[Dori]

A better way to know if your dog needs to lose or gain weight is by feel. You don’t need a scale for this. Feel your dogs body especially her rib cage both sides. Can you easily feel her ribs or do you really have to push in on her flesh to feel them. You should be easily able to feel her ribs but not to the point where you can actually feel too easily the space in between each rib. Also while she is standing still look straight down on her. You should be able to see a waist line. If you you don’t, then just keep adjusting her weight downward until you can. Same with the ribs. Also don’t forget that in feeding raw you feed much less than you would if you were feeding a dry or canned food. By regularly feeling her body you can then always adjust her meals by a little more or a little less once she gets to what feels right.

Also, as BC said. 5 – 10 lbs. overweight on a dog is a huge deal. Once she looses the weight you’ll be surprised as to how more active she’ll be. It’s best for all her internal organs and musculoskeletal system to be a little on the slim side. Much healthier all around.

[Dori]

frostyrockyk. Your vets can make all the faces that they would like, the decision on what is given to your dog is yours, not theirs!!!! Whether it’s vaccines or food, it’s your decision. Just stand strong. Your dog has already had all the vaccines it needs. You can have them do titers if you wish though they are not cheap. The only acception to no vaccines is the rabies vaccine. It’s required by law. Just make sure what the county that you live in requires. I have heard that there are a few counties around the country that will accept titers for the rabies vaccine but, personally, that has not been my experience. Some are one year and others just require three year. Mind you it’s the exact same vaccine, it’s the paperwork and tag that changes. If you can get away with the three year rabie’s vaccine then that means less chemicals going into your dog. My vets are not always crazy about my choices for my dogs but they know they are my dogs and not theirs. I don’t do vaccines other than the three year rabies and I feed raw diet. The vets don’t like it but I could care less what they like and what they don’t.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Rob-
Do you feed any canned or raw food at all? If not I’d definitely start. By increasing moisture, it helps to flush out the crystals. Try to find the lowest carb, highest protein canned food you can afford and mix it in and add water. Also, You may want to use the prescription dry food for a while to help dissolve the crystals. After that, I believe Wellness Core is a good food for maintaining pH levels. Good luck!

[pacer1978]

Hello All,

I haven’t been on in a while, but I recently switched one of my dogs to a 100% raw diet (over time of course). However, I’m just not sure how much I should be feeding. I started it 3 weeks ago, supplementing with Dinovite, because of severe paw licking (to the point she has bad sores). We are guessing she is over 10-13 years old since we took her in about 4 years ago. She is a little “porky” to begin with, but I’m wondering if she just has a wide chest. I’m not really sure if she is overweight or just “girthy” for her size. I’ve noticed her waist tapering a little, but I want to ensure that I’m also not underfeeding her. She was last weighted in about 40 lbs. when I took her to the vet and I’ve been told by vets she was a little overweight. She is considered a medium size dog. The best guess I can give is either part Corgi and terrier. I don’t see any place to submit a photo otherwise I would do so. I’m not really sure how much she should weigh, but I’m thinking if I’ve been told she was overweight, then she can afford to lose 5-10 lbs. If that is the case, how much raw should I be feeding for a 30-40 lb medium dog per day (preferably in oz)? Anyway, I feed my dogs twice a day so they are eating smaller meals (my other two are Weimaraners and they suggest this for bloat). Thank you!

[Jennifer H]

Yes, my goal weight is 11 lbs, so 2.5 oz per meal at 3%. Some meals are 3oz, those are the RMB portions because I try to keep the bones pretty big so he can’t swallow them whole. He’s usually a good chewer though. I let him have a pork tail for fun this afternoon and he had a blast. I was surprised he limited himself, he only ate half.

I know 3% is a bit high, but I worry about blood sugar, and I had seen a few people suggest feeding up to 4% to small dogs.

I also have a small flock of backyard chickens and he will get a raw egg 2x a week. He refuses to eat the shell though, even if I break it up.

