[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nicole –

There’s no reason why you could not feed freeze-dried food in the morning and kibble in the evening. Just try it out and see how your dog reacts.

Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience with frozen raw! 🙁 It can be frustrating for sure. Some dogs transition to raw with no issues, others take awhile and for a select few raw just may not be the right choice and may never work out. A regular here by the name of Cyndi had a VERY difficult time transitioning her dog to raw, but it eventually worked out and now her dog is doing very well on a raw diet. I was lucky, I transitioned all of mine to raw (cold turkey) with no problems.

[Nicole V]

Hello everyone,
I’m new to the forum and new to feeding raw. I have a 20lb terrier mutt that I adopted last year. She has a pretty sensitive stomach, and for a while I was convinced that she had a chicken intolerance. I’ve come to discover that this is not the case, which is a relief. I tried to transition her to a raw diet, but had a pretty terrible experience. When I try to feed her frozen raw, she gets very sick, and at one point had to be hospitalized. 🙁 The good news is that she seems to have no problems with freeze-dried raw (right now, I’m just feeding Stella & Chewy as a treat). I really have no explanations for this, but am grateful that I have the option. At this time, I’d like some advice on transitioning her to a 50% FD raw and 50% kibble diet. Right now, she’s eating Fromm’s kibble…I rotate their 4-star line, which she LOVES. I add wild salmon oil to her kibble every night. She also gets freeze-dried green tripe treats, sardines, and fresh fruit on a regular basis. I’m looking at Vital Essentials right now (I like the limited ingredients) and would like to feed this to her in the morning, and feed the kibble with fresh toppers at night. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone see any potential issues with feeding a sensitive dog this particular combo and on this schedule? I really appreciate any feedback.

[Naturella]

Christina, I would say probably give it a few days (2-3-ish) before you add a new ingredient just so you know if he would react for sure. As for tomatoes, I guess you could put them in a blender or food processor for a few seconds until they are pretty much mush, then try them. Make sure the whole elimination diet does not last too too long, as it is not a balanced way to feed a dog, so hopefully within 10-14 days you will know if he reacts to a particular ingredient. If he doesn’t react to any of the ones listed above, I would go with a grain-free diet, or a rice-and-maybe-oatmeal-or-millet-or-barley-as-the-only-grains diet. But grain-free is generally safer for an allergy-prone dog.

One of my classmates and friends told me that her dog was extremely itchy eating Pedigree and Beneful, so I told her what I know, and she got him on a grain-free diet – said the itch has been considerably reduced to just an occasional “normal” scratch here and there. She didn’t do an elimination diet, just straight up eliminated the grains, and she was lucky her dog did not react to anything else. So that is also another way you can approach it – just try a good quality fish-based kibble and add the THK Beams as treats and coconut oil, and see how that goes. I would probably still do an elimination though, just to be sure for myself. But, it may work out that he just needs good-quality grain-free kibble.

In case you want to just try the kibble round, some good grain-free kibbles (I will just list them for your ease, in no particular order) are:
Wellness Core – I want to feed in the future
Holistic Select
Orijen – I want to feed in the future
Acana Grain Free – I want to feed in the future
Victor Grain Free – I feed now
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free – I feed now
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free – I have fed, no issues
Holistic Health Extension Grain Free – I have fed with no issues and I feed one of their grain-inclusive formulas now
Now! Fresh – I have fed a small bag (less than 1lb) with no issues
Nutrisca – I have fed, no issues
Nature’s Variety Instinct – I will feed (have a bag lined up under the sink, lol), and I have fed samples with no issues
Back to Basics Grain Free – I will feed the grain-inclusive one (have a bag lined up under the sink also)
NutriSource Grain Free – I have fed samples with no issue but it is severely overpriced in my area so I’m not sure I would buy a bag to feed it
Taste of the Wild – some don’t like it as it is produced by Diamond and that company had a huge recall issue in 2012 that they handled poorly, but 3 friends feed/have fed it with no issues
Blue Buffalo Wilderness – I have fed with no issues but some owners report tummy and stool issues with their dogs when on Blue food. However, 2 other friends have fed/still feed Blue with no issues.

