[puppylove]

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.

[Naturella]

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. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

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.

[weezerweeks]

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?

[pugmomsandy]

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.

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

[Rosemary C]

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.

[Danni D]

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

[Donna K]

Anyone have experience with this company and/or their food? https://bigdognatural.com/

Thanks!

[Steven K]

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

[pugmomsandy]

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.

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

[Naturella]

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).

[theBCnut]

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.

[SandyandMila]

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.

[Cyndi]

I feed my dog homemade raw, but occasionally I buy Freshpet Vital. Bailey loves it and it’s rated very highly on here.

[RescueDaneMom]

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.

[cindy q]

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.

[CSollers]

IMHO, many vets do not endorse a raw diet because they dont sell it. Canine nutrition is not a major portion of veterinary training.

[Hound Dog Mom]

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! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Susan]

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..

[FreeholdHound]

Shasta: LOL! I have a hard enough time not tripping over my 85 lb pony a/k/a Greyhound sprawled underfoot.

[Wanda F]

Didn’t even realize there were premixes. Thanks so much for the info. The veternarians Brewer has seen don’t know as much about canine nutrition as you guys do; best $19.99 I’ve ever spent. Why is it most vets. recommend/prescribe corn based food, typically Purina? I walked out of one office with a 6 pound bag ($26.99) and the first 3 ingredients
were rice, corn gluten and whole grain corn. Another vet wouldn’t even discuss a raw diet; thought Brewer would choke on the raw bones and get Ecoli or something.
I think the pre-mixes are a good idea; one meal raw, one kibble. What do you know about Nutrisca/Dogswell?I was surprised it wasn’t listed in Editor’s Choice.

[Steven A]

I switched my dogs from RAW diet to Wellness Brand Core Ocean without any problems. They went through 1 12 pound bag and for the most part enjoyed it. I decided to move them to Small Breed Core. I transitioned them from half and half Ocean and Small Breed. After a week they were on 100% Small Bread. That is when the SH*T it the fan literally.
After three days on Core Small Breed they had the runs bad 6 to 7 Bowel movements a day. All over the house. My poor wife was stuck with the situation while I was out of town. I returned the Small Breed today in exchange for a small bag Ocean and one of Wild Game. They ate a meal of the Ocean although my male is not to fond of it( he liked it at first but now is temperamental with it). He will not finish his dinner. I’m thinking of mixing the Wild Game and Ocean to get him a more palatable combination. For now it’s Ocean and wait and see if they get back to normal.

[Shasta220]

I don’t mind separating eggs. I just crack the egg and drop the yolk between the two shell-halves. If you want to do several, I’ve seen a trick to crack the eggs in a bowl, then use an empty water bottle, squeeze it a little bit, then put the end over the yolk. It sucks that yolk right up.

I’ll probably keep with the raw eggs, since it’s so much easier to crack an egg right over the food – but if I ever have a leftover egg white, then I’ll be cooking it a tiny bit.
Thanks all for the help

[pugmomsandy]

You can do homemade raw by using the Premixes like Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen, Dr Harvey’s, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer. You add your own meat and oil. If you’re worried about mixing raw and kibble, then you can feed one meal raw and one meal of kibble. Some dogs might have a problem with mixing foods, but not all. You can also get a grinder at least 3/4 horsepower. That should be able to grind chicken bones so you can buy bulk chicken at a lower cost. Find out if you have any restaurant supply stores near you that you can purchase from. You can buy items by the case. But to answer the question of what’s the next best thing to raw, I would say freeze dried raw, air-dried raw, dehydrated raw, cooked freeze dried or cooked dehydrated and canned food, then kibble.

[LexiDog]

Orijen is probably the best kibble out there. Merrick Grain Free is all good and a little less expensive.

Grandma Lucy’s Pureformane line is a great freeze dried line.

