[Chrissy L]

Hello,
I have a 3yr 120lb Great Dane and a 4yr 8lb Chihuahua, I am wanting to wade into raw feeding instead of jumping headlong, because I’m not sure my dane will like it. He is a bit picky but he has started eating non-food items so the vet said he is lacking something in his diet. I do have access to a butcher, but not game meat. And I dont know what bones are ok for one dog and not the other. I also would rather not feed commercial if possible, I am a stay at home mom and so I have the time to put into whatever prep is needed.

Thanks

[aquariangt]

Akari-are you using a premix of any sort? Are there those for cats? Or are you just doing a full on homeade raw?

[Akari_32]

The problem with feeding a cat dog food is that dog food typically lacks taurine, which is essential for cats. And the problem with feeding chunked canned foods is that they are very (*very*) high in carbs. Carbs are hard on a cats system, because they aren’t meant to digest them, and they take a lot of water for their bodies to break down. Not to mention, they are the cause of tartar build up on the teeth, with out regular brushing. I do include some chunky style canned foods in my cats rotation, yes, but they do not make any significant portion of his diet.

I’m actually finding a raw diet is cheaper than even using coupons to get super good deals on premium brands. With raw, you want to use lots of dark and red meats and hearts because they are high in fat and taurine. Dark meat chicken is cheap, usually about $1 a pound, pork is around $2.50 a pound, and many cuts go on fantastic sales for $1 a pound. Large pieces of meat and chicken bone are great for dental health. He also eats much less on raw than canned. On canned he normally gets about 9 oz. On raw, he eats 6 oz.

[crazy4cats]

Hey Guys-
I only feed my dogs raw a couple times per week. I usually feed either frozen or freeze dried. When I was on the Primal website doing some comparisons, I ran across this statement:

It is important to only serve Primal raw foods when completely thawed. Frozen foods can be difficult for animals to digest. Never microwave any pet food. Microwaves cause the fat molecules to radically change, making fats less digestible, and ultimately they can become harmful to your pet’s long-term health.

I often forget to thaw out the frozen nuggets and mix them in their kibble partially frozen, not really thinking much about it. According to their statement, feeding it frozen can be tough on them.

Any thoughts on this?

[Akari_32]

Guys. I was looking back through the thread, and it’s been a year since I brought Kitty home!! :O this calls for celebration! I think I’ll get him lamb for his next raw meal :3

Speaking of raw, I’ve got an order of 8oz Reditainers on the way from Amazon! Right now, he’s getting 6oz of canned and 6oz of raw, rotating days. He’ll get either Fancy Feast, Wellness Duos or Wellness Sliced/Minced/Cubed (2x 3oz cans) one day, a 5.5oz can of Friskies Special Diet (randomly replaced with Newmans Own, and a couple other brands) another day, 6oz of balanced raw the next, and then another 5.5oz can the next day, and then it starts all over again. I opted to pull the better brands (Halo Vigor, Halo Impulse, and Natures Variety) out and save them for if I ever go away and whoever watches him cannot do raw. There’s probably 8 cans, none of them expiring until sometime in 2016 (I wrote all the expiration dates down on the tops of the cans). Once the rest of the canned is gone, he will be on 100% raw! I’ve got something like 50 days of canned left, so it’ll be a while, but I’m very happy with his coat and teeth improvements with raw only being a few times a week 🙂 Can’t wait till I’ve used all the canned up 😀

[mountainhound]

You don’t have to feed raw, there are a million brands out there that are not made of recycled waste.

[Stacey A]

Hi. We’ve been making our own dog food for many years and I feel like it’s selfish not to share with others the way we make it economically. I realize the majority of people don’t have access to the same resources that we have but some people might benefit from this information and it really saves a lot of money while being very good for the dogs.

The #1 most important item we have to make this possible is our large pressure cooker. The reason it is so important is that when you pressure cook a chicken the bones become very soft and crumbly like chalk. You can literally take the leg bone of a pressure cooked chicken and pinch it into pieces between your thumb and forefinger. No splinters – and LOTS of calcium and other minerals. This only works with chicken. The bones of turkey, beef, pork etc. will not crumble this way. We have not tried it with fish and we do intend to, at some point. The pressure cooker is well worth the expense because keeping the bones really makes a chicken go a lot further and provides the dogs with a lot of nutrition.

We live on a farm and raise chickens for our friends and family and process them here. All we ask for, in exchange for the work we do raising the chickens, is the cost of feed and all of the “byproducts”, which we use in our homemade dog food. So basically we raise chickens and get paid with dog food. I’m not sure if our definition of “byproducts” is the same as the definition on the dog food bags but, if it is, “byproducts” are definitely not a bad thing. We keep all of the backs, necks, bones and organs (but not the stomach or intestines or feathers or heads/beaks). We would keep the feet because, believe it or not, there is a LOT of meat on feet and they are full of glucosamine etc. In many cultures, people eat the feet after the scales and toenails are removed. Unfortunately my husband is so grossed out by the appearance of the feet that he insists we throw them away and won’t even allow us to give them to the dogs.

I realize others don’t have access to the byproducts that we do but you can just use whole chickens and get the same results. When you cook a chicken for your family you wind up throwing over half of it away. Don’t throw away any part of your store-bought whole chicken, not the giblets or the skin or the necks or bones. If you want to keep the breasts for yourselves and give the rest of the chicken to the dogs you’re getting a very economical meal or two for yourself and the dogs.

So – just throw your whole chickens into your pressure cooker with some water and pressure cook them for 45 minutes to an hour. We think garlic is good for dogs and add a lot of it to the chicken but some people feel like garlic is bad for dogs because it comes from the same family as onions. As far as I know, no studies have been done. It depends on your altitude and what weight you use on the pressure cooker and it might take some trial and error – but cook them until the bones just crumble between your fingers. For us that’s 45 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Keep the broth to add to the water you cook your grains in.

Next, cook up an equal amount of rice or oatmeal, wheat berries, amaranth – whatever grains you have cheap and easy access to. We’ll use anything except for corn meal because we don’t want to feed anything GMO to our dogs. Oatmeal and rice are very cheap. There’s some controversy over potatoes but a lot of people feel potatoes are fine to feed to dogs instead of or in addition to grains.

Next, an equal amount of veggies. There’s some controversy as to whether or not the dogs actually need the veggies but they’re a good filler, they’re cheap, and they’re probably good for the dogs. We use stuff from our garden and also go to GFS and get the huge cans of green beans, carrots, and peas.

Just mix everything together and package it up – 1/3 meat, 1/3 carbs and 1/3 veggies. We currently feed our dogs 50% homemade dog food and 50% kibble just to make sure they get a lot of variety, but kibble makes us nervous. You never know when your brand is going to be on the recall list. We’d switch to 100% homemade dog food but we’d have to have a lot more chicken that way and we don’t believe in buying meat. We don’t like to eat anything we haven’t raised ourselves so we know for sure there aren’t any hormones etc. and that the animals were raised and butchered humanely and with very good sanitation.

