Dear Ashleigh,
I’m so sorry if you’ve been discouraged by negative postings. I’m also new to RAW and finding more hurdles than helpers. The problem is everyone thinks they know everything rather than just sharing what they’ve learned. I hope you are still looking into and exploring the world of raw. Here is what I’m learning and would like to share…. Obviously every dog(like every person) is different but what works for most should work for all, barring complications. I’m feeding raw with a spin. When Minnie first came home I started her on an organic GROUND WHOLE CHICKEN WITH ORGAN MEAT AND BONE. I’m lucky enough to live in an area of Southern California where that is available to me, made by NATURAL MONARCH. Knowing that she also needs other protein sources i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker. She’s a traditional vet gone holistic and i like that. She has a youtube video with Rodney Habib that outlines a raw food recipe which i follow but i change up the protein. I like that this recipe doesn’t call for too many supplements. In addition i feed Raw Meaty Bones every other day. My puppy is super finicky so we’re only doing Lamb Chops, Pork Spare Ribs and Beef ribs with the occasional Chicken Wing. She refuses to eat chicken sometimes as well as chicken feet and turkey necks. She’s kind of a butthead 🙂 but we’ll keep trying. In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week. Also, Human grade is best. Dog food or food intended to for pets does not have that same regulation. i don’t care what anyone else says. Let those guys eat dog grade food instead of human graded. Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first. If in doubt just cook the protein in question and feed everything else raw. Minnie doesn’t like the taste of ground beef(youtube recipe) but i already made a giant batch so i cook it then add a tablespoon of pumpkin to kill the scent and smell and she loves it. I also add lots of parsley, kale and mint to ward off any leaky gut issues. Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please don’t be turned away by nay sayers. Here is a sample diet of what Minnie eats but keep in mind that she is a growing toy breed puppy and eats 3 times a day but only eats 6.5% of her body weight per day (18 weeks as of today between 6 & 7 ounces per day)
sidenote, I’ve started mixing in the rodney habib video recipe into her already ground chicken mix plus as said before pumpkin to the beef mix after lightly cooking it. The beef, i only heat the beef.
Monday… Lightly cooked Beef mix with pumpkin then a pork spare rib the Natural Monarch Raw Chicken with mix
tuesday… Ground Turkey with rodney habib mix then ground chicken mix
wed… ground beef mix then ground turkey mix then a beef rib
thurs… chicken mix then a lamb chop then chicken mix again
fri… beef mix then turkey mix
sat… beef steak with bone then chicken mix then turkey mix
sun… chicken mix then lamb chop then beef mix
Upon writing it out, i see that i obviously feed lots of ground meat but that’s because Minnie is a spoiled puppy. I feed her enough Raw Meaty Bone to have the benefit of the nice breath and clean teeth and gums plus the calcium from those and her chicken has ground bone as well and the egg shells provide sufficient calcium. I plan to introduce more WHOLE proteins after 6 months. It is safe to fast dogs for a day after that point. But right now she’s just too small and too dang picky.
Pulsing spinach, kale, parsley and other super green veggies into your mixes is also sufficient however, i also juice so i mix in the pulp into Minnie’s food.
I hope any of this was helpful.
Love, Leelina
JazzLover: I buy my raw from Hare Today in PA. Other good companies are Reel Raw, My Pet Carnivore and Raw Feeding Miami. Hare has a lot of great info on the site & Tracey, the owner, is very helpful when you have questions.
Homeopathic vets don’t believe in science based medicine. You can’t have it both ways.
I would find a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Just call the nearest Veterinary School of Medicine and they will refer you.
My dog is a small breed poodle mix that started with the pruritus and ear infections at about 2 years old. Did the steroids, antibiotics. Went back and forth to the regular vet for about a year (tried 3 of them) listened to the homeopathic vets (useless). Most supplements are a scam.
So, I made an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist, she had the testing and I had the results and a treatment plan the same day.
I saw results right away. The initial testing is expensive but the maintenance isn’t that bad (I gave up cable). We see the dermatologist once a year.
She has been stable now for several years. It is very natural, the solution is now available sublingual, so you don’t have to give shots.
She no longer has food sensitivity issues, but does best on a Nutrisca salmon and chickpea kibble as a base, a bit of cooked chicken or something and a splash of water twice a day.
A raw carrot here and there.
I have owned several dogs over the years, some had mild/seasonal allergies, but this is the only one that needed the expertise of a specialist. I avoid vaccinations with this dog, talk to your vet about a rabies waiver.
