[theBCnut]

I answered you on the other thread. Basically, it depends on how serious a chewer he is. Read my other response for details.

[MarkWiz69]

Can I feed my 5 month old Rottweiler Puppy (60lbs) a RAW large (6 inch long / 2″ diameter) Beef Bone?

[MarkWiz69]

Can I feed my 5 month old Rottweiler Puppy (60lbs) a RAW large (6 inch long / 2″ diameter) Beef Bone?

[pugmomsandy]

Poop color can change with the different food. My 10 pugs eat different kibbles, cans and dehydrated and raw and they all have different color poops. Also she might still be trying to get used to the new food. There is a food called Abady granular and it has over 800 calories per cup. You could mix this in to your meatballs easily as it is a granular product.

[mah4angel]

Even better!! That should make the transition easier and much MUCH shorter, actually ^_^ Wet food is, in general, healthier than dry food! Now that I know that your baby is already eating wet food and doesn’t need to be transitioned from dry to wet, I can offer you a whole new (shorter) transition plan (if you don’t mind), I just copied and pasted my old plan and deleted and reworded some stuff haha. All I can say is remember to transition properly! It’s very important!!

-Change from Science Diet to a four-star wet food (something like the Nature’s Domain wet food-which is sold at Costco and is not yet listed on this site but that I’m positive would receive a four-star mark: http://www.naturesdomainpetfood.com/about-natures-domain/natures-domain-grain-free-turkey-and-pea-stew-for-dogs, or Artemis Fresh Mix canned food: /dog-food-reviews/artemis-fresh-mix-dog-food-canned/).
I’ve selected these because they have decent fat-to-protein ratios. The fat-to-protein ratio should be around 50% (Hill’s Science Diet Adult Canned Dog Food has an average fat-to-protein ratio of 68% so we’re trying to start to reduce the fat-to-protein ratio with these four-star foods).

-Then from a four-star wet food to a five-star wet food (like the Earthborn dinners: http://www.petflow.com/product/earthborn-holistic/earthborn-holistic-duke-s-din-din-gourmet-dinner-wet-dog-food).
These tubs have an average fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%, pretty much perfect. Like I said before, I HIGHLY recommend Earthborn products!! These come in great, easy to re-seal tubs in a variety of flavors. I used them for Louie to get him used to a higher moisture content.

-Then go to a 100% raw kibble (these raw kibbles come “dry” BUT they need to be re-hydrated with water so it really is more of a wet food than anything) like DNA (air-dried raw, stands for Dried N Alive): http://www.dnapetfood.com/node/20, or something similar.

-And then transition from that to a pre-made frozen raw OR you could totally cut costs and make your own (which is what I’m doing), and then you’ll have 100% control over what she’s eating 😀

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by mah4angel.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by mah4angel.

[pugmomsandy]

I had a dental done on my dogs a couple years ago (maybe 2 or 3) and then started them on raw food and bones and they’re teeth are still clean (even though they still eat kibble and canned foods)!! The bones really help. My dogs are small so the marrow bones, beef rib bones and cow hooves work for them. There is a product called ProDen Plaque Off that seems to help too. And Mercola.com has a new dental gel also in the pet department.

[molliesmom]

My poor 10-yr-old female English Springer gets two to four UTI’s a year (for three years now). Vet puts her on heavy duty antibiotics and just recently suggested Craninadine which she’s been on for a few months now and yet another UTI!
She’s had crystals too, but not this time. Her urine is very diluted so I’ve been told to cut back on her water intake.
She is on thyroid meds and doing well with that (not so ravishingly hungry and weight back to normal)
AS FOR CAUSE: she’s been tested for other things – vet doesn’t see anything. She DOES lick herself often (you know, lady parts) and vet thinks she keeps transferring bacteria from her mouth to there and may be causing UTI. And her teeth and breath have gotten so bad because of that! I’ve asked about probiotics but no real enthusiasm from vet.
BEHAVIOR: Outdoors often (fence). Highly intelligent, stubborn and high-strung. Has more obsessive habits as she ages. Examples: more barking; she LOVES rabbit poop! YUK! Vet says that would not contribute to UTI problem, but I wonder, and try my best to keep her from it – we have so many rabbits in the yard! I also wonder if the licking is more behavioral.
I am with her all the time due to my disability, so she’s hardly ever left alone.
DIET: Here’s where I could use some advice. I’ve always suspected that it might be her food at least contributing to her problem and recently switched her to Blue Buffalo Senior. I’ve just found your wonderful site and realized that she DOES need more protein even though she’s older. DUH! So do I!! She’s not really a fan of it and she’s sick again, anyway. Vet gave me samples of Hills Adult t/d. Very large kibble to use as treats for tartar control. But now unsure of the quality!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I do live on a limited income so all fresh food may be hard to do, but some (like raw chicken wings?) may be possible.
I thank you in advance — Colleen