We also feed the dogs other things when they’re available. We raise milk goats and have access to a lot of fresh raw goat milk – we have been careful not to give the dogs too much goat milk because we don’t want them to get diarrhea but we’ve never had any bad results from giving them small amounts of the raw goat milk or goat yogurt. Goat milk is so much more digestible than cow milk, and if you make it into yogurt or kefir the lactose gets removed. Also, kombucha is very good for the dogs and prevents cancer. We make our own and it only costs about 30 cents per gallon to make.

We have always had large breed dogs – shepherds, shepherd mixes. They’ve lived 13-14 years so we must be feeding them right.

[MaggiesDad]

Hi, I am one of the owners of Allprovide, and would like to address some of the points made above!
All our foods meet or exceed the AAFCO guidelines for nutrition, and this is stated on the first page of our site. If you look at each page for our products, we give a full nutritional analysis, on an “as fed” basis. We feel this is a more accurate way to understand what you are feeding your dogs.
The Guaranteed Analysis for each product is clearly shown on our boxes. I have noted the comments about this being absent from our site and will ensure this is updated! We do however show a full nutritional breakdown for all products.
We only use human grade, USDA Grade A inspected or Select meats. We never use any intensively farmed animals, and frequently take home the chicken we buy for ourselves! We would never feed our four dogs anything that we wouldn’t eat. Our chicken comes from Koch Foods and Harrison Poultry Inc in case anyone would like to check them out.
We do offer free two day shipping across over 30 States. Our foods are frozen and shipped in polystyrene boxes inside cardboard boxes for extra insulation, and in the summer months we will also use dry ice where appropriate.
We include vegetables in our foods because of the excellent nutrients and minerals they supply, not for the carbohydrates. The veg is ground finely to enable the dogs to access all the goodness, as of course just like humans, they find it difficult to process cellulose without some help breaking it down!
Our products have been developed so that they can be cooked in their 1lb pouches where customers may have concerns about bacteria. The bone pieces are extremely small, and soften during the cooking process, thereby ensuring no hazard. Some people have an issue with the natural pathogens found in raw meat, so even though our food is fully tested to be as safe as possible, we thought this would overcome any concerns someone may have about feeding Allprovide if for example they have to be extra health conscious due to a compromised immune system or having a young family. Personally, here at Allprovide we all believe in the benefits of raw feeding, as opposed to cooked or processed foods, and our dogs won’t eat anything else! (Although our Chihuahua for some reason only known to herself demands that her food is cooked in the morning and raw in the evening!)
Regarding the cost of our product, we are firm believers that quality does not have to be expensive. We source only the best ingredients but keep our overheads to a minimum to keep our costs down. We also do Bulk Buy packs with minimal packaging to pass the savings to our customers who do not want to be deluged with cardboard to recycle! We also set up our factory in Georgia to be close to the source of our ingredients, because Gainsville is the chicken capital of the USA! We never cut corners, and insist that all our ingredients only come from the human food supply chain.
We are very proud of our product and what we do, and anyone is more than welcome to tour our new factory in Norcross, GA
If anyone has any further questions about our products, or ingredients, or simply would like to try some free samples, please feel free to call me, Michael, on 678-585-1606.

[SdianeM M]

I wish I could post pics of the samples they sent me. I do not know anything about feeding raw, but I’m ready to learn. The food is delivered in vacuum packages of 1 pd size. They have a batch number on the package.

The packages were in a cardboard box, and that was in a styrofoam container. My shipment was delayed by FedEx, so I got it in 3 days – all frozen.

The owner sent me free samples to try, but I need to finish her off so her kibbles first. The owner is very nice and willing to help. He welcomes people to visit his factory in Norcross, GA.

I am anxious to learn more from all of you.

[Jennifer H]

Dori : Oh yeah, I have no plans to heat it. That seems silly to me to buy a raw food and then cook it. I usually just get his food set up about 30mins before hand to let it come to room temp, although now that it’s heating up I just give it straight out of the fridge.

It wasn’t bolded or anything, just kind of tucked in a random spot on the ingredients section, I pretty much found it by sheer chance haha.

The ONLY thing I can think of is they are keeping prices low to develop a customer base, they claim they have a very successful business in the UK as well (but I could not find more info on that).

I like the ingredients, a lot, although the fat seems rather high. I want to like it, and I can’t wait to hear back after you call tomorrow!

If I get too worried about it I can just toss it, I’m not too upset over a loss of $15 :p I am a little worried over it, but I only plan to feed Toby a small amount at first until we learn more about the company.

I live in Florida, and I got 2 day shipping for free. I’d really like to see how everything is packaged. Still kind of bummed about it being in 1lb bags, not sure how I’m gonna portion that. Thinking about just plopping it in ice cube trays.

The website is a pain to navigate. From what I’m seeing all the recipes have roughly 60-70% of the calories coming from fat.

[Dori]

I should first inform you Jennifer that I am a commercial raw feeder so I wouldn’t cook, warm up or microwave any food I’m feeding my three dogs. But as Sandy has stated, and she would know better than I would, if bones are truly finely ground up then I guess you could cook them or warm them up in your microwave which is basically cooking them. That, to me, basically negates the reason for feeding a commercial or home raw diet.

I didn’t see the mention of AAFCO though I’m glad you did. I found their site a bit time consuming and not particularly easy to get around. I do have a problem in that their food is as inexpensive as it is and that shipping is free. Though I live in Georgia, not anywhere near their manufacturing plant, they say than can FedX my orders free of charge over night. As I said earlier, something just seems off to me but I’m not sure what. I’m going to call the company tomorrow and get some answers to some questions I have and I’ll post back here.

It also concerned me where it was mentioned the amount of fat in the calorie count. I really do need a review of this food from Dr. Mike and his team before I would ever feed it to my dogs.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[Jennifer H]

Dori – I agree that something does seem a bit off. It’s a lot of marketing but not a ton of information about the product itself. The owner does seem rather forthcoming however. I’m just really suspicious of the pricing and the free 2 day shipping. It doesn’t really all add up.

I’ll only feed it occasionally to Toby due being wary of the product, but it would be rather nice if it ends up being an affordable raw food. But small companies make me nervous.

I found this on the ingredients section : “Allprovide is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for gestation, lactation, growth, maintenance or all life stages as appropriate. See individual product labels for details.”

It also weirds me out that they say the product can also be cooked, but they use ground bone in the product.

Although I did enjoy this on the feeding section “OVER-FEEDING AND OBESITY ARE MAJOR CAUSES OF SERIOUS ILLNESSES.” I should print that and tape it to my neighbors door.

