[Jane E]

I always enjoy advice from someone who’s been in dogs for years.I raised Poodles for many years and always used Eukanuba with great results…I’d add tuna packed in oil and some hard boiled eggs when I needed a little something extra when growing show coat. I used calf manna when a bitch was nursing…they never ever lost coat quality. Over time and then changing breed (to Boxers) and discovering that so much of the time the Boxers had “sensitive stomachs” for a myriad of reasons I changed how I fed. I began home cooking,went to grain free dog foods when they first hit the market (I used to meet the Innova distributor in our area in parking lots at night to buy in bulk).I bought Solid Gold dog food by the pallet. I bought a commercial meat grinder and made my own raw food. I joined co-ops to be able to feed more economically. You name it and I have done it. Right now I have 2 dogs in the house ,an older UK import Boxer and a Brussels Griffon rescue and they each eat something different and I just shake my head. I remember when things were not this complicated and much of the time I wonder if they have to be. Your post is making me stop and do a reset. Thank you for that. Could you provide a link for the Dumor product you refer to? I have Googled it and cannot find anything that matches your specific description.May I ask what your Labs typically succumb (COD) to and at what age as a rule? Dumor white 5 lb container with red lid is what I am asking to see a link for.
Thanks again for your years of experience. I agree that genetics play a huge part in health or lack thereof

[Linda H]

I having been taking care of my son’s red nose pit bull that is 10 years old now for about 5 weeks. This poor dog has suffered from skin rash to the point he gets raw and loses his fur. Changing his food helped but I also started giving him extra protein as in meat scraps and raw egg. After doing some research on the Internet – I found a product in the drug store called “Hollywood Beauty” Tea Tree Oil. I highly recommend you try this product – it’s very cheap – antiseptic that will kill fungus and repell bugs also. It’s a product I keep in my medicine cabinet at all times and have recommended to many friends You will see a big improvement in your dog in days and lives having it applied on them obviously giving them great relief

[anonymous]

Has your dog with the “sensitive tummy” been diagnosed by a veterinarian? Has he had an annual exam that included lab work (the best diagnostic tool) to rule out medical issues?
I hope you will consult with a veterinary health care professional before proceeding. If my post offends you, don’t read it, maybe someone else will benefit from it.

BTW: There is no cheap way to do raw that is safe.

Some science based veterinary medicine here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+food

And: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpt below:
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.

[Ashleigh L]

Hi there everyone! So a little background on my dogs. I have a 6 year old black lab who weighs 96 pounds and a 5 month old bernese mountain dog who is about 56 pounds. My lab has had some digestive problems for awhile now. Nothing serious, just a sensitive tummy. I’ve switched his food more times than i can remember trying to find one that he will take to. He finally started to respond well with Eukanuba. My bernese however, seems to have the absolute worst gas with this brand. I’ve always thought a raw diet would be interesting to try but never looked into it any further. After my bernese I decided to do some research. I would like to try it but have some random basic questions that hold me back from taking the plunge. I’m having trouble coming up with a meal plan for them. I get a little overwhelmed trying to put one together and making sure they are getting a balanced meal and im not breaking the bank. We decided to start them on chicken, since it’s cheap and simple. I’ve looked at getting a bunch of leg quarters to start, but then that’s as far as I’ve gotten with the meal planning. Is there anyone who also does this diet on a budget and has advice for me. I want to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need but I need to do it as cheaply as possible or I have to switch back to kibble…which now that i’ve done my research I really don’t want to do. Thanks so much

[samlab]

