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  • in reply to: What do dogs need? #11499 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Does the forum delay posts with links? When I posted my first response with the links for Mercola’s probiotic and the Garden of Life Probiotic it kept disappearing, so re-typed it without the links and it appeared immediately. Now reading back my posts with the links is now appearing so I have a double post..

    in reply to: Freshly killed food #11497 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    The only whole prey animals I feed are rabbits and quail. I feed the whole thing – hair or feathers on, ungutted. Everything I get has been pre-frozen, I’m assuming if the prey wasn’t wild it’s probably okay to feed fresh but I’d personally freeze it first just to be safe. If I was feeding a chicken or something with thick long nails or a big beak I’d probably remove the nails and beak just to be safe. When I feed chicken feet I cut off the nails.

    in reply to: Chia Seed #11496 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Chia supposedly doesn’t need to be ground. The dose for dogs is 1 tsp. per 10 lbs. I don’t give my dogs chia regularly, but I have a sprouter and occasionally sprout chia for myself and when I do I run it through the coffee grinder and sprinkle some on my dogs’ food.

    in reply to: What do dogs need? #11489 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    The “fermentation” is just a method of creating the probiotics. If you’re supplementing with probiotics you don’t need a kibble with probiotics – I’d personally rather add my supplements separately rather than have then added so I can control the dose and I can pick the high quality supplements I want. If you continue the probiotics and enzymes after your dog is healthy, you certainly could continue to give them daily but I also think giving it a few times a week or daily in half the recommended dose would be fine for a healthy dog.

    Happy new year to you too! And thanks, the dog in my picture is Gertie my 2 year old. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11487 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I’d avoid anything with “broth” or “natural flavoring” – both can contain MSG. By law, if the MSG is created by process and not added separately, the company doesn’t have to disclose that the product contains MSG. I know my grocery store sells all natural chicken thighs with no antibiotics or additives for under $2/lb. and and a lot of the time if I can catch things on the sell by date, they’ll be 50% off.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11485 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Yeah, you always want to use vitamin e. You can continue the same fish oil or switch it up, it’s not a huge deal if you don’t switch but I do like to rotate my dogs’ fats as well. I generally alternate between sardine oil, anchovy oil and salmon oil (I’m thinking about trying krill oil when I’m out of the fish oil I have now) and I also give cod liver oil every other day. I add a plant-based fatty acid daily too, three days a week I give coconut oil and the other three I give a flax, borage and evening primrose blend. Just mixing kelp and alfalfa would be fine – if you have to give any trace nutrient supplement I would say those two would be your best bet. You can order both in powder form from starwest botanicals. I make my own whole food supplement and while I do rotate out certain ingredients and rotate in new ingredients every month or so I always keep kelp and alfalfa in the supplement.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11483 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Yeah, definitely. Vitamin e, fish oil, Pet Kelp and the Flea Free all contain different ingredients with different purposed and would be safe to use together. Then once you’re done the bag of Pet Kelp pick out a new supplement next time.

    in reply to: What do dogs need? #11482 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi crazy4cats –

    Long term supplementation with probiotics and enzymes is very safe and healthy, in fact many posters here supplement their healthy dogs’ diet with probiotics and enzymes. My dogs get 1/2 c. kefir every other day and green tripe almost daily (loaded with naturally occurring probiotics and enzymes). The Vetri Probiotic BD looks okay but it only has 3 strains of probiotics – I’d personally look for something with more strains. NWC Natural’s makes a digestive supplement for dogs called Total Biotics with 14 strains of probiotics, prebiotics and enzymes. Mercola also sells a good probiotic supplement with 14 strains and Garden of Life Primal Defense has 12 strains. A dog’s natural diet (raw prey) would naturally contain probiotics and enzymes so when feeding a processed kibble diet it’s good to add supplemental enzymes and probiotics. DGL is deglycyrrhizinated licorice and is often used by holistic vets to help heal the lining of the digestive tract. I’d assume this would only be need while your dog is healing and wouldn’t be supplemented long term, but you can talk to your vet about it.

    in reply to: What do dogs need? #11481 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi crazy4cats –

    Supplementing with pre and probiotics long term is fine and actually very healthy. Many posters here supplement with probiotics daily or at least a few times a week for their healthy dogs. My dogs get 1/3 c. kefir every other day and raw green tripe almost daily (both are loaded with naturally occuring probiotics). DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) is often prescribed by holistic vets and is used to help heal the lining of the digestive tract. DGL is probably something you’d just want to use while your dog is healing and not something you’d continue long term, talk to your vet though. The Vetri-Probiotic BD looks okay, but it only contains 3 strains of probiotics – you could do better imo. I’d check out Total Biotics is has 14 strains of probiotics plus enzymes and prebiotics, Mercola’s has a 14 strain probiotic and they also sell a separate enzyme supplement (http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html) and Garden of Life Primal Defense has 12 strains (http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/Digestive-Health/Primal-Defense.aspx).