[Dori]

I’ve never heard of Allprovide Raw. Think I’ll wait until Dr. Mike and his team review the food and what thoughts they have, if any, on the company itself. I would be interested if, indeed, it is on DFA’s list of foods to be reviewed. I’ll wait.

Aquariangt: There’s no mention of GA on the site and also no mention of AAFCO either. Not that I don’t have foods in rotation that aren’t AAFCO compliant I just find it odd that they don’t even allude to it. I can’t, with comfort, feed a diet that at bare minimum doesn’t have a GA anywhere on the site unless we’re all missing it. Like you said, weirds me out too. Something seems off to me, obviously I could be wrong.

Jennifer H: Please give us an update once you’ve received the food and have fed it for a while. Thanks much!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[Jennifer H]

Somehow I missed the giant “free shipping” sign on the site. Oops.

How can they offer it so cheap though? I would be paying only 15.20 for my first order of 8lbs of raw, grade a dog food with free shipping. Now I’m suspicious.

[Jennifer H]

Wow I really love the ingredients in that food. I think it looks really good, but I’d like to know the dry matter % of fat to make sure they aren’t getting most of their meat from fatty cuttings.

I don’t like that it’s in 1lb pouches, as that could be a pain to portion for smaller dogs, but that probably cuts costs for them.

The site kind of sucks though, and I’m having difficulty estimating shipping (it keeps telling me free, which I know can’t be right. Also 50% off your first order holy smokes!)

I have no issue feeding vegetables to my dog so long as they are properly processed. Personally I think farmed meats lack some nutrition, and that it can be quite difficult to fully balance a diet with just meat/bone.

I feed my dog a homemade raw diet, but he’s so small (12lbs) it can be difficult to balance. I’m considering switching to a rotational commercial raw diet with a few RMBs a week.

Would love more info on this product 🙂

[Dori]

Hi John. Just saw your post here and I’d like to reply and help if I can.

Nope, it wasn’t me that suggested that you keep your dogs on the same protein. That’s totally against what I do or would recommend. I may not have explained things correctly. What I had said is that I would suggest that you find a few different (proteins) that your dogs do well on and rotate within the brand if, in fact, there are different proteins in that brand that you can feed. Also find other brands with proteins you dogs do well on and rotate within all the brands all the proteins that your dogs can eat. Rotate proteins and brands. It is never, in my opinion and the way I feed, a good idea to keep a dog long term on any one protein and on any one brand.

I can’t comment on the Acana line or any dry food as I’ve mentioned before. My allergy, intolerant girl can actually eat Nature’s Logic kibble but only the dry and only the sardine formula and only in my way of rotating which is often.

Other foods I thought you might want to consider to add into their diets are Nature’s Variety Instinct Freeze Dried Lamb (doesn’t contain any poultry, fowl, or beef)

Nature’s Variety Limited Instinct Kibble Rabbit or Lamb.

Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried. They have a rabbit, a lamb and also a venison formula. None of which contain beef or fowl of any sort.

I think adding freeze dried to their diets in rotation would be a little more cost effective with the kibbles you’ll be feeding because this way, at least, they’ll be getting some of the benefits of raw on occasion. The other is that if freeze dried is too expensive as their entire diet in rotation you might consider rotating through the freeze dried foods that I mentioned and use them just as their treats. You’ll be sure they’re getting healthy treats and they’ll benefit health wise and you don’t have to worry about what’s in the commercial “treats” which usually contain something dogs with food intolerances have issues with. I hope this has helped. Sorry, but I hadn’t realized that you were on the road 9 months of the year. Hopefully when you stationary from time to time if your room has a fridge with small freezer you may be able to just buy small bags of raw frozen to add into their diets. Nature’s Variety Instinct is sold in most, if not all, Petco and Petsmarts and they seem to be everywhere in the country. I love that you travel with your dogs and that they are a priority in our lives. Yes, we are all rather companion animal obsessed (or most of us are) and we like it that way. So, never fear, you’re not in the minority in the world of dogs and your wanting to do the very best you can for them. I’m pretty sure it would be a safe bet that most of us dog obsessed people on this site feed our dogs healthier diets that we do ourselves and our families. I’ve been known to do a McDonald’s drive thru from time to time for myself and my husband yet would rather die than feed my dogs any low quality garbage dog food. They become our children and, as such, we commit ourselves to their health and welfare. As typical parents, we usually put ourselves last. In my opinion that’s a good thing. They can’t choose what they eat, we do it for them so we should try to do the best for them. It’s the least we can do for them when you consider all they give us in return.

[John P]

Update: First, I want to thank everyone again for your thorough, prompt, and caring responses. I’ve tried to browse the forum to see if I could help anyone as you’ve helped me. So far, I haven’t found any topic that I feel I am qualified to give an educated opinion, but I will check back regularly.

Back to Iggy and Bella – I have had the luxury of feeding a mostly raw diet in this “detox” or “transition” phase only because this is the off-season for my business. In a few weeks, my dogs and I will begin our regular business road trips across the country (I could fly, but I would never crate my dogs in the cargo bay unless absolutely necessary). I travel with my dogs because I don’t want to be without them for extended periods of time, and I know most boarders won’t (and often can’t) provide the love, care, and attention that my dogs get from me (and that I feel they need and deserve). I tell you all this only because our transient lifestyle for nine months out of the year necessitates a dry dog food/kibble. That is why I have taken all of your excellent advice and focused my research and attention on dry dog foods.

Right now, I have found three highly rated dry dog foods with three distinct proteins that I plan to begin introducing into their diets. Here they are:
• Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash Dry Dog Food
•. Acana Singles Lamb and Apple Dry Dog Food
•. Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Rabbit Meal Dry Dog Food

Ideally, I would like to add at least one more food with at least one more single distinct protein to keep in the rotation, although I’m having trouble sorting through all the options to find anything suitable. I know both Iggy and Bella tolerate venison because they did well on the small bag of the Sweet Potato and Venison dog food I bought from that hack brand when I was desperate to switch and couldn’t find anything better at my local PetCo. They also do well with the raw venison that I get from my dad and brothers (they are hunters and have freezers full of the stuff). However, I can’t find any highly-rated venison food that isn’t fortified with fowl or beef (or both). If someone could give me a suggestion on a single-protein venison food, I would greatly appreciate it. Considering they will be getting this food in a rotation with other highly recommended foods, I think it would be acceptable for this venison food to have a lower protein count (correct me if I’m wrong – I’m just guessing). Alternatively, if you know of another protein that is not fowl, fish, beef, bison, or the proteins listed above, I could really use that help too. I’m afraid if one or more of these options don’t work out, which is quite possible, I’ll be going back to the drawing board and coming back begging for more help. Haha!

