[InkedMarie]

Denise,
You can have companies such as Hare Today, Raw Feeding Miami, My Pet Carnivore and Reel Raw deliver complete meal grinds to your house, some with free shipping depending on the amount you order.

[Pitlove]

Your dog is probably bored of the food. Its the same as you changing your diet often so you don’t get bored, your dog would like the same variety.

Give thought to a rotational diet, where you can either rotate the protein source within one brand or the brand and the protein source every 3-4 months to keep your dogs interest peaked. Thats how I solved the problem of my dog being picky and not eating.

I would suggest staying with the 4 to 5 star quality foods and still doing the wet too. I firmly believe wet food should be a part of every dogs diet. Its much healthier for them than dry when you can’t feed a raw diet. Pure Balance is another Walmart brand that is 3.5 or 4 stars I believe for the GF. I feed the dry and wet. I’ve also used Fromm, Nature’s Variety, Orijen, and Precise Holistic Complete.

[InkedMarie]

Regarding your first post, I want to address the Beneful then getting sick…that happens when a dog has been on a low quality food, like Beneful, for years. It probably happens with better quality food too; any food really when a dog eats it so long and gets changed to a better food, tummy upset happens.

I suggest you ask local dog owners/vets/groomers/trainers for recommendations for someone to come in to let your dogs out when you are at work. Your dog needs alot of moisture; canned, raw or dehydrated are much better than dry. If you must feed dry, add canned & water to it. He needs ample opportunity to urinate.

Good luck!

[mah4angel]

Hello all!

It’s been a really long time since I’ve posted here. To those of you who remember my puppy Louie, he’s doing great on his raw diet ^_^
My question pertains to the process of switching to a whole prey feeding method (i.e. handing my pup a whole bunny/quail/mouse/whatever to eat whole).
Is feeding whole prey less expensive? Is it a whole and balanced feeding method? How do I make the switch to feeding this way?
I currently feed my Louie half a pre-prepped raw diet by The Petstaurant (alternating between protein sources) in the morning and greentripe.com’s Exkalibur blend in the evening with appropriate supplements that I can’t remember the ratios of because I figured them out ages ago and now it’s more autopilot than anything.
I’m mainly wondering if the cost of feeding whole prey is more financially friendly. I don’t mind the idea of feeding this way at all- I’m not a squeamish person by any stretch.
I googled whole prey feeding in various iterations but most results were about prey model raw which is not what I was looking for.

Thanks in advance for any replies and suggestions!

[InkedMarie]

That is not a balanced diet. If feeding raw, dogs need meat, organs and bone.
Pre made raws are balanced or you can buy grinds from one of the online places (unless you have a co-op close by). Where do you live?

All dogs are different in their sensitivities/allergies. Some can eat beef, some can’t.

[Taylor C]

Thanks, Susan!
InkedMarie, I’ve been feeding her a mixture of ground beef, sweet potato or pumpkin, green beans, and black beans. I’m thinking the sweet potato and pumpkin are too starchy. And I read that beef is not good for dogs with skin allergies. I’m also worried the grass or grain or corn or whatever the livestock are feeding on is affecting her. My vet said that was very possible. I hate the thought of kibble but I’m not sure raw is working out for her either. Any suggestions??

[Dori]

cindy q. My three girls have been on commercial raw diets, nothing processed including treats for the past 4 years. I rotate their food with every meal. I don’t mix proteins either. I always have 3 or 4 bags started in the freezer at the same time. Different brands, different proteins.

The reason I had stopped feeding Darwin’s awhile back was they went through a change. They increased the fat, lowered the protein and raised the price. The whole idea did not sit right with me. I recently came across Darwin’s on Amazon with free shipping. Same Darwin’s and ships from Darwin’s facility also. You have to buy it in the variety packages though. You can’t specify just one protein. Since I rotate as frequently as I do and my dogs are accustomed to very high proteins, moderate to high quality fats, and low carbs there has not been an issue with Darwin’s. Actually it has less fat than a lot of the other frozen raws I have in rotation. I was just annoyed of the changes that I mentioned above. Now that I don’t have to pay for shipping it makes it easier to not be so annoyed with the company.

