[elaine a]

Looking for a high protein, grain free (can be raw) food for my diabetic maltipoo. My vet put here on Hills W/D and now she’s itching, scratching and biting herself. My other maltese has turned “red” since she insists on eating the same food. Any suggestions please. (I assume because she is diabetic, she needs high protein – so I’ve been told)

Elaine

[Cannoli]

I believe in a rotational diet this is what I feed my dog below on a weekly basis I aim to balance on a weekly basis when it comes to the nutrition components:

High end kibble 3 meals a week- Origen. Usually chicken flavor since I don’t feed raw poultry.

The rest of the days for the week I feed as follows:

Since my dog is 60lbs I feed 2lbs a day with 80% meat 15-20% bone and 5 % organ of the follows:

Raw hormone free grass fed bison- from grocery store or fom Real Raw Dog food online
Raw or lightly cooked hormone free Venison- from Hare today Gone tomorrow
raw or lightly cooked hormone free elk from haretoday gone tomorrow
Raw or lightly cooked hormone free organic beef- fom grocery stor
Grass fed hormone liver, kidneys, and thymus from grocery store- every meat meal
On weekends he gets 2 meals of fish. Fresh caught whole sardines, or fresh caught salmon with skin, or whole Mackeral. Always cooked and these fish have the highest concentrations of omegas 3. I never use fish pills. Fish pills are crap
Green tripe from real raw once a week

for each meat meal I rotate on a daily basis the calcium to get 15-20%. Either ground rib or pork bones, or calcium seaweed, or egg shells. Never neck bones as I fear hypothyroidism.

Also each none kibble meal I add the following organic supplements to the meat dishes. I never feed synthetic supplements:
Tumeric
spirulina
Organic virgin coconut oil-4x week
Kefir- every other week
Apple cider vinegar with the mother-3x a week
Organic egg 4 x a week
Fresh organic blueberry smoothie with kefir
Fresh ground organic ginger

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Cannoli.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Cannoli.

[Eugene B]

I’m planning on feeding raw in a couple months when i get my pups and was wondering if it wld be good or bad if i fed Darwin’s food for one meal and a from scratch raw meal for the next?

[pugmomsandy]

There’s not a long list of very low carb kibbles since kibble is like a bakery product and needs carbs to hold it’s shape. There are brands that use 70% or more protein from animal sources like Acana Regionals USA, some of the Acana Heritage Canada recipes are near 75% animal sourced, Weruva Caloric Melody, Merrick Grain Free, Only Natural Pet Canine Power Food and Orijen currently boasts 80% animal sourced ingredients so their carbs are low. There are alot more low carb choices in canned foods.

Then there are dehydrated foods like ZiwiPeak and Only Natural Pet MaxMeat that are slightly processed so not technically raw but have high protein and low carbs.

There are also supplements you can buy to add to cooked meat to make it a complete diet such as Urban Wolf and Carnivoraw. These don’t require you to add veggies.

[crazy4cats]

Hi stacy 4-
I’m very familiar with soft mushy poop too! Lucky us. LOL! My dogs do better with a more moderate protein and higher fiber kibble. The one they do very best on is PureVita’s grain free turkey formula: http://purevitapetfoods.com/dog-recipes/grain-free/turkey-and-sweet-potato. I only buy it when I can find it on sale, however, due to it’s price.

They also do well on Whole Earth Farms, Nutrisource, 4Health and Victor which all have a little higher than average fiber and are much more budget friendly.

I also add toppers to some of their meals, which I think help as well such as tripe and frozen commercial raw.

Here is a link to a website which was very helpful when my dogs were going through that stage: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

I used some of the supplements on that site, but am pretty much supplement free now, except for occasional probiotics.

Best of luck to you and your furries!

[william C]

I had the same problem with my akita and i started purchasing raw dog food with ocean kelp, cod liver oil, now the stools are nice and hard and no more issues with soft mushy stools. The company is called Happee Dawg http://www.happeedawg.com

[william C]

I purchase my raw dog food products from http://www.happeedawg.com, they have tripe sometimes and beef and chicken formulas.