I am sure others can pitch in with more recommendations, plus, if you can afford it/want to, it really is better to feed canned/dehydrated/homemade/raw. Or you can mix them up – I feed kibble and canned/THK food/fridge add-ins (like eggs, yoghurt, raw bones, etc.). But yeah, just start off with determining what works for Chance, you can always add new things once he is at least on better food. 🙂

[ab1028]

Now fresh is a really good food! My dog ate it and enjoyed it. For treats from trusted companies, I would recommend cloud star, sojos, and pet kind makes some good treats too. Natures variety instinct also makes some good raw treats.

[Naturella]

Christina, sounds like you are off to a good start! 🙂 For the diet, you can just use canned salmon in water, and some other fish (mackerel, sardine) to test him out (or use raw and either feed it like that or cook it up). Doesn’t have to be in the form of fish meal. And do try him with rice, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas (frozen or canned), tomatoes, and, if you desire – other meats and grains. Or you can just go grain-free and not worry about trying him on other grains, but it is good to switch up the proteins every once in a while. So after the fish session, when he’s fully healed, you could try him on lamb, or bison/beef, or venison, or rabbit, etc., or chicken, if he’s good on it.

Once you know what to avoid, you can find a suitable food for him among the brands we mentioned above and others.

I got my THK Beams from http://www.petexpertise.com but I think you can fond them at the THK website as well: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com . Also at local pet boutiques or specialty stores near you. This website has a Store Locator tab somewhere, just go to the homepage and type store in the search box, it should pop up. Then you just enter your zip code and go from there.

[InkedMarie]

I’m not sure what you’re asking for help with….is it because Bravo just had a raw food recall? There are many treats out there that are great: The Honest Kitchen makes various types/sizes of treats from their Itty Bitties up to fish skins. Charlee Bear, Buddy Biscuits and SoJos are other treats I like.

[InkedMarie]

The first thing I would do is stop the dry food. I’d use canned, dehydrated, raw (core made or your own). If you must feed dry, I’d add water to your dogs food. It’s very important that a dog with crystals get a lot of moisture & have ample opportunity to urinate.

Good luck!

[Naturella]

Christina – if you want to try the fish kibble, you should – what Sue recommends are good foods, also Victor Yukon Salmon and Earthborn Coastal Catch (what I currently feed) are good. Others are Wellness Core Ocean-something and Nutrisca Salmon – also pretty good. Just make sure the food is meat-rich with fish and fish meals.

But definitely try an elimination diet so that you know what to avoid because otherwise you may find yourself constantly switching between fish kibbles because one or another ingredient may cause him to flare up. The THK beams should help though, and hopefully he won’t be allergic to fish. Definitely start him on good raw UNREFINED coconut oil at 1 tsp/day and work up to 1 tbs. daily.

Good luck, keep us posted! 🙂

[Naturella]

USA Dog Treats,

I do want to try to make jerky-style treats sometime in the near future. For now though, I have come up with a new “ice-cream” recipe, here it is:

Ingredients:
1 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs coconut butter
1/2 tbs peanut butter
1/2 tbs tahini (sesame seed “butter” or paste)
1 tsp raw local honey (or any honey)
2 1/2 tbs Greek or plain yoghurt/kefir
1 tbs crushed fruit (peach, berries, mango, banana, etc.)
1 tsp flax seed meal
1 tsp almond meal
1 tsp coconut meal/unsweetened flakes
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Prep:
Melt the first 5 ingredients in microwave or on stove until super soft and easy to stir and homogenize. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into sandwich bag and cut the tip off. Pipe into favorite toy (makes a hoof and a medium kong full of goodness plus some more) or pipe into little treat-sized piles on aluminum foil and freeze up.

These are quite caloric due to all the oils so serve sparingly. But they should be very good for coat (the coconut oil), digestion (yoghurt and flax seed meal), and overall immune support (turmeric – natural antibiotic; cinnamon – has some health benefits of sorts I hear) and health (no grain, healthy fats and carbs, some protein too). And great on a hot summer evening after a day of running/playing/swimming at a lake, beach, or the dog park! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Naturella.

