[marmaduke]

We have been following the Going RAWR dog food diet for awhile now and our 2 Golden Retreivers will NOT stop eating their (and our 10 year old Lab/Border Collie Mix’s) own and each other’s poop and one of the Golden’s has gas constantly.

They are just over a year now and we have had them on the RAWR diet since they were approx. 4 months old.

We feed them ground raw chicken for dogs from our local butcher and a recipe for a vegetable/fruit slop and raw chicken hearts or liver.

The veggie/fruit slop contains: romaine lettuce, celery, beets, carrots, squash, bananas, oranges, apples, pineapple, kelp powder, whole eggs (including the shell) and plain yogurt.

Their daily meals are:

Morning – 1cup raw chicken meat, 1/2cup veggie slop, 2 raw chicken hearts or liver.
Evening – same as above.

ANY suggestions on how to cure the poop eating behaviour or the gas, I would certainly appreciate it!!

I am even considering going back to a dry kibble…tried several “premium” brands (Acana, Fromm) and found them to be gassy on them as well…maybe they were too rich?

Thanks

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DieselJunki –

Congrats on the new family member! 🙂

Amierican Bulldogs would be considered a large breed, so you should feed them as such. Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit would be a wonderful choice for your new pup – the calcium levels are right where they should be. All three of my dogs now eat a raw diet, but my oldest used to eat kibble and I used Nature’s Variety Instinct in my rotation frequently – he loved the food and did well on it. All of Nature’s Variety Instinct foods are approved for “All Life Stages” meaning that they meet the nutrition requirements of any age dog – puppy right through to senior. Any 4 or 5 star canned food would make a great topper – as long as you’re only using a little canned to mix with the dry you shouldn’t need to worry about calcium levels too much. My only other suggestion would be to pick at least one or two other dry foods to rotate with – rotational feeding is much healthier than feeding the same food continuously and if you get your new pup accustomed to rotational feeding while he is young it will be easier to change foods later on. If you check out the “Diet and Health Issues” forum and go to the sticky “Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition” topic you’ll find a list with other 4 and 5 star grain-free foods that would be a good choice for your pup.

[billhill]

/dog-food-reviews/natures-variety-dog-food-raw-frozen/

Try this link.

[patvl246]

I supplement my Mastiffs raw diet with Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost Venison and Lamb. Are there any recent reviews on this particular kibble

[DieselJunki]

On Friday I will be getting an American Bull Dog puppy. He was born on 11.23.2012

Now I have been researching dog nutrition as I always believe in feeding my animals the best of the best no matter the cost. I travel quite a bit for work and although I would love to feed raw it is just not in the picture so a good kibble will have to suffice with some wet mixed in on occasion.

I believe I have found the food that I believe to be right. I had found a link here that talked about the calcium levels in the foods and based my decision of the review and the amount of calcium.

Natures Variety Instinct: Rabbit. It had a good review aside from having canola oil in it. Calcium per the list that I found on here is 1.12%, 3.34 g./1,000 kcal.

My question is is this ok for a puppy to eat? American Bull Dogs are pretty much a large breed right? I do want to be sure to watch my calcium levels here?

[sisu]

I have a 7 year old who is a spinal walking paraplegic. He has no feeling from the waist down. He can walk due to muscle memory which 10-15% of dogs maintain. There is limited bladder and bowel control. Although the conditions are different our goals in waste management may be the same.

Grain inclusive foods result in big fluffy poop. Grain free with the highest meat content and lowest carbs give the best results when feeding kibble. With a balanced raw diet there is barely any waste. Therefore, the poop is very small, ring finger to little finger size. If Prey Model Raw (PMR) is not an option consider premade raw with the highest meat content. After 5 years of trial and error I have found that EVO Herring and Salmon kibble works very well. As almost a contradiction to my high meat, low carb, low fiber rule Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon also results in small size poop. I suspect it may be due to the digestibility of the menhaden fish meal. Of the two brands EVO poop is smaller. Some companies will send free samples. Use the contact link on their websites to make the request.

