[LovelyBear]

My 8 yr young 104 lb rottweiler has been raw for the past day and a half. She has been given 2 chicken quarters a day (1 twice a day), pumpkin puree, coconut oil (she loves it), and some chicken gizzards. All night she never woke me or acted like she would have “cannon butt”. This morning I watched her poo and it was solid and about 4 inches. I couldn’t find in the yard, but ill keep a better eye out them to make sure everything is digested. She is having stinky gas.

For her first meal the texture freaked her out and she got insecure, because she didn’t know what to do. I waited 15 minutes and tried encouraging her. I had to put the food up and try again for dinner. Dinner was the same, but I kept trying. I got meat scissors and cut about 90% of the meat off the quarter and hand fed her small pieces. At first she spit it out and then she realized it is edible. Then I popped out all of the joints in the quarters and hand fed her the bone part. The next day I did the same and she eagerly ate all the chicken pieces. She even chewed apart pieces she thought where to big. Plus she chewed all of the bones slowly and very gentle. I’m glad she isn’t a gulper!

There is something I am stuck on:

Where do you feed your pup? Or what do you feed them on?

The past meals I have been having her eat on a towel, but it gets tedious to wash a bunch of towels. One meal I fed on a trash bag and that seems wasteful to me and she was a little scared of it. I cleaned out her crate to possible feed her in that and since it has been 3 years since she has even seen the thing it terrified her and she wont get in it. Also I’d love to feed her outside in the grass, but my dad uses fertilizer, weed killer, and bug killers……. I do have a lanai though with a concrete floor. If I fed her in there how can I keep the floor sanitary? Although I have a crazy neighbor who spies on my family, so they will probably think crazy things if they see me feeding her raw body parts lol.

My parents are slightly grossed out and apprehensive about raw. I thought that I’d be the germophob, since I eat a plant-based diet lol! They haven’t researched it like I have and I never want to feed my pup kibble again.

Have a great day!

[anonymous]

Here is some research, hope it helps: excerpt below from:
“Choosing the Right Diet for Your Pet”
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/

Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.

[anonymous]

Here is some research, hope it helps: excerpt below from: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
“Choosing the Right Diet for Your Pet”
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.

[anonymous]

Hope this helps.
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpts below, click on link for full article:

Animal by-products
In addition to grain, animal by-products have become “dirty words” on the ingredient list. Although not necessarily appealing to humans (particularly in the USA), the definition of a by-product in pet food is a part of the animal that is not skeletal muscle. This includes organ meats and intestines (not intestinal contents). AAFCO specifically excludes hair, hooves, horns, hide, manure, etc… as acceptable by-products. So in reality, by-products are perfectly healthy and full of nutrients. And you can be sure that a wild wolf or mountain lion is eating “by-products” in nature.

Raw diets
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.

[anonymous]

“My 8 yr young 104 lb Rottweiler”

Eight years old is a senior. I was curious as to why you would want to change her diet?
How was her last veterinary checkup? Did her senior workup, lab work reveal any concerns?
Did a veterinarian that examined her recommend a change in diet?
Just want to make sure you have looked at all your options regarding diet. Best of luck.
Ps: Your vet may be able to refer you to a veterinary nutritionist.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by anonymous.

[pitlove]

Hi LovelyBear-

With raw and because it doesn’t seem like you are using a commercial product that does HPP, being as sanitary as possible is important.

Feeding her in her kennel with nothing but the bowl or food in there is the best idea. It can be cleaned and disinfected easily. Introduce her back to her kennel slow. Most dogs love their kennels and look at it as their safe spot. Especially if she’s eating meals in there, she won’t get scared of it.

[anonymous]

Agree with above post. Also, it is always a good idea to know where the nearest 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic is located and have the phone number taped to your fridg, as there are risks involved with raw feeding.
You may not believe in science based veterinary medicine, however, when something goes wrong, the emergency veterinary medical clinic are the ones that will be available to treat your dog.

[LovelyBear]

anon101,
Me saying “young” is a touch of sarcasm. Of course I know 8 years for a dog is a senior 😐 Even when I say my age I say “young” because I dislike the word old when talking about someone who looks and acts young. I’m changing her diet because I have to tons of research and know it will be best for her. She went to the vet for a check up less than a month ago and she is perfectly healthy except for a few things that this diet will help with. Those being she needs to loose weight, clean her teeth, and prevent future yeast infections in her ears. And yes she has gotten Vet care/cleanings to help her ears. I do believe in veterinary medicine and I’ve actually considered becoming a vet. There is an emergency I have the number to where I live. They even have an emergency vehicle that will come to the house. Also I am in the process of switching vets because I no longer trust them and a lot of things happened, so I won’t take any recommendations for a veterinary nutritionist from them.

pitluv,
Hi! yes I am extremely sanitary. I clean everything more than once! Before I moved she use to go in her kennel everyday without me telling her just to sleep in it. I put it back together yesterday after 3 years and she is terrified of it. I do want to feed her in there because it will be easier to clean.

