[Hound Dog Mom]

If you give bones they should be fed raw, cooked bones are more likely to splinter. I feed my dogs fully edible raw meaty bones such as chicken backs, turkey necks, pork necks, etc. I don’t do marrow bones or knuckle bones as my dogs are strong chewers. Bestbullysticks.com has a great selection of natural chews and they’re fairly reasonably priced – all their chews are USDA approved.

[beagleowner]

Thanks HDM. Henry is a strong chewer. Our vet had told us to get knuckle bones and par boil them and give those to him. But he chewed so hard that I was afraid he would break a tooth. Didn’t take him long to lose interest. What kind of raw bones do you feed? I thought of the kongs but didn’t know what to fill them with. I will try your suggestion. Also will look for the natural chews. The chicken chews I made in the oven were no task for Henry they are gone in a flash. I spoiled him rotten with treats and now he “hunts” me down every night. It is hysterical that a grown woman would hide from him til he decides to lay down. However that Beagle nose tracks me down most of the time. Thanks again for the great information.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Treats and chews I use to keep my dogs busy:
-Raw bones
-Frozen kongs (I layer canned pumpkin and a grain-free kibble then freeze it)
-Natural chews (bully sticks, cow hooves, dried trachea, pig ears – make sure they’re sourced from the US)
-Himalayan chews
-Zuke’s Z Bones dental chews (the only “dental” chew product I’ll give my dogs, they’re grain-free and contain superfoods – I don’t give them too often though because they are high in carbs)

Also – depending on how powerful of a chewer your dog is you may want to avoid really dense bones (like marrow bones and knuckle bones) or hooves. Less powerful chewers should be fine but strong chewers can chip teeth.

[beagleowner]

Made chicken jerky for Henry and he loved it. Cut chicken breast into 8″ strips and baked for 2 hours at 200 degrees. They were still chewy. Think next time I will bake 1 hr on one side and turn them over for the second hour. I had hoped they would occupy Henry for a little bit but he ate them really fast. Need to find something to keep him busy in the evening. I know that rawhide can be dangerous. Any suggestions. Thanks for all your help. I am so frustrated by his constant barking because he wants treats. It is a “monster” I created. Hope there is a good solution.

[theBCnut]

Please be aware, a beagle will eat until he makes himself sick and as soon as he is done barfing, will start eating again. Do not feed him according to what he says he wants!!! Find out how many calories you should be feeding him for what he should weigh and stick to that, including treats. If he wants more and won’t quit barking then try giving him a raw bone to occupy himself with.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi beagleowner –

According to Dr. Karen Becker:

“Lipomas are benign fatty masses that are incredibly common in dogs. The traditional veterinary community believes there is no breed, sex or age predisposition for the development of lipomas. And it’s true any dog can grow a lipoma – young, old, spayed, neutered, obese or thin.

However, holistic veterinarians believe there’s a correlation among the quantity and size of lipomas, the vitality of a dog, and how well she metabolizes fat. If a dog doesn’t have a vibrant, thriving metabolism, what tends to happen is that dog lays down fat in what I call ‘glumps.’

When you or I gain weight, we tend to gain it in several places on our bodies. When a dog with inappropriate fat metabolism gains weight, he adds glumps of fat in one spot. These glumps of fat are lipomas, or benign fatty masses.”

Dr. Marty Goldstein believes that high carbohydrate, processed (species-inappropriate) commercial foods cause some dogs to lose the ability to metabolize fat, resulting in lipomas. He recommends feeding dogs as close to their natural diet as possible.

Dr. Shawn Messonier recommends supplementing the diet of dogs having lipomas with immune-strengthening herbs such as alfalfa, burdock, goldenseal and thistle.

On Holistic Pet Info, Dr. Colleen Smith claims that there is a correlation between high carbohdyrate diets and lipomas.

