[Dori]

Hi Jakes Mom. Make sure it’s raw organic coconut oil. It’s very healthy. I’m not sure what type of coconut oil you’re cooking with. The amount to give them daily depends on how much your dog weighs, activity level (I think). I have three toy breeds and I give them approx. 1/4 tsp. per day in their food. I’m allergic to cats so I have absolutely no knowledge or information about cats in any way shape or form. I still brush my three dogs teeth two times a day. I have done that since adopting them at 8 and 9 weeks old. One is 14 1/2 years old (Maltese), I have two 4 1/2 year olds one is a Yorkipoo and one is a Maltipoo. I also feed commercial raw foods twice a day with extras. I have a Maltipoo that has too many allergies, intolerances and environmental issues so I no longer feed kibble ever and right now I can’t feed canned either. All three dogs have bright white teeth all the way back to their molars. None have ever had a professional cleaning.

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you do your homework and find a good supplier, a homemade raw diet is comparable in price to a 4-5 star kibble. I, like Melissa, get my meat from a restaurant supplier and I pay well under $1lb. most of my RMBs and offal. The only thing I’ll have to pay a bit more for is beef. Beef is pretty pricey compared to poultry and pork.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Sara-

That would all depend on what type of pricing you can find on ingredients. I feed pricier foods, so I save a bundle making home made raw. I actually figured out that by buying in bulk, I could make food for the same price per lb as low quality dog food-in the 50 cent to 60 cent range.

[jakes mom]

just started grain free canned trying to help one of my cats with chronic ear infections. All 5 of my cats absolutely loved Wellness turkey formula, but none liked the chicken flavor.
As far as dental health, I read somewhere that giving them a bit of meat to gnaw on helps scrape off some plaque/tarter. Anybody have experience or opinion on that? I’m a little nervous about giving them raw meat altho I know there’s a lot of raw food fans out there.

[Dori]

Does anyone have any thoughts on distilled water for dogs? Would there be any long term negative effects giving only distilled water to dogs that are fed solely commercial raw diets? I know that water contains needed minerals but if you have a water filtration system removing minerals, chlorine, etc. would the dogs be receiving all the minerals that they need from their raw diets?

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

First, I hope more people will chime in here with helpful advice. Now, to get to your questions as best I can.

It looks like your family is adding a lot of new members to the family. How great for all of them to be able to grow up and play together – and be fed raw. Looks like you’ll have your own little support group!

1. From all my reading on forums and Facebook, finding green tripe can be tricky. Some places ban the sale of it directly to consumers while others seem to be able to get it locally. I’m currently getting mine from MyPetCarnivore.com. I’m hoping that when I find someone who will sell direct, that they’ll also be able to provide the tripe. You’ll just have to ask and if they can’t, perhaps they’ll know where to get it.

2. Sure, you can grind necks. They aren’t terribly meaty, but they’ll grind easily enough. You should be able to start giving them whole when your pup gets a bit older. Chicken necks are tiny and I give them whole to my seven month old cat. I’ve been giving whole duck and turkey necks to Mystery since I started raw, he was 10 months at the time – he’s getting a turkey neck as part of his dinner tonight.

Different nutritionists/homeopathic vets will have various opinions on what, when, how and why to feed certain ingredients. I tend to lean toward Kymythy’s advice at the moment. She raises Newfies and feeds them raw as early as four weeks. The proof is in the health of her pups and adults.

3. I’m still not feeding veggies or “super” greens. Not a “purist” or anything but I wanted to first be sure I was feeding correctly the balance of meat/bone/organs and then get a blood panel or hair sample analysis – I’ll be scheduling that next week. Mystery’s only issues are a skin flaking problem – solved with coconut oil, and motion sickness – I’m still working on that and hoping he’ll grow out of it. So, until I get an analysis that says he needs more of this or that, I’m holding off on supplementing. I do give Mystery garlic for natural pest control and I also supplement with curcumen and vitamin C because Goldens have a high cancer mortality rate. I know a lot of people use “super” this and that as well as create their own veggie mashes. I would lean toward making my own purees since I believe nutrition from the source is best.

4. Most fruits have a lot of sugar in them. I would avoid most or feed them judiciously. I’ll share a banana with Mystery from time to time as well as give him apple slices, but not as a regular part of his diet. Here’s a basic chart that lists not only veggies and fruits that are toxic to pets but also plants as well as symptoms to watch for: http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/toxic.htm. And of course, you’ll find other sites that list fewer or additional foods.

5. Ah, SWEET potatoes. I haven’t read anything that shows a good reason to add most starches. That includes potatoes, peas, some beans. Many of these veggies convert starches to sugar when cooked. I used to give a tablespoon of pumpkin when our Sunset would have loose stools, but Mystery has had no problems there – and especially not since going raw.

6. I must defer to Kymythy on adding anything at all to an eight week old puppy’s diet. If you’re balancing 80/10/10 your calcium/phosphorus ratio is in perfect sync. Adding anything may not only increase the amount of calcium but may throw off that balance. Mess with that ratio and excess calcium can be deposited on the outside of the bones causing a number of issues. We had no idea that there was an issue with LBPs and calcium when we got Sunset 11 years ago. Before she was two, she required double-hip surgery. We got her from a backyard breeder (another ignorant move on our part), didn’t know much about hip scores and fed her what surely is on the one- or two-star lists here at DFA. I’ve been ultra focused on calcium since before I got Mystery.

An excerpt from Kymythy’s book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats:
By the time the young are ready to go to their new homes, they should be eating whole necks and regular meals with all the extras, and you may discontinue the enzymes and probiotics (although they may help counteract the digestive stress a youngster endures when going to a new home). Youngsters may be fed three times per day from eight weeks until four to six months old, then twice daily from four to six months old until one year of age, and once daily after one year of age. Giant breeds of dogs may need to be fed twice daily occasionally during growth spurts from one to three years of age. Either feed two complete meals or one complete and one of meaty bones (bones with ample meat) only. Observe your pet and adjust amounts accordingly. Do not feed so much that the stomach becomes overly extended. Do not let your pet become obese. A very thin layer of fat over the ribs is healthy, but too much weight puts extra stress on growing bones, joints, and hearts. A healthy wild animal is a lean animal. If your pet needs to lose weight, reduce its food intake. If it needs to gain weight, increase its food. Keep in mind that growing youngsters will eat more per pound of body weight than adult animals.