[Anand V]

Hi there,

I’ve been feeding my 9 1/2 y/o Alaskan Malmaute a dehydrated raw diet….she was already on it when I adopted her 3 years ago. She eats Honest Kitchen Thrive – Chicken and Quinoa. It has done her well but she does have some skin issues and it was suggested I try a raw diet from Big Country Raw (BCR). They’re not too far away from me towards the Niagara region. I haven’t found any reviews that you have done on this product under your rating system. I have read some others mention that supplements may be needed. Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated. It sounds like a great product and is also budget friendly versus Honest Kitchen. That’s not the main reason I want to switch…doing it more to help my dog have healthier skin and fur….that means more than the $$$ I spend on her food.

http://www.bigcountryraw.ca/index.php

Thanks.

[Joanna W]

My dog is eating signature fish formula dry and their canned foods. I do plan on doing some cooking for him, and he is getting a version of the budwig protocol, flaxseed oil. Cottage cheese and yogurt. That is separate from his 2 meals a day.

I would like to put him on a low carb diet. As low as possible. Raw is not something I can afford and I have concerns with cancer and raw as a precaution.

I’m looking for a low carb dry or dehydrate that is all around good food, he is on the zignature for mild skin issues which are good right now.

It is beyond overwelming to find something good and affordable. The place I buy food from suggested canine caviar special needs but I don’t know about it since reading some things about the food and the company.

Solid gold barking at the moon has very low carbs but I have concerns after reading the comments on the reviews. Any one with great knowledge of this specific issue I would appreciate your suggestions
Thank you

[anonymously]

“She was looking to learn raw since her dog was experiencing Cushings symptoms from taking steroids for 4 years as a treatment for allergies”.

That is why it is best to consult a specialist/dermatologist if the allergy symptoms have been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief despite treatments from the regular veterinarian.

Prednisone is usually ordered to stop the suffering caused by excessive scratching/pruritus. It is a temporary fix. Most likely the allergies are environmental and have nothing to do with the diet, that was my experience.

A lot of folks refuse to consider going to a specialist because of the cost……therefore the regular vet has no choice but to continue to treat the symptoms.

My dog enjoys seeing her dermatologist, since she is stable we only go once a year.
PS: She can eat a variety of foods, chicken included, cooked of course!

My senior dog gets constipated if he doesn’t have water soaked kibble (Nutrisca) everyday.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by anonymously.

[Rox B]

Pitlove: I had and intern from a vet’s office join my raw group. She was looking to learn raw since her dog was experiencing Cushings symptoms from taking steroids for 4 years as a treatment for allergies. I don’t know anyone feeding raw whose dog takes steroids for allergies. Thousands of people are getting great results from feeding raw. An article by 4 vets is not going to change that.

[Pitlove]

Hi Rox B-

I’ve heard that same song many times before. I am well aware of the way that raw feeders look down upon allopathic vet’s. I however, intern at a vet’s office and see quite a different picture than what you see. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[Rox B]

Thank you pitlove: I have fed raw long enough to tell you that conventional vets do not approve of raw feeding. Veterinary schools like UC Davis have nutrition classes taught and sponsored by Hills dog food the makers of Science Diet and many other unhealthy kibbles. Vets receive kickbacks and incentives from kibble companies, mainly Hills. This is why you see these kibbles sold in most vet offices. I interact with thousands of raw feeders. Too bad these 4 vets didn’t research and report on our success feeding raw.

[Rox B]

Indeed raw foods do contain bacteria, but luckily our dogs are carnivores which is why they can eat bacteria laden foods and thrive. We humans just need to wash up afterwards just like we do when we prepare our own meat meals for dinner. The article is written by Vets that do not support raw feeding, so what they say is biased and untrue. There is evidence to support that raw is better than cooked and kibble. I know thousands of raw feeders that will attest to it.

