My stores always takes back if they won’t eat. The very least they’ll give you a credit. Hope this helps. I know how hard it is when they get picky as seniors. I sleep better when I feel she eats good that day.

[Cody D]

Fun stuff! I’ll inquire about the Apoquel during our next apt. He has already had ear issues, that cleared up with a special cleaner and some drops we were given to massage into his ear. Had the ear issues and back scabs at the same time. The original thing we ran into that led to us realizing is he has skin issues was a bout of stud tail that we deal with every now and then. Basically his tail is getting pretty ugly lol Dang dogs… Love them endlessly though. I also hate hate the cone. We just don’t know how to get him to stop licking/biting at the side of his tail. He actually doesn’t do it often, a couple times a day. But when he does it licks it raw. Thus the cone (which honestly he can still lick it if he really REALLY tries). Anyway, like I said, fun stuff. Guess all we can do is laugh.

[anonymous]

Excerpt from link provided in above post.

Why is the FDA issuing this alert?
The FDA is issuing this alert because these three lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog food represent a serious threat to human and animal health and are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they contain Salmonella. Because these products are sold and stored frozen, and the FDA is concerned that people may still have them in their possession.
The FDA considers the actions taken by Arrow Reliance to remove violative product from the marketplace to meet the regulatory definition of a recall. However, the firm has not issued public notification, and the FDA is not confident that the firm’s customer notifications are effective for this ongoing recall. The FDA continues to work with Arrow Reliance, doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, on recalling the remaining products from these lots.

[anonymous]

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/ucm634394.htm?utm_campaign=3-26-2019-Darwin&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

Excerpt below:

March 26, 2019
Fast Facts
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cautioning pet owners not to feed their pets three lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog food after samples from these lots tested positive for Salmonella. The codes for each product are listed in the second group of numbers below the barcode on the package. These products are as follows.
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5309(11)181019, manufactured on October 19, 2018
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5375(11)181106, manufactured on November 11, 2018
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Turkey Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5339(11)181026, manufactured on October 26, 2018
If you have these lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Food, throw them away.
The FDA is issuing this alert because these three lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog food represent a serious threat to human and animal health and are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they contain Salmonella.
Salmonella can affect both human and animal health. People with symptoms of Salmonella infection should consult their health care providers. Consult a veterinarian if your pet has symptoms of Salmonella infection.

[darren j]

Through the years we have had issues with yeast (licking paws excessively, red sore paws, itching ears, red inside ears, black stinky stuff inside ears, sores on belly and moreso in groin area, our first attempt at solving this was repeated trips to vet (antibiotics, oatmeal wash, anti-microbial shampoos, scraping for mites, trying just about every dog food out there from cheap to high dollar, grain free to organic so on and so on, what we found is that some dogs can eat just about any dog food out there and be just fine but other dogs are more adversely effected by the non meat products in the dog food and once they develop the yeast it can take awhile sometimes up to 1 to 3 months to clear it up, we found that zymox helps for the ears, coconut oil helps for paws, also keeping the dogs from getting wet (wet conditions help to breed yeast), but these are just like bandaids and do not eliminate the underlying problem and through years of trial, error, experimenting and research we have found the problem is THE FOOD, and that when a dogfood says its 26 or even 30 percent it is not telling you how much of that 26 or 30 percent protein is coming from meat and how much of that is coming from other sources like grains, veggies(peas) or other non-meat items, and one of the reasons the more expensive grain free foods can make it worse is because peas carry a large amount of protien and many of those foods are loaded with peas, and just just because meat is the first ingredient does not necessarily mean that there is more meat than grain or other stuff (example 30% meat, 25% potato, 20% peas, 15% percent beets = a dog food that is 30% meat and 60% grain/veggie/starches but still is allowed to put meat as the number one ingredient and list the protein at 26% but actually half of that protein is coming from non-meat sources which turn to sugar in the dogs system and promote yeast, the only food we have found so far that has cleared this up is Victor Hi-Pro Plus (I am not a Victor salesperson by the way nor do I work for Victor or any affiliate), this food actually tells you on the front of the bag how much of the protein comes from meat and how much comes from other sources(there is at least one other brand of dog food that tells you this but I don’t remember the brand), it would be nice if every dog food had to do this because then we would have a better idea about which dog foods would be best for yeast sensitive dogs, we have also fed raw to clear this up as well but if your going to feed raw I highly suggest you research that thoroughly, as we have had a blockage caused by feeding to much weight bearing bone at once, and I believe you are supposed to freeze the meat for days before thawing and feeding there are also many other things to know before feeding raw, and a whole chapter could be written on the pros, cons and different aspects of to raw or not to raw.
disclaimer…I am not a vet, this is only from experience with our own dogs here at badlands kennels, so I am sure we only know a little about dog health, but we love all dogs so if this info can help to make any of your furry family members happy and more comfortable then job well done.

[aimee]

Hi Bobby dog,
I haven’t seen those before, but have found a number of chews marketed as Rawhide free. Indeed labeling products as rawhide free is a popular marketing tagline!