Schultze, Kymythy (1999-10-01). Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats (p. 67). Hay House. Kindle Edition.

Note the information on probiotics and enzymes is directed toward breeders who feed and wean pups to raw. If your puppy has been weaned to kibble, you might want to add some kefir to his diet for a time.

7. See #6, but I will take a look at the three products you mentioned for future use. I am not trying to discourage the use of any supplementation, just use caution and be sure you’re feeding only what is essential and beneficial.

8. I’m assuming you’re referring to the products in question 6 and maybe 7, not 8. LOL! I couldn’t find a guaranteed analysis of the Urban Wolf Balancer so I would be very wary of adding it. They do provide a recipe that uses their products with an analysis and it looks good. If you feel a strong need to supplement… Questions regarding their recipe ingredients might include, where do they get their fish oil from; is it guaranteed not to contain any toxins; if you use “canned” fish, do the cans contain BPA; if natural ingredients are better, why so many dried/powdered ingredients in their mixes? This is the hard part for me – giving my money to companies that sell premixes and toppers when I can just hit the market for fresh ingredients.

9. When you’re deciding on recipes, remember that your eight week old puppy is capable of handling chunks of raw meats, organs and bones. Even if he’s been weaned onto kibble before you get him, there should be no need to transition him as he hasn’t developed an addiction to the sugars and starches yet. I’d been feeding my kitten a kibble diet for about five months when I decided to transition the cats. Since he’d been stealing raw food from the dog, I went straight to raw with him and he jumped all over it, including chicken necks and other appropriately sized bones. I feed grinds only when the weather’s so bad that I can’t even put Mystery on the screened deck, usually when it’s too cold. The cats get fed in the tiled bathroom since they don’t feel the need to drag food all over the place – yet!

Any time you freeze or cook food, you’re going to lose a bit of nutritional value. Most of us have large freezers because we buy in bulk so frozen it is. Be sure you thaw foods and try to bring them to room temp before feeding. As Alpha in my house, I pull food from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter until I’ve finished my coffee – then they get to eat. I know some people feed frozen foods but I wouldn’t do that to a puppy. Ever get brain freeze from drinking a shake too fast? Imagine a puppy’s digestive system trying to warm up frozen meat. There may be other opinions out there on this, but I would definitely feed three times a day for the first six months and then move to twice a day until he’s at least a year old. You should be feeding him 10% of his current weight until that exceeds 2-3% of his target weight.

I love Mercola. There is a chart floating around that shows who is fighting GMO labeling and who is supporting it in WA. I use it when I go shopping and yes, some of the products I’ve purchased in the past come from companies fighting WA. Let me know if you can’t find it. I get that having to label a product 50 different ways could put a hardship on business so I would support a federal label that is nothing less than FULL disclosure. That said, I don’t trust the FDA or any other governmental agency to have my best interest at heart. I’m a big fan of personal responsibility. The government assumes I’m ignorant…, I believe it’s a choice. (Whoops, gone political.)

I’m glad you were able to find a farm so quickly to meet your raw needs. Don’t forget to pick up chicken feet, green tripe, testicles, heart, kidneys… Go for goat and rabbit as well as chicken, turkey and beef. Something that I would have gotten wrong is differentiating between what are considered organs and what is not.

Organs: Liver (5% of the diet), kidneys, spleen, brain, thymus gland, panaceas and testicles (the other 5%)

Not organs: Heart, Gizzard, Tongue, lung, trachea, green tripe (all considered as part of the 80%).

Another site for learning more about feeding raw is here: https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=116. It’s a culling of articles from a variety of sources.

I better turn my attention to the vacuum and washer now or I’m going to be overrun by tumblefurs. I look forward to seeing you on Facebook soon.

[Naturella]

Patty, wow, yeah, I haven’t seen NutriSource elsewhere yet (besides at that Petland), and it’s too expensive, so I try to snatch a free sample when I can, lol.

Betsy, I was having a hard time to find the best by date on my Victor free samples too, so I hope I have better luck with the actual bags of food.

Melissaandcrew, yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, lol. I am pretty stocked up with Earthborn and Holistic Health Extension for a while now, so I won’t need Victor till next year probably, but I did order me some samples and I CAN’T WAIT for the little black baggies! I hope Bruno likes it, I really really hope so! After he’s out of the Earthborns and HHEs, he will get him some Victor Ultra Pro-Victor Joint Healt-Back to Basics Open Range mix.

And THEN, some others that I have coupons for – Avoderm (interested in), Wellness (also obsessed over), Canidae Pure (somewhat excited about), Blue Buffalo Wilderness (had it before with great success), Solid Gold (hmm, we shall see how this goes. They have interesting names, lol), Nature’s Variety Instinct + Raw Boost (I know, recalls, but COUPON – I will just watch the pup and make sure he is feeling well on it), and Merrick (interested in). And THEN, I have a $5-off coupon for ANY bag of ANY food for Petco. So I will get another one of a brand he has liked/did well on. With those, plus the ones he currently has, Bruno will be set for most of 2015. But I will get the coupon foods toward the end of the year so they are hopefully fresher longer into 2015. I watch my best by dates closely. 😀

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

Sorry to take so long getting back to you, my laptop needed an overhaul and I’m just getting back to the forum.

I’ve moved your last two questions and will post my responses to them, here: /forums/topic/mastiff-puppy-rawing-to-go/.

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove’s Questions transferred from /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/66/

Hi Sharon! I will be looking into the facebook group after we get our puppy, Zeus is his name :), cause our teens don’t know about it yet and adding that group to our facebook will certainly give them a hint lolll
Someone wrote (i think it was you!?): “Last week I found a farm that grass feeds, no GMOs, but they do feed grains in the three weeks prior to slaughter (I’m still checking to see if that is standard practice and if not, why it’s done and whether it effects the quality of the meat (other than the tripe) – more questions for my conference list)”
What were you told?