Given this information, I would say that you’re on the right track by moving towards homemade food and high protein, grain-free kibble. However, the homemade diet you described above is extremely unbalanced and in the long term will likely cause more harm than good. If you’re going to continue to feed this recipe keep it to no more than 20% of your dog’s total intake and feed the grain-free kibble as the other 80%. If you would like to venture into an entirely homemade diet (which would be wonderful!) I’d recommend checking out some balanced recipes. There are many wonderful books available on homemade diets – “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown, “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr. Becker, “Optimal Nutrition Raw and Cooked Canine Diets” by Monica Segal and many more (check out Amazon – look for books that are written by veterinarians or nutritionists or that contain AAFCO compliant recipes). Dogaware.com is a great resource on health issues and on homemade diets. You could also utilize a pre-mix (i.e. The Honest Kitchen’s Preference, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix, Birkdale PetMix, Dr. Harvey’s, etc.) – pre-mixes contain all the nutrients your dog needs, all you need to do is add fresh meat. I’d also look into supplementing whatever food you decide to feed with immune-boosting herbs, as mentioned above. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[sisu]

I have a 14 year old who has acid reflux since she was 3. If the situation persists I encourage you to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist who can scope the dog to determine if the cause is due to a weakened sphincter muscle between the stomach and esophagus. There is a surgical procedure to correct the condition. I wish vets would have taken me seriously when I mentioned the acid reflux as it is now too late for her to have the surgery.

As a raw feeder the journey we have taken has been against my belief in a high meat protein diet. Although fed 3-4 times per day there came a point were she could not tolerate the amount of meat needed to maintain weight without the severe reflux that was damaging her throat and mouth. Natures Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Turkey did not work. After several brands and combinations I learned chicken, turkey or fish were the easiest for her to digest. Those proteins in a high calorie grain inclusive formula have proven to be the best option. She is currently doing very well on Innova Turkey and Chicken which is 548 calories per cup. The food is moistened to the point the kibble is fully expanded. It is almost mush when stirred. The food is fed 3 times per day as close to 8 hours apart as possible to avoid placing undue pressure on the weakened sphincter muscle.

I have also been adding Mercola probiotics and digestive enzymes. Neither has been added for the past 2 days and there is no difference.

Since Misty’s condition is due to the weakened sphincter muscle, not acid production, Apple Cider Vinegar did not work for her.

Before going to a primarily grain based diet as our situation requires try some of the 3 star grain free brands that would have lower protein and fat than Natures Variety Instinct. Some have 2 lb. packages which would allow you to try without investing in food that may not work. Donate any food that cannot be used to a shelter or local rescue.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi patk –

Any 4 or 5 star grain-free food would be worth a try, you’ll just need to find one that works for your dog. Dogs are all different, so a food that is well tolerated by one dog may not be tolerated as well by another. It’s trial and error. Because loose stools are a sign of poor digestion, I would however recommend that you invest in a quality probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement to give in conjunction with whatever food you decide on. Enzymes aid in the breakdown of food during the digestion process. Raw foods are naturally rich in enzymes however when food is cooked (such as with kibble) the enzymes are destroyed. Most dogs eat kibble as the bulk of their diet and as a result their diet is devoid of enzymes. Some enzymes are secreted by the pancreas however a dog’s ability to produce adequate quantities of digestive enzymes decreases with age, so because your dog is a senior supplemental enzymes would be a good idea. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in the gut of any healthy animal – they aid in the digestive process, help to keep “bad” bacteria in check and boost the immune system. As animals age there is a significant decrease in the population of friendly bacteria residing in the gut making the addition of supplemental probiotics highly beneficial.

[LeahT]

I had looked at The Honest Kitchen, but that was another one that used rosemary as a natural preservative. There might not be anything behind the connection with rosemary and seizures, but I would like to try finding something without rosemary for now.

I will definitely check out those other sites though. Thank you!

I have been reading about Darwin’s raw, and those don’t seem to have rosemary. They are also running an introductory offer for 10 pounds for $14.95, so I thought I would try that with her. She has become a bit of a picky eater since our lab passed away, so I want to try finding a smaller amount before investing $90 in something she won’t eat.

The problem is though that I live in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky, so there aren’t all that many natural dog food options offered around here. Even Feeder’s Supply, Pet Smart, etc. has a limited selection and most of that is Blue Buffalo. Chances are we will have to order whatever we feed her online.

With the cost of any store bought raw I’m still hoping to maybe feed her half raw/dehydrated and half dry. Hopefully I can narrow down the dry foods I am considering once we get an allergy test.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi NetG –

I would strongly advise against heating kibble. Many vitamins, minerals and amino acids are heat sensitive and you would be damaging the omega 3 fatty acids. If your dog is healthy, you shouldn’t be concerned about salmonella. I have fed my three dogs raw for nearly two years – during that time span I’m sure they’ve inevitably consumed contaminated meat, they’ve never gotten sick. Dogs, by nature, are scavengers and have the appropriate digestive system to accommodate the bacteria found in “ripe” food. I’m not suggesting anyone knowingly feed their dog contaminated food, but unless the dog is immune compromised it would be very unlikely for a dog to show clinical symptoms of salmonella. Rather than finding ways to eliminate salmonella in the dog’s food, you should be concerned with washing your hands after handling the food and washing all bowls the surfaces the food touches – because you and your family are susceptible. You may also want to look into purchasing food from a more trustworthy company than Diamond if salmonella is such a concern for you – there are many other budget-friendly dog food not made by Diamond.