They still have occasional flare ups, but nothing severe. Prn Benadryl once in a while (it doesn’t do that much anyway).
Btw: raw made her vomit and caused a bowel obstruction requiring a trip to the emergency vet.
That’s it, locating a knowledgable doctor that practices holistic, NAET &/or homeopathy in my area.
In what way has the Allergen specific immunotherapy helped your pooch, and how long have you been doing this? As well as the age and breed of you pooch please?
I’m curious if you feed raw or kibble?
Thanks for your response!
I tried everything too (times 1 year). The only thing that produced positive results for my dog was going to a veterinary dermatologist, getting intradermal skin testing and starting allergen specific immunotherapy.
Respit is not the same thing, the expertise of the specialist that evaluates and determines the results of the skin testing is crucial.
There is no cheap way out of this. I have posted ad nauseam on this subject, all you have to do is use the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/
There is no cure for allergies, they are complicated and they get worse with age. However, there is effective treatment.
Ps: Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural treatment for environmental allergies.
Stop looking for miracle cures, there are none. If your dog has raw bloody skin and scabs from pruritus, ear infections and such, the regular vet has no choice but to prescribe steroids and such to stop the suffering and risk of infection, temporarily.
Just my experience, hope it helps someone.
I was told labs are a breed w/ lots of allergies. Our almost 4 yr old, male, black lab does have moderately bad environmental allergies (grasses, trees, weeds, dust mites… ) which is no fun for Jazz or us.
I do a fairly good job at managing it, and I have recently gone to one RAW meal per day in hopes to help. What is the worst is the lose of hair under his tail and bottom from bitting. I’m able to remedy for the most part the paws, throat, chin, tummy and ear infections.
I’m looking for success stories for dogs w/ same allergies. I’m seeking a natural cure that will not compromise his health, such as Apolquel, steroids and antibiotics. We did try Respit w/ no success. I’ve also tried a probiotic and enzyme, both w/ rave reviews that did not seem to make a difference. I’ve tried a lot!
Thank you
New to Raw
I’m seeking education from dog owners w/ thriving raw fed dogs.
We have an almost 4yr old male, black lab w/ environmental allergies (all yr around in nor Ca) – Jazz. I recently went raw, one meal (do to cost) – trying Barf World, Lamb to start. And I’m not finding it gross 🙂 Is there a prepared, balanced raw that delivers that is higher quality and ideally lower priced? Eventually I hope to be able to identify a balanced recipe & the ingredients to do it myself.
I’m also looking for wild, sustainably sourced sardines that I can buy in bulk. In hopes to avoid buying canned.
Lastly, supplements (vtms & minerals) that are necessary and have proven healthy benefits for raw feeding. Such as a great sustainably sourced krill oil (not cod), etc.
Thanks for you support!
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This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by
Jazzlover. Reason: grammer
Addendum:
What food did your veterinarian recommend? It doesn’t sound like you are overfeeding him.
You can presoak the kibble in water or plain homemade (nothing added, boiled chicken water)broth. I would say no snacks, except maybe a raw carrot here and there.
How about: https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-fat-dogs-chicken/dp/46804 Only 250 calories per cup!
I hope these articles help: https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/the-skinny-on-pet-diets/
and https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
I would increase the walks, even if they are slow and leisurely.
PS: Brush his teeth once a day, they love chicken flavored toothpaste.
Hi Barbara, stick with the homemade raw diet, change from the carrots to frozen beans you get in supermarket they will thaw, also one day or 2 days a week feed 1 raw meaty bone for breakfast instead of the 1/4 of a cup meal, it can be a chicken leg NO skin, chicken wing, NO skin, chicken bones are soft easy to digest & will clean his teeth & he’s getting a different protein in his diet, also start adding tin sardines in spring water to his diet add about 2 small sardines to 1 of the meals so he’s getting his omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins & minerals for his skin, joints, brain & heart, sardines are very healthy…. watch his coat start to shine after eating sardines or feed tin pink salmon or tuna in spring water drain the water…Replace 3 or all of his breakfasts with the tin salmon instead of the grinded meat, the weight will start to fall off with fish, is his grinded meat very lean, not much fat?? Tuna or Salmon would be more leaner & higher in protein, change the proteins in his diet around a bit, in 1 week he should get at least 3 different proteins in his diet, the bones in the tin salmon are good leave them, just crush them with a spoon if your worried..