We will buy in bulk, meaning half a cow, lots of chickens (loose fat removed), half a pig (less pig since it has more fat)(will add organs to those) for a start and later on i will add more types of meats as i find farmers or producers around my area. I will make this food for my 8weeks old English Mastiff puppy BUT my wife’s parents are getting a Colley puppy in July and later on during the summer a German Sheppard puppy, also a friend of ours is researching for a good breeder of Great Danes. That being said we would be 4 different dogs on the same recipe.
1- Can i get Green Tripe from a meat manufacture(not sure if thats how its called)?
2- Can i grind necks?
3- instead of using pureed vegetable can i use a Supergreen powder mixted with the meat then freeze?
4- Should fruits be pureed? or chopped in fine pieces is ok? (like apples for example)
5- wy use Sweet potatoes, isn’t it a source of carbs? Should it always be boiled or can it be oven baked?
6- Thinking of buying in bulk therefore i would have the company to grind the meat including bones…would using:
URBAN WOLF Balancer give a too high output on Calcium and an unbalanced Calc./Phos.?
or
Should i use Dr. Harvey’s Formative Years for Puppies?
NOT to forget my puppy is 8weeks old!
7- As for Greens should i use Mercola’s SpiruGreen Superfood and/OR Swanson’s Sprouted Flax Powder mixed with Wheat Grass Powder?
8- Kymythy Schultze a certified clinical nutritionist said:” Calcium can go out of solution when feeding too many vegetables. Keeping normal acidity (low alkaline) in the digestion by avoiding veggies in puppies keeps calcium in solution and won’t deposit excess on the bones.”
(p.s.: thank you Sharon Buchanan for the quote!)
Would adding the product from Question 8 result in unbalancing my pups acidity?
9- i would mix everything up in large batches (some batch will have some ingredients and some will have different ones to “balance” it out in day on day off type of feeding), and separate in individual portion size for an 8 weeks old large pup in air tight sealed bags and then into the freezer. Doing so would i loose any efficiency of certain foods like greens and fish oil?
*** End comment: I was happy and felt like applauding Mercola.com for funding 300,000$ for the Washington State GMO Labeling Initiative, they are one of the companies, amongst many others, that i buy products from as supplements for my puppy raw diet. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cornucopia.jpg ***

[Brandy R]

Thanks Hound dog mom i will definitely try the larger RMB’s first. My only concern about taking them away is will my dogs get aggressive? They are very territorial when they use to get chew bones. For the most part they didn’t growl or snap at me but would fight each other horribly and then if i would try taking the bone away they would snap at me. My husband and i are nervous this raw food diet will make them extremely aggressive with each other and us. With their kibble we have taught the dogs that its ok for my husband myself and our children to pet them while they eat and even stick our hands in the food bowl or take the bowl away. They are all great with the kibble and even eat together side by side in the kitchen (they have their own little corner where they eat.

[MastiffLove]

We will buy in bulk, meaning half a cow, lots of chickens (loose fat removed), half a pig (less pig since it has more fat)(will add organs to those) for a start and later on i will add more types of meats as i find farmers or producers around my area. I will make this food for my 8weeks old English Mastiff puppy BUT my wife’s parents are getting a Colley puppy in July and later on during the summer a German Sheppard puppy, also a friend of ours is researching for a good Great Dane breeder. That being said we would be 4 different dogs on the same recipe.

1- Can i get Green Tripe from a meat manufacture(not sure if thats how its called)?

2- Can i grind necks?

3- instead of using pureed vegetable can i use a Supergreen powder mixted with the meat then freeze?

4- Should fruits be pureed? or chopped in fine pieces is ok? (like apples for example)

5- wy use Sweet potatoes, isn’t it a source of carbs? Should it always be boiled or can it be oven baked?

6- Thinking of buying in bulk therefore i would have the company to grind the meat including bones…would using:
URBAN WOLF Balancer give a too high output on Calcium and an unbalanced Calc./Phos.?
or
Should i use Dr. Harvey’s Formative Years for Puppies?
NOT to forget my puppy is 8weeks old!

7- As for Greens should i use Mercola’s SpiruGreen Superfood and/OR Swanson’s Sprouted Flax Powder mixed with Wheat Grass Powder?

8- Kymythy Schultze a certified clinical nutritionist said:” Calcium can go out of solution when feeding too many vegetables. Keeping normal acidity (low alkaline) in the digestion by avoiding veggies in puppies keeps calcium in solution and won’t deposit excess on the bones.”
(p.s.: thank you Sharon Buchanan for the quote!)
Would adding the product from Question 8 result in unbalancing my pups acidity?

9- i would mix everything up in large batches (some batch will have some ingredients and some will have different ones to “balance” it out in day on day off type of feeding), and separate in individual portion size for an 8 weeks old large pup in air tight sealed bags and then into the freezer. Doing so would i loose any efficiency of certain foods like greens and fish oil?

*** End comment: I was happy and felt like applauding Mercola.com for funding 300,000$ for the Washington State GMO Labeling Initiative, they are one of the companies, amongst many others, that i buy products from as supplements for my puppy raw diet. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cornucopia.jpg ***

[theBCnut]

MastiffLove, post your questions in the raw feeding topic and maybe the right person will see them.

Arlosmom, he will probably need his leg splinted for a few weeks and he will definitely need his diet adjusted. Don’t wait on this or the damage could be permanent.

Liz O, when it come to calcium levels, the amount of calories in the food determines the actual amount of calcium that the pup will consume so if one food is lower calorie that another that seems equivalent, it might actually supply more calcium to the puppy. Also, the labeling laws only require a minimum to be listed. HDM contacted all of these companies and asked for their as fed calcium levels, which can be quite different. Some companies didn’t respond, so they wouldn’t make the list anyways, but many, many were just too high, including almost all of the LBP formulas. Just stick to the list.

[Brandy R]

Hi All,
I have been doing a lot of research about the BARF diet for my K9 babies and come across this forum. I live in St. Louis MO, have 4 dogs. 6 yr old Jack Russell (Bella)-overweight at 19.4 lbs, 2 yr old Jack Russell/Shih tzu mix (Candy)-rescued her she is perfect at 15.4 lbs, 2 yr old Shihshon (shih tzu/bichon frise mix) (Falcor)-very submissive but perfect 17 lbs and last but not least my 10 month old beagle (Brutus)-he is my problem child right now weighing in at 30.2 lbs he has separation anxiety terrible-inside and out. Will tear the house apart if left inside and digs up my tree outside….super rotten but I love him dearly.
I am extremely nervous about starting a raw diet mainly because I want to gag thinking about all the raw boney foods they will be eating and gnawing on…yuk but also scared they will choke on bones. Candy is not a gulper but the other 3 inhale their kibble and its even worse when i add egg or yogurt or cottage cheese to it. I can’t imagine what they would do with a chicken back or neck or any other raw meaty bone for that matter. Any suggestions? Also I read to feed them 2% of their ideal weight per day split into 2 meals, does that sound right?
I recently started eating healthy myself (more veggies and meat-less carbs) and have been concerned about my Bella and how overweight she is, so i started doing some research and that’s when I came across the raw diet and what I have read it seems to be so much healthier for my dogs. I want to keep them healthy and happy for many more years without breaking the bank in the process.
It seems if I can find a distributor that would be extremely cheap. I plan to stop by a couple local grocery stores and meat markets in the next few days to speak with the Butcher about getting some parts they don’t sell.