I believe it was Dori who suggested (or possibly impied) that I should at least consider using multiple foods with the same protein for the sake of variety if I am unable to find a suitable number of distinct proteins. If I must go that route, suggestions on single-protein dry dog foods (or, I suppose, dry dog foods with a mix of these proteins, although I find that highly doubtable) that I should try within these limits would also be very helpful, especially as I prepare logs and attempt to rule out sensitivities that might not be protein-related.

I have some excellent news, too! I have found a locally-owned pet store that is only an hour’s drive from my house. Their prices are significantly cheaper than sites like Chewy and Wag. Per 25-pound bag of premium dog food brands like Acana, I can save an average of $20 to $25. Also, they offered to order any food they don’t carry with no minimum quantities per order and no special order fee. They staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. They even told me about this website before I had a chance to tell them that this is where I had done my research. I’ll never give PetCo or PetsMart my business again!

Thank you again. I am glad that I joined this online family of pet lovers. Among my friends and family, my dedication to my pets is often derided as obsessive, and my investment in their health is deemed wasteful. This community understands the relationship I have with Iggy and Bella, and I would go so far as to say that you encourage it. I look forward to hearing any additional help that any of you might have to offer, and I especially look forward to contributing my experiences to help others in the future.

[Akari_32]

I’ve never even heard of that brand. Just looked it up, and what concerns me is how cheap it is. Makes me wonder how they source their meat. Could be 4D meat, or something like that. Seems a bit strange for a premade raw diet to be so inexpensive. However, they could just have a really good relationship with local farms and ranches. Who knows for sure, with out actually contacting them and asking where they source their meat from.

That said, dogs don’t need veggies in their diets. They simply lack the ability to fully digest plant matter. It’s not very expensive at all to do a home made, balanced, prey model diet, of 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% other organs. Pretty comparable to the price of a good kibble, and usually a bit cheaper when there are good deals. I use the Raw Dog app for iPhone to help me calculate it all, however, I do not balance every since day like the app does, but over a few days. The dog I’m feeding is so small it would be nearly impossible to give him such a small amount of bone and organ every day lol

Raw helped my yeasty dog a lot. Unfortunately, a good deal of his allergies are environmental as well, so he is not 100%, but is still doing much better on raw than he was on any kibble I ever tried him on. The thing with yeast is you don’t want to give it any fuel, which is carbs. Carbs are found in veggies and plant products, which Allprovide has. It’s best to just make your own diet if your dog have yeast problems. There are several groups on FaceBook that are really great resources for beginners, such as Raw Feeding Community, Prey Model Raw (PMR) for Dogs, and Raw Feeding FRIENDS. You should definitely check them out 🙂

[SdianeM M]

I have been researching a lot and it sounds as though a raw diet would help my pup with yeast issues.

The owner of Allprovide dog food graciously sent me out a sample of his food that he is selling that can be served raw or cooked.

Has anyone looked into this food? The owner mentioned that his product is on the list to be tested by Dog Advisor; however, it will take some time.

[Dori]

Hi Beverly. Glad her eyes seem to be clearing up and that she’s liking what is a fabulous food. Don’t forget that you can rotate through the different proteins and, of course, through other freeze dried foods. Primal is my favorite of all raw and freeze dried foods. Second for freeze dried foods is Vital Essentials.

And now I’ll have to start bugging you to go to gravatar.com and post a picture of Sugar. I can’t wait to see her. We love doggie pics. 🙂

[jakes mom]

Just wanted to throw this out to everybody. I have a cat, Smudge, who’s struggled with one yeasty ear for years. We’d go to the vet, do the ear drop thing, it clears up, back again in no time. Thru this site (vet never mentioned it) I decided it might be a food issue. I have not been able to figure out what the problem is. Now to get to the coco oil part. I’ve read so much here about the good things coco oil can do so I bought some and Jake and a couple of the cats like it. Not Smudge of course. I went online to read more about it since I had a big jar to use up. One thing I read said that women use it to treat yeast infections. I started using a tiny dab in Smudge’s ear twice a day. It took about a month but no more gunky ear. Now I use it every couple of days and her ear is nice and clean. I’m hoping this is ok? Seems like the best I can do is try to keep the reactions at bay since I can’t find the food culprit. I haven’t seen this use of coco oil mentioned. She won’t eat raw.

[Cotons mom]

Beverly, I have two cottons, 1 1/2yr old, and I have had the same problem with the eye staining their whole life. I feed only raw, and pretty much the identical ones that Dori listed and they only get filtered water and if they get treats they get either fruit/veges or small pieces of freeze dried food. They do get bully sticks and raw bones from time to time. I’ve tried the sardines in water but neither one will eat them. My husband is very frustrated with the staining and has even said that he wants to try the stuff called Angel Eyes but I don’t have a good feeling with any of that stuff.
They are due their “shots” and I’m wondering about getting titers for some, and wonder if their is anything out there for heart worms besides stuff like heart guard.

[Zach M]

C4C, I just use kefir for the wide variety of friendly bacteria it contains. There are also some studies that show kefir fights against salmonella, and I supplement with raw so I feel if this is true it will help. Even more benefits include helping protect against allergies, helping the digestive tract, and defending against bloating and heart burn. I feel like there are noticeable differences in her health. And i am glad you like this topic guys!
Nice choices too, Dori and Bobby Dog!

[3pooches]

Not sure which forum this topic belongs, but I’m looking for a larger 4 or 5-star kibble to use in my Manners Minder. I’m currently using Fromm Surf & Turf, and though my dogs will eat anything, the kibble is so small, the machine is dispensing too many at a time. (it’s on the 1x setting) The dogs had previously eaten Earthborn Great Plains, so their stomachs should handle that, but they currently eat Honest Kitchen most days with the Fromm used on days when I run out of HK. 😉 They were previously on frozen raw, which I may go back to, but I’m really liking that they take longer to eat the HK because they take time to lick the bowl clean. Suggestions? Thanks!

[Akari_32]

I found Dori on a raw group on facebook lol

[Naturella]

Just 3?!?! OMG! This is hard! LoL.

I may have to say, almost the same as C4C’s – raw eggs (MAYBE with lightly cooked whites if I have a bigger dog in the future, but for Bruno it wouldn’t make too much of a difference so I feed the whole egg raw), canned sardines including their water/juices (mmmmmmm, Omega Fatty Acids… ), and RMBs (gotta keep the teethsies clean 😀 ).

But if I could include more, there would be raw virgin unrefined COCONUT OIL (sardines are probably better, hence they made the cut, as they not only have the Omega FAs, but are a meat protein, with some bone for calcium, if I’m lucky a little fish organ left in there too), yoghurt/kefir, goat milk, canned food, dehydrated/air-dried/freeze-dried foods (I’m squishing them in one category), raw organ meats (livers, gizzards, kidneys, HEARTS, tongue, green tripe, whatever I can get my hands on. Yes, I know the heart, the tongue, and the gizzard are muscles. I count them toward the organs.), various fruits and veggies as treats (not in the kibble), and as needed canned plain pumpkin, Perfect Form, and maybe plain brown rice and boiled chicken for extreme tummy upsets.