First let me begin, this website that Mike Sagman has set up is superb. As you read my experience please don’t get caught in minutia of thought..just read this and hopefully this can and will help others. I love dogs, all dogs…cats too. I have been showing and breeding top Labrador Champions for over 30 years. So with to this I will assume that my input will be really about the large breed dogs and yes you may consider all dogs for that matter. I have tried all of these foods. Many work, some results are ok and others well just didn’t go well. Many dog foods since their really are just a few manufacturers, some are private branded under that specific companies ingredients, for their specific brand. I read many posts about this or that, and raw versus X.Y.Z, form of foods. Every time I try to go to the “other side”, well I end up, rather baffled at the terrible results. Therefore, I will let all of you know, grains, corn, etc. are not the cause of your dogs allergy’s, its all about the genetics. It you have a dog that has allergies, its about, the breeding. Same for cancer in dogs, it could be environmental, but less than 1%. It is indeed genetic. The longest lived dogs in the US have been on the following foods, this is research fact direct from the Doctors that did the research: Purina, Science Diet and Eukanuba Brands. To those that profess to Raw diets and rotating foods I will mention frozen or fresh raw foods (frozen still has salmonella once defrosted and eaten) is well your on your own. Rotating foods is not good either as it completely screws up the stomach and intestinal flora in a dogs digestive tract. No your not going to get good advice from the local specialty food store as these people have no idea about the foods they sell. Zero. Every dog is different and you will need to find out what works best for your dog…I will now share what typically works for Large Breeds and especially Labradors Retrievers and many others. But beforehand I will explain. I just went with another brand of puppy food T.O.T.W. over time it did not go well..at five months old and recently the same bag, the last 1.5 weeks, it reared its ugly head. Not Giardia either. I switched that 47lb boy straight onto Eukanuba Puppy Large breed yesterday, problem over best stool in his life so far. As I write this 1X more this morning per wife, that one perfect too. Grain free is not always the best way to go…..its really marketing b.s. and has always been. Even I get lectured by the top show Veterinarians! This is not knocking you or any other brand that works for you…but the finest show stock in the US are all on those three major brands above…blue buffalo duck and potato limited ingredient, grain free may be your best bet for skin allergy issue dogs. Also chopped or baby carrots, blueberry’s, strawberries, cantaloupe and even watermelon are fat free treats that dogs love too. Will add for those following: Especially Labs and watch their weight…for older dogs drop to 28% or then even lower 26%.. the in their prime Eukanuba 30/20 add 1/2 tablespoon each of Nupro Gold Label Supplement/ and then both of each the Silver Label Container for older dogs for arthritis with 1 tablet both meals of Cosequin tablets (250 count Bottles) its the a show/wellbeing secret obviously now for all of you. Also for my older dogs they get Dumor white 5 lb container with red lid a 1/2 teaspoon of MSM at Tractor supply or online (this brand only, measuring cup is inside, use the lower line mark on the measuring cup) some warm water mixed in morning meal only and boom in two weeks your going to be very happy indeed. Also for those that have a dog with surgery the MSM will heal them in two weeks and fur already growing back. The Vet will give you a strange look on the follow up…I assure you they will give you a weird look and be thinking boy this dog heals fast. Then you say its the MSM and he/she will laugh of course and say “I shoulda known”. Then they will know your in touch with the knowing. All the best always to everyone here and I hope this helps anyone that can use this information.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by samlab.

[elaine c]

Hi, All kibble even 5 star is limited as to really good nutrition because it is PROCESSED. I feed Answers Pet Food ( look it up on the advisor and you will see there are NO red words).
It is raw, easy to feed and amazing. My dogs love it so much they carry their bowls around with them after they eat!!

[Oliver V]

Hi everyone! I’d appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.

I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix that’s 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchen’s beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.

Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?

Thanks in advance!

[Oliver V]

Hi everyone! I’d appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.

I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix that’s 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchen’s beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.

Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?

Thanks in advance!

[elaine c]

I have a pittie that would not tolerate kibble ( and the more I know about any kibble the more I understand why). Lucy was vomiting blood and had blood in stooles. She also had very bad gas. I talked to dog nutritionists and they recommended Answers Pet food. It is raw and Lucy improved right away. No more gas, no more blood and she is thriving. Check it out answerspetfood.com I now have both my dogs on this and would never go back to any kind of kibble or canned food.

[FrankiesDoggie]

Hi all,

I’ve been searching the forums for info on how we can calculate the ratio of dry to wet food (or other mixers) for those who like to mix it up. I want to make sure I can calculate correctly so the meals remain complete/balanced without adding too many calories. Do people just rely on the caloric number to determine the ratio, or do you calculate other percentages as well?

I looked online for a calculator online that can do this and only found one by Merrick. They have a very clever calculator that can help you figure out the proper ratios of their dry/wet/mixers in order to ensure a balanced meal. BUT, given they’re owned by Purina now (AFAIK), I’m unlikely to use their dog food any time soon. I would likely use Acana for dry food and whatever 5 star brand for wet (and 5 star brand for raw mixers), so there’s no doubt I’ll be using various brands to put a proper diet together.

