[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Nectarmom-

I have been trying to reply for two days, and finally its letting me at least post to this thread. My crew eats a variety of food without issues and none have become picky eaters as a result. If anything, they have become more excited about eating to the point of being obnoxious when the bowls come out(working on that!) However, I do agree that a sensitive stomach dog is a “beast unto itself” My dobergal has had issues on and off for 4 years-and only recently have we started getting it under control. The Abady granular worked well,. and now the Victor Ultra pro dry food. However, rotation for her is not the same as the rest of the crew. Her baseline food will stay the same-Victor Ultra Pro, but we will rotate her commercial raw, as well as her canned to offer her some variety.

My point being, not all rotation will be the same for each and every dog. By rotating out the topper portions, we will be able to offer her some variety in her diet. While it will not be as frequent or as extensive as the “normals”, something, imo, is better than nothing.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi donnaf –

I’m not sure if a change of food will help “wet dog” smell, but Iams is a pretty low quality food so changing would definitely be a good idea. As far as specific recommendations, I’m not sure where you shop, how much you’re willing to spend or what type(s) of food(s) you’re willing to feed (kibble, canned, dehydrated, raw, etc.) – so recommending a particular food would be difficult. The recommended 4 and 5 star rated foods would be a good place to start – you’ll find all different types of foods with all different price ranges so I’m sure you can find something to suit your needs. I’ve personally noticed that on less processed foods my dogs tend to smell better. Since I’ve switched to raw they have almost no odor on their fur or breath.

Now, just for clarification – I know you’re describing the smell as “wet dog,” but does it smell at all like moldy bread, cheese popcorn or fritos? Because that’s a whole new issue. Some dogs (like goldens) who have long hair can tend to be naturally stinky, but a dog with a moldy bread/frito smell may have a yeast infection which would require more specific dietary changes.

[stormaf]

THank you so much for pointing me towards the right area. I hopped on over and read the article only to find the possibility that ethoxyquin and arsenic might be lurking in my dogs’ food! Since I’ve been fighting he good fight to give my dogs safe and nutritious food since the beginning, I immediately phoned the Nutro company.
Apparently, the supplier for the fish meal in Ultra doesn’t use ethoxyquin in the raw product and that Nutro tests their fish meal to be absolutely sure of this.
As for arsenic in the rice, dog food stands the same chance as any rice product on the market, pet or human, for having trace amounts of this. Arsenic can be present naturally in the soil and again, Nutro tests for this and meets the FDA standards in this regard. In effect, my dogs have no more chances of getting arsenic poisoning from their dinner than I do of expiring after my rice pilaf.
I am relieved. Ultra is back in my good books. Perhaps the admins could move this thread into the nutrition section for further debate?

[InkedMarie]

I have an “allergy” prone dog….he eats part raw (pre made) and he gets turkey, beef and duck, since none of those proteins cause an issue

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi NectarMom –

I understand where feeding dogs with allergies can be difficult. What I would do is incorporate fresh versions of the foods that are already in their kibble – this way they can get some variety without running the risk of introducing a new food that throws their digestion off. So, if the kibble you’re feeding is turkey based you could buy some lean ground turkey and lightly fry it to mix in with the kibble or buy an all meat turkey canned food to mix in (stick with the all meat so you know you aren’t adding other potentially offending ingredients – Wellness, Newman’s Own and Wysong all sell 95% meat turkey-based canned foods). Once your dog’s condition has stabilized for awhile I’d work on incorporating new protein sources – one by one. Do it using fresh meat or all meat canned toppers and monitor the reaction. Then gradually work on introducing new foods once your dog’s digestive system has strengthened. I’m not sure how long you’ve been with the food you’re feeding now, but keep in mind that if a food is not working it’s just not working and it may be time to move on and try new protein sources and new types of food (often dogs do better on less processed foods – such as dehydrated, freeze-dried, raw or even a high quality canned food). Good luck!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi hassiman –