I found some labeled “Not Rawhide” that look just like untanned cattle skin. When I asked the company what tissue the chew was sourced from they said it is sourced from skin but it isn’t rawhide because it is skin from the head of the cow whereas hide comes from the body of the cow. Apparently you can have your cake and eat it too!

[Bobby dog]

“Rawhide free,” it’s catching on:
https://www.milkbone.com/products/gnawbones

[Alice B]

I see Acana has a lot of Legumes, maybe your dog is getting a load of toxins from them,
How is he doing on the raw now?

[haleycookie]

What breed of dog is he? How is he exercised? What is his weight now?Most dogs only need 25-30 cals per pound of body weight.
Raw food is only about 4% of their ideal weight.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by haleycookie.

[Anonymous]

My little dog should be able to eat 300 calories a day and lose weight. He doesn’t even lose weight on 200 calories a day. At another website I calculated the amount of raw food (meat, organs, bones) my dog should eat if he was his ideal weight (which would be about 14 lbs). It came to 4.48 ounces of raw food (meat) daily. That means 2.24 ounces twice a day. You know how tiny an amount of food that is? My dog would go insane from hunger. I don’t know how to shrink his stomach down or what to do. I have been giving him vegetables to fill him up while decreasing his calorie intake but it is not helping. I am at my wits end. He needs to lose a whopping 4 lbs.

[Lacey L]

I have a 7 year old golden retriever, Tucker, who is picky and has acid reflux. He’s always been very sensitive to foods ever since he was a puppy. I tried literally 20 different foods, all of which gave him very loose stools, until he finally did well on Kirklands signature and he has been on that ever since. I tried switching proteins within the brand because I read that is healthier for them but he didn’t like it.

I work at a Pet store and decided to try him on Activa because it is a customizable food I could had probiotics and glucosamine to as well as salmon oil for his coat. It was then I discovered he is Very allergic to salmon. So I put him back on Kirkland. Throughout the years his regurgitating food at night happened pretty frequently at times. Then he started the gulping, freaking out, drinking tons of water, pacing and wanting to eat grass. So I started giving him tums until it wasn’t enough and the vet suggested prilosec which helps 70% of the time but the other 30% it doesn’t help at all. He never gets table scraps and rarely gets treats but when I started him on the prilosec I would give him a tiny bit of peanut butter to put the pill in. My fiancé said the peanut butter might do it so I’ve switched to cheese instead and I’ve switched him to Pepcid AC complete. It’s only his second day on that but it seems to be helping.

His latest bout of acid reflux was pretty severe so I put him on small meals of chicken and rice throughout the day which helped but as soon as I put him back on his kibble he got the acid reflux back so he’s back on the chicken and rice.

I work and can’t cook for him forever and he’s a 90 lb dog (not overweight.. He’s actually thin) so I can’t afford raw or canned so I want to find a dry kibble for him to try that would prevent acid reflux. I’ve researched alot and was excited to try the nature’s Select lamb but I gave him a few kibble but he didn’t like it!! So I’m thinking of trying taste of the wild lamb next and if he won’t eat that then try the chicken flavors. I also read soaking in bone broth is good?

Any other food suggestions in case he doesn’t like the totw? Also as I said I work, so would having him grave all day be a bad thing? He is not an over eater at all. When I feed him breakfast alot of times he’ll just snack on it here or there anyways.

[Anonymous]

I tried feeding my little dog raw chicken bones for a while but stopped because I worried so much about him swallowing too long of pieces or jagged edged pieces and had read that some owners dogs died from eating raw bones. Today I was reading about it again and decided to give it another go. I gave him a raw chicken thigh bone tonight and saw that he got tired of trying to chew the middle long section which had got split in half and just decided to swallow it. It worries me terrible that a 2 inch long section of cracked bone is now working its way through his intestines. Especially since he isn’t behaving like he usually does. I just hate the worry. I don’t think I will ever do it again. I wish I had a grinder for raw bones.

[haleycookie]

Giant breed puppies have no protein requirements. Dogs are mostly carnivorous. Find a good high meat large breed puppy food and don’t worry about anything else. There is no conclusive info on the legume/dcm issue. If you stick with a high meat diet you shouldn’t have to worry about anything. A good food to look into is wellness core large breed puppy, and large breed puppy nature’s variety instinct raw boost. Those are two good options. There are others out there. Take a look at chewy and use the terms large breed puppy. Look for foods that have 3+ more proteins in the top 5 ingredients. And if you want to be extra safe you can e-mail the company and ask where their protein levels are coming from (plant or meat) you can also ask if the calcium ratios are correct for large breed puppies. Some puppy foods are safe but aren’t labeled for large breeds. While some that say all breeds and life stages may not be safe for large breed puppies. So it’s helpful to emails the companies.
It also sounds like you’re using toppers which is a good thing. Trying bone broths and freeze dried raw mixers too. They are both great for natural sources of taurine. I would cut out the processed meats tho. Whatever you use for toppers should be plain, no seasoning, no garlic or onion.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by haleycookie.

[Jennifer R]

Yes, I think it is much better than kibble. If you go to the following page, you can see over 100 reviews from others.

https://www.rawdeliverymn.com/ReviewsList.asp?ProductCode=MF2007s&Reviews=Y