[anonymously]

Hope this helps, it appears that the poster that asked the most recent question regarding raw diets has their mind made up already, but maybe someone else will appreciate this science-based veterinary blog, I find the comments very informative too.
I was listening to the homeopathic vets for a while, but I can no longer believe them, for the most part.

More Evidence of the Risk of Infectious Diseases Associated with Raw Pet Foods

[Bobby dog]

Hi Oceans11:
He does not mind it at all. With the excitement he shows when he eats his Carnivore Blend meals I can honestly write he eats these dinners with much more enthusiasm than the commercial raw, kibble, or canned that are also part of his diet. He goes back to his dish several times to lick it clean after he finishes. I wish I had the time to cook every meal for all my critters, but the best I can do at this time is a few meals a week.

Carnivore Blend is a very fine powder with not much of an odor. I tasted it when I got it, doesn’t really taste like much, and it wasn’t gritty on it’s own. It mixes very, very well with the food. You do not smell or see any trace of it.

[Rox B]

Pitlove: Can you show proof to support what you’ve posted or are you posting hearsay? Who tested these diets? The AAFCO? The AAFCO likes to see food fortified before they give their stamp of approval and if they don’t see it fortified, they say it is deficient. And what dog food do you feed? Kibble? Kibble is worthless nutrition and that is why it needs added vitamins and minerals. If you want to do research, google what is in dry dog food or how dry dog food is made. That will be a real eye opener for you. Kibble is not species appropriate and is not healthy for dogs. I have been feeding my 8.5 year old GSD Prey Model Raw Diet for years and he is healthy 100%. Thousands of people are feeding complete and balanced raw diets to their pets. There might be some people who do not feed raw correctly, but that is because they lack knowledge and support. Personally, I don’t think kibble feeders are feeding their dog’s correctly. I teach how to feed raw properly. PMRD 80/10/5/5 guidelines are balanced and complete. BARF and PMRD are live foods with all their natural nutrients. Nothing is better for dogs. Raw dogs are beautiful and very healthy. You are taking a chance on your dog’s health if you are feeding kibble or anything other than raw.

[Pitlove]

Over 200 raw and home cooked recipes found over the Internet were tested for nutritional adequacy and only about 8 or 9 were not nutritionally deficient. Those 8 or 9 were all recipes made by boarded veterinary nutritionists. I personally would not take a chance on my dogs health by following the recipes on a Facebook page written by someone who may or may not have a background in canine nutrition, but that’s just me.

[Rox B]

Julia J you do not need a nutritionist to feed your GSD. Please join my Facebook group Learning Raw With Roxane. It’s free and you will learn how to properly feed raw. I have an 8.5 year old GSD and members with GSD’s including one with a GSD puppy who is growing fine feeding raw. We have MANY members with large breed puppies. I teach Prey Model Raw Diet 80/10/5/5. Come learn HOW to feed raw and what raw meaty bones are safe. You can learn about weight bearing bones, their risks and so much more helpful information. Here is the link to my closed group. Request to join….it’s free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningRawWithRoxane/

[pugmomsandy]

Fresh is Best Inc freeze dried recipes are pea free (and flax/tomato/white potato free). Also comes in frozen raw but for a limited market.

freshisbestinc dot com

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Pitlove]

Hi Julia-

Your GSD is a large breed and you need to be extremely careful about how much calcium he is getting in his diet. Too much and he is at high risk for developmental orthopedic disorders. Not to mention if he is an AKC GSD I would be even more careful since they are now being bred to have a sloped roach back.

Raw diets are very difficult to balance without the help of a board certified veterinary nutritionist. I would highly recommend seeking out the help of one before continueing this diet.

[anonymously]

Some information here you may find helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

I have to speak up, as I ended up at the emergency vet with more than 1 dog, 2-3 times for issues related to “raw meaty bones” . GI blockages….even the finely ground up bone can turn into cement in their gut.