Your breeder could not be more incorrect. You can’t feed a dog “too much” protein – excess protein that is not used by the body is passively excreted though the urine causing no stress on the organs. Protein is very important for all dogs and especially growing puppies. I wouldn’t even feed a food with 21% protein to an adult dog, let alone a puppy. I always recommend picking a dry food with at least 30% protein and topping with high quality canned foods, raw foods or healthy “people” food (sardines, eggs, lean meat, etc.) to boost protein further. I have 3 bloodhounds – an 8 month old puppy, a 2 year old adult and a 7 year old senior – that all eat a raw diet with protein levels in the 45-55% range. It is now known that reducing protein levels does nothing to prevent renal failure and that protein levels should only be reduced in the late stages of renal failure. Orijen is a wonderful food (the best dry food available in my opinion) and I think you made a great choice that you should stick with regardless of your breeder’s (incorrect) beliefs. If you go to the “library” on Orijen’s website they have some wonderful articles about the importance of dietary protein and the myths surrounding high levels of dietary protein. I’d highly recommend you read these articles to ease your mind. The three I’d recommend you read are: “Myths of High Protein” which was written by Kenneth C. Bovee, DVM, MMedSc at Penn State’s veterinary school; “Effects of High Protein on Renal Function” by Delmar R. Finco, DVM, PhD for the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Georgia’s school of veterinary medicine; “Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein” by DP Laflamme, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVN. To get to the articles from Orijen’s homepage click “FAQ” on the top menu, then click “Library” on the new top menu that appears. You may also want to refer your breeder to these articles before he/she provides any more unknowing puppy buyers with such misguided advice.

[Hound Dog Mom]

A balanced raw diet would be best, canned would be second best, dry would be worst (granted they all have the same rating). Pick something that’s convenient (some people don’t have the time to prepare or properly research a raw diet) and affordable (raw and canned foods are much more expensive than dry foods) to you. If you go with kibble for convenience and budget reasons (which is understandable), I’d recommend picking a 4 or 5 star kibble and, when possible, topping the kibble with a quality canned food and/or healthy fresh cooked or raw leftovers (lean meat, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, tinned sardines, low glycemic veggies, etc.).

[petshop18]

Dry food,canned, wet food, raw food … it’s all so confusing. So, What kind of food should I feed my dog?

Pet Shop 18 – Online Pet Shop

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi hwballew –

If you go to the review section of DFA and read the reviews for Purina and Iams you’ll see that they are all very low quality foods. Dry food is definitely more convenient, but a balanced home prepared food is the healthiest. By type – from worst to best: kibble < canned < dehydrated < commercially prepared fresh food < balanced home cooked < commercial raw < balanced homemade raw (granted the foods are rated the same). If you want to stick with kibble for convenience reasons, I'd recommend picking out 2 or 3 (or more) 4 or 5 star dry foods and rotating – top the dry food with a quality canned food, raw food or healthy "people" food (eggs, tinned sardines, leftover lean cuts of meat, etc.). Canned foods, dehydrated foods and commercially prepared cooked and raw foods would be a step up from kibble and wouldn't require the time and knowledge that a home-prepared diet requires. These options are more costly than dry, but if cost isn't an issue they'd be a big improvement over dry food. If you do want to home prepare her meals, research first. It's not difficult to prepare a balance diet but it does take some research. There are many great books available with recipes formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists. Dogaware.com is probably the best online resource for homemade diets. The homemade food and raw food forms here have some useful information – my dogs' menus are posted on the suggested menu thread in the raw food forum.

For digestion problems I would supplement with a high quality probiotic supplement, enzymes and a little bit of plain canned pumpkin. Remember, because she's eaten lower quality foods for so long she may experience some digestive upset when you switch foods. These supplements will help a bit – make sure to do a gradual transition.

Is she on a joint supplement? I just posted some supplement recommendations to another poster on the "Mercola Joint Supplement vs. Others" thread under the "Dog Supplements" forum.

Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

DogMom2, how are your dogs doing on Darwin’s.

