A local butcher or even grocery store ares great places to start. Just remember to avoid weight bearing bones. Depending on the size of your dog, something like a turkey neck for a larger dog is a good RMB or a chicken neck for a small dog. I’ve also ordered a lot of nice consumable bones from mypetcarnivore.com.
Here’s a thread with some more information about RMBs: /forums/topic/vegetarian-owner-new-to-feeding-raw-bones-advice-please/
Ugh…if you can get your dog off of the Pedigree.
It’s just not good for them.
I can vouch for Pure Balance, I rotate that in my Rottie’s diet, he also gets raw, freshpet and canned. I change his kibble every bag though. But he has done well on it.
Here is a controversial one to some but I have had great luck and health- Diamond Naturals not the plain cheaper Diamond. I fed my last rot this food for 15 years along with Raw and he did fine- it is also in my current rotation. It is not a bad food but Diamond has had a history of recalls. Many other Pet food makers have had recalls. Many are skiddish about Diamond because of this but it’s not a bad food. They make many other brands as well.
You can get Diamond Naturals of all kinds for great prices at Menards.
I wish I could tell you about 4health but living where I live we don’t have many feed stores. I do want to try it though as well as Eagle Pack.
Victor is a great food for my Rot, he likes it. My Pom got sick on it but he has a sensitive belly- kibble doesn’t sit well.
I bought Authority once and found maggots so ugh…not one I would feed but I know many do.
Hey Betsy- if you don’t mind little hijack- where do you get raw meaty bones? Butcher?
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by
Danni D.
Hi Ally,
Pedigree doesn’t have a very good reputation. It actually contains a lot of ingredients that many believe are unhealthy, myself included. I try to feed my dogs foods that contain ingredients, every one of which, are healthful. Corn is a filler ingredient that doesn’t deliver much nutritional value, unless very highly processed; and our goal should be to eat foods that have undergone minimal processing.
Did you happen to read the Pedigree product review: /?s=Pedigree
It’s a myth that kibble cleans teeth. The only way to really clean teeth is to scrape off the tartar manually with a toothbrush or even to feex your dog some occasional raw, meaty bones.
Hi Ally –
With the possible exception of prescription kibble formulas designed to support dental health, a kibble claiming to fight tarter is really a marketing gimick. Imagine if your dentist told you that if you ate croutons daily you’d have nice teeth and could quit brushing and flossing – if my dentist did that I’d tell him he’s nuts! There are many dental products on the market such as gels, sprays, some specially designed dental chews and raw meaty bones that may aid in supporting dental health to a certain degree. However, the only way to achieve optimal dental health is if you brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Many dog owners don’t realize the importance of oral health or realize that dogs require that their teeth are brushed regularly (just like humans!). The good news is it’s never too late to start!
Here’s a good article to get you started:
http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/articles/brush-his-pearly-whites/
If your dog is having issues with Pedigree you may also want to check out some other foods. Some foods I know of that many people seem to like that are comparable in price to Pedigree are 4Health (sold at Tractor Supply), Pure Balance (sold at Walmart), Rachel Ray (sold at Walmart and most grocery stores), Whole Earth Farms (sold at Petco and many pet specialty stores), Eagle Pack (sold at many pet specialty stores), Authority (sold at Petsmart) and Victor (sold at many feed stores).
Hi Ally,
You’re right, Omega 3’s are a great way to help with your dog’s coat and dander issues. Another great way to add Omega 3’s is with a sardine every few days. I’m talking about sardines in water that are packed in a small tin with a pull back top. You can usually pick them up at Wal-Mart for about a buck. Fresh whole food ingredients are perfect to add to your pups diet.
Also, a great way to fill up your pups tummy without adding extra calories is with frozen green beans. Because your dog’s first tract is so short, your pup will mostly eliminate the beans (poop), but the beans will create the feeling of fullness.
Here is a really great little download a friend shared with me about adding fresh whole food ingredients to your dog’s diet. It’s written by Steve Brown, a man who many feel is an expert in animal nutrition and raw feeding. The download costs $2.95, so you’ll need to ask a parent about it first. http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html
Good luck with feeding your pup! You’re obviously a very loving and attentive pet owner!