[Patricia B]

Mine is more a question than a nomination. Well, more than one question actually. Out of the following 3, which is the best choice?

1. Fromm 4 Star beef
2. Wellness TruFood (small breed)
3. Farmina Pet Food’s N&D

My dogs have tried both the Fromm and the N&D, I have no complaints. Haven’t yet tried the new Wellness.

What would you folks recommend for a Standard Poodle with gastroenteritis. Was on Wellness Complete Turkey & Potato dry, then the dreaded Prescription i/d dry, then Wellness Simple Turkey and Potato dry and now Wellness Simple Lamb & Rice wet & dry.
Last 2 questions…in general, which is better Raw (store bought) or Dry?
Any feedback is very welcome. The Poodle is a Seizure Alert Dog of a client of mine and the company they got him through keeps insisting on the Wellness brand (probably getting a kickback). The other questions would be more for my own 2 dogs but for the Poodle too.
Thank you in advance.

[Dori]

I rotate between brands and the proteins they make with the exception of any fowl as one of my dogs is intolerant of all fowl.

Primal Frozen Raw and I use their freeze dried as treats
Vital Essential Raw and I use their freeze dried tripe as treats
OC Raw Frozen
Answer’s Detailed Frozen Raw
Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw
Steve’s Frozen Raw
Darwin’s (recently put it back into rotation)

I’m sure there are others I use in rotation but can’t think of them at the moment.

[InkedMarie]

Taylor,
what raw food was your dog eating?

[cindy q]

those that feed raw do you rotate between different brands? I am going to be feeding Darwins and Big Dog Natural. Big Dog Natural in the morning and Darwins at night. How many different brands do you use? And what brands are your favorite?

[Bobby dog]

Bobby loves it when the kitties don’t finish all their raw. Sounds like Jake is doing pretty good on RMB’s.

[jakes mom]

Oh, he does ok, Bobbydog, lol. He had a nice raw chicken drumstick this afternoon.

[jakes mom]

Thanks guys for all your help. No worries, Bobbydog, I knew what Pitlove meant. So here’s my new plan. Darwin’s site says the food can be fed raw or cooked, as some animals just don’t like or can’t tolerate raw. So that’s what I did tonite, lightly cooked a pack of the chicken. Didn’t cook very much, just sautéed a few minutes. Not enough to cook bones, was still partly raw. It went over very well, everybody seemed to eat a bit of it, even the 2 who turned up their noses at the raw. I’ll cook for a few days as well as get some kind of probiotics, and hopefully slowly work back to full raw. I did weigh my old guy, no weight loss so that makes me feel better. I really want this raw thing to work! Besides the better nutrition, one of my girls has a yeasty ear issue which I hope raw feeding will help.

[Pitlove]

bdog- you misunderstood me. I am all for by-products as I am aware they are in raw and im happy to see them there. I meant foods like Fancy Feast that contain anonymous by-products whose quality is questionable. I was not sure if she (like some of us) occassionally feed stuff from the grocery store. I was suggesting that the transition to much higher quality meat AND by-products could cause a detox effect.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Bobby dog]

c4c:
I agree as well, I don’t full around too much with the kitties when it comes to digestive issues. They need their moisture. I don’t run into problems too much with my crew in general, thank goodness. Bobby vomited twice on a new kibble I was trying out one time, that’s pretty much all I need to throw out a food and rotate to a new one. Same with the kitties, if there is a negative reaction in some way it’s gone. IMO there are enough foods on the market to choose from, no need to make them uncomfortable, or worse create a health issue.

pitlove:
JM’s cats eating by-products should not be an issue. She does feed foods that have by-products (organs etc.), but they do not contain useless by-products (feet, hooves, etc.). If you want to feed a raw diet you need by-products (organs etc.) to make it complete; muscle meat alone will not do that. I would rather feed a by-product (organs etc.) than a vitamin or synthetic vitamin to make a diet balanced any day regardless if it’s canned or raw; there is allot of nutrients in them. Here’s the ingredients for Darwins Turkey cat formula:

Free-Range Meat (98.25%): Turkey Necks, Turkey Gizzards, Turkey Livers, Turkey Hearts, Turkey Thighs.