[Naturella]

Jakes Mom, thank you, but I am just somewhat organized, lol. This menu is pretty flexible (for example, today he was supposed to have the raw egg for breakfast but had it for dinner; breakfast was yoghurt; no lunch) and it is not based on calories really (well, when he was eating solely kibble it was perfect because he ate just 1 cup/day based on the kcals of his food mix, but now I reduced his kibble to 3/4 cup and I just do additives to be 20% or less than balanced meals). He looks good, I can feel his ribs easily and I don’t bother measuring calories. If he became chunky, I would reduce both the kibble and add-ins to keep the ratio similar, but reduce his overall caloric intake. So yeah… I don’t know, maybe I should count calories, but meh… I just think that everything (that is safe for a dog to eat) is good in moderation and based on specific needs (skin/coat issues, tummy issues, kidney issues, bone/joint issues, thyroid/cancer issues, etc.) if any, so I just give Bruno general healthy stuff that should be ok and good for a healthy dog to maintain his awesome coat (I seriously love it and maybe I shouldn’t, but I take pride in facilitating his system to produce it like that by giving him good things, lol) and overall general health. So yeah. 🙂

And woah! You had to keep track of a lot of things! A menu can not stand up to you! You got this! Please do post it on here – I would love to see what you and others do as add-ins and maybe try something I have not thought about. And let us know if you need any more help. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Naturella.

[LexiDog]

How “local” does raw honey have to be for it to be benificial for allergies? I found some about 15 miles from my house. Would that work?

[Naturella]

All of the above are great responses, but one think I recently learned about are “satin balls” – you can look it up on Google but here is the recipe:

“Ingredients:

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.
Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.
Thaw as needed and feed raw!”

It is supposed to help with skin/coat and keep weight up and on really well. Also, you can use the Joint Gelatin or another oil (preferably flax seed and/or fish oil (but if fish oil mix it with another oil I would think) – they are more beneficial for their Omega fats content).

Good luck!

[Sherry C]

This food is enthusiastically recommended and I ordered it. Two huge bags from Chewy as it is not sold in my area. I have 11 dogs. Not one will touch it. So so sad.

Because I also feed one meal a day of raw, chopped chicken, my dogs are picky, I admit.

My cats love Solid Gold Indigo Moon so I want to try their Barking at the Moon for my dogs. Does anyone feed it and have dogs that like it?

[doodles0067]

I’d love to hear any opinions re great life. We’ve heard lots of conflicting reports and its not on the editors choice list, so am concern. We’ve tried everything for our very sensitive dog and GL is the only brand we can find that she tolerates and will eat without major doctoring up.. (Trying to avoid raw, homemade or freeze dried for logistical reasons.) What are the pros and cons? Why isn’t it on the list? Thanks!!

[Julie M]

Five months ago my vet suggested I put my overweight spayed Cocker Spaniel bitch on a Raw Meat diet to try and lose weight. She should be about 11Kg and was 12.5Kg Having read lots of info I started her off on 220g per day,divided into two feeds a day, primarily chicken drumsticks & wings, with offal once a week and tinned salmon, tuna or pilchards once a week. She also had about 50g part-cooked green veg (peas, beans, asparagus, cauliflower etc) to help fill her up as she is always hungry. Unfortunately she kept gaining weight. So on further advise I cut down the meat to 150g and increased the veg to 100g per day. But she is still gaining weight and today she has been weighed at 13.7Kg! I love her being on the diet as she actually has to chew & crunch food rather than hoovering it up in a matter of seconds. So the question now is what way to go…reduce the meat further and keep giving veg to fill her up or remove the veg and feed purely meat (as per the Atkins diet)? What would people recommend?

[Julie M]

Five months ago my vet suggested I put my overweight spayed Cocker Spaniel bitch on a Raw Meat diet to try and lose weight. She should be about 11Kg and was 12.5Kg Having read lots of info I started her off on 220g per day,divided into two feeds a day, primarily chicken drumsticks & wings, with offal once a week and tinned salmon, tuna or pilchards once a week. She also had about 50g part-cooked green veg (peas, beans, asparagus, cauliflower etc) to help fill her up as she is always hungry. Unfortunately she kept gaining weight. So on further advise I cut down the meat to 150g and increased the veg to 100g per day. But she is still gaining weight and today she has been weighed at 13.7Kg! I love her being on the diet as she actually has to chew & crunch food rather than hoovering it up in a matter of seconds. So the question now is what way to go…reduce the meat further and keep giving veg to fill her up or remove the veg and feed purely meat (as per the Atkins diet)? What would people recommend?