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11474 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Well in the morning I mix up a big batch of food, all my dogs eat the same amount (lucky me) so when I’m mixing up the food I poke a hole in the end of the capsules, squeeze it in and mix it (most vitamin e capsules are filled with liquid). If your dog will eat the whole capsule though, there’s no reason you can’t just stick the capsule in his food.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11469 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    I’ve seen the Pet Kelp supplements and they look like good supplements, however you definitely still need to add vitamin e. If you look at the nutrient analysis of the Pet Kelp product there is only 1.65 i.u. vitamin e per tablespoon. The AAFCO minimum requirement for vitamin e is 50 i.u. per kilogram of food and ideally your dog should be getting between 100 and 300 i.u. per day. I split 800 i.u. between my 3 dogs daily, so they all get about 266 i.u. each per day. The other thing to keep in mind is that you will be supplementing with fish oil (high levels of omega 3’s) and vitamin e is used to metabolize omega 3’s, so if you don’t supplement with high levels of vitamin e while supplementing with omega 3 rich fish oil the body’s stores of vitamin e will eventually be depleted and the dog will develop a vitamin e deficiency. If you decide to go with the Pet Kelp supplement I would recommend picking out 1 or 2 other whole food supplements with ingredients other than kelp (some that I like are Nature’s Logic All Food Fortifier, Welly Tails Might Phytonutrients, Animal Essentials Organic Green Alternative, Aunt Jeni’s Enhance, etc.) and rotating to a new supplement every month or so, this way your dog can get some variety. I don’t believe flax is bad for healthy dogs, I occasionally give my dogs flax oil. There are positives and negatives to almost every food out there which is why rotating is key – if you rotate your dog is a lot less likely to suffer the negative consequences of any one ingredient because he won’t be exposed for long periods of time.

    in reply to: Suspected food allergies #11440 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I don’t think it matters which protein you choose, just go with one he’s never eaten before. You can give treats, but it should be simple single ingredient with just the protein you’re feeding him. So say you go with goat, any treat you feed should be just goat nothing else. Just during the period of time that you’re trying to figure out what his food-triggers are (if there are any). If you’re feeding, say, a raw diet with goat and starting giving a biscuit that has chicken and carrot and sweet potato and peas then he has a reaction, you would have no way of knowing if the reaction was caused by the goat, the chicken, the carrots, the sweet potato or the peas – you know what I mean? So during the ingredient trial period simple is best. Once you get past the 2-3 month period and start re-introducing other foods and figure out which (if any) ingredients are triggering his actions you can buy treats with safe ingredients – but before you can do that you need to figure out which ingredients are safe. And as, as I said in my previous comments, I would strongly encourage a high quality pro-biotic supplement (Mercola’s and Garden of Life’s Primal Defense are two of the best) because, like Toxed just pointed out, a healthy gut is the foundation of immune health.

    in reply to: Pre made raws #11434 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    That’s too bad. Primal hasn’t started using HPP on all their raw have they? I know when I first started raw I used their mixes. I would order the bulk variety pack from the dogma and I noticed that the lamb, beef, buffalo and sardine (all non-HPP) always looked super fresh and pink, while the turkey and chicken (HPP) always were gray-ish and had a rind…

    in reply to: Suspected food allergies #11433 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi oceandog –

    That’s great that you still feed your dog a meat based diet and are willing to feed raw even though you’re vegan, it must be tough to do! πŸ™‚ While I completely respect vegetarians and vegans, I see too many that try to force their lifestyle on their dogs and cats and I personally don’t think it’s fair…

    Hare-Today.com and Mypetcarnivore.com sell pre-ground mixes with muscle meat, bone and organs in the correct proportions – so you wouldn’t need to chop up any meat or anything, it comes looking just like a pre-made raw (it just doesn’t have the supplements or veggies). They have several novel protein sources. Hare Today sells goat, goose, llama, pheasant and quail and My Pet Carnivore sells alpaca, goat, muskrat and rabbit. I’d just recommend adding the supplements I listed in my previous post – vitamin e (a capsule for humans a couple times a week), fish oil (for omega 3’s), kelp & alfalfa (trace nutrients) and probiotics (to help strengthen his gut). I’d leave out any other ingredients and just keep it basic during the elimination trial so when you start re-introducing ingredients you can know what the issue is. Only feed one protein source and don’t give any treats.

    in reply to: Suspected food allergies #11423 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi oceandog –

    When you fed raw did you use a novel protein source? Honestly, if he was experiencing these issues on a grain-free raw diet with a novel protein source, I would be inclined to think it’s more likely to be a compulsive behavior or something in the environment. Since raw is not an issue for you, rather than messing around with kibble I’d put him right on a raw diet. I’d personally go with a grind from hare-today.com or mypetcarnivore.com (the grinds contain muscle meat, organ meat, bone and nothing else) – pick one with a protein he’s never eaten before (they’ve got some pretty novel proteins like goat, duck, quail, rabbit, etc.). I’d feed him the grind with a vitamin e supplement, fish oil, kelp/alfalfa blend and a high quality multi-strain probiotic with nothing else for 2-3 months (no treats either!). After 2-3 months, assuming the issues have cleared, gradually start introducing new protein sources and other food items such as vegetables, fruits and eggs. Introduce each item one at a time and closely monitor his reaction. Keep a journal or something noting which foods cause reactions and which don’t. After you figure out which foods trigger his reaction you can start looking into pre-made raw foods (if you wish or you can keep making your own) that don’t contain any of his allergy triggers. If something like this doesn’t work, then I highly doubt his issues are food related.

    in reply to: Underweight Assistance #11422 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Have you spoken with your vet about this to rule out any health problems?