[Dori]

Thanks weezerweeks. Ziwipeak is actually a lot lower fat content than the raws that my girls eat. I’ve placed an order after Betsy’s post. I have yet to come across a kibble that Katie doesn’t have an issue with. Since she’s the poop eater in my crew, all dogs eat what she does. Thanks for your reply.

[weezerweeks]

Hi Dori, ziwi peak is too high in fat. I tried the zeal and he would not eat it. I thought it might be the fish but tried Embark and Love and he would not eat it. He just does not like dehydrated food.Everyone on hear seems to think think the canned is better than dehydrated so I’ve gone total canned but lately I’ve been thinking about some kibble. At this time I just can not go raw.He does love to eat and my vet wants him to lose a little weight so it’s a constant battle.

[Dori]

I’m not sure anyone can afford it regularly but I really do need something to give them a break once in a while from the high fat content in raw. It’s crazy expensive. The higher quality canned foods are so expensive, I never realized just how expensive until recently when I started my search.

[Dori]

Great Betsy. Thanks so much. Have you ever found it in a pet store? I’ve only been able to locate it on line. I’ve been waiting to order it (I’ve actually got it sitting in my Amazon cart) until I heard from anyone here as to how it worked out. Other than raw, there are very few foods that Katie can eat because of all her issues. All three of my dogs (toy breeds) are real chow hounds but I’ve always gotta watch what Katie eats. The other two could eat everything and anything and be just fine. Again, thanks for your quick response. I’m off to Amazon to place the order.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Dori,

I’ve fed ZiwiPeak canned. It’s a great product. Very dense. I know it’s not, but it looks and smells much like a commercial raw product.

[Dori]

Hi weezerweeks. I’d like to ask this question of you as stated that you only feed canned. Have you fed your dog Ziwipeak canned? I feed raw to all my dogs and THK Zeal on occasion to two of my dogs, the third can’t have anything with alfalfa which THK contains. (She’s got many many food allergies, intolerances as well as environmental allergies). I’m looking for possibly a canned alternative to feed on occasion as raw (commercial raw) is so high in fat that I’d like to give them a break once in a while. Though I think Weruva appears to be a great canned alternative, I’m concerned that they can no longer assure anyone that their cans do not contain bha. Thanks, Dori

[Corey T]

I just wanted to say I’m happy to support this site after all the years of great dog food advice it’s been giving me. Without this site, who knows what my dogs would have been eating? Haha, Beneful or some nonsense! Right now my guys are on Nature’s Variety Instinct with the raw boost, and Merrick canned foods, but I’ll definitely go with an editor’s choice when we switch dry foods. Maybe a feature you could do in the future is why some of the 5-star foods don’t make it into the editor’s choice. Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

You should be fine adding raw or cooked meat. Just be that the additional meat doesn’t exceed 20% of her meal or you could risk throwing off the nutritional balance of the freeze-dried foods.

[banditsmom]

I’ve been giving my dog some Stella & Chewy’s and Primal FD.She really likes it so I am planning to switch her and just give her them and also use Orijen FD as a rotation.
She likes to have plain meat with her food though. If I give her a little with her FD is it supposed to be raw or doesn’t it matter?

[Dori]

On the question of why didn’t Weruva made the cut, I don’t know, maybe it’s because they can no longer say that their cans do not contain bha?

I’m thrilled that THK and Primal are on Dr. Mike’s list. Primal is my most favorite of the commercial raws. I wasn’t surprised to see Ziwipeak on it. It’s always gotten good reviews everywhere especially their canned food that is bha free. I looked into it once because I thought it would be nice to have something different on hand other than THK as a change from their raw diets but it is incredibly expensive. One of my dogs can’t have THK because of the alfalfa.

I was surprised though that Answers did not make the list. Also Darwin’s didn’t make the list. That kind of shocked me as I was sure it would be.

I’m so thrilled that the Editor’s Choice is up and running. Truly excited.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Laurie A,

Those are both great suggestions. I agree, both are wonderful products.

Last Fall, I wanted very badly to try Answers. I thought I had found a local retailer for the product, but she had just stopped carrying the raw product and carried the goat’s milk only. Answers is fairly hard to find and I know that Dr. Mike took into consideration how readily available products were. I don’t know for certain, but would think that the lack of ease of availability could hurt its chances here.

[Bunker]

Hi, I thought for sure Answer’s Detailed or Vital Essentials would have been on this list. Any chance these two raw food brands would be considered?

[Shasta220]

I don’t know too much about allergies, but I honestly don’t recommend Hills at all. It sounds like it’s probably some sort of food allergy. Dogs can get sensitive to the most inconvenient things like chicken, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. I wonder if getting an allergy test or doing an elimination diet might help?

If the allergies at all seem seasonal, then there’s the slight chance that honey might help. It has to be raw and local, add a spoonful to her meal every day. It’ll probably only help if they /are/ seasonal allergies, but I’ve known people who had dogs with disgusting skin, and had miracle transformation after being on that!

[Jackie B]

Fish-based cat foods can be high in phosphorus, which is especially bad for kittens. Adult cats can have some fish-flavored canned food.

I definitely recommend at least some wet or fresh/raw food for cats. They tend to dehydrate easily because they don’t like standing bowl water… and chronic dehydration can also lead to urinary and bladder issues (especially bad for male cats). A pet water fountain can help encourage cats to drink more, though.

[MastiffLove]

OMG! YAY!!!!! I found a farm/producer that produces Raw beef and chickens that i can buy in bulk with no additives and i can get it freshly grounded on Mondays and Thursdays. Grounded beef comes in 25kg bins and chicken in 20pnd boxes! They distribute those meats to sled dogs and people like me and you and also to fresh dog food producers in my area for the last 40yrs and are inspected regularly!

