I am picking up our 10 week old Coton de Tulear puppy next week. The breeder has him on kibble and is sending some home with us. I plan to transition him to Nature\’s Variety Instinct Raw and give him raw meaty bones several times a week for teeth cleaning purposes. My question is whether or not I should alternate giving him kibble and the raw diet?
I am interested in knowing if Blue Buffalo is safe for my Siberian Husky who has early stage kidney disease? I was feeding her Purina NF, but I heard some really bad things about Purina. My dog had chronic diarrhea, occasional vomiting, and lost a lot of weight. Her coat was also very bad, with big raw, bald spots, and she also really did not feel good. I believed it was the food doing it to her. Now that I switched her to Blue Buffalo, her coat is looking great, she no longer vomits or has diarrhea, she has gained weight, and she feels better than she has in years! She plays like a puppy, and she is 9 years old! Is the Blue Buffalo safe for her? If not, can you recommend a food that is safe for her? Thank you!
@pugmomsandy, My dogs eat Wellness small breed dry kibble twice a day..I plan on replacing a meal twice a week with a RMB..I’m afraid if I give then kibble with a RMB they might get stomach/constipation issues…My Toy poodle is susceptible to teeth problems I’m hoping the Turkey necks help keep her teeth healthy:)
Thanks for all the advice y’all. I appreciate all the feedback.
As far as the chewing goes – I have been trying to distract him whenever I catch him chewing his nails or licking/chewing his legs, hips, or butt with chew toys, rawhides, bones. Bauer doesn’t really care for toys – but man on man he absolutely loves bones and antlers. If I am holding it for him, he would chew and chew on them for hours. He gives up faster if he’s having to hold them between his paws on his own. They have really helped clean his teeth a bunch too. His teeth were HORRIBLE when I first got him. I have been trying to brush them, but nothing has worked as well as the antlers have in cleaning those back teeth up. The plaque/tartar build up was disgusting and black when I first got him. It’s so much better now. As far as the bones/antlers go – the redirect seems to work whenever I catch him in the act of licking/chewing to switch out for the bone or antler. But it’s when I am not home during the day and can’t reprimand and redirect – that’s when it’s the worst. I come home and he’s got a new raw spot, or the one he had is now even worse. I try to not let him be home alone for more than 4 hours at a time, but I do believe that some of it is just boredom. I take him on a long walk in the morning to try and wear out some of his energy too. I think I am going to have to diaper him if he doesn’t leave his back legs and butt alone.
As far as his weight issues go, I have another vet appointment on Tuesday so I am going to ask her to do a lab work up on him. It worries me that he hasn’t gained weight. I am definitely going to be switching to a grain free dog food (I know Sor recommended Halo) and I am going to the meat store in a bit to pick up ingredients for Satin balls. I have been giving Bauer fish oil supplements as well as glucosamine/chondroitin pills just bc my goldens always needed it for hip/joint issues and I figure that even though he’s severely underweight and still young right now – hopefully he will eventually gain weight and he won’t always be young – so preventative measures are always best.
Katie
Boobear27,
What are you feeding for dinner? Necks have alot of bone compared to meat. Could tend to make harder than normal stools. Just FYI. And raw fed dogs have small, formed stools that turn ashy in color BTW. For dinner, I would suggest some muscle/organs or whatever they are normally eating. I can feed 3 meals a week of RMB without worrying about nutritional deficiencies. I give my pugs 1/3 to 1/2 a turkey neck or 1/2 a duck neck. Actually I should give them 1/2 a duck neck, but I gave the whole thing! Generally speaking, they would only need 6 oz a day total of raw food so when I give them a big bone like that, they only get a small snack for dinner. Chicken necks are alot smaller and easier to measure out. I gave mine chicken wings when I first started too.
FYI
Quoted from Food Safety News.com 2012
The results of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspection into a Diamond Pet Foods production plant may benefit the trio of lawsuits filed against the Missouri pet food manufacturer tied to a Salmonella outbreak and recall earlier this year.
That inspection, conducted six days after the first of Diamondās eight recalls, found numerous health violations, including failures to clean and maintain equipment and a lack of contaminant screenings on raw ingredients. The evidence does not bode well for Diamond as the company faces three separate lawsuits from human victims and pet owners in the U.S. and Canada, according Benjamin England, a 17-year FDA veteran and founder of FDAImports.com, a food industry consulting firm.