It takes time to lose weight, it’s quicker to gain weight but losing weight is hard, do not go back to a kibble, kibbles are very high in carbs unless you see vet & feed the Hills Metabolic + Mobility vegetable tuna stew wet tin food, this vet diet is suppose to be very good & dogs do lose weight..
With his 2 walks a day start walking him at a faster pace, get his heart pumping, at first you start off slow then each week you increase the walk & speed also throw a ball out in the yard or up & down the hallway & have play time once a day, you will get there… if after changing to the tuna sardines & salmon for breakfast instead of the meat & if in 2 months he hasn’t lost any weight see a vet & try the Hills Metabolic + Mobility wet tin food, Hills guarantee your dog will lose weight within 21days from 13% to 60% weight loss… Good Luck oh for a treat or snack, give a few small peeled apple pieces, size of a kibble, you can even add grated apple no seeds or peel in his meals.
Hi Emmygirl,
It’s good you have found a food that works, stick with it for now…Royal Canin vet diets also has their Potato + Venison-PV, Potato + Rabbit-PR, Potato +Salmon-PS & Potato + Kangaroo wet & dry formulas, I don’t know why but my boy seems to do better on Royal Canin vet diets then the Hills vet diets, but we don’t get any of the Hills d/d novel proteins wet & dry formulas they don’t pass our strict quarantine laws to come into Australia & why we get the all the Royal Canine vet formulas is cause the Royal Canine is made in France & passes our strict quarantine laws……
Be VERY careful feeding a raw diet, raw freeze dried or raw air dried diets, Donate the Canine Caviar if kibble bag is open a kibble only stays fresh for 2 weeks google it, the oils go rancid as soon as the oxygen/air hits the kibbles…changing diets can make your dog have another flare & put him back to square one again, your dog needs time to heal his bowel/stomach & be on the Hills d/d for a good 6 months, my vet wanted Patch on a vet diet for 1yr so everything healed….
The only freeze dried raw I give Patch is the K-9Natural or Sunday Pets Green Lipped Mussel treats as a treat after his bath but I just found out as soon as you open these freeze dry foods some have to used within 10 days, they have written it on their packaging now, I didn’t know until the lady in the pet shop told me the other day, maybe that’s why Patch became ill again about 1 month ago it could from the Green Lipped Mussel treats, I was giving him once a week every Thursday….
When your dog is doing REALLY well & off meds have a look at “Zignature” formulas the Kangaroo has the lowest fat & protein % out of all the Zignature formulas, read what the Hills d/d fat, protein% & fiber% is & when your looking for another kibble/wet tin make sure it has Limited Ingredients same as the Hills d/d has & is around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber as the d/d, you can go up a bit for the protein cause you wont find too many normal formulas that low in protein & when the protein & fat is real low that means the carbs are real high….
Thank you for your help! It just so happens that I have a sample can of Raw 4 Paws in my cupboard! I appreciate the information and will try it in the future.
Since I last posted: Our guy has been diagnosed with IBD. He was on months of steroids, rounds of antibiotics and I did try to cook for him. My vet and I worked with the balance it company. Absolutely wonderful people and product! However, for my pup, it just didn’t work.
He had to have copious amounts of protein and cooking and bagging it and adding the supplements was just too much. I was not able to work him up to the proper amount of supplements from balance it. So, I ended up giving him Hills d/d venison and potato.
His health has returned and his bowels are stable. I would prefer to find another good source of food, but for right now this is working. It is an exhausting situation to try to find the right food for him. I am also considering canine caviar. There seem to be a lot of good options through that company too. At his next visit, if blood work is good and he remains healthy until then, I am going to ask my vet to work with me to use Raw 4 Paws and Canine Caviar. Thank so much for sharing your information!
Hi, i have just come across this site. We purchased a very thin gsd 2 year old that we assumed they hadnt fed her. But after us feeding her she had constant very very runny water diarrhea with blood in it, constantly vomitting and rapid weight loss. After vet examinations and a biopsy she had ibd. Extremely sad. Looked everywhere for advice. I see many people are trying there ibd dogs on say potatoe, duck and a 3rd item. My advice is try to do 1 food at a time.
We had no idea what food she was allergic too so we put her on vet dry food bag called anallergenic in the meantime. We did try hypo-allergenic first but immediately had the runs and blood flowed from her for hours.
I now have had her on raw 4 paws dog food, i tried the turkey first (nothing else! no pills from vets or anything) Well my gs is happy healthy full of life and has gained 10kg.I am trying the roo next. What a difference. Then ill try the potatoe duck. Eventually my dog will have several different options to eat.
I know any supermarket food inflames her bowels immediately, chicken, any meat in there is bad.