P.S. I read the editor’s quick suggestion on how he adds 1/4 of a can of a singular meat wet food to dry food, but didn’t indicate how much he reduces dry food to compensate for calories, or if he does that at all.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

[simmy]

I usually prepare my own raw dog food, but sometimes it’s more convenient to go with a commercial raw. I also use it as a topper when I don’t want to deal with all raw meat mess. Anyway, this is the brand I’ve been using for the last couple of years. They were frozen but changed to freeze-dried raw. I got an email today that they are doing a Kickstarter campaign to celebrate their re-branding and they have good deals on Kickstarter with free shipping. Only caveat is they will ship products once they receive their bags in April or May. Anyway, I like their products and mission. So I wanted to share it here so you can check it out.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2041805440/bring-purpose-to-your-pets-diet-with-freeze-dried<a/&gt;

[Mike Sagman]

Stan C,

Thanks for your suggestion. Like every nomination we get here and by way of our special “Suggest a Dog Food” form found in the footer of every page on this website, we consider every suggestion that QUALIFIES for our ultra-select Editor’s Choice recommendation.

In addition, the company must also (at the very least) meet our minimal requirements to be reviewed on our website.

Please check the 2 links I have included in this particular comment. And you should be able to see why the brand you suggested doesn’t meet minimal criteria to even be reviewed on our website.

For example, we’re unable to find a single food product anywhere on the Soul’y website that shares critical and standardized FDA-compliant label information. Most notably, there appear to be no Statements of Nutritional Adequacy Statements. And no other assurances from the company that any of these foods are “complete and balanced” for a specific AAFCO nutrient profile.

By the way, in general, raw dog foods are notorious for not providing full and complete FDA compliant label information — or making any effort to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles. In fact, many of these foods are simply not complete and balanced.

In addition, like many other raw dog foods, the Soul’y products have only limited regional distribution. So, they would only be available to very few of our readers and members.

Lastly, because we receive more than 100 review suggestions in an average week, our small team does not allow us enough resources to reply to every recommendation.

With our Editor’s Choice nominations, each suggestion could have its own reasons that it fails to meet our guidelines (as detailed in the links above). With over 1,000 suggestions in this thread alone, it would be impossible for us to provide a detailed reply to each comment we get.

In any case, even though we do not have the resources to provide a detailed response, please be assured we frequently scan these suggestions for new ideas.

Thanks for taking the time to make this suggestion.

[E B]

New food is worse than the old one. Copper content is higher than used to be.. in certain kinds. I switched to Singles Makrele (has lowest copper content) but starting sometime in September all the food is coming with tons of oil in it. when you get to the bottom of the bag – there is an oily soup there. When you open a bag it looks like somebody dumped a bottle of oil in there … i see two issues here: first- this is not healthy, second since the food is expensive and you are buying 50lb bag of food- with so much oil in it it just means that there actually is less food than 50 lb. seems like a cheap trick to increase weight but give you less food. It maybe not so noticeable if you look just at one bag but count how many bags are being produced = big savings.. not for customers though. Unless someone will be able to explain why this new great food is drenched in oil and convince me it is super healthy for anybody. I got bags exchanged for Canadian production.. unfortunately there is no more left. Very Disappointing.. not sure why same formula could not be kept. Tired of paying tons of money and experiment on my dogs by changing their food to see if they have diarrhea from it on not if they start itching or not, then vet bills then another food..
Switched my dobbies to raw diet which is so much better than any kibble and if you can afford to buy expensive kibble – you can afford raw food.

[Acroyali]

I am a raw feeder, so I can’t suggest much in the way of kibble but I have noticed that there have been some tummy-related complaints with Blue Buffalo. This isn’t to say it’s a horrible food, it’s just that some dogs seem unable to utilize it as they should.
I know that Wellness has a very limited ingredient line (4-5 ingredients only) that can be of a big help when it comes to food intolerances. (I believe most of the line includes novel protein sources like duck, etc.)
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3#Simple Dry Limited Ingredient Diets Dog Recipes
I don’t believe it’s formulated for seniors, but it’s just my (personal) opinion that senior diets are kind of gimmicky unless there’s a serious medical reason that specifies a low(er) protein diet.
Fromm is an excellent company that, if I fed kibble, I would feel 100% comfortable feeding. They have a beef formula, no chicken.
https://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#beef-frittata-veg

Also, it might be worth checking into giving this dog some probiotics and/or digestive enzymes to help digestion. The metronydozale is a helpful drug in this instance and can stop the problem in it’s tracks, but re-feeding her gut with beneficial bacteria might help even out the occurrences of diarrhea. Both probiotics and D.E’s can be VERY helpful when transitioning a dog with a sensitive gut over to a new food, too, so that might be something to consider.

I don’t know if you’ve ever given her pumpkin, but many people swear by it to help with chronic diarrhea and firming the stools.
Hope this is helpful.

