[Nancy C]

If you shop at Costco they have a large container of organic… maybe $15 at the most. Both my dogs LOVE it. Is like candy. I have read that the amount is 1 tsp per 10 to 20 lbs. I feed it separately after a meal or just put it in the meal dish.

[Nancy C]

I have worked with one homeopath who recommends NO heart worm meds. ??? Correct. He says he has had his great danes for 30 yrs, and he’s always had 5 or 6 of them, NEVER given them heartworm meds and they have never had heart worms. NONE of them. He feeds raw and he says THAT is the key. Total raw. He also told me that in the last 7 years he has never lost a dog patient to heart worms.
There are several other Homeopathic websites I frequent. One is VitalAnimal.com in Texas with Dr. Will Falconer who is nationally known (his website is wonderful) and Dr. Patricial Jordan in Asheville NC. (Her bio is beyond belief)… They DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY heartworm meds! So My two dogs are not on it now and I am trying to decide what to do in the spring. Also the homeopath, Dr. Dobias in California does not recommend either. So tell me: Anyone reading this doing some REthinking about it. The heartworm meds are VERY toxic themselves and there is good reason to be very suspicious of them. The Pharmaceuticals have penetrated the vets and they have scared us to death. Fear is a big piece of the problem. And I find myself being fearful too. Will be interested in what anyone has to say about this.

[Nancy C]

Here’s what I did. I was very nervous because my GSD had had terrible digestion problems and the vet was pouring down HILLS WD formula (which is sawdust) in him which made me cringe.

I ordered an air dehydrated dogfood called BIG DOG NATURAL. You can Google it. My homeopathic vet recommended it and Darwin’s to me and HE suggested that I start out with Big Dog because it has fermented vegetables in it and that is outstanding for the digestive track. One morning I started cold turkey on it. They LOVED IT. I have an 11 yr old Golden and a 2 yr old GSD. They licked the bowl for almost a minute! I was amazed. So that fast they were on RAW FOOD. I took it carefully for two or three weeks – they had NO PROBLEM with that food, and it is air dehydrated RAW! Then one day I just gave them chicken. Raw. I followed the guidelines and gave the golden 17 oz and the GSD I had to end up giving him 2 1/4 pounds per day. I got the butcher to quarter the chickens (Whole Foods $7.99 and I would pick through the chickens and get a 5 pound one). He would quarter it for me. NOW I do all that myself. I get chickens at Costco that are non chemical/ no hormones. $1.09 a POUND! You have to have a set of scales to weigh out the proportions. And I cut the nub off the chicken drum sticks. Put the piece(s) in a bowl and voila. You need to give 10% organs and 1/2 of that must be liver. I also give them Mercola’s probiotics, a fish oil cap and garlic caps. Happy Dogs.
Good Luck.

[Nancy C]

Okay — I’ve been gone for a while…. trying to get this Raw Food under my belt…
My first golden lived 15 yrs, never had commercial flea control, I gave her garlic as the breeder said. Never a flea problem. Second golden, same. she is 11 yrs old now and I have NEVER seen a flea on her. Garlic. I give her 2 a day (She’s 58 lbs) – I use the little round ones from Whole Foods, 500 mg. That is ALL I have ever used with her. No Fleas!

My chair when I got my Phd, Dr. Norman Shealy, former Harvard Neurosurgery prof and founding president of the American Holistic Medical Assoc, uses BEST YET by CEDARCIDE on his dogs. He lives on a farm way down a mile or two gravel road in Missouri on the Mo River where it is damp and fleas love it there. He swears by it. Recommended to me. I spray that on my dogs now too for safe measure, now that I have the GSD too. He is 73 lbs and I give him 3 of those garlic caps and spray him once a week. Best Yet is Organic. There is a competing similar brand, but Best Yet was apparently there first. I think the other brand is WonderCide. They put a fragrance in theirs. Best Yet smells like cedar. Fleas HATE CEDAR!! Hope this helps.
NOW the Q is: WHAT TO DO FOR TICKS??? Season will be here soon.