I feed as close to 6 am and 6 pm as possible. There are very few treats given. Rewards are enthusiastic chin scratches and lots of happy, verbal praise. By restricting the frequency of food going in I can predict that poop will happen an hour to and hour and a half after each meal. Exercise will cause him to poop sooner rather than later. Anal stimulation either by lightly touching around the outside of the anus or using a KY jelly lubricated thermometer inserted into the rectum with some slight movement will cause him to poop a couple of hours sooner than expected. Although I have rarely used either of these methods they are useful for getting things back on schedule. If used frequently poop on demand becomes the schedule rather than allowing his natural digestion to establish a schedule.

Below is a list of meat protein in various brands of kibble that I have collected from the ‘net. I have not fed these brands. Although I trust the sources of the information I cannot guarantee it.

Dr. Tim’s Momentum 35/25, 96%
Native Level 4, 35/25, 93%
Diamond Extreme Athlete, 93%
Inukshuk 32/32, 95%
Annamet should be 90+%. Specific amt. is not known.
Orijen 82%
Horizon Legacy 80%
Instinct 70%.
Merrick grain free 70%

I am unsure if the constant leg movement your boy has are muscle spasms. If so, daily muscle massage of the legs and along the spine similar to Tellington Touch, gentle repetitive bicycle movement, and flexing the leg joints and toes may help. All is done slowly. Stop if there is a spasm. Resume when the muscles relax. After 2 years of daily massage/flexing therapy Connor has no spasms.

If your dog is being treated by a general vet I would suggest a visit to a veterinary neurologist or neurosurgeon. Not for surgery but to evaluate and treat the current condition. For example, there is medication that can help with muscle spasms. Also, if it is in the budget, professional physical therapy can help with lingering issues. If the carts were not professionally fitted a neurologist or physical therapist may be able to resolve the current problems.

If interested in raw feeding:
http://preymodelraw.com/how-to-get-started/
http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf

The Paralysis: Neurological and IVDD forum is very helpful and informative.
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/

I hope some of this helps.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi momtopoms –

Fruits and vegetables really aren’t absolutely necessary if everything else in the diet is balanced and the Nature’s Logic supplement does have some freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in it, so this would probably be enough. However, some other options that you could try:

1) Wysong has a supplement called “Wild Things” – it’s a powder made of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables and super greens: http://www.wysong.net/products/wildthings-dog-cat-supplement.php

2) Essex Cottage Farms has a supplement called “Garden Vegetables”, also a freeze-dried powder: http://www.efarms.cc/Products%20Page.htm

3) Nature’s Farmacy has a whole food supplement called “Cornucopia” and 3 tbs. is the equivalent of a pound of fresh fruits and vegetables: http://www.naturesfarmacy.com/store/details.php?prodId=321&category=

Also, if your dog doesn’t mind pills you could also consider fruit and vegetable concentrate pills made for humans (just read the ingredients list carefully to make sure there is nothing toxic to dogs – such as onions or grapes). There are many different brands that make these, but some I can think of off the top of my head that would be safe for dogs would be Puritan’s Pride 10 Vegetable Multiplex, Wysong’s Salad and Schiff’s Fruit & Vegetable tablets.

[momtopoms]

Hello

I started feeding commercial raw a year and a half ago after finding this site. I have used NV, Primal,Darwin’s and Stella and Chewys. When I rotated back to Darwin’s in November, my poms would not touch it. I bought Dr. Becker’s book and the e books from Whole Dog Journal so I could make my own. The issue I am having is getting my female Pom to eat the vegetable mixes. I made the ones in Dr. Becker’s book and she will eat the meat but if a add just a little veg mix she refuses. I also tried THK Preference. She prefers NV raw over all the other brands. Should I rotate in NV and not force her to eat the homemade with the veg mixes. How often would she need the NV? I also add NL All Food Fortifier. Would that be enough? I just started ordering from Hare Today and they all like the grinds I have tried so far. I also have Brothers on hand in case I am short on time since I work at a hospital and have to go in at strange hours with short notice. Any help would be appreciated.