[elaine c]

the best food by far is Answers Pet food google it. It has bone and organs meats in it as it should. It is easy to give because it is in a tube of “paper” not plastic! and you just cut off what you need. It also comes with other liquids you can buy! you are right raw food will keep your dogs teeth good!!!

[elaine c]

the best food for her would be Answers Pet food. Check it out on their web site it is miraculous. It is raw it will sooth your dogs tummy.

[Jane E]

Sure wish Answers was more affordable…it is by far the highest quality raw food I know…I couldn’t agree more

[elaine c]

Hi, don’t feed Merrick it was bought by purina and they are already messing up what once was respectable. The BEST food you can buy for your dogs, bar none, what I feed, is Answers Pet food. go to the web site and look it up. It is miraculous and I do not use that word lightly. I have always bought what I considered the best for my guys, I am a pro trainer. I have two rescue pits. Since my other pro friends have turned me on to this stuff my dogs have not looked back. For example my female, Lucy throw up and pooped blood, I started on this stuff and WOW what a difference! Also she had terrible terrible gas. there is no gas now. Now I understand that gas means that the gut is not digesting the food well. I could go on and on! I advise all my clients and I will do the same for you . this is REAL food. processed food can not be good. No kibble can really be good. canned food is cooked in the cans and it leaches metal.. buy raw buy this raw. And the dog love it. My make, CLEVe carries his bowl around with him after he eats it now!!

1

[pitlove]

If a dental has already been suggested it is likely that beginning stages of dental disease are starting to set in and the vet is trying to be proactive, not greedy. Now if there are no signs of early stages of dental disease then a combination of brushing and other oral hygiene methods can be started to prevent.

Do not forget there is still high risk in feeding raw bones, especially to a large breed if she is an aggressive chewer. Perforated intestines and esophagus would be my first concern.

[LovelyBear]

Hi pitluv! I agree it is important to clean your dogs teeth and everything. My thought process is set on prevention. I’d rather feed my dog raw and have the good bones clean her teeth and not spend over $300 on getting her teeth cleaned. But trust me if anything happened and it was completely necessary for my girl to get work done i’d spend the money!

Hello Susan! Thank you for your input 🙂 I wouldn’t deprive her of meat either. I just shake my head when I see or hear of people feeding their dogs vegan. I won’t force my views on her, when she is designed to consume meat. But I am reading every website I can and educating myself on feeding raw before I begin. I do rotate kibbles and stay within a brand. She has eaten every flavor of TOTW and is currently on the Pacific Stream. A few months ago she was on the Southwest Canyon one and got a weird rash on her cheek. I think that is the only one with Beef in it and that was the first time feeding to her, so she might be allergic to beef. But i’m not 100% sure that was the cause. I won’t 100% know till I feed her raw beef. These past 2 weeks I have given her bully sticks from beef and she is doing okay though. They cleaned her teeth pretty good. It’s crazy how expensive it can get to clean some teeth when a proper raw bone will do the trick!

Thank for the advice on boarding kennels. The vet office we take her to has a boarding facility and I hope my vet will be okay with my girl being raw. I don’t want to board her and they undermine me and feed her kibble while she is there. I find out haha!

[Susan]

Hi, I’m not much of a meat eater, I can’t stand the smell & all the blood with red raw meat, I eat white meat like fish & chicken only & I make Patch lean pork or beef rissoles, I would never deprive my Patch from eating meat, a dogs digestive tract is short & made to digest a raw diet where our digestive tract is long & heaps bigger & can handle all the grains, carbs etc in our diet…..
I live Australia & most people feed their pets raw kangaroo mince, raw off cuts added with their dogs kibble as well as raw meaty bones for their teeth, chicken bone is the softest bone & easy to digest…or they added the Pre-made Big Dog Raw formulas or the Dr’s B Barf Pre-made raw formulas or some pet shops make their own pre-made raw meals you just thaw & put in her bowl + kibble….
Cause your girl has never eaten a raw diet & is 7yrs old maybe look at the pre-made formulas that have leaner meats & are lower in fat around 3-4% in fat that’s around 11%-16% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble) same amount of fat she’s eating at the moment 15% fat…Wet tin food when you see 5%min fat on wet tin can 5%min is around 20-25% fat when converted to dry matter & was a kibble ….Some people say not to feed kibble & raw together as they digest at a different rate but everyone I’ve spoken with at the dog park & when Patch was going to his behavior training school seem to all mix kibble with the raw diet & have no digestive problems feeding kibble + raw meat to their dogs….I suppose it depends on the dogs……
I ended up contacting a animal Naturopath when I put Patch on a raw fresh home made diet cause of his IBD & skin allergies, he was 6yrs old, we started with lean human grade kangaroo mince, not pet shop kangaroo mince added 1-2 spoons of blended raw veggies broccoli, carrot, celery & apple + 1/2 teaspoon probiotic +1/4 teaspoon DigestaVite plus powder to balance the meal cause it had no bone or any organ meat in the beginning cause of his IBD, I didn’t want him to get diarrhea, then I noticed about 1 hour after eating his breakfast he was regurgitating water + digested raw up into his mouth after burping causing acid reflux, so we stopped the blended veggies but he still was burping up water, I had to give him some of his regular kibble to wash the acid reflux back down his throat & he seemed heaps better…… cause of Patches IBD bad acid reflux the raw diet didn’t work for my Patch but my kitten/cat 11months old is feed a pre-made cat raw diet + kibble in separate bowl + 1/2 a chicken wing 3 times a week, if I don’t give her any kibble she pinches Patches Taste Of The Wild kibble….
Do you rotate your kibbles? try the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has the same fat & Protein% as the TOTW Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon & their mouth doesn’t smell of fish after eating the Roasted Lamb & Patch seems to prefer the Roasted Lamb….