One unfortunate event can bring the entire weight of the federal government to bear upon your door.ā another reminder of the importance of FDA compliance:
If Diamond had operated in compliance with FDA rules Instead, itās being used against them. The lawsuits specifically cite the inspection report as evidence of Diamondās negligence and breach of warranty. Diamond must resort to ādamage controlā ā making it clear to customers that plant management has been revised and the productās quality improved. For everyone else, he sees it as another reminder of the importance of FDA compliance: impossible to determine the number of dogs sickened, as so few pets are ever tested for gastrointestinal bacteria
Hi Katie,
Bless you for taking on this big boy. He’s lucky to have you.
I would think it’s likely that the chewing and biting could be food intolerance / allergy issues as much as it could be compulsive behaviors. Would you be in a position to try to distract him every time you catch him chewing? A quick walk, a quick game of fetch, a doggie massage? Also, maybe give him something healthy to chew on that is tastier than his nails or fur. That’ll give him some extra calories also. Try bully sticks or raw, meaty bones like a turkey neck for snacks and chewing satisfaction. Samoan81’s suggestion for satin balls is a also a great idea.
I think I’d get him off of the grains though and would definitely increase his protein. His body needs more protein to repair and rebuild. I wouldn’t use anything less than 30% protein. He’s an adult now, so you don’t have to be as concerned with Calcium levels ~ which are what you limit with a large / giant breed puppy ~ not protein. While she mostly suggests foods with grains, the Great Dane Lady has a list of foods she recommends along with some great advice. Have you visited her site: http://www.greatdanelady.com/. Also, here’s a link that’ll take you right to the page of foods she recommends: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/criteria_list_of_better_foods.htm.
Also, one food I’ll suggest you try adding to his diet is Abady granular. It’s usually very well tolerated and is very calorie dense, about 800 kcals per cup. Their website is very strange, but I would suggest calling them and telling them what’s going on and get their recommendations. They’re extremely helpful over the phone. Here’s their website: http://www.abadyfeeds.com/ and here’s their phone number: Tele: (845)473-1900 * Toll Free: (877)-99ABADY .
Have you tried giving him some pureed pumpkin for the loose stools? That usually helps a lot.
Peace & Blessings,
Betsy
@neezerfan My dogs did great for their first time:) I was really nervous to give it to them at first, but they turned out doing just fine. I got it at the Turkey meat section at Stop and shop from a brand called Shady brook farms and it was already cut to a nice small size for my small dogs. They were pretty inexpensive as well I bought some that had to be sold that same day and put it in the freezer as soon as I got home.
I would say 1 is enough for them. How did they do? Did Stop&Shop cut them lengthwise by any chance?
How many turkey necks do you give a dog? Since it was my small dogs first time I gave them both one small size maybe half of a Turkey neck to start off with..Is one enough for them since they are small dogs? I don’t wanna cause any issues with them.
I gave my Toy poodle and Rat Terrier their first Turkey neck this morning for breakfast. At first they weren’t really interested in it when it was frozen so I let it defrost and after that they loved every bit of it they were in turkey neck heaven:) I think next time I’m gonna try chicken necks and see how they will like those.
It depends on the cuts of meat you’re using for the homemade raw and if it’s regular, free range, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. You probably don’t want the regular chickens that have been injected but rather get some that are less processed, no antibiotics. You can find discount prices when the sell-by dates are coming up. At the health food store, I can get a package of turkey neck with giblets for around $1.49/lb. But duck necks are about $2.69/lb. Ground beef 80/20 is less than $1/lb and containers of heart and gizzard are under $2/lb. I guess it also depends on your area of the country. There is an initial investment of freezer space and a meat/bone grinder but they are well worth it. Or you can use boneless meats and supplement with bone meal or other source of calcium. The recipe book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor has simple recipes with and without bone. I would say my average (guessing) would be $2.20 a pound and my dog would eat 6 oz per day = 11.25 lbs per month = $24.75 per month PLUS supplements. Kibble would be $15.60 per month for me ($79 for 100 cups). I don’t ever use the $0.39/lb bag of chicken thighs!! But yes, you can get homemade to be real cheap. Let’s say a combo of ground beef 80/20 or 70/30 and chicken heart/gizzard and some supplements would be cheap, in rotation with the Core. I think it would work out. You can also join a local raw feeding group and order in bulk with them. I like to buy tripe which is $2/lb for me. I also feed raw sardines which I bought on sale for $1.19/lb. You can also add up to 20% of unbalanced raw food to his diet without having to worry about extra vit/min supplementation. Maybe give him a chicken wing, a heart and piece of gizzard a couple times a week.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by
pugmomsandy.