My girl inhales her food too. When I give her commercial frozen raw, I only give her 1/3 of her meal at a time spread out as thin as I can get it on a small plate so she has to work for it a little. For kibble, I use a portion pacer ball in her bowl. Basically a big ball in her food so she can’t gulp it down too fast. Dog Games has an interactive feeder bowl shaped like a 3D flower with a bunch of nooks and crannies so she has to eat her food a lot slower. Sometimes I will put 1/2 her meal at a time in her Kong Wobbler toy. She loves it and makes her eat slower.

[Wanda F]

Thanks for your great tips! I’ve checked into Darwin’s and a afew others but as much as I like Brewer, I don’t know if his monthly food bill should exceed the monthly payment on a new Lexus. That being said, I’d still like the best for him and feel I could do raw from my kitchen and fill in with Nutrisca or Orijen( for vitamins, minerals and probiotics) but in some of the “expert research” I’ve found they say feeding both is not beneficial. Something about time in digestion being different. Sometimes all of this information is overwhelming..I grew up with farm dogs and fed them whatever; they lived long and don’t remember them ever being sick. Are all of these health issues, with our canine friends, recent? Both of my last 2 dogs have had very sensitive digestive systems and allergies.

[Sue’s Zoo]

Just read the Dogs Naturally article. Apparently it’s better to feed eggs (including whites) raw because cooking depletes the nutritional value. So I may give mine all raw yolks, some raw whites and cook the unused whites for my breakfast :).

[Sue’s Zoo]

I feed raw and usually just add raw eggs on occasion but I didn’t realize the info about avidin and cooking. And I agree that separating egg whites is a pain so now that I’m going to cook some I found a couple of egg separators on Amazon and figured I’d share the info.

The second one had more reviews and a slightly higher rating. And they’re each under $5. I’m sure you can find them at a bed bath and beyond, too.

Always learn something new and useful when I read thru these forums. Wish there was a way to compile all the info. Or a good search engine for the forum!

[RescueDaneMom]

If I had to rank commercial foods in order of preference, I would say raw first, then dehydrated/freeze-dried, then kibble. Primal and Stella & Chewy’s make complete and balance raw formulas. Darwin’s is also complete and balanced plus they ship right to your door (you can’t buy it in a store). For dehydrated food, I like The Honest Kitchen. Grandma Lucy’s is similar but freeze-dried instead of dehydrated. If you want kibble, then I agree that Orijen is one of the best kibbles you could feed.

I feed my Great Dane (also a rescue) a 50/50 mix of The Honest Kitchen and commercial raw. I try to rotate as many different brands and proteins of raw as I can. I use Primal, Stella & Chewy’s, Tucker’s, Vital Essentials, and Genesis Raw (local to FL). I do keep a small bag of Orijen Adult on hand for when I forget to thaw out raw or I’m in a hurry.

If I were you, I would try to locate a small, independent pet store or pet boutique. They tend to carry the quality kibbles and also raw/dehydrated foods. They will usually special order things for you as well.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Have you thought of either ground raw (Hare Today, My Pet Carnivore and Reel Raw) are the places I know of to order from or pre made raw (Darwin’s & Primal are two I like)?

[Wanda F]

I’ve had Brewer for 2 years; rescue Lab. who spent most of his young life at the shelter. He came with numerous stomach, stool and skin problems (even thought the neighbors had poisoned him because he was so sick)…after several vet. visits who suggested corn based food I went to Dog Food Advisor and tried Dogswell-Nutrisca…he’s certainly doing better but I want the best for him so I tried raw but realized I was too uncertain how to get it balanced and he’s a “gulper” so meaty bones and whole chicken pieces are a hazard. Now I’m looking at Orijen…seems the next best thing to raw for this special boy. Any advice???

[pugmomsandy]

I use Wagatha’s organic dog biscuits. They are wheat free, just not grain-free. I have used Instinct biscuits before and they weren’t small. They’re grain free freeze dried Raw Boost treats might work too.

[theBCnut]

Jake’s mom

You did exactly what I would have done. If they don’t consume the bone completely then after a couple hours when they get tired of it, I throw it away. Some people refreeze them and give it again later, but I have plenty of bones, so have never felt a need to save them.