[Susan]

I didnt notice that you said can wet, the kibbles I said do do wet tin foods, the Holistic Select senior has the least fat% always look at the fat% & slowly reduce the amount ur giving…..I wish my boy had to lose weight, he has the opposite problem cant hold his weight from having Pancreatitis..I cook pumkin & boiled chicken breast u might want to do raw chicken breast take skin off any of the chicken meats if you use, this keeps the weight off as thats what Patch has for breakfast & has lost more weight also I give rice cake biscuits as treats there’s no fat in these oh & some dehydrated apple & banana as treats…

[Naturella]

I’d say brushing, natural chews (like HoundDogMom and pugmomsandy said), and, if you’re down for it – raw meaty bones (RMBs) every night or a few times/week. For a small dog (mine is a 13-lb rat terrier mix), chicken necks, chicken backs, pork neck pieces should work ok. They help clean teeth too.

[goldie d]

My dog has very bad allergies to poultry and fish also has pancreas issues so she needs food that is lower in protein and fat. 24% protein or lower 12% fat or lower. Any help would be much appreciated.

I will not do raw food.

[pugmomsandy]

Do you give chew bones of any kind (tendons, bully sticks, raw meaty bones, ribs, Himalayan chews, cow hoof, etc)? There are also oral gels and oral sprays that you can apply nightly. There’s even a seaweed that you can add to feeds such as ProDen Plaque Off or other brand. My dogs will chew on their cow hoof for two hours after they’ve eaten the tripe out of it (frozen tripe-stuffed cow hoof) and they really love gnawing on beef ribs. The Himalayan chews are really tough as well and last.

[Naturella]

I second Sandy’s advice – Bruno’s add-ins (various canned such as Merrick, Wellness, Nutro Ultra, etc.; THK Love, Embark, Force, Keen; yoghurt/kefir, cottage cheese, coconut oil, raw eggs, pumpkin, flaxseed meal on occasion, canned sardines on occasion, RMBs (pork necks and chicken backs at the moment), and raw spelts (small fish), and natural dehydrated chews – bully sticks, ears, snouts, chicken feet and necks, tracheas, etc.) constitute about 1/4 (25%) of his daily intake. However, THK and canned are also considered balanced foods (right?), so I think I am at below 20% with unbalanced additives. I just use his body condition as a guide, and will start keeping track of his weight (IDK if I will measure him though) – he is very active and runs a lot, and appears to be in tip top shape.

Also, I will give you Bruno’s weekly sample menu. He is an about 13lb, 1 year old, active Rat Terrier mix.
Kibble mix is: Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch:Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Original:Victor Yukon Salmon in 3:1:1/3 ratio.

Treats: above kibble mix or NutriSource Seafood Select or Castor and Pollux Organix Adult (the last 2 are from samples). Also available are Nutro and Old Mother Hubbard biscuits for special occasions. Also for special occasions (or to keep him busy when I’m busy too) I make him ice-cream with yoghurt, peanut butter, coconut oil and coconut butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and turmeric, and I fill anything I can – his Kong, marrow bone, hoof, other toys with holes – and freeze. Rarely I give raw veggies/fruits like carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, apple, pineapple core, mango, raw coconut, etc. (safe stuff).

Monday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons yoghurt/kefir and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with raw egg (no shell) with a sprinkle of flaxseed meal
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Thursday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Friday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons cottage cheese and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons raw organ meat (whatever I have) or raw meat/fish (whatever I have) or 2 teaspoons of canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy

Saturday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Sunday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
RMB to cap it out

On days when Bruno runs a lot (i.e. Dog Park days) I may switch his next meal’s add-in with raw egg or raw meat/organ meats/fish (or canned sardine) for added natural protein “post WOD”. Or give him a dehydrated natural chew like a bully stick, a cow/lamb/pig ear, or tripe stick, or you know – “richer” stuff to make up for the calories burned and supply some lean meat for his muscles. I really just kind of gage his body condition and appetite for stuff as far as additives go. And sometimes, if I’m out of canned, I put his plain dry kibble in a dispensing toy and let him play with it and eat it as is. I also do some training daily and reward with about 20 kibble bits, and, if I want to stress on something – an Old Mother Hubbard or Nutro biscuit. Oh, and I almost always add water (as you can see) for added hydration. But yeah… So far so good with this method of mine. Hope I’m doing it right too, lol.

