[Dori]

My concern aquariangt with the OP is that she is talking about a puppy that she will be getting in a couple of weeks. Feeding out of a Kong is perfectly acceptable to me as are slow feeding bowls for adult dogs, not puppies. Puppies have needs that must be met by feeding three or four times a day. She has also stated that she wants to feed a raw diet. In my opinion it is completely inappropriate to have raw food for a puppy stuffed into a Kong not knowing how long the food will be in the Kong while the puppy tries to figure out how to get it out and if, in fact, the puppy is even capable of getting it all out and then there is the problem of thoroughly cleaning the inside of the Kong. I have no issues whatsoever if she wants to hold out one of the puppies daily meal and put that into a kong (only if it’s a dehydrated or freeze dried food). I love Kong’s . I use them myself for my three. I make up a batch of dehydrated and freeze them. They are a great source of entertainment for dogs of all ages. I just want to make sure that the rest of the days meal the puppies nutritional and caloric needs are met.

[Naturella]

I would have to say that even when Bruno was a little puppy, he received at least one out of 4 meals per day in a puzzle toy of some sort. Either a wobbly tower thing that he had to push around for the kibble to come out (with awesome adjustable levels for varying difficulties and kibble sizes); a treat-dispensing ball; or a small Kong. Normally within just a couple minutes he had figured out the toy and was happily finished with his meal within 5 min or less overall, from serving to the last bite. He also seemed to have a lot of fun and is always excited to see those toys, because they mean fun and food for him.

Nowadays he has about 2 meals per week (randomly chosen, without toppers, just the kibble) come out of toys and he still loves it. We have gotten 2 new puzzlers and use those, and the good ole tower and ball (the Kong got lost in our last move, still need to get a new one). Also, the RMB he gets every Sunday evening he doesn’t get in a puzzle or treat, but spends some extra time working on as it is, well, an RMB.

Personally, I wouldn’t feed ALL meals from a Kong or a treat dispenser/puzzle of any sort because I like to keep using toppers for his kibble and don’t want the mess, but on occasion, I would totally use them for some of his kibble-only meals. 🙂 And I wouldn’t put raw in a Kong or a puzzle toy either.

[aquariangt]

I often have my dogs eat out of either slow bowls or various puzzles. It really isn’t cruel, dogs with some toy drive or mental capacity to spare often thrive on doing this. There is plenty of research out there to show that it isn’t a cruel tactic at all, and helps work their brains. What a lot of people forget is dogs (especially dogs that are still closer in their lines to dogs that still work) really enjoy having a job, and to them, that can be part of it. It helps wear them out similar to a good session of obedience work. People are often concerned with feeding dogs similar to their ancestry, which also comes into play-no dog in the wild was ever handed food to eat

Edit: Leaving raw in something all day is asking for problems. I also don’t give them a stuffed thing for them to nibble on all day, as meal time is meal time, and I don’t really approve of free feeding. It needs to be attainable, dogs needs to be setup for success

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

[Sam D]

Ok – I know it’s ground up and in there but I have two types of HK. Embark, which is the turkey and the base mix which has nothing. They look virtually the same except for some dehydrated, light-colored bits that are in the Embark. Is that the turkey? There’s just no possible way that’s enough meat for my dog, if it is the turkey. Sometimes I mix up his HK and it feels like I’m just giving him vegetable soup….

Anyone want to set me straight? I hate to sound like a paranoid person but I just don’t understand how a food looks like that is comparable to the Instinct raw beef or turkey bits we feed him where it looks like ACTUAL meat is the primary content.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Sam D.

[Akari_32]

Hiya Barbara! I have 2 large dogs and a small dog on kibble (and a small dog on raw and a cat on half canned half raw). I find I can get much better deals while purchasing small 4 and 6 pound bags. I typically get the small bags of Wellness for $4-7, for example, and often times even for free. I personally would much rather get a handful of small bags every couple weeks than lug a large bag around every month or so lol Actually, I stock up over several weeks to a month, and then I can “shop” at home lol 15 pounds last my two big guys about 2 weeks (they’re old and lazy, they don’t eat half of what the bag suggests). 6 pounds last the mini dachshund more than a month. Everyone has bad coupon days, poor Naturella just happened to have one on her first try at a serious couponing trip.