Sue

Dogs handle the germs just fine, so I don’t risk cooking even a little bit of the bone. I do tend to give bones in their crates, so they don’t get raw meat all over the house though. Also, good luck on finding raw meaty bones that are low fat. Ribs are fatty, though lamb is much leaner than mutton. I think brisket is the sternum area. The leanest raw meats are chicken and turkey with the skin removed, but they aren’t as much workout for the teeth.

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

[Sue’s Zoo]

Zohar, Feeding raw meaty bones, it that’s what you’re thinking of, depends on the size of your dog and how they eat. I have two large breed older pups that are all on raw within the last 3 months. The older one (8 yrs., 80 lbs) took to raw like a champ but takes her time chewing her raw meaty bones (so far smaller turkey necks, also chicken necks, wing, feet and backs. And she LOVES them.
The other two are under a year (95 lbs and 70 lbs). They chew most RMBs but quite often, with turkey necks, will swallow a large chunk at the end and then regurgitate several pieces of bone about 3-4 am. It’s never been a real problem but not great to wake up, clean up and wonder if all is ok for the next hour. So I’ve recently started using a meat mallet on turkey necks to break down the bone slightly before feeding. Seems to be the answer as there has been no bone regurgitation since I started.
A couple of tips I found elsewhere: to cut large, heavier bones into smaller pieces use a garden type Lopper. Works great on turkey necks. Be careful about pieces that are too small as it is easier to choke on something that is just a little too big to swallow rather than something large that they break into smaller pieces themselves. That said, I’ve also heard of holding some of them with tongs while they eat until you’re confident they can manage the size, etc. on their own. I have to say it was kind of scary at first and it’s never good to be over-confident that you never question what you’re doing.
And even if you don’t have a butcher, there are SO many raw pet food providers available now! You can buy lots of different raw meaty bones from any of them. Just research to make sure it’s the quality you want.

https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/
http://www.rawpaws.org/display/main/Raw+Paws+Home+Page
http://reelrawdog.com/
https://www.hare-today.com/

And last, I heard of a website that provides info and links to many organic farms (meat and veg). Maybe there’s one near you! Check here for places that might be close to you: http://www.eatwild.com/index.html

Good luck!

Still confused TOO!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Sue's Zoo.

[Sue’s Zoo]

I have two large pups (10m, 95lbs; 7m, 68lbs). Thanks to this website I’m now raw feeding though I’ve stressed about it quite a bit (mostly unnecessarily I”m sure). But when I talked to my holistic vet she suggested if I needed more bulk in diet especially when problems occur, oats would be the way to go. I haven’t researched this further but thought I’d pass it along as something you could check further.

Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi, I’m a vegetarian to, I hate meat, all those poor animals getting killed.. I was thinking of giving Patch a raw meaty bone once a week but Im worried as he has Pancreatitis, in the book im reading at the moment the vet suggest Raw Brisket bone or Mutton flaps as they are ideal because the dog needs to really use their teeth to crack crush & tear these down to small pieces, their gums & teeth benefit enormously from this activity. I dont know what a brisket bone is or what’s a mutton flap, but the rib bones sounds good, Ive seen BBQ ribs u can slice 1 off, but mite be a bit small for Patch it would be gone in 1 minute. I’d have to have a look at them all at the butchers & ask the butcher what meat bones would have the least fat beef, lamb or pork, also does anyone pour boiling hot water over the bone to kill any germs & bacteria….

[Bobby dog]

Jakes mom:
I am not sure who is enjoying the RMB’s more at this point, you or Jake! lol I have tried some soup bones before; I am not even sure if they are appropriate. This was before I took an interest in what I was feeding Bobby and my cats.

Bobby’s a funny little dude because chewing on the bone or eating the raw meat off of it didn’t really interest him, he just wanted to bury them. He buries anything you give him outside though, even biscuits. He doesn’t even chew on bullysticks. He does chew like a maniac on his squeaky or plush toys. He’s four years old and has the most beautiful white teeth you have ever seen and I do not brush them.