Soooo happy right now i’m dancing lollll

[MastiffLove]

We will buy in bulk, meaning half a cow, lots of chickens (loose fat removed), half a pig (less pig since it has more fat)(will add organs to those) for a start and later on i will add more types of meats as i find farmers or producers around my area. I will make this food for my 8weeks old English Mastiff puppy BUT my wife’s parents are getting a Colley puppy in July and later on during the summer a German Sheppard puppy, also a friend of ours is researching for a good breeder of Great Danes. That being said we would be 4 different dogs on the same recipe.

1- Can i get Green Tripe from a meat manufacture(not sure if thats how its called)?

2- Can i grind necks?

3- instead of using pureed vegetable can i use a Supergreen powder mixted with the meat then freeze?

4- Should fruits be pureed? or chopped in fine pieces is ok? (like apples for example)

5- wy use Sweet potatoes, isn’t it a source of carbs? Should it always be boiled or can it be oven baked?

6- Thinking of buying in bulk therefore i would have the company to grind the meat including bones…would using:
URBAN WOLF Balancer give a too high output on Calcium and an unbalanced Calc./Phos.?
or
Should i use Dr. Harvey’s Formative Years for Puppies?
NOT to forget my puppy is 8weeks old!

7- As for Greens should i use Mercola’s SpiruGreen Superfood and/OR Swanson’s Sprouted Flax Powder mixed with Wheat Grass Powder?

8- Kymythy Schultze a certified clinical nutritionist said:” Calcium can go out of solution when feeding too many vegetables. Keeping normal acidity (low alkaline) in the digestion by avoiding veggies in puppies keeps calcium in solution and won’t deposit excess on the bones.”
(p.s.: thank you Sharon Buchanan for the quote!)
Would adding the product from Question 8 result in unbalancing my pups acidity?

9- i would mix everything up in large batches (some batch will have some ingredients and some will have different ones to “balance” it out in day on day off type of feeding), and separate in individual portion size for an 8 weeks old large pup in air tight sealed bags and then into the freezer. Doing so would i loose any efficiency of certain foods like greens and fish oil?

*** End comment: I was happy and felt like applauding Mercola.com for funding 300,000$ for the Washington State GMO Labeling Initiative, they are one of the companies, amongst many others, that i buy products from as supplements for my puppy raw diet. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cornucopia.jpg ***

[InkedMarie]

I ordered and received two Dog Games Slo Bowls from Chewy.com. These are very interesting. Bigger than I thought they’d be. We’ll see how they work tomorrow since one will have ground raw in his & the other will have a The Honest Kitchen in hers.

[Jackie B]

I feed nearly all canned food. Sometimes I buy commercial frozen raw when I am in the vicinity of a pet store that carries it, which is not very often. I do make homemade food from a recipe book or pre-mixed sometimes, maybe once a month I will make 5 days worth.

I really wanted to go with THK for a lot of the time, however my dog will not eat it. Same story with Grandma Lucy’s and I and Love and You. He will eat a little but has yet to finish a whole bag.

[Dori]

Hi Shasta. No I’ve never tried local raw honey. Do you know anything more about it? Where do you buy something like that? Also wondering if and when I find it, how much do you give? I swear I’m willing to try anything that anyone has had any luck with. This seasonal allergy is prove to me awful for her and it’s just started. I just heard on the news this morning that this allergy season is predicted to be one of the worst in history here in the South. YUCK YUCK!!!!!!

[CSollers]

If it’s available where you live, K9 Kravings is about the least expensive prepared raw I’ve found. FWIW, you’ll probably be saving money in the long run in vet bills when you feed a raw diet.

[CSollers]

Our old vet prescribed Hills when one of our Pugs, Minni, had Struvite issues. After a bit of research, we switched her to prepared raw with absolutely no more problems. Both Pugs have been on a raw diet for around four years and are thriving. We rotate proteins and manufacturers to ensure they get all of the different macro-nutrients. The AAFCO standard is a minimum standard, and does not differentiate for bio-availabilty of nutrients. Low quality food with nutrients/vitamins that cannot be absorbed by the animal’s GI tract may meet the standard.

[Shasta220]

Dori, I don’t know much, but I’ve heard tons of people use local raw honey for allergies. Have you ever tried that for your girl?

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

YAAY for you, more so for your dog!!! In addition to Dr. Becker’s book, get Kymythy’s book too. Amazon has it on Kindle so you can start using it right away.

If you’re going to go raw, I’d just go for it. Pups aren’t addicted to kibble the way adult dogs who’ve been raised on it are. There will be no need for a transition period. When I decided to transition Mystery to raw, I thought I’d feed raw in the morning and kibble at dinner. A couple days later it occurred to me, if he’s eating the raw in the morning, why not just feed raw for dinner too? I pitched the kibble. So far, I haven’t had any problem feeding Mystery any kind of meat. Unless there’s something inherently wrong with your pup (what’s his name?), everything should be considered fair game (NPI), just keep an eye on him as you introduce new food. Supplementation should be done on an as needed basis.

Since he’s a pup, keep it as simple as possible. I fretted over all sorts of stuff – for no good reason. Mystery’s first few meals consisted of an organic whole chicken that I brought home and cut up myself. It was about five pounds and lasted two days. The liver, neck and gizzards were included so he got those as well. You’ll hear a lot about “balancing over time”. This simply means that you’re to feed 80% muscle, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organs (the balance) over a period of a few days or so. You don’t have to make sure every meal is balanced, just perhaps the week’s meals are.

Mystery’s first couple of weeks weren’t entirely balanced at all while I was trying to locate sources of raw food. When I finally made the decision to go raw, I knew I didn’t want a bunch of frozen patties and chubs. I wanted to feed whole slabs of meat. I’m still working out local sources for purchasing a half a cow here, 20 chicken there, some rabbit… A number of folks here suggested a company that ships whole foods so I started there but the shipping is expensive which is why everyone needs local sources. Do some Google searches for raw food co-ops in your area.

The cost for raw food is definitely more expensive than cheap kibble, however, the tradeoff is that you won’t have as many vet bills to pay because your dog will have an awesome immune system. You will learn though, to shop for deals, look for co-ops, find a friend to share a cow – yeah, you might want to start looking for a freezer so you can spend less by purchasing in bulk.