[Lyndel M]

While I wouldn’t be giving my pup raw food until my holistic vet approved of it, I would encourage you to have a look at Ian Dunbar’s e-book “After you get your puppy”
http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf. While I can understand that you think putting a certain amount of a puppy’s daily portion of food into a stuffable chew toy is cruel, I thought so too until I began doing my own research about dog training and teaching a pet good manners right from the beginning rather than focusing on what he does wrong (i.e., like ending up chewing things he shouldn’t be). Also, there are many benefits to placing a portion of the pups daily food allowance in chewtoys. For example, it entertains and stimulates them (in the wild, dogs naturally have to work for their food, even chewing the meat off of bones), it is a highly effective means of providing the pup appropriate things to chew on especially when teething, and it offers soothing and teaches them to self-soothe and entertain themselves rather than always expect you to entertain them. By the way, none of these are my own ideas, as I said, this comes from my own extensive research. But what you do and feed your own pups and beloved pets is your own choice. Good luck with it!

[Gloria K]

Dori I didn’t go into as much detail as you did but I sure could have. Your thoughts are exactly like mine. I’m already feeling sorry for the poor puppy who has to go through hoops just to be fed. I can’t imagine leaving raw food in anything all day – it’s going to spoil. Sometimes people who write books don’t always know what hell they’re talking about.

[Dori]

Hi Gloria K. I would certainly not beat you up for your “humble opinion”. It’s mine also. A puppy needs to be fed 3 – 4 times a day in a bowl and given water readily available. If one wants to put kibble or whatever ingredient (not raw) in a kong for entertainment purposes in addition to their meals that’s one thing (assuming you’re not over feeding the puppy), but certainly not his meals. The things people think of (the book, not the OP) is always mind boggling.

I do not believe that raw food should be put in a Kong. As a raw feeder myself let me say it’s a very bad idea. Dehydrated is okay as it’s not raw, but not raw food in a Kong. IMHO!!!

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

[Barbara]

Hi Carol M, i have never had a “newfie” only a mix that the father was newfie and chow and her mother was a golden retriever. Maya was a pup the owners insisted i take 23 yrs ago when i rescued the adults from excaping their back yard because of kids leaving the gate open! and they wandered 2 miles without tags! it took 2 days to find the owners and they had thought someone had stolen them because the female was pregnant and a beauty! Maya was my only puppy since i was younger and she grew up to about 80 lbs and loved to eat! she passed at almost 16 yrs with never a food issue or diarrhea. i rotated mostly dry kibble with some canned dog food, some fresh meat and carrots (raw) and (steamed veggies) broccoli, string beans or butternut squash…yum!

sorry about that long dialogue above but i was reminiscing… i do think you need to check out the list of recommended foods for Large Breed Puppies in the forums and especially read the info hound dog mom provides about large breed puppies. i know that the 3 dogs that run my life now love castor and pollux ultramix! (check out the prices on chewy.com very reasonable.) i have been rotating or mixing both the grain free duck 38% protein and 17% fat with glucosomine and the grain free and poutry free salmon 30% protein, 15% fat and high in omega 3’s (i am a little concerned about the mercury level in the salmon which has been questioned on this site…) neither of these have ever caused diarrhea in my border collie/flat coat ret. mix 14 yrs 50 lbs or my husky/shepherd 12 yrs 80 lbs. My 80 lb lab has a very sensitive stomach and for some reason has not had a problem with these 2 kibbles in the 2-3 months she has eaten them, but as you know any changes in food always needs to be done slowly…7-10 days depending on the dog. you can add some pumpkin puree to help with initial introduction and slight problems. i assume your puppy has been checked out by a vet for any issues that would cause diarrhea …but most vets know nothing about good food recommendations!