Thanks again for the suggestions, I now have our boy Dez on Core Wellness Small Breed kibble, but have gained the sudden fascination of the raw diet. I am close with my local butcher shops so I think the meat products won’t be a problem, my question is, from a pure cost standpoint, is it cheaper to create my own raw menu or use premium kibble?
I know the cost of pre-packaged raw balanced diets are far greater than kibble, but how about preparing your own?
My GSD, five years old, has had lifelong skin issues. Allergy shots for three years did not work. He has no fleas. He is currently on cyclosporine and ketoconazole which was effective at first but less and less. Heās back to biting bloody holes in himself. He eats raw and Primal and Origen, bolstered by lots of exercise and attentionāalot of attention. He cannot be left alone or he bites. Iām now trying herbal calming tincture, nordic fish oil, and coconut oilāstill biting. Hereās my question for the forum: I would like to try iodine but how much? Maybe he has a thyroid condition. He has a beautiful coat, weighs 106 and other than bite mutilation, perfectly healthy. Any input from the savvy, informed, and experienced will be appreciated.
My 12 lb JRT gets about 1/5 to 1/3 of a turkey neck depending on the size of it.
“Safe” depends on your dog. They are considered an acceptable item in the raw world for a dog to have, but if the dog is too aggressive of a chewer or gulper, it would be an issue. make sure youwatch them.
My GSD, five years old, has had lifelong skin issues. Allergy shots for three years did not work. He has no fleas. He is currently on cyclosporine and ketoconazole which was effective at first but less and less. He’s back to biting bloody holes in himself. He eats raw and Primal and Origen, bolstered by lots of exercise and attention—alot of attention. He cannot be left alone or he bites. I’m now trying herbal calming tincture, nordic fish oil, and coconut oil—still biting. Here’s my question for the forum: I would like to try iodine but how much? Maybe he has a thyroid condition. He has a beautiful coat, weighs 106 and other than bite mutilation, perfectly healthy. Any input from the savvy, informed, and experienced will be appreciated.
@Cyndi Thank you for your reply:) My dogs eat dry kibble..Is it ok to give it to them after their kibble or would it cause stomach problems?
TO ANYONE WILLING TO RESPOND…….
Currently, my dog is on Hills Prescription I/D low-fat, dry and canned. He’s on that for a reason (will spare the details), and he was stabilized, until I started introducing some raw (very small beef bone with marrow in it…..a very tiny bit), but it gave him the runs pretty good. Was a big NO-NO, as it turned out. He rebounded well and ate his next meal with no issues. Thought he was over it, but it appears that he still has some pretty loose stools today.
So……my question is this: since he has always tended to have digestive issues on and off, (food, stress, illness now) can someone recommend some digestive probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes that I should probably be using for him? I would love to eventually get him on a much better diet, but due to his illness and needing to keep him as stable as possible, I would love to get something in him that will help with his digestive system. He has always been on kibble, and I’ve always tried to feed the premiums or naturals, which as I’m learning, are just awful for dogs. Now he’s stuck on something even worse……Hills.
I have used yogurt in the past, I do have pumpkin that I’m giving today, but I also noticed that THK has a powder mix that when mixed, is kind of a milky drink. It says it has the pros, prees, and enzymes in it. So before I get some of that just to have on hand, has anyone used it? Or can you give me other options?
As long as he’s on this Hills, I feel like I should be giving him something extra and soothing to his gut and good for his body, so I’d like something I can use regularly.
Thanks!