Are tinned sardines okay? I can get them in brine or oil. Not sure which is best…

[pugmomsandy]

Are you using his goal weight for his portion size split in half since he is only eating one meal of raw?

[Jennifer H]

I’ve portioned out 1 week of raw food for my 13lb Maltese. He is slightly overweight. I plan on feeding raw in the evenings, and continuing his morning meal of kibble + wet food.

Atm I can’t find another secreting organ meat besides liver, but I am currently looking for something.

This is what I’ve portioned out so far. Each meal is between 2.5 to 3 oz. He has 1oz of beef liver cut into 4 portions for throughout the week.

Day 1 Beef Liver, Chicken Gizzard
Day 2 Beef Liver, Pork Tail
Day 3 Chicken Gizzard, Beef Heart
Day 4 Beef Liver, Chicken Neck
Day 5 Beef Heart, and a smidge of chicken skin/fat
Day 6 Chicken Thigh
Day 7 Pork Tail, Beef Liver

Does this sound balanced, minus the missing other organ? I would like to add more proteins and variety, and some fish.

[Akari_32]

Dori, she should probably weigh about 12 pounds, so with her joint problems, I’d say she’s about good where she is now. I can see her ribs when she bends, so she’s not scrawny, but not quite at an “ideal” weight either.

I have tried giving her the glucosamine with out food, but because it’s a capsule, with everything powdered inside, she spits it out as soon as it breaks open and looks at me like in trying to kill her. This is the same dog that is on a wrapper that falls on the floor in half a second flat and tries to run off with her prize. So I figure over the food is better than nothing, especially since it’s about twice as much as she “needs”. I have seen an improvement since starting her on it, but she needs some anti-inflammatories or something, I think.

She’s doing good on the wellness simple small breed salmon, btw. No more messes in her cage at night since removing canned food from her diet! Yay! I feel like I have only dog ever that can’t eat canned food LOL

Yes, I’m just trying to do right by her. If she decides to live for another 5 years, then I’ll do what I can do to keep her comfortable and moving. If she decides she’s had enough next week (though I hope to God not! She’s my baby lol), then so be it. We took a walk this morning since it was warm enough for her to tolerate, and she loved every minute of it, and did her wiener dog run for a good quarter of it :p She was feeling it by the time we got home, though, limping on all four legs up the drive way and to the door. Poor thing lol

Don’t worry about how long your post is! I need help with this joint drama dog. I’m open to all sides of the situation :3

[Sadie’s Mom]

Surprisingly, the first thing I look for in a treat is the texture. My mini dachshund HATES crunchy treats. It’s the strangest thing! The only crunchy/hard things she likes are the rawhide dental chews (Dentley’s brand is the current favorite). I also have to factor in price, as I am a college student living on a tight budget. The best thing I have found are the Zuke’s Mini Naturals. They are soft and squishy, grain free, and low in calories. Sadie likes all of the flavors, but the chicken seems to be her favorite. I’ve been wanting to try the Wellness Petite Treats Soft Mini Bites, but they haven’t been on sale for a good price. The Zuke’s are a better deal because they are less per ounce and last a really long time. I give her 3 or 4 at a time as a normal treat to make her feel better since the other 3 dogs my parents own get small milkbones lol. She also likes the Milkbone Brushing Chews after her evening meal. I give her half a mini bone. I am currently on the hunt for a treat with added glucosamine that is reasonably priced. Any suggestions?

[DogFoodie]

I have a big bag of them in the freezer all the time. Mine both love them raw. Just be sure to cut the nails off first.

[pugmomsandy]

Raw also.

[neezerfan]

I feed them to my dogs raw, they love them.

[Sam D]

Hey all
I need your help with something. We’re bringing home an 8 week old Aussie next week. We have Taste of the Wild for his Kibble and a stock pile of Honest Kitchen Turkey and Aunt Jeni’s Turkey Raw frozen pre-made meals.

In a perfect world I would feed him Kibble in the AM and Raw in the PM so his tummy has time to digest each type of food separately. Though – when he’s a puppy he will be eating 3 or 4 times a day so that complete digestion time won’t be there.