[lovemypuppy]

I wouldn’t say I’m educated, but I’m getting there thanks to sites like this! 🙂 Good point! Knowing what my finicky pup will eat is tricky since it won’t necessarily be the same as another’s finicky pup.

After speaking with some local dog peeps, I decided to switch her to raw with only one protein source (Primal Duck Formula). She doesn’t like most treats but has never turned her nose up to freeze dried meats, including duck.

I’m hoping she likes the new food and transitions well with little GI upset. I’m also hoping the single protein source will aid in sorting out her potential allergies (environmental or food). Once she is settled for a bit, I will start rotating her food … seems like a great idea all the way around.

We are so excited to have our first ever puppy-dog! She is the cutest thing ever and brings so much joy to our family!~ Thanks for the link and food recommendations!

[Naturella]

cdubau, coconut oil both topically and internally will help a lot! Make sure to use the unrefined, raw, cold-pressed stuff! Costco has a 54-oz jar for $17, great stuff and a great deal! I also second the fish oil as well – maybe you can alternate – one day give fish oil, the next – coconut oil. I think the coconut oil amount was 1 tsp/10 lbs of body weight, not sure about the fish oil.

And trying a novel protein, as Hanna suggested, may help too. Just make sure to transition her slowly – over at least a week – from what she’s currently eating to a new LID food. You can add some canned plain pumpkin (not the pie filling stuff) or plain yoghurt/kefir, or probiotics/digestive enzymes to aide her digestion during the transition.

[Katrene J]

Hi, I have an 8 yo, male English Springer with the same problem everyone here is describing. My sweet guy started with the gulps about 5 years ago. The frequency at first was once every 3-4 months. It gradually increased to every 2 weeks or so. Or it had up until last November [2014]. Since November he’s had two bouts and both were mild – no deeply scared, frantic grass-eating dog those two times. He was definitely uncomfortable and seemed kinda worried it might get worse but a little throat massage and he could go back to sleep.

Like a lot of folks on this and a couple of other wonderful, helpful forums, I’ve tried a ton of things and even thought at times we had the problem solved, only to find a few weeks or a month later that I was wrong and had to go back to the drawing board. It’s been 3 1/2 months now since Tommy’s had a bad night. Instead of the predicted 7 or so episodes you’d figure he’d have had at the every-other-week frequency, there were only the two mild ones. I changed only one thing.

Now it may be another wild goose chase in the end but with a hiatus of almost 4 months I figured it’s worth sharing the change we made at this point. I hope it can help another dog. The last thing I want thought, is to give anyone false hope. This may be something or it may be nothing and we all know that each dog is so very different what works well for one may do nothing for another.

With that part out of the way let me tell you what has worked so far for Tom. Back in early Nov Tommy and I were up with a night of the gulps. I scanned the web for any new info that might have been shared since his last bout of the gulps. One person had posted. She [I think] said the only thing that worked for her dog was Pepcid Complete – not regular Pepcid, Not Tums. Only the Complete formula helped. I didn’t have any Pepcid complete on hand so I went online to check the ingredients. It turned out that Pepcid Complete is basically Pepcid plus Tums plus magnesium. Those things I did have on the shelf. I gave Tom the equivalent. He shortly seemed somewhat better. Not good enough so we could go back to bed but somehow less worried, less desperate.

I started to research Magnesium. I had had it on hand for leg and foot cramps. It’s amazing for relieving muscle spasms. Could a throat spasm be part of the gulps problem? The dogs do seem to be gulping like they’re trying to swallow something stuck in their throats… One friend had had success with a very powerful anti spasmodic years ago with her gulps dog, an Aussie. A magnesium deficiency could be a cause of GERD too, I’d read. There sure seems to be some stomach problem with the gulps too… It seemed worth investigating.

I’m NOT a vet nor do I play one on television so please take what follows with that understanding. First I took some magnesium myself as a supplement. That went ok and I learned that, as mentioned in the research, too much creates loose stools. Good – that gave me a gauge to know when to cut back.