[Laura C]

hey Laurel…I’ve learned alot in my research of seizures. Besides rosemary…dogs with seizures need not only grain free, but also low carb, which includes ALL potatoes. A raw diet is best for these dogs…Dr. karen Becker (google her) has a lot of info regarding raw. As far as commercial food, a good one is Orijen Regional Red…it is high protein, moderate fat and low carb.

Shoot me an email if you have more questions…I have a hard time coming to this site with my work hours.

Laura.conover@cardinalhealth.com

[aquariangt]

Welcome to DFA! First and very foremost, I want to see puppy pictures ASAP

Wellness and Nature’s Variety are personally the only foods that you listed that I would feed. As far as price goes, the Nature’s Variety Instinct will be cheaper than the raw boost as well, but still all are less than Orijen. Acana is more reasonable.

Where are you shopping? From the list you posted, I’d guess PetSmart or PetCo? Wellness CORE and NVI are the two best brands there probably, though at Petsmart they also have Nulo which is nice, and Simply Nourish Source-which I’ve used but I’ve heard a few things about some of their storage issues lately, its been a while since i’ve used that at all. There is also Freshet and Nature’s Variety Raw there if you were interested in going that direction however, Champion foods would probably be cheaper.

Now, on to other stores:

Fromm Gold Puppy i like a lot, and they just came out with Fromm Gold Grain Free. Fromm 4Star Grain Free is also suitable for all life stages-my most recommended and favorite brand.

Earthborn’s Grain Free line is all life stages and I like that a lot as well.

Go! Has a nice puppy food as well. Victor as well. There are many others that are great, just a few i like.

I would start with getting a bag of pro plan, whichever the breeder is on. Feed at least a week if not two of just that, don’t mix anything. Let the puppy get acclimated to your house and you. After a few weeks, start mixing in something new. After that, transition to yet another brand/protein. With puppies, if you start them on a rotational diet, they will be able to transition cold turkey in not too long, which is great, as a rotational diet is the best way to go.

[Natalie O]

Hi everyone!

I’m new to this site & need some advice. I am bringing home a Boston Terrier puppy in 2 weeks and am trying to figure out the best food to begin feeding him. The breeder currently has him on Purina Pro Plan but I plan on transitioning him slowly to a new food. I’ve heard wonderful things about Orijen and Acana – but I was hoping to find a food with the same quality as those, but a little less pricey.
I’ve heard Boston Terriers are prone to being gassy, so something to help with that would be great. I’d like to stick to a grain free food because of that as well. Right now I am between Wellness CORE, Nature’s Valley Instinct Raw Boost, Blue Wilderness, and Merrick Grain Free.

Can anyone offer any suggestions of which of those foods you would recommend?
Also, please feel free to suggest any other foods!!
I want the best for my pup 🙂 Thanks in advance!

[Marietta B]

I have a white Shih Tzu and the same thing happened once. The vet told me it was an allergic reaction. She prescribed steroids and antibiotics and it cleared right up. I probably wouldn’t go that route again, though. I try feed dehydrated or air dried “raw” food now and use natural products and it has never happened again.

[DogFoodie]

Good job, Melissa! LOL!! 🙂

Maybe they’d like a dehydrated food that you reconstitute with water, like The Honest Kitchen, Sojos or Dr. Harvey’s Oracle. They have complete mixes with protein included or pre-mixes to which you add your own fresh raw, or lightly cooked meats.

[weezerweeks]

I have my yorkie on wellness core weight management canned when he gains a little weight but I also use the wellness stews, fromn gold, go fit, simply nourish, grandma lucys, and Dr. Harveys grain free oracle. I am lucky that I only have one small dog so the cost of food is not a problem. I am considering starting on raw. Since I switched him off kibble, I have had no problem with crystals. I truly believe the most important thing with crystals is WATER!

[Dori]

I’m looking forward to seeing Sugar in your avatar. Even if you’re on a windows machine you can still go to gravatar.com and sign up and then they’ll walk you through the steps to post picture. I just can’t walk you through it because I’m on a Mac.

As to the foods that I feed, they are all commercial raw foods from companies that I like and trust and all three girls have done very well on all of them. I feed all three girls the same meals. I also rotate proteins within the brands and I also rotate with different brands. All proteins with the exception of any and all poultry (fowl) regardless of how or where it is listed in the ingredients. Nothing with feathers because Katie is highly intolerant. These are the companies I feed.

Primal Formulas Raw Frozen and Primal Pronto Raw Frozen and sometimes Primal Freeze Dried
Vital Essentials Raw Frozen Foods and sometimes Vital Essentials Freeze Dried
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Food Only
Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen
OC Raw Frozen
Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw

Once or twice a week I split a can of sardines in water with no salt (from grocery store) between the three girls.

For treats I give them small pieces of organic (if available) fruits and veggies. Apples and cucumbers must be peeled because they carry a lot of bacteria and are waxed to make them pretty for us. Make sure to not feed any seeds or pits from any fruits as they are toxic to dogs. Of course as I’m pretty sure you already know, no raisins, grapes or onions.

If you want any more info, please ask.

[DogFoodie]

I think he just prefers your cooking to kibble. 😉

I’ve used raw for my pups, but one of them refuses it. I bet he’d love cooked foods though. If I had the time, I’d love to cook for my dogs.

If you’re able, maybe try it for a month and see how things go.

[Naturella]

I’m glad you still add toppers to their food! And that mix sounds so yummy, Bruno also likes those Nutro things. I bet they liked it too! Do you ever add some water too so it’s easier for all kibble to get coated and for the mush to be plopped into bowls, or just the tubs and kibble?
–EDIT– I am only asking because I was watching some videos of what Iditarod dogs are fed and it’s all in a bucket, a mix of high-calorie kibble, water, and raw meats of various kinds (but the good ones – chicken, pork, beef, venison, maybe lamb – basically whatever’s available), and some organs here and there. So they use a ladle and scoop the mix into their bowls and the water makes it very easy and every dog’s food is nicely mixed up.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.

[Beverly D]

And, yes, please tell me about the raw foods. Thanks!

[Dori]

Hi Beverly D. I have three toy dogs. A Maltese, my avatar is my 15 1/2 year old Maltese Hannah. That photo was from last year when she was 14 years old. I also have a 5 1/2 year old Maltipoo, Katie and a 5 1/2 year old Yorkipoo, Lola. They are all fed commercial raw foods that I have been feeding for the last 3 years or so. Katie, my Maltipoo, was a basket full of food intolerances and other issues as she was the runt of someone’s litter that I rescued so not to have her euthanized. Due to all her food intolerances and my research I found DFA and schooled myself on canine nutrition. All three of my dogs are doing remarkably well and Katie has been off of all antihistamines, over the counter and prescribed, for the past three years. If you want info on the commercial raw dog food companies that I feed and trust please let me know. I have done extensive research into all of them and trust their foods and the companies. But I will say that these foods are what work for my dogs. All dogs, as humans, are individuals and different.