    If all health problems have been ruled out you may want to try making her satin balls. I know many people who have successfully put weight on their dogs with satin balls and they’d be healthier than that gel.

    Here is a recipe:

    http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs.html

    More here:

    http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs2.html

    in reply to: Doggy bones for a dog with pancreatitis history #11421 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi crazy4cats –

    That’s actually a very common question! Most people are under the impression that all poultry bones are dangerous for dogs – this isn’t true. Raw bones are safe for dogs and any cooked bone is dangerous for dogs. Some people think only cooked poultry bones are dangerous, but even those big cooked ham bones or marrow bones are dangerous. Cooked bones become brittle which causes them to splinter when chewed and not digest as well. The reason cooked poultry bones generally cause more problems than larger cooked bones is because they’re so small that dogs can crunch them up more easily, swallow them, and then experience problems such as intestinal perforations and blockages. A dog is definitely less likely to be able to chew up a heavy bone and experience problems, but a large dog or a powerful chewer could definitely break off a piece of a large cooked bone and then experience the same sort of problems that are experienced with cooked poultry bones. When bones are raw – this includes poultry bones – they are more pliable, a lot less likely to splinter and digest better. Animals in the wild obviously must eat raw poultry bones all the time and they aren’t dying from intestinal perforations of blockages. RMBs that are completely consumable (like turkey necks and chicken backs) are nature’s toothbrush! My dogs get RMBs every night at dinner. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Pre made raws #11413 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Any variety with poultry is HPP and any variety without poultry is non-HPP. So the beef, lamb, rabbit and venison are non-HPP.

    in reply to: What do dogs need? #11412 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    For a healthy dog eating raw or dehydrated foods which still have natural enzymes, I personally don’t think enzymes are necessary (they definitely aren’t going to hurt and if you have the extra money go for it, but I don’t think it’s a necessary expense). For a healthy dog eating quality kibble, I’d probably give half the recommended dose of an enzyme supplement. I think all dogs can benefit from probiotics, but unless the dog is having serious digestion issues I think some plain yogurt or (better yet) kefir or raw green tripe is enough to help keep the gut flora in balance. My dogs eat all raw and get green tripe nearly every day and about 1/3 c. kefir (the kefir I use has 12 strains of probiotics) every other day. I don’t add any supplemental enzymes or probiotics. When Gus was eating kibble I did give him 1/2 the recommended dose of Flying Bassett’s digestive enzymes daily and some plain yogurt or kefir a few times a week, but I quit giving this when I switched to THK and raw. I do like the medizym supplement Sandy posted a link to – GREAT for arthritis.

    in reply to: Pre made raws #11409 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    If I was going to go pre-made my top pics would be Answers, Aunt Jeni’s and the non-HPP Primal varieties.

    in reply to: Suspected food allergies #11400 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    If you truly believe his issues are food-related (keep in mind that while it’s definitely possible his issues are food related, it could also be something environmental or behavioral), I’d recommend doing a food allergy elimination trial. Identify the primary protein and carbohydrate source in the foods that have caused the issues and pick a new food that doesn’t contain these protein sources or carbohydrate sources. I’d also go with a high protein/low carbohydrate food and supplement with probiotics and enzymes as this will strengthen the dog’s gut, help to begin the detoxification process and allow for less opportunity for inflammation. I know Dr. Karen Becker recommends her patients keep their dogs that are experiencing food allergies on a hypoallergenic diet like this for three months. After the three month period, reintroduce other protein sources and carbohydrate sources slowly and monitor your dog’s reaction to find out which items cause issues and which don’t. Try to find at least two or three other foods with different protein/carbohydrate sources that you can rotate your dog to every few months to help prevent the development of other allergies later down the road. If it’s something your open to, a lot of dogs with severe food allergies thrive on raw diets. The food is less processed and easier on the digestion system and it’s much easier to tailor a homemade diet to your dog’s needs. Check out healthypets.mercola.com – this is Dr. Karen Becker’s website, she’s a holistic vet and has a lot of good articles. I’m sure others will chime in with more advice. Good luck!

    in reply to: Human/dog food? #11396 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    That’s great that you found something she’ll eat! I bet it’s a lot healthier than dog food too. πŸ™‚

    If you find that the butcher doesn’t add any supplements (assuming the mix contains muscle meat, organ meat and bone) – I’d add a vitamin e supplement, fish oil for omega 3’s and a kelp/alfalfa blend.

    in reply to: Doggy bones for a dog with pancreatitis history #11389 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi crazy4cats –