[Nancy C]

Hi Crazy:
I’ve been captured by Raw Feeding Protocols… setting up to do it, learning details, getting a small freezer for the food, finding farmers/ resources for food etc. It takes a lot of time to learn the ins and outs and get my system going. The dogs really are doing well – never skipped a beat. I also only feed at supper, which helps. Using BDN once a week for a break… maybe twice when busy.

Hope you are fine!

Q: Have you ever fed Nature’s Logic? Thinking about buying some to stash away in case of a disaster hitting and my not being able to get Raw for a while. need something in the closet to pull out. Have some BDN but need something else too. Suggestions?

Thanks.
Nancy Jane Calloway

[Nancy C]

I use it once a week as rotation. I moved our GSD and 11 yr old Golden Retriever to FULL TRUE RAW (using Whole PRey Model) and they had an easy transition from BDN to true raw. I fed raw chicken for 4 weeks and am now feeding raw beef. They are doing better than ever and their TEETH are white as snow now. NO TARTAR AT ALL. I just saw my neighbor who started using BDN in August and she says her three dogs are STILL eating it exclusively (all flavors) and love it and there are NO ISSUES. It is SO EASY. She is very satisfied as well.

[Nancy C]

I used to feed TOW also to my dogs… but I switched. I agree with DORA (Dori) who might post here — I will not feed any RECALLED food. Ever. Shame on TOW and SHAME on DIAMOND! Dogs DIED because of their not paying attention! The dog food industry needs to STAY AWAKE and DO THEIR JOB WELL. That’s my simple little opinion, worth what you paid for it.

[Nancy C]

In reply to Kristin… After my experiences w kibble I too changed to raw with the help of several wonderful people here and I can’t imagine going back. For me it’s a bit of a job to find resources other than whole foods ( un medicated /chemicalized chicken) and the Butcher shop. I have been to a slaugther house, called local grass feeding farmers (who never return calls) and am networking to find a more cost effective source for the variety of raw food. Nonetheless I will continue the raw because I can SEE a difference in my dogs. My GSD’s teeth are so much cleaner from HARE TODAY’s great Turkey Necks. I am still anxious about feeding the BEEF RIB BONES (any suggestions?) In my head I know his molars can chew them but I keep being afraid he’ll swallow a sharp piece which could cause trouble on it’s journey through and out the other end. Anyone else’s dogs doing fine on chewing Beef Rib Bones? I am asking around and it appears they are not a problem, and are very healthy. Tom Lonsdale DVM writes a worthwhile book RAW MEATY BONES and has a website with that title. I know I need to overcome this concern. Best of Luck, Kristin!

[Nancy C]

I decided this was why my GSD could not transition to ACANA or ORIGEN food….

[Nancy C]

Weezer – You are still on my mind. Try visiting this website: Vitalanimals.com (I think that’s it). If that does not take you to this wonderful homeopathic/ holistic site then google “Dr. Will Falconer DVM.” He is phenomenal. is in Austin, Tex. I was just on his site reading about the dark side of rabies shots (we know that)… You might get some helpful info there. Dr. Falconer is considered by some one of the BEST holistic vets in the country. His site is outstanding. He is also available for consult. Has a weekly newsletter. A great source. I was just reading under the Vaccinations topic heading or maybe the blog — from experiences some people have had worth reading. No, actually I think this was the story of a prize winning show dog – a Wheaton – who ws never vaccinated for rabies – that dog lived forever… very interesting story. Was totally healthy and nvr had any vaccinations. ???
Good luck.

[Nancy C]

Listen: My dog’s titer for PARVO was “NEGATIVE” according to my vet. SHE wanted to REVACCINATE him w a Combo shot incl distemper and he had a HIGH titer for that.

I said no. I went to a different vet and got a new titer and BOTH PARVO AND DISTEMPER came back VERY STRONG.

They can make MISTAKES and not on YOUR DOG.
Go get another TITER DRAWN.
BEST OF LUCK.

[Nancy C]

Oh – OTHER HALF OF THE MEAL…. If I let him eat half of the 2 pound neck (it’s really a little more than two lbs) then that, added to breakfast, was going to be it for the day. He eats 2x a day right now. So he would have gotten his 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 pounds of RAW a day. (Going on 2-3% of 75 pounds. )

I was thinking this is not an exact science…. So hopefully that would do it.
what am I missing?
Thank you.