[konamisan]

Hi ALL,
I’m new to your forum and truly new some advice! My JRT is 6 yrs old. 2 1/2 years ago, she woke me up at 3am in the morning whining. I turned on the lights to see what was wrong. To my shock and amazement, you could see how red her body was through her white fur. Her body had small lumps and her face had literally changed and looked like a pug! She was scratching, runnining round the house, jumping in & out the tub it was totally frightening and horrible for her. I rushed her to the ER pet hospital. Where she was given a cortiszone injection and Benadryl. I, half bent over the metal cold table coddling her as the lumps, redness,scratching and whining subsided and a whopping bill. It was ok to take her home a 8am in the morning and told to give her the Benadryl 2 times a day for 7 days. 6 months after that episode, she started scratching her ear and body, shaking her head excessively, her shedding, I could have made another dog with the fur that was falling off her although she wan’t balding. So I took her to the vet and he too gave her meds and irrigated her ears. It wasn’t ear mites. She scartched her ear so bad that it bled and she had to wear an e collar in total about 4 months. This went on and off for another 6 months. Her vet never tested her for what could be the problem. He said it may be allergies. Maybe is not the answer I wanted to hear and my JRT & I were both miserable not to mention the bills which was exhausting my finances. I love my Xena and could not stand to see her suffer any more! So I started doing some on line research of what could be the problem? I learned that putting her on a “Raw Food Diet” might be the answer. So I set out to find which one would be helpful.
I stopped feeding her chicken, anything that had potatoes in it and any other grains & cut out the dry kibble. I started her on Steve’s. After about a month, I started seeing that the scratching had subsided the shedding had not. I kept her on it for another half month then introduced her to others like Bravo, Primal, Darwin’s Instinct & Stella and Chewy’s. I even tried shampoos with out success making sure there was no oatmeal in it. For sure that made her scratch & ear cleaning products. I also founf Dr. Karen Becker’s site and bought the “Probiotics, Krill Oil & Ubiquinol” The last 3 products I ran out of. When I can afford it, I’m thinking of purchasing Dr. Becker’s product the “Detox” bites.
Her coat is soft and shiny, but the scratching has come back, she is licking her paws now and her privates & the shedding continues which I serioulsy vaccum 3 times a week. Don’t wear black to my house 🙁 lol although not really funny. Please someone HELP!!!!!!!!!
Konamisan
Well here I am again and the scratching has crept up on us both.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi crazy4cats –

The subject of bloat and what factors increase or decrease the risk is very controversial. These are my tips on avoiding bloat based on what my breeders have told me and my personal experience owning large dogs:

1) While a dog can bloat on any type of food, a dog fed a moist diet (raw, canned, etc.) is much less likely to bloat. When feeding kibble you should soak the kibble in water until it expands – this will decrease the risk of bloat and also add moisture to the diet.

2) Don’t allow your dogs to exercise for an hour after eating.

3) Don’t allow your dogs to inhale their food – for some dogs this may mean investing in a portion pacer or a slow feed bowl.

4) Don’t let your dogs drink large volumes of water immediately following a meal.

5) Make sure the dog is getting probiotics and enzymes (unless you’re feeding raw these will likely have to be supplemented). Dr. Maniet, a holistic veterinarian, states “Probiotics and enzymes can help reduce gas, do I’d expect that they also will help reduce bloat.” (Whole Dog Journal)

I’ve had breeders tell me that large dogs should be fed on raised feeders to decrease their risk of bloating and I’ve read the opposite – that raised feeders increase the risk of bloating. I feed my dogs on raised feeders and haven’t had a problem. The raised feeder factor is one of the most controversial.

Some believe that if a food contains citric acid or a dry food with a fat source in the first four ingredients it will be more likely to cause bloat – I wouldn’t hold too much stock in this theory (jmo).