[Cyndi]

Thought I’d share a funny, yet embarrassing, thing that happened to me tonight. I fed Bailey dinner tonight, her usual raw dinner. While I’m cleaning up and putting a bit of chicken that I still have left back in the fridge, I noticed I forgot to give her the last chicken foot with dinner. She had just finished up eating and was cleaning up her “eating area”, so I tossed it to her, and went about cleaning up. Anyways, I don’t think she chewed it up much before she swallowed it, you’ll find out how I know that in a second, lol! So, after she got done eating, I wanted to take her for a quick walk, because I was going to be leaving to go to dinner with my sister. So, we get a few houses down, to where Bailey’s boyfriend, the very handsome Pitbull, Nick, lives and they start running around playing and wrestling. Nick’s owner is an older gentleman who works on cars all the time in his driveway, and he had a few friends over. So, I’m standing there talking to them, Bailey is playing with Nick and then she comes over to me and starts acting like she’s gonna throw up. Well, you can guess what came up……the chicken foot, and that was it! All 4 guys that I’m standing there talking to, look down at what Bailey just yacked up and they look at me like I just grew 2 heads or something. I was so embarrassed! I then proceeded to explain that I feed Bailey a raw diet and I got a million questions, but OMG! How embarrassing! Oh, and fyi, Bailey is fine, just too much running around too soon after eating.

[satobrinn]

For people feeding raw it may not an issue at all, but the premix ‘Preference’ version of THK that requires a protein is also specifically made for both raw and cooked diets. While Dr. Harvey’s has been reviewed, it hasn’t been reviewed by DogFoodAdvisor that I’ve seen and I like knowing that THK has been rated well, is grain free, has a variety where I can add my own protein, and is balanced in such a way that the other varieties can still have extras added without throwing off the ratios. I think food rotation is so important for a balanced diet and there’s no stomach upset with a food that isn’t so heavily processed. It just happens to be my favorite option and my dog loves it, so for anyone looking for an alternative to Dr. Harvey’s I think this is a good choice. Whichever option is best for you, there’s no doubt that a diet with less processed food helps with overall health such as food intolerances, improved stools, and higher energy to name a few.

[theBCnut]

I like the idea of the premix not having enough calcium so I can add raw meaty bones without it throwing off the calcium/phosphorus ratio. I had never heard that about Dr Harvey’s. I’ll have to look into it.

[DieselJunki]

+1 on the tripe. I used the Tripett with some warm water for my picky puppy and he wolfed his food down like no tomorrow when previously he wouldn’t touch it.

[DieselJunki]

I too was very nervous about starting raw. It seems overwhelming at first. I’m starting mine on it next week. I asked a lot of questions and then read some more, joined a few raw food forums and Yahoo Groups. When I finally put together a menu for a month I put it on here and got lots of wonderful feedback. I adjusted my menu accordingly (well hound dog mom helped Alot with that) and put in an order.

But before, while I was researching, I’ve been feeding The Honest Kitchen. Reading about them (reviews on this site and others as well) and going to their website seeing that they only use human grade food in their food just kind of sealed the deal for me. However it is a bit pricey. Around $95 for a 10lb box. But your dog being on the smaller side it will last you much longer than it lasts me.

Some sites you can order raw food and have them ship it to you are:
My Pet Carnivore
Hare Today Gone Tomorrow
Carnivore Feed Supply (this is a yahoo group)
Or if you live close enough you can go and pick it up and save on shipping.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by DieselJunki.

[LeahT]

I would love to switch her to a raw food diet, but I want to make sure I have done enough research before trying something like that. I want to get her some dry food for now that will hold her over until I feel comfortable with raw food.

I’ll look into the special needs formula though. Thanks! The ones reviewed on this site were a little too high in carbs, but I’ll see if I can find a breakdown for that formula specifically.

Right now I’m looking into possibly Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural, Taste of the Wild, or Evo Turkey and Chicken Formula, and possibly mixing in some frozen raw or dehydrated/freeze-dried. We’ll see what the allergy test says.