Raw 4 Paws is a premium quality, natural, complete and healthy raw diet for dogs.
Raw 4 Paws is grain, yeast and dairy free – to minimize allergy tendencies. All ingredients sourced for the production of this amazing product is fit for human consumption, and contains no added preservatives, artifical colours or flavours, chemicals or fillers.
100% Australian – made, sourced and owned.
We love Raw 4 Paws, and are certain you will too.
Just google this and give it a go–im certainly glad i did.
I have a 2 year old English Mastiff that suddenly developed “spots” all over his back, head and face, some scaled (just on back) and some not, dry nose (use nose butter). No itching, no crying, doesn’t seem phased by it. I originally gave him benedryl thinking he may have been bit by something. That didn’t phase the “spots.” I took him to the vet, they said allergies. He’s on prednisone and an antibiotic for an ear infection. I’m assuming it’s his food, but we feed him Fromm and have for the majority of his life. We also have 4 other dogs and we are the nasty free feeding kind (please do not judge, when we did timed feeding 3 out of the 4 gorged themselves and free feeding they don’t). My question is the vet said let him get off his pills and if the spots continue, change foods. We’ve done the grain-free and he had the runs, so swapped him. Now, he doesn’t want his food, only milkbones and peanut butter milkbones. I am in search of a recommendation on how I know if this allergy is his food or just outside allergies (pollen). He does also eat raw chicken and pork (usually chicken) on occasion.
I know this post is a few years old but I wanted to add my experience. As we all search for answers, maybe a pattern will emerge! I have an 12 year old wheaten who has had seizures for the past 18 months. We have been giving her phenobarb with moderate success. She never goes longer than a month without seizures but generally only has one every 3-4 weeks. Mostly, but as the budget allows, she now eats a commercial frozen raw brand with occasional dry as a substitute/supplement or for convenience when we travel. A month ago, I replaced her raw food with a new dry food. After two days on the new food, she had a three days full of seizures every 10-12 hours. Disclaimer-this was two days past her 4 week mark of being seizure free so ONE seizure at this time wasn’t unexpected. I quit that food immediately. But neither the vet nor I really believed it could affect her seizures so much. Fast forward three weeks of continuing on the raw frozen again and no more seizures. I hadn’t thawed out enough for this past Saturday’s complete meal so I supplemented with a SMALL portion of the dry food (yes, the previously mentioned new dry food). Six hours later, she had two seizures within 15 min of each other, then a third two hours later. At this point, I took her to the ER, fearing the speed at which this was escalating. Within four hours, she’d had two more, one of which was violent enough to scare the vet tech. After 5 seizure free hours, they gave her some food -one of the Hills prescription canned-. She had a seizure within an hour. After a few more hours, they fed her. She had a seizure within an hour. After a few more hours, they fed her……She had a seizure within an hour. And yes, this trend wasn’t noticed until the third round, even though I noted it after the First feeding. But that’s another story. So……..I am firmly convinced that yes, food can be a GIANT seizure trigger. Like another reply said, probably not a whole cause (but really, who knows?), but most definitely something that can put them over that seizure threshold. I’m trying to determine why said foods are doing that. The two foods don’t share any main ingredients. The dry food is supposedly a high quality food. However, I’m discovering that pea proteins are fast taking over the “high quality”, grain free world of dog food. And even though meat is the main ingredient, we can’t discount how much of the protein content is coming from sources other than the meat. Dogtor J has a theory on food and seizures I’m interested in. Hindsight being 20/20, I’d also like to add that a couple of months prior to her very first seizure, we’d been trying new dog foods because a)she was suddenly hungrier than she had been….after years of eating the same amount and being satisfied and b) her skin issues were no longer being held at bay. Perhaps our dog food’s formula had changed? It was a chicken/chickpea formula I settled on to aid with her skin flareups. Or maybe that formula didn’t change, but instead her body just couldn’t process it anymore. Or maybe the hunger obsession is indicative of a brain lesion/tumor, although that doesn’t explain the seizures that immediately followed certain meals. My gut tells me her seizures are related to her gut…..not necessarily as easy as eating better food (we haven’t found a magic answer there yet) but even due to some disorder or malfunction that’s keeping her body from processing correctly……but I believe her ongoing interest(read obsession) in food (she’s been known to eat her own poop during some of her hunger phases) is related to the seizure puzzle. For what it’s worth, we’ve returned home and had a few meals of her raw food with no additional seizures.