Turkey necks are perfectly safe to give your dogs, except they may be a bit big for them. I have a border collie mix and she’ll eat a half of a turkey neck for part of a dinner. Chicken necks and duck necks are smaller. Now that I think about it though, some of the pug owners here give their pugs turkey necks, so I guess they may not be too big. You don’t have to freeze them for any amount of time, just thaw them out and give to your dogs. You don’t have to cut anything really off of them unless there is a lot of skin on them, then you might want to take some off. The ones I get from my butcher don’t have a lot of skin so I just give them as is.
I’m a RMB first timer:) I apologize in advance if I have too many questions. Are Turkey necks safe for a Toy poodle and a Rat terrier? My Toy poodle is more of a gentle chewer and the Rattie is more of an aggressive chewer.
I just bought some Raw turkey necks at the meat section at Stop and shop it’s from a brand call Shady Brooks Farm and it’s already cut in half..Would these be ok for them to eat? Do I give it to them straight from the package? or do I freeze them first and for how long do I freeze them before I give it to them? Do I cut of the skin and meat or leave it on?
Patty: Oh my yes- years ago I made my own scented oils for Aromatherapy & some soaps. It was wonderful. I could make the mixtures I needed. It was wonderful.
Cyndi: it’s a small freezer but w/ only 1 dog on partial raw it’s enough for me & for $45 (originally $160) I couldn’t walk away! My Hare Today is going to be painful heehee
You could probably get away with feeding some of it, but you will have to be careful not to overdo it. I feed a high fat diet, but I don’t feed more fat than protein. I’m not sure how you can know how much fat you are feeding every day on completely homemade raw. You can make sure that you are only adding some of the pork fat on days that you are feeding lean meats like chicken and turkey, or wild game, but I would probably not add it on days that you feed pork or beef.
My mini freezer is up and running- YAY! I’ve delayed another order until I was sure it worked. I can get the raw out of MY freezer now! And better yet start an order. It feels like Xmas (and that’s absolutely pathetic LOL). Forget sugar plums – I’ve got visions of goat, tripe, and duck feet & necks dancing thru my head š
My dog is on 50% home-raised raw, could I just mix them in with the food then? I’d hate to throw them out, it seems like such a waste.
Many vets want to see dogs on nothing but dry because of the old mistaken belief that dry keeps the teeth clean, but kibble fed dogs get nasty teeth too. The only way to guarantee good clean teeth is to brush them every day. The second best strategy is to feed raw meaty bones every few days.
Nancy M,
Sorry to hear that, but I wouldn’t have started off by giving fatty marrow! Now he might need a bland diet for a week. How about starting with just a bite or two of regular raw food. Just a bite or two per day and increase from there. Instinct comes in bite sizes and you know Primal comes in the small 1 oz size. Half an ounce in the morning and the other half at night when he feels better. Be sure to check the guaranteed analysis on the different flavors and make sure there’s less fat than protein.
Well, looks like we’re not off to a very good start with the raw. Gave my little guy a SMALL (a little larger around than a Ping pong ball, about 1/4 inch thick) beef bone, with the marrow in it (just got from the butcher shop this morning), and already have the runs. Not a good indication of things to come if I keep with my plans to start a raw diet! Any comments?
I agree about the liver. I just started feeding my dog raw 5 1/2 months ago and I started with just chicken backs & chicken leg quarters for a while and then turkey necks. I didn’t introduce liver (chicken) for about a month & even then I gave just small amounts with a few raw meals each week, and even THAT made her stools soft.
Maybe cut out the liver for a bit and see if her stools firm up and when you reintroduce it, do it slow, in smaller quantities.
Fewer poop is normal, but I think it’s too soon to be giving liver. The liver is probably causing the diarrhea.
If you follow this guideline, organs should only be introduced at week 7.
http://preymodelraw.com/page/articles.html/_/raw-chat/how-to-get-started-feeding-a-prey-model-raw-diet-r19
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This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by
GizmoMom.
Maybe she needs more time to adjust. Do you still have her old food? Maybe one meal of her old food, and one meal of raw until her poop situation is stable. You can even (instead of using her old food) feed some canned food or feed her some dehydrated food (they generally have veggie matter that will give her fiber) with her raw meals or feed her pumkin daily. Raw poops are usually alot smaller and can be firm but it can be concerning when they seem constipated. The vet can also administer an enema. Does she chew the bones down or is she a gulper? If she’s a gulper, you might consider feeding ground food or tie the piece of meat onto something so she can’t swallow it whole or smash the bones with a mallet. I mostly feed ground but do give necks and pork ribs whole. And mine still eat kibble too.