Special Nutrient Mix (1.5%): Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Psyllium Husk Powder, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Inulin, Choline Chloride, Sea Salt, Vitamin E, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12, EDDI (Iodine), Vitamin D3, Folic Acid.

Fish Oils (.25%): Sardine Oil

http://www.darwinspet.com/our-raw-foods/our-raw-cat-food/natural-selections-for-cat-turkey/

[Pitlove]

Thanks C4C! I work myself into anxiety over making sure he’s getting the best (the cat too of course). I feel a lot better about feeding a lower protein dry now that I know I can supplement with the high protein in the canned food. Didnt think about it like that before!

I have so many foods for him right now its really nice. 4Health and Pure Balance canned. Fromm Four Star GF, Pure Balance and some samples of Precise Holisitic Complete for dry and THK dehydrated raw. He had THK this morning and really liked it. He also got a sample of raw food from this store we went to yesterday and had that mixed in with his canned last night with no dry! he LOVED it! and great poops this morning too 😀

[crazy4cats]

Ok, Jake’s Mom, lets get graphic! Is the poo just a little loose, or is it down right runny and squirty? I’d definitely be concerned if it is very runny. That is much more dangerous to a small animal. You certainly don’t want to risk them getting dehydrated over trying to feed them raw!

In dogs, I have heard of the poop getting a little loose and maybe even some mucous due to detoxing, but don’t know much about how kitties react to the change. Let us know what you decide!

[Pitlove]

The only way my dog will eat is if I put the wet down first and then sprinkle the dry on top. I’ve been using both high protein dry and wet (he actually lost 2 pounds randomly wasnt intended).

Ive just been using 5 star quality kibbles and 4-5 star canned and its busting my wallet so Im trying to see if I dont really NEED to do that.

Right now for dry I have Fromm Four Star Nutrionals and Pure Balance Bison and I also have some THK Beef dhydrated raw. I switch between those right now for variety.
I usually have an assortment of canned foods also for variety but right now Im down to just the 4Health and Pure Balance.

He gets a can of wet and now a cup of dry on top since he lost weight when I was feeding half a cup and he was already at his ideal weight. Dont want him to get too skinny.

[Pitlove]

I agree with whoever told you they are detoxing. Its very common (from what i’ve heard) for animals suddenly being fed a much better diet to have diaherra. Not sure how long it should last, someone else would have to weigh in on that. If you (like me and others) have fed the occassional by-product food or “low end” food I can imagine that now on raw they have much more to detox from their body. OR even more so if they were on dry kibble and not human grade canned.

Best suggestion I can give you is call a holistic vet in your area, someone who will understand tranisitioning to raw for felines and ask if what you’re experiencing is typical or atypical and if they feel your kitties should be seen by a vet. I would keep trying the raw. I think their bodies are just in shock from a healthy diet.

[Susan]

Hi, I saw a Naturopath 1 month ago as my boy has Skin problems & IBD from food/ allergies, Patch was put on Kangaroo mince 1 x broccoli head 2 x carrots 5 x celery sticks 1 x apple peeled, cut up then put thru a blender cause dogs cant digest raw veggies, so you need to blended & stopped just before the veggies become a pulp, then to 1 kilo mince, I added just 2-3 heap spoon of the blended veggies/fruit mix, I froze the rest of blended veggie/fruit mix into 3 spoon section & just took out & put in fridge when needed to add to the raw roo mince, I’m feeding beef mince now aswell.. roo for breakfast & beef for dinner….The naturopath has started Patch on an elimination diet & I haven’t added anything new in the diet yet just started another protein beef, I had to picked 1 protein kangaroo & 3-4 veggies & 2 fruits, less is best to start with, Patch had to stay on this diet for 1 month then I can add a new veggie & fruit.. I haven’t made another appointment yet, his smelly yeasty skin & red paws cleared up within 3 days of starting this raw elimination diet.. I also bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo as soon as he itches & started to smell, I haven’t needed to bath him for 1 month, Patch was having a bath every 5-7 days before