As far as I can remember, please go to avatar.com and follow directions. I have a Mac Book Pro so it was fairly simple. If you’re working on a windows computer than, I’m sorry, but it’s been too many years since I’ve used a windows computer to be of any help.

I’m going to go onto avatar right now and see if I can refresh my memory and walk you through the steps.

[Beverly D]

Hi Dori, Thanks much for info. Yes, we always bring her food that she has eaten for years, and her same treats. Not sure why things would change so drastically after 7 years. She has boarded here since a pup, her groomer is there, as is her vet. Do you or anyone out there have any thoughts on the various raw dog foods? I have been doing some research and this was mentioned as a possible way to go. We have been giving her probiotics, and I am s-l-o-w-ly thinking (or maybe I am just THINKING I am seeing) that I see a change for the better. Very frustrated. Appreciate your help!

[Akari_32]

I’m just glad that Dweezle eats less than half of what dogs his size are supposed to eat! Haley eats about “right,” but only because she has such a high metabolism, which I’m guessing is because she was never spayed. It’s finally slowing down, I think, though, considering she was just putting on weight while on a diet food LOL (Wellness Healthy Weight). She’s never been a big eater anyways, so the less food I can feed her, the better her tummy feels.

Wow, your guys eat less than Bentley and the cat do… LOL Bentley gets 3.5-4 oz a day, and the cat gets 6 oz on the days he gets raw.

Yeah, I mix it all rather evenly for them. If they were younger and hadn’t grown up on Dog Chow for 9 years before I finally was able to take full control of their diet, I’d just go through the small bags a brand at a time, since I only pick up a few bags of each at a time anyways. But I don’t want to switch them around more than every couple weeks, so I just mix up a big batch of various foods, and give them a couple days transition, with their old food on top of the new food.

[Dori]

I guess I’d forgotten how big your dogs are. Now it makes more sense to me. Still. Wow.
My three girls together weigh 18 lbs. I guess that’s why I was astonished by the amount of food. My girls eat so very little. Hannah gets approx. 3 oz. of food per day, Katie gets 2.5 oz. per day, and Lola gets 2 oz. per day. What a big difference. They could eat off of all your food for quite a number of months. I guess that’s how I’m able to feed them all commercial raw foods. Couldn’t possibly if they were the sizes of your dogs.

Bill Jac does look like rabbit food.

So you empty all the bags and mix it all together in the same container so each scoop they get some of all of the different brands and proteins?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nate-
The good news is that Struvite crystals are dissolvable. The other types are not. The bad news is that Hill’s Science diet has been proven to dissolve them. The Hill’s s/d is to be fed only short term to dissolve them and the c/d can be fed long term to prevent them. My cat had Struvite crystals as well and I wish that I had fed the Hill’s when I suspected a problem. It may have saved him from a blockage.

While that is much less likely to happen to a dog, they still may be painful for him because they are sharp little suckers. You want to feed as much moisture as possible to flush them out, so getting the fountain was a great start. I would also try to feed as much canned or raw food as possible. Dry kibble is not the best option.
Another helpful bit advice that I’ve learned is that feeding smaller meals more often per day helps to keep the pH more steady. I now feed him 3 times per day. Also try to keep the dog’s stress level as low as possible. I think that was one of my cat’s biggest issues. We had a lot of changes in our household. Our son moved home, we stopped kenneling the dogs in the house, his litter boxes got moved and to top it off, I switched brands of litter! Does your dog have anxiety or had some changes lately? Did you have a urinalysis because you suspected something or was it routine?
After my episode, I would definitely follow the vet’s advice and use the Hill’s to dissolve the crystals and then go from there. After using it for a month, Casper’s crystals are gone, there is no blood or infection. It has been four months now and I am slowly weaning him off the prescription food. But I still feed mostly canned. His ordeal almost killed him so I’m being very careful!
So in conclusion, 1. Dissolve the crystals with the Rx food 2. Moisture, moisture, and more moisture, 3. Small frequent meals and 4. Reduce stress as much as possible. Then maybe you can start to use those supplements rather than the yucky food. And I do agree it seems yucky, but it did work for my cat who is lucky to be alive! Anyway, you will get other ideas as well. But that is my two cents. Good luck!

[Melissa M]

I personally don’t care for wet-yucky breath and teeth. Raw, I won’t do. My female is about 30-32 pounds and my male is 40 ish -could be 37-38. We just went out and got Taste of the Wild–going to try that and tough love, feed twice a day with no treats in between. (good luck to me!) Their brown eyes get to me! Was going to try American Natural Grain Free since it’s made here in Wisconsin but no bags under 15 lbs here locally. They got excited seeing the bag but they usually do until it’s opened.

[Dori]

Hi Melissa.

I don’t know the sizes of your dogs so I don’t know if it would be cost prohibitive for you but I have three toy dogs and I feed them all commercial raw food diets. Twice a day. I also rotate commercial raw foods and they have not missed a meal in the three years that I have been feeding them commercial raw foods. Just a thought.

[Dori]

Hi John. Firstly I just wanted to post about Marie’s suggestions. She want be upset with me as she’s a friend of mine and is fabulous at helping others with their canines.

California Naturals does have a Kangaroo grain free but the protein is incredibly low. 21 % to AAFCO standards.

Natures Logic Rabbit contains turkey meal, chicken fat, chicken liver, dried egg product and egg shells (for calcium).

Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance (their grain free line) is freeze dried food. Their foods that do not have any poultry or beef are: Rabbit, Goat and Lamb. (Be forewarned…fairly large poops on Grandma Lucy’s but it does have a good reputation with a lot of feeders).