Has anyone heard of Blue Ridge Beef Raw Dog Food? Does anyone know what’s in it and have any experiences with it? As always, thanks. Dori
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This topic was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by
Dori.
Just curious, why don’t you want to feed your dog liver? I feed my dog raw and she gets chicken livers a couple times a week. Is it because of the “ick” factor? Lol! Because liver IS pretty cheap.
I’d opt for a lightly cooked diet over a raw diet and I’d choose canned over kibble, for a dog with cancer.
If you are not into making a homemade food (I am not at this moment but may later consider it), you can try commerical raw dog food. Stella & Chewys and Primal are wonderful. Those are what I feed my dog.
Kibble – Dogswell Live Free has a low glycemic impact becuase they use peas and chickpeas for their starch. Compared to Science Diets W/D (Glucose Management formula) which has 51% carbs, Live Free looks pretty good. Their canned food is supposed to be even lower in carbs.
I just emailed them to find out their carb & ash content. Below is what they replied with:
Carbs
LIVE FREE Puppy Chicken 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Chicken 23%
LIVE FREE Senior Chicken 24%
LIVE FREE Adult Lamb 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Salmon 22%
LIVE FREE Adult Turkey 22%
Ash
LiveFree Puppy Chicken 7.8%
LiveFree Adult Chicken 7.7%
LiveFree Senior Chicken 8.8%
LiveFree Adult Lamb 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Salmon 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Turkey 9.7%
Hope this helps!
I usually have them try to draw the urine from mine at the vets. When they haven’t been able to do that, they give me this stuff called plastic litter that you put in the bottom of a clean litter box and it doesn’t absorb any of the urine so you can just pour the urine right into the collection container. With uti’s in kitties, especially those that are prone to crystals moisture is obviously of the utmost importance, but the ph of the urine is also very important too, as crystals thrive in alkali I believe. I am sure your vet will have some good suggestions for you. Our puppy just got home from the vet, he has bronchitis the poor little guy, but he is still all full of energy and naughtiness. No nursery school or puppy play time, or training for him until he is symptom free, he started on Clavamox today.
Hey Akari:
I hope you’re able to give us an update when you have time! Sending positive thoughts to both of you. 😉 Also, don’t know if you saw it, but I gave you some links on the DE thread you started with my experience with it, how I use it, some possible drawbacks, and what I use in conjunction with DE. Good luck today!
Jakes mom & C4c:
Grocery day! I’ll update with what I find and how Bobby does.
My local pet shop is having a 25% off everything anniversary sale on the 18th. I have to stop in to see what they have in stock in small bags so I can get my list together before the 18th. Their stores are always packed on these days so it is distracting if you try to take your time because someone is always in your way. lol This shopping trip might take 12 hours or more!
Marie: For ticks you use it like a flea powder
Akari:
I used to buy Shoo Flea by the Natural Vet, really liked it but just didn’t fit into the budget anymore. The main ingredient in Shoo Flea is food grade DE and it is scented with a capsule of herbs and essential oils. I began using plain food grade DE several years ago as a flea powder and for treating pet beds, floors etc with good results. Keep in mind it does not kill them immediately.
I have seen warnings about DE clogging vacuums, it has never happened to me. I just make sure I take their bedding outside to shake them out then throw them in the washer. I have only had to use DE on the floors in my basement so I swept the floor well before vacuuming.
Be careful not to inhale the dust or let your pets inhale the dust.
I have never fed it to my cats or dogs.
The one drawback I found using it as a flea powder is that it can dry their skin. I always use organic unrefined coco oil as a food supplement when using it. Fish oil would probably be a good choice also. I use CVS 1000 mg fish oil capsules for Bobby and the cats. The good thing about coco oil is it can be applied externally. As a flea deterrent I had the best luck using coco oil applied directly to the skin, but it can be messy for your furniture. Coco oil does very well at soothing skin irritations like flea bites. I apply DE first, then coco oil if needed in certain areas. I used coco oil daily on Bobby last summer. Hopefully I won’t have to treat flea bites this year because his yeasty smell is gone and his skin is healthy since I have improved his diet. So far so good!