Susan

[InkedMarie]

There is no rice bran in it now, the ingredient pdf even say no rice.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yes, it’s Jan lol. I didn’t use it for long, but the dogs did fine on it and liked it. The nuggets were smaller than NV or Primal. It does have some rice bran in it, or did when I used it, and that seems strange for a raw food imho. It came in a bigger bag and if I remember was cheaper in the long run than the others. My vet, who carries it, actually feeds his Goldens NV Prairie and Steve’s. I didn’t use it often because my vet is 45-50 mins. from home and I only bought it if I was going there. I can get Primal and NV closer to home. With all that said, I don’t use regular raw anymore. I like the freeze dried because my daughter and husband (rarely) can help out with feeding because they are more comfortable using the FD. I add water to it and rehydrate it. I tried using The Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy’s but the dogs prefer the Primal and Stella & Chewy’s much more. I’m gonna pick up some Vital Essentials today to add to the mix, though it seems to be the most expensive of all.

[InkedMarie]

hi Mom2Cavs (is it Jan??)
thank you for responding! It turns out the in state place that carried Answers does not any longer so that is not an option. My dogs didn’t like the NV and Primal is more costly than Darwins and I’d have to drive over an hour, one way, to pick it up.
What can you tell me about Steve’s?

[Mom2Cavs]

I’ve fed Primal and NV, and also Steve’s Real Food. My vet carries NV and Steve’s. I like Primal and Steve’s better than NV. Currently, though, I’m using the Freeze Dried versions of Primal, NV (sometimes when I can find it), and Stella & Chewy’s. I know it’s not as good as the regular raw, but it’s doable in this household and I like it alot, lol.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m sorry to hear about your Cav. Sadly, I just lost my 12 year old Blenheim girl, Stella, to SM. 🙁 I think that feeding an all can diet, as long as the canned food is labeled “complete and balanced” and not for supplemental feeding only, is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s really a lot better than feeding a total dry diet. It’s a little closer to being a species appropriate diet, at least. I feel most people don’t use canned, and use dry, simply because it can be cost prohibitive to use, especially with multiple dog households. If you can afford it, it really is better than dry. Some people also feed a raw diet. I prefer premade raw. There are lots of good brands to choose from. If raw is not for you, then there are the freeze dried formulas and rehydrate them. This is what I’m using now, although I do feed kibble and canned with them. I’m using Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, and have some Vital Essentials coming. Canned food contains moisture, which is also great for the dog. Again, I’m sorry your pup is experiencing this. Our breed, as a whole, is burdened with these illnesses and it’s so sad. If I were you, I’d pick some 4-5 star grain free canned food and contact the companies to see what the sodium level is in them and go from there. I have 2 other Cavs at home, both females….Hazel (Black & Tan) and Laverne (Ruby). Hazel has a grade 2 murmur, but so far, Laverne is fine. Actually they’re both doing very well, atm. They both share the same birthday, lol, and Hazel will be 6 this August and Laverne will be 8. Good luck to you with your little one!

[pugmomsandy]

A raw diet will result in smaller, solid, less stinky waste! My raw fed dog’s stool is probably around the size of a nickel – or like small bird eggs.