But I’m sure you will figure out how to balance it for Jake. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

I know the feeling! This site is making me crazy too! Lol! Do you know how many calories that you feed per day? I feed mostly by calories. Most of the toppers I use are balanced and I can compute the calories, so it isn’t too bad. I use mostly canned, dehydrated, eggs, sardines and some raw nuggets. They do get a turkey neck about once amonth and a raw marrow bone once a week. I just count that as their snacks as I subtract a couple hundred calories from each to account for daily snacks as I have big dogs. I’d like to add more fresh as well, but like you not sure how much to add. I’ve been adding toppers for so long now that I could probably eye ball it though. They hardly have ever had just plain kibble. I actually have a chart on the wall in the garage on how much kibble to use depending on what topper is being fed that meal. I’m trying really hard to keep them lean as I’ve learned my lesson on other pets. Anyway, if you can compute total calories fed. Just are sure 80% is kibble because it sounds like you will be mostly using unbalanced toppers except for Honest Kitchen. BTW, you can buy raw nuggets add that are balanced also. Good luck!

[pugmomsandy]

Check out the “body condition score” charts online. Keep a journal or something of your dog’s waist and chest measurement and body condition and weight. Evaluate him every month and decrease or increase his food accordingly. I feed mine to keep their body condition good, not necessarily to a desired weight. Mine are all obese by “breed standard” but they look great. Also feeding a complete commercial raw diet might help you keep track of calories or how much you feed by weight. For instance, I would feed mine 6 oz per day or 3 oz of raw plus another meal of something else.

[mah4angel]

So, first of all, hi! I haven’t posted in here for a while. Life has been crazy. I moved to LA, got a new job, etc. Louie is doing GREAT on his homemade raw diet.
But now I’m pretty sure he has fleas. I say “pretty sure” but, he has fleas.
He started slowly but surely scratching a little bit more every day when we moved from Salinas, CA (central/northern coast of California- relatively cool, mild weather) to LA in January. He usually hits his hindquarters, paws, underbelly, and less so his face. I’ve been checking him for fleas periodically for a while now and hadn’t found anything. And then all of a sudden summer hit and his scratching got completely out of control very very suddenly. He’s scratching more now than not and EVERYWHERE. And then last night I found one TINY little bug near the hip of one of his hind legs. It was about the size of a spec of dirt, about the size of lice, actually and it scurried away when I parted his fur. Then I found another bug, bigger, about the size of one of those tiny flies but elongated. Friggin’ flea…
I’ve been bathing him with Dr. Harvey’s flea and tick shampoo and rotating between ONPS Herbal Defense Oil and Richard Organics Flea and Tick Spray and I’m so disheartened that my poor baby has fleas 🙁 How do I get rid of them holistically? How much do I have to worry about an infestation in my house?? What do I do for my poor Louie?

[jakes mom]

I’d like some advice on managing the “add ins”, toppers, occasional RMBs I’m trying to incorporate into my dog’s meals. Jake was always fed kibble, period. Since finding this site I’ve been reading so much and getting a bit overwhelmed. I’m not ready to do completely raw but have added some RMBs as well as liver, hearts and gizzards, turkey necks. I’ve read about Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, have a small box of that to use as a topper. I’ve read the ABC diet from the See Spot Live Longer site and think that’s an appealing compromise. I’m concerned that I don’t know exactly how to balance it all. How do I balance the extra calories of the add ins? If I decrease the kibble I’m afraid he won’t get the basic nutrients he needs. If I don’t, he’s going to get chubby. I read that 20% of the diet could be unbalanced before issues arise but I’m not sure how to figure that out. Adding a bit of fresh meat/veg and decreasing the kibble might balance out the volume but still be extra calories. How many calories in a 4 inch piece of turkey neck, for Pete’s sake? Do I just give him extras some days with a little less kibble and other days just give him his basic kibble ration with no extras and hope it all evens out in the end? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[aquariangt]

Freshpet, or other fresh/raw are going to be the best bet.