It will all depend on the boarding kennel if they will feed your dog a raw diet normally most boarding kennels just say bring all ur raw pre made & made up in daily sections etc or just before she goes to boarding kennel put her back on her kibble 1-2 weeks before she’s due to go to the boarding kennels & just pack enough frozen raw meaty bones to be given 2 to 3 times a week, I’m pretty sure the Boarding kennel will thaw & give the raw meaty bone …
My boy was biting the raw bone a few bites then gulping the whole raw meaty bone & swallowing big pieces of bone, when I first rescued him, that’s when someone told me chicken frames are the best to feed, the bone in the chicken frame is very soft & flexible & cleans their teeth, so if she is a gulper & swallows any big pieces of bone in the beginning maybe try the chicken frames from supermarket, they digest easier, I use to feed chicken necks but my vet said to stop feeding the chicken necks as they have very sharp pieces of bone & are full of fat, with no meat. In Australia our supermarkets sell chicken necks, chicken frames & brisket bones also turkey legs are nice & big just remove the inner sharp bone…your dogs teeth will clean right up after eating meaty raw bones, my last cat had heaps of tarter on his teeth & to clean his teeth was going to cost $450 to clean & remove any teeth if needed was an extra $50 per tooth, the vet said start giving him a chicken wing for breakfast & his teeth cleaned up….

[Acroyali]

Lori, check out
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html
This website helped me tremendously when one of my guys had diarrhea on commercial foods, but got constipated on raw (even boneless). Home cooked seemed to be the middle ground and he’s done phenomenally for over a year.
Cooked is more supplement heavy than raw, and I’ll say that raw is easier any day of the week but for health problems in the pet, or concern on the owners part about feeding raw meat, it’s an excellent middle ground provided it’s done correctly.
Hope this website helps you as much as it did me!

[LovelyBear]

I personally do not consume any animal products for my own health problems. But I feel in a way forced to feed my dog a vegan diet because other vegans will criticize. But I feed my dog Taste of The Wild Salmon and she is extremely healthy and I know she will do even better eating raw. Eating kibble (junk food) gives her terrible gas, bad breath and her teeth look terrible. I hate how vets always push getting dental cleaning and not letting your dog chew on what they are designed to chew on. To get money. I mean dogs who eat raw have amazing teeth. I don’t want to be a hypocrite, but there will always be dogs and they need meat to live. It would be more inhumane to give away my dog who I will do anything for. I feel awkward going into a butcher shop or meat department lol!

Would you think badly of a “vegan” who feeds their dog meat? I mean most of the animal i’d feed her are going to the trash anyways (besides the muscle meat). So technically I personally wouldn’t be supporting the industry 😉

Also when feeding raw do you think organic meat vs non organic matters? Because if it is best to feed organic i’ll have to wait to feed my girl raw, so I can afford it. If it doesn’t matter I can start soon.

And lastly my girl is a 7 year old Rottie. She still plays and runs around like a puppy. Everyone complements her on how young she looks. Will raw get her teeth back to being pearly white?

I know this is long. lol! I have many thought circling through my mind and needed a place to release some of them.

Edit: What do you do about feeding your dog raw and keeping them at a boarding kennel? About once or twice a year my family takes trips and my girl stays at a boarding kennel. I usually bring a huge ziplock back of kibble, but if I switch her to raw i’m not sure on what to do.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by LovelyBear.