[Nancy C]

Thank you. That is what I was going to do. You just confirmed. I am unsure about the bone though. Would imagine a neck bone would not be large and this does not look large — of course this is just a HALF of a neck so what i see is this bone embedded in all the yummy meat. So I would not want him to get choked on it. I would say, from where the sawing in half took place the bone looks about the size of a large egg – the width of it that is. That’s the view from the SAWED side of the piece of meat. The opposite side is rounded as it would be the outer part of the neck, if I am articulating well enough.
I know so little about bones, but my understanding is that small ones CAN BE a bigger problem than a large one… so THAT is my concern. I am going back to the butcher soon and could take it and ASK HIM to get the bone OUT…. does that sound like a good idea? The GSD could probably chew it up – being goat. ??? Thank you for all your expertise, BC.

[Nancy C]

Interesting. I guess I need to put him in the crate and watch him by shining a flashlight in there!! And I should have something else he LOVES waiting, just in case I need an enticement. His mouth looks like a wolf – BCN you do know if you had an 85 pound GSD. Knowing your dog is what is so important. You all have been so helpful! Many thanks! I will let you know how it goes once I get up the nerve. Might try the turkey neck first. I watched some You TUbes today and the necks are really pretty safe it appears. Thank you both.

[Nancy C]

BCN
My old 85 lb GSD chewed them up pretty well, but he wasn’t inclined to gulp and the ribs were big enough that I wouldn’t have considered it a problem.

So it’s about watching them gnaw and chew and decide WHEN and IF to take the bone away? The real cleaning value is over and done once it’s just a bone, right? So until I get more comfortable about it I COULD just take the bone away when it’s clean.

[Nancy C]

Oh no I am so sorry about the tooth! I guess there is truth in that marrow bone info. I hope it won’t create problems. My 11 yr old golden cracked off part of her tooth and I do not know how (have not fed bones at all) but she’s fine. HOpefully yours will be the same.

[Nancy C]

BC– just saw the above. Your post was well received. I was very irritated to learn that she would actually REvaccinate against a disease for which the dog showed strong immunity. Have to realize what that reveals. My over all assessment is that she is thoroughly endoctrinated in allopathy and if she has even read about the dangers of vaccines, even the POSSIBILITY of the dangers, of vaccinosis, of all the side effects — I am astounded that she did not respond more consciously when even I QUESTIONED THE VERY ACT OF REVACCINATING FOR DISTEMPER. Our actions speak loudly. So now I know. Thank you again for your response.

[Nancy C]

Sorry — was BC Nut !! I’m getting OLD!!!

[Nancy C]

Kristin — I bought 3 turkey necks from HARE TODAY and they are in the freezer still. HOW exactly did you feed them? They look big. Hare Today says they are 1 1/2 pound each. According to the 2 -3% body weight my GSD can eat approx 2 pounds of raw a day. so it would seem to me that ONE neck would be a meal in that he eats two meals a day — but perhaps I should cut it in half?
Were your dogs able to chew it up easily? Did they eat it frozen? Did you feed it outside and just lay it down on the ground (as some say to do) ? I sound so stupid — I just have NO experience and I do not know of anyone around here who feeds “basic raw raw” (meaning raw pieces as in the wild – not “prepared commercial raw’ like Darwins, Primal etc). What I am scared of is choking and the possibility of biting off more bone than can go through the “tubing” in the body.
I think I have read that beef bones are comparatively hard whereas goat, lamb, duck, chicken are softer bones and that would infer easier to chew up. Thank you for what you can say.

[Nancy C]

Sorry you two — I did not see CRAZY’s great response til AFTER I wrote the above. Thank you C4C!! Helpful details.

[Nancy C]

PS Crazy4Cats says she gives her dogs SHORT RIBS — might be good esp for starters. Thank you Crazy!!