[paige-s]

Raw food would be excellent for a dog with seizures – and a fish formula would be beneficial as well. you could try canine caviar special needs formula. I have alot of customers at the store i work at with their babies and seizures and these 2 options have been working fantastic. i am not a vet or trained pet nutritionist, just telling you what i have seen work for others in similar situations.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve heard mixed information regarding feeding rosemary containing foods to epileptic dogs. I’ve read sources that claim it’s a neurotoxin and can trigger seizures and I’ve also read that in the form and amount it’s used in in pet food it’s not an issue. If it were me, I’d avoid it – better safe than sorry.

A “low fat” food would be a kibble having 12% or less fat, a canned food having 15% or less fat or a raw food having 17% or less fat. Dogs foods typically don’t disclose the level of carbohydrates (although you can find estimations for certain formulas on the review section of DFA) so for this reason I find it easier to focus on the protein level of the food rather than the carb level. As far as kibble goes, foods with 30% or more protein are going to be the “lower carb” foods. If you go with canned or raw foods you can find options that are much lower in carbs/higher in protein than you could if feeding kibble (although many canned foods and raw foods are high in fat so you need to be conscious of this).

[LeahT]

Thank you for the links! I read through them and they are all very helpful.

We have been going to the same vet for years, and my parents for many years before now, but I have been wondering for a while if he is sort of out of touch with more current practices. We had taken our lab to another vet about an hour from here, but he brushed her seizures off as being something genetic. He was the one who recommended we try Neurotrophin, but didn’t seem to have any concern about her food. I will definitely be getting her thyroid levels checked as well.

From what I read in those our Jack needs a diet without carbs, low in fat, and high in protein. I would love to put her on a raw food diet, but I honestly don’t know enough about it that I would trust myself to do that. I would rather, at least until I do some additional research, find a dog food brand to try with her that suits that diet.

I have also read online somewhere (I can’t remember if it was this site or somewhere else?) that there might be some link between seizures and rosemary in dog food. Does anyone know if there is any real evidence behind that?

So, does anyone have any recommendations for low carb, low fat, and high protein dry dog food? And possibly one that falls into that criteria that does not have rosemary? I’m not even certain what is considered “low fat” and “low carb” for dog food, but I found a few through this site that seemed to fit that: Back to Basics, Dried-N-Alive Chicken Formula, Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural, EVO Turkey and Chicken Formula, Primal Freeze-Dried Beef Formula, and ZiwiPeak Dehydrated Venison. I’m not sure what would be the best, but the freeze-dried/dehydrated seemed to have the lowest carb content.

Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DieselJunki –

If you’re feeding turkey necks at night I would recommend feeding a red meat grind in the morning. Dogs should get an even mix of red meat and poultry. Poultry is high in polyunsaturated fats, particularly linoleic acid (an essential omega 6 fatty acid) and a poultry only diet could easily supply an over-abudance of omega 6’s – omega 6’s are essential but they need to be balanced in the correct proportion with the other essential fatty acids. Red meat tends to be high in saturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats – this means that a red meat only diet won’t meet the dog’s dietary requirements for linoleic acid (an essential omega 6 fatty acid) and alpha linolenic acid (an essential omega 3 fatty acid). Feeding red meat for one meal and poultry for another will help to ensure your dog receives essential fatty acids in the correct proportions. I also feel that the bulk of the organ content of a raw diet should come from ruminant sources as there is a much wider variety to choose from – the only poultry organs I’ve ever seen available for purchase are livers, for ruminants it’s possible to purchase liver, kidney, lung, pancreas, spleen, etc. Red meat and poultry also have different amino acid and mineral profiles so feeding both will help to fill in the gaps. Because you’re ordering from MPC and because calcium levels are a concern at this point, I would recommend feeding the Green Beef Tripe Supermix 5 mornings per week (This mix will have a low, but balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio due to the fact that it’s comprised of 50% green tripe. It also contains 40% whole ground young beef and 10% trachea and gullet – trachea and gullet are rich in glucosamine and chondroitin and good for the joints). The other two mornings I would feed their Ground Beef Organ Mix – this is 50% heart, 30% liver and 20% kidney (so, because heart is considered a muscle meat, this mix is 50% muscle meat and 50% organ meat). Feeding organ meat two mornings per week will ensure he’s received the appropriate amount of organ meat in his diet (if you are only feeding turkey necks for dinner the necks should balance out the high levels of phosphorus in the organ mix). To get him to gain weight, try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to his grind every morning. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I feed a homemade raw diet. Prior to feeding raw I fed a variety of 4 and 5 star kibbles, canned foods and dehdyrated foods. Some of my favorites were Orijen, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety, ZiwiPeak, Tripett, Addiction, The Honest Kitchen, Merrick, etc. I also added scrambled eggs and tinned sardines for omega 3’s once or twice a week, plain yogurt or kefir for probiotics 2 – 3 times per week and mixed in any leftover lean meat or healthy veggies I had from dinner.