[Lori E]

Hi Logan W,

I’m just starting the process of making great food for my dog and doing some research about vitamins and minerals. I found a couple of websites about RDA for dogs and i’m wondering if you think these are ok as guidelines. I am cooking the food, not feeding raw meats. The second website is university based research.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-diets-for-dogs-getting-enough-vitamins-and-minerals/

http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf

[elaine c]

I use Answers Pet Food. It is raw ans fermented… It is fabulous for the dogs.. the company is so picky that they don’t even rap the rap meat in plastic! It is rapped in paper!! Check it out!!

[elaine c]

Kibble HAS TO ADD vitamins because everything is cooked and processed out of it! Then they add sythetic vitamins and research has shown that long term this is not good for dogs. Persoanlly I use ANSWERS PET FOOD. Will never use anything else. it comes in three meats, it is raw, fermented and outstanding. Take a look at it!

[elaine c]

diarrhea could mean that the bacteria in his gut is messed up you have to go easy and slow with a puppy especially. I have used Horiaon Legacy and it was good. However I have switched FOREVER to Answers Pet food… It is raw, fermented. The problem with kibble is that all the good stuff is cooked out of it at a high temp and them synthetic vitamins are put in , long term the synthetic vitamins, according to the nutritional scientists is that it is not good. Try Answers you will love it and your dog will THRIVE on it!

[amanda p]

My dog likes it but not Im trying to figure out the fat to protein ration. The label is hard to understand. I know Dr Mike says Raw food companies don’t always get this right and to much fat could cause skeleton issues later in life. My 1yr adopted pitty already has a swing in her walk and slightly bull-legged. Just wondering if there anyone has really analyzed it.

[pugmomsandy]

Search for a local raw-feeding Facebook group or Yahoo group. Members usually have recommendations on suppliers and may even get together for bulk buys.

[Kari C]

I am wanting to start my dogs on raw after a lot of research. I am on the central coast and can’t seem to find any local or online bulk sellers of meat.

It doesn’t have to be labeled for dogs but our butchers are wanting $5 a pound for these typical “throw away” meats.

I found some awesome online suppliers but shipping alone was over $100 per 50 pounds which makes it not very affordable anymore.

Also no Mexican or Asian markets anywhere near me.

Feeling defeated 😕

Would love any advice !

[ievent2]

Hi all,
I own a 4 1/2 year old, neutered, mix breed (lab/border collie possibly?), who is overweight, at 75 pounds. We currently feed Wellness Core Reduced Fat grain-free food; he receives 0.75 cups twice daily (a total 1.5 cups daily). I used the calculator online, and it recommends that he receive 2.6 cups daily… this seems like a lot of food! We feed green beans or carrots (raw) as treats/snacks, and occasionally receives 2-4 medium-size milk bone biscuits daily.

Looking for recommendations as our vet says he’s “too fat”, and wants to do a prescription food/diet, however, he is very finicky and does best on a grain-free diet (vomiting/diarrhea on grains or rich foods). When we reduce his food any lower, he is constantly bugging us (bring food dish, banging food dish, or sitting by us and whimpering), letting us know that he’s hungry.

Thoughts/suggestions?

[HoundMusic]

For what it’s worth, I would advise against rotating foods with a puppy. The reason being they need a very precisely balanced calcium:phosphorous ratio, and rotation might throw that out of whack. For instance, if food B has higher levels than food A, and causes a rapid growth spurt. The only reason to switch a pup is if there is some problem caused by the food, otherwise, consistency is key.

BTW, be very careful about feeding raw fish.

[Amanda D]

I don’t have a dog get, but I am getting a Mini Assie puppy in the summer who I plan on feeding higher quality foods. I had settled on either Fromms Gold Puppy or Castor & Pollux Organix Puppy. I also plan on doing raw eggs, chicken and fish. Can I rotate puppy foods or is it not advisable on young dummies?

[Acroyali]

https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/cardiovascular-diet/

https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/heart-healthy-diet/

Also, it might be worth checking with your vet about making sure his potassium isn’t being depleted by his medications. Ask to have his levels checked if you haven’t already. (This isn’t to say the medications are bad–heart disease is nothing to sneeze at and medications can, and are, life savers and life-extenders and helps give the dogs much better quality of life.)

When I had a dog with heart disease, he fainted once and it scared me badly. I’d never seen a dog faint like that but he came to in a few moments and seemed unshaken. My vet highly recommended adding fish or salmon oil and vitamin E for heart support (I use wholistic pet organics brand, as it contains both!) I also added COQ10 (liquid).