Good thing I checked the links I saved on DE, some of them no longer existed.
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.vetinfo.com/using-diatomaceous-earth-to-worm-pets.html
http://www.diatomaceousearth.com/?gclid=CJ2Dt8S5p74CFaQF7Aod5g4AcA
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html&sa=U&ei=9l5xU7PaKPLHsATEvYCQCA&ved=0CB0QFjAA&sig2=DCYxeQKLHzMoXm6BYZtcxw&usg=AFQjCNHLDmVU6sLMs22UbzqWxC0OnCzAVw
leslie, I’m on my lunch break so I don’t have much time to write as much as I want. My family’s rottweitler battled lymphoma for 10 months with chemo treatments. I fed him THK Embark and Preference. When using Preference, I only gave him cooked protein. No raw for compromised immune systems. I also fed some low carb kibbles (Horizon Legacy and Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural) as well as homecooked food. Please let me know if you need more info. I’d be glad to share our experience if it can help someone else.
-Caroline
I mix kibble with raw for my dog. He has no problems with it.
The See Spot Live Longer site has a booklet called the ABC diet. One day a week is all fresh/raw food, the other days are the usual diet, dry, canned whatever you’ve been feeding. He also mentions that instead of one whole day you can spread the fresh menu items over the course of a week, just adjusting the kibble amounts. So apparently he doesn’t see a problem with mixing kibble and raw.
Bobby’s rotation is the same as BCn’s. I buy small bags of kibble so I can rotate foods often. He can switch cold turkey at any time for toppers, whole foods, freeze dried/dehydrated, or kibbles. I feed anything from 3 to 5 star wet/dry foods so protein/fiber/fat levels change with each food. Most of the time Bobby gets samples of other kibbles during a rotation with no issues. So far it doesn’t matter what the protein is and I feed grain inclusive and GF in hopes of avoiding any food intolerances. I am in the process of finding raw foods that Bobby enjoys as well; again no issues other than his taste buds. lol He has never had any issues with transitions since I began rotation feeding in Sept ’13.
Great advice BCnut!! 🙂
Hi Kayley L,
BCnut is absolutely correct. Kibble is the absolute WORST thing you can feed a dog with kidney disease. My dog was born with kidney disease, diagnosed at age one and will be eight years old next month. She has been on HIGH protein raw her whole life. Much higher than 30% even. Her raw diet (I rotate between proteins and brands) ranges from 45 to 54% on a dry matter basis.
The original research suggesting protein was problematic was actually done on rats not dogs or cats. Later research, done on dogs, has disproven the original research but for some reason vets cling to this original research. Nutritionist Mary Straus has some different sources discussing the protein myth on her page here http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneyprotein.html
Phosphorus can be a probelm at any stage of the disease but it isn’t always a problem in the earlier stages. Audrey, in her eight years with kidney disease, has never been on a lower phosphorus diet. Mary lists generally accepted amounts of phosphorus in the diet for the different stages of the disease on this page. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneydiet.html#start
When digested, proteins break down into amino acids. The body uses those amino acids to make antioxidants (glutathione), enzymes, new cells etc. What the body doesn’t use ends up as blood urea nitrogen. How well the body uses the amino acids in any particular protein is called bioavailability. I noticed last night that Dr. Foster’s and Smith website has a good explanation of protein bioavailability. They write
“Can I tell which proteins are better than others?
Not all proteins are created equal, and some are better for pets than others. Every protein source contains different levels of amino acids and each protein is different in its ability to be broken down into amino acids. The ability of a protein to be used by the body and its amount of usable amino acids is termed biological value. Egg has the highest biological value and sets the standard by which other proteins are judged. Egg has a biological value of 100. Fish meal and milk are close behind with a value of 92. Beef is around 78 and soybean meal is 67. Meat and bone meal and wheat are around 50 and corn is 45. Things like hair and feathers would be very high in protein but would be down at the bottom of the list for biological value.” http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=459
Removing chemicals in the environment that have to be cleared through the kidneys can help too. These chemicals may not be harmful but as another thing for the kidneys to clear they still can be problematic. Anything that could be inhaled or get absorbed through the paw could be potential problems. Giving clean (filtered) water can be very important too.