[FreeholdHound]

I just placed my 1st order with Hare Today. What a great selection they have. My plan is to feed a raw/kibble diet so I ordered the beef/tripe/organ/bone mix, some frozen turkey necks, and the ground sardines. I don’t have a separate freezer but I do have 2 refrigerator/freezers (don’t ask lol) so I can’t go nuts. Hopefully this is a good start 🙂

[LindaW]

Thanks, guys. I agree something is “off” on the %’s and ingredients. That’s why I just couldn’t bring myself to order it. FYI – it is not cooked but fermented somehow.

[LindaW]

Thank you Hound Dog Mom. I feed her green tripe. Takes a couple mouth fulls and that’s it! I’ll try heating a bit. Brand is Top Quality. They originate from North Carolina and make an eastern U.S. trip up to the northeast once per month. That’s what the breeder uses. I had Tripe Plus from A Place to Paws (on line) which is a lot more $ than Top Quality. She eats that a bit more than the other but still not the amount she should be consuming.

[ANnS]

Caribou Creek Gold – developed by sled dog folks. Used by the guy who won the Iditarod 5 times. Go to their website and email Mary and Lloyd and they will put you in contact with their firend who handles shipping small orders (like less than food for a kennel full) Packs about 696 calories a cup – nearly 3 times any conventional kibble.

Abady – granular and kibble. Abady recommends the granular over the kibble. They want you to talk to them before picking one of their foods. There are different versions of the granular and the canned. I use Classic granular – about 796 calories a cup so 1 cup of it = over 2 cups of the other foods. They do a frozen raw but have never mentioned it to me as choice for my guys in years.
(Abady’s website is very simplistic – jsut call them. Bob Abady was a French biochemist who came here after WWII and he introduced Bouviers to the US.) Abady is ‘the’ choice for the caliber of dogs that do Westminster and also run the Iditarod. As close to custom as you can get. Abady will tell you where you can buy it (some stores in Chicago and east coast) or you can have it shipped.

I ship them in (and I’m feeding more lbs of dogs than your boxers.. My guys are a working mobility Service Dog and the other a top level Obedience competition dog — high demands on them to stay fit and healthy — and these WORK. Abady has been working for me for nearly 50 years. You will NOT find either of these foods in big box stores.

[theBCnut]

Edible mushrooms are a healthy addition to any dogs food and are excellent cancer fighters.

[GizmoMom]

I thought dogs can’t eat mushrooms.

Ingredients on this page:
http://balancediet.com/index.php/supreme-dog-kibble/supreme-63/supremetm-m-dog-super-food-all-breeds-all-ages.html
“Shitake Mushroom, Reishi Mushroom”

Plus that’s a lot of fruits in the ingredient list.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi somebodysme –

The number one defense against parasites – both internal and external – is a strong immune system. I battled parasites yearly with my dogs until I switched to a species-appropriate raw diet. My dogs get raw garlic a few days a week (for a dog the size of yours I’d say between 1 and 1 1/2 cloves 3 – 4 times per week), I use Sentry Natural Defense Topical Drops monthly (natural oil based repellent that comes in an applicator similar to Frontline or Advantix) and Earth Animal No More Fleas & Tick herbal tincture 6 days per week. I also comb them with a flea comb nightly. I haven’t found a single flea or tick this year.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi CharlieBrown –

It’s great that you’re looking to switch your pup to a better food 🙂

Victor is budget friendly and has very small kibble. Fromm Classics are reasonably priced – I’ve never used the classics but I know their 4 Star and Gold lines both have small kibbles so I’d assume the classics would as well. NutriSource has a small/medium breed puppy formula that is small and pretty cheap. That’s all I can recall off the top of my head for small kibble and reasonable price. I’m sure Sandy will know some more.

