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Search Results for 'raw'
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Hi sombodysme –
I wouldn’t feed the shell with the egg. Eggshell contains a lot of calcium and could throw of the calcium to phosphorus ratio of the meal. 1 tsp. of eggshell contains a whopping 1,000 mg. calcium where an egg (without the shell) only contains around 100 mg. phosphorus. To get the full benefit of the omega 3’s and the glutathione pre-cursors in the egg white the eggs should be fed raw. I wouldn’t feed eggs daily as there is a glycoprotein present in raw egg whites called avidin that binds to biotin and inhibits absorption – there’s controversy over whether or not feeding raw eggs frequently can result in a biotin deficiency. I feed my girls raw a raw egg every other day.
You can find directions on how to sprout flax on a lot of websites. You’ll need flax seed and a sprouter. Although I have a sprouter I still buy mine – Nativas Naturals from Swanson’s. I wouldn’t think sprouted flax would be a substitute for a green food. I add about 1 tbs. per dog on the days I feed it. Flax is good to add on days you feed poultry as it balances the fats in the poultry. I buy wheatgrass from Swanson’s – I use Starwest Botanicals. I would say maybe 1/2 tsp. for small dogs, 1 tsp for medium/large dogs and 1 1/2 – 2 tsp. for large/giant dogs. You can also grow fresh wheat grass for pets to graze on. Bell Rock has some kits.
Topic: Homemade dog food recipe
Started making dog food for Henry beagle. Consists of ground chicken thighs or lean hamburger, sweet potatoes, kale, peas, carrots, eggs. We are feeding him 2-1/2cups per day. He did weigh 48.4 lbs. and now is at 45.6. Our vet would like to see him get to 40 lbs. We also bought marrow soup bones and after he eats one, we fill it with pumpkin, freeze it and give as a nighttime treat. It makes his stoold loose. He is 14 yrs old and of course loves to eat. We also give him two chewable glucosamine tabs a day and one omega-3capsule that our vet suggested and sold to us.. Henry has lipomas (one very large). They have decreased on this homemade diet. My problem is that he is hungry and I am wondering if his nutrition is sound. (Of course I realize hounds can be constantly looking for food). I thought I could add some organic brown rice to his meal for bulk. When I called our vet to ask, the reply was to give him Hills ID, half homemade and half Hills. Well that puts me back to manufactured dog food. We were feeding him expensive kibble before and it contributed to his lipomas. Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this. I don’t want to undo the good the homemade has done and yet I want to make sure he gets a good nutritious diet. We tried raw– no luck.
And lol, somebodysme! Knowing the coffee feeling today (from your first post)! I figured since these forums are such a wealth of.info, might as well ask this one!
Thanks for the great info on cod liver oil, HDM! I’ve got a few books on raw that I need to get reading and figure out where Dominic needs to be as far as supplements/add-ins.
Typing this on mobile, please excuse any weird typing!
Topic: Dog Allergy Test Completed
Having done an allergy test, I now can’t find a food… in addition one item that came up as positive was yeast. When I contacted the test clinic they could not give me a break out as to what kind of yeast….
Where do I go from here?Many allergic items were borderline to borderline positive. Raw is not really an option as we are talking about a 110 lbs of dog.
I am currently using ZIWIPeak venison but this has green lip mussels… and she has a borderline allergy to shell fish mix. It too is a bit pricey.Vitamin A can be harmful in excess because it’s a fat soluble vitamin – however you need to feed too much of it in order for it to build up. A capsule of cod liver oil per day would not come anywhere near toxic vitamin a doses. One capsule of Carlson Super Cod Liver Oil provides 2,000 IU vitamin a – the toxic dose (which needs to be given daily for months to create toxicity) is 113,600 IU per pound of food consumed on a dry matter basis. So assuming your dog eats one pound of food per day (dry matter) the dog would have to eat 50+ capsules of cod liver oil per day to result in vitamin a toxicity. I’ve ran a full nutrient analysis on my raw menus and they are well below the AAFCO’s safe upper limit for vitamin a levels. One of my menus I analyzed came out to 52,412 IU/kg and the other to 78,326 IU/kg – the AAFCO’s upper limit is 250,000 IU/kg. The problems arise when people substitute cod liver oil for fish body oil and use it to meet their dog’s omega 3 needs. Cod liver oil should not be used as an omega 3 supplement – it should be used in small doses as a whole food source of vitamin d. One of the reasons I use Carlson, in addition to the fact that their products are stringently tested for contaminants and contain high levels of vitamin e to preserve the fats, is that their cod liver oil is lower in vitamin a than many other brands.
Hi EHubbman –
It’s all pretty confusing when you start out isn’t it?
I would like to start out by saying I strongly disagree with those that say supplements aren’t necessary for a raw diet. The thing is, if a dog was eating whole wild prey daily this may be true but that’s not practical in real life. It would be next to impossible to feed an actual prey model diet so people approximate it by feeding ratios of muscle meat, organ meat and bone (80:10:10) that mimic the ratios found in a whole prey animal. While this is a good estimate of the dog’s natural diet, it’s not going to provide all the nutrients a dog needs for various reasons: 1) Your dog isn’t getting the whole animal. When a dog eats prey in the wild it eats everything – all the organs, the glands, the brain, eyeballs, fur, feathers, sinew, some intestines and intestinal content, it even picks up some dirt of the ground where it’s eating. 2) Commercially raised meat such as what is available to us in the supermarket is not as mineral dense as wild prey. 3) Domestic dogs are bombarded with toxins on a daily basis that their wild relatives aren’t – i.e.) flea treatments, heart worm treatments, vaccines, exhaust fumes, cleaning chemicals, etc. etc. – and for this reason benefit from additional antioxidants in their diet that are provides through fruits, vegetables and whole super foods.