On to the questions you just asked of me. Since you are already feeding your dogs a raw diet, transitioning to a commercial raw diet will be very easy for you and your dogs if, in fact, that is the route you want to take. Transitioning to raw is much simpler and quicker especially with dogs that are already eating raw. Also because you already feed grain free that will make it a bit easier as their guts are in better and healthier conditions than dogs fed their entire lives on foods that contain massive amounts of carbs and lower quality foods. Now, I’m assuming at this point that the only known allergens are poultry and beef. I would stay away from any and all poultry (all fowl….anything with feathers). Since you say that Bella reacted violently to Bison after only a few hours you’ll be able to tell fairly quickly if a new food is going to bother her. Typically when I first started out with rotation feeding I could tell within 3 days how Katie was doing on it. If she was going to have loose stools or vomitting, scratching, gas, bad breath and everything else that goes along with food sensitivities it would happen fairly quickly so I stopped feeding that food and went on to the next. In your case I would probably tell you to start with one food and if they do well on it then feed only that food for two or three months just to give their guts a bit more healing time and “detoxing” as it’s called. At that time you will already have bought the next food you want to try within that brand if there is another protein without any allergens that your dogs may have. If that brand doesn’t, then move on to the next brand. If all goes well I would then feed that food and start looking for the next protein within that brand you want to try. Every time you are done with one bag you move on to the next. Every time with a different protein within the same brand. Keep a detailed list of the foods you have tried and what, if any, reactions they had. Once you’ve exhausted the different proteins in your first brand then you move on to the next brand and start rotating through their proteins that your dogs can eat. Then you move on to the next brand. Before you know it you may be able to have 4 or 5 foods that your dogs can eat and do well on. You can then continue to rotate within these brands and proteins every time you have to buy a bag of food. You can then start rotating with the different foods you have in the freezer every day, every couple of days, every meal as I do, whatever. I rotate as often as I do because Katie can’t tolerate anything for more than a meal or two. She probably can at this point but since I’ve been doing it this way for so long and they’re all just fine with it and because I wouldn’t eat the same thing for breakfast and dinner I figure why should they. I also can’t afford for her to become allergic to anything more than she already is. In rotating foods if some ingredient bothers her a little or there is a pro-inflammatory ingredient in the food (which I try my best to avoid but not always possible) then she’s only getting it for one meal. Rotating foods for all dogs is, in my opinion, the healthiest way to feed canines but especially for canines with food intolerances.

Please keep in mind that the log (list) is very very important. In keeping a list it will also better inform you if your dog is having an issue with the protein or is it another ingredient in the food. If you feed rabbit and Bella has issues with it and then you move on to goat and the same thing happens, then you have to compare the ingredient labels of both those foods and see what other ingredients do both foods have in common other than the protein. When starting to gather foods for dogs with allergies it’s easy to assume that it’s the labeled protein in the food and keep moving from food to food thinking your dog is intolerant of every single protein. Typically that’s not the case. It’s that we forgot that they could be allergic or intolerant of any other ingredient in the foods. So it’s important…..keep a log of foods you feed and the ingredients in the foods. You can print out the ingredient list from their web sites or you can take a picture of the ingredient label on the bag itself for reference purposes.

“Toppers” by the way is just a term that’s used meaning anything that you would put on top of the food you already have in their bowl. I would suggest you not use any of them at all until you have some foods that you can easily feed to your dogs with no allergy symptoms. You’ll confuse the issue if you start adding other things. You won’t know which or what is causing the symptoms. I do add things to my dogs foods but I did not in the beginning. Had to find the foods first. Then started adding little things to see what the affect would be.

Plain Kefir (you can buy it in grocery stores) acts like plain yogurt in that it contains friendly “probiotic” bacteria that helps the gut. I will add here that my allergy girl, Katie, cannot have kefir, yogurt or cheese. Actually I’ve yet to find a probiotic that doesn’t contain something (yeast, or whatever) that she doesn’t have issues with. She’s too intolerant of them and the craziness starts all over again. Not saying that your dogs will react, but owners of dogs with food sensitivities have to be very careful of every single thing that eat. Their immune systems are pretty much in a weakened state especially until their immune system improves on better foods, less toxins and carbs to deal with. 70% of the immune system is in the gut.

Allergy symptoms can be skin issues and/or digestive issues as is the case with Katie. Once I cleared up all her food issues her digestive and skin issues all disappeared.

Once on line please check out all pro-inflammatory foods, fruits and veggies. Allergies are an inflammatory based issue so you need to avoid those foods as best you can. It’s not always easy to eliminate each and every single one but do your best to avoid as much as possible. That’s also a good reason for rotation. If one of your foods does have pro-inflammatory ingredients your dog will not be getting them for too long a time.

If you find, eventually, that your dogs are not allergic to sardines then you can give them sardines packed in water with no salt added (canned in the grocery store) two or three times a week (as a “topper”) on top or mixed in with the food in their bowls. Sardines are an excellent form of Omega 3 which most foods are lacking. Most foods have plenty of Omega 6’s and not enough Omega 3’s to balance them out. That is true most especially in kibble foods. On the days that I don’t give my dogs sardines I keep a bottle refrigerated of Nature’s Logic Sardine oil. Oils go rancid fairly quickly so it’s best kept refrigerated and also says it on the bottle I believe. Anyway, once I’ve put their meals in their bowls, and on the days I don’t add sardines, I splash a little of the sardine oil on top of their food in their bowls and promptly put the bottle back in fridge and immediately give the dogs their bowls of food. I believe the oil has the dosing on the bottle. Please do not give your dogs salmon oil as we already know that they had issues with the salmon food. Also, salmon and tuna have the most amount of mercury in them due to their long lives. I don’t feed either because of those reasons. Sardines and krill have the least as they have very short lives and very short digestive tracks.

Just for your info I realize that I didn’t tell you what type of dogs I have or anything other than Katie’s allergies. So, Hannah (my avatar) is my 15 1/2 year old Maltese. Katie is my 5 1/2 year old Maltipoo and Lola is my 5 1/2 year old Yorkipoo.

One more thing. I no longer have my dogs vaccinated. I do the titers on the core vaccines. Rabies vaccine in my area is only required every three years. Though recently I’ve learned that the county I live in will accept rabies titers. Very few counties in the country are on board with titers for rabies. I don’t believe that any dog should be vaccinated unnecessarily. Dogs with allergies shouldn’t be vaccinated. Of course, I am in favor of doing all the initial puppy vaccinations spaced out as they should be. Each vaccine should be done separately and not the three in one type. It’s too much of an overload on their systems. After those initially puppy shots which, if memory serves me, ends when they are about a year old. After that having your vet do titers to check their antibodies to the core illnesses will let you know when and if they have to be vaccinated again.

[Jon h]

I think the reason you are receiving so much negativity is you are seeming to conform to a lot of the stereotypes of vegetarian feeders (ie: lack of knowledge of canine nutrition, lack of canine medical knowledge, lack any sort of formal nutritional training and yet propose that they know more than their vet and people with PhDs in the field canine nutrition). Vegetarian diets should only be imposed on a dog if there are medical reasons to do so (ie: some sort of allergy) and I personally haven’t read any cases of dogs allergic to all meat sources so I highly doubt that is a legitimate argument in your case. Now if you are switching your dog to a vegetarian diet because of your own moral reasoning or some ill founded notion that vegetarian diets are healthier than diets that include meat then I would strongly reconsider being a dog owner.