Do not feed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumkin, peas, & bananas they’re starchy veggies & fruit can cause itchy yeasty skin, my boy gets hive like lumps from potatoes & diarrhea, itchy ears & skin from sweet potatoes pumkin & banana… also try & stick with green veggies, broccoli, beans, celery, bok choy, zucchini etc ..I also added a digestive enzyme 1/2 capsule with breakfast the other 1/2 capsule with dinner ….Digestive enzymes help with allergies food/seasonal & yeast problems & strengthen their immune please read- http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/enzymes-for-dogs.html ….. stop everything & start again here’s the raw diet scroll down to bottom & click on “skin allergy diet”- http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

[Bobby dog]

Hi j m:
I have read that too, smaller firmer stools. TBH, none of my animals stools are large or soft anyway; everyone seems to be utilizing their diet to the fullest extent. lol I don’t feed my kitties raw for every meal. It ends up being about 1/wk. That is all they will do. Sometimes Archie will eat it two days in a row, but no more than that. I have not experienced any digestive upsets. That would be concerning to me. The food may not agree with them, could be a health issue that warrants a Vet visit, or perhaps the fiber content in their new diet is not quite their magic number, IDK. Nobody likes a nasty litter box!

[jakes mom]

Raw feeders…how’s the kitty poos? I had heard that raw fed animals have smaller firmer stools but the litter boxes have been pretty messy these last few weeks. I thought maybe it was just the transition period but still messy! Do you think it will get better or does this mean that they’re not tolerating it well? Don’t seem to be in any distress, it’s just the nasty boxes for me.

[Gem M]

I’ve seen that site! Sorry to say but vets all have different takes, a lot of their work is trial and error and in my opinion you can never do enough research of the good the bad and the ugly. If the raw feeding movement had enough money to compete against the commercial dog food industry for research and proof I’m sure even this site could argue better, but most research is done in bias.

I’m glad we have knowledge to do what we feel is best for our pets! But I guess people against raw would like me to stick with a dog who has the runs, itchy skin, raw pads, mucky ears and bad anal glands!

[Taylor C]

Hi Red, thanks for the response. Yes, we had her tested (they drew blood, sent it off, and results came back listing everything she was allergic to) and then the vet gave us injections (that we draw up from vials designed for her based on results) and we’ve been doing that since October. I’ve heard it can take a while to see results but we just haven’t seen any improvement. With our luck, she’ll be the 20% that doesn’t respond to the injections. But even so, I’m hoping to make as many improvements in her food and environment as I can to help reduce the symptoms. Her food especially.

[Taylor C]

My poor boxer/pit mix has been battling allergies for years. We’ve made countless trips to the vet, been on round after round of steroids and antibiotics, and we’ve done allergy testing and injections as well. She’s been on so many rounds of medications, in fact, she developed mange because her immune system was so suppressed. So anyways, all that to say, we were fed up with medications and pricey kibble, so we switched to raw last year. We saw a slight improvement, more so in her energy level, but she’s still scratching. Like I mentioned, we had allergy tests done, so when selecting foods for her raw diet, I obviously stayed away from anything she is allergic too (mixed fish, corn, soybean, wheat, duck, and yeast). I feed her beef, green beans, black beans, and sweet potato or pumpkin. At each feeding, it add a TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar, as well as a probiotic and Curcumin. With her still being so itchy, I’m wondering if the produce is too starchy and creating yeast?
And also, I asked my vet if (in relation to the beef I feed her) the cows are feeding on a grass or grain that she’s allergic to, could that indirectly affect her. My vet said it absolutely could, so what am I to do?!?! What protein can I give her that doesn’t feed on grass or grain?? I’m at a loss. And I really don’t want to put her on a kibble (my vet suggested Science Diet ZD) if I can help it but I’m almost wondering if a processed protein would actually affect her less? I don’t know! Any suggestions would be so greatly appreciated…thank you!!!