I began to give Tom magnesium as a supplement. This is plain magnesium we’re talking about here, nothing fancy. It’s regular grocery store magnesium, 250 mg tablets. Started Tom on it slowly, etc. He weighs about 55#. When he was getting one 250 mg tablet in the morning and two 250s at night I held it there. His stools were still fine and that dosage felt right – not a scientific reason but sometimes I think my subconscious notices things my conscious mind doesn’t and I’ve earned to pay attention.

Since being on that regimen of 250mg AM and 500mg PM Tom has had only the two bouts of the gulps that I mentioned earlier. One was over Christmas when I’d backed off on the Mg to about half the dose for a few days [we were guests and the loose stool potential was weighing heavily on my mind!]. The second was about a month ago. That was the time I never had to even wake up completely. He began soft gulping but was only mildly concerned. I gently messaged his throat for a minute or two. He sighed and curled up next to me. We both went back to sleep. One more momentary massage about 4 hrs later and the gulps were over.

My gut feeling is that some dogs have or develop a magnesium deficiency. If that’s the case Tom’s may have started when I had to take him off a raw diet. Or it may be it’s that the land that grows our food is so magnesium poor at this point the dogs are simply not getting enough no matter what they’re fed. Whatever the cause, for Tom at least so far, the magnesium supplement seems to be working. He and I both hope our experiences can help someone else’s good dog.

[lovemypuppy]

Amicus Puppy, Small Breed … grain free, low glycemic, non-gmo, includes probiotics, all sourced from Canada, except vitamin pack sourced and manufactured in the US (California). It’s oven baked at low temp, veggies and fruits are raw. It runs about $28 for a 11 pound bag. I can get it locally in the states, and it can be bought online. It was my #1 pick for my puppy, but unfortunately she is finicky and doesn’t want to eat it. I’ve read many other’s gobble it up no problem, even finicky ones, so I think it just depends on the dog. It’s a quality food no doubt, and the price is less than many others.

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

[Nancy A]

I would like to nominate Small Batch Dog Food. The company is based in San Francisco and sources its food ingredients from sustainably raised cows, chickens, turkeys, lamb and rabbits; and the produce is organically grown. It is a raw food diet that is frozen and comes in patties for larger dogs and sliders for smaller dogs.

[theBCnut]

Raw frozen from Hare Today or My Pet Carnivore. Freeze dried would be ok too.

[Connie M]

I guess I’m a bit old school and don’t go for drama. If I had a concern I’d pick up the phone and speak with them directly. They were very helpful to me when I first switched to raw and they also followed up every so often.

[Connie M]

I have been feeding Big Dog Natural for at least 4 years now. I started with their frozen raw and was thrilled when they came out with the dehydrated line. Prior to starting with Big Dog my dogs were always at the vet for one thing or another. Now, the last time was about 3 years ago for their rabies vaccine. They love their food and are always looking forward to it. What I don’t understand L H is why you are instigating and instructing people to go to the Facebook page and make “public” announcements? I didn’t find your last post here very nice. They have a good food and, in my opinion, one of the best foods around.

[Naturella]

BCnut, I had forgotten about Soil Based Organisms! Thanks for reminding me!

And do you feed raw green tripe, canned, or dehydrated/air-dried?

[Naturella]

Thank you all for the suggestions! And like I said, no PF will be used daily anymore – if anything, I will use some probiotics after some research.

And ok, so unopened foods are relocated in our closet. That’s where I keep the samples actually. I hope it is dark and cool enough – we usually keep the closet door closed and when the heater is on in our bedroom, the closet is still frigid, lol. I don’t think having the light on every once in a while will hurt anything too.