Mary has some really good info on her site if you get a chance to read through it all. Nutritionist Lew Olson of b-naturals.com also has some data on her site (along with a couple recipes). Darwin’s has a high protein, lower phosphorus raw diet that was formulated by Dr. Barbara Royal DVM if interested in raw but not wanting to have to prepare it.
There’s so much more that you can do as well. Let us know if you are interested in the additional info.
Thanks BCnut! 🙂
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by
Shawna.
Unless a dog has a medical problem, feeding schedule is entirely up to you. I know someone who feeds his dogs the way wolves eat, gorge and fast. He gives them enough food for 2 or 3 days at a time and they gorge themselves, then he doesn’t feed them for a couple days. Not my style, but that’s me, it works for him and his dogs. He is a raw feeder though. I wouldn’t ever want to feed that big of a meal with kibble that swells after eating.
Dogs with kidney issues need to be on canned or raw food. Getting moisture into their diets is most important. The reason that vets always jump on the protein issue is that protein contains phosphorus and excess phosphorus can cause problems in advaned stages of kidney disease. You do not need to restrict protein in early stages, but the protein needs to be good quality and less processed, which kibble is not. I’ll see if I can get Shawna to come to the forum side and help you.
I’ve never heard of going carb free for demodex, but demodex is an immune issue, so I guess I can see it. Most foods that are high in antioxidants are not carb free, even whole foods. Good luck. I hope you can find what you are looking for, but I haven’t heard of one single nutritionally complete food that was carb free, even among raw foods, and they have the lowest carbs.
Thank you! Happy Mother’s Day to you as well. Max is my only baby so he is spoiled rotten. He will be 8 on the 22nd. As an old man, he doesn’t eat as much as he once did. Plus, he’s a couch potato so he doesn’t need a ton of calories. I go through a 10lb box in a month. I guess that’s probably a lot compared to what you use. 🙂
As far as the other 50%, I make sure it is close to balanced. If I give extra boneless meat I will add the appropriate amount of bone meal so I don’t throw off the Ca/P ratio. He gets one soft cooked egg (cooked white but runny yolk) with his breakfast every morning. I use Primal grinds that have ground bone. I also use complete and balanced raw formulas. If you add extras and don’t plan to balance them, then just make sure it is not more than 20% of your dog’s meal by volume.
I have no clue why it was removed from the list but if your dogs are doing well on it, I wouldn’t stop feeding it because it is not on the Editor’s List. Keep in mind that the list is the opinion of a few people (granted they are knowledgeable). If I had to guess, I doubt it’s because of their company or practices. It may be because of price or availability issues. I really can’t think of any other issues that would keep it from the list. They are an impeccable company.
I have been feeding HK for 6 years. I first started using it as a topper. Now I use it as the base of my dog’s diet. I feed Max 50% HK (Embark, Love, and Keen). The other 50% is made of raw and additions like eggs and kefir. Occasionally I will make homecooked food for a change. In my personal opinion, HK is better for your dog than any of the kibbles on the EC list because it is less processed than kibble. It is dehydrated so it is exposed to low heat but dehydration is a much gentler process than extrusion which is what it takes to make kibble. I made the switch to feeding half HK because I didn’t want to feed kibble anymore and it is so much more convenient than homemade food.
I hope that this post is helpful to you. Also, if you are a regular user, I would contact HK about buying directly from them. They give a bulk discount as well and you earn points toward free food with every purchase.
No kibble can be carb free, it would have to be a raw product.
So, I am learning that canned food is better than kibble. Right now my dog is on Stella & Chewy’s frozen raw but I like to switch it up, so I was giving her kibble. Now, I am thinking of adding canned in the mix. I have also had samples of Grandma Lucy’s and my girl liked those, but I have yet to feed a whole bag. That is also something I want to try too.