[cindy q]

Yes I did get the sample offer, thanks Amy. I am going to be feeding Darwins once a day because I also use a dehydrated raw, Big Dog Natural my dogs love it. I am concerned with it staying frozen all day in the Summer because I work and won’t be home when it’s delivered.

[Gem M]

Okay so here is his history

We obtained him at 8 weeks he was skin and bones. The vets told us to prepare for the worse. He didn’t even weigh a pound! He had blood in his stools but was very playful and alert. They said it was parvovirus, I argued that it was worms. After worming him regularly each week he started to grow and the weight came on. Food was an issue he’d go three months the get sore skin and anal glands. Some food he would have very loose stools.

The vets would give us steroids but overall we just kept moving through different kibbles moving to anything grain free. He never had an ounce of fat on him and had an absolute love of life but never got to an ideal weight for a pointer for more than a month. We managed his environmental exposures to help his paws and kept switching foods every 3 – 6 months unless there was an immediate problem.

In January I researched food until I was blue in the face, by this time I was working at a vets myself. I decided on Orijen… The vets disagreed that he needed so much protein and as he was loosing weight I felt despite him looking fab fur wise, anal gland wise and pads I should listen to one particular vet and give him a carb based diet. He gained nothing and I spoke to a nutritionist who said no way is this the right food for him. So I decided enough is enough we are going raw. I spoke with another nutritionist and she explained meats, percentages etc etc. I’m also adding in some sweet potato and butternut squash to his veggies. The plan is lamb as a main base, little fish each day and small amounts of goats yogurt and veg. Egg each day.. Then move to more meat but all of this slowly slowly..

So my boy is pretty much the dream of my vets, he is very active, yet calm, and they think I’m making too much fuss as he is in their minds healthy!! I have spoken to 7 different vets with all different backgrounds and they all say yes he is underweight but he is fine. But I can see every rib, his hip bones, even his back bones. He shivers in the winter. He needs some fat. We’ve gone from walking him 2.5 hours a day off lead to 1 hour every other day off lead. But we can see that what other dogs do in a week he does in an hour. That’s no exaggeration we once did a 26 mile hike and he was STILL running on the 25th mile! He is just a beautiful dog with a lust for life. He is fast playful and great fun. He plays fetch, plays with my other dog, loves his walks and is active around the house for about 8 hours a day… But very obedient.

Anyway last night I gave him some frozen meat in a bowl and he absolutely woofed it down… So I think it’s a texture issue! I’m sure giving frozen is not good but I’d rather that than no food. He ate some frozen lamb, pumpkin, two eggs and two frozen sprats in the end!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Gem M.

[LexiDog]

I’m currently using Darwins. I like it because they stamp on the package when it was made so I can tell how long it has been frozen. It is a little more watery than Stella & Chewys or Primal. My girl eats it up! I have priced it out, shipping and all, and it is still cheaper than Stella & Chewys 6 lb bag. Even of the less expensive proteins like their chicken. I also like that on average it has less fat in their formulas than other frozen raw. Sometimes the packages do leak. I think I only have had 1 half pound packages leak out of the last 42 lbs. order, so that isn’t too bad. The food is always frozen when it arrives.

i constantly get compliments on my dogs coat and how shiny and soft it is. Her poops are firm and small. She poops about once a day, which is nice. Although I am going to be going to half raw half dehydrated. Just to save a little bit on her food costs.

Have you tried their sample offer? It’s 10 lbs for $14.95. Great deal.

[chris]

I wanted to add I fed him some ricotta cheese today on top of his Merricks and he enjoyed that a ton. I know one of you posted a link to taking kefir and fruit and making frozen treats out of it. I was wondering what fruits are best or are allowed for that matter. I know some fruits including grapes especially dogs can’t really have. I have a garden of my own that I have strawberries and blueberries growing all naturally as I don’t use pesticides or anything. Was wondering if they would be okay to use.