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/06/02/the-silent-pet-killer-that-you-can-now-avoid.aspx

While it’s not applicable for every person and every dog, I did opt to feed my dog a raw diet. For a time, he went “off” his raw food so I fed him cooked and canned and he gobbled it up. He was around Gizmo’s age; while I feel raw is best if a dog who (formerly) ate a certain diet for years and enjoyed it then abruptly stops, there’s a reason. The goal was to keep food in him so we fed him what he wanted. During the time(s) he was happily eating raw, we fed him a lot of pastured beef, chicken, and turkey hearts for the naturally occurring taurine (crucial for heart function, and I feel food sources are better than synthetic but that’s simply my preference.)

One other thing. If you live in a cold weather climate, or live somewhere where you experience very cold months out of the year, keep Gizmo inside at all times unless you take him out to potty. My dog had a horrible fainting episode when I took him out to pee when it was extremely cold (sub-zero; we were outside for less than 30 seconds when it happened.)

I know, emotionally, it’s difficult for you. I hope some of the links and suggestions help. I wish you the very best of luck.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Acroyali.

[Acroyali]

Jessica, have you thought about using one of their meatless pre-mixes and adding protein (cooked or raw) on your own? It’s not for everyone but I know of a few people who do this and love it. They can feed “real” food without having to worry about all the balancing (and time prep if you’re going for cooked.)
One girl I know who feeds this way also keeps a few cans of wellness (the 95% meat variety) to add to the premix if and when she forgets to buy or thaw or cook meat. It’s a nice middle ground for those who want to do a home prepared diet but are unable to at the moment.

[crazy4cats]

I mix toppers in all of my dogs’ meals. It is very important that you decrease the amount of kibble you are feeding when you do this. I actually compute the calories of the toppers and decrease their kibble by the same amount of calories.

Mine get a little canned food in their kibble every morning meal. Usually a canned stew as they are usually lower in calories and easy to mix in their food. I mostly feed the canned Nature’s Domain turkey and pea stew sold at Costco. Also have fed some Wellness and 4Health stews.

For the evening meals, I rotate between an egg, tripe, commercial raw and/or sardines for their meal mixers. The canned foods are mostly complete and balanced, but the evening toppers are not and must be at less than at least 25% of their diet.

Good luck to you!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by crazy4cats.

[Annie R]

Hello,
Has anyone used raw goats milk with success to treat your dog’s tear stains?

[Ruby F]

http://Www.healthextension.Com
I don’t believe there is any flax or pea proteins in any of their kibbles. I know there is no pp. That can cause long term permanent intestinal damage. This company is family owned since 1969. Never been recalled. All U.S.A. sourced. Made in NY. Warehouse not even open weekends, so order beginning of the week. Free shipping over $99.00 & the original formula is chicken based @ $60 per 40 lbs bag.
They have small bites, & several other formulas.

Anyway check it out. If you order there use promo code emf and you will get 20% your first order. I raise boxers & they do pretty well on this. I prefer raw, however I lost my sources when I moved… sigh.

Flax decreases fertility. Our average litter is about 8-9… our smallest ever is 6. Fertility is going to be strongly connected to diet & overall health.

Good luck!!

[Acroyali]

Melanie:
If the Kangaroo diet was helping, is there any way you could get another novel protein source that your dog has not had (venison, rabbit, etc?) There are some dry and canned varieties on the market that might fit the bill, as well as some pre-made raw diets (many raw food suppliers have exotic proteins–my cats vote for Hare Today’s rabbit chunks.)

One of my dogs had seasonal allergies completely unrelated to food. We did the testing route, and while identifying at least some of his triggers certainly helped it wasn’t a cure all. For awhile we did allergy shots and prednisone. It lasted 4-5 days and he’d be miserable for the rest of the month. As he got a little older, we worked for a few years with a wonderful vet on building a healthy immune system any way we could. We added a few things (mostly in the form of probiotics and other nutritional supplements, as well as medicated baths, etc). More importantly (I feel) is that we subtracted things that we suspected could possibly be linked. We gave him only clean, filtered water. We stopped using fabric softener (that helped tremendously!), and stopped giving annual booster vaccines (he was older, even our allopathic vet agreed with us on this) and stopped using flea prevention on him (as it seemed to be doing no good anyway). We let his immune system rest as much as we could. I can’t say it “fixed” him and I can’t put my finger on the one thing we did that did the most to help, but it seemed that the combination of factors helped him build an immune system that knew what it was doing. He had occasional break-outs, but I’d say he was 85-90% better. Just my personal experiences of course. I wish you luck with your little dog.