I would recommend checking out the following videos made by Dr. Karen Becker:

How to Choose a Dog Food Part I:

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/10/my-top-3-pet-food-picks-from-an-upscale-boutique-shop.aspx

How to Choose a Dog Food Part II:

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/17/the-quality-of-pet-food-ingredients-part-2.aspx

The Best and Worst Pet Foods:

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

[Hound Dog Mom]

First off – do your dogs have a health condition that would require them to be on a low protein diet? There’s a reason that all the “top” dog foods are high in protein – protein in the low 20’s is way too low for a healthy dog. Unless a dog has a health condition requiring a low protein diet, I don’t ever advise feeding a food with less than 30% protein. My dogs eat between 45% and 55% protein at each meal. All dogs, regardless of breed or size, have the same basic nutritional requirements and the majority will thrive on diets high in quality protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrates.

Second off – please don’t pick one food and feed it for life, that’s the worst thing you could do for your dogs. Dogs need variety. My dogs eat something completely different at each meal. I’d recommend picking several brands that have good ratings, testing them, and rotating through the varieties your dogs do well on. When feeding kibble it’s also important to add in some less processed species appropriate foods when possible – this could be a quality canned or dehdyrated food, healthy leftovers (lean meat, cooked low glycemic veggies), plain yogurt or kefir, tinned sardines, raw, etc.

Hope that helps!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Robbster –

My advice would be to try a different brand and mix in a little green tripe. Raw green tripe would be best, but if you can’t get raw Tripett makes a canned version. Green tripe has a very strong odor that people find disgusting, but dogs go nuts for it. You could also try warming the food slightly (add a little hot water). I’d see if that works, if it doesn’t you may need to start trying other types of food – cooked, dehydrated, etc.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Anonymous]

Our 1 yr old Bernese Mtn Dog has been eating Turkey, Duck, Chicken, Beef & Lamb version of Primal complete formula for 6 months. We rotate after each bag to a different protein source – over the last 2 months, he has stopped eating each version. He is hungry but passes his bowl as if it has poison. Started avoiding fowl, now beef and finally lamb. We were adding fish oil to help with his coat but stopped doing that thinking it may have something to do with it. Currently back on cooked chicken and rice since that is all he will eat. Is it the raw food or the Primal? Should we try a different brand or try kibble? He is plenty active and behaving normal in every other way.

[pugmomsandy]

Transitioning can be as slow or fast as you want but I would suggest going by how their output is. If your dog has only eaten one food for several years it might take longer to transition as they are not use to the different kinds of ingredients. I’ve even taken two months or longer on one of mine. Basically I got to 80% new/20% old for over a month but I was transitioning them to a high protein/fat diet – Instinct. I usually go with 25/75 for at least a week and if there stools look good then increase to 50/50 for another week until their stools look good, then 75/25 etc. I didn’t know about probiotics or digestive enzymes back then so those probably would have made transitioning easier. You can even feed a mix of kibbles. I usually feed 2 different kibbles together and mix them up in a 1.5 gallon container in different ratios everytime it gets empty.

Also are you feeding a grain food or grain free food? That might also factor in the transitioning. I went from 1 star food to 4 star food to 5 star food over the coarse of a year.

Of course my fosters get zero transition time. I have know idea what they ate in their previous life and what they ate at the vet. I just give them probiotics, digestive enzymes and ground psyllium and hope for the best. They might have soft stool for a few days and that’s it.

I have found that they transition well on Nutrisource grain free and even Nutrisca. Petflow (and probably other online retailers) offer free shipping when you order a certain amount. Petflow’s amount is $49 so a large bag is usually free shipping. I’d get two large bags at once. They’re packed in the box tighter than one single bag.