Stress plays a role as well, stressed/nervous dogs are more likely to bloat.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I haven’t fed canned food in so long that I forgot how nasty it looks. I always preferred the loaf types – that way I didn’t have to draw comparisons to human food in my head lol

[Hound Dog Mom]

Glad to hear you’re ordering from Hare Today! Their stuff is awesome, you’ll love it. I don’t think probiotics and enzymes are necessary for a raw diet, especially not if the dog is getting green tripe. I don’t supplement with enzymes or probiotics. My dogs get green tripe every other day and kefir daily. With that said it’s certainly not going to hurt anything to add probiotics and enzymes, it would just be an unnecessary expense imo.

[theBCnut]

Hi Jan

It was the first homemade recipe I tried and the reason I went ahead and started feeding raw. It was easy enough to follow and really easy to tweak as I learned more. I rotate everything including supplements, so I still use DinOvite every few days. I’ve also been buying grinds from Hare Today that work really well with whichever supplement mix I want to add. DinOvite plus SuperOmega plus a grind is super simple.

[Mom2Cavs]

Patty….if I ever wanted to feed a homemade raw diet, I would try their “recipe”. It looks easy enough and I would add their supplement to it.

I also forgot to say that they are mail order only, unless you live close enough to pick it up.

[InkedMarie]

After exchanging a bunch of emails with Tracy and talking to Alexandra via FB, we decided to try getting some grinds from Hare Today. We ordered chicken, beef, turkey and duck. They all have ground meat, bone and organs and the beef has added tripe. Tracy from Hare today said I don’t need to continue to use probiotics and digestive enzymes: what do you all think of that? Do you use them if you feed raw?

[theBCnut]

I’ve been using Darwin’s for months now and my dogs do great on it.

[Judy]

Hi dogmom2. How is Hank doing with Darwin so far? I’m looking to also purchase Darwin for Blitz. I’m currently on Primal and have tried homemade raw but Blitz got sick probably because of the fat content like your experience. Primal is a bit expensive and Darwin looks pretty appealing especially with the green tripe option for subscribers. I’d be interested to see how your dogs like Darwin and if you would recommend the product.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi taniawi –

If you want to feed your dog an egg for breakfast, veggies at lunch and chicken for dinner in addition to a balanced commercial dog food, that would be fine. If you want to feed your dog only an egg, veggies and chicken – that would be an extremely unbalanced diet and your dog would eventually suffer nutritional deficiencies. If you’re interested in feeding your dog a homemade diet I strongly recommend you pick up a book about homemade feeding with balanced recipes formulated by a veterinarian or nutritionist. Dogaware.com. is a great resource as well. Also, if you check out the raw diet thread, under “Suggested Menus” you can checkout several of my dogs’ meals to get an idea of what needs to be included in a homemade diet.

[shelties mom]

Yes, I will be grinding the chicken and will follow the recipe, thanks for your help.

[Hound Dog Mom]

A whole chicken is going to have a balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio. A bone-in breast or thigh should be in balance, although it will likely be on the higher side. Are you grinding this recipe? If you’re grinding it I would just prepare the recipe according to the instructions and then feed a chicken foot in addition to their portion of the prepared recipe.

[shelties mom]

HDM,

If I use whole chicken with bones /or thighs with bones with chicken feet, then is it balanced?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sheltie’s Mom –

The calcium to phosphorus ratio of chicken feet is 1.06:1, whereas the calcium to phosphorus ratio of chicken necks is about 1.6:1. The calcium to phosphorus ratio of both chicken feet and necks are in balance, however the ratio in the feet is so low that it won’t provide enough calcium excess calcium to balance out the phosphorus in the breast and thigh meat. Chicken necks and backs are the best way to balance out the phosphorus of boneless meat in a chicken-based recipe. You could certainly feed the feet on some days but on those days I would recommend supplementing enough calcium to balance out the phosphorus in the boneless meat you’re using (about 800-1,000 mg. calcium per 1 lb. boneless muscle meat, 1,000 – 1,200 mg. per pound of boneless organ meat).