Lets take a quick look at your arguments. First (in regards to your dog being obese before), a dog becoming obese is almost always the direct result of an owner not properly managing their dogs caloric intake to activity level ratio. Not because meat was magically making their dog fat. Switching to vegetarian meals most likely significantly reduced the dog’s caloric intake therefore attributing their obesity to meat is a really poor argument. Second, in regards to your dog always being sick. If their sickness was food related your dog may have had an allergy you were not aware of and switching to a vegetarian diet eliminated that allergen. Saying that this means that vegetarian diets are better than diets that include meat is a poor founded conclusion from your observations.

Third (and this one really concerns me), no… coconut water is not some magic fluid that will cure all ailments, to draw the conclusion that coconut water is such a strong medicinal product that it cured your dog overnight is logic I’d expect to see on late night infomercials, not from someone who claims to know more than their vet about canine medicine.

I understand that this doesn’t directly answer the question you originally asked but I am a strong proponent of making medical and nutritional decisions using science and always in the best interest of your dog (even if it goes against something you believe in).

Some of things you’ve said really concern me. At the end of the day if you can’t have a science based discussion with your vet on why you chose a vegetarian diet for your dog then that should be a flashing red light for you that you haven’t done the proper research and don’t have the knowledge/qualification to be making such a drastic change to your dogs nutrition source….

[crazy4cats]

Hi Joyce-
As Marie mentioned, Tucker’s is reviewed on this site. It gets 4.5 stars. There are a handful of people on this site that feed exclusively raw either home made or commercial. The queen of raw, Hound Dog Mom, does not frequent the site as much anymore due to going to school to become a vet. Woo Hoo! I am actually considering getting a grinder which surprises the heck out of me. But I’d like to grind at least some various poultry necks and such as my dogs are such gulpers, they scare me when I feed them.
I do feed some frozen raw nuggets (NW Naturals or Nature’s Variety) mixed in kibble to my dogs occasionally with no upset. Also freeze dried raw as well. That seems to be a controversial subject. But there are many of us that do it with no issue. I also feed my pups lightly cooked ground turkey with the See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix once a week. Pre-mixes with raw could be another option for you. There is some info on those on http://www.dogaware.com if you have not already checked out the site.
Welcome aboard and good luck to you.

[joyce h]

Hi Everyone, I’m Joyce and I am also new to the forum…ready to learn and exchange ideas. I’m a positive dog trainer that used to feed her dogs raw years ago and stopped for some unremembered reason. I’m BACK!! A lot had changed in the arena.
At another trainers recommendation I’m trying a raw food called “Tucker’s’ (www.tuckersraw.com). I looked it up on DFA and it’s not listed…so, don’t really know what that means…has anyone heard of it? It’s complete and balanced.

I also bought a 3/4 horse power grinder (that can easily grind any and all chicken bones) in hopes of making some raw ‘patties’ to freeze of my own. Bought Dr Karen Becker’s book on Raw Food , but hadn’t yet actually tired any specific recipe yet. I’ve been watching her on YouTube speaking on raw food and it’s advantages.
I noted that she was against mixing raw and kibble together as it moves thru the short digestive track at different rates which is not good for proper absorption…just an informational thought 🙂
So…is anyone grinding their own raw dog food and freezing it? I understand that if you do this you will need to add supplements for sure for it to be complete and balanced.
Looks like a great forum…thanks for any comments or help you can give…Joyce

[Naturella]

Hey, Joe, if you’re even still here. Although I entirely second Melissaandcrew’s statement of fact that dogs are carnivores, I just want to throw my 2 cents in there.

First off, PERSONALLY, I would not feed a dog a vegetarian diet. That being said, I also believe that if something “ain’t broke”, it doesn’t need fixing. So if your dogs are doing fine on a vegetarian diet, then hey, it is what seems to work for them… THAT being said, this may be just temporary. Because I don’t feel that a vegetarian diet is species-appropriate (as Melissaandcrew said, herbivores need to eat plant matter, not meat, and it is the total opposite with carnivores, but the same idea), I would not lie to your vet because should an issue arise, it may well be the diet’s fault. If you were feeding, say, balanced raw meat-based diet and your vet did not approve of that, I would probably choose to respectfully not discuss my dog’s nutrition with the vet. But because I see the diet that you feed as deficient in the main thing dogs need – animal protein source in their diet – I would probably put it out there, and as long as your dogs remain healthy, I would respectfully defend it to the vet as a choice of their diet. But definitely disclose it, because there is a risk of the dogs becoming unhealthy down the way should they continue to eat species-inappropriate food.

And we do not mean to bash anyone – on the contrary – I believe that we all do what we perceive as best for our companions. But we can always learn from each other, and we can all do better. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.

[dana i]

Hi! I’ve been reading this forum all day today, but am overwhelmed by all the choices. I’d really love to hear people’s actual experiences and thoughts– what is on paper does not always match what makes the dogs happy and healthy.

I have two lab mix dogs– both rescues.
Diesel is a 1 year old Lab/Shephard mix who has allergies. 65# dog
Dudley is a 1 1/2 year old lab/Greyhound mix who has gas issues when he eats ANYTHING other than the current food… (even treats) 83# dog

They were both given horrible diets before they came to me.
I have them on Science Diet Lamb and Rice Large Breed formula.

At the time, it’s the ONLY thing that I found that helped Diesel’s allergy symptoms (they are completely gone on this food but when I try anything else it comes back) and Dudley’s gas is now a very rare thing on this food.

However, reading it seems that people don’t like this one and that there may be better out there… And the fact that when I went to buy it today I found it went up in price AGAIN. uugh. Maybe now is a good time to switch…

I want what is best for them, with budget kinda on the mind at the same time.

Right now, it takes us 11 days to go through a 33 pound bag of Science Diet Lamb and Rice large breed formula dry food and used to cost us around $45 a bag but did just go up to about $50.

I’d really love to get them something better. Maybe something that also makes their poop a little smaller too? (I know–wishful thinking? LOL)

Any suggestions based on the gas/allergies?
I priced raw diet– which I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do, but it’s way out of our price range from what I am reading.

I CAN and will supplement a little bit of our cooked food on top (If I can avoid the gas and allergy issues– that will take a little experimenting)….

I have a feed store 1 mile from my house that sells some food but he’s kinda expensive on some items. I also live near Petco, Petsmart and have Amazon prime… I live in Texas, suburb of Dallas if that helps.

Any thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated!

[GSDsForever]

I’ve had good success crumbling Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried raw medallions over the food, just about a quarter to half of a medallion, crumbled fine enough that the dog cannot pick it out and just eat the S&C. I honestly think of it as like doggie crack (lol).

Some dogs have also been attracted to virgin coconut oil mixed into the food.

Turkey/chicken/beef broth warmed & poured over the food is another winner.

Other ideas: parmesan cheese or garlic powder* (or a minced clove*) sprinkled over

*NB: Although this is considered a controversial item by some, I’ve always used it in medium to large breed dogs without problems. I regard it as safe and beneficial to health. The dogs seem to like it. And my vet approved it.