[Nancy C]

Kristin, thank you! I am anything BUT an authority but my Fear has pointed me in the direction of getting info. For starters my RMBs are LONG too. Measuring the curved side they are 8 inches long from end to end which means they are really longer than that. My dog is 75 pounds w big jaws and teeth… however, I have just moved him in the last 2 weeks to raw and I have changed vets to a homeopath vet to whom I am adapting. My regular vet for 12 yrs is a fine clinician if the dog needs surgery (was #1 in her vet class) but as for holistic she is NOT there. She is the one who drew titers on my shepherd back in Sept, called to say parvo was negative and I needed to bring him in for REvaccination. The vaccine her animal hospital uses is a combo of parvo and distemper. She was willing to REvaccinate him for distemper even though his immunity for it (according to the titers) is very strong. THAT is when I found the homeopath who was willing to ONLY vaccinate for parvo. (Singles ARE available). That homeopath RE tested him for titers recently and sent the blood to the Univ of Col Vet Sch for lab work and the parvo was very strong. Go figure. Anyway, if there is trouble w this bone then I will have to make a decision betw WHICH VET and I do not want to do that!
Also – FYI from the NON EXPERT ME — According to my reading marrow bones are not recommended for dogs because they are from the load bearing bones (leg – femur) and dogs can easily break a tooth on those bec they are particularly hard. Dr. Tom Lonsdale DVM is a very respectable vet in Australia who has written two books worth seeing and one is titled RAW MEATY BONES. Can type that in and read more. He has a website. I think it is http://www.rawmeatybones.com. There is another website where his second book is ON LINE FOR FREE. It is RAWMEATYBONESMYTH.com (I think). Google that in and see if it comes up. Otherwise I will go find the exact title…. it gives a little info. Knuckle bones are also bad for tooth breaks.
Let me know how it goes this afternoon. I am thinking about giving mine today or tomorrow. I just gave the GSD his first BEEF last night, continued this morning. And I might wait till tomorrow just in case there is a probl so I can call the homeopath and not the Emergency Vet – they charge so much esp on weekends!
Good luck. Will wait to hear. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW is what happens AFTER the meat is all chewed off. !!! Thanks.

[Nancy C]

BC Nut – What is the approx length of the beef short ribs? I have two beautiful long beef rib bones with LOTS Of meat. Getting nervous about my GSD trying to EAT it and then pieces getting stuck somewhere INSIDE HER. Your dog that eats almost ALL the long beef rib — how big is that dog? My GSD is 75 pounds and he has some TEETH! I’m still a little worried…. I relate to Kristin above and am just needing a little hand holding.

Thank you for whatever else you can say….

[Nancy C]

I have had great luck with The Honest Kitchen’s “Perfect Form” —

[Nancy C]

I would not choose TOW. Diamond makes it. Check the recalls.

[Nancy C]

So, I just emailed DARWIN’S to cancel my order which was due Oct 22. I told them the new formulation has too much fat and with the price increase along with the incr in fat — NO, NOT FOR US. Too bad.

I was sorry about that bec I saw Darwins as a primary participant in my supply. I liked the fact that it was organic. So, do you ladies feel that STEWARTS is equal to the old Darwin’s?

I don’t hear you mentioning ZIWIPEAK. (I’m not attracted to it for some reason.) Should we be? And I can’t get into K9Natural, mostly bec of the fat. So, Good Question, CindyQ. ANSWERS is a good one I plan to try. Also Vital Essentials and That other Raw one Dori was trying. O A Raw or something like that? It is supposedly very good.

[Nancy C]

Kristin – What exactly does “the meat turns brown” refer to? (Darwins). I noticed that after thawing the chicken the outside was brownish but when I mashed it up in the bowl it was all more reddish inside…. all sort of like ground round how it turns brown on the outside aft a couple of days but it is still red inside. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Oxidation? would that be harmful?

[Nancy C]

Cindy- Keep us informed about the Stewarts. I have Darwins in the freezer (the intro pack) and my golden gobbled the chicken. I can’t figure out HOW to avoid giving it COLD to her. One time I put the glass bowl in the toaster over on WARM so she would not have to eat it right out of the frig where it had thawed. I know it is considered one of the best and am interested in knowing HOW Stewarts compares to it.