Once you know how to read ingredients on dog food, it should be the same for treats. I used to give Beggin Strips, Pupperoni and even cheese balls as treats. Even fed one of my fosters Moist and Meaty after jaw surgery not knowing any better. Right now I use Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and Dr Becker Bites and Nutrisca freeze dried for treats. For chewing treats I give dry roasted trachea and tripe chews (very stinky) and fresh chicken feet and fresh trachea.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_4047600x450_zpsf34c6610.jpg
Just remember to cut the claws off!

A whole sardine is an easy additon too.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_60801024x821_zpsad7d39eb.jpg

Duck and turkey necks are great for chewing and cleaning teeth also. I can find small turkey necks at the health food store sometimes. Chicken necks are always at the ethnic grocery store and so are chicken feet and other kinds of feet.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_3998594x640_zpsf920079d.jpg

I don’t think you even mentioned raw food so I’ll stop there!

Yes homemade jerky treats are a money saver. You can even use your oven. Set it to the lowest setting and bake for at least 3 hours thinly sliced strips of chicken or other meat/organs on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I guess the new silicone nonstick bakeware will work. Store in the frig.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Cyndi]

Awesome, ok, thanks HDM, very much! I do remember watching a while ago 2 videos you had posted. I’ll have to go back and watch again. I thought they were very interesting, especially with 2 of your dogs providing the “sound effects” in the backround. They sounded so pathetic! Lol!

Anyways, I guess I’ll just stay away from the smaller rmb’s then and just feed the larger ones. I’m just so glad Bailey is doing better and loving everything she’s eating. I was so worried about starting to feed her raw that it took me so long to finally do it. So glad I finally did! Thanks for all your help!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Cyndi –

I don’t ever recommend cutting up RMBs unless the dog is very small – this just makes the dog even more likely to gulp. Some larger dogs don’t chew small RMBs such as chicken necks and feet and for this reason it’s better to feed them larger RMBs only so they are forced to chew (i.e. turkey necks, chicken backs, etc.). Only crunching a few times is normal – dogs don’t finely chew their food like people do. As long as she’s not swallowing things whole I wouldn’t be concerned. If you scroll down through the raw food topics there’s a thread called “Eating Raw Meaty Bones” that I started. In the thread I have two videos posted (near the end) of one of my dogs eating RMBs so newbies can get an idea of what’s normal – check those out.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Cyndi]

Hi everyone!! 🙂 I have a question…. So, Bailey is doing really well on the raw since her “episode” last week. She only had diarehha & threw up that one day. I have been slowly introducing bones back into her diet. I went thru 2 1/2 lb thing of chicken grind from Hare Today over the course of a couple days with boneless skinless chicken added to it. Just started giving her chicken feet yesterday and today I gave her a little bit of ground beef with her dinner which also included a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, a chicken foot and a chicken leg and some yogurt. My question is, although she’s not necessarily a “gulper”, she hasn’t been really chewing the chicken feet, or the leg she had tonight, all that much. She does chew it and crunches up the bones a few times, but then it seems like she more or less swallows it whole. Is this ok for her to do? Or should I start cutting up her RMB’s in pieces. She doesn’t act like she’s going to choke at all, but I can tell it takes a big effort on her part to swallow whatever it is. Any help, as usual, will most certainly be appreciated.

[pugmomsandy]

My dogs eat (mine and fosters) Nutrisource grain free Lamb or Heartland Select and occasionally the grain-inclusive puppy formula, Nature’s Select grain free and occasionally the Hi-Pro (puppy) formula, Nutrisca (all 3 flavors) and Brothers Complete Beef and Fish formulas. I feed puppy formulas sometimes to the emaciated ones. I’ve heard alot of people say their dogs do well on Victor dog food. For cans I use Wellness stews, Merrick classic and Merrick 96%, Weruva, Addiction, Tripett, Nutrisca and I have Sojo’s Complete (dehydrated) and Addiction (dehydrated) also. It has more volume when served but not alot of calories to I add kibble or eggs to it for added protein. The Costco brand Kirkland Cuts in Gravy is only $1 a can but I don’t have Costco near me.

The dogs usually get kibble with a different can several days a week and I have 3 bags of kibble open all the time. So they could literally eat something different every day or every meal. And that’s not including my raw fed dogs that also eat a variety.