Nancy, if you buy the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet,” there are some recipes in there for a high protein, balance low fat diet and also recipes to feed to a puppy. I would make them and then start adding a little bit each day to their current diet. My little one transitioned very quickly but I think that was because she is so picky and absolutely loves raw. Good luck!
Duh! LOL, we have a spare bedroom: it’s the laundry room and dog grooming. There’s no AC but that would probably be the best place in the summer and I’m probably smart to NOT stock up on dry food in the summer.
No one’s eating raw at this time. I’m having a heckuva time with Boone’s ears (anyone reading happen to have an ingredient list for the old Brothers allergy formula) so he’s eating just THK Zeal now, Gemma has been constipated twice & needed an enema so she’s getting THK with canned & some Abady granular. Not buying raw just for Ginger.
Hmmm..neither would seem to work. I use our spare room which is heated/air conditioned to store the dry. Here in NY we have the same problem with humidity etc. So, that is where the dry “lives” For the dehydrated/canned, I had hubby install some cabinets on the wall of my “mud room”. Then, I simply remodeled the kitchen, lol, that was old and outdated. With 4more cabinets, I now have two spots to keep the canned-some in the kitchen, some in the hallway : ) I split our freezer giving the dogs two shelve for their raw for now, and am looking into a chest freezer to store bigger quantities.
I have already written on different topics, but basically right now, what I really want to do is get started. I have read almost non-stop on this subject, ordered a couple books, but need to start a beginning program. Right now I have a 3 year old Sheltie who is on a Hills I/d diet (dry and wet) and will be getting my new Sheltie Pup next week who is being fed ProPlan Focus Puppy Chicken/rice, with Pedigree Wet chicken/beef. I want to get both of these dogs switched over to a much better diet, preferably raw or combination/mixture of that.
How can I get this started? Just by adding a little raw meat/organ meat/meaty bones a little at a time, with their current kibble? The puppy will be easier, I think, but the older one is on the Hills diet for a reason; must have as low fat as possible…..also has issues with sensitive stomach.
Please advise ASAP.
P.S. I ALREADY HAVE ABOUT A HALF BAG OF PRIMAL FROZEN NUGGETS (sardine and turkey formula) to finish using up so I thought I might just start back in mixing some in with the kibble for awhile. I had started this once, but then I had to go out of town for a bit, and decided to start back again later. It’s later, so I’m ready to begin again.
I have gotten my dog into the habit of having an after meal snack/treat, which was originally intended to be for the purpose of teeth cleaning, and something he thoroughly enjoyed chewing on……the CT Dental chews. However, over time, he has started chewing the smaller/thinner ones so quickly, that he swallows larger pieces and then regurgitates them. This has become a growing concern to me, obviously. He loves to have something for “dessert” that is chewy. Other than raw bones, are there any suggestions out there, that would be nutritious and enjoyable as a “chew”? It has to be very low fat, non-greasy and help with tooth care. I’ve given him raw bones, but he gets bored with them once the meaty parts are gone, plus I don’t want to give him too many of those. I need something he can spend some time on, as he loves to chew. I’d love to find some type of bones or chews that would fit this description and would give him some real chewing action. Suggestions welcomed!
Is chicken quarters, chicken breasts and beef liver all you’re feeding her? How much of each? That’s really unbalanced. If you’re feeding too much of the bone-in chicken that could be causing constipation. She may also need some fiber if that’s all she’s getting.
Personally I would suggest checking out a book with balanced recipes (such as “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown) or getting a pre-mix (such as The Honest Kitchen’s Preference or See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix) and feeding the balanced mix as at least half of her meals, you can feed raw meaty bones and offal for the other meal or just feed raw meaty bones a few times a week supplementally. You may also want to get her on a quality multi-strain probiotic supplement. Loose and/or mucusy stools can be normal during the initial transition as your dog’s body is adapting and detoxing. My dogs didn’t have any issues at all switching to raw but I know some others’ on here have had problems so maybe they can give you a more detailed time frame of how long it should take the dog to adjust.
My 8yr old welsh terrier got her blood work back:
Low red blood count, indicating a spleen issue(?)