I am still going to go for the beef heart but what I am really interested in trying is a turkey neck. Maybe a different texture may interest him, IDK. I will check out everything that is out though because you never know what you will come across.

These updates make me want to go grocery shopping sooner! Thank you so much for the updates though, they are helpful for me!!!! 😉

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, Jake had a beef bone tonite and he loved it! Either he likes beef more than chicken or he’s just more used to raw now but he had no hesitation about it like he did when I first gave him a chicken back. I’m not sure what kind of bone it was. It was packaged as “scrap bones for stewing”. Had a decent amount of meat on it. I think it was a cow vertebrae by the looks of it. The cats enjoyed some of the meat, too. Beef is a hit at my house I guess! Next time, pork ribs maybe! You should try giving Bobby a nice meaty bone, this one kept Jake busy and happy for almost 2 hours!

[aquariangt]

I am not very versed in large breeds, but brands that don’t suck from petsmart (and again, this is just based on BRAND, nothing to do with large breed nutition-though I will type in ones that aren’t grain inclusive as per BC’s comments on wolf hybrids, also which I have no concept of):

Wellness Core
Nulo
Castor and Pollux Ultramix
Freshpet Vital
Simply Nourish Source

Really the only ones I care about there-and I only feed 1.5 of them. I did however see at my Petsmart the Nature’s Variety Instict (including Raw) were on their way in, so that’s good.

Also-love the name Khaleesi. I have a Daenerys 🙂

[jakes mom]

Zohar, I don’t eat meat either but have recently started feeding a bit of raw food to my dog and cats. These forums are a wonderful resource, BCnut has been a great help to me. The only thing I would add is that maybe you don’t need to bother making a trip to a butcher shop. A local grocery store has beef and pork ribs and you can ask them to cut a slab of ribs into pieces for you. Good luck, I’m sure Penny will love a rib bone! My dog, a beagle/basset mix is a 30ish pound dog and he also loves chicken backs.

[jakes mom]

OK, thanks BCnut. I am just looking for stuff to give the dog and cats more as a healthy treat as opposed to really “feeding raw” so not worried about calcium or other nutrients, still counting on the kibble to supply that. I have been looking at just raw stuff like the bones, hearts and gizzards, chicken backs and chicken and beef liver. I’ve seen a lot of smoked hocks and knew not to give anything like that so was interested when I saw the fresh hocks. Have noticed that a lot of the chicken parts are “enhanced” so have avoided that as well.

[theBCnut]

If you were starting a raw diet, I would recommend consumable bones and yes, we do feed raw chicken bones, as well as turkey, duck, quail, etc., just not cooked. But for a kibble fed dog that needs some chewing satisfaction and some teeth cleaning, I recommend rib bones, pork, lamb, goat, beef. These bones are pretty safe for your dog to eat the whole thing, if he really loves chewing, but they provide a bit more challenge, so do a great job on teeth. You can get a slab of ribs and ask the butcher to cut them into individual ribs. Whole beef ribs are probably a bit big for your dog so you would want to have him cut those in half unless you find short ribs. Give one a couple times a week.

[Zohar F]

Hi there – I’m a vegetarian who has never stepped into a butcher shop or eaten meat since I was a kid. I’m not opposed to feeding raw dog bones (I do feed meat based dog foods), and I keep reading about the benefits of raw bones, but I have no clue where to start. I understand you go to the butcher – but what bones do I ask for? My vet told me to ask the butcher to cut a beef knuckle into quarters and give that to Penny, but then I read knuckles are bad and too hard and can break teeth. Marrow bones are good and bad. Soup bones are good and bad. Never feed weight bearing bones. Never feed chicken bones but then do feed chicken necks, backs and thighs? I AM SO CONFUSED. I’m scared to walk into the butcher shop and ask him what to feed because what if he gives me the wrong bone.