Couple questions, is it safe to switch foods, including forms of food (raw, canned, freeze dried and kibble) often? I have read the Rotating Food posts, so it is good to switch foods/proteins, but how much is too much? If my girl is doing ok, no loose stool, vomiting, ect..then is this acceptable? Is there anything that I should worry about?
I have really only given her raw or kibble. I want to maybe throw a couple cans of food in here and there to mix things up. The brands I was thinking about are: Weruva Human Style, Tiki Dog and ZiwiPeak. Anyone have input on these? How did your dog do on them? They all seem to be top notch and are all rated 5 starts.
Any thoughts on the “Extreme Rotational Diet” or the canned foods is appreciated!!
I wrote articles about raw diet in my blog essentiallydogs.com. It is great to hear that others are learning the importance of a proper diet. About switching brands, there is really no need to do that. I simply switch the formulas. For example, one day beef, next day chicken… I feed my girls Barfworld. B stands for biologically, A stands for appropriate, R is Raw, F is Food. I have arranged that people who mention essentiallydogs.com will get free shipping for a year. In order to get that promotion, you have to speak directly to Al. I made the arrangement with him. 1-866-282-2273. Vital Essentials DOES look like a good one, but my dogs have done so well with Barfworld. I DEFINATELY prefer raw to dehydrated or freeze dried.
Dogs are meant to eat raw food. I write about it on my website and explain the salmonella scare and what is going on with china and their contaminated vitamins that are added to our dog food. Please check out essentiallydogs.com. You can type raw, salmonella, or FDA into the search bar. I also have an FDA video which explains the dog food contamination with melamine that is killing our dogs.
My biggest issue with dog food (most dry & canned), is the vitamin premix. If the ingredient label contains a list of vitamins & minerals, it is EXTREMELY likely that those vitamins are sourced from China. China is contaminating products with melamine which is why dogs are becoming ill and dying. It is NOT salmonella. Dog food manufacturers are not required to disclose the sources of ingredients. ONLY where the product is manufactured. I stick with a raw food diet. i wrote extensitely about these issues on my website essentiallydogs.com. You can type keywords on the website search bar. Raw, salmonella, and FDA are good keywords to search.
Akari:
Yuck!!! Poor Kitty. How are you treating it?
Hey C4c:
I think you’re right, Forti Flora. When I researched probiotics on some blogs most posters did not recommend it because of the ingredients; they called it kitty crack. However, it was not completely snubbed because most posters also agreed it worked like a charm to get a cat to eat if all else failed. General consensus was there were better choices. I don’t remember what the ingredients are so I will just have to check it out for myself.
The one thing I did find is raw feeders used probiotics daily. They mentioned sprinkling 1/2 capsule 2 times a day of acidophilus + bifidus capsules, but I just haven’t had time to really check it out.
I was hoping for a human probiotic so I could use it for Bobby (or even me) if needed. Of course I will buy one for cats if I can’t find one, just hoping to find an all purpose product if possible. lol
The other probiotic suggested was plain yogurt. 1 teaspoon before each meal, 3 t max a day. I think I will try that also, I believe they will eat that with no problem.
I can’t feed my female kitty or one of my male cats’ gravy or sauces for the same reason. The common ingredient that I suspect does not agree with them are starches. If I happen to buy something with gravy or sauces, they don’t get to eat any. 🙁
Kibble is the worst food to feed a dog, its just easy for us the humans, no cooking, no mess, instant….best is raw, then cooked, then freeze dry….. My boy has Pancreatitis & vet said try not to feed kibble if I can & I notice after Patch has his kibble he seems uncomfortable & burps more & Ive got him on a low residue kibble that breaks up real easy & I add water to soften as well….some kibbles are real real hard, especially the kibbles with potatos, sweet potato & grounded rice.. I add hot water to a couple of the kibbles if they dont soften within 1 min, I dont use them….