So how do you handle? Rotate days between kibble and raw so every other day is a different type? Is that a bit much for a new puppy to get used to?

Right now the breeder has him on puppy kibble.

Thanks, guys!

[Kristin C]

Has anyone fed their dog chicken feet? If so, raw or dehydrated? I have some raw ones I am using for chicken stock and was just wondering if it’s better to dehydrate them, which concerns me because of the cooked bones.

[Elizabeth G]

How can I quickly find the best quality of dry lamb food on your website? I feed raw and have for 20 some odd years but my new rescue dog has frequent ear infections so my vet wants her on a limited lamb food for about two months to see which protein might be causing it. I will be feeding fresh lamb meat for one meal but need a dry for the other feeding. Any tips on how to find the best lamb dry on your website? Thanks for doing this website by the way. I recommended it to all my puppy buyers when I was showing and breeding.

[frostyrockyk]

I started this in case other folks had the same problem . I saw in a post the use of cottage cheese in home made food & made me think of this . RE: calcium , I got the cook book ” REAL FOOD for healthy dogs & cats ” in the book they cover many , many things . I know too much of anything can be bad , like a belly full of rocks & a huge vet bill to cut him open to take them out ! I don’t recall word for word , but they talked about the need for Phosphorus with calcium . There are also charts of how much per weight of dog . Like many here I also mix up what I feed my dog , my guess I don’t feed enough calcium , I don’t give it every meal & also give her cottage cheese , milk , sour cream , cheese , ice cream , yogurt . She gets deer bones from the woods on her own & killed & eaten rabbits . RE: raw bones , most people likely can’t get them , but if you know any deer hunters , the full rib cage is good for them to chew on . The ribs are good because the dogs eat them like buggs bunny eats a carrot . They use their back teeth to nip off bits of about 1/4 inch at a time , so there are no shards that would cut their insides , just crushed bone . Their teeth come out super clean . I’m not a raw food kind of guy & am a little freaked out about what they may catch from the deer. But hunting season in MO. is mostly cold so I don’t think it will spoil too soon . Other than the ribs , I take away any bones they bring home . I have raised Grt. Pureness dogs for about 30 years & only had problems with 1 a few months ago , that’s why I’m here. They eat a lot & I have fed them LOTS of table scraps , deer & catfish for ever & had zero problems related to food . I don’t know what killed Frosty ?? The Med. College cut him up to find out because they couldn’t save him & they wanted to know why . Bottom line , they don’t know for sure , age 2 1/2 , possible toxin . The av. age of my dogs was 12 years , the ones not hit by a truck , shot , antifreeze, or just gone & never came back ??? Bo Bear was shot in one eye by a turkey hunter & later BLIND sided by a truck ! He was not fixed & 1 rainy night just took off running & that was the last time I saw him alive . I think it’s a good Idea to get them fixed if you don’t want pups . Every single one was the BEST DOG EVER!!

[Dog_Obsessed]

I would recommend going with the USA made ones from now on. There is a chew called Etta Says! that is made in the USA, made of meat and digestible rawhide. Lily loves them, but they don’t last too long with her, maybe 20 minutes. Here is a link to their website: http://ettasays.com/pages.php?pageid=13

Also, there is a company called Superior Farms that makes natural chews and treats. They source all ingredients from New Zealand and the USA, and manufacture in the USA. I have not tried their chews, but I have tried their venison treats which were a big hit Brisbane’s Bark Blog reviewed their venison chew today: http://www.brisbanesbarkblog.com/2014/12/treat-tuesday-superior-farms-venison.html

Here is the Superior Farms website: http://www.superiorfarmspet.com

[frostyrockyk]

I think the meals listed are great , ……. I would drop the rice 100% , & Gloria’s dish should be able to cook from raw in 1 hour with a lid on it at 350. Also things like peas with a very short cooking time could be add near the end & the cottage cheese could be a topper ( cold ). I think we have many good cooks here! PS I think I need to start a new thread on cottage cheese !!