[shelties mom]

HDM and pugmomsandy:
I have a question about a chicken recipe that calls for chicken necks, boneless thighs and breasts. Do you think it’s OK to replace the chicken necks portion with chicken feet? I started giving chicken feet to my small dogs and they love it, it takes longer to chew than the necks. Would you say they have the same nutritional benefits?

[pugmomsandy]

I’m not sure if diet rotation creates picky eaters since all mine are always excited to eat whether it’s just kibble, kibble with canned, kibble with freeze dried, raw food, kibble and raw food. They never leave anything in their bowls.

[DogFoodie]

I bought krill from Mercola for my dogs. It comes in a super convenient airless pump bottle. One pump per ten pounds of body weight. Clean, neat, easy, quality.

Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that the dog I bought it for seems to turn her nose up at most things fishy. The other dog who doesn’t really need it, loves it. Go figure. I have yet to find a kibble or canned food that is fish protein based that Dog A really likes. She will, however, devour a tinned sardine. She eats high quality kibble, canned toppers and the occasional meal of Darwin’s raw, but the black part of her coat (she’s a tri-color Cavalier) still isn’t that shiny in some places ~ in particular, on her rump. I use organic coconut oil, but not as regularly as I should to really see the benefit in her coat quality. I also add an occasional raw egg. I’m thinking my next supplement of choice will be Solid Gold Sea Meal.

Why are you wanting to supplement with oil? Is there something you’re hoping to correct?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi tracyx –

You should rotate foods and you should add fresh or canned toppers to dry food. Feeding the same food day after day is very unhealthy, all living things need variety. Switching will strengthen your dog’s digestive system. Another benefit of switching foods frequently is that if there is an issue with a food like an ingredient change and it doesn’t work for your dog, you’ll have lots of other go to options and if there is an issue such as recall due to contamination, your dog will be less likely to be affected if you don’t keep him on any one food for an extended period of time (often times the contaminants are in trace amounts and take months of feeding to build up to a toxic level). Dry food is the worst thing a dog can be fed, it’s not species-appropriate (it’s low in moisture and higher in carbs and protein than fresh meat based foods and canned foods). For this reason it’s a good idea to always top dry food with some quality canned food, a commercial frozen or freeze-dried raw food (rehydrated) or fresh cooked or raw meat. My three dogs eat a homemade raw diet and get something different at each meal. Prior to feeding raw I rotate kibble brands at the end of each bag (about every three weeks) and rotated canned toppers daily (I also added things like raw eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, healthy table scraps, etc.). I know rotating hasn’t made my dogs picky, they’d gladly eat the same food day after day but I would never allow that. I do have hounds though – if you have a more picky dog topping with fresh or canned could make them picky towards just dry. I wouldn’t let the possibility of your dog being “picky,” however, deter you from feeding a healthier more species-appropriate diet. I personally feel that feeding a dog only dry food and feeding the same food continuously is one of the most unhealthy things an owner can do for their animal.

[theBCnut]

Funny that you mention Nylabones. That is the only thing my dogs have ever choked on. One of my GSDs bit off a chunk and before I could get it away, he swallowed it and began to choke. He couldn’t get it back up and he passed out. At that time, I literally reached down his throat and dislodged it. He couldn’t eat for a couple days after that due to a raw throat, but after that he was fine. He was never allowed another nylabone.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Switching foods does not cause digestive upset in a healthy dog. If your dog gets loose stools when switching food – it’s unhealthy. One of the main reason dogs develop weak digestive systems (become unhealthy) are because they are fed the same food daily. A dog that eats a wide variety of foods will have a strong digestive system and a healthy colony of bacteria in its gut. I feed my dogs a homemade raw diet and they get something different at every meal with no issues. When I used to feed kibble I switched brands at the end of every bag (about every 3 weeks) and rotated canned food toppers daily with no issues. Many people are able to rotate foods frequently without problems because they have conditioned their dogs to have strong and healthy guts. Feeding the same food for extended periods of time is not healthy for a dog.