I’m also looking for a free of synthetic vitamins and minerals, grain free/good for sensitive dogs to allergies, and i can make it into a rotational dry kibble diet(cans are too expensive to feed to large dogs and i dont have the fridge space for a raw/home made diet). I recently heard of different studies (done with humans, not dogs so it might/not apply) where the researchers compared the health of people who took synthetic vitamins from pills and those that took their vitamins from their diet(vegetables, fruits, meats ect.). They found that those that took synthetic vitamins had higher occurrences of cancer than those who ate their naturally occurring vitamins in foods. Here are two sources where you can get this info from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059 , http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions
“Can nutritional supplements lower cancer risk?
There is strong evidence that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of cancer. But there is no proof at this time that supplements can reduce cancer risk. Some high-dose supplements may actually increase cancer risk.”
so please help me find one >.< for my very special adopted senor furbabies.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by
Gloraidy R.
well, since my first post, we keep up with the probiotic miracle and enzyme miracle. We swtiched from OC raw dog to nusentia’s Full Life, which sounds similar to sojos. (just seemed like a smart thing to do to get all our products from one place finally) Funny thing, we didn’t gradually do the change and I was a little worried. But no issues!!!
First notice… less gas. Even the dog poop smells better if you can believe it. I don’t know if its a result of the dog food that the transition went so well, or that we’ve had our dog on the enzymes and probiotics from nusentia for so long.
anyways, just an update, we’ve gotten good results here and a positive experience with nusentia.
Akari and Bobby dog,
I think freezing is a great idea – problem is only freezer space we have is from the apartment’s kitchen’s fridge, which we share with another guy, so yeah, it barely holds our food, wedding cake topper for us to eat on our first anniversary next year, the roommate’s occasional frozen dinners, and Bruno’s raw and frozen treats… so not freezing kibble soon unless we obtain a chest freezer, which I want, but idk if and when we could do that.
Other than that, though, I think Bru will be ok with the THK as a diversifier. How do I need to store those suckers, can I open a few at a time?
Also, Bobby dog, what you said about my baby melts my heart! I really try to keep him in good health and good shape! This websote has been a godsend in that area! Need to do that for myself more, lol. 🙂
Jakes mom-
Oh my gosh, a beagle/basset sounds adorable! We have a basset hound living two doors down from us. I’d never really seen one in person before. He’s so cute. I love to watch him walk! My dogs eat most everything too (they’re labs), but one of them actually spit out some raw broccoli and cauliflower the other day. He went in to the other room to do it. LOL! His brother, however, just ate them with no issue. I’ll have to chop it up and add to his food I guess. Just like I had to do with my human boys. I cut up a turkey neck to put in their kibble today. I guess that would qualify as a fresh meat day, wouldn’t it?
Akari-
I’m using the Wellness core duck and turkey (or whatever it is) right now also. My cats are doing fine on it. I have a much easier time switching foods with my cats than my dogs. It is expensive so I’ll prob only feed every third or fourth bag. I don’t mind having chicken in their kibble and I make sure no fish in the first at least three ingredients. Just nice having this food to have a break from both every now and then. Especially since most of their canned foods have chicken in them.
I feed my 6 year old yorkie all canned now. He was on kibble and I’ve tried all the honest kitchen and he will not eat them. Is freeze dried similar to dehydrated because if it is and I order it I’m afraid it will also end up at the shelter. I thought about going back to kibble with the canned. Do u think it’s better for him to do all canned or add kibble with it. I wish I could do raw but I just can’t. I just feel like he would benefit from something besides canned even though I rotate and I do add sardines, eggs, cottage cheese, and fruits to it occasionally.I only have 1 dog now so I have so much to learn.Thinking about getting a yorkie puppy if I can talk my hubby into it.So what do u think should I start adding kibble?
Nutrisource grain free Heartland Select and Seafood Select are 25% and the grain free Large Breed foods are 23%, and the remaining two grain free formulas are 28%. My fosters seem to transition well to these and I don’t know what they were eating before. Canidae Pure Land is 25%, the rest are 32%. I had a bout of loose/mucousy to bloody stools with half my dogs this past winter when I added Merrick grain free to their mixture! I backed down on the Merrick and they went back to normal. Basically, I try to keep the protein level at around 25-30 for the fosters and they won’t have too many poop issues. The dogs that have been here a couple weeks are able to eat a higher protein level after a while with a 5 star canned food topper. I also give them probiotics. My 14 yr old eats anything, even some raw food without problems. He’s been here over a year. My foster forever.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by
pugmomsandy.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.