[InkedMarie]

A feed store not too far away is selling Answers; HDM likes it but have you fed it? Anyone else? What about Steve’s real food? Anyone feed that?
I’m looking at all options, beside Darwins. Mine love it and I think it’s the best pre made out there but it’s so costly. We have a new dog coming this weekend and I’d really like to have all three on a pre made for one meal.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi mbigdogs –

I feel your pain! I have three bloodhounds – my male is 110 lbs., my adult female is 70 lbs. and my 6 1/2 month old female puppy is pushing 60 lbs and they eat like horses. I feed a homemade raw diet, I order all my food in bulk 300 lb. shipments from a wholesaler that supplies restaurants and grocery stores – I save a significant amount of money this way. Pre-made raw, dehydrated foods and canned foods would pretty much be out of the question – way too cost prohibitive with multiple large dogs. If you want to go the kibble route, some quality cost effective choices would be Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms (4 stars), Pure Balance (3 1/2 stars), Eagle Pack (4 stars), NutriSource (4 stars), Fromm’s Classics Line (3 1/2 stars), Hi-Tek Naturals (3 1/2 stars), Victor (4 stars) and Healthwise (4 stars). All of these foods are in the $35-$40 range for a large bag (usually 30-40 lbs.).

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DrYattz –

You really can’t give a healthy dog too much protein. Most of the Solid Gold formulas (aside from Barking at the Moon) are actually low in protein, so I doubt that was the issue. My dogs eat a raw diet with 45%-55% protein at each meal – about twice as much protein as is in most kibbles. As far as worrying about availability I’d recommend you get your dogs used to rotating foods. Switching between brands and protein sources is MUCH healthier than feeding the same food day in and day out. Once you get your dogs used to it you shouldn’t even have to transition between foods. Before I switched to raw when my oldest was on kibble I got a new brand of food with a new protein source every 2-3 weeks and a rotated canned food toppers daily – he had no digestive issues. All three of my dogs now eat raw and get something different at each meal – no issues here either. The Ol Roy Pure Balance looks like a decent budget friendly food, it’s low in protein and fat though so it’s a good thing you’re adding the chicken.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi busterbrown –

I experienced a similar issue with one my dogs. When she was a puppy she was extremely skinny – it seemed like no matter how much I fed her she was just a skeleton. I couldn’t get any weight on her until I switched her to a high fat diet. She eats a grain-free raw diet now of about 45-55% protein, 30%-40% fat and 15-20% carbohydrates. She’s still slim, but I’ve finally got it to where her ribs and hips aren’t protruding too awfully bad. She put on about 8 pounds in the first 4 months I had her on a high fat raw diet. If your dog needs to gain weight and the excess fat doesn’t cause any intestinal distress, I definitely think higher fat is the way to go. W/d is an extremely poor quality food – as are most prescription foods – and while I go to my vet for advice on lots of things, nutrition isn’t one of them. In some rare/extreme cases I think prescription foods can help stabilize a serious medical condition but I don’t personally believe they should ever be a long term solution. With a sensitive stomach, I think all you really need to do is try some foods and find one that doesn’t cause any issues. I’m willing to bet there’s a non-prescription food that will work. I’d recommend something grain-free and limited in ingredients. Nature’s Variety Instinct has some limited ingredient canned foods that are moderately high in fat, EVO has a 95% Meat line that is high fat and very limited in ingredients, ZiwiPeak would be another great choice. I’d also like to mention Abady – they have a granular food line that is excellent for putting on weight (it’s high fat and very calorie-dense with nearly 800 calories per cup) and dogs with sensitive stomachs seem to do well on it. Abady makes some great canned foods too so that may be something you could check out.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi hvnlysrph –

There’s no reason to “transition” a healthy dog from food to food regardless of if you’re feeding canned or dry. If your dog is accustomed to eating the same food and has eaten the same food for a long period of time you many initially find that you need to transition, however once your dog gets used to switching foods you shouldn’t need to. When my dog ate dry food I got a new brand with a new protein source at the end of every bag (every 2-3 weeks) and rotated canned food toppers daily. All of my dogs now eat a raw diet and get something different at each meal. None have any digestive issues with switching. Switching brands and varieties is the healthiest thing you can do.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Just noticed a mistake – not sure what I was thinking when I was typing it out – but the eggshell amounts should be half of what I wrote. 1 tsp. ground eggshell for the beef recipe and 1 1/2 tsp. for the venison recipe. Sorry. I noticed it and wanted to correct it in case anyone actually wanted to try these out for themselves. 🙂

[Melissaandcrew]

Has NV started using a different process or modified it? The bags of the raw I always bought were that slightly grayish color from the HPP…This last bag we bought(the bite size pieces-chicken) was/is very very pink in color. Difference of night and day..