[Hound Dog Mom]

A dog can choke on anything. A toy, a stick in the yard, etc. They need to be supervised when eating chews, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have them. I don’t feed rawhide, but I feed bully sticks, dried trachea chews, pig ears, etc. on a regular basis and I have never had a dog choke.

[Anonymous]

You shouldn’t give your dog any type of rawhide, bully sticks, pig ears, etc because they could choke on them.

[pugmomsandy]

Mine eat outside when they get RMB and get plenty of grass and some dirt with them.

Maybe you can train yours to eat in one area like in an empty kiddie pool.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi weimlove –

My dogs eat all over the place. Gertie eats in the kitchen (she’ll usually drag her RMB’s on the floor so I just mop after), Mabel generally eats in her crate or in the kitchen after Gertie is done and Gus eats in the Garage. Dirt won’t hurt anything – hey, he may even pick up some beneficial soil microorganisms while he’s dragging his food around in the dirt!

[theBCnut]

It’s OK for dogs to eat some dirt. Where I live it’s all sand so I only feed one meal a week outside. The rest are in their crates, which are pretty easy to clean. Some people feed on their kitchen floor and mop when done. Some put down a towel, sheet, or tarp and teach their dog to stay on it. It’s all what works for you.

[weimlove]

All of the brands you’ve been feeding are very low quality. The best diet for your dog is a raw diet. If you don’t want to go the raw route, try to find a kibble where atlesdt the first three ingredients are meat and that is grain free. Some quality brands are orijen, acana, taste of the wild, natures variety, and blue wilderness. Another great option is freeze dried food which all you do is add water and it re hydrates. A great one is the honest kitchen. When transitioning dry dog foods, gradually mix in the new food and then add more new food and less of your old brand over a one or two week period. If you are switching from a low quality to high quality, you may experience some loose stool at first, but you will be very happy because you don’t have to feed as much because there are more nutrients in higher quality foods. Hope that helps!

[weimlove]

Hdm- yeah shadow eats around two pounds a day. Ill probably add in some eggs and kefir and yogurt for the vitamin d. Also, where do you feed your dogs? Shadow keeps taking the food out of the bowl and dragging it around the house and if I feed him outside he drags it around in the dirt. Any advice?

[Shihtzumom20]

Thanks Hound Dog Mom!

[Hound Dog Mom]

1/2 tsp. once it has all been mixed together.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DieselJunki –

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are important constituents of cartilage and help to maintain joint function. GAG’s and GAG precursors would include glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid. MSM, which is an organic form of the essential mineral sulfur, can be beneficial for joints as well due to the fact that connective tissues require sulfur for maintenance. Cetyl Myristoleate is a supplement that’s recently gained popularity as a joint supplement and has been shown to lubricate joints and maintain function. Whole food supplements that are rich in GAGs are sea cucumber, green lipped mussel, shark cartilage and eggshell membrane. Raw meaty bones are rich in GAGs as well – with trachea, poultry feet and gullet probably being the richest sources. I feel that large/giant breed dogs that are not fed a diet including raw meaty bones on a daily basis should be started on a joint maintenance supplement at a year old (until the dog is a senior or starts to exhibit joint issues the supplement can be given at half the recommended dose). When it comes to joint supplements if you buy supplements made for humans they will be MUCH cheaper per dose. The ingredients used in human supplements are the same as those used in dog supplements so there’s no reason human supplements can’t be used (they’re probably higher quality as well). For a young dog with no joint issues there’s no reason to supplement with every beneficial ingredient under the sun – a capsule of green lipped mussel, shark cartilage, sea cucumber or eggshell membrane or a basic glucosamine/chondroitin supplement will give enough maintenance support to a young dog free of joint issues. For older dogs or dogs that are exhibiting symptoms of arthritis natural anti-inflammatories such as white willow, yucca, boswellia, turmeric/curcumin, tart cherry and supplemental omega 3’s can be beneficial to give in addition to a joint maintenance supplement.