I nominate Vital Essentials (raw)…I see others have done so as well. They have quite a variety which I like. I rotate red meat, poultry and fish.
I just wanted to say thanks (from Osux) to the both of you and your advice. I feel like you guys along with my vet (who loves premium foods) will get down to the bottom of my little Pom’s belly aches. You guys turned my frustration around. I was about to give up and give in to the Purina/Science Diet temptation.
So thank you and I appreciate all the advice. 🙂
Danni
Anyone have experience with this company and/or their food? https://bigdognatural.com/
Thanks!
Please provide input/suggestions, and if possible, those with German Shepherds. Thank you very much!
A quick intro-wife and I used to raise Rotties. I always had German Shepherds growing up. We are now 80% empty nesters and recently bought a GS puppy-male. On Monday he was 10 wks old. I am currently mixing Taste of the Wild High Prairie and Fromm Four Star Nutritionals Grain-Free (Dry) Beef Frittata. I wet it w/ warm water. He loves it, clean bowl at every meal. For reward treats we’ve been using Orijen & Zukes and baby carrots, both cooked and raw. I know raw don’t get 100% digested, but he loves crunchy on those. He loves Orijen, but they are expensive.
Again, wanting opinions and suggestions from those that have been raising Shepherds as we are new to the game-been some time since we’ve had a puppy!
Thanks
SandyandMila,
The 3 meals a week is approximately 20% if your dog eats twice a day. That 20% could be anything unbalanced like just a RMB, a whole sardine, some leftover table food, etc. Or if you like, a RMB + muscle/organ/supplements, or 2.25 lbs or raw for one week split up however you like. You could even split up a 2.25 lb whole chicken with gizzards over the course of one week.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.
Sue, I’m so sorry Royal Canin made Patch ill… Hope you’ve found better foods that work for him now.
And I totally forgot about the vet side (makes me even angrier). It is such a responsible profession that has a health impact on so many animals, and an emotional and financial impact on their people, that it blows my mind how vets would calmly suggest products like that… What’s more, I know of a vet who confidently told me that he doesn’t buy into the whole grain-free craze and that Iams is good enough for him and his dogs. And I was at his house, and I saw it with my own 2 eyes that the food is in the pantry, and he does indeed feed that. He is also a recent grad in the field and an operating veterinarian.
I swear I have learned so much more about proper animal (well, dog mostly, and some of cat) nutrition than from a vet. I wish I had asked her more, because she is supposed to be somewhat holistic – does Chinese medicine and acupuncture and such – not to pick a fight or anything, just to see what she says… Maybe I will ask in September, when it’s Bruno’s time for shots again (just his second round ever). We’ll see though. I feel pretty confident in what I feed him (yes, kibble, I know, I know, but it is always topped with canned/other additives/raw, so until I can feed him just balanced raw, that should do for now).
Three meal a week is how many unbalanced meals you can feed if you feed twice a day. That keeps the unbalanced portion to under 20% of the diet.
Dogs do just fine on one meal a day or one meal every other day or one big meal one day and a small one the next, or whatever as long as they get the right number of calories. You can do whatever works for you and your dog.
I was talking to a prey model raw feeder a few months ago and he said that if he had a four lb chunk of meat for his dog, he gave it a four lb chunk of meat and then figured out how many days he should wait to feed it again. Same with an eight lb chunk of meat. It sounded like he was talking about wolf sized dogs, so maybe four or eight lbs of meat wouldn’t go quite as far with his dogs as it does with mine, but the idea is the same, dogs were made to gorge and fast, it’s people that have a problem with that.