[weimlove]

Ok guys, I’m going to the butcher tommorow to get the ingredients for shadow first two weeks of raw food. I’m going to make enough food for about two weeks. At first, I plan on the butcher grinding everything up so I can make one pound patties of food until I can get a bigger freezer. I don’t know the exact amounts of ingredients but this is what I plan on using for this two week recipe: ground chicken, chicken backs, chicken quarters, chicken liver, sweet potatoes, leafy greens like spinach, vitamin e supplement, kelp mixture supplement, fish oil, and eggs with shell. For a couple of the meals I will add in THK’s preference. How does that sound? Any suggestions?

[Jens]

I think we might have to shelve the raw food feedings, since we want to do dogs on wheels and they apparently frown on raw feedings. they worry the elderly will get Salmonella, when they lick their faces….. 🙂

[InkedMarie]

I will give you some advice as it pertains to one of my dogs. I did not do allergy testing but an online friend gave me a list of ingredients to avoid: chicken, corn, wheat, soy, rice and flax. I have since found that Boone does fine with flax but cannot have yeast. He has done the best with a grain and potato free foods. Beef can be a common allergen, I have read. On this forum, go to the dog food ingredients board and the stickie at the top has the list of those foods.
Boone does best with fish and turkey foods. He eats a pre made raw in the morning and some of that is beef and he has no issue with it. His pre made is also turkey and duck. He eats Brothers Allergy, which has chicken liver & chicken at but is doing great on this food.
Something to keep in mind. You have to be mindful of every morsel your dog eats. That means treats as well. If you feed him a grain free food, feed him grainfree treats. Scour that ingredients list. Also, you wouldn’t think about it but supplements as well. Mixed tocopherols can be soy so the salmon oil I give him is just that, salmon oil (it’s a liquid). I once gave him a salmon oil capsule that had soy as a secondary ingredient. We use Bug Off Garlic for the insects and we cannot use the chewables because there is yeast in it.
I advise trying a few different foods, by different makers. I like doing that because you never know if a food will become unavailable or you see a sale on another one he can have. Hope I’ve been of help!

[shelties mom]

Hi all,
I have access to get raw, grass-fed bone meal from a local farmer. Does anyone use something like this and how do I calculate how much to add per lb of raw meat? Do I need to add in eggshells? Trying to avoid using cooked bone meal from the health food stores.

[Hound Dog Mom]

No problem. Hoping it helps some people realize it’s not impossible to make a balanced homemade food. 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Looks complicated and nutritious!!. Mine are getting some kibble and some freeze dried Vital Essentials tonight! But I will revisit this recipe when it’s time for me to make a new batch of homemade food! Thanks for sharing!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Okay so my dogs have been on their previous menu more about 6 weeks now and I’m about to switch things up for another month or two. I’ll post the new menu I’ll be starting next week to give more ideas to those interested in homemade raw.

Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays

a.m. (divided between 3 dogs)
-1 lb. 90% Lean Ground Beef
-1 lb. Ground Green Beef Tripe
-1 lb. Ground Beef Organs (Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Lungs, Spleen, Trachea, Gullet)
-1 C. Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree*
-1/2 C. Cottage Cheese
-1/2 C. Sprouted Quinoa (run through food processor)
-2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral*
-1 tbs. Ground Raw Pumpkin Seeds
-1 tbs. Coconut Oil
-1 tbs. Krill Oil
-1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
-2 tsp. Ground Eggshell
-800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule

p.m. (per dog)
-2 Turkey Necks (approx. 12 oz.)
-8 oz. Turkey Hearts

Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays

a.m. (divided between 3 dogs)
-3 lbs. Venison Meat and Organ Mix (from a whole deer)
-1 C. Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree
-1 C. Kefir
-2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral
-2 tbs. Sprouted Chia
-1 tbs. Reduced Vitamin A Cod Liver Oil
-1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
-3 tsp. Ground Eggshell
-800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule

p.m. (per dog)
-Chicken Back (approx. 10 oz.)
-Chicken Foot (approx. 2 oz.)
-2 oz. Chicken Gizzards
-2 oz. Chicken Hearts
-2 oz. Chicken Livers
-Egg (without shell)

Sundays

a.m. (per dog)
-2 Whole Prey Quail (Approx. 1 1/2 lbs.)

p.m. -Fast

*Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree:
(I make up a big batch running all the ingredients through a food processor and freeze in ice cube trays. After they freeze I store all the cubes in giant ziplock bags in the freezer – each cube is approx. 1 fl. oz.)
-1 lb. Fresh Celery (blanch before pureeing)
-1 lb. Fresh Beets (blanch before pureeing)
-1 lb. Fresh Carrots (blanch before pureeing)
-1 lb. Fresh Kale (blanch before pureeing)
-1 lb. Frozen Butternut Squash
-1 lb. Frozen Spinach
-1 lb. Frozen Broccoli
-2 Apples
-1 Banana
-1 lb. Frozen Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries)
-8 oz. Frozen Cranberries
-2 Bunches Parsley
-2 Bunches Cilantro
-1 Head Garlic

*Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement:
-4 oz. Kelp Powder
-4 oz. Alfalfa Powder
-4 oz. Wheatgrass Powder
-4 oz. Spirulina Powder
-4 oz. Chlorella Powder
-4 oz. Bee Pollen Powder
-4 oz. Turmeric Powder

[pugmomsandy]

jnite,

Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost is a convenient freeze-dried powder supplement you can add to food and it has 8% fiber.

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw-boost-healthy-supplements-pets

[pugmomsandy]

jnite,

Have you ever fed your dog raw food with ground bone? Raw food does wonders for stool. Some brands have nibblet sizes and/or 1 oz nuggets and they have frozen or freeze dried. Maybe you can incorporate some of it with her current food. Or one meal of kibble and one meal of raw.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve been using ProDen PlaqueOff (seaweed) for 2 months on my foster who needs a dental. When I first brought him home I had to roll the windows down in the car his breath was so bad! Now he sleeps in my room and I can put my face right up to him and there is no smell and his tongue is always hanging out! I haven’t checked his teeth for tarter but he is going to see the dental folks tomorrow morning. He is also on a wet diet only. No kibble.

My other dogs eat raw meaty bones or gnaw on marrow bones, antlers, bully sticks for teeth cleaning.

[pugmomsandy]

InkedMarie,

I had to open a photobucket account and load the pictures there! It was quick and easy though! Then I did what I usually do to post pictures in other places. Open the picture, right click, properties, copy the URL and paste in here!

[InkedMarie]

Great pictures, wish I could get them to work but I haven’t figured it out yet.

[aimee]

Oh Ok… i thought you meant the “they” was the AVMA.

I’m not a big conspiracy theorist. I don’t think the AVMA anti raw had anything to do with commercial kibble providers. If it did why do they specifically recommend cooked foods or leave a loop hole for raw diets rendered pathogen free by processing?

I saw that the Connecticut VMA is bringing the homeopathy issue to the table, so it really isn’t the AVMA that initiated it. It seems to me a process, like bringing a bill before congress. The CVMA wants the issue evaluated.