I just got a puppy and I’m trying the raw diet for his second week with me. So far so good. His stomach has adjusted to the meals and he’s plowing through cut up chicken like a champ. I’ve been feeding him sardines for an omega 3 addition. It’s working well and he handles the bones fine.
I wouldn’t worry about the bones. I’d feed it whole, just due to the fact that it’s less work for you. Your dog should be able to handle it. If you feel uncomfortable with bones then you can stand by and watch.
What veggies? 🙂
InkedMarie- what I mean by batch his I made ground turkey with veggies and sweet potato and before I measured and bagged my batch of food I cracked an egg or two then bagged. I don’t know if I was suppose to do it that way. I put them in the fridge but idk if they will still be good for couple days like that with the raw eggs?
I’d avoid foods with white & sweet potatoes, if you can. I have a yeasty dog and he finally cleared up on raw.
Good luck!
I had a foster dog nearly choke on a rawhide bone. It partially obstructed his airway for close to half an hour and I had to encourage him to keep drinking water until it softened enough for him to swallow it. I will never give rawhide to another dog.
The best chews are ones that are hard enough to provide resistance and help clean the gum line but not so brittle that they splinter or can break into chunks small enough to swallow. Really hard chews, like hard antlers and bones, can break teeth. It is important to keep in mind that not all antlers and bones are the same. Elk antlers tend to be softer than those from deer, and split antlers are softer than whole antlers. Also, fresh sheds are softer and much safer for dogs than older sheds, which tend to be whiter in color and very brittle. These antlers are harder and can splinter, but being lower quality they are generally much cheaper. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the broken teeth that vets see are due to people giving their dogs poor quality antlers.
Softer supportive “bones” like tracheas provide enough texture and hardness for dogs to enjoy chewing on but are not so brittle that they will splinter or break a dogs teeth.
Some people have good luck with Himilayan dog chews. Our dog devoured his in less than half an hour but some people say they last weeks. These do have some flavor, but the odor is mild and non-offensive, and they don’t stain.
Whimzees are an all natural dental chew that fall into the “hard enough to satisfy the need to chew but soft enough to be easily digestible and not break teeth” category. They aren’t inexpensive though, and they last maybe 5 minutes with our dog.
Chew toys made of durable but flexible rubber are wonderful as well. Whether or not your dog likes these (or destroys them) very much depends on your individual dog but we have a Kong that has lasted our dog as well as a Bionic Bone that he loves.
Our dog’s preferred chew toy is his Nylabone. It is hard and durable enough to last and satisfy his chewing needs, but doesn’t splinter and is not so brittle that it breaks teeth.
For us, the toys are a good option because our dog will fixate on scented/flavored chews and go at them until they are no more. The toys are better for playing with and redirecting him, as we are showing him what is appropriate to bite/chew on, but not giving a “treat” reward for nipping behavior.
Omg I have read so many time feeding eggs boiled or raw is very good calcium intake for your dog. I read multiple times putting raw after food is finish is good for them. So idk why but after the whole batch before I measure and bag I added raw eggs and shells mixed and bagged. Now I am finished and stated to think idk if I was suppose to do it like that. Idk if the whole batch that I made will be good in the fridge and 4 in the freezer will still be ok for her. Now I’m worried. Is that ok or need to throw out the batch 🙁
I feed her once in the am and once in the pm with kibble and the stuff I make as a little topper.
Has your dog had blood drawn for an allergy panel? We had problems and found out our dog was allergic to several things and we’re feeding Fromm Chicken a la veg
I used to stick a pin in the fish oil capsule and it would squirt on the wall and end up in my hair, lol.
Have been giving the fish oil capsule whole for a few years now, the capsule is usually made of a gelatin substance that is easily digestable.
Check with you vet, I could be wrong.
I wouldn’t give egg shells or any other raw foods, due to the risk of salmonella and such, just my opinion.
Tucker’s Raw, Fresh is Best and Stella and Chewy’s have recipes without fish/oil.
Is anyone aware of a commercially available raw, freeze-dried, or dehydrated dog food that does not contain fish oil? I’m trying to transition one of my dogs to a commercial diet that doesn’t contain synthetic vitamins and minerals. My other dog is doing great on Nature’s Logic kibble but unfortunately, all of their formulas include either fish meal or fish oil or both. From the research I’ve done, it seems like every commercially available raw/freeze-dried/dehydrated food contains fish oil.
Maybe the sardines didn’t agree with him. They are high in sodium.
For a low calorie snack I give my dogs 1/2 of a raw carrot here and there.