For canned food I’d recommend checking out either Pure Balance (available at Walmart), 4Health (available at Tractor Supply) or Kirkland Cuts & Gravy (available at Costco) – all are $1 or less for a large can and rate 4 stars or higher.

If you want to give him something healthy to chew on that’s also cheap, I’d recommend picking up some raw bones from the butcher. Bully sticks, pig ears and dried tracheas (from quality sources) are healthy chews too but they can be pricey.

[theBCnut]

Mixing wet and dry food is great. I can’t suggest foods for you because I don’t know what has small kibble sizes, but someone else will see this soon and have ideas.

About the rawhides, does the package say where they were made or if they are natural hides? Throw out anything made in China because you never know what chemicals may be in it. If they are not natural rawhides, then they were treated with something to bleach them and it is unlikely to be something good. However as long as you only give them very occassionally they are unlikely to do damage, but it is something that I would only use rarely, just to be safe.

Congratulations on your new family member!!

[Boxermom]

Thanks Nir, 599 calories per cup is defiantly a lot… I’ve heard it’s a good food but I think for now I’ll stay with the brands that have lower amount of calories. If it doesn’t work out I might give it a chance because it does sound like a very good option 🙂
Good luck with the raw feeding.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve never heard of this food but I can say that nothing can be “better than raw” and if a food isn’t cooked it’s raw. Upon visiting the webpage – there’s some stuff seriously off. As Sandy noted, the numbers simply do not add up. The % protein, % fat and % carbohydrates on a dry matter basis cannot total over 100%. They also state “all naturally occurring vitamins and minerals” – yet the food contains a long listed of added synthetic vitamins and minerals. I also can’t locate any information on their site explaining how the food is processed. Is it raw? Is it high pressure processed? Is it cooked? There’s just so much stuff on their site, I’m might try to sift through some of it but something just seems off to me.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I would try mixing a small amount of green tripe into each meal you feed her and seeing if that helps. You could also try heating it slightly (not enough to cook it) – sometimes the cold temperature is a turn off. What brand are you feeding?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Raw is digests more quickly than kibble – there probably wouldn’t be a significant difference between the digestion rate of a raw food versus a grain-free quality canned food, however. No pre-made raw I’ve used has ever been “chunky.” I’ve never used the frozen S&C or Instinct (only the freeze dried) but I have used frozen Bravo Balance and it’s definitely not chunky – it’s a finely ground uniform log.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sully’s Mom –

42% protein is definitely not too high – my girls’ meals are generally in the 45% – 55% protein range. There’s really no risk of feeding “too much protein” to a healthy dog and this issue definitely would not occur with a kibble – most kibbles are much lower in protein than a natural raw diets due to the nature of kibble (a starch source is required for processing). When excess protein is consumed beyond what the dog’s body utilizes, the excess amino acids are catabolized into waste nitrogen, converted to urea in the liver and kidneys and excreted in the urine. This is a passive process that does not cause any harm or additional stress to the dog. I personally prefer kibbles with at least 30% protein. Victor Ultra Pro looks like an excellent food and I’ve heard great things about it.

[JenRose]

Didn’t realize that about the fat. Thank you! The dang Newman’s I have been feeding may be high fat too. But since getting her off the coconut milk and adding in the motility drugs and supplements, she has been doing better…pooping at least once a day and less bloated looking.

I am leaning towards trying one of the pre made raw diets or at least supplementing her current canned food with it. Isn’t raw in general more easily digested than processed foods? Any idea which raw diet would roll up to make the smoothest meatball? She can’t tolerate any chunkiness. In pics the Bravo looks chunky but the Instinct and S&C seems smooth, like finely ground meat patties.

[LindaW]

I’ve asked Balance Diet about the carbs. They said something like “because of the fermenting–it raises the carbs but are not the same as carb % in other foods”. What?

[LindaW]

My 12 week old Golden has been weaned onto raw by her “natural rearing” breeder. Yay! Although the breeder told me she ate her raw “with gusto”, she will not eat it now (with me). I am feeding same company, same food as she had been eating when weaned. I don’t want to change from raw, but she won’t eat turkey, coarse ground turkey necks, beef, chicken, duck. She’ll eat chicken necks and some tripe. In a 24-hr period, she eats maybe 1/4 pound. That is not enough for a growing pup! HELP! Thank you.