[Nancy C]

BC Nut thank you for your input regarding the low parvo titer. My GSD had a parvo /distemper in Checzoslovakia (where he is from) at 12 weeks to the very DAY of his birth. Then he had his second one at exactly 9 months old. So he has had TWO vaccines of it. Dr. Loops the homeopath says that that is ENOUGH — he is fine. I do not understand all this titer stuff although have read a lot, esp Dr. Ron Schultz’s work at the Univ of Wisc Sch of Vet Medicine. He has researched vaccines for 30 yrs and Dr. Loops told me about an article in Dogs Naturally Magazine which he put on his Facebook Page because all people need to have this information about vaccines. Can google REVACCINATION AND DOGS at DogsNaturally and the article pops up. It is VERY informative as regards HOW the protocols and “standards” for vaccines even originated and what the truth is about that. The Pharmacomafia at work. (sorry if I offend anyone).
Maybe at some point BDN will offer up the info that people want. I’m baffled.

[Nancy C]

I just went to the BDN site – it is not freeze dried. It is AIR dried. I am not knowledgable about the difference but I remember CHRIS the woman with whom I spoke telling me their process is unusual to what most companies do which is FREEZE dried. And they do not heat it so hot either. Sometime call her and ask. She is very nice and told me recently she IS one of the owners. Another one of the owners is supposedly VERY knowledgable about canine nutrition. He has several Mastiffs and they ALL eat and thrive on BDN.
Chris told me too that one of their goals was to produce an affordable healthy raw food. I am FAR from an expert, but as I said, I know Dr. Loops knows what he’s talking about. He was originally for 10 yrs a regular vet. then learned about homeopathy because of all the things in the vet business that HE DID NOT BELIEVE WEre goOD FOR DOGS…. so he trained to become a HOmeopath. I think he has trained with Dr. Pitcairn. Enough for now.

[Nancy C]

The Homeopathic vet I have worked with recommends BDN and Darwins as raw food options that HE stands behind. I have asked him point blank about BDN and he says it is excellent food, he knows the company (has no ownership and is not personally involved) and he knows the food and therefore recommends it on his website.
I called them (BDN) today to ask about the calcium/phos ratio for beef. no problem: It’s 1:1. I do not understand the issue with BDN but my dog gobbles it like there is no tomorrow and I am going on my vet’s recommendation because he is extremely particular. Has 6 dogs himself, including several Grayhounds I think he said (or some large specialty breed) and feeds it and Darwins to ALL SIX of his dogs. Loves both foods. To find his website can google Dr. Charles Loops DVM. He is VERY intelligent and has been a homeopathic vet for 30 yrs. Pays attention to things that regular allopathic vets do not. Treats lots of dogs with Cancer succesfully. His recommendation goes a long way with me.

[Nancy C]

Cindy – glad your dog liked the BDN. I got the variety pack and the golden likes everything in it. gobbles all of it up. This company works very hard to produce a good digestible food. I called the other day to find out the calcium phosphorus ratio for beef since it is not listed on the site. Just FYI it’s 1:1. I also plan to give my dogs a Raw Meaty Bone 2 x a week because they are very healthy. That will work with their ca/phos ratio.
I am also feeding some Darwin’s to the golden retriever. She loves that too, but it is pretty pricey and I am not sure how long I will keep that up for two large dogs.

[Nancy C]

I am not sure. My 58 pound golden eats one cup exactly per meal. It expands of course once the water puffs it out. You can go to the website and see what the recommended amount is. Look for the Calculator on the website. It will tell you exactly. Good luck.

[Nancy C]

You might try BIG DOG NATURAL !! It has Tripe and Fermented vegetables in it and is very digestible. Can read about it on our discussion board. Dogs love it.

[Nancy C]

Do you have any experience w Answers?

[Nancy C]

BCNUT : YES. He is 2 yrs old now. Thank you! Well I am glad I have one less thing to sweat.
it’s this Parvo thing now that’s got me hung up now.