If you try this, don’t be alarmed if you see orange carrot chunks in their feces, they don’t really digest them but it doesn’t hurt them, it’s all fiber.
PS: Also, make sure the dog chews the carrot, some dogs try to swallow them whole (choking hazard), in that case, maybe chopping them up would be better.
I have 5 dogs and am preparing to move to a raw diet. I think that I have the formula down with meaty bones, muscle meats, organs and fruits and veggies. My dogs are 33lbs, 26lbs, 17 lbs , 11lbs and 6lbs. I understand that I will need to use 3 percent of body weight for determining amount of food. Can someone tell me roughly how much of each to buy to last 2 weeks for these dogs and the amounts of each?
Another concern is my smallest dog only has about 18 teeth and she is tiny, what are safe meaty bones for her?
Actually, I believe Dr Morgan didn’t formulate the food originally. She did find out about it and decided to work with the owners to tweak the foods so they would be single protein only versus Turkey and Pork, for example. Also, she did help formulate the gently cooked because she had dogs that needed cooked food rather than raw. I’ve used Allprovide and love it, as do my 4 dogs.
I also use All Provide dog food at the recommendation of Dr Judy Morgan. I have one problem with you post. You said you told Dr Morgan about it and she looked it up. Dr Judy Morgan helped formulate this food and that’s why her picture is on the back of the crumbles and raw food so I don’t know why she would look up their website and study it.
Hare Today, Reel Raw, Raw Feeding Miami & others are just meat, no veggies.
Also, I noticed my dogs frozen raw chicken has a lot of kale , presumably raw, so to be safe I’m going to look for a raw chicken dog food with no kale or related vegetable (e.g. Cabbage)
Eating raw kale and other similar vegetables (cruciferous?) is known to block absorption of iodine, I believe, potentially injuring the thyroid.
Eliza..It’s not the raw kale..there is no thyroid tissue in kale..Kale is a vegetable…Thyroid tissue can still be attached to necks or gullets if it is not trimmed off properly. And by feeding raw it is still active…That’s why using human grade raw meats insures more quality control.
What if it’s the raw kale, not raw thyroid causing hypothyroidism in dogs?
Hi Krista:
I don’t read this as a repeated question. Other forum questions “So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy?”, this forum question “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?”
So, back to this forum question, “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?” For balanced toppers I feed canned and frozen/dehydrated raw. Most canned recipes I feed are lower in fat on a DMB than an average kibble containing a GA of 16% fat. For unbalanced toppers I feed sardines, eggs, lean meats, and I also use the download c4c wrote about for other fresh food options altering amounts suggested a bit in order to keep meals balanced.
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK
I follow the rule of adding no more than 10% of daily caloric intake of unbalanced foods to meals. I use this site to figure out calories for my unbalanced toppers:
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/
“Treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake. The majority (90% or greater) of the calories should come from a complete and balanced food…” ~ UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. More on this topic:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/Treats_guidelines.pdf
Good luck!
Thank you SO much!!! 🙂 It was so odd last year,i forgot to look at the date on the calendar for the Frontline,my one dog came in & had a tick crawling on her,which i got,sure enough,it was 3 days past the 30 days to apply,i’d hate to think it will harm my dogs,because i know it works so well.
Hi, I had a very similar question as well! I contacted Chewy and it is their own branded food but I forgot to ask where they manufacture but I would guess somewhere in the south/FL where they’re based. It looks quite healthy and I am considering it for my two dogs.
My dogs rotate between THK revel and raw from Stella & Chewy’s or Primal throughout the year and they do quite well for it. I’ve read a few articles on how rotating diets allows for better nutrient variety and I find it to be a nice way to be more cost effective. DFA has a helpful guide in the FAQ (/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/). Hope that helps!
Hi Cindy,
Kaitlyn here from La Vie en Raw. We are a brand new company here in Colorado and we’re excited that you’re interested in our products! A little about the food. It is all 100% raised the way nature intended. Our farmer has been doing this for over 30 years. He runs a small family farm in upstate New York and is a former K9 police handler, breeder, and trainer. Every single animal is raised and slaughtered specifically for our raw dog food. He does not source out the “good cuts to humans” and leave the scraps for the dogs. He eats, sleeps and breathes this product. All of the products are small-batch and flash frozen after processing to lock in nutrients. They remain that way until you feed your pup.