Orijen has peas very far down
Nature’s Logic has no peas
If you don’t mind Natural Balance some of their LID has no peas

[Wanda F]

When we received our first bag of Orijen, last Friday, you could tell it was an amazing kibble before even opening the bag. It is very dense, you can smell the freshness and Brewer LOVES it. I mixed Orijen with Nutrisca for a couple days and he found a way to eat around the Nutrisca. Because of the high protein content I’ve been integrating it rather slowly, (a couple cups a day) but he still developed loose stool after 2 days and I am still giving him a reasonable meal with raw ingredients, not mixing. So why the loose stools??? Who knows.
And…he’s still scratching and licking!…I don’t believe this is a food allergy; I think it’s a skin allergy. When I picked up his flea and tick meds. at the vet. she told me to try Benadryl. Any comments on that? I truly hate giving my dog more medication. Are there any natural products that actually work? I’ve tried herbal flea control, he hated it and it didn’t work very well. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

[Naturella]

Jakes Mom and Bobby Dog, I also saw that on the THK website you can get some freebies quick! I just wish a dollar spent counted for more than 1 point though, lol, but oh well…

Also, Bruno has been loving all his THKs, thank goodness! I opened all of them and put them in freezer bags and I alternate between the four like this: Chicken-Turkey-Beef-Turkey so on one day he only has 2 different ones (like the first 2 one day and the next 2 the next, then repeat, and spiced up with an occasional can of sorts) and the breakfast is always different (raw egg/coconut oil/yoghurt/pumpkin/cottage cheese/kefir – whatever I have in the fridge at the moment). So this way he gets plenty of variety. Plus occasional RMBs and natural chews at night. He’s living the good life, lol (not the BEST life… Not on all raw… But for kibble-fed dog, he’s pretty good I think). I really want to get him on Wellness, Orijen and Acana one day so we’ll see – that would be in like a year at least with all the food we got. 🙂

[Paula D]

Mine switch up between Bravo and Primal raw for dinner, and then rotate,through Orijen/Acana kibble, MaxMeat, Primal and Ziwi Peak dehydrated (usually have a bag of kibble and a bag of dehydrated open and alternate the two) for breakfast, with a can of Tripett for Sunday brunch. 🙂 I do think some dogs do better with slow transitions between one food and another, but I just open a new bag when the old one is finished and don’t see any issues.

Good luck!

[Paula D]

Other air (freeze) dried types: ziwi peak (on the EChoice list, expensive) and Only Natural Pet’s Max Meat (5 stars on regular site, not sure why not on EC list, about half the price). They have more of a jerky texture than the others and don’t have to be re-hydrated, which makes them just as convenient as kibble, but with the smaller poop benefit of raw.

[Melissa]

I am also vegetarian and have two rescues, so my dogs tend to “scarf” things. It took me some time to find the right bones for them that

1. they couldnt’ hurt themselves on (ei I have never fed chicken necks or bones that could become easily lodged for them)

2. They would be interested in gnawing at for a while. If there wasn’t enough meat on it to keep them interested, they won’t even start on the bone.

I have two smaller dogs, so I go with buffalo knuckels and neck slices (lamb and elk). they have been good at eating them nicely and not scarfing! I get them from the pet store (raw food pet store).

[Melissa]

I have two rescue pups (one chihuahua and one American Eski/Rat Terrier Cross). Both have been on raw since November.

My Eski has several food intollerances, so when we started him on raw we started him with Rabbit only for two months and then I started to add one new protein a month (alternating each day) to make sure that we were isolating which proteins are not working for him (he will have seizures if he has beef, chicken or salmon). He has done well on all the “white” meats that I have added, but red meats cause his to have VERY LOOSE stools. So loose that he can’t expel his anal glands, and that has got us into some trouble. In the past week I took him off all red meats (so far he has tried kangaroo and lamb) and put him back on only rabbit for a week. His stools returned to normal, so I added added Cornish Hen back in. All good. Since his digestion seemed to have returned to normal I thought I’d try him on a lamb neck slice, but sure enough he had the runs that night.