[InkedMarie]

Anon is correct: pick it up as soon as they go.

I’ve had my share of poop eaters and nothing I’ve tried works: the supplements, sprinkles etc. They eat raw and i know if given the chance, a couple would eat if they could.

[steve johnson]

My rescue dog Barney was throwing up in the mornings and I took him to the vet a bunch of times. We tried the prescription diets they recommended but it didn’t help. In our case, I think it was the dry kibble causing the problem–it was a good brand Orijen, but maybe it didn’t agree with him. I was reading about acid reflux on this site http://www.askariel.com/dog_cat_acid_reflux_treatment_a/277.htm and I switched him to a raw frozen diet. We ordered the Gastro ULC and Power Probiotic and followed the diet suggestion that the nutritionist gave us. Barney is eating Primal raw frozen rabbit with some Natural Balance canned fish/sweet potato. The vitamins did seem to help. He still has an occasional bad day, but nothing like before.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by steve johnson.

[just_dogs02]

I have two dogs, a year-old lab and a poodle puppy. Several months ago, my lab started eating her poop. I’ve used Forbid, pumpkin, pineapple, and even “Yuk” pills to no avail. She eats very good food (Fromm’s large breed currently, but she’s also eaten Blue Buffalo Large Breed). And the only snacks I feed her a carrots.

I’m not thrilled about feeding her a raw diet, but would if that was the best thing to stop the habit. Thus far, the only thing that works is picking up her poop immediately and giving her a carrot (treat).

I’m thinking about going grain free and high protein. Any suggestions? She’s a fifty-five pound lab in excellent shape. (She doesn’t need to loose weight.)

And what are the “digestive enzymes” I’m seeing listed in this thread. Do you mean something like probiotics?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

jazz

[elaine c]

Personally, I feed Answers Pet Food. It is raw and so different because it is all fermented and there in lies the difference. the protein to fat to very low carbs are great. check it out answerspetfood.com

[anonymous]

Another interesting use of the Search Engine, if you put in the topic of the post you would like to read, even the Members Only posts come up, example: /forums/search/Primal+Frozen+Raw+Food/

[Bralic H]

So we got a Christmas puppy for my daughter, a German Shepard/Yukon wolf/Black lab(we think) mix. We started her on Hi-Tek Naturals Just for Puppies, but they only come in 12lb bags so I am buying them out of sync with my Chewy.com auto-ship of my older dog, Wrex(Great Dane/St.Bernard/Black lab) and cat. Xena the puppy is almost 4 months old, and I was thinking of putting her on Wrex’s food, Hi-Tek Naturals Lamb Meal which has 1% more crude protein(31% vs 30%) and 2% less crude fat(15% vs 17%). Do we think this would be ok? Currently Xena eats about 2 3/4-3 cups a day and Wrex eats about 5+a raw egg for dinner.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Bralic H. Reason: Grammar

[Ryan D]

I’ve been giving Primal Raw to my little one for a couple of years now. I just recently noticed that although Primal Frozen Raw Food as a whole gets a 5 star and is enthusiastically recommended, the chicken, beef, and lamb only get 2.5 stars. My baby love the stuff, and has done so well on it I’m not going to change unless necessary. But I’m just curious why the 2.5 stars. Anyone have an explanation or thoughts on this. Thanks

[Gerritt A]

I joined looking for some advice on senior dog foods. Our senior is about 12 – 13 years young and is a 14 lbs poodle/bichon mix – or something thereabouts. She is used to walking 3 – 5 miles per day and is out in front, not being pulled along so she seems to be enjoying it. She was eating a dry Wellness adult dry and wet mixture. Vet suggested she get on a senior diet and we did this about six months ago – again Wellness. Since then she has had two UTI’s. Urine pH was 8.5 on the current one. Vet was concerned that we were perhaps not getting a good urine sample so we had some draw from he bladder and it was consistent with the “caught” urine. Also had her bladder ultrasound to check for stones or a tumor. Nothing (good news!) Granted this is my first day of looking around on the site but i see nothing specific about selecting a senior food. Did I miss it?

[anonymous]

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.

Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.

Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.

A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.2

[anonymous]

Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.

A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.

Excerpt from http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/faqs-about-house-dust-mite-and-storage-mite-allergies?id=&pageID=1&sk=&date=

[anonymous]

Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.

A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.
Above is an excerpt from: http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/faqs-about-house-dust-mite-and-storage-mite-allergies?id=&pageID=1&sk=&date=