I could go on, but I’m going to suggest a few more places you will find helpful. One is the LBP raw thread (just two pages), where you’ll find some newbie questions answered: /forums/topic/feeding-raw-non-commercial-to-large-breed-puppies/. I would also point you to Facebook, something I had no use for until our eighth grandchild was born – okay, the kids kept beating me up about joining, but I now use my page mostly for raw nutrition exchanges with others who are likeminded. There are a number of raw feeding groups – search “raw feeding”. Some are better than others. Search for me – I’m currently using the same image of Mystery for Facebook that I use here, and I’ll share my opinion on which I like and which I don’t. I’ll also check with some Canadian “friends” to see if they’re near you and can help you resource food.

What I’m sharing with you is nothing more than what I have gleaned from forum members here, a weekend-long webinar on raw feeding featuring holistic vets and nutritionists, and folks who attended the conference that have been feeding anywhere from a few months to over 30 years. Just wanted to be clear that I’m still new at this too. And if folks who’ve been feeding raw for 30 years still feel like they can learn something new, I’m happy to be in their company. The raw community is amazing!

[Dori]

The vets have just been taking your money. To me it sounds as though this is entirely a food issue as well as the touch of arthritis. A fabulous commercial raw diet is Darwin’s. It can only be purchased on line on their site. If you ever think about adding a commercial raw you can try them. They are an auto delivery service also first time buyers get a great deal. Anyway you can check out their site and see what you think. A lot of us swear by them. And yes, commercial raw is more expensive than kibble BUT, you save so much in vet bills it’s not even funny. Since on raw my dogs only go to the vet for their yearly physical. That’s it. Before that I was with Katie at one vet or specialist constantly. Expensive, time consuming and lots of used up gas. I hate the fact that they put your dog on steroids. They cause so much damage, the steroids as well as some vets. I’ve never known of any dog or person (myself included) that was ever made allergy free with the injections. Please check the ingredients in the Natural Balance. If she’s itching on this food than I would change it. It’s obviously got ingredients that she can’t tolerate.

[Lea J]

dchassett, appreciate your response. Did not put a whole lot of stock in allergy tests-and injections just seemed silly and did not help one bit. One vet had her on oral steroids- which helped but at what cost?! Needless to say, weaned her off. Currently, she is on Natural balance and home made “glop” (meat, veggies, fruits mixed in processor) I give her Benadryl when she seems uncomfortable by itching and/or drives me crazy with her itching. I am going to try the Springtime Joint Health as well. I am a bit reluctant to start the raw diet as I live in a small town in Alabama and resources for this sort of thing commercially are limited except via internet. We have been to five different vets over the years and each has a different expensive test to order! I am going to take your advice and try more homemade.

[Dori]

Hi Lea J. I feel like this is my mantra but I will say it again. I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo, Katie, has had severe food allergies and intolerances as well as environmental allergies since we got her at 9 weeks of age. I’ve tried any and all suggestions out there. Went through a ton of food, most of which to no avail. What finally worked for her is commercial raw foods. I like Primal Pronto the best. I also rotate her foods with Darwins, and Answers raw. I’ve tried Stella and Chewy’s raw and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw which I didn’t like at all. Anyway, I have three small dogs that I feed 1/4 cup twice a day. I do add and/or feed sardines (canned in water, not oil), coconut oil, probiodics, digestive enzymes, fresh fruits and veggies. Their treats consist of fresh fruits or veggies. I don’t use store bought treats. To many issues with Katies allergies. My 14 1/2 year old Maltese has arthritis in her right hip and also two degenerated discs mid spine. I rotate supplements as well as their foods. I haven’t found any particular joint supplement that has worked miracles. I have just ordered Sprintime’s Joint Health and Fresh Factor. Some people have been reporting that they are having good luck with these. Anyway, I think I’ve digressed here from my mantra which is: Grain, Soy, Poultry (in all forms), White Potato and Rice Free food as well as anything else you think your dog may be allergic or intolerant to. Your allergy list really doesn’t seem to be that bad though I wouldn’t doubt that she has more problems than just the ones you named. Full disclosure, I don’t believe that food allergy testing for dogs can be trusted. My dogs allergist/dermatologist as well as their traditional vets all would not do the testing. They said the tests are inaccurate, misleading and cost a lot of money. When vets tell you they won’t take your money, you know they are being accurate. To this date there are no known food allergy testing on animals that are accurate. As far as kibble goes, I can’t really recommend any because I’m not comfortable in my knowledge of their ingredients anymore. I figured out most of Katie’s food allergies by her reactions to the foods I was feeding and then comparing ingredients with other foods trying to figure out what was bothering her. She has many many issues. She just recently became allergic or intolerant to alfalfa. Allergic or intolerant to me is all the same. All I’m sure of is that either way, she can’t eat it so I don’t care whether some people say that it’s not really an allergy, it’s an intolerance. It’s all trial and error really and constantly researching ingredients. What works for my dogs may not work for others but eliminating the obvious typical allergens is a good place to start. It’s an incredibly long road in helping our allergy prone dogs but the work is well worth it for them. Exhausting on us. Oh, Spring is finally here in Atlanta where we live so for the last two days I’ve been giving her Benadryl twice a day. I hate having to do that but there is nothing I can personally do about environmental outdoor allergies. Trust me, if there was a way I would have found it by now. This is the first time I have ever had a dog with allergies and I’ll just say it keeps me on me on my toes with all things food related for her. Katie’s how I came across this site a couple of years ago and I, she and my other dogs have benefited immensely. Good Luck. If you need any clarification on anything I’ve said or any more questions please ask.

[Dori]

Hi Mountainhound. Though I have no objection to any of the ingredients specifically, it does seem as though there are an awful lot of lentils, peas and garbanzo beans. Just thought I’d add my thoughts for anyone thinking about this food. I feed raw, but if I were to go back to feeding kibble I would not feed this change up. When I was feeding kibble Acana Pacifica was in my rotation, none of the dogs did particularly well on it. Not anything really bad other than my allergy prone sensitive stomach girl who couldn’t eat the Acana. I eventually switched to all raw because of her. They are doing fabulous now EXCEPT Spring has come to Atlanta and, of course, allergy girl also has environmental allergies. So bad that I’ve had to put her on Benadryl twice a day for the last couple of days. I hate it!!!!!