[Julia J]

Hello, I’m new to feeding raw. I have a 12 week old German Shepherd. 27 lbs. Recently just switched from kibble to ground raw (60%-80% meat, 30% veg/organ, 10% bone). Should probably start raw meaty bones to increase his calcium & phosphorus intake. I’m quite nervous about it – worried about choking if he doesn’t chew it up thoroughly. Worried that it may get lodged in his intestines etc.. Can anyone suggest a few safest raw meaty bones he can try? I’m considering chicken back, chicken feet/wings, lamb ribs. Should my puppy swallow both the meat & bone? Any advice is much appreciated.

[Greg F]

Rrlover
Yes I was I started a topic on IBD dog 2 months ago when we had a flare up and almost lost her. She bounced back with new medication and 4 days in the hospital. About a week ago she started deterioring. The vet thinks it might have been lymphoma the was masked by the new meds.
I read an article by Karen Becker that said this can happen by a length bout with IBD and continued use of drugs. I can’t help wonder if different drugs or diet started 5 years ago would have made a difference.
With all the hype about raw food I wonder if any dogs that were always on raw ever picked up this disease? Have any does with IBD switched over to raw were able to get off the meds?

[Becca]

I just started my two dogs on Nuvet plus. I have to block out the science naysayers. Food is medicine when you find the right combos. I will let you know the difference. I have phone dog with multiple issue, loss of fur, losing weight beside being ravenously hungry , even though the vet said he has pancreatitis, he has a 5 cm tumor on his liver, with normal liver function. Going for more testing next week, so far a lot of money is going out with little answers. My other dog has dry itchy skin, and torn ccl. Just today seems like the other leg is affected, he trying to hobble on the bad leg. They are on a raw and home cooked diet. I hear a lot of good things about Nuvet plus, so I’ll post soon my thoughts

[CLAIRE H]

I am so thankful for this information all of you have shared!!! I have a boxer, Tigra who just started this about 3 months ago. She is not a rescue and has never known any trauma or abuse yet she has some anxiety and has developed fear of loud noises and thunder drives her on to my lap. I have another boxer who is a rescue and has none of this anxiety nor does she have the reflux issue yet is on the identical diet.

I am hopeful since eliminating the Glucosamine treats and the Zukes training treats and the treats with salmon oil and all dairy, Tigra, is not showing signs of the gulping and gagging at all and it has been 2 weeks since I stopped all treats. She eats Great Life dry raw Chicken kibble with Coco Licious can food in morning and again in evening and nothing in between. I am keeping my fingers crossed. With all the environmental toxins we are all exposed to and god knows what is in dog food it is no wonder there are these mysterious conditions that vets have no idea how to treat. I am grateful for all of your experience and will continue to follow this thread and hopefully report good news down the line.

[Shirley F]

Thanks so much for your answers, I have visited all these sites, and yes, I am talking about the Royal Canine urinary the vet advised, my Lenny would rather chew on cardboard, he didn´t eat for days, refused to eat it. He is actually used to raw food and won´t touch anything else. Do you know where I would find a nutrition chart so I could compare the nutrients in his food? Thanks so much!

[Rox B]

I know this post is old, but my heart goes out to Cyndi and others like her who are looking for instructions on how to feed raw to their dogs. I have a FB group that teaches how to calculate 80/10/5/5 which is how much meat, bone, liver and secreting organs should be fed to each particular dog. People need more than general information. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningRawWithRoxane/

[Anne B]

I would encourage everyone who has a flea problem to rip out all of the carpet from their home and replace it with laminate flooring or linoleum, if at all possible–fleas can’t reproduce in these types of flooring….However, they absolutely love carpet to lay their eggs in.

I ripped out all carpeting from my home 3 years ago, plus I applied food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in my yard, and still do……..Haven’t seen a flea in my home since, and I live in VA–known for hot, humid summers….The DE was very effective at killing all the fleas in my yard (plus it killed other nasty creepy-crawlies like ants and spiders that would occasionally get in my house).