As for the opened food, I don’t really want to put it in the fridge because going in there twice/day, even just to grab a quick scoop, I fear of condensation, although it is such a quick thing. The opened food will stay in an airtight container, closed up with a food clip under the sink in the bathroom where we feed Bruno. I could repack it in freezer bags to keep in the fridge, but in a medium-sized 2-bedroom apartment, and a roommate that occupies equal space, places for dog food are limited, especially with shared fridge and pantry – plus the fridge and freezer already have all sorts of other foods bunched up in there, THK, some kibbles, some raw for Bruno and for humans (to cook), so yeah… One day, when we finally live alone (Brian and I), I will be free to put anything anywhere I want! 🙂

[InkedMarie]

I feed ground raw, prey model diet. I don’t think dogs need fruits & veggies in their diet. I buy grinds from Hare Today & Reel Raw. RR has free shipping; the amount you must buy depends where you live. RR has four different complete & balanced meals: chicken, turkey, beef, pork and a mix of all. Hare has a better selection of proteins & a good amount of boneless. I have one 33 pounder who gets about 3.5 bony plus about an ounce of boneless per meal.

[jakes mom]

Just a quick update on the kitties. The raw mix was a no-go for everybody, much to Jake’s delight. He has lots of raw food in the freezer for toppers. They like plain raw meat but I guess the mix ruined it for them.
All the cats were happier with the cooked mixes. I’ve tried ground turkey and ground beef so far. Thinking of trying it with some chopped/shredded stew beef next.

[Victoria Q]

What commercial raw food do you use, per your response to Linda S.?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Victoria Q.

[Akari_32]

Check out the Raw Feeding Community on Facebook. They have helped me a ton for both my cat and dog. Lots of people have growing pups on there, too.

[BulldogMom]

Hi all! My puppy is 8 weeks and I’m wanting to get away from the dry dog food and feed him a raw diet. I’ve been researching for hours and I cannot find a good raw recipe to start him on. It seems like everyone just feeds in whole rather than mixing… I did find one recipe with ground beef and rice but I’m wanting something with chicken, veggies, fruit, etc. Can someone PLEASE help me? I have no idea where to start. I need some recipes, a menu, something! I’m feeling absolutely discouraged. I was looking for something I could freeze in bulk rather than spending a ton of money on whole chicken, turkey, etc. for different days.

He’s an 8 week old American bulldog.

Thanks in advance!

[BulldogMom]

Hi all! My puppy is 8 weeks and I’m wanting to get away from the dry dog food and feed him a raw diet. I’ve been researching for hours and I cannot find a good raw recipe to start him on. It seems like everyone just feeds in whole rather than mixing… I did find one recipe with ground beef and rice but I’m wanting something with chicken, veggies, fruit, etc. Can someone PLEASE help me? I have no idea where to start. I need some recipes, a menu, something! I’m feeling absolutely discouraged. I was looking for something I could freeze in bulk rather than spending a ton of money on whole chicken, turkey, etc. for different days.

He’s an 8 week old American bulldog.

Thanks in advance!

[kgoble78]

Hi! I’m a newbie who needs help. A little background… I have a weimaraner named Ruby who will be 5 yrs old May 8th. Originally she was on Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin formula due to her having a skin allergy that we think is because of a tall weed like fungus that likes heat (I live in the South) and has a black powdery top that when you touch it it makes a black powder on you. It’s VERY annoying. Anyways, she kept throwing up from time to time when I realized she likely had a food allergy. (This dog is allergic to everything it seems!) I’m not sure what she’s allergic to in foods. All I know is I switched her to Natural Balance L.I.D Sweet Potato and Fish formula and it cleared right up.

Fast forward to last week.
She had been peeing a lot for a couple of weeks. I knew she needed to see a vet when she peed in her crate a couple of times. I take her in and she has a UTI and struvite crystals. The vet puts her on Royal Canin SO for urinary problems. I inform her she has a food allergy so she sold me the smallest bag she had. I slowly presented it to her along with her normal food until she was eating only the royal canin. So of course she’s throwing up at least once a day now. I looked at the ingredients and the food looks like rubbish. Seems like every ingredient that a dog could be allergic to is in it. Being that I don’t know which ingredient she’s allergic to it makes it tricky. I lucked out and bought a LID food that worked right off the bat.