I just bought a smoked ham bone at the pet store which I was told is different from cooked – but I took it away after reading horror stories online that smoked is the same as cooked.

Can someone give me a definitive answer on what to give Penny? She’s a 25-30 pound terrier mix who loves to chew. She gets high quality kibble – so I’m more searching for recreational bones that will keep her busy, clean her teeth and not break her teeth (although nutritional benefits are welcome). What types of bones do I ask the butcher for? Detailed answers much appreciated!

[jakes mom]

Akari, I agree with everyone else’s comments and would just add one thing. The cat’s face is sensitive, maybe you’re annoying him, especially if you’re touching the very sensitive whiskers. There’s also something called hyperesthesia, a syndrome where kitties are ultra sensitive to touch, especially on the back. I doubt that’s the case with you, I think he’s probably just young and rowdy!! I have a cat who’s very touchy about his back. He likes me to pet him but I need to watch how he’s acting and know when to quit.
Raw food people…I was at the store this afternoon and saw fresh pork hocks and pig tails! Also ox tails on sale for soup. Has anybody fed a pig tail? Looked like a good size but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t get them. Are any or all of them ok? I was pretty sure the hocks would be ok?
C4C, I know what you mean about the strange looks from some people, but have you also noticed that some of those people, the ones with just one or 2 cats, seem to come to us for advice? lol

[Matt C]

Jesse James Hagen-Daazs
D.O.B. December 14, 1995 / D.O.D. January 01, 2011

“PALS”
Jesse James was a very special friend to me during our time together. We came together at a time in my life when I was just starting out on my own, and in need of a loyal friend. He was such a friend to me throughout the 15 years he was by my side.
He & I shared many adventures together. Sometimes it was just a quick trip to the corner store for a soda. Other times it would be week long road trips; camping, hiking and fishing our way throughout Arizona. His favorite words to hear were: “Jesse; wanna go for a ride in the Jeep?” He loved visiting family or friends for an afternoon barbeque and a chance to test out their swimming pool. Or a quick trip to the Salt River, to go swim out to greet the passing Tubers; usually with a stick (sometimes ½ a tree) in his mouth as an invitation to play fetch with him. And sharing my dinner with him when there wasn’t enough money for dog food until payday. (He didn’t mind of course) Or just sitting on the front porch at night with me, watching the rain for hours. And in his later years, helping us to raise our Scottish Deerhound girl “Sheba”; now 6 years old, and missing her big brother. Her gentle cries and whimpers continue today still as she constantly looks for him, waiting for him to come home.
I was blessed to be there as this little Yellow Labrador took his first breath as he was born. Fifteen years later I was there to hold him one last time in my arms as he took his last breath on our way to the emergency vet. This after coming home to find him unexpectedly coughing and unable to stand. As it became ever more apparent that he was quickly dying as we rushed to the hospital; I will never forget the wagging tail, and the absolute trust in his eyes as I spoke to him to try and comfort him in what would be our last moments together. As I held him in the back seat of the car; I silently prayed, “If you’re going to take him anyway Lord; please take him now.” My prayer was immediately answered. He lay there silent and peaceful. His suffering had just ended. Mine had just begun. I gently; reluctantly closed his eyes with my hand. My old friend was gone. Time stood still for what seemed an eternity.
He was buried very early yesterday morning, wrapped in my Wife’s old baby blanket that he loved to sneak off with and curl up in; despite the scolding that would surely follow. I tucked a new Rawhide bone and his favorite toy between his paws and under his chin; just how he’d often sleep with them. He was buried in a 2 acre pasture under an old cottonwood tree between Murphy Brown, his mother, and Wheezie, his sister. Jesse was the last of 10 siblings to pass.
He lived a long and happy life, and the memories of our time together will be forever etched in my soul.
You will be deeply missed my dear friend; but never forgotten. You are part of me.
January 3, 2011
———————————————————————————————————————
I just received a phone call from my close friend this morning, who owns the property where Jesse was buried 3 years ago. He was faced with no option but to sell the property today; due to the divorce he is going through. A divorce he did not ask for. Despite his best efforts to keep the land and the house he built 14 years ago, before this marriage, there were no options. This, the home where both his children were born and raised. The pasture where our dogs often played and were laid to rest. Where I would visit Jesse beneath that cottonwood tree whenever I came by. Where good friends always came together to enjoy life and share stories. It is a special place to me as well.
After my friend moves out his home by the end of next month; I know I will not likely get to visit Jesse in his final resting spot again. This saddens my heart today. But I know my friend’s pain far outweighs anything I am feeling right now. He has countless memories of what was once his home. The last home he ever really wanted. Now he must move on in his life against his choosing. So must I.
January 24, 2014