I’m actually thinking of doing the same at the moment. I was doing just raw (commercial and RMBs) for awhile but because of availability or cost I am now back to canned and dry with a periodical commercial raw (Answers recently). My dog is about the same weight and activity level as the dog above. If I make a meal from the RMB (adding organ/muscle meat, chicken feet, green supplements, fish oil, eggs, etc. ) would I have to feed it for the same 3 meals a week as the person mentioned above or is that if it’s not balanced? If I use a bigger RMB like a turkey neck or chicken leg quarter and make a meal of it would that be a one meal day, with her eating about 1 1/2 lbs a day? Would that be enough to fill her up for the whole day? Since chicken is easily available and usually on sale I wanted to start feeding RMBs again and eventually feed her more homemade raw. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
I feed my dog homemade raw, but occasionally I buy Freshpet Vital. Bailey loves it and it’s rated very highly on here.
cindy q,
I love The Honest Kitchen. I’ve been using it for almost 6 years. I think it would be a great alternative for raw for you. I’ve never used Fresh Pet so I don’t have an opinion on that.
any opinion on Honest Kitchens dehydrated or fresh pet select? Which is better? I would like to feed raw but its so expensive and I really don’t have time to make my own.
IMHO, many vets do not endorse a raw diet because they dont sell it. Canine nutrition is not a major portion of veterinary training.
Hi Ray C –
I think most of us here would agree that when it comes to feeding dogs the most important thing is feeding a wide variety of species-appropriate foods. Species-appropriate foods will be high in animal-derived protein, high in moisture and minimally processed. For this reason the best option is a balanced raw diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), the next best option is a fresh cooked diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), followed by dehydrated and freeze-dried foods (many commercial raw products – such as Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, etc. – are available in both frozen form as well as freeze-dried form and there are dehydrated products such as The Honest Kitchen and NRG that are great), canned would be the next best option and kibble would come in last as the worst thing to feed. If you do have to feed some kibble for budget or time related reasons don’t fret – there are some decent kibbles one the market and you can always “top” the kibble with a more species-appropriate food form to increase the overall quality of the meal. For a puppy you will want to make sure the food that you feed is either approved for “growth” or for “all life stages” (may also read approved for “growth and maintenance”). Head over to the review section of the site and look through the 4 and 5 star foods to find some you want to try. And remember – don’t pick just one food! Rotating is very important, feeding just one food over time will lead to a weak gut (these are the dogs you hear about that get diarrhea/upset stomachs when their owners try to switch their food – don’t let that be your dog!).
Good luck and congrats on the new puppies! 🙂
I rescued my boy just over 1 year ago & he too has bowel, tummy & skin problems..For some reason corn must bind them more, Patch is on vet prescrition Eukanuba Intestinal since last August when vets said he has IBD, it has corn also, I found the Eukanuba heaps better then Hills & Royal Canin … His skin stopped being itchy, no more diarrhea, the Hills & Royal Canin never helped him…This Janurary I’ve been slowing adding different foods & different kibbles but so slowly but Ive been cooking the chicken breast boiling it cause of the fat.. also I found that the Nutro natural choice & Holistic Select have been good kibbles with his diarrhea…he also gulps, so Im too scared to give any bones, I dont want to push my luck as he’s pretty stable at the moment, I also have read that raw & kibble is no good but if you give at different times it should be OK, I give cooked for breakfast then do kibble for lunch & dinner, that way he’s getting all his vitamins from his kibbles .. Last year my vet said NO to raw especially when I was giving chicken necks, he said to me, they’re are just bones & fat would you eat bones & fat, I said no….so now I cook chicken breast, pumkin & freeze cause 2 months ago I found out that Patch has Pancreatitis poor thing, last year vets were trying this kibble trying that kibble & all along he needed a low fat kibble we thought it was the fiber being to high but it was the fat % that was too high…
I think for some reason they seem more special when they have been rescued, they have had it tough & are survivors…You’ll work it all out but it does become confusing…. just stay away from the carbohydrates with his skin problems, no potatos or sweet potatos in kibbles..
Shasta: LOL! I have a hard enough time not tripping over my 85 lb pony a/k/a Greyhound sprawled underfoot.