So what is your suggestion as to what I should feed her? I saw in another post someone didn’t switch foods but just started giving their dog cranimals original formula http://www.cranimals.com and it cleared the crystals right up. All the info I’ve read about crystals said a special food/diet would be needed so I was nervous about doing that. Does anyone think that would be a good route? It’d be so much easier on myself and Ruby if that’s a possibility.

Also, I read something that made it sound like feeding a fish based dog food can cause crystals to form. Can anyone confirm that? Is fish not something I should be feeding her? Any suggestions on food if not?

Sorry for my LONG, drawn out post. I wasn’t sure what info would be helpful so my apologies.

Thanks!
Kristi

[Victoria Q]

I would like to nominate Steve’s Real Food Raw. What are your thoughts on Steve’s?

[Susan]

When I rescued my boy he didn’t eat kibble, then I brought him a can tin dog food, he saw it & went mad, maybe she was feed tin food instead of kibble or maybe raw pre mixes…

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Laura,
Thank you for your advice.
Believe it or not i did go to “the holistic” vet in my area and I think she needs to look up what the word “Holistic” means. I don’t mean to sound nasty or smarty pants, but it was a joke. I was asking her opinion on an unconventional treatment for Pepper,there has been so many issues with Pepper, my mind is drawing a blank now as to why I went to this so-called holistic vet.
She really leans to conventional medicine more than a true holistic way of practicing.
I tried to supply the link to the article at the WDJ, now i understand why I couldn’t.
I know that Pepper wasn’t spayed probably because it cost those horrible people money.
Is she suffering from not being spayed? Laura , I don’t know.Are all her health issues related to her not being spayed? Honestly in my gut, I say no, she has an inflammatory condition in her entire body from 8 years of horrendous care.
I know Millie is different, Oh well I guess I will have to obsess about this for some time.
Thanks you again for taking the time to post & not thinking there is something wrong with me for not going to a doggie park
Thanks to you also aquariangt for your doggie park input!

[Lyndel M]

Try buying a dehydrater. They are great. You can dehydrate your own raw treats for you dog. You can puree vegetables or fruits and spread out on a dehydrating sheet, then roll into balls or small pieces and stuff into stuffable chew toys. You can also dehydrate fresh meats, raw meatloaf, fish etc. I also make stock from organ meats and bones (no salt) and freeze into kongs as well as adding fruit, veggies or meats into the liquid and freeze into kongs in summer. Goats cheese which is lactose free is good as is quinoa cookies broken up. I also make meat pastes which I stuff along those stuffable chew toys that have groves along the sides, so they can lick it out and get interested in what’s on the inside. Hope these suggestions help, mind you, they are not my own, they are an accumulation of what I have gathered from my own research.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Michelle,
Look at the Reel Raw website. You CAN get free shipping. I believe its 30 pounds & over, may be in 30 pound increments. I think they have tripe too! They have four ground complete blends: $29.99 for 10 pounds.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Corey-

I’m sorry to hear of your dog’s troubles with stones. While I have no oxalate stones experience, I do with the struvites. But, I have read about the oxalate a bit when doing reserch on the struvite crystals due to my cat’s blockage.

I have learned with any type of crystals or stones, it is best to get the most moisture in their diet as possible. And they also need plenty of opportunities to pee. I would try to feed as much canned or raw food to your pup as possible. Some vet therapeutic diets actually add salt to encourage the dogs to drink more water to dilute their urine as much as possible. Another thing that has been mentioned with trying to keep the pH levels stable is that it is best to feed a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than one or two large meals. Also minimize the amount of calcium being fed to your dog.

At least the struvites can be dissolved with some types of vet foods, but the other types of stones and crystals cannot. So it is best to prevent them to begin with. Here is a site that has some decent information on it. Good luck! http://www.2ndchance.info/oxalatedog.htm

[Dori]

Kimi. The ones I trust the most are Primal Formulas Raw, Vital Essentials Raw, Natures Variety Instinct Raw. There are others I use also but thought I’d give you my favorites. If you want others just let me know.

