[JILL N]

No need to brush Titan’s teeth. Regular chomping on bones keeps his teeth plaque-free and really white. Now nails… he’s not a fan but will tolerate clipping if he gets to play in the bathtub afterward.

[JILL N]

To InkedMarie, thanks for the correction! I think I got so excited about Hare Today’s variety (rats, mice, pheasant, cavies etc. wow!) that I skipped over the complete meals.

[JILL N]

Believe it or not, I used the stern “you’ve been a bad boy” voice immediately after our GSD came in from the yard with poop breath (yuck!). Took about a week for him to make the connection, but he’s a smart boy and doesn’t like to be fussed at. The trick is you have to be right at the door waiting for him/her and willing to smell breath EVERY time. First, reward with a small treat and praise every time he/she comes in from the yard with fresh breath. Make this a big, special moment with lots of petting and “good boy/girl!” talk. Then, on the occasions when he/she comes in from the yard after eating the poop, use the stern voice featuring the word “poop” in your sentence. Example, “bad/boy/girl. No poop!” (always say exactly the same thing). Immediately after scolding send him/her to bed or isolate from the family pack for a few long minutes. This worked for me. Our Titan hasn’t eaten poop in 4 months. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[JILL N]

Checked out both these company’s when researching raw feeding. Pricey! (You’re paying for the brand packaging). Limited variety. For quality, freshness, convenience, and price I’m a fan of Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com for complete meals and raw selections with minimum processing. Also try, Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow at http://www.hare-today.com for an amazing variety of raw meat (no complete meal packages), and Rawlicious at http://www.rawliciousdog.com

[JILL N]

Good question. Dogs don’t need grain. I don’t add any form of grain (or anything else for that matter) to “complete” raw meals.

[JILL N]

Nicole, our vet recommended adding a combination of probiotics (dry, sprinkled on food) and organic pumpkin. This worked well for our GSD.

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[JILL N]

Good heavens! What a plethora of advice (some good, some not so much), mostly just confusing. I’ll try to give just basic advice. Raw food is going to greatly benefit your fur buddy: white teeth, free of tartar and dental disease, shiny, smooth, oil-free coats, flake-free and itch-free skin, chronic allergies and infections subside and/or disappear, odorless breath and body, improved energy and vitality, decreased visits to the vet, positive changes in poop (consistency, less frequent, smell), mental stimulation from working at mealtimes. Here are the raw food basics: your dog needs raw meals that are composed of “complete” nutrition. “Complete” meals are “whole prey.” For instance, the entire chicken (muscle meat, bones, organs, head and feet). All the nutrition your dog needs is in the entire animal or whole prey. Add some raw fish (mackerel, sardines) 1-2xs week (optional) and you’ve got a good raw diet for your dog. Don’t freak out, your dog’s teeth and digestive system will make quick work of raw and raw/meaty bones. Never give your dog cooked bones. Your dog does not need veggies or fruit for complete nutrition. However, veggies and fruit are great as treats or mixed into your ground complete meals as a bonus. Here’s a great site for creating balanced raw meals for your dog:
https://keepthetailwagging.com/how-to-create-a-balanced-raw-diet-for-a-dog/
If you’re not into customizing each meal (hmmm, shall I give Spot the lamb shank with calf liver tonight or the Turkey Offal with a marrow bone?), then chk out Raw Paws Pet Food at
http://www.rawpawspetfood.com for complete meal orders with free shipping. They also have a raw food calculator based on the weight/age of your dog (type “calculator” in the search field) so you can know how much to feed. Also, review Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com for complete meals and a la carte items. They have a $10.00 shipping fee but their prices on fresh (shipped frozen) raw meats and bones are cheaper. If you decide to order raw in bulk or per month (so much cheaper!!), you’ll need a food scale (AccuWeight Digital Kitchen scale, $9.99 at Amazon.com), and a 5.0 cu. ft. freezer chest for food storage. Congratulations on making your pet healthier!

[JILL N]

Correction: 12oz of your complete meal beef (three, 4oz bags) costs $84.00.

[JILL N]

Hello Aimee (K9Ancestraldiet),
I appreciate that you are a local distributor, but, no I would not purchase your product. Your prices are definitely not competitive! In my view, your main competition is Suzie’s Doggie Delights, a Colorado, family-owned raw meat processing, and distribution company. Suzie’s specializes in “complete” whole-prey, ground meals, bulk meats, and bones. 36oz of your complete meal beef (three, 4oz bags) costs $84.00. My 73lb GSD should eat that amount in one meal! 32oz of Suzie’s complete meal beef (same ingredients minus the fruit and fancy packaging) costs $10.38 (10lbs is a budget-happy $38.99). Purchasing from Suzie’s allows me to purchase 72lbs of raw, healthy, human grade, USDA inspected meats and meals my fur buddy for an entire month for under $150.00! And, they deliver directly to my door for an additional, underwhelming $10.00 shipping fee. You might want to compare your ingredients, quality, processing facility, philosophy, and pricing to this well-reviewed company at https://www.freshrawdogfood.com/shop/co/simple-recipes-co/beef-veggie-offal-co/

[JILL N]

Hi Tom, Personally, I really restrict carbs in my GSD’s diet. He may get a few kernels of unseasoned organic popcorn every now and then but that’s the limit on carbs for my thriving boy! I actually give him peanuts (raw or roasted, no salt) as a between raw meals snack. I make him work for them by hiding them all over the house in strange places. He loves this healthy hunt and seek game and I get to relax for 20 minutes! Chk out these sites for more info on carbs and a balanced raw diet for dogs at:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-your-dog-needs-more-meat-and-fewer-carbohydrates/
https://keepthetailwagging.com/how-to-create-a-balanced-raw-diet-for-a-dog/

Also, a great source for whole prey, “complete” raw meals (muscle meat, bone, organs with veggies added as a bonus), as well as bulk meats is Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com. All the meat is fresh, not processed frozen and delivered frozen to your door!

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