    I would go with raw beef tracheas (I order mine from mypetcarnivore.com) – they last awhile. Turkey necks, chicken quarters, chicken backs, turkey feet, etc. are all great too but likely won’t last as long. They can be considered a meal. Knuckle bones and marrow bones are much harder but with an aggressive chewer I’d be careful as they’re so hard your dog could break a tooth.. Never cook bones, they should always be fed raw.

    in reply to: fleas! help! #11369 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I always keep a jar of Dr. Harvey’s healing cream on hand for any sort of skin irritation.

    http://www.drharveys.com/products/show/24-organic-healing-cream

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11351 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Shawna –

    This is one supplement I use with all 8 forms of vitamin e (I’m actually using this one at the moment):

    http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-e-tocotrienol-complex-60-liquid-vegetarian-capsules/?NttSR=1

    I’ve also used the NOW Gamme E Complex with mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols:

    http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Vitamins/Vitamin-E/M012530.htm

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11350 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    If you check out my menus for my dogs on the “Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus” you’ll see how I utilize a pre-mix for breakfast three mornings per week. Just follow the directions the pre-mix package and use boneless meat. You could omit veggies and all supplements, but I would still add fish oil as most pre-mixes don’t have adequate omega 3’s in the mix. In the evening I just feed some RMB’s and a little muscle meat (like hearts or gizzards) and occasionally some livers.Remember the 80-10-10 ratio doesn’t have to be exact at every meal, just over the course of a week or so you want the dog’s overall diet to roughly equal 80-10-10. It’s called balance over time.

    in reply to: duck treats #11341 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi eugeneginder –

    This site sells made in the USA duck jerky treats that are only duck:

    http://www.preenpets.com/products/Dog-Duck-Treats?gclid=CLem8cyowLQCFcyf4AodSj8AxQ

    Sojo’s has a duck & cherry biscuit that looks pretty allergy friendly as well. The ingredients are: garbanzo bean flour, dried duck, cherries, canola oil and eggs.

    http://www.sojos.com/products/dog-treats/sojos-grain-free-treats/duck-cherry

    in reply to: switching flavors? #11337 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi crazy4cats –

    I would rotate to a new flavor every month or so rather than feeding one type in the morning and one type in the evening for a couple reasons. The first being, if you’re feeding one in the a.m. and one in the p.m. your dog, despite the fact that’s it’s getting variety, is getting exposed to the same ingredients every day. Many believe that continuous exposure to the same ingredients can result in allergies. So, for example, if you pick out a lamb based kibble from band x and a chicken based kibble from brand y and feed brand x in the a.m. and brand y in the p.m., your dog is getting chicken and lamb every day. If, instead, you feed brand x for a month and then switch to brand y the next month, your dog will get month long breaks from certain ingredients and not be exposed daily. The second reason, kibble should be consumed as quick as possible after opening the bag. The longer the bag is open the more likely fats are to go rancid, ingredients are to oxidize, etc. So I wouldn’t recommend having two bags open at once, I’d have one open and use it up because if you have two bags open it will take twice as long to get through each bag. Hope that helps answer your question!

    in reply to: Heart worm prevention #11301 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    From Pattyvaughn:

    “My posts are disappearing on the forum right now and there is a poster there, Weimlove, that lives in Florida that is asking questions involving heartworm prevention and flea prevention that I would love if someone would relay info to. She is planning on going with Heartguard and there are a few dogs every year that turn up heartworm positive at the proper dose in Florida. Heartguard is losing its effectiveness, so she should discuss that with her vet too.”

    in reply to: Flea prevention #11300 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    I’m a fan of flea free, I used it two summers ago. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, I believe some other posters here have said they use it as well. This past year is the first year I’ve gone chemical free for fleas and ticks, the year before I had my dogs on Trifexis as well. My male never had a problem with the Trifexis but on two different occasions my female puked and I had to redose her. Knowing what I know now I regret giving them something with so many chemicals! It covers fleas, heartworm and it’s a broad-spectrum dewormer in one – kinda explains the puking, all those medications in one pill must be stressful to the system.

    in reply to: Flea prevention #11297 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi again!

    I use Sentry Natural Defense topical monthly and give Earth Animal No More Ticks tincture orally 6 days per week during flea season. I’ve had no issues with fleas or ticks. I think you’ll find that once your dog has been eating raw for awhile, he will be more resistant to parasites such as fleas.

    Here’s the links to the products I use:

    http://www.earthanimal.com/flea-tick-program/earth-animal-no-more-tick-drops.html

    http://www.sentrynatural.com/products.html

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11284 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Weimlove –