Low albumin, indicating a liver issue and protein absorption issue ..maybe leaky gut?
There are 6 other blood abnormalities according to my vet…as I don’t have the blood report, yet.
Other issues:
Growing mammary tumors that don’t seem to bother her when touched (she was spayed prior to first heat cycle.) She has a few other masses that don’t seem to bother her – in the upper pit of her back right leg and the backside of her left leg.
She’s very itchy. Not sure if it’s a food allergy or possible cancer-related itchiness?
She’s still pretty spunky but is more listless and seems more depressed than her usual self.
DIET questions???
I fed her purina pro plan sensitive stomach “select” for years until late September (2013) when she stopped eating it (throughout late august/early September). She also got very bloated like she was filled with excess liquid. She had diarrhea for a few days, the vet put her on antibiotics, which seems to help to reduce the bloat, but her mammary tumors which the vet thought could have been swollen glands, continued to grow. I switched her to Acana rangelands (high protein) beef formula and have since eased her into Origin’s fish formula in the morning and the Origin fish formula + Primal raw food at night. She’s less hungry in the morning and will eat well at night. She’s starting to show signs of weight loss.
My vet seems to want to address the tumors first. And am going to call him tomorrow about nutritional options… Wondering what you all think – would probiotics be a good thing? If so what kind? Should I feed her more raw food to ramp up her protein intake? Could the liver issues be the cause of the tumors? I have a hard time picturing what sort of food could help the lumps/tumors, but have you all found such a thing?
There is a lot to address! – liver then tumors… Or try to tackle both at the same time? Nutrition for albumin and liver, biopsy of tumors?
It’s been about 2.5 weeks since I switched my 2 year old, 50 lb dog to raw. I’ve been giving her whole chicken cut into quarters, beef liver, and chicken breast to start out. She loves the food and seems happy and healthy… Except for her stools. She barely poops and when she has I believe the only satisfying one was induced by me giving her canned pumpkin. She hunches over to poop but nothing comes out. When she has its been like diarrhea. I’ve pressed on her tummy and felt around… She doesn’t react badly… I don’t have a job and I’m honestly embarrassed to tell a vet that I’ve switched her. I’m also worried they will take advantage of my worry and ask to do unnecessary things to her. I don’t know if she’s sick or I am doing something wrong. I have to no qualms on taking her to the vet if need be… But I am also told quite often that I over worry… BUT NO POOPS WORRY ME! Any help would be great.
She came up to me tonight, ears up and eyes wide and showed me to the door. We went outside and she ran to her poop spot, circled forever, finally squatted… And nothing. Maybe a squirt… She walked around squatting for a bit then ran to the apartment.
I have an english bulldog that is 1 1/2 years old. She has spina bifida and is completely incontinent. Sometimes I have to assist her with the number 2s. Changing her diapers gives me the excellent and horrific view of her poops. Sophie has an EXTREMELY sensitive stomach. I am very well versed in dry dog food but am extremely incompetent when it comes to supplements. I have read nearly every thread on here and it seems like information overload! I currently feed Sophie Nutrisca. That is the only kibble that hasn’t made her bowels completely crazy. I work at a pet food store, so I have tried nearly everyone. Anytime I remotely try to switch her, its diarrhea, pure liquid. She gets dehydrated quickly and that scares me! She has done well on the Nutrisca, however I am interested in switching her to a commercial raw diet. Again no matter how slowly I try to transition, its pure diarrhea, liquid and I am changing diapers every 5-15 minutes. Poor baby. So the Nutrisca we have stayed on, however, now even on the Nutrisca her bowels switch from rock solid I have to help her excrete them to pure liquid. I have her own cranberry extract powder, and salmon oil. Occasionally I give her raw eggs. I am looking for a digestive enzyme or SOMETHING to help keep her number 2s more consistent. Pumpkin doesn’t work. Haven’t had much luck with yogurt. Anytime I take her to the vet (who delivered her and wouldn’t put her down when the breeder wanted him to due to the SB and who is an expert on SB and has pooled his resources all over the country for Sophie’s SB) he suggests switching her back to Science Diet which is what he had her on when she was living with him before I adopted her. Yes then her poops where normal, no problems but I absolutely refuse to put her on that and I refuse to go to another vet, not many in my area are spina bifida literate. There has to be a supplement of some kind to help her. I don’t hear a lot of tummy gurgles. Like I said she goes from being constipated to diarrhea by the day. Any suggestions for my poor baby?!