[Hound Dog Mom]

No problem Betsy. I enjoy helping everyone learn more about raw food and I think it’s great that you’re incorporating some RMBs into Sam and Bella’s diet. 🙂

[Boxermom]

Hey Nir,
I don’t feed raw so sorry I can’t help, but I wanted to ask you about Canine Caviar- some people told me that their dog stay hungry on it (and restless), because of the small feeding amount. I think it’s 300g/day for 30kg dog? Maybe I’m wrong, but I remember it was less than other quality dog foods like Acana, Merrick, Natural balance etc (I know the reason is Canine Caviar is much higher in calories). How’s your dog doing with his daily amount?
Thanks

[DogFoodie]

Thanks, HDM!

You know, had it not been for your help, and the help of other raw feeders here, I probably would’ve been scared to get into raw at all. Raw can be a little bit intimidating and stressful and you guys always make it look so easy and are always so reassuring!

Thanks for taking the time to share all of your knowledge and experience with us!

Blessings, Betsy

[Hound Dog Mom]

Some brands sell their food in nuggets. I know Instinct now has nuggets. I think the patties and chubs would roll into meatballs fine as well. S&C and Instinct are extremely high in fat though, so they probably wouldn’t be the route you’d want to take if you’re cutting fat. The more calorie-dense the food, the more fat. Since manufacturers are only required to report the minimum level of fat, when you see a raw food that’s very high in calories but the stated min fat doesn’t look too high you can assume the actual amount of fat is much higher. Sometimes if you call the company they will be able to give you an actual reading from a lab analysis. Most of the low fat raw foods are pretty low in calories.

[JenRose]

My adopted 5 year old Lab was dx with megaesophagus in 2011. She generally does well with a strict management plan but we have had our ups and downs with this frustrating disease! She is currently eating Newman’s Own Organic Beef canned food (625 kcal/can) rolled into meatballs and fed while she is sitting upright in a Bailey Chair. She gets 1 can 2x per day. She cannot tolerate a lot of bulk and was found to have gastroparesis in addition to the ME during an endoscope in April of this year. I feel like it may have been partially due to the high fat diet (lots of coconut milk) I had her on. I have since cut as much fat as possible and she gets metaclopramide (Reglan), probiotics and digestive enzymes to help speed up digestion.

I am interested in the pre-made raw diets, especially Stella and Chewy’s, Primal and Instinct Raw. The Instinct seems to have the highest calorie content (520 kcal/8 oz patty) but I know they have had recalls in the past. The most calories in the least amount of food seems to be best for her.

Any other ME dog owners feed raw? Or any experience in general with these brands? Once thawed, would they roll up nicely into meatballs?

[Hound Dog Mom]

You math looks right to me. BTW – to convert pounds to ounces just multiply the pounds by 16. So, 0.94 X 16 = 15.04.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Tinned sardines, eggs, kefir, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, chopped up leftover meat, leftover veggies. Also chicken hearts and gizzards and beef hearts are usually fairly cheap at the grocery store – you could mix them in raw or fry them up in a healthy oil like coconut oil.

[DogFoodie]

I’ve been doing RMBs intermittently, but am not trusting my math and am worried that I’m not calculating the amount that I’m given them correctly. Using a figure of 2.5% for the percent of their body weight that I’m choosing to feed, is this correct:

I’m feeding Sam as if he were 75 lbs, so the math is 75 x .025 = 1.88 lbs total daily divided by two meals is .94 lbs per meal, right?

When we get to 70 pounds, the math is 70 x .025 = 1.75 daily divded by two meals is .88 lbs per meal.

Bella, is 15 x .025 = .38 daily divded by two meals is .19 lbs per meal.

I found this conversion chart to convert pounds to ounces which will make this a heck of a lot easier to figure out when I get my digital kitchen scale. http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/pounds-to-ounces.htm

It’s just that for some reason, the math is throwing me off. You gotta hand it to kibble in the convenience department when it comes to calculating portions.

[theBCnut]

Hi Sully’s Mom

I like Nature’s Variety Instinct, but I would skip the Raw Boost. There aren’t enough of the raw pieces to matter, it’s just marketing.