[Shihtzumom20]

Thank you Hound Dog Mom! I got all his supplements today and I get his food tomorrow, and then we are ready to go. I really appreciate you taking the time to look at the website and help me make sure it is balanced. And for your supplement blend, is that 1/2 a tsp each of everything or 1/2 a tsp of everything that has been all mixed together?

[msbabbit]

Safarisam- You must remove the crap food- I do not care what anyone says about “Dogs evolving” to omnivores. Their bodies can not digest grain and its the dog food we have fed our babies that gave them this human disease. As small as your baby is you can feed a raw or cook a rare-ish diet pretty cheap. Remove all kibble and all commercial dog food period. I have almost killed my dog experimenting with dog food.. Bottom line is ALL dog food is crap if it has fillers of any kind and ash.. There should not be things like “crude analyses” in food of any kind.

Again I can not express enough that unless the dog food is pre-packaged raw, there is NO SAFE DOG FOOD on the market for diabetic dogs – its not safe for non- diabetic dogs but thats another thread.

Feel free to contact me if you want.. I have years experience with this issue and I understand what you are feeling right now. Its so confusing and scary..

[Hound Dog Mom]

Well the vitamin d would depend on how much food he’s eating a day. The general rule is 200 IU per pound of food. I was guessing a dog his size would eat around 2 lbs. a day – you can reduce it if he eats less than that. I would add the vitamin e before feeding and not freeze it, I’ve heard freezing can decrease the potency.

[weimlove]

Hdm- ok thanks for the reminder I thought it was 200 iu daily. I also plan on introducing organ meat in small amounts probably tomorrow, shadows tummy is upset very easily do I’m trying to do things gradual. I have been giving him some canned salmon with his dosage of vitamin e, fish oil, and kelp in a kong for a treat while I’m gone. Is it ok to freeze those ingredients?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi weimlove!

Glad to hear Shadow is finally on a 100% raw diet 🙂

It looks like you’re off to a great start! Just wanted to remind you that a dog Shadow’s size should be getting 400 i.u. vitamin d per day – some good sources are cod liver oil, cage free eggs, kefir, some varieties of yogurt and cottage cheese (check the label), oily fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon) and beef liver. 10% of his diet should also consist of organ meat (5% liver, 5% other organs) – this can be fed as one or two completely organ meals per week or small amounts of organ meat can be fed each day. And don’t forget variety once you make his next menu – lots of different types of meat and different fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, I can’t help you too much with the storage issue. Maybe invest in some tupperware containers? It would probably be cheaper in the long run rather than using ziplock bags all the time. All my dogs eat through a batch of food in one day so I don’t have to worry about freezing portions.

[weimlove]

Hi everyone!
I have finally got Shadow eating a COMPLETELY raw diet 🙂
Since this is his first week of no kibble at all, I wanted to share my menu with you all and see what you think. Please keep in mind that this menu has extra bone in it to help keep his stool firm over the transition and next week I will add less bone.

What I did so far is pre-package a week’s worth of meals in freezer bags.

The meals include:
– 1 half of a chicken leg quarter
–1 small peice of a chicken back
– 1 chicken wing
– 3/4 of a pound of ground chicken
– 3/4 pound of sweet potatoes
– 100 iu vitamin E
– 1 tsp of a kelp/alfalfa mix powder (petkelp)
– 1 pump of fish oil that also contains a small amount of vitamin E

Shadow is given this meal twice a day. So far, his stool has been great, and extremely small! He also seems more excited to eat his meals, and I love the fact that it cleans his teeth too! Does anyone have an easier way for storing meals? The freezer bags are kinda pricey! Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

My vitamin mineral supplement would be fine. I order all the ingredients from Swanson Vitamins. For a small dog I’d say 1/2 tsp per day would be adequate. I use Carlson Brand cod liver oil, it has a lower vitamin a content than other brands (most brands have excessive vitamin a) and I also feel it’s higher quality than most other brands – you could give about 1/4 tsp. a couple times a week (there would be no need to add krill oil on these days as the cod liver oil has omega 3’s) for his vitamon d.