    As long as your dog doesn’t have any issues with gluten, it’s probably fine. Most contain some sort of soy, rice or wheat derivative – it’s given in such a small quantity though that it shouldn’t cause any issues. The two vitamin e supplements I use most often – Vitacost Vitamin E and Tocotrienol Complex and NOW Advanced Gamma E Complex – both contain soy derivatives. I’m not a fan of soy, but they get such a small amount I don’t worry.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11275 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Thanks Shawna…glad my dog’s menu has your approval! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11274 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    I completely agree with everything Shawna said. Basically those that feed prey model raw with the 80/10/10 ratio are feeding an approximation of a prey animal – rarely does the dog’s entire diet consist of actual whole prey animals. You need to consider everything your dog isn’t getting from a homemade diet. A dog in the wild would eat everything – fur, skin, sinew, glands, organs, marrow, bone, flesh, some of the stomach contents, fat, etc. etc. – there is so much of this that’s just not available (or not always available) for us to feed to our animals. You can feed, say, 1 lb. turkey Necks, 12 oz. ground beef and 1.5 oz. Liver and 1.5 oz. kidney and that would be “balanced” in terms of having an appropriate calcium to phosphorus ratio and adequate amounts of organ meat – but a whole prey animal doesn’t consist of only turkey neck, lean ground beef, liver and kidney – there’s a lot of other stuff in there that your dog is missing out on. The other thing to consider is that commercially raised meats generally have lower concentrations of nutrients than wild game and contain much higher levels of omega 6 fatty acids and much lower levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Adding veggies and supplements can help fill in these nutritional gaps in our modern interpretation of the dog’s “ancestral diet.”

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11258 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    weimlove –

    It’s great that Shadow loved the raw fish – but be careful about which types of fish you feed raw. Salmon, trout and steelhead that are caught in the Pacific can carry “salmon poisoning.” If you want to feed any of these types of fish from this region they should be frozen for a least 2 weeks to kill the parasite.

    I make my own wholefood multivitamin/mineral. I order my ingredients from starwest-botanicals.com. I mix equal parts: kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, turmeric and garlic powder. You can do this if you want or if you want to make it simpler you can just mix equal parts kelp and alfalfa and that should be plenty. I’d give a dog the size of yours about 1 1/2 tsp. per day. You’ll need to supplement with vitamin e, for a dog the size of yours I’d give 200 i.u. daily or 400 i.u. every other day. Any vitamin e for humans will do, but I order mine from vitacost – I use the “Vitamin E & Tocotrienol Complex” because it has all 4 tocopherols and all 4 tocotrienols (most vitamin e supplements just contain alpha tocopherol). For fish oil I’m currently using Iceland Pure Sardine & Anchovy blend and Carlson cod liver oil, but any quality fish oils will do (I like buying in liquid form so I can mix it in with the food, but you could certainly get capsules if your dog will eat them). This is optional, but I do give my dogs coconut oil every other day and a plant-based omega 3-6-9 on the opposite days as the coconut oil.

    I’d love to make you a menu plan, but because I don’t know exactly which cuts of meat will be available to you it’ll be more like a “template”. I’ll give some options and just use what you can get. One of my dogs – Gertie – is an active 70 lb. 2 year old as well so I’ll give you measurements based on what I would feed her. Obviously metabolisms vary from dog to dog so if you find this is too much or too little food feel free to reduce or increase the amounts, just keep everything proportionate. I’m also not sure how many times a day you feed, but I’ll assume you feed two meals a day.

    Breakfast:
    -5 mornings per week feed 12 oz. boneless red muscle meat (beef, lamb, buffalo, etc. – can use lean ground, chunks, heart, tripe, or some combination of these). 2 mornings per week feed 6 oz. liver and 6 oz. of another organ or any combination of other organs (kidney, spleen, lungs, pancreas, brain, etc.)
    -1/2 C. cooked & pureed vegetables (whichever vegetables you want, can add fruit a couple times per week).
    -Optional: 1/4 C. cottage cheese, kefir, plain yogurt or goat’s milk (can do this every day or a few days a week)
    -1 1/2 tsp. whole food supplement (like a kelp-alfalfa blend or my homemade blend)
    -1 tsp. fish oil (alternate between a fish body oil and cod liver oil)
    -Optional: 1/2 tsp. coconut oil or a plant-based omega oil (like flax or evening primrose)
    -Once or twice a week: 1 tsp ground pumpkin seeds, pecans, almonds or sunflower seeds
    -3/4 tsp. ground egg shell (cheap source of calcium, leave eggshells out to dry then put them through a coffee grinder the next day) or 600-750 mg. of a calcium supplement of your choice (if your butcher sells meat/bone grinds for large animals like beef you could certainly use these and omit the calcium, but most butchers don’t have the equipment to grind heavy bones, so the calcium will have to be added separately)
    -200 i.u. vitamin e (or 400 i.u. every other day)

    *You can feed this same meal for breakfast daily, just rotate in new protein sources, switch up the extras (cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts and seeds, etc.) and feed a variety of vegetables and fruits.

    Dinner (I often alternate between these two dinners for my dogs):
    -Chicken back or leg quarter
    -8 oz. Gizzards or hearts or boneless chicken (ground or chunks)
    -Whole egg with shell
    OR
    -2 Turkey necks (about 6 oz. each)
    -8 oz. Turkey hearts or gizzards or boneless turkey (ground or chunks)

    Remember the more variety you can feed the better! Feed as many different protein sources as you can, using as many types of organs as possible, different vegetables and different fats. Each meal doesn’t have to supply every possible vitamin and mineral your dog needs, but over time the diet should balance. So the more variety you can feed the wider variety of nutrients your dog will get.

    in reply to: Older dogs and high proteins #11246 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Skippy5761 –

    You should check out the Raw Diet thread. I have three bloodhounds – including a senior – that all eat raw ranging from 45% – 55% protein at each meal. My senior is in excellent health. Senior dogs actually need up to 50% more protein than adult dogs, they just need high quality protein which you would get with a raw diet. Some believe high levels of protein stress the kidneys of older dogs but this isn’t true, low quality protein (like the rendered, high processed proteins in kibble) stress the kidneys.