I found a way today to make it by one last time to put 12 Yellow Roses on Jesse’s grave. I sat here for quite some time today, lost in the memories of a great dog. It started getting dark and I headed for home; where another Labrador, Wyatt James of Willowynde would surely be waiting for me; wondering where I’m at. February 22, 2014

Where to Bury a Good Dog
I am thinking now of a retriever; whose coat was golden in the sunshine, and who, so far as we are aware, never entertained a
mean or an unworthy thought. This retriever is buried
beneath a cottonwood tree, under four feet of pasture loam, and
at its proper season, the cottonwood strews its leaves upon the green
lawn of his grave. Beneath a cottonwood tree, or a fruit tree, or
any flowering shrub of the garden, is an excellent place to
bury a good dog.
Beneath such trees, such shrubs, he slept in the drowsy
summer, or gnawed at a flavorous bone, or lifted his head to
challenge some strange intruder. These are good places, in
life, or in death. Yet it is a small matter, and touches
sentiment more than anything else. For if the dog be well
remembered, if sometimes he leaps through your dreams
actual as in life, eyes kindling, questing, asking, laughing,
begging; it matters not at all where that dog sleeps at long
and at last.
On a hill where the wind is unrebuked, and the trees are
roaring, or beside a gentle stream he knew in puppyhood, or
somewhere in the flatness of a pasture land, where most
peaceful cattle graze. It is all one to the dog, and all one
to you, and nothing is gained, and nothing lost — if
memory lives. But there is one best place to bury a good dog.
One place that is best of all.
If you bury him in this place, the secret of which you must
already have, he will come to you when you call — come
to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the
well-remembered path, and to your side again. And
though you call a dozen living dogs to heel, they shall not
growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he is yours and he
belongs there. People may scoff at you, who see no
lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no
whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who
may never really have had a dog. Smile at them then, for
you shall know something that is hidden from them, and
which is well worth knowing. The one best place to
bury a good dog is deep in the heart of his master.
In Memory of; Jesse James Hagen-Daazs
December 14th, 1995 – January 1st, 2011

[Shasta220]

Wolf shepherd as in wolf hybrid? I’ve never owned a hybrid (well, except for my 25% guy, but that hardly counts). But I have friends who raise and train hybrids for pets – they only feed their wolf hybrids a raw diet. They say kibble isn’t good for a Wolfdog at all, especially anything grain-inclusive.

Other than that, definitely check out the large breed thread. Lots of helpful advice on there 🙂

[Naturella]

Lynn, I have not yet fed Fromm or Merrick, but I intend to. I have fed samples of Victor (all Grain Free ones), and samples of Nature’s Variety Instinct and plan to feed them as part of my dog’s rotation in the future. Bruno (my pup) REALLY likes all of Victor Grain Free except for the salmon one – he’s not crazy about it, but he eats it mixed in his current food (Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch with Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Original). As for NVI – he ate the samples mixed in his previous mix (mostly Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free – Nutrisca Chicken – Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Grain Free, but when it was getting low I threw a bunch of samples in there – NVI Chicken and Duck&Turkey Raw Boost, NOW Fresh, and NutriSource Chicken), but he really likes the freeze-dried raw bits the most, and the NVI rabbit cat food, lol.