[Shihtzumom20]

Thanks Hound Dog Mom,
I feel so much better feeding this to Dawson now that you have checked it out! I was very surprised at the price as well!
Would you recommend I give Dawson your vitamin/mineral supplement? I know I saw a couple variations on the raw food menu thread. If you recommend that how much would I give him? One of my good friends has organic cage free eggs, so I could get him some eggs for vitamin D, he would get just under 2 pounds of food a week. (2 pounds in eight days) I already have his Krill oil picked out, so I need vitamin e and then a vitamin d source, is that correct? I saw in one of your menus, you gave vitamin A reduced cod liver oil, would that be suitable?
And thank you for explaining how to convert to % dry matter, it makes a lot more sense now!
Thank you for your time and all your help Hound Dog Mom!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Oh and you can determine dry matter protein and fat as follows:

100% – % Moisture = % dry matter
[% protein (or % fat, whichever you’re trying to determine)/% dry matter] X 100%

So for example, the food you posted states 16% protein, 12 % fat and 62% moisture.

100% – 62% = 38% dry matter

[16% protein/38% dry matter] X 100% = 42% protein
[12% fat/38% dry matter] X 100% = 32% fat

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Shihtzumom20 –

I just checked out Big Country Raw’s website – I’m jealous that you can get this food, the price is great! $2.50/lb. for pre-mixed food is very reasonable. I’m not too far from some of the retailers (I’m on the Canadian border) unfortunately I think a law was passed recently making it illegal to transport pet food across the border.

I can’t find a statement of nutritional adequacy on the website and it does appear there are a few things missing that you will need to supplement to make the food balanced. First of all, yes you will want to add omega 3’s as there aren’t any added to the food. Follow the dosage chart I posted previously. Second, after reading the ingredients for each of their foods I can tell you that there are inadequate levels of vitamin e and vitamin d. Vitamin e is difficult to supply in adequate quantities through food alone and therefore should be supplemented. It will be especially critical that you supplement with vitamin e once you start adding omega 3’s as consumption of omega 3’s increases the the fat soluble antioxidant requirement. As a general rule supplement about 50 I.U. vitamin e per 20 lbs. If you get capsules with a high dosage (most come in 200 IU or 400 IU) you can just give one whole capsule 2-3 times per week. For the vitamin d, there is some vitamin d in beef liver (about 50 IU per 4 oz.), but not all of the formulas contain beef liver and even for the formulas that do, I doubt that there is enough to fulfill vitamin d requirements. Vitamin d can be added in supplement form or (more preferably) in whole food form. Some foods that are rich in vitamin d: cod liver oil (~400 IU per tsp.), cage free eggs (~30-50 IU per egg), Kefir (~100 IU per cup), oily fish (amount of vitamin d present varies on the type of fish but sardines, mackerel and salmon are generally considered good sources), some varieties of plain yogurt and cottage cheese are supplemented with vitamin d (check the label). Your dog should be getting about 200 IU vitamin D per pound of food consumed. Also, rotate between all their protein sources – don’t rely on one – this will provide him with the greatest balance. You may also want to consider adding another whole food supplement, I see kelp is is added to a few of the varieties. Kelp is great and supplies a lot of trace nutrients but the more variety the better, especially when a dog is deriving all of their nutrition from whole foods and not relying on synthetically added vitamins and minerals. My dogs get kelp and they also get things like spirulina, alfalfa, wheat grass, bee pollen, chlorella, etc. I switch up their supplements frequently. It says they offer a vitamin/mineral supplement but it doesn’t list the ingredients, you could check that out.

Yes, RMB’s are a wonderful source of glucosamine and chondroitin. Because he’s young and he’s a small breed not prone to joint issues, RMB’s should provide all the joint support he needs for now. I wouldn’t worry about a joint supplement until he’s a senior.