    Here is an article by Dr. Becker titled “Why 84% of Pet Owners Don’t Know What to Feed Their Aging Pets.”

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

    Here’s a video from Dr. Becker titled “The Nutrient Your Pets need More of as They Age.”

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/04/26/make-this-mistake-with-your-pets-food-and-you-could-destroy-their-kidney-and-liver.aspx

    Here is an article on the effects of a high protein diet on renal function:

    http://files.championpetfoods.com/Effects_of_High_Protein_on_Renal_Function.pdf

    Hope that helps πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11244 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    weimlove –

    I would say that if you shop smart, homemade is without a doubt the cheapest route to go. I actually invested in some freezers – I bought one new and got two used off craig’s list – and order in bulk 300 lb. shipments. I get all my meat from a supplier that supplies grocery stores and restaurants, they’ll supply dog kennels too but have a 300 lb. minimum. For me it was worth it, my dog’s are large and eat a lot anyways so it really only takes me about 8 weeks to go through my 300 lb. order and the prices are so much cheaper than what I’d have to pay at the grocery store. If raw is something you really want to get into and continue it may be worth considering something like this – since you only have one dog you could even see if there’s someone else in your area interested in raw and you could go in on orders together to reach the minimum order quantity. I’m sure it’d be possible to find a wholesale distributor like this in most areas. Butchers are great too, if you can find an independently owned butcher (rather than a big chain grocery store) they’d probably be more willing to cater to your needs for certain cuts of meat as well – meaning you could probably get them to save things like kidneys, lungs, etc. etc. that usually get thrown out. Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore are two other great places to get supplies (they have very reasonable prices and shipping prices) – they sell whole ground animals and also hard to find items like certain organs and green tripe. In generally boneless meat costs a lot more than bone-in meat, which is what I think makes the pre-mixes pricey – you have to use all boneless meat then pay for the pre-mix on top of it. A final suggestion for keeping costs low would be that when you’re feeding boneless meat (you’ll have to feed some of course to balance out the phosphorus in the RMBs) go with things like gizzards, hearts and green tripe – I know these things sound a lot less desirable to a person but they’re quality protein for dogs and supply a lot more nutrients than things like boneless skinless chicken breast and extra lean ground beef and they’re way cheaper.

    As for supplements to add, assuming you’re feeding a balanced mixture of 80% muscle meat, 10% organ meat and 10% bone I’d recommend adding vitamin e (200 i.u. or so a day or 400 i.u. every few days should be plenty for a dog the size of yours), greens (some variety of kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, etc. rotate if you want). I like to give cod liver oil every other day to ensure my dogs are getting enough vitamin d – use this sparingly though as most varieties have excessive levels of vitamin a, I use Carlson brand because it has the lowest amount of vitamin a and I give a sardine/anchovy oil blend on the opposite days that I give cod liver oil. Dairy is optional, I do find that it stretches out the food a bit though and cuts the cost and I like giving kefir a few times a week for probiotics. I think it’s beneficial to give ground nuts or seeds once or twice a week – every once in a while I just throw some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pecans in the coffee grinder and give each dog about a tsp.

    Concerning vegetables, many don’t feel that they’re necessary. Vegetables aren’t part of a dog’s natural diet and I do agree that as long as everything else I described above is provided that they probably aren’t necessary, but I do strongly feel that when they’re provided in small quantities they can be a beneficial addition to the dog’s diet. They provide a lot of antioxidants and with all the chemicals our dogs are exposed to in this day and age antioxidants can help the immune system a great deal. The important thing is that they need to be lightly cooked and pureed – dogs don’t produce the enzyme necessary to break down the cellulose in the cell walls of the plant matter, so cooking and pureeing in a sense “pre-digests” the veggies so that the dog can obtain the nutrients. I’d avoid any starchy vegetables (like potatoes and peas) and onion (toxic to dogs). Some of my favorites to use are are spinach, celery, carrots, kale, broccoli, collard greens, mustard greens, squash, pumpkin, etc. Fruit isn’t necessary either, but I think a small amount of berries or apple once or twice a week is healthy.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11220 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    Don’t feel bad bad for the question overload…I love questions! πŸ™‚