I will say that I started out having 2 bags of food open and when one ran out I would get a different one so the dogs would always get something “new” with their “old” food so they wouldn’t have tummy upsets. But I’ve changed so often they don’t have that problem anymore. Probiotics and digestive enzymes help with that too.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/2012_12_28cannedfoods765x1024_zpseae4fea6.jpg

[pugmomsandy]

All my dogs have struvite in their urine but no infection and they are 5, 5 and 9 yrs old. I give vitamin C (recc’ by my vet) and d-mannose almost daily. My vet is more holistic. She even sells raw foods in her clinic and didn’t even mention any Rx foods. They have never had a UTI. That is not to say that some dogs aren’t more prone to get UTI’s and then have problems with stones.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi brianb22 –

It’s great that you’re considering switching to a rotational diet – providing a wide variety of quality species-appropriate foods is the best thing we can do for our pets.

I currently feed a homemade raw diet with different proteins, different supplements and different fruits/vegetables at each meal. When I was feeding kibble, however, I switched to a new brand with a new protein source at the end of every bag (about every 3 weeks for my 110 lb. male bloodhound) – all the while adding a different canned food toppers daily. When you first begin a rotation diet you may find that it will be necessary to slowly transition between brands (because your dogs are used to eating the same thing daily), but once you do it for awhile and your dogs’ guts strengthen you should be able to switch brands with no transition.

Any of the 4 or 5 star foods would be good options to use in your rotation – which foods you choose will really depend on your budget. I used dry foods that were grain-free and had at least 30% protein, some of my favorites were: Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Acana. I picked canned foods that were grain-free, some of my favorites were: Nature’s Logic, Tripett, ZiwiPeak and Addiction.

I’d also recommend adding some fresh foods to your dogs’ meals occasionally. Some healthy fresh foods: plain yogurt or kefir (high in quality animal-based protein and probiotics for a healthy gut), tinned sardines or mackerel (high in protein and omega 3’s), eggs (high in quality protein and omega 3’s), lean leftover meat (high in quality protein) and steamed low glycemic veggies (high in antioxidants).

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

You can get much better quality with homemade raw than with any pre-made raw food.

[epiphone324]

Have you looked into the primal grinds or mixes? They are less expensive, still five star and great for supplementation. I dont really know if you can get such a great product from a homemade raw. The primal has quite a few quality ingredients I would have a really hard time gathering. I work in a pet store and primal is one of the things I recommend the most. I’ve seen great results with my pets and with customer’s pets.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi georgesmom –

Because many canned foods – even the high quality brands, as you pointed out – contain carrageenan, you may want to consider using raw, freeze-dried or dehydrated foods instead (freeze-dried and dehydrated foods have consistencies similar to stew-style canned foods when re-hydrated). If you want to stick with canned, some other brands that I know of that don’t include carrageenan: Nature’s Logic, Addiction, Weruva, Mulligan Stew, Earthborn, Hound and Gatos and Wysong.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks for posting that; I’m going to save it when I get to my computer

[Hound Dog Mom]

Ay yi yi – 270 lbs. a month. Pretty accurate, this is about what I go through.

[pugmomsandy]

Thanks! I checked it out. Just give it about 20 seconds to fully load!! 75 lbs of pugs only need 34 lbs of raw a month!

[DieselJunki]

So I was browsing the MPC website and had clicked this link before and it didn’t work. Well I clicked it again today for giggles and it worked!

This calculator will calculate out the ratios and the amount of food you would need for a month.

https://docs.zoho.com/sheet/published.do?rid=b0tmj473545ba069b41f7a257419f949ed7a5

I saved it to my computer as an open document spread sheet and it works still.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by DieselJunki.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Proviable looks a lot better than Forti Flora – it has 7 strains of probiotics which is a decent amount. The company that makes Proviable, Nutramax Labs, is also a pretty reputable company. If you want to go with a product that your vet approves of, I’d go with that. I’ve never used the Mercola supplement – I prefer my dogs to get their probiotics from natural sources such as raw green tripe, kefir and yogurt – but I would trust any product Dr. Becker put her name on and I know several of the “regulars” on this site have used it with good results.

[Cyndi]

Patty, I absolutely agree. I don’t have much experience with the Border Collie breed, but Bailey is a mix of Border Collie and Pit bull and she is just the sweetest, most lovable dog ever. I can tell how thankful she is to me for adopting her. She has such a goofball personality and makes me laugh and makes me so very thankful I did decide to adopt another dog.

mydogisme, I had Moose cremated and he is on my dresser along with my favorite picture of him. I “talk” to him often and tell him how much I miss him. I completely understand your feelings. Hang in there…

[mydogisme]

I was able to put pictures of Dixie on Facebook under my name, Brenda Miller. Still can’t figure out how to do it here. I’m avoiding the day and I know I have to go and get my baby. Can’t stand the thought she won’t be with me any more. I just want to hold her 1 more time and kiss her little nose 1 more time, I want my baby back

[theBCnut]

Cyndi

Don’t you agree that Border Collies are good medicine!!