[Susan]

Lew Olsons book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats” THE DIFINITIVE GUIDE TO HOMEMADE MEALS, Lew has cooked recipes in her book for puppys, for health problems etc & the recipes are so easy & balanced, her book is cheap around $12 on Amazon….You’ll see a heap of dog meal books on Amazon.. Dr Becker also “Real Food For Healthy Dogs”..but I found Lew Olsons the best for home cooking & easy..

[Laura M]

Hi Nancy – I just recently purchased an e-book on the subject of Home Prepared Diets for Dogs – Cooked Diets from the Whole Dog Journal website. I haven’t gone through it much yet, but I rely heavily on the Whole Dog Journal for information. Maybe you are a subscriber as well, but if you go to their home webpage at the bottom it says “products” and then click on e-books and you will see a series of e-books on preparing food – part three is for cooked diets. They also have raw and a mixture – so if you decide to do raw I’m sure it would be great info as well. Good luck!

[jakes mom]

check out the homemade food and raw food forums, lots of good advice and book recommendations there. Good luck!

[Nancy M]

I am finally to the point of making my own dog food. I am. Not one that wants to consider the RAW, although I know it’s the best. I also know this is a serious committment and must be approached with enough knowledge and understanding, in order to preserve the health of my dogs. Frankly, I’m just tired of trying to research and choose from all choices of dog foods out there, trying to make sure they are safe and nutritional. I have a 3 month old Sheltie pup and a year old mini Aussie (about 25 lbs). I would like some recipes that are not extremely complicated, and that I can make up on a weekly basis. I do not have an overage of freezer/refrigerator space, so I have to make just a short supply at a time.

I would very much appreciate recipes or tried and true books on the subject.

Thanks!
Nancy

[crazy4cats]

I have two lab mix dogs and have had the same issue. I have had the best luck with Victor grain free food so far. I also use various supplements that are very helpful. Such as Firm Up and The Perfect Form. Also, when I add either a couple frozen Nature’s variety Instinct raw nuggets or The Honest Kitchen dehydrated as a topper, it also helps. I think it is because of the added fiber that helps firm up the stools.

Please check out http://www.dogaware.com for some very helpful information on loose stools. It has been an extremely valuable resource for me!

Please feel free to write back with any questions or comments.

[theBCnut]

Is there much calcium in antlers? If so then yes. Even raw fed dogs need to have their calcium balanced, especially as puppies, especially large and giant breed puppies.

[theBCnut]

Definitely compare using dry matter. That way you are comparing apple to apples. You can compare a canned food to a kibble to a raw to a dehydrated to a freeze dried if they are all in dry matter.

[Jenny Rellick]

No. Raw diet dogs eat bones every day, and they have just as much calcium. If your puppy is going through the elk antlers fast, costing you a lot of money, you might invest in a moose sntler segment. The large size adds a challenge for the dog to hold onto it (they are heavy.)

[Dog_Obsessed]

Lily also has rope toys that she loves to chew on. She’s not particularly picky though. She likes Nylabones, but it sounds like he wouldn’t like those too much. They can also be choking hazards if the dog bites off large pieces, and the harder ones can break teeth. Lily also loves the Himalayan Dog Chews, a hard, edible chew that softens as the dog chews. They are a bit pricey but they last a really long time.

I know many people on the forums use Raw Meaty Bones for chewing, and they are also supposed to help with teeth cleaning. I don’t use these so I can’t exactly recommend them, but if someone else comes by they can talk about those more in detail.

Also, natural chews like Bully Sticks and Pig Ears can be good for some dogs. In my experience bully sticks have smelled really bad, but they do make low-oder ones. It is important to get them from a reputable, USA made company to avid contamination. Same with the RMBs. Also, with any chew you are giving, always supervise your dog while chewing. Watch for him biting of chokeable sized pieces, and take it away when it is small enough to be a choking hazard.

[robert j]

Dear FreeholdHound, I have never heard of a dog catching a frozen chicken, ground hog, or turkey etc. I always warm my Ambers meat to prey temperature, give it a try, it works a lot better. In addition to her Reel Raw she likes her ground hogs and field mice running away.