    If you’re using a pre-mix don’t use meat/organ/bone mixtures. Most pre-mixes only require boneless meat, a few (such as urban wolf) do require organ meat but most don’t require organs either. The reason you don’t want to include bone is because dogs need a balanced ratio of calcium to phosphorus, this ratio needs to be between 1:1 and 2:1 calcium to phosphorus. The pre-mixes are made with calcium and without phosphorus. Muscle meat and organ meat is high in phosphorus but has no calcium, while bone is high in calcium in lower in phosphorus. For raw feeders the correct ratio of muscle meat, organ meat and bone (80%, 10%, 10%) must be fed to ensure that the calcium and phosphorus levels are within balance and that enough organ meat is provided to provide essential vitamins and minerals – this is the most critical part of feeding homemade raw! The purpose of a pre-mix is to take the hard work out of it. Enough calcium is added to the pre-mix so that when boneless meat is added per the package instructions the calcium to phosphorus ratio will be in balance and most brands add the vitamins and minerals that would be found in the organ meat so that the addition of organ meat is not necessary. If you added organ meat and bones to a pre-mix you would potentially be throwing the calcium to phosphorus ratio out of balance and/or oversupplying certain nutrients. However, you could definitely add an rmb (such as a back or a neck) to the meal daily without throwing the calcium to phosphorus ratio out of whack – just feed the rmb in addition to the boneless meat that you add to the pre-mix, don’t count the rmb as the meat you’re adding to the pre-mix. I’d also go with the instructions that call for more meat and less pre-mix if you’re going to be feeding rmbs, as well. I know for THK’s preference there are two sets of instructions – one recommended for younger or more active dogs and one for older or more sedentary dogs. The one for active dogs called for 2 parts meat to 1 part pre-mix, while the one for less active dogs calls for equal parts of pre-mix and meat. While THK doesn’t supply the c:p ratio of the prepared product I’d assume the recipe calling for 2 parts meat to 1 part pre-mix is around 1:1, while the recipe calling for equal parts pre-mix is closer to 2:1. Using the recipe that calls for less pre-mix will keep the c:p ratio lower so when you add rmbs you’ll remain well within the 1:1 – 2:1 range. As for which type of boneless meat to add, you really can add any boneless muscle meat. I find that heart and gizzards tend to be cheapest (remember, heart and gizzards count as organ meat, not muscle meat). However, you certainly could buy ground beef, turkey, chicken, etc. (I’d keep it around 90% lean) or chop up boneless thigh meat breast meat or whatnot. Hope that wasn’t too confusing!

    As for getting a picture, I think Dr. Mike has instructions on how to do it posted under the feedback and help section of the forums.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11217 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Weimlove –

    Whether you switch cold turkey or gradual is kind of up to you. I have read some that recommend gradual and I’ve heard others that recommend just doing it cold turkey (literally, lol). I personally switched my dogs cold turkey. They were eating The Honest Kitchen and canned food at the time and I just did the switch. They didn’t have any issues. My dogs all have pretty strong stomachs though. I’ve also read that for those switching cold turkey it can be easier on the dog’s stomach if you fast the dog for about 12 hours prior (I didn’t do this, but it may help for more sensitive dogs). As for which meat to start with, it’s generally recommended to feed only one meat for the first week to allow your dog’s stomach time to adjust – chicken is a good choice as it’s one most dogs have been exposed to. I’d stay away from more exotic meats that your dog hasn’t eaten until he’s gotten accustomed to the raw.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11215 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Weimlove –

    Oftentimes when I fed my dogs more dense, weight-bearing bones from large ruminants (cows, buffalo, sheep, etc.) they threw up shards about 8-12 hours after chewing the bone. For this reason I now stick with raw meaty bones. There are two types of bones 1) Recreational bones – these are going to be your marrow bones, knuckle bones, etc. and will be from large animals like cows, buffalo and sheep. These bones are not completely consumable (meaning your dog shouldn’t be able to eat the entire bone) and don’t provide a whole lot of nutrition, they are more just for fun chewing pleasure. 2) Raw Meaty Bones (you’ll often see these referred to as “RMBs). RMBs are completely consumable (meaning your dog should be be able to eat the entire thing) and provide a lot of nutrition. RMBs typically include poultry bones (chicken necks, chicken backs, chicken feet, turkey necks, duck necks, etc.) but for some larger dogs that have more powerful jaws, non-weight bearing bones of large ruminants (such as pork or beef or lamb necks or rib bones) can be considered RMBs as well. I no longer give my dogs recreational bones because of the issue with puking up the shards (I believe that because the bones are so dense they aren’t highly digestible, which results in the puking) and because I’ve read several reports of dogs actually breaking teeth on them or wearing down their teeth over time. There’s also a chance that your dog may have puked after the bone due to high fat content. Recreational bones contain marrow and marrow is very high in fat, if your dog is just switching to a raw diet and isn’t accustomed to this it could have resulted in some stomach upset. I’d recommend getting some RMBs for your dog. Primal does sell some RMBs but you could likely get them for a lot cheaper at a butcher. I get chicken backs for $0.40/lb. and turkey necks for $0.60/lb.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11210 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    Great choice on switching to raw, you’ll notice a big difference in your dog’s health. I agree with everything Shawna said. I just wanted to add some info on a pre-mix I like. I feed mostly homemade (you can check out a weekly feeding schedule for my dogs on the “Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus?” thread) however I use Urban Wolf Pre-mix three mornings a week. What I like about Urban Wolf versus other pre-mixes is that it’s a fine powder and in my experience digests better (with pre-mixes like Sojo’s I notice an increase in stool volume and pieces of undigested veggies coming out) and that it relies on whole foods for nutrition – the only “vitamin” added is calcium, everything else comes from whole foods and I like that you have to add organ meat so your dog gets a lot of necessary nutrients from the organs rather than from added synthetic vitamins and minerals. You also need to add oil (but I’d recommend just adding an omega 3 and omitting the omega 6 oil they call for in the recipe, it’s not necessary to add the omega 6 oil and it results in the end recipe being too high in fat – you can see how I prepare it on the menus thread if you’re interested). The only downside of Urban Wolf, for me, is that it does contain white potato (although it’s pretty far down on the ingredients list and not a major component) – but I only use it a few mornings a week so it’d not of big concern for me. If you’re using only pre-mixes every day it’d probably be best to rotate and use several different pre-mixes. Here’s some good info on pre-mixes and it explains several of the options out there: http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html . I’d recommend feeding an even rotation of white meat and red meat, don’t rely on one or the other as they have different types of fats and if you only feed one or the other it would throw off the fat balance in your dog’s diet. The more variety the better. I’d also recommend feeding raw meaty bones at least two or three times a week this way your dog can get the full dental benefits a raw diet has to offer. I have large dogs and usually feed things like turkey necks, chicken backs, chicken leg quarters, duck necks, etc. Chicken necks and chicken wings work well for smaller dogs. I’d avoid the weight bearing bones of large ruminants (such as marrow bones, knuckle bones, etc.) as they are too dense and can potentially chip a tooth or over time your dog can wear their teeth down – in my experience they also don’t digest well either, I used to feed them to my dogs occasionally and it seemed like they’d always puke up bone shards. Good luck! Be sure to come back if you have any questions, quite a few of us here feed raw and would love to help. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition #11203 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Sorry Jagger2012, I just noticed this post. I’m not sure why you’re not seeing the document, it’s working for me. I’ll try posting a new link, let me know if this works: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc

    in reply to: Vaccinating #11202 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Weimlove –

    I agree with Melissa – vaccines are a very controversial subject. I personally do a puppy series, a booster 1 year after their last puppy booster, then I don’t vaccinate again other than rabies every 3 years to comply with law. I don’t ever vaccinate for lyme, lepto or bordatella. I’d recommend checking out the book “Shock to the System” by Catherine O’Driscoll.

    in reply to: Puppy dry food #11135 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Poochie1059 –

    The AAFCO recognizes two nutrient profiles: “maintenance” and “growth”. Foods that meet the more stringent requirements of the “growth” nutrient profile may choose to advertise their food as being “all life stages” or for “puppies and adults.” So, in short, a food that is labeled as all life stages is a puppy food and is held to the same standard as foods labeled specifically for puppies. If you look into 5 star foods you’ll notice many 5 star foods are labeled all life stages, rather than having separate puppy and adult formulas.

    in reply to: Doggy bones for a dog with pancreatitis history #11089 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Sophia –

    Melissa had some good suggestions. In addition to her’s, I’d also recommend checking into The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal formula. It’s a pretty allergy-friendly food (grain-free, white potato free, uses fish which is a novel protein), it’s under 10% fat and rated 5 stars.

    in reply to: Heart worm prevention #11051 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Debra23 –

    If you’re concerned with giving your dog too much medication, I’d avoid Trifexis. Trifexis is a heartworm preventative, broad spectrum de-wormer and an oral flea medication. Go with a formula that is for heartworm and only heartworm – all that other stuff is not necessary and if your dog doesn’t have fleas or worms why worm it and give it flea meds? My vet got me to try Trifexis last summer and one of my dogs puked everytime I gave it to her. Worms and fleas can be effectively treated naturally anyways. I personally give a preventative that does only heartworm, I space doses 6 weeks aprart rather than 4 and only administer during late spring, early fall and summer (I’m in northern new york). I wouldn’t recommend giving a lower dose than what’s recommended.

    in reply to: First Raw Diets Now Homeopathy #11006 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    They’ve got to go after anything that has the potential to steal market share from the big name pet food companies or the top pharmaceutical companies. Sigh…

    in reply to: What canned food do you use? #10999 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Marie –

    When I used canned food my favorites were Tripett, ZiwiPeak, Nature’s Logic and Nature’s Variety Instinct.

    in reply to: HoundDogMom, it's your birthday! #10944 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Thanks everyone πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Help: food to help dog feel full #10899 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    All three of mine are very naughty! Gus is super super sneaky…he’s the stealthy food thief, he can’t get punished because he never gets caught. Gertie used to be horrible (when she was a puppy during a birthday party she actually ran into the kitchen and while I was standing at the counter the cake was one, jumped up took a huge bite out of the cake and ran). She’s with me all the time, so I’ve been working on her manners. Yesterday I put her in stay and set a pb&j on my desk, walked out of the room for 1 minute (timed) and when I came back she was still in position with the sandwich not touched – she’s learning! πŸ™‚ Mabel….ugh she’s just horrible, typical bloodhound puppy that hasn’t learned their manners yet. She can’t even be in the room with someone that’s eating..

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