[Cyndi]

Mydogisme, take your time to mourn, but when you’re ready I think you should look into adopting another dog. There are so many, many dogs out there who need a loving home. I wanted another Doberman when my Moose died, but I couldn’t do it. I am still grieving even after so long, but Bailey, who I adopted in January, has been a godsend. I no longer cry every single day for Moose. My Bailey makes me laugh all the time and I still think of Moose every day, but Bailey has helped me move on.

I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers to give you strength to get thru this.

[mydogisme]

Thanks Patty, Its just killing me. same when my mom died. cant replace either one.

[theBCnut]

Mydogisme, I’m so sorry about Dixie. A couple of us have left you notes on the Help With Starting My Dog On Raw thread, because we saw that first. Please know I’ll be thinking of you.

[theBCnut]

OHHHH, Mydogisme, I’m so sorry that Dixie finally lost her fight, but she doesn’t hurt anymore. It takes time to get through the pain of losing a pet that means so much to you, so please take care of yourself especially well for the next few weeks. Remember that there is another dog out there that needs you as much as Dixie did. When you find that special pup, I know it will never have the same place in your heart that Dixie had, but trust me, it will make it’s own special place, and it needs you.

[Cyndi]

Awwww, I am so very sorry for your loss. It sounds like you did all that you could for your Dixie & it sounds like she was very loved for a long time. That’s more than most dogs get. I lost my 11 year old Doberman in 2011 and he was my doggy soulmate. He went everywhere with me and was with me thru the loss of many family members. He was my everything. I know exactly what you’re going thru. It has been a little over a year and a half and I still miss him so very much. My new dog Bailey has helped me to move on but I still blame myself for Moose’s death. The vets never found out what was going on with him but I’m pretty sure it was a combination of the crappy food, and vaccines, etc. I vowed to Bailey I won’t let that happen to her. I am going to do everything in my power to give her a long and healthy life.

Thank you for your well wishes. I will pray you find the strength to move on, but just know that Dixie is in a better place and she’s not in any pain. She’s running around happy and healthy at the Rainbow Bridge with all the other furbabies who are there waiting for their owners. Hang in there, and when you’re ready, I know there is another dog just waiting for you to give it a loving home…

[mydogisme]

Cyndi, I live in Alabama and I hate it here too. I had a wire haired terrier/schnauzer, Dixie who I adopted when she was 9 months old, passed away yesterday at 4:30. She was only 10. She got a blood transfusion in December and I had the best internist, cardio Dr. and her vet couldn’t save my baby. I have about 12 different prescription’s here she had been on over the yrs.’ for different things up to the end when she was on Flagyl and her Dr. said we need to use i.v.s and not pills due to her stomach is so sensitive. I ordered her Royal Canin diabetic dog food, needs prescription, and she liked it ok but liked the ground round sirloin I bought better, just boiled it first. you might want to have a internist do a biopsy on her to see what is going on for sure. It is very scary as this is your baby we are talking about and not just any dog. I pray that your fur baby gets well and lives a very ,very long happy healthy life. I don’t know how to go on at this time without my baby, as she was my life .

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi ella, I agree with Sandy. Homemade raw – while more time consuming – is so much cheaper than commercial raw. There are some great books out there with balanced recipes – “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown is my favorite and Dr. Becker also has a great book out called “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats.” I have three bloodhounds and it would cost me over $1,000 per month to feed most commercial raw foods – I’m spending around $400 a month to feed all three homemade raw (that’s including supplements and everything). I order most of my meat from a wholesale supplier for less than $1 per pound and other meats I order from Hare Today (reasonable prices and reasonable shipping), I buy my supplements from Swanson’s (very reasonably priced quality supplements). I have my recipes posted on the recommended menus thread if you want to check out the types of meats/supplements I feed. The other benefit to homemade raw is that you’re in complete control of quality. If you’re not comfortable making your own food I’d say that the cheapest commercial raw brands would be Answer’s, Bravo Balance, HPP or K9 Kraving.

[pugmomsandy]

That’s carnivorefeed-supplier. Have you thought about making homemade raw? There are recipe books you can buy and it ends up being alot cheaper. You can also supplement his diet with 20% of unbalanced food like giving chicken wings/necks/backs/gizzards/heart, etc.