I wouldn’t feed as low a protein as your Fromm’s, but for rotational purposes, no, you don’t have to match protein%, fat%, or calories. I try to keep in the same range just so I don’t have to adjust how much I feed by very much. And some dogs are sensitive to changes in fat level, but not usually rotational feeders, unless they have pancreas problems.

You don’t need to limit yourself to 3 choices. I love finding a new food that I can add to my rotation. Keep notes on how they do on what or pretty soon you will be confused about whether it was X or Y that your dog did this or that while eating it.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by theBCnut.

[Nir_g5]

Hello ,
I have a four years old alaskan malamute male.
The dog is generally very healthy.weighting 62 pounds.
I feed him once a day.
The dog is active.
I always tried to upgrade his food quality .
But every time, when i got to point of homemade diet
it has been failed.
I read dr.becker’s and beth’s book,so i have the
knowledge.

The story goes like this :when feeding dry grained food like
canine caviar
and the stools are fine ,but eating dry foods with no grains
causes loose stools.
On the other hand,when feeding grain free canned food
and the stools are fine.
But when i made homemade diet raw or cooked with
grains or grains free and the stools are loose .

Here is the story from the last 3 days:

On Monday evening, i fed him peal millet canine caviar with
water which soften the food .
Result :fine stools

On Tuesday evening :small amount of home made cooked diet : 230 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,60 grams of carrot.caloric value:660

Result:the end of the stool was
loose with black color (maybe of the liver).

On Wednesday evening:grained home made diet : 280 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,100 grams of carrot,150 grams of cooked whole brown rice .cloric value :880

What do you think? what is best way to feed my dog ?
What are the possible reasons for these results ?

Thanks
Nir

[Sully’sMom]

Ok, here goes, Hound Dog Mom, InkedMarie, Pattyvaughn and anyone else 🙂

Sully is now 13 mos; he has been fed FrommGoldLargeBreedPuppy. I’ve been reading this wonderful forum, learning alot, and planning on transitioning him out of puppy and to……

I’ve taken what I’ve learned here, done some of my own research and decided on feeding a rotational diet of grain-free, and I’ve narrowed the brands down to:

1. ) Fromm Four Star – the most expensive of what I’ve narrowed down to, but I have a free bag of Surf & Turf waiting to be opened, so this will be our first transition. They do offer a frequent bag reward program on this brand at Chewy, so we’ll see if we continue.
2.) Earthborn – most likely the Primitive Natural
3.) Merrick – something other than the chicken, since the Earthborn Primitive Natural is turkey and chicken
4.) Dr Tim’s – I like everything I read about the company, including the price, but their grain free is only in one formula and is chicken based. Was hoping for another different protein base to round out the above.
5.) Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost – we went through some trial bags, and I like the premise but I think it will end up being cost prohibitive.

So, I’m thinking that after we use the Fromm Surf and Turf bag that we have, I thought my rotation will be either Fromm, Earthborn, Merrick OR Earthborn, Merrick, Dr. Tim’s. Either way, here’s where I’m stuck:

Among these four brands/varieties, the Protein Percentages range from a low of 28 (Fromm) to a high of 38% (The Earthborn Primitive and all of the Merrick). The Kcals vary from a low of 408 (Fromm) to a high of 460 (three of the Merrick varieties). Am I supposed to try to keep the protein % AND Kcals consistent among the rotation?

I feel like I’m at the finish line but can’t cross, lol! Help?

[pugmomsandy]

Hmmmm…I will say that a pug’s weight is not everything as mine are overweight but have good body condition. Pugs are a bit squatty! And they do tend to get overweight quickly. If you haven’t yet looked up a “body condition score” chart, please do. For me their body condition is more important than their weight.

Take a look at these two – one with poor body condition and the other could probably gain a pound.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_28831024x768_zps49daa9d5.jpg

This is my overweight pug at 23 lbs:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_2697640x479_zpsbe52d943.jpg

but he definitely doesn’t need to lose weight. He has a 22 inch chest and 17 inch waist.

Also I wanted to mention that anal glands shouldn’t be expressed unless needed. Mine only had them done once because I didn’t know that groomers do it automatically!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA9SeHAEyQ4

A better diet should help with all their issues. If you can feed them a 5 star grain free kibble and wet food without white potatoes (food coloring and sugar), it should help with their ears/itching/yeast problems and hopefully anal glands. The anal glands might be damaged though from frequent expression. And normally the pugs only need 1 cup max per day of a good kibble. Mine eat 2/3 cup a day and that leaves room for treats (grain free also). And they also eat raw foods which gives them solid stool.