I do see that AVMA passed a policy to encourage to allow exemption from Rabies vaccination. Not all states allow this and AVMA is saying they should. So to me that is advocating for the animals health. shrug

And yes vets give raw feeders “the lecture” to CYA against liability. but once given and documented in the record hopefully the focus should be on making sure the person is feeding a balanced diet. JMO

[soho]

Hi Safarisam

These recommendations are just my opinion and I am NOT a vet. This is just what I would do if I were in your situation. I would try to find a holistic or integrative vet to be part of your healthcare team in dealing with your dogs diet and his diabetes!

There are many many options for your pom. Since you mentioned you would love to make his food here is one option. Buy ground turkey, ground beef and chicken breasts from your local supermarkets. Buy some frozen vegetables, no onions or starchy veggies like potatoes and no grains. His diet should be at least 80% meat and no more then 20% vegetables.

You can steam the veggies and then mash them up or you can puree them in a blender or food processor without cooking them. The idea is to make the veggies easier to digest since dogs don’t process veggies that well. The meats can be lightly cooked using low heat. I would be cautious about giving raw food to your dog at this point because it is hard for anyone to judge the condition of his immune system and the damage that has been done from the diabetes. A good immune system is necessary to handle the bacteria from raw food.

Since there are no bones in this diet a calcium supplement is necessary. If it is made for dogs it will have the dosages on the label. A multivitamin is also necessary because it is difficult for the home prepared diet to be complete and balanced without adding vitamins and minerals. Again if it is made for dogs the dosage will be on the label. I would also add some digestive enzymes and some sardines for their omega 3 content. The sardines would be part of the 80% meat portion of the diet. additional toppers like green tripe and organ meats can be rotated in the 80% part of the diet. Toppers should be no more then 20% of the total diet.

This is a start and there are many more options than the one I have given. A good book for you to help with your dogs diet would be see spot live longer by Steve Brown.

I wish you and your pomeranian the very best!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hey Melissa –

If she has digestive issues and the canned tripe doesn’t cause any problems I’d definitely give it a try. It’s loaded with probiotics and enzymes so it might help her out. I doesn’t seem to me like raw would cause an issue if canned doesn’t…?

[weimlove]

Onlywest- I’m so sorry to hear that. I was actually letting my boy chew on a large lamb bone yesterday…yikes! I will definitely stick to the smaller rmb’s like hdm listed. Thanks for the warning only west and for the tips hdm

[Melissaandcrew]

HDM-

I just had an aha moment, lol. What do you think of raw green tripe for my dobergal? She can eat the canned green tripe w/out issue. Now I am thinking perhaps some fresh green might help..thoughts?

[Hound Dog Mom]

I would say that ribs are fine as they aren’t weight bearing – I occasionally give my dogs ribs. I would avoid weight bearing lamb bones (like femurs) but lamb necks make good RMBs for larger dogs (they aren’t weight-bearing so they’re not super dense). Chicken wings are fine but I would be careful giving them to a larger dog, you want to give bones that they actually have to chew not bones that are so small they may swallow them. I personally don’t give chicken wings or necks to my dogs because my dogs are so big I worry that they’ll just swallow them whole. Turkey wings are a good size for large dogs though.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Raw milk naturally contains probiotics – pasteurized milk doesn’t because the pasteurization process destroys the probiotics. I would say that as long as your dog isn’t experiencing any digestive issues that would require high doses of probiotics, feeding him raw milk on a regular basis would be plenty for keeping his gut flora in balance. I feel that for healthy dogs without digestive issues that consume foods naturally rich in probiotics on a regular basis (such as raw green tripe, kefir, raw milk, yogurt, etc.) it’s unnecessary (and kind of a waste of money) to supplement with probiotics.

[shelties mom]

HDM,
I give my dogs raw grass-fed goat milk, can I eliminate probiotic supplement?

[shelties mom]

My dog broke his premolar tooth when chewing on a lamb leg bone without meat. I let him chew on it for over an hour and then heard a pop, I thought chewing on a bone would help clean his teeth, but I missed the part that says “MEATY”, not raw bone, but RAW MEATY BONE. I learned it the hard way, now he only gets chicken and duck necks.