Nancy M
I buy my kibble online and from the local feed store/garden supply store. I buy canned foods from a wholesaler but there are alot of them that get dented on the delivery so it would be better for me to pick the order up from the loading dock but I do buy several cases at once. Basically, I just bought about a dozen cases, not for sure. There’s several still on the floor that aren’t on the shelf! There is also a non-profit store where fosters can buy food for dirt cheap like Merrick cases for $2.50 (and they are in date, not expired). I haven’t bought from them so my cases are around $16-$30. My preferred cans are Weruva, Tripett, Merrick, Wellness, Nature’s Logic, just ordered some Hound & Gatos. For freeze dried/dehydrated I’ve used The Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s with added protein, and Addiction with added protein. My other favorite freeze dried is Vital Essentials freeze dried nibbletts since I get a big bag of this for $15-$18. For kibble, I keep Nature’s Logic, Nutrisource, Brothers Complete, Instinct, and Epigen, sometimes Nature’s Select grain free. I have anywhere from 6-12 dogs at a time and when they leave my house, I send them with a gallon ziplock bag about 3/4 full and a couple cans. I like to use wet foods on their kibble, but usually make sure to feed the seniors extra wet food. My raw is from a local source or with a group bulk order from GreenTripe.com in California. Retailers also carry this brand but for twice as much as when ordering with my raw feeding group.
Sandy,
Loved the info in your post of 10/7…… Great info! Thanks for sharing!
HI Nancy-
Several of my dogs are schnauzers which are very prone to pancreatitis, and need the fat closely watched as well. With that said, I choose lean meats, and then still trim off what I can. So far, in the past two weeks, they have eaten homemade raw(used commercial made before) using chicken, lean beef, beef heart and venison. No problems with them so far..
That’s great news!…thanks for telling me that! At least I feel like I’m on the right path….you’ve been very helpful. The thing for me is I’m trying to keep fat content down to a bare minimum and I’m very leary of doing his raw diet with the ground beef…..I’d have to do something quite different. My 3 year old Sheltie has CYHLOTHORAX and the fat content in the blood/chyle (which is somehow leaking into the chest cavity) is a bad deal for him, so fat in the diet has to be closely monitored. Thanks again! Not sure what I’m going to do.
Dinovite is how I started on raw. I did his yeast starvation diet for half of my dogs’ food. And then I kept looking into other recipes for raw food and got a couple books. I read every website I could find and talked to other raw feeders. Now, I use Darwin’s commercial raw, grinds from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore that I have to add stuff to, meat from the butcher, and even one of my buck goats. I use premixes like Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl and Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer, that you add to boneless meat. I have used DinoVite and am soon going to try CarnivoreRaw with bone in meat.
I felt like using DinoVite let me start feeding raw quickly and gave me time to learn more, so I could take the next step.
I switch kibbles every week and I swich raw every meal. It took a few months of slow transitions to get one of my dogs to where she could just switch without any transition, but I stuck with it and now she switches easily.
I would like to get some well founded information as to the concept of “food rotation”. I have done this in the distant past, but would like to hear others opinions as to the general way of doing this; how often, is it basically a rotation of the type of food you’re feeding (kibble, canned, fresh, raw, etc….). Is it basically a rotation of the protein source, or other ingredients? Transition time and process? Would love to hear from all of you. Thanks!
Nancy M,
I don’t think there is one correct way. You could start for the first few months of slow transitions between some of the foods you pick for your rotation and use probiotics to help “build up” the gut. Then after a while, you can try switching foods without a transition. Change every bag or change 3 or 4 times a year or even have 2 or 3 different foods open at once so you can feed a different food for each meal. I use different toppers – cans, freeze-dried/dehydrated, raw. No particular pattern. Just whatever I feel like grabbing. I don’t fast the dogs each week like HDM does.
Molzy,
I use CarnivoreRaw without Calcium in my meat/organ grinds. The one that neezerfan mentions above. I asked Urban Wolf about their’s and it’s only for boneless meat.
2 months, 1 week ago