If you decide to try DE, make sure you buy the FOOD GRADE DE, not the DE used for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and toxic, but Food Grade DE is completely non-toxic…..I have heard of some people applying directly on their dogs, and it successfully killed the fleas with no ill effects…You can get it fairly cheap at Southern States or Tractor Supply Company.

If applying DE on your yard, use a protective mask and safety glasses so you won’t inhale it or get it in eyes.

Yes, I would rather rip out all my carpet than use Bravecto, Comfortis, Nexguard, Trifexis, etc, or any topical flea product………However I do have to give heartworm preventative, because the DE obviously wouldn’t be very effective against mosquitoes…..I only give the heartworm prevention every 6 weeks, and only during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active, so my dogs only get 6 doses a year…..This approach has worked well for me–my dogs are always tested once a year for heartworm, and have always tested negative.

My concern is, even if you don’t see any immediate adverse reactions from an oral or topical flea pesticide, who knows what it’s doing to your dog’s internal organs, especially if taking long-term—That’s why I choose not to use them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Anne B.

[Susan]

Hi when I rescued Patch he was weeing blood, we did ultra scan & he had crystal, Patch was put on the Royal Canine Urinary SO wet & dry for 6 weeks only, wet for dinner, kibble for breakfast & no other foods then after the 6 weeks he had another ultra scan & all crystals had dissolved & were all gone…… 🙂 then vet said he can stop the Royal Canine SO & eat a normal diet… here’s a diet for preventing Urinary Crystals just scroll down & click on “Acidifying Raw Diet” its raw but it can be cooked it gives you an idea..
http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

[Shirley F]

Hi, I´m new here and would like some feedback about nutrition facts and lack of nutrients in the raw food I feed my 2 dogs? My older is 4 years old and has recently been diagnosed with crystals in his urine. My vet recommended a dry food that contains an SO index, but he would rather eat carton than that kibble…I am using vitamin C and a cranberry dosage in his food, but my vet said that would not clear up the crystals, but am I wrong in assuming that the SO index is just magnesium? I´m feeding them Nordic, a food blended here in Iceland, but the same ingredients the Swedish company uses except for the meat, it´s local. They also get raw turkey necks once a day. Anyone here with thoughts on extra nutrients in their diet? Thanks!

[Heather C]

Hey Susan, that’s actually a really great idea! I’ll totally keep that in my back pocket. My husband suggested we try more wet food mixed in with his kibble. Normally I don’t do a lot, but this time I gave him half and half and he snarfed it down! Fingers crossed it’s that simple, but am definitely going to mention your suggestion to the vet on the next visit.

Also I wanted to ask if any pet parents who have a dog with bowel disease have any good suggestions for food dispensing toys. My dog loved his bullysticks and rawhides and obviously that’s off the table … But something he can sit with quietly and work on for hours. We have the original Kong, a food wobbler and the Kong duets kibble dispenser but he goes through them so quickly.

[InkedMarie]

Marilyn,
There are other options for toothless dogs: canned, ground raw, freeze dried (Grandma Lucy’s is a good one) or dehydrated such as The Honest kitchen.

Practice tough love: put the food down, wait 15 min then pick it up. She gets nothing else until the next meal.

[InkedMarie]

bkagel,
You won’t find many people here who would feed BRB products but I need to mention something: No raw dog food would be labeled “for human consumption”. Dog grinds/patties/nuggets etc have bone in them. Humans don’t eat bone. I know this because I asked this very question of Hare Today when I first ordered from them.

[InkedMarie]

What kind of ear infections? My oldest dog had recurrent yeast ear infections & paw licking; my holistic vet suggested a raw diet without produce as some canfeed yeast.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Susan:
Glad you read my post and hopefully you can help others that are using it in their raw diets.

Too bad you can’t get Balance IT in Australia Bobby has done really well on it. I like it because I have access to so many recipes which are easily prepared. I also find it very economical depending on which ingredients I choose.