My question is:

1. Does anyone else have this probem?

2. Is it OK to feed only white meats for him? I thought it was the bone content in the white meats I was feeding, but lamb necks have a good bone content and he still ends up with the runs.

My chihuahua eats anything and everything and has perfect stools without fail. I feel so bad for my Eski!

Thanks
Melissa

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Yvonne E,

Do you happen to live in FL? Maverick Pet Foods is located in Hollywood, FL. I live in Central Florida and my local pet boutique carries the Genesis Raw made by Maverick. From what I can tell they look like a good company. I wouldn’t mind if DFA did a review for Nature’s Kitchen and Genesis RAW both made by Maverick Pet Foods. Although, I think these products may only be available in FL. I’m not sure what their distribution is like and if they are available outside FL or not.

[Cathy H]

I have been feeding my dogs this food for about 6 months now and they seem to be doing fine on it, but I notice it is not on any of the lists here. I’m just curious if anyone knows anything about this particular brand? Thanks for any input.

[Bobby dog]

Hello:
Checked out the NV canned cat food to see if my pet stores had the deal C4c ran into, they didn’t. 🙁
I picked up beef liver for the ABC diet. I went to two grocery stores and that was the only thing on my raw list I could find. 🙁 I was going to hit a third grocery store on my way home, but I ran out of time. That one probably will have some of the items I am looking for; next time I will start there first.

I also picked up lactobacillus & bifidobacterium capsules and plain Greek yogurt for the kitties. I have been sprinkling one capsule each/day on Tyler’s food; he does not like yogurt. I have been alternating yogurt and capsules with Archie; he’s a good eater. I hope Archie’s coat continues to fill out. The bald spots are really growing fur now. His skin is still dry, but has improved a great deal. I’ll keep you up to date in case anyone else has these types of issues with their cats in the future.

Akari:
Hope all is well.

Not a coupon deal, but one of my pet store’s deal this month is B1G1 free any size dog or cat food of Cali Nat’l or EVO. Picked up two small bags of EVO for the cats for $9.99 total and three cans of Wellness using my $1.00 off coupons for each. 😉 I was in there looking around for food to buy this Sunday during their anniversary sale, 25% off everything, wahoooo!

[Deb B]

What about Nature’s Variety Instinct Frozen Raw Food??

[Jami Y]

I believe that Orijen is the best dog food, next to raw. I have never seen a list of more impressive dog food ingredients. My schnauzers love it. I appreciate the tips I’ve read on this thread about slowing down a dogs eating. I will be trying them. My dogs love Orijen so much that they gulp it down.

[pugmomsandy]

You can also try giving one meal of raw and the other meal of kibble and just give them more time to adjust to raw. Most kibbles are lower in fat than raw food. Mine have been eating raw for more than 2 years so they can consume any kind of food – raw, kibble, canned, freeze dried, high fat, low fat, doesn’t seem to phase them.

[pugmomsandy]

Yes, raw skinless whole chicken leg quarter with bone or enough to give your dogs a meal of it. I have small dogs. A drumstick or a couple of wings would be enough for mine. You can usually find leg quarters on sale frequently or in large family size bags. If your worried about whole bones, smash the leg a couple times with a hammer or back of a cleaver or something. My small dogs can even eat pork ribs (but I would consider pork ribs fatty).

[3dogmom]

Thanks, pugmomsandy, I appreciate the feedback. Should I give the chicken raw and with the bone? Sorry, but I am new to the raw diet and want to make sure I get it right!

[3dogmom]

Hi all,
I have recently switched my 3 hounds to a raw diet – Bravo performance dog food. I transitioned them slowly from their kibble and they have now been on the raw diet only for about 6 weeks. They LOVE the food!! The problem is that 2 of the 3 are having severely loose stools. The third has looser stools than usual, but not as bad as the others. I have added a probiotic to the mix, Purina Fortifore, which I am giving them each one packet once a day with their meals. I also supplement with Salmon oil, but I am not giving the the recommended dose of that yet because of the loose stools and gurgling tummies. I am wondering if the beef based food is too fatty for them? Should I switch to another protein source? They are a pure basset, a basset-beagle mix, and a blu etick basset mix (he’s handling the switch the best). I have scoured the net looking for help/suggestions, and so far this is the most knowledgeable forum I have found. Any and all help is truly appreciated!