My pugs have been a good diet for a couple years now and they don’t have any issues and haven’t taken any kind of medication in years either nor do I take them to the groomers. They only get a bath about twice a year, maybe three times.

I would highly recommend changing their diet. It would save them so much misery and save you so much money on vet visits and medications.

pugvillage.com is another site for pug lovers too.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[theBCnut]

They do bleach rawhides.

[somebodysme]

She does have a nylabone and that’s about all she can have now, she does have an antler that’s cut in half/split, she loves that thing.

Since I posted this, I’ve come to figure out that is wasn’t the rawhide that is causing the rash but it was causing her to scratch and her hair to fall out. She has not had any rawhide since and I will never give her another. There must be some chemical they use to process the hide that she is allergic to. Her scratching is gone but the rash on her back is still there. I can’t help but think it’s the Demodex that came back even though the vet said he didn’t find any evidence of it when he did a scraping. It just all adds up to Demodex, plus it doesn’t itch on the back. I’ve seen google images of Demodex that look exactly like what is on her. All of her other itching has totally gone away with a new dog food and no treats…everything BUT that stupid RASH! ARGH!!!!!!! 🙁

[Cyndi]

You shouldn’t give a dog any cooked bones. & most of those bones that they sell at pet stores break off into shards of bone because I believe they are cooked or something. I had gotten one of those for my other dog and he was breaking off big 2-3 inch shards of sharp bone. I immediately thru it away and will never buy another one. Raw marrow bones or nylabones or bully sticks are all I’ll ever give to my dog.

[PugsleyOtisMom]

After I cook a ham I take the leftover ham bone out of it and as long as its not sharp or small I give it to my pugs. They LOVE it and prefer it over any other chew toy. They also sell real bones at petsmart that are stuffed with different things or plain. I would recommend these to anyone

[pugmomsandy]

I use mercola krill and Nature’s logic sardine oil and feed them whole raw sardines. And once in a while I use Udo’s oil and chia seeds.

[SandyandMila]

When feeding pork necks, should beef hearts be added due to the pork neck being not very meaty? I read somewhere that recommended that. Being that its a big portion could i just add produce and supplement and make it a whole days meal? Also when feeding half or whole chicken, are all boned consumable? Mila I’m sure could handle it, she’s a strong chewer, but just worried about little bones. :\ Thanks!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by SandyandMila.

[mah4angel]

I UNDERSTAND ABOUT LIVING WITH YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW OMG. Mine says that my dog is too skinny when he’s THE PERFECT WEIGHT AH. When we went to Vegas for four days two weeks ago I gave her very specific instructions about his diet and she let my nieces feed him AN ENTIRE PACKAGE OF HIS FAVORITE, MOST EXPENSIVE, IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND dog treats because he’s “too skinny” UGH. She also keeps buying him snacks and treats (like Beggin’ Strips omg) and once bought him Cesar’s food (which is such bad food oh my goodness) -_____-
I would say to give it time! I was lucky in that my baby has LOVEDDD every bit of raw food that I’ve given him. I gave him some green tripe today and oh my goodness it was like the gates of Heaven opening up for him he just gobbled it up!
Let us all know how it goes ^_^

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Please Pass the Calgon –

Unfortunately, many pet store employees aren’t very well versed in nutrition – especially those that work at the big box stores such as Petsmart and Petco. I know it’s all a lot to take in and and can be a little overwhelming. If you’re a new large breed puppy owner I think the articles I posted links to at the beginning of this thread would be a great place to start researching. As far as calcium – you want to control calcium levels until the puppy is at least 8 months old. High protein is preferable, I personally prefer foods to contain at least 30% protein. I would say that raw would be the best option, followed by canned or dehydrated and then kibble. Feel free to ask any questions if they come up – either here in the forums or on the review section of the site. There are many knowledgeable posters here just waiting to help.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Please Pass the Calgon]

Thanks HDM!