There are vitamin packs in the U.S. available for raw feeders, however I am not familiar with any because Bobby only likes commercial raw not prey model.

I absolutely agree feeding an unbalanced diet (unless for medical reasons) is the worst you can do for your pets. However, at this time I feel the best diet is individual to the dog whatever form that might be as long as it is balanced.

I am very lucky since I have sorted out Bobby’s health issues I can feed anything and everything; I know some pet parents aren’t so lucky. I feel it’s best not to rule out any form of food. You never know what will be best at any given time.

[theBCnut]

Just a note, acid reflux is often a symptom of a food intolerance. As an example, my dog gets acid reflux if he eats grains. If I take him off all grains, he never has acid reflux. In fact, I actually add raw vinegar to his food because I have read that acid reflux is also associates with NOT producing enough acid, so the sphincter valve at the top of the stomach doesn’t close all the way. Also, I add water to his food, because acid production in the stomach is affected by water content of the meal.

You might want to experiment on your dog and it’s food a bit rather than continue on antacids for life, which has a different set of problems.

[Susan]

Hi Bobby Dog, on one of the raw feeding groups a few people are using the “Balance It” to balance their dogs raw diets….I’ll have to tell them you can’t add the Balance it to raw foods, its just for cooked meals….
I can’t get “Balance It” in Australia, I’ve read good things about “Balance It” I use DigestaVite Plus an Australian product & its for raw & cooked foods, it doesn’t matter… that’s when vets start seeing health problems & start not recommending raw or cooked diets cause people are not balancing their dogs diet properly….. The worse diet for a dog is an unbalanced cooked or raw diet, then kibble…

[texasniteowl]

Thanks for all the info. I am reviewing!

jakes mom…raw bones are a no go. Wilson has a rear tooth, molar? that has an enamel defect. my vet says a lot of vets would say to pull it. however he is more conservative and as long as it is not inflamed/infected/abcessed, then he is in favor of leaving it in. so far so good. my vet doesn’t even want me giving Wilson bully sticks, let alone bones.

I will look into the different flavors of toothpaste, or even the coconut oil paste. And I will look into the additives. I know I had heard of some you add to their water daily too. But obviously I hope I get him to accept tooth brushing!

[jakes mom]

Sure, that’s why you need to do your research and know your dog and what kind of a chewer he is. Which is why I suggested Texasnitowl do some reading on the raw food forum.

[jakes mom]

Don’t start with a brush, start with just putting a finger in his mouth with a bit of the paste, just let him lick it. When he’s ok with that you can try a bit of gauze around your finger and “brush” with that. Work up to the brush, always letting him sniff and lick every new thing you introduce. You may need to try several flavors to find something he likes. I use a paste I make myself with just a bit of baking soda and some coconut oil. Coconut oil is very healthy for a lot of reasons. I use a finger brush , I feel I have more control with that rather than a regular brush. Don’t worry about getting the whole tooth, the outside is more important than trying to get to the inside surface.
There are also some additives you may want to look into that are supposed to prevent the plaque from attaching to the tooth to begin with, they’re made of a seaweed extract. Not a substitute but in addition to brushing. You just sprinkle on food each day.
Last but not least, a raw bone to chew is a great toothbrush if you’re open to that. There’s a lot of good info here on feeding raw bones for dental health. My guy gets a bone at least twice a week. He’s 12 and has never had a dental.