[Naturella]

Can’t contribute much to this conversation except that one of my friends and I would love to some day own a fox-dog hybrid. And if I ever do, that baby will be eating raw, MAYBE with some base premixes (THK, Grandma Lucy’s, etc.).

[Shasta220]

Yes! definitely avoid any grains…. Where did you get this pup? Was it a breeder?! If so, that person has ZERO right to be breeding wolf dogs without knowing about the wolf’s nutritional needs! Any proper WD breeder would encourage a raw diet, or at least stress the GF and high-protein needs. DN is not a super protein-rich (animal based, not grain/plant based) and is a lousy choice for a wolf.

Sorry about the rant on wolves…. But if you have a Facebook, then try finding the group “For Sale Wolf Puppies.” I have a friend (wolf dog breeder…she breeds between about 60 and 90% WDs) who is the main admin for that page (she calls herself “Obie Wolf” on there)… I’d suggest trying to get into that group, then shoot Obie Wolf a message. She will give amazing tips on where to get meat and how much to feed.

I also agree with Hounddogmom’s suggestion about that book. It’s a very good read 🙂

[Ron M]

I was reading last week from a site called The Dog Press and one of the editors had a list of ingredients to avoid. She had on the list most of the meat meals. The reasoning
was high levels of fluoride due to the manufacturing process. I have no clue on the validity. But will pass along the link. They do seem to favor a species appropriate diet, in this case raw and variety.
She listed other ingredients that are inappropriate that I have a hard time agreeing with.
One was probiotics, I can understand in certain situations that they may be contraindicated.But I’m not sure I would throw out the baby with the bath water.
Anyways here is the link if you would like to take a look.
http://www.thedogpress.com/DogFood/Ingredients_Liquorman.asp

[Hound Dog Mom]

I would agree with Shasta220 about considering a raw diet. The book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown would be a great starting point. If not – the only food on your list that is appropriate for large breed puppies (to my knowledge) is Wellness CORE Puppy.

[Shasta220]

Out of those options though, I’d probably go with Blue Wilderness or Core (I’m guessing it’s Wellness Core, right?). But you really should, at the very least, top with a minimum of 20-50% raw meats. Or even canned food. I still am leaning very very strongly on raw for a wolf’s diet…

[Shasta220]

Is this your first WD (wolf dog)? Wolves have different dietary needs that dogs, and kibble is usually a bad idea for them. I know some WD breeders personally, and they say that kibble containing grains can be disasterous.

I’d definitely suggest looking into a raw food. If you don’t want to take the time for that, then definitely make sure the food is grain free and has a large amount of meat…

[Wanda F]

Yes..just after I ordered Orijen on-line someone on here recommended See Spot Live Longer. I checked it out and will absolutely find a way to incorporate that into his diet either with the Orijen or without. I’ve read that Orijen is so high in protein, it can cause disgestive problems and even liver problems all though that seems doubtful. Sooo, I’m mixing current kibble (Nutrisca) and raw in hopes of getting him used to a higher level of protein. He kind of ignors the Nutrisca and waits for raw..that should be a hint. Anybody need a bag of Orijen?

[LexiDog]

I stand corrected on the raw. However I should have been more specific stating that if you want to go with a kibble LiveFree would be a good one. Not that it is the BEST choice overall but a good one for kibble.

[USA]

I agree with Betsy. For a dog with cancer who is not already eating a raw diet and doing well on it I would not want to add the additional bacterial load that comes with raw food. A lot of healthy dogs do very well on a raw diet and this is something worth trying in dogs who are not fighting cancer or other serious illnesses.

Kibble is highly processed and the way it is made and the ingredients that it uses are the furthest from a NATURAL diet for a canine that you can feed your dog. The fact that kibble is a dry food adds additional stress to a dog’s kidneys and liver.

If a homemade lightly cooked diet is not an option a high quality low carb canned food would be much more beneficial for all dogs than kibble but especially for a dog dealing with a serious illness.