[Akari_32]

My guy doesn’t like the Wellness Complete Health cans (though he will eat them if I put enough water in them and thin them out some). He does like the purple Cubed/Sliced/Minced ones, and the Duo’s, however. And he LOVES Halo. Impulse and Vigor are his favorites. Right now, Halo has $2 off any can of Vigor (cat and dog) and PetCo sells them for $1.99 each, so all you pay is tax on each can 🙂 Coupons are the best bet at feeding canned.

Definitely check out raw. I do raw a couple times a week for the cat right now, but once I get my canned supply down, I’ll be doing it more often. 🙂

[Kimi_forever]

Dori: most of those commercial raw diets are probably out of my price range, but do you mind sharing 1-2 of the ones you’ve found to be trust worthy over time?

[Kimi_forever]

One time our local petco had cans of instinct and wellness for like .15-50cents a can and we stocked up on a bunch only to bring it home and the cats not eat it and us have to give it away…ill have to try and find ways to get some decent cans for cheaper, i was pricing what it would cost to feed weruva, and that would be like 70$ a cat for a 24 day period :-0….20 dollars a month sounds amazing, thats about what it costs to feed them orijen kibble, i dont know where i could find cans of wellness or halo around where i live for that price or online…But basically what you said in your second paragraph seems to be the only solution…

from that catinfo.org site they give a recipe for feeding like you said about 5-6oz a day instead of 10oz a day in canned and using antibiotic free chicken thighs as the source of protein. Only thing is it’s a mixture of homecooked and raw that the vet on that site recommends but her estimated costs after supplements and all and her practical suggestions of locating cheap meat (from whole foods) make it seem very practical. I also like that unlike the canned foods which almost always have something extra in them that i dont want that we have complete control over every ingredient in the food….It makes me jealous that i want to be able to provide this for my dog too. But feeding an 85lb dog raw and a 10lb cat are two different things, that’d be 1.7-2.5lbs for my dog and i do not not know where i can get the organ meat and bones i need for my dog ill have to stick to Orijen for my dog for now. but i found this guide on the internet and it also looks easy to follow so i might make the full transition for both animals at some point http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf …

[Michelle D]

New to this forum and I can’t find a “search” area to view previous discussions on this subject, but I’m trying to find a good quality yet cost effective raw food and distributor/co-op within close range to Amsterdam (which is about 40 miles west of Albany) NY. I am feeding seven 75-90lb dogs, so having food shipped in is not an option.
Also, why is tripe SO hard to get anymore??? I would love to feed it almost exclusively, but it’s become near impossible to find! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Michelle

[Akari_32]

I feed my 13 lb cat higher quality foods like Wellness and Halo, for about $20 a month. He does get some junkies foods like Friskies Special Diet and such to help keep cost down, but it is possible to feed good foods on a budget. Keep a look out for coupons and sales, and stock up when you find a good deal.

Right now, I’m switching mone to raw and am finding it be much more economical than even mid grade canned food. For example, on canned he eats 9-10 oz a day. On raw, he eats just 6 oz, and you actually want cheaper meats because of their fat and taurine contents, so you can get away with chicken thighs and quarters and pork and hearts. Might be something to look into 😉

[JetJacqui]

In my case, the best way to get rid of fleas is the combination of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. the daily dosage of apple cider vinegar is 1 tablespoon for 60 lbs body weight in drinking water. too much apple cider vinegar (2 tblspoon / 60 lbs) will cause diarrhea; Springtime fresh factor contains nutritional yeast. The dosage is 2 tablet for 60 lbs.

I’ve tried springtime bug off garlic tablet and powder on my yorkie, chihuahua and collie. the garlic tablet is better than the powder because it contains nutritional yeast. i don’t use bug off garlic anymore because their gums and inner ears turned pale after few months. After 1 month without bug off garlic, their gums and inner ear turned back to healthy pink/reddish color.