Everything is organically raised, grass-fed, and free range. The animals are never diseased or rendered, and there are never any hormones, antibiotics, or steroids in any of our products. The only thing added outside of the meat is a mixture of supplements (which is also completely optional). The supplements are things like naturally pressed krill oil, chia seeds, four different probiotics, and more, which make the food complete and balanced. This too, our farmer has been perfecting with a holistic veterinarian for over the last three decades.
This is truly our passion and a labor of love for us. After having fur babies with various digestive issues, we searched extensively for the right raw food. Our desire is to provide dog owners in Colorado with the best food for their pup at fair and affordable prices, and one of our most important tenets as a business is complete transparency about where our food comes from.
I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have via email at [email protected], on Facebook messenger, or at 720-375-1544. We’d also be happy to provide you with a free sample of one of our products so your pup can test it out!
Where do you usually source your beef from? The grocery store or supermarket can be an expensive way to do it sometimes. If you haven’t already, could you talk to a local butcher about saving some quality scraps? Many will, or if you have freezer space, buying in bulk can help tremendously.
If she does well with beef, have you considered substituting beef heart? It’s usually cheaper, VERY high in taurine and a very nutritious additive. It’s considered a muscle meat, not an organ, and while some beef heart is fatty, many are pretty lean. Does she need 90%FF or is this just what you’re able to locate the easiest?
Another option is going right to the source and finding a local farmer that raises beef. You might be able to get scraps and meat for cheaper, especially if you’re able to buy in bulk and store in the freezer.
Another somewhat inexpensive thing to consider would be beef tripe, if you can handle the smell! I’m not sure if it can or should be cooked, but I know fed raw it’s great for digestion and teeth and has a good cal/phos ratio. Some people swear by it and say it’s the perfect food for dogs and (if fed alone) is a complete diet, but I’m not as 100% convinced that they need nothing else. I’m not sure if you’re into that idea or not, but if so it’s something you could definitely consider sourcing as it’s very inexpensive compared to “real” muscle meat!
You could also bulk the meals out with these things (heart or tripe), as well as kidney, liver, or tongue. I can feed tripe, livers, gizzards and all sorts of weird stuff but for some reason beef tongue really grosses me out so I don’t use it 😛
Assuming that she would do well on any “relation” to beef, I wonder if any hunters (or, again, butchers) would be willing to share venison, or if the butcher would have any leftover venison from last season…sometimes hunters have deer processed and then (for some reason) never come to pick the meat up. If she does well on beef, she MIGHT do well on venison, so this might be another option to keep in mind. It would probably be too expensive to purchase on it’s own, but if you can get a freebie…
Hope this is (somewhat) helpful!
http://purinaproclub.com/resource-library/pro-club-updates/hypoglycemia-requires-quick-intervention-in-toy-breeds/
Don’t let it scare you or make you super worried though, I’ve seen it but it’s usually a case of a puppy won’t eat or hasn’t eaten in a long period of time.
If he’s eating canned food, I wouldn’t worry about him drinking a whole lot of water. My dogs are fed raw which contains a lot of water (as does canned food, most of it is 78-81% moisture), and they rarely visit the water bowl. They get good hydration from their food.
Enjoy your puppy!
ZiwiPeak beef (canned pate, not chunky). It’s not raw though.
Has anyone heard of this company.
LA VIE EN RAW
https://lavieenrawco.com/
I am in Colorado, and would like to buy local. They may be new and I just wondered if anyone had tried their products.
Thank you
Celeste…Seriously? Have you not read my posts on
this matter? This has been tested and proven by myself, several vets, and many others. The rosemary contained in these treats causes bile dumping (rosemary is known for causing this, as it is a bile exciter). The excessive amounts of bile “dumped” because of the rosemary, causes fismy yellow vomit & extreme diarrhea (often turning hemorrhagic). Continued ingestion of rosemary frequently results in colitis, dehydration, anorexia, and liver/kidney issues that are the end product of dehydration/anorexia. If your dog is having the symptoms described and it is not eating these treats, I suggest you look at the ingredients of everything it is eating, including all dog food and any human foods (many raw chicken & turkey meats for humans contain rosemary) & the majority of canned & dry dog foods also contain it (including “high end” & grocery store brands).
My puppy will eat Chicken although it’s not his favourite meat and he’d love for anything else he’d rather boiled broccoli than chicken.
Try to give some chicken to him raw? It’s healthy and including the bones (Dogs can digest raw bones but the moment they’re cooked they become hard and dogs stomachs can’t digest the bone once cooked must be raw.)
And raw chicken is good for them their body can withstand salmonella they’re made for that. It’s in their blood.