[Megan Z]

This food is garbage. The first 5 ingredients of your dogs food should be free of grains and actual meats! Never should you feed a by-product and a meat meal like chicken or beef meal aren’t much better. We just adopted an American bulldog who is on this food and his previous owner couldn’t figure out his skin issues. After looking at the ingredients of his food I immediately identified the problem. Even though it’s grain free, this is absolutely not a suitable food for dogs prone to sensitives and allergies. Feed what you will, but dog owners need to do some research. It is possible to feed premium at a fair price if you can’t first feed raw.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Susan:
You suggested to the OP to look into Balance IT. I use one of their products regularly for home cooked meals. My dog loves the few recipes I have concocted and has done well on Carnivore Blend. However, this company does not produce any product to balance a raw diet, or more importantly the company does not recommend feeding raw at all. Here are their reasons and the importance of using any of their products as directed from their FAQ page under the subtitle “HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE PREPARATION”:

“Do I really need to cook the ingredients in my recipe? – I hear raw food is good for pets.

We NEVER recommend feeding raw meat as it can result in serious life-threatening infections for both pets and people (see review article at http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/full/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549). Always use safe handling procedures when cooking with raw meats by washing hands, preventing cross-contamination, cooking food thoroughly, and storing food properly.

The guidance from the AVMA at https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/FAQs/Pages/Raw-Pet-Foods-and-the-AVMA-Policy-FAQ.aspx may also be of interest.

It is also important to cook each ingredient as directed in the cooking instructions for the recipe, as the cooking method can significantly change the level of nutrients in the cooked food. For example, boiling a food results in some loss of nutrients into the surrounding water; therefore, if the recipe instructs you to bake the ingredient and you choose to boil it, the total level of nutrient in the diet may be significantly decreased.”

https://secure.balanceit.com/info/helpfaq.php

[Marionne H]

Hi texasniteowl,

I am no expert, but here’s what I know so far. The manufacturing of Acana for US markets is transitioning/has transitioned to Kentucky. The primary reason stated by the company for this move is increasing shipping costs and the expansion of the popularity of the foods in the US market. Champion is being very open about the move to Kentucky, and is proud of their new facility which has been constructed. Lots of data on the new kitchens is available on the acana.com website. The manufacturing of Orijen for US markets will also be moving to Kentucky.

They have changed their formulas. Given the new location and their focus on local sourcing of ingredients, some of the changes will be driven by the fact that they will be sourcing from Kentucky farms and surrounding areas. For some formulas (like the regional formulas), they are increasing the amount of meat in comparison with the old formulas, with more fresh and raw inclusions. This will explain changes in the ingredient list like deboned lamb now being the first ingredient instead of lamb meal in the formula you mentioned. In order to keep protein levels high with more fresh meat ingredients, we may see a higher level and different mix of legumes, so this may explain some of the other changes in the ingredient list. Not sure about the other ingredient changes like more produce, seeds, botanicals, etc…but it seems to be following the current trend to include a broader spectrum of ingredients.
It does seem that Champion is committed to making a good line of foods in Kentucky, using local sourcing and addressing the US market. After much pondering myself, I decided that it sounds like Acana is continuing to head in the right direction, and that time will tell as with any change (we’ll just have to watch vigilantly). So, I bought a bag, deciding that Acana will be in my dog’s rotation.
She didn’t like it. The kibbles were too big and she didn’t seem to care for the taste. So much for all that research!

[Susan]

Hi, here’s the raw maintenance diet Patches Naturopath put Patch on, I had to pick 1-2 proteins, I picked chicken breast & kangaroo mince, 2-4 veggies, I picked broccoli, celery, zucchini & 1-2 fruits, I picked a red apple, you peel & cut up the fruit & veggies & put thru a blender & blend & stop just before the veggie/fruit mix becomes a pulp or you can make into a pulp if you like it watery, to 1 cup protein you add 1-2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix, per meal, for a 18kg-40lb dog twice a day, I then froze the veggie/fruit mix in 2 spoon sections, you can freeze in an ice cube trays, make sure you cover with plastic wrap, that’s about 1 spoon in each ice cube….. I had to add the omega 3,6 & 9 oil & I had to add 1/2 teaspoon DigestaVite Plus to 1 daily meal, I was feeding Chicken breast cut up + 2 spoon veggie/fruit mix + 1 squirt omega oil for breakfast & the Kangaroo mince + veggie/fruit mix + omega 3,6 & 9 oil & DigestaVite Plus for dinner….. I never gave any bone cause Patch has IBD….I added egg shell instead for calcium…1 egg shell is 1 teaspoon..
http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html
This Maintenance Diet will give you a ruff idea, I had to rotate different lean meats & make sure diet was balanced by the end of the week, or some people balance every single meal…. also on Face Book there are some “Raw Feeding groups” that show what their dogs are eating, egg + shell, chicken feet, tongue, coconut oil, tin sardines, & bone meat is given twice a week only, you can also use “Balance It” to Balance the meal…
https://secure.balanceit.com/
Make friends with “Rodney Habib” on face book page, he is excellent to follow….he spends 75min every morning making his dogs fresh, raw breakfast, lucky dogs…