Merry Christmas, Robert Lovemyamber

[theBCnut]

Definitely not a hot spot! With a hot spot the skin turns red and hot before the hair falls out, then the skin starts weeping and gets raw, this causes the hair to fall out, so you definitely would have known if it was that. When the weeping dries, it is crusty like a scab.

You could have a couple different things going on here. If Bruno is sensitive to fleas, they can remain itchy for up to 10 days after a single bite, so you don’t have to see a flea for it to have been a flea. And then of course there is the drier winter air. It isn’t at all uncommon for short coated breeds to have dry skin.

[pugmomsandy]

Quality animal-sourced fat is what I would look for in a food. I know someone who feeds quality raw food for a post pancreatic dog. While Schnauzers are prone to pancreatitis, I think “normal” fat is ok. MelissaAndCrew has experience with Schnauzers and they eat a regular fat food, around 14-15% I think but you’d have to check with her. Also, the fat amount listed on the bag (and protein too) are minimum values.

[Douglas E]

I have read this entire thread as well as similar ones. Look, other than broad brush strokes, animal nutrition has been much ignored for the majority of pet-human history. Heck, the same can be said for HUMAN nutrition. Only within the past 40 years has our nutrition become the topic of serious scientific inquiry. This has been a natural development in thought from deeper insights into cellular biology, biochemistry and immunology. The science of human nutrition is quite new.

How then can we expect to understand other species’ specific nutritional needs? We hardly understand the human organism yet in that regard. If human nutritional science is in its’ infancy, canine nutrition is only embryonic. That research it further complicated by gross breed differences, historically poor food quality diets, congenital and/our genetic weaknesses from severely poor breeding, medical thought that simply treats symptoms and a new problem- canine geriatrics.

A dog in the wild would typically have a life expectancy less than half of our pets’. Nutritional deficiency plays a major part in that mortality. And no, an all raw and only carnivorous diet is not what a dog would get in the wild. While dogs are highly adapted to having a majority of the diet be animal proteins, they have a much greater variety. Even from only consuming prey animals, they will eat the contents of those animals’ intestines and stomach(s) which would include “probiotics,” yeasts (naturally occurring intestinal fauna,) and various vagetation such as primitive grains. Those grains would be partially digested, yes, so raw gains would likely be less digestible. Canines would also eat the high fat organ meats, hair, skin and bone. It is important to note that the high need of calcium, as well as other bone minerals, for dogs is well noted these days. It is necessary nutritionally for Canines to occaisionally consume vegetable, or even mineral, matter. Not only must they do so to enable gut function, they must do so for biological need. Not all needs are met by prey. This is why in the absence of adequate herbivorous prey, dogs will suplement by what pet owners would consider pica.

All that being said (now that I have presented myself in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral the Very Model of a Modern Major General, ) the answers are not simple. But the guidelines are.

1. Use common sense, canine nutrition is imperfect at best
2. Do not presume to be an expert, or that human remedy necessarily applies
3. Do not rely on diet to cure medical conditions that may really be microbial or parastic infections, disease or biological defecit aside from nutrition
4. Realize that isolating an immunological response, whether from allergic reaction or not, is a difficult and time consuming process
5. Use keen observation when using any new food source or additive, including veterinarian recommended treatments. Don’t simply go with the flow thinking that treatment course is the fix-it for sure (OK, preaching to the choir I think there…)
6. Each dog is as different biologically as we are. If it does improve health in some, it may not in others or it may actually be detrimental
7. A business, or product, that is intentionally or negligently harmful will not survive. Caveat Emptor
8. etc. etc. etc…

Here’s hoping great health to all you and all your furry families

D

[Naturella]

Dog_Obsessed, he usually stops chewing on it when oils are on it. And it literally looks like clear, healthy skin – is that what hot spots look like? I don’t know much about them. I just looked them up actually, and they look nothing like Bruno has – in fact they look like something Snowy has, on both her sides of the thighs, red, irritated, almost raw, skin, on the fold between the legs and the torso, and hers clear up very well with coconut oil, but her family is not very consistent with it and they come back.