[Nancy C]

Cindy: What breed are your dogs?
I am a little worried about my GSD bec his digestive tract might be sensitive. I am giving him PERFECT FORM from THK which I think is very good. I decreased the suggested amount a little. Dr Loops said it would probably help him when we transition to BDN so he does not get diarrhea. I plan to transition him in the next week or so after we solve this Parvo Titer situation. he is getting RE-titered tomorrow by a homeopath vet here in this town who I do not know but who was recommended by Dr Loops the homeopath I have been having phone consults with. He says there are only 2 labs (in the US) he trusts for titers. Jean Dodd’s is one of them. Also said, (FYI), that sometimes a dog just has low titer numbers but it does NOT mean they are not immune to the disease. Said a small percentage of dogs do this way and you could vaccinate repeatedly and they would still show low numbers. The homeopath who is doing the REtitering tomorrow operates in a MOBILE UNIT. She told me Friday that if the GSD was vaccinated at 16 weeks and at 9 months then he does NOT need another vaccine! (Interesting). Google “Dogs Naturally Revaccination and Dogs” and read that article. You will learn a LOT! Great short article.

[Nancy C]

BCNUT: I hear you!

I think I will call back the Homeopath and ask his assistant about this. I will ask her if SHE will talk to the doc and see if she learns anything more about the food. This vet is very careful…. I am working w him now bec my GSD’s titer for Parvo came back last week negative, but the distemper was strong. My regular vet wants to REVACCINATE using a COMBO Parvo/ Distemper. (Her Vet Group does not offer singles!) I am NOT going to Revaccinate for distemper when he is immune to it! The Homeopath was adamant about that also and went into details about protecting my dog. So on the other hand I cannot believe he would recommend BDN and DARWINS as his two choice raw foods if he did not know they are nutritionally sound.

Maybe we can get to the bottom of this, bec my dog surely loves the food and it would be a sad day for her if I stopped it.

[Nancy C]

Cindy: YES, my golden has eaten it now for a month. breakfast and supper. She LOVES EVERY FLAVOR! and licks the bowl for more. I will add 2oz of Darwins chicken tomorrow, as I said, just to get her on several foods.

Whoever mentioned THK food: It did not go over as well at this house as BDN. However, I added it to kibble and the golden ate the kibble more readily. But I have never seen her so happy over food as she is the BDN.

Maybe we all need to call the company and talk to Chris…. ??

My plan now is to do BDN, Darwins, Answers and OCRaw. I have talked to the owners at Answers and OC Raw and also Vital Essentials. Hopefully can rotate all those. Also want to be able to run to Whole Foods and get some organic chicken some days.

[Nancy C]

One other thought: I suspect the homeopathic vet knows more details about the food than might be revealed to the public. Perhaps they have told him more information. He was VERY re-assuring to me last week in our consult when I asked him AGAIN if he was SURE this is a good food. He answered, “YES INDEED,” immediately – saying he would not feed it to his dogs otherwise.

What a mystery!

[Nancy C]

Idea: BCNUT – why don’t YOU call them? Chris is very nice and easy to talk to. She told me something like that it was “unfortunate” that the DFA was dissatisfied with their responses (I do not know what they were of course) but that they have moved on and the Food will sell itself. Said that people are LIKING the food and sales continue to increase. Not many work there it seems to me. It feels like Chris herself works in the factory yet is an owner. It’s very hands on among what seems to be just a few people. They seem to work hard but when I talked to her it was clear to me that she cares, and she definitely wants to be helpful to callers.

I’ve said before that when the food arrives the shipping box is ALL TAPED UP to protect the food so no bugs can get into it. Chris told me they do that purposefully. The small packages of food inside the shipping box help preserve freshness. That impresses me. But you know far more about dog food than I do.

I’m starting the Darwins in the morning w the Golden Retriever… mixing it with the BDNatural, 2 oz at breakfast and 2 oz at supper, for 2 days. (That’s my 8 oz patty). Then I will increase from there. I Hope it Works well!