[texasniteowl]

Hi folks. I just joined Editors Choice because of this change today. I have been feeding my dog Acana Singles (alternating Lamb and Duck) for over a year, maybe 2 yrs. When I stopped by my pet store today, they let me know that it is coming out of Kentucky now. I was a little apprehensive but bought the bag anyway (Lamb).

Does anyone have more information on this change and the product coming out of Kentucky? In the regular forums, it was mentioned that someone found plastic pieces in their Acana Heritage food?! Also, the ingredient listing DID change.

chewy.com lists the old ingredients and the new formula:

Ingredients
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver, apples, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin, carrots, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, freeze-dried lamb liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, zinc proteinate

New formula: Deboned lamb*, lamb meal, whole green peas, red lentils, lamb liver*, lamb fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, Red Delicious apples*, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, lamb cartilage*, dried kelp, whole pumpkin*, whole butternut squash*, kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, whole carrots*, Bartlett pears*, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried lamb tripe, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product. * delivered fresh or raw

We are scraping the bottom of the bag of his last bag, so I am going to go ahead and try the new, but I am nervous and unsure.

[Melanie B]

I feed my dogs Boka pork dog food. Never had any concerns with it. You will NOT get trichinosis from a cooked product, this parasite only comes from raw pork. Pork used in dog foods is also not treated or salted (that’s ham), it is the same thing as a pork loin. Giving dogs pork from our table could cause pancreatitis because it tends to be fatty, but if the pet food is using a pork meal the fat has been rendered out of it.

[Pitlove]

From chewy.com Acana Lamb Singles:

Lamb meal, deboned lamb, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver, apples, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin, carrots, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, freeze-dried lamb liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, zinc proteinate

New formula: Deboned lamb*, lamb meal, whole green peas, red lentils, lamb liver*, lamb fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, Red Delicious apples*, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, lamb cartilage*, dried kelp, whole pumpkin*, whole butternut squash*, kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, whole carrots*, Bartlett pears*, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried lamb tripe, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product. * delivered fresh or raw

As you can see they have added a lot more ingredients most of which will not necessarily add nutritional value to the food. I do find it funny to see an entire meal you would feed to a Bearded Dragon though! (kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*)

[pugmomsandy]

I believe preymodelraw dot com and dogsnaturallymagazine dot com have a list of meats with bone contents listed. The addition of some muscle meat and some organs will bring down the bone content. Bone content should be around 10%.

[John P]

Hey all,

After a ton of research, I switched to raw a week ago today. I decided to stick with one protein, and have been feeding exclusively chicken leg quarters. She is 40# so she gets 2lbs of food every day (one quarter in the morning, one at night).

Today I was watching her outside and it looked like she was struggling to poo. She finally did, and it was just a small light brown nugget that was very firm and almost “chalky” when I poked at it with a stick.

I think she’s getting a little too much bone. She seems fine, and doesn’t seem to be bothered or in any pain, so I don’t think there is any cause for concern. I’m going to keep an eye on her for the next day/two and see if her stool gets better.

So, I planned on Introducing Turkey this week… should I wait now? Would you guys suggest throwing in a couple meals with no bones to balance out the RMBs?

Thanks!