I also have home made sweet potatoes growing and was going to mash them up and put them on his food once in a while. 🙂

[Bobby dog]

I think Naturella fed one of their kibble recipes to Bruno, maybe catch up with her. One of the regulars, can’t remember who, feeds a freeze dried raw cat recipe in their rotation too. I have only fed cat food as a topper for Bobby when none of the cats liked it.

[Pitlove]

Hi Terry-

Dogs aren’t born with allergies, they develop them over time through overexposure to the same food. Even though you were feeding an excellent quality dehydrated raw diet, you didnt vary the proteins she got, hence the sudden onset of the allergy.

As for the myth about the wet food making the teeth worse, its just that, a myth. Every dog needs their teeth brushed regularly just like a human in order to avoid dental problems. Raw meaty bones are also probably the best thing to clean the teeth like Rhonda suggested. And if you were rehydrating the raw as you should its no different than the wet food getting on her teeth.

I would suggest keeping her on the dehyrated raw diet but changing the protein source and even brand, obviously now avoiding whatever protein she is allergic to.

[Gem M]

Thank you so much for the link I will read it now. I just feel I can give him a better diet than cooked kibble. I support raw and feel that he should eat what I’m providing him with. But I know many people have this issue and worry when they transition, hence an urgent help appeal. The food he was on was given at double the recommended feeding guidelines and he was still not gaining weight. He ate it but it didn’t improve his health only he didnt react to it 🙂

[Anonymous]

Why not cook the meat up for him a little bit? Why does he have to have raw? Why not stay with the food that agreed with him, maybe add something.

You may find some helpful tips here http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[Gem M]

Please please help…. I started my two German shorthaired pointers on raw on Friday. One can’t get enough of it, the other who has always eaten fine is totally upset with it. He went from Thursday until Saturday night not touching it (mince) with me putting it down for 30 and taking it back up until that meal he ate a little with a lot of coaxing… Sunday he ate a bit for breakfast and a tiny bit this evening with coaxing. He is very underweight so we need him to have proper nutrition hence switching him to raw from Orijen. Any cheaper food makes him Ill with allergies, orijen made him loose 5kg he didn’t have but allergies healed.
I’m so worried that
A he won’t start eating a full meal again
B he will loose more weight
C he won’t accept it ever
D he will get really ill
Please can you help?

[Gem M]

Please please help…. I started my two German shorthaired pointers on raw on Friday. One can’t get enough of it, the other who has always eaten fine is totally upset with it. He went from Thursday until Saturday night not touching it (mince) with me putting it down for 30 and taking it back up until that meal he ate a little with a lot of coaxing… Sunday he ate a bit for breakfast and a tiny bit this evening with coaxing. He is very underweight so we need him to have proper nutrition hence switching him to raw from Orijen. Any cheaper food makes him Ill with allergies, orijen made him loose 5kg he didn’t have but allergies healed.

I’m so worried that
A he won’t start eating a full meal again
B he will loose more weight
C he won’t accept it ever
D he will get really ill

Please can you help?

[Rhonda L]

Since she was doing well on the dehydrated raw, how about trying another brand and protein? The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s, Primal… all good options. As for her teeth, our yorkiepoo loves a nice leisurely gnaw on a recreational bone or bully stick.

[C4D]

I use THK, Grandma Lucy’s and Sojos in rotation. I normally use the premix and add fresh cooked meat to them. I also occaisonally use the meat inclusive and will sometimes add fresh cooked meat or raw eggs to these to up the protein level. My dogs love them all. 🙂

[InkedMarie]

I had a dog with yeast ear infections and potato definitely did not help. I put him on ground raw, no fruits or veggies and that worked. If you won’t do raw, look for a limited ingredient food, no potatoes.