As for foods, we started transitioning today, so it can’t be from that. Other than that, no change in his normal food routine. Until today he was on Back to Basics Open Range with usual THK and BDN toppers, plus fresh food toppers. Today we began introducing Castor & Pollux Ultramix GF with Duck, Turkey, Lamb, and Salmon meals. But the spot was there before, I saw it yesterday actually.

As far as seasonal or environmental allergies, it may be that, not sure. When he had the scrotum spots, I did see one flea on him, and there may have been more, but so far I haven’t seen any on him around the leg spot… But there MAY be some? The oil treatment helped last time, and I will try it again I guess, and if he gets another itchy spot, I will ask a vet.

[Naturella]

Not a Boston Terrier owner, but a small terrier mix owner nonetheless here! 🙂

I think that what you should do is try several different brands and proteins and find out what your furry friend does well on, and then rotate between brands and protein types.

I feed a rotational diet and I am constantly trying new things with my Jack-Rat mix Bruno. Brands that have small-breed (smaller kibble) sizes include Wellness (small/toy breed formulas), Victor, Annamaet GF, Earthborn Holistic GF has been small enough for my boy, Nutrisca too, Castor & Pollux, Holistic Health Extension, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and many more. I have fed most of the above as well as other brands with great success (except for NVI, my boy got sick on the rabbit formula, BUT I would try this food again).

You could also add canned, dehydrated, or freeze-dried to kibble as a topper to spice things up, or as a regular thing. Wet food is better than dry for dogs anyway, so if you can feed just canned, dehydrated, or freeze-dried, go for it! I usually feed Bruno “soups” of kibble, warm water, and canned, dehydrated, or freeze-dried as a topper, or coconut oil, yoghurt/kefir, raw egg, canned sardines, etc.

Good luck and keep us poster or let us know if you have any more questions.

[Akari_32]

I mixed it with a pound of 2% fat ground chicken breast. The mix says to use 15%+ percent fat meats, but as his first time with bulk raw, I chose the lowest fat I could find, and separated it into 3.5 oz portions to feed off for breakfast’s. Just worried that such high fat combined with more raw than he’s used to might upset his tummy. Of course, he has an iron stomach, so I doubt it would, but better safe than sorry! He won’t be getting enough of it to really make any difference with how low fat it is anyways, I don’t think. 1.5 pounds (meat, water and mix) made about 8 breakfasts. The mix itself is very thick, so I think if I ever do this again, I’ll use chuncks of meat in stead of ground, so he can chew the meat and lap up the mix.

[Akari_32]

I’m not looking at just the main ingredients. Yes, I think Brewers rice and corn gluten meal aren’t quality ingredients, but looking at the bigger picture, there’s a good amount of animal protein in the food, and elevated levels of omega, glucosamine and antioxidants that I could not achieve on my own. Patty, you’ve said yourself quality comes second, and using what works for each dog is the priority. I’m not looking for “this food has a couple questionable ingredients, it’s absolute garbarge,” I’m looking for objective replies on if this food does or does not do what it’s supposed to do. I know how to pick quality dog foods, but I’m really just beyond that at this point with Ginger. The poor thing needs something more than I’m doing right now, and I’m grasping for straws at this point.

I can’t afford to spend any more on supliments (and dog food) than I’m already spending, and if I dump anymore glucosamine pills on this dogs 1/2 cup of food, she’s going to think I’m nuts. It’s bitter and she hates it. That said, if there is a commercial, non-prescription food that doesn’t charge out the nose and does what this is supposed to do, by all means, suggest away. I’m looking at $15 a bag without coupons, or including shipping.

Btw, have you two *seen*, say, Hill’s joint food? Now *that* is nasty stuff. Purina looks like it’s made of gold compared to Hill’s. Just saying.