[Anonymous]

InkedMarie, I agree with not charging your card until it ships. These businesses that sell animal food need to realize that most of us don’t have a long backup supply, so if they tell us they are shipping, we are at the other end waiting! It would have been one thing if I had 4 small miniauture chihuahua’s to feed, but I have 4 over 70 lb. dogs that eat a lot every day. It was just worse because I was expecting it and then all the dang holidays interrupted shipping, so I thought that was the reason for the delay, not because they didn’t ship. I could have ordered from someone else and had more food here in two days if I’d only known, but they didn’t feel giving me a heads up any of it was important, I guess. I got an e-mail from the BBB last week that Ozbo had responded willing to give me my $4.95 shipping back and was shipping the food. I replied, I was out around $75 (probably more) in cost of having to feed raw food for those several days plus pay full price online from another site to get more food here quickly, so I wanted the bag at no charge AND the free shipping. They haven’t gotten back to me. Considering they were the ones that shorted my original order, lied about sending the missing bag and then hung up on me when I called mad because of the lack of caring attitude about it all. I’m not sure if I even want the food from them now, actually. I’m still just in shock about how awful they have been about all of this.

[weimlove]

Hdm- ok thanks, how do you feel about lamb bones, ribs, and chicken wings?

[InkedMarie]

I would not call them raw if they aren’t. I’ve never fed a freeze dried but I think, years back, that THK called their food dehydrated raw but they don’t anymore. To ME, raw is just that, raw food, not cooked. For that reason, I’d think it should be dry, canned, frozen, freeze dried and dehydrated

[Hound Dog Mom]

I personally don’t use any chemicals on my dogs. I use Sentry Natural Defense topical which has pepermint oil, lemongrass oil, cinnamon oil and thyme oil and I put Earth Animals No More Ticks herbal tincture in their food 6 days per week during flea/tick season. My dogs are outdoors a lot, I comb them with a flea comb daily during flea/tick season and have never found a flea or tick on them. All their snap tests have always come up negative for lyme as well. Dogs with weak immune systems are more likely to attract parasites (both internal and external) – so the best and safest way to prevent flea infestations – imo – is building up their immune system. When my dog ate low quality kibble I always had flea issues (I used Advantix on him and he had a flea/tick collar purchased from the vet during the summer). Since I’ve switched to a grain-free raw diet, eliminated chemical flea and tick preventatives, eliminated chemical wormers and limited my use of heart worm preventative and vaccines – I’ve never had any of my dogs get fleas, ticks or intestinal parasites.

[Hound Dog Mom]

That’s the same way I feel and why I personally choose to make everything from scratch. I’m picky about what my dogs eat and every food or supplement out there there’s either something in it that I don’t want there or something that I wish was there that isn’t. By making my own food and supplements I can completely customize everything.

[shelties mom]

HDM,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is what I’ve been looking for and will order the supplements from the site you posted. I’m excited to do it on my own as I believe I will have a better control of the quality of ingredients I put in the food.

[Hound Dog Mom]

weimlove –

Raw meaty bones are safe – RMBs are those that can be completely consumed (chicken backs, turkey necks, chicken feet, chicken leg quarters, etc.). What you want to avoid are the weight-bearing bones of large ruminants (cows, buffalo, sheep, etc.) – these are called “recreational bones” and would include marrow bones, knuckle bones, etc. I personally don’t feed my dogs any recreational bones because of concern over breaking teeth and even if they don’t break a tooth, chewing bones like these over time can wear down the teeth.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi onlywest –

I add the turmeric because it has anti-cancer properties and is a natural anti-inflammatory. I highly doubt your dog would be allergic to turmeric, however if it is you could certainly just omit the turmeric or pick out another “superfood” to add that’s not in the recipe.