[Terry G]

My friend’s very beloved four year old Yorshire Terrier has been on Stella and Chewy’s dehydrated raw food her whole life. Her favorite is “Duck, Duck, Goose”. Until recently, she did quite well on the food, but a few days ago she became very sick. The vet thinks she may have developed a food allergy. Does anyone have any recommendations for small dogs? The Yorkie only weighs about four pounds. My friend was advised not to feed canned food because Yorkie’s are notorious with having dental problems caused by the canned food sticking to their teeth. Any help and recommendations will be truly appreciated! Thank-you!
Terry

[Bobby dog]

Bobby tells me all the time cat food is fine for dogs when I catch him chowing down on it. He gets to eat any new foods the cats don’t like; it never goes to waste with Bobby around. AAFCO standards for minerals are similar for cats and dogs. It’s fine for dogs to eat cat food, but dog food is not fine for cats because they need added taurine in their food that dog food does not typically have in it. Some do, Fromm’s canned dog foods is one, Nature’s Variety frozen raw and canned dog food used to, but not anymore, and Wysong makes a kibble that is for both cats and dogs. I am sure there are other brands that add taurine to their dog recipes too.

[cindy q]

Holistic Blends grain free it has a 5 star rating and is made in Canada. I pour coconut oil over this and my dogs love it. I also feed a dehydrated raw Big Dog Natural.

[jakes mom]

Yep, we’ll get there eventually. I’ll be happy to get Julie on board with the Darwin’s at least. Maybe the other 2 will come around, too. They are eating canned with a bit of raw so they’re not completely put off by the smell or anything like that.

[Pitlove]

nice progress JM! Dani ate a little of her Primal raw turkey with her FF turkey (no throw up btw), but shes still hesistant for the raw. I’ll sway her in time tho 😀

[Frances A]

Has anyone tried Natures Variety Raw Daily Boost supplement?

[Frances A]

I started my pups (mini schnauzer and GSD) on a total raw diet and then got over whelmed. Switched to a frozen raw and then to kibble and canned. My husband was not a fan of the canned and said we could make our own homemade (which is much less expensive.) I’m now giving them both Natures Variety Kibble and a homecooked chicken, veggies, salmon and coconut oil, yogurt and some pumpkin food. I’m liking the way it’s going. I am going to add a supplement though, which is what I’m researching now.

[LexiDog]

Thanks! I am just trying to get some opinions on which one people think is better.

I have been feeding my girl raw for a while now but the cost is just getting to be a little too much. So, I need to cut back somewhere. I was thinking about doing raw in the morning and kibble in the evening and then I remembered GLP and THK! Both of the foods are good and I just couldn’t see which one is better.

Do you know what the broken corn flake looking things are in GLP? Are those the chickpeas? Or the chicken?

[“Blue”]

We feed Blue twice a day with a variety of dehydrated, raw and kibble. His stools are just fine.
Breakfast-
2/3 cup Origen dry
2-3 Tbls homemade milk kefir (topper)
1/2 cup Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance/Honest Kitchen

Dinner-
2/3 cup Origen dry
2-3 Tbls canned dog food (topper) or sardines (not topper)
1/2 lb. package Darwins Raw

These foods are not mixed into one in his bowl just as we place our food separately on a plate. He absolutely doesn’t have a favorite and may start in on any one. He will usually finish one before going to the next food, but not always.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by "Blue".

[zcRiley]

I haven’t heard that. Your dog is lucky to have different food types per day. Can you imagine eating the same food for years and years? I feed raw dehydrated for breakfast, a 5 star kibble for lunch and another 5 star brand for dinner. As a side (not mixed in), I rotate a canned food daily. The stools are medium sized firm and I make sure the total daily amount matches their activity level for the day (lots of swimming as summer approaches!). Dasuquin Advanced as treats and deer shank bones in between. Vet visits are a thing of the past. Just watch for any allergic reactions when introducing a new food.

[Naturella]

Hi, Cindy! From my experience, it is okay to feed both raw and kibble. If they are two separate meals, you should have nothing to worry about, but I’ve even heard of people feeding raw and kibble in the same meal with no issues. So it really just depends on your dog – watch their stool and overall behavior for any signs of discomfort, but with me, it has always been fine. I feed a raw egg with kibble on Wednesday mornings and I feed kibble and canned for breakfast on Sundays and raw for dinner on Sundays with no problems.

Maybe others will chime in with more advice, but I think it should be totally fine.