And Aimee, thank you for the link. I wish I knew half of what they were saying! Seems like products like this do actually work, or at least help, though.

Bobby Dog and Aimee, you’re right about rotating. I forget how long it takes to see results with joint supliments lol I hate to keep her one food, but I think minimal switching around is best. Once I find something for her I like, I will have to just keep her on it.

[tecknik]

What some don’t realize is that your dog’s allergies may not be food related. That turned out to be the case for my dog. Here I was trying all different food concoctions, then the useless Dinovite and it turns out my dog has many environmental allergies including Wool, willow, dust mites, mold mites and about 20 other things.
I’ve always had her on a raw diet (Abady) which is helpful and keeps her coat nice and shiny. (less poop as well due to minimal carbs, too) I also add unrefined coconut oil for more nutrients as well as a good dog vitamin.
As for dog treats, I buy $3.99lb london broils or stew beef then grill it medium rare, then cut into bite size pieces. I will buy in bulk and freeze the remaining. It’s a little work but not that much and if you look at the ounces of a bag of good dog treats, you will find that you are paying over $10 a pound! (usually $4 to $5 for a 6oz bag of treats) It’s the best type of treat to give your dog and you know exactly what is in it.
For my dog’s treatment, we first had the allergy testing done. Yes, it is expensive and thank God I have insurance so I get reimbursed. ($500 because dog has to have anesthesia)
Second step was to remove as many of her allergens as possible from the environment. That meant giving up my two brand new wool carpets. :/ Now I clean an extra day a week as well to ensure there is no dust.
Third step was medication to cure her symptoms. She had ear infections, yeast infections and sores from all the scratching. The doctor prescribed a slew of medicines including prednisone which really stopped her scratching. Unfortunately, this can not be used long term because it can be harmful to the liver and other organs.
Fourth step (and this is where we are now) Allergy shots. It started every other day and now we are at once a week. The scratching is down to a minimal and hopefully over time her immune system will work against her allergies and she will be a happy dog for good.

[dakcmumm]

I don’t like Dinovite. Egg shells mixed with rice and bake. That sounds weird. I did place an order with Dinovite but decided to cancel it. Their rep was not very friendly to me. After trying Better In The Raw I decided to give my babies Primal. It is the Psyllium that turns me off. Most or not all of the supplement for raw feeding has psyllium. I myself was bloated with psyllium. It makes me so sick. So, even dogs might be different, I just decided that I do not like psyllium. I rather add sweet potato or pumpkin to facilitate my babies’ pooping business than use psyllium.

Anyway, Sophie and Louis love primal. I am sooooo happy. I do add more raw veggies to their food. Trust your instinct. Only you know what is best for Your Dog. There are many good products out there but each case is different. Trust your instinct.

[Akari_32]

Must be new cat food day! LOL I got around to mixing up that Wild Kitty raw mix tonight. It looks disgusting, but after I had separated it all out into ice cube trays, I let the kitty lick the spoon and he went to town on that thing. Not a single speck left on that spoon LOL The first ingredient in the mix is clam, which is why assume he likes it so much. Is clam associated with hyperthyroid, like fish is?

Stay safe girl!

[Dori]

Dog Obsessed. aquariangt just reminded me of another reason to add to the list of why I don’t use Sojos, the protein is way too low. I feed really pretty high protein being that I feed almost all raw.

Thanks aquariangt. I’d forgotten to mention to Dog Obsessed about the low protein in my response to her as to the reasons I don’t care for Sojos.

[Naturella]

Dog_Obsessed, I see. I stopped worrying about bacteria after I started feeding Bruno RMBs once/week and a raw egg once/week. After he didn’t get sick or die from them, I felt like it wouldn’t be likely for him to get sick or die from a commercial raw/freeze-dried/dehydrated. BUT, we all have different levels of comfort, and it seems like Lily is doing great on kibble, canned, and THK! 🙂

For me, Bruno’s best stool is after commercial raw/RMB day – I TRY to feed him only raw on Sundays, but for sure his Sunday evening meal is only an RMB, whether his breakfast was raw or not. His stool after Sunday nights is usually firm, not smelling almost at all, and is overall good. But he has good stool (firmness-wise) on his other foods too, it is just always so much more smellier than on raw.