So try raw chicken, or ground beef, my dog is pickey with his meat unlike most dogs, he loves pork though haha poor piggys.
Try different fruits and vegetables banker dogs love apples mine loves lettuce, boiled broccoli, he doesn’t like peanut butter like most dogs.
Just like a baby learning to eat solids you literally have to try everything that they can et and see what he likes of you wanna give him something to try and you don’t know if it’s good for him or not google it and based on the pros and cons of what you read you really just gotta try.
Go what the vet that has examined them recommends. I would give no snacks except raw carrots (1/4) to chew on once or twice a day. Add water to their kibble. In fact, if you presoak it, it puffs up and they think they are getting more.
I would find a way to increase their activity, more walks around the block, even if leisurely and only for a few minutes at a time.
Swimming is the best activity for burning calories and it’s easy on the joints for seniors.
By any chance, do you have pet health insurance? I ask, because I have heard that if the vet orders aqua therapy (swimming in a heated pool, offered at pet rehab facilities) for weight loss or a medical condition it may be covered. One minute of swimming equals 4 minutes of running.
Many people feed boneless raw; they just add pulped (usually steamed) vegetables and sweet potatoes or pumpkin for fiber. The shells (provided you’re giving the correct amount finely ground) would be good for calcium that would otherwise be present in bones.
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html#cooked
There are guidelines in this article for those who wish to feed a raw diet that does not contain bones. Hope this is helpful!
I have no recent personal experience using Dinovite, but I do know of many owners who have used Dinovite with good results and others who have had their dogs do nothing but refuse it, or throw it back up whenever it was fed. It seems like people either absolutely love it and swear by it, or hate it and swear it’s nothing but a gimmick.
Has your Pug had Dinovite in the past, before starting the yeast starvation diet? What about beef, eggs, and fish (even though you’re feeding fish oil and not the whole fish, it still could be some form of reaction.)
Raw dog food recipes don’t need to be complicated and not all dogs need (nor thrive on) diets that include vegetables, grains, sweet potatoes, and all the “extras” recipes throw in. Some dogs do better with, some without, some it seems to make no difference. Prey model raw is pretty much 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organs (half of this being liver.)
If and when we feed vegetables of any sort, it’s mostly limited to a handful of leftovers (we like ’em steamed, too!) and herbs (parsley, dandelion, etc.)
Raw goats milk is great stuff, but it has to be raw and (very important) from a good, clean source. At 15 years, if it were a case of comfort over cure I would at least consider using the medication as needed but pair it with goats milk or a good probiotic (or perhaps both).
My only issue with using anything long term (especially on a young or young-ish dog) is the potential for the effectiveness of the medication to wear off and needing to go to something stronger, having it work for 4-6 months then needing something even stronger than that, etc. I’ve had that happen before, and it’s kind of a nerve wracking place to be when your dog is getting the maximum dose of something that used to be helpful at a much lower dose, and the maximum dose is no longer working.
Just my personal opinion, of course!
yeah, I was told to stick to this diet till I saw improvements in her skin. The few websites that talk about the Yeast Starvation Diet seemed to suggest you could keep your dog on this diet for awhile… but maybe this is not the case. I have searched and found some good raw dog food recipes that I will implement. I just was not sure how long it takes for a dog to fully transition over to raw and if her throwing up is a part of that or something else.
Thanks for your help.
instead of the metronidazle if you gave raw goats milk it would fix all the bad bacteria in her gut that is making her have runny poop. the med you are giving is killing all the good bacteria and you will have to keep giving it to her and you will have a vicious circle. Goats milk has everything a dog needs to live believe it or not. If you want to give it a try start with about 1/4 of cup. She will have runny poop maybe for about 5 days and then as the goats milk works she will be fine… same for the Great Dane but you need more like start with about a cup
I can’t answer your question but want to mention that that is not a balanced raw diet. You need edible bones and organs. You need more proteins….fine to take some time to make sure the dog does well on a certain protein but father two months, she should be on another protein, at least.
Hello Everyone,
I need some advice! I recently (2months ago) transitioned my 4-year-old pug (Bella) to a raw diet- the “Yeast Starvation Diet” (ground beef, cooked whole eggs, dinovite, and fish oil). She was having major yeast issues- non-stop itching, dark balding spots, little black spots, inflamed ears and feet. At first, she was doing great- she loved the food and her itchy, irritated skin subsided. However, the last few weeks I noticed she has been regurgitating her meal. This happens at least once a day. I am worried and not sure if I need to take her in or if this is normal?
Thank you for any advice!
Erika