You do not need to supplement with enzymes when feeding a raw diet. Raw food contains enzymes. These enzymes are destroyed when the food is cooked and this is why kibble and canned foods should be supplemented with enzymes. Probiotic supplements are also a waste of money unless you have a dog with serious digestive issues. Feeding green tripe and/or plain yogurt and/or kefir at least a few times a week will maintain a healthy population of gut flora in a healthy dog.
You will need to add supplemental omega 3’s. You can do this by adding a quality fish body oil, cage free eggs or feeding a fatty fish such as sardines. If you want to feed sardines the recommend servings are (based on 3.75 oz. tin): 5 lbs. 1/4 tin, 15 lbs. 1/2 tin, 25 lbs. 5/8 tin, 50 lbs. 1 tin, 100 lbs. 1 3/4 tin – per week. If giving fish oil you want to add enough to provide about 100 mg. combined EPA and DHA per 10 lbs. of body weight. While the majority of a dog’s omega 3’s should come from animal sources, some plant based omega 3’s can be beneficial as well. If you’re feeding predominantly poultry, flax should be given to balance the fats and if you’re feeding predominantly red meat hemp seed should be given to balance the fats. My dogs get a cage free egg 3 days per week, Carlson brand salmon oil complete (with astaxanthin) daily and I also give small amounts of sprouted flax, sprouted chia, etc. If not supplementing with vitamin d, you should give cod liver oil as well. Carlson makes the highest quality cod liver oil – my girls each get 1 capsule of Carlson Super Cod Liver Oil daily which provides 250 IU vitamin d. If giving fish oil it’s very important not to skimp on quality – fish oil is one supplement you don’t want to find a bargain on. The cheaper brands are often rancid at purchase and don’t contain enough antioxidants to prevent oxidation. Coconut oil, as Patty pointed out, is comprised of MCT’s. Coconut oil can be given in addition to (but not instead of) omega 3’s. Coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. You can give up to 1/2 tsp. per 10 lbs. of body weight daily. My girls get coconut oil daily, I find it’s a healthy way to increase the fat level of their meals.
As Sandy pointed out, vitamin e is also necessary to add – this is especially important when supplementing with omega 3’s as vitamin e prevents the delicate fats from oxidizing in the body. For dogs <25 add 50 – 100 IU per day, 25 – 50 lbs. 100 – 200 IU per day, 50 – 75 lbs. 200 – 300 IU per day, 75 – 100 lbs. 300 – 400 IU per day, >100 lbs. 400 IU per day. I use NOW Foods Gamma E Complex – it has all 8 tocopherols and tocotrienols.
Other supplements my dogs get:
-A homemade super food mix. I generally use 1 part kelp, 1 part alfalfa, 1 part spirulina, 1 part wheat grass and 1 part bee pollen although I’ll sometimes sub in a different ingredient for variety. I buy most of my ingredients from Swanson or Starwest Botanicals in 1 lb. bags. This provides vital trace nutrients to the diet. I’d recommend about 1 tsp per 25 – 30 lbs. (roughly) for a supplement such as this.
-I give my dogs colostrum 3 days per week. Colostrum is high in immunoglobulins which helps strengthen the immune system.
-They get a glandular 3 days per week (opposite the colostrum). I use Natural Sources Raw Multiple.
If you read through the raw menu section I have my dog’s full menus (with supplements) posted.
I prefer to balance my dog’s diets using whole foods versus adding synthetic supplements. The nutrients from whole foods are more efficiently assimilated by the body and contain all the necessary co-factors for optimal absorption and utilization. There’s also a much lower chance of overdosing on nutrients when using whole foods.
If you have any more questions don’t be afraid to ask. 🙂
Complete newbie here! Reading the forums, I see so many things on prebiotics, probiotics, enzymes, digestive enzymes, fish oil, krill oil, emu(?) oil, cod liver oil, fish body oil, coconut oils, etc, the list goes on and on! (What the heck is spirulina?)
What are these things, and what do they do? What are the pros/cons of giving them? Where do they come from (supplements v. naturally occurring, such as in a specific part of a raw diet)? When is it appropriate to give them, and how much per day per weight of dog?
Sorry for all the questions! Like I said, complete newbie, and looking in to starting a raw diet with my little guy. Some people say “yes, supplement!” While others say “Yes, but only THESE supplements,” while still others say “no, don’t supplement! If you feed raw right, you don’t have to!”
There’s so much info out there and this fourm has been such a wonderful help on other issues, I thought I’d throw this one out there.
Thank you for the help!
Recent Topics
-
Easy Cat Pregnancy Calculator for Cat Owners
by 3 months ago
-
How do I keep a dog entertained passively?
by 3 months, 1 week ago
-
Best enrichment toys for a smart dog? Others are getting boring.
by 3 months, 2 weeks ago
-
Need healthier alternatives to Purina Moist & Meaty
by 5 months, 1 week ago
-
dog vitamins
by
2 months, 1 week ago