I have to say all this research is making my head spin…I just want a good, and also reasonably priced, food that will keep my Great Dane pup healthy, happy and growing well. It seems every article I read or site I research says something different is imperative. We have Costco, Tractor Supply, Petsmart, Petco available nearby but none of the employees I’ve talked to seem that informed. Calcium good, calcium bad, protein high, protein low, grain based, grain free, raw….aaack!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Please Pass the Calgon.

[NicoBoxer]

Hound Dog Mom: Thank you so much for this reply. You went above and beyond with all of these ideas and recommendations. We have an appt. tomorrow with the vet to go over all of the information from Texas A&M. She did tell us we’d need to consider his fat intake – it’s a little tricky for her and for us in a way, because she knows we go to the holistic vet and they share information, but I’m not sure how comfortable she is with a lot of this. She’s trying to be open minded and that is all I can ask for. We’ve put both vets in a sticky spot, we know… But our gut has been to go with what our holistic vet recommends, because that’s in alignment with our own views on health in general. In keeping with the Chinese medicine model, she wants us to feed Nico only cooling or neutral meats, so that is why the turkey and rabbit. We tried OC Raw’s fish formula but we thought he seemed itchier on that food, so although it would seem ideal as a cooling meat, he seemed to scratch more on it. He also doesn’t take too well to a fish oil we got for him. Anyway, I’ll know more tomorrow, then we’ll have to connect with our holistic vet and see what she thinks. She is actually a big proponent of Urban Wolf, which is a dry mix to which you add meat, similar to what you are recommending. I never see it mentioned here on DFA.

The other question I have is about coconut oil. Would you guess we need to stop giving this to him? He only gets about a tablespoon or two a day but absolutely loves the stuff. I should mention that his lipase was high from the very first blood draw we did with him, so it’s not because of the raw food.

Anyway, thank you again for writing such a helpful reply!

[Hound Dog Mom]

While high lipase levels don’t always indicate pancreatitis – when they’re that high (3X the normal or greater) it usually is an indication of pancreatitis. By “latent” I’m assuming that the vet is saying it’s underlying chronic pancreatitis that hasn’t flared up yet. Your vet didn’t give you any dietary recommendations – such as a certain level of fat to shoot for? I wouldn’t say you need to quit feeding raw but you should closely monitor his fat intake. The fat levels should be very low (I’d say around 10%) – which can be difficult to find in a raw diet. The OC Raw Fish & Produce formula is pretty low in fat at 12% and the Goat & Produce is only 9%. Another option would be to purchase some lean meat (heart, poultry gizzards, 96% lean ground beef or turkey, whitefish, etc.) and add it to a pre-mix to create a balanced raw meal that is also low in fat. There are some dehydrated foods with low fat levels as well if this is something you’d be open to – The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal (9%), Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance Chicken (9%), Sojo’s Turkey Complete (8%), Sojo’s Beef Complete (8%), Addiction’s Perfect Summer Brushtail (10%), Addiction’s Outback Kangaroo Feast (8%), Addiction’s Steakhouse Beef & Zucchini (8%), Addiction’s Fig’licious Venison Feast (10%). If you aren’t familiar with “dehdyrated foods” – they’re essentially a raw diet that has had the moisture removed, you add water let it stand for a few minutes and it rehydrates to a similar consistency of fresh raw. Dehydrated foods aren’t truly in a “raw” state after the dehydration process (the meats are generally heated to a high enough temperature to kill bacteria) but they are much less processed than kibble and probably the next best thing to raw. I would definitely keep him on digestive enzymes (make sure it contains lipase) and probiotics. I would also recommend supplementing with a pancreas glandular. You may also want to talk with your vet about whether or not your dog could benefit from some additional fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and, if yes, in what amounts – when a dog isn’t metabolizing fat properly (such as with pancreatitis) they may not be absorbing adequate amounts of these vitamins. I know some other here have had dogs with pancreatitis so hopefully they’ll have more to contribute. Good luck.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[theBCnut]

Please don’t limit yourself to only one book on raw feeding. Just as no single food is perfect, no single book is perfect either.

[SandyandMila]

HDM- Hi! How long does a whole prey (quail, rabbit) take to thaw? Not feeding them yet but would like to know beforehand. What does your pork meal recipe look like, if you don’t mind sharing. Thanks in advance. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Do you feed grinds? Or do you need to slow them down on RMBs? Law of Raw fastens his RMBs to an old metal pipe from an old vacuum.