[Acroyali]

Lovelybear we must be out of the same mold. We recently dragged out an old crate for one of our dogs to eat in and she acted like she was being put in jail, and like I threw away the key! This dog hasn’t had the need to be crated (other than in the car) for quite some time, so she’s none too thrilled with our newest and brightest idea. She has no self preservation and I’m constantly worried she might get hurt. It occurred to us that if she DOES injure herself, crate rest will be in order and it might be a good idea to re-acclimate her so she doesn’t stress.

I keep the crate in a high traffic area (our kitchen is bustling) so she’s in the action (so to speak), and we started playing little crate games. I’d take a treat, have her sit and wait, and toss the treat into the crate and release her. We put a few old blankets in there one night, made a big show of burying some really high value treats IN the blankets and shut the door and released. She wanted in that crate so bad! We opened the door and she flew in, nudging the blankets aside and hunting those treats down. We left the door open so she could exit whenever, and she was so into the game that she didn’t even think about leaving the crate until she was 100% sure there wasn’t a crumb left.

Be creative! If you’re into clicker training, a clicker can come in really useful in situations like this and you can choose a word to send her into the crate. (We use “load up”, a friend of mine simply says “In you go”!) Play crate games with her. When I crate train a new dog I don’t leave the door open when I’m not actively training it, it’s like reverse psychology–the crate = games = fun = not always available. Some people have better luck leaving the door open 24 hours a day and letting the dog explore at their own pace. Assess your dog and do what you feel would be best for her. Be creative! 🙂

I’ve fed raw for a lot of years. A few dogs eat out of bowls, a few on plastic washable mats (no bowls). When it’s nice we do feed some dogs outside, but the yard isn’t treated with anything. The bowls and mats go in hot, soapy water and are easy to wash and rinse. They air dry.

It’s great that your dog is a good, slow eater and not a gulper! Crate feeding is great because it IS so easy to clean. If absolutely necessary, it might be possible to take the crate bottom pan out and let it be free-standing in the room, and use it as a place for her to eat until she’s used to the actual crate again. Once she’s happy walking in and out of the crate for a treat, maybe jackpot reward her with a few gizzards or something really high value.

Yes, there are risks concerning raw feeding, but unfortunately there are risks concerning ANY feeding, for pets or humans. The presence of penobarbitol in some “high end” brands lately have really made many people suspicious of the idea that commercial food is automatically safe and raw food is automatically dangerous.

[LovelyBear]

Hi Acroyali!

Thank you for all of this helpful advice! I was surprised to see my dog afraid of her crate. 3 years ago she would always want to go in there without me giving a command. Plus she would always get in there and even open the door with her paw when I gave her the command “get in your crate”. I’ll definitely take things slow, play games, etc.

I currently feed on towels since my dog occasionally likes to use her paws when eating raw meals. I’ll have to try a washable mat because washing the towels get tedious and I get worried they aren’t being cleaned fully.

Exactly there are risks with anything. Plus all of these big name dog food brands are having recalls. I’d rather know everything I am feeding my dog. Before the switch she was on Taste of the Wild and over half the ingredients where added vitamins/minerals. I was paying $60 a month for that lol!

[Acroyali]

Hi LovelyBear!

All my dogs use their feet when eating, yet my cats don’t. Go figure 😀

I wouldn’t be surprised if she catches onto the crate games soon and remembers that her crate used to be a place she enjoyed. Some dogs just kind of get weirded out by something they haven’t seen in awhile. My overly visual herding breeds are like this. One of them will stare at something new as if willing it to move!

Truthfully I don’t think all kibble is horrible, but I’m like you–I’d rather know what I’m feeding my dogs and cats, as well as know where it’s sourced from…most of it is farm to bowl. The suppliers I’ve used for the many years I’ve been doing this have never left me anything but satisfied. I don’t feel a raw diet magically “prevents” or “cures” cancer, nor will keep a dog from dying of anything but old age when they’re well into their 30’s (but wouldn’t that be awesome….), but I consider it another form of insurance, along with environmental factors that can potentially increase or decrease those risks. We do our best.

I don’t notice a huge difference between my young or young-ish raw fed animals vs. their non-raw fed friends, but as they age I see subtle differences between the two. An NR breeder I work with has generations of dogs and her seniors look (and act) pretty much like the younger generations do. The most striking difference was between one of my dogs (then 7 years old) and another dog of the same age and breed who appeared to be much older. Maybe we just got lucky genetics but my dog was often guessed to be between 2-4 years old because of his coat condition, clean teeth, etc.

Wishing you the best of luck!!

[Becca]

Dogs still loving the raw

[Author]

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