I’ve tried wondercide repel with citronella and geranium. it didn’t help at all. I bathe my dogs once a month and they’re free from ticks and fleas.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve used Duck & Turkey Raw Boost food and their Raw Boost treats and Boost topper powder supplement in Lamb and Beef. I actually avoid chicken products in general. I have pugs and they basically like 99.9% of all things edible. You might try the chicken flavor first since that’s what your dog is currently eating and then eventually add in other varieties.

[Dori]

Gloria. Definitely proves my point. You never know when a recall is going to pop up but you know darn well it will. I do my best to avoid the obvious. It’s also the reason that I avoid any manufacturer that has had multiple recalls. You know that eventually they are going to have more recalls and I don’t intend for my dogs to get caught up in the disaster. I only feed high quality commercial raw diets from companies that I trust completely because I have spent literally years researching commercial raw manufacturers that are made in the USA sourcing their ingredients only from the USA. Nothing GMO. No soy, no corn, no white potatoes, no grains, no poultry. I’m sure there are other things on my list of ingredients that I do not feed.

[Hater and Molly’s Mom]

I give my girls raw carrots all the time as treats. They have never had a problem digesting them. I check their stools and never see any pieces of carrot in it.

[Dori]

Linda S. The reason that Darwins would never be on the list is that it is considered a food that is not readily available to all. Because it has to be ordered and delivered, it makes it not readily available and shipping for raw dog foods is incredibly expensive. Most people don’t have the money to feed commercial raw foods and pay for the shipping. I understand that it pretty much has to be expensive to ship raw because of the packing and speed of delivery that are involved but it’s not economically feasible for everyone. I’m a commercial raw feeder myself but I buy them at my local “boutique type” dog food stores.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I have given Lily little bits of raw carrots and apple, and they seem to digest fine. Like Dori, I’m really doing more for her enjoyment then I am for nutritional benefit.

[Dori]

Gloria, I give my dogs raw fruits and veggies as treats. It entertains them and they’re happy. I don’t particularly care how much nutrition they receive from them. Very rarely do I find huge pieces of carrots or any raw veggies I give them so I don’t know. As I’ve said often, I don’t feed commercial raw treats (too many recalls, also Katie has too many food issues). Sometimes I do cook them, sometimes I puree them if I want them to get the most nutrition out of them. Mostly they like the crunch factor of raw. It makes them happy.

[Gloria K]

Well then. I gave Micky a carrot stick last night so I’m going to have to keep an eye on his stool today and see what happens.
I was under the impression, from what I’ve always read, that dogs can digest raw vegetables. Guess I read wrong. 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Gloria –

Dogs do not produce cellulase, the enzyme required to efficiently digest raw plant material. Dogs will only efficiently digest plant matter if it is cooked/finely mashed.

“The carnivore’s pancreas does not secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules, nor have dogs become efficient at digesting and assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein. Herbivores do those sorts of things.”
Canine and Feline Nutrition Case, Carey and Hirakawa Published by Mosby, 1995

[Gloria K]

I’m surprised to hear that the carrot stick didn’t digest because raw vegetables digest in both humans and animals. Can’t imagine why it didn’t with your dog. I agree that carrying around raw meat is not something I would want to do either. When I take my dog to the park I always bring several of my homemade dog cookies because there are always other dogs around him that are going to want one too. It’s like a party LOL.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Gloria K.

[CaneCorso15]

For breakfast; 3 cups kibble mix with 2 raw eggs and a banana.
For Dinner; Half of a whole chicken and a beef rib.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Well, sometimes you need treats on the go – such as at dog parks or in training classes. I don’t know about you but I personally don’t want to carry raw meat around in my pocket. Also, feeding raw veggies is pretty pointless since dogs can’t efficiently digest them in the raw state. Last time my dog got a hold of a raw carrot stick it came out the exact same way it came in.