[Dog_Obsessed]

@Naturella I am mostly worried about bacteria. I know that they use other methods to sanitize, and that it is unlikely for dogs to get sick from it anyway, but it still worries me. Most raw (or non-raw!) companies have lots of info/bragging about how they make their food, what procedures they take to avoid contamination, etc, but Sojos has almost none on that. Marie and Dori, what is it that bothers you about Sojos? That it doesn’t completely digest?

[Judy M]

all the f[rodducts at Wondercide have neem oil They also have a great bathing bar soap for flea prevention called “Repel” holding a bar of soap to bathe is easier than having to squeeze a bottle when u need 2 hands for bathing. ‘They have a whole line of flea prevention products t that all include neem oil they are quality products recommended (I even list them for sale on my own poet supply website and have them dropshipped, and use them myself, but having to spray repeatedly periodically isnt as easy as giving a Capostar pill or other like Comfortis,m but I won;t give comfortis anymore, now that the holistic vet told me that spinosad (however it is spelled) is toxic, so don’t want to harm my pet, but she chews herself to death in summer if she getsfleas, so I have to be sure and prevent them ans her sensitive pick skin gets all raw with hot spots once she gets a flea and starts chewing at the bite, so its hard to balance. Where to you get the Bug Of Garlic? is there a way to makeit with health food store garlic, I do think the holistic vet said something about garlic being potentially toxic (probably if wrong dose)?? hate those darn fleasl no easy solution…thankfully now that it is cooler, they seem to not be a problem at the moment, and Im in So CAl

[Dori]

I’m with you Marie. I REALLY dislike SoJos. THK is the only dehydrated food that I really really like. I have used others but always go back to THK and keep in rotation. Even a couple of my local pet stores that carry Sojos don’t recommend the food. They’re small stores so they can pretty much try all the food in the store (not the owners so no choice as to what they carry) and they dislike the Sojos.

I’d like to add on the freeze dried and dehydrated foods in general that I have fed, and continue to feed, I have never seen any undigested bits in any of my three girls poop. I check all of their poop every single time. I sometimes wonder if people seeing identifiable bits of ingredients in their dogs poop if the dogs gut is not as healthy as it could be. Could it be that 90 – 95% of my dog’s meals over the past three years are raw causing a healthier gut and, therefore, able to digest pretty much digest everything and anything? I really don’t know. Just a thought I’ve wondered about.

Sorry about all the edits. I really should remember to read through my posts before hitting the submit button.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.

[Kristin C]

If you mean gizzards then yes it’s ok to feed. I feed mine raw. Are you adding the organs to each meal in small amounts? Or are you feeding 1 or 2 meals per week organs only? Be careful about feeding too much.

[Bobby dog]

pugmomsandy replied on page 1 about Sojo’s being freeze dried, “The meats are freeze dried and the veg/fruit are raw and air-dried.” Maybe only the complete formula adds FD meats? I never fed it so I am not sure. Here’s the DFA review:

/dog-food-reviews/sojos-complete-dog-food/

[Naturella]

@Dog_Obsessed, you may have mentioned elsewhere, but what is it that worries you about raw? I know not everyone is ready to or willing to go that route with their dog, I was just curious.

[Kristin C]

It’s not true raw since it’s cooked to 115 degrees. I have used it and it seems safe but I ended up throwing out most of the bag since there was always chunks in my dog’s poo. At the price, I preferred to be rid of it and move on to something else.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Lily digests THK fine as a topper, so I like the sound of Sojos. I am still concerned about their safety practices because it is raw.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I’m pretty sure Sojos is freeze-dried raw. Freeze-dried and dehydrated are different things but similar.

[Kristin C]

I make my own raw food and store/freeze it in mason jars, the flatter ones (8oz) with regular mouths. This makes my dogs work for their food. And it works for their size so that’s a consideration.