[T]

Hey, everyone! Glad to see this discussion… One of my favorite topics.

As for proteins, different people classify them in different ways, but in general:
Hot: venison, lamb
Warm/hot: chicken
Neutral: Beef, rabbit, duck
Cool: turkey, fish, pork

Some people say beef and turkey are also warm. Since most animals are eating chicken, or lamb when I meet them, I end up recommending beef, turkey, duck, rabbit and fish a lot. I am in Phoenix, AZ, very dry and hot much of the year. Seems like animals can tolerate the warmer proteins in the winter, though. Seasonality should influence food choice as well as the constitution of the animal (hyper/”fire” animals may benefit from cooler foods).

It’s OK to feed a little bit of warming food with the cooling diet! Balance is the key word. Also, the cooking method has influence on food energetics. For example, raw lamb would be cooler than boiled lamb. Boiled lamb would be cooler than baked lamb, etc. Green veggies are cooling, in general. Dairy is cool and damp (now I know why I get sinusitis from eating a lot of ice cream!).

I am dreaming of putting together a seminar on the topic of pet foods, food energetics, etc. one day.

Tabitha Thompson, DVM CVM
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[dogluver95828]

I wanted to tell everyone that my pitt was having a horrible rash in his crotch and unerarm areas. bad, he scratched till it was raw. I spent 2 years searching on the internet and found the problem! I kept treating it as an external problem and it was an internal problem. he had a yeast inblance in his intestines. So i tried 2 tsp lemon juice once a day and it was gone in a week and has stayed gone. the info i read said to use lemon juice or unfiltered apple cider vinegar. If you pit has a rash that wont go away then try this, what have you got to loose? oh yes, and puree lemons dont work, tried that, rash came back. has to be lemon juice. I am so happy i am not having to wash his crotch area everyday. It wss so bad i cried cuz i felt so bad for him and i didnt know what to do. i searched and searched on the internet for about 2 years and it paid off. Tried all diff foods too, didnt work. so if your dog has a bumpy red rash on his crotch and under the armpits too, that is the sign of an internal yeast infection or inbalance. Wow, we are so very happy now. About twice it started to flare up again and i just washed it and was gone the next day! Such and easy solution too!

[Susan]

How do you know its food allergies?? You sure they dont have Enviornment allergies, My boy gets itchy red paws & itchy skin & he has enviornment allergies, only 1-5% of dogs will have true food allergies, Im reading a book at the moment & its rare for dogs to have food allergies, Dr Rob Zammit writes, the number of dogs that really have a food allergy is fewer than the number of dogs diagnosed with the condition, far too often, if a dog has a non-seasonal propensity to scratch it is diagnosed as having a food allergy without proper testing..the only way you’ll know if its food is you must do an elimination diet, A reasonable elimination diet is cooked rice & lamb, no snacking inbetween meals,.In the case of true food allergy improvement will be seen after 7 days with the dogs skin looking normal by the end of 3 weeks. If ur dogs improve on an elimination diet it could be useful to include additives such as polyunsaturated oil, omega oils & other natural oils found in various herbs, the critical thing is to add only 1 additive at a time. The best starting point is omega oils add this a the recommended dose for aleast 6 weeks , if there’s no deterioration in symtoms then add another additive can be given if the lamb & rice is working then the next additive should be in the form of raw bone, these must be sheep origin, so use mutton flaps, lamb necks or brisketbones from sheep again no other additives must be given for another 6 weeks. You may want to pick another meat, but only use the raw meaty bones from that animal….also bathing should be done weekly with a good oatmeal base shampoo too keep the oils in the skin, if ur using all those product they are not working maybe its a time for a change with products, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo & I saw an improvement within 3 weeks, skin started growing back also Blackmores has a excellent dog range called Paw (Pure Animal wellbeing) I also uses the Paw Nutriderm replenishing conditioner this can be left on the skin moisturising the skin weekly… The basis of the diet could become a good quality super premium dry food as long as the ingredients are similar to those used during the elimnation diet…