[L R]

For what it’s worth, as a possible future consumer of BRB, I was curious about BRB company, looked up some info, and wrote Steve Lea (the owner) to ask him some questions. He didn’t answer anything regarding the two companies Lea-way Farms Inc., and BRB. He said “no 3D/4D” in my email reply below and on an email someone else got back he said “no 3D/4D material”, why he wasn’t more clear/specific and just state “no 3D/4D meat”, I’m not sure, I don’t know if that means anything like he was sort of dodging the question or not. I also wrote to Susan Thixton, author of “The Truth about Pet Food” blog to see if she had any info on BRB. This is the info I found and received from them.

My email to Steve. . .
“Hi Steve, I’m sure you get this a lot but I would really appreciate if you could answer a few questions I had, and clear up some confusion.

I know that you own BRB as well as Lea way Inc., I’ve read from Iredell county commissioner minutes on the Iredell county government website archives that Lea Way Inc., is in the business of animal removal from local area farms and recycles it for pet food for Grey hound racing tracks in FL. At least you were as of May 2006.
http://www.co.iredell.nc.us/Departments/Planning/minutes/April2006pbminutes.pdf
Page 6
”Lea-Way Company picks up deceased cattle from area farms and provides a means for sanitary disposal; the existing plant processes useable materials into pet food products”

http://www.co.iredell.nc.us/Commissioners/minutes/Regular/May_9_2006_regular_minutes.pdf
Page 4 notes from that meeting stated. . .
”Lea said since 1979, his company had helped to recycle dead animals, at no cost to the county or state.” “Commissioner Robertson asked about the process — muscle tissue removed from the carcass. Lea said this was correct, and the tissue was boxed, frozen, labeled, and shipped to the Greyhound Tracks in Florida as pet food.”

Are the Iredell county documents correct in their information or were they at the time they were written correct? Are BRB and Lea Way Inc. connected in any other way besides sharing a mailing address? Is Lea way Inc. still in the practice of collecting downed animals and recycling them for petfood products for greyhound racing? If not, what happens to all the muscle meat you process from the downed animals you pick up, if it’s not going into pet food products? Are you still greyhound breeding for racing?

If the information is correct, I’m curious why one company produces pet products/food from picked up dead animals, and why your other company BRB would have a different meat quality standard?

I am interested in trying your products and I would really appreciate some information, and I’m hoping you reply back and answer my questions directly and honestly.”

Steve Lea’s email Reply. . .
“I will try to give you a short direct answer?
This was an attempt by me 8 years ago to take material that is unusable for ANYTHING, and turn them into renewable fuels.
I see that now you have dug up the commissioners Minutes as well.
If you read them you will see it was tabled and then withdrawn,
None of this happened then and is not happening now, and has NOTHING to do with BRB, or the products in BRB…
There is no 3-4D in Any of our products..
The internet is full of old outdated information that is no longer the case.
Some people have spent allot of time digging up this old outdated information and attempting to link it to BRB
to attempt to destroy it
WHY????????
I have answered these questions hundred’s of times only to find my words turned around and misrepresented on chat sites
I WILL NO LONGER ADDRESS THIS ISSUE!!!!
If you choose to believe these internet bullies and not feed BRB we wish you and your pets the best.
If you choose to believe your own eyes and your pets health and feed BRB we thank you for your business and support
Steve”

Susan Thixton’s email reply when asked about any information she might have about BRB as a company…
“A year or two ago – I had a horse rescue volunteer reach out to me about this company. She provided me with the USDA website link that gives the owner of Blue Ridge Beef (but in the name of another company) a license to be a dead animal hauler. Also I was told – same ‘other’ company offers inexpensive euthanisia services for horses. I was told he comes to the farm and shoots the horse and then removes the body. I reported this to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Florida Department of Agriculture – and to my knowledge they did nothing with the information I provided them. To me, it is a conflict of interest for a raw meat pet food company to also have a license to haul dead animals. But…they don’t ask me. I suggest – if you are not completely comfortable with the company – listen to your gut.
Susan”

When looking for info, I did find a 2013 forum post in a horse forum that referenced using Lea way farms in Statesville, NC to humanely euthanize and dispose of their horse. So it may be that as of 2013 Lea way farms was still collecting/disposing downed animals.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?393457-Spin-Off-on-Cabelas-amp-Rendering-Plants

[MastiffLove]

Sharon,

Thanks again for your reply!

After talking about all the dog food kibbles and other food types we can give to our puppy and reading and watching videos on http://healthypets.mercola.com/ (thanks HDM) me and my wife decided that we will go raw! It might end up being more costly in the end but at least we will know for sure what is precisely in his dog food and we can have a better control on his diet plus it just makes sense to feed him that way …you don’t find kibbles in the wild!

I’ve ordered Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats Cookbook, Probiotics, Krill Oil and Spirugreen Superfood, that way i’ll have everything on hand for whatever needs our dog has. (just mentioning what i bought so far, still more to come for a complete diet like Coconut Oil and such).

I am currently researching for a meat manufacturer that provides food stores to get the best price, luckily for me there are several in my area.

We have bought the breeders kibble (1st Choice Large pup) for the first 3 weeks, then i was thinking of switching him to Orijen (i know the calcium lvl is a bit high) for the next 2 weeks to get him on a better kibble. Then mix Orijen and Raw to finally end up to only raw.

Should i switch 1st Choice and mix it with raw after the first 3 weeks and increase the raw dosage and skip Orijen entirely?…i don’t know, it would be a faster way to get him on a better and proper food balance but he would be on 1st Choice longer and honestly i really dislike the ingredient in that kibble.

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

I was reading over my notes from a recent raw feeding conference and it isn’t just meat that will throw off the calcium/phosphorus in your dog’s diet. Having spent the better part of a few months researching bone health before getting my Mystery, I had asked the question about how to ensure he wouldn’t get too much calcium on a raw diet – even though eight months later, he was now able to process excess calcium (he won’t be our last puppy).

“Calcium can go out of solution when feeding too many vegetables. Keeping normal acidity (low alkaline) in the digestion by avoiding veggies in puppies keeps calcium in solution and won’t deposit excess on the bones.”

That was the answer from Kymythy Schultze a certified clinical nutritionist who raises champion Newfoundlands. She has a wonderful book called Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~
Fromm’s Frittata Beef has very little meat protein in it since the first ingredient is Beef, not Beef Meal. There’s probably more pork than beef in this recipe even though it’s listed as the number six ingredient. It’s nice that they’ve added Whole Egg but the other top three ingredients are starches. So, no grains but… If you can get it, I like their LBP Gold better. First and second ingredients are Chicken and Chicken Meal and the calcium/phosphorus is a bit lower but so is protein at 26%. Looking back at my notes, I’m showing protein should be between 29 and 30%. $90 for a 26#bag is outrageous. There just is no really good option for LBP kibble.

Be careful about feeding kibble and feeling like you need to supplement with additional protein. Kibble stays in the digestive tract longer than raw or home cooked food, creating a situation where that “real” food will become rancid. If you must, never feed them both in the same meal.

One of the neater benefits of feeding raw is that their bodies efficiently process that food and therefore, you have less waste. I was so surprised and absolutely delighted when Mystery’s poop went from stinky gigantic soft logs to what looks like it belongs to a miniature pup and the smell is only noticeable when I bend over to pick it up. Now that the cats are eating raw and home cooked, the litter box isn’t noxious anymore (and when I say noxious – I mean hope-you-can-hold-your-breath long enough to empty the litter box noxious). The cats had been on Orijen as well and my kitten was forever having issues with soft stools. All of that is a thing of the past.

It took me nearly a year to make the decision to go raw so yeah, I’m now a die-hard convert. Sorry about that if it isn’t a consideration for you – yet! 🙂

[Shasta220]

Thanks for the help, guys! Ah, yes, Dori. Drives me nuts to see everyone say that kibble cleans teeth. I mean, yeah, it’s probably better than canned, but it still gives gross buildup – if it didn’t, then my dog wouldn’t have lost a tooth! I’d love to do raw, but resources and wallet just don’t allow it.

I’ll definitely check into those brands recommended. Good to know that I’m not the only one who thinks water additives do virtually nothing. The best breath-freshener for my super picky dog (he is DISGUSTED by ANY tooth products, he’s way too smart to fall for that “chicken” flavor, or “flavorless” stuff lol!), was to smash coconut oil into the edge of a bowl and let him lick it off. That way it’d eventually spread all through his mouth; if I’d just let him chew/gulp it down, it wouldn’t have time to get everywhere.

For sure, next time I get a puppy (not seeing that for another 5-10yrs at least), oral hygiene will start right away. My rescue guy has naaasty teeth with strange brown tartar/stains that won’t come off regardless of brushing/scraping. His personality/energy makes him seem about 3y.o., but those teeth look almost as bad as a 7-8y.o. dog…dang I wish I could know about his past LOL!

[Dori]

Hey Shasta 220. I have to admit that I’ve used quite a few different water additives for my dogs teeth and none of them ever did anything. The only thing I have ever found that helps their teeth is a raw diet and brushing their teeth twice a day. I brush their teeth after their breakfast right after I brush my own after my breakfast and before their bedtime right before I brush mine before my bedtime. I have found that kibble was the worst for their teeth regardless of the fact that the old myth continues that kibble helps with cleaning teeth. Ridiculous.

[Shasta220]

I would probably agree with Sue. Picky eaters are easy to form, hard to UNform! Skipping a meal or two will not hurt him (I know some dog owners who fast their dogs for a day once every week or two even.). Is he overweight or are you concerned about keeping weight on him?

I’ve not dealt with picky dogs before, since I try to keep my food fairly consistent with my dogs. Only one guy was picky, so I just offered him the same food. He ended up going hungry for about 2 days, then finally ate and hasn’t had a problem since.

I do have a picky cat, so I totally feel you – she refuses ANY cat food, so she has to be on a raw diet. Have you considered doing your own homemade diet for your guy, or are you going to give commercial foods one more shot?

[jakes mom]

Thanks, I may try the vinegar. She has no raw areas, just has a bit of brown discharge. I was wondering if there was anything I could use to help her feel a little more comfortable while we’re working on the food angle. Bought an assortment of canned foods for her, so far she’s not thrilled with any of them. All grain free and no soy, etc. Any other suggestions? Stay away from anything special?

[Margie W]

My 8 year old lab that I currently cook for (tried the raw but he wouldn’t eat it- immediately regurgitated it) is on a high protein high fat diet (due to cancer diagnosis for spindle cell sarcoma a year ago) I steam veggies mix with cottage cheese and egg and then add canned mackeral. I use RX Vitamin onco support in the evening, Berte green blend morning and evening and Berte immune blend in the AM. He’s also on a holistic regimen of Carcinosin and Thuja (which we began after a recurrence of the spindle cell and that is now in remission) He’s been having issues with mucus in his stool and some diarrhea (sporadically) for the past couple of months. He’s been on two rounds of metronidazole- his poops are fine during the medication and then for sometime after. But now he’s had another mucusy soft poop. Wondering if adding probiotics would help but also want to know if he’s getting some already in what I’m giving him. Don’t want to overdo the supplements. I’ve looked at the Mercola probiotic which doesn’t seem to have any of the ingredients that are in the other things he’s getting. Trying to keep this short but my Rupert is complicated! Any help would be appreciated.

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~
Don’t try adding too much to the kibble you feed. All those toppers add to nutrients already in whatever kibble you decide to feed, including perhaps calcium/phosphorus – which should be your primary concern until your Mastiff is at least six to twelve months old. Not saying you shouldn’t add anything, just be mindful of what they’re adding to the diet.

When feeding kibble, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find the perfect food for a large breed puppy. When I brought Mystery home, I’d already done several months of research on food. Although I would have preferred grain-free, I couldn’t find it with an acceptable calcium percentage. I put him on Innova LBP (which has since changed their formula and I’m not sure I’d recommend it now but it’s still better than Pro Plan, Science Diet, Iams and others). I moved Mystery to Orijen LBP when he was about nine months old and able to process excess calcium properly. Orijen will tell you that they shoot for their minimum percentage but as long as they think their maximum is acceptable (and they do hide behind the AAFCO guidelines), I wouldn’t have been comfortable with it in those early months.

Mystery is now a year old and has been on a raw diet for about two months. We’ve transitioned two more Goldens in Korea with my husband and I’m working on four cats (the kitten didn’t need transitioning). If I were to get another puppy today, she’d go straight to raw where calcium/phosphorus is perfectly balanced among protein and organs in a whole-prey diet. And still I don’t add a lot to his diet. He gets coconut oil because of a skin condition, vitamin C and curcumen because of the high cancer mortality in Goldens (though the raw diet and minimalist vaccine schedule will help that as well), and garlic for pest control. I haven’t started adding any fruits & vegetables as I’m still researching their benefits (or lack thereof).

Good to see your note about not feeding RC!