[Nancy C]

I just went to the BDN site to order more food. I saw listed there the Ca and Phos ratios for Chicken formula is 1:56:1, for Turkey is 1:63:1 and for the Tripe formula is 1:75:1. Now, my Q is: Is this acceptable? Interestingly the HOmeopathic vet I have been working with here in NC (he has practiced Homeopathic V M for 30 yrs and allopathic for the first 10 yrs) His name is Charles Loops, DVM and he has a good website. Treats a lot of dogs w cancer. He told me again last week that this food is excellent – that he has Great Danes among his 6 dogs and feeds it to them. Also Darwins. And he feeds other things that he puts tog himself. I mentioned the problem DFA has with them and he stood by BDN 100% and is definitely NOT connected in any way with the food company. So all this remains a mystery to me.
My Golden transitioned to it without one HINT of a problem. Cold turkey. My neighbor’s 3 dogs went cold turkey from kibble also with the same result. The Homeopath says the GSD will be fine on it – cold turkey. I will start him with Chicken/ Turkey and later move to Tripe and Beef. The Golden loves both. Are those bad ratios for Calcium and Phos?

[Nancy C]

I think they ARE weight bearing. I went to Whole Foods and asked for a Raw Meaty Bone and he brought a very large one out which he said he could cut down to whatever size I wanted. He also said that dogs go nuts for the marrow and he said it was a femur. I later learned that those are weight bearing bones. While I do not like to assume anything perhaps when you figure out WHICH BRAND it is that you are using, just call and ask. I was at the Pet Boutique today and PRIMAL has some of those in a bag in the freezer. I know someone who feeds them to their dog and the dog LOVES them. I did not say anything to her about it. The employee at the store told me that they carry lamb bones which are easier on the teeth. She said to me that weight bearing is risky and yet they were in the freezer. So MUCH to keep in mind!!!!

[Nancy C]

BCNUT – Thank you! Will print all this off. I did not know those details re BDN and that is not good at all. My Golden eats that food like there is no tomorrow, licking the bowl as though something would come out of the bowl if she licks enough. IT is very digestible and because of that I will start the GSD on it just as a move TO raw. It’s not “total” raw or “REAL” raw but its a start and this GSD needs an easy start.
My Golden started it a month ago so I will start adding Darwins 2 oz at a time TO the BDN to transition her onto Darwins… Will add 2 oz every other day til she’s done. I think I will keep the GSD on the BDN if he digests it well for a month or so and do the same with Darwin’s. Once they both are on Darwins then I can give them something like a chicken bone at night some nights — and just have a few digestible selections on the menu, probl including BDN and Darwins. Had also liked Vital Essentials and Answers. Thought I might see how they do with those, but that’s on down the road.
I would like to have your opinion as to this plan.
Thank you.

[Nancy C]

OMG they are so adorable I cannot BELIEVE IT. It’s such a great breed and TAKES A SPECIAL owner bec they are very intelligent – Many say the most intelligent. You are a special person as is BCNUT! I respect you both.

Thank you for sending the pics. When I learn how to post a pic I will do so too.
Not techy.

[Nancy C]

OH MY I just figured out that BC stands for BORDER COLLIE ! Duh! My dear friend has two BCs and both are Therapy dogs with our local hospital – the Children’s Hospital. They are such wonderful and beautiful dogs! So you ARE a BC NUT!!!

Thank you for that info. I guess he COULD sometime handle these LAMB bones, which is nice to know.

I guess I need to find out from BIG DOG NATURAL about the Calcium and Phosphorus amounts so to plan for our dog. I think I am going to use some Darwins too and they are very forthcoming about those ingredients.

Our GSD can eat 1 1/2 pounds of raw food a day, according to the Calculators on raw food sites. He MIGHT need 2 full pounds. Will have to experiment I think. I had figured that down the road I can just give AXEL BDN or Darwins for breakfast and measure out on a scale the remaining weighted “True Raw” food at night, like some part of a chicken or even a part of a Turkey Neck. Does this make sense? Thanks.

[Nancy C]

Cyndi:
First your dog is beautiful! I love the way he looks right into the picture! And with seeming purpose! 🙂 I know he’s a sweet one.

Thank you for your post also. You all are really helping me. My GSD was gone for three months for training and while he was gone I decided on RAW. Like you, I read the major books, watched Becker’s videos, took notes, read on line, and my binder is jammed. He had all those troubles on Origen and Acana and i just decided kibble was not worth it.

I will brush his teeth in addition to doing the bones. Thank you for that info. Have some HARE TODAY turkey necks frozen now but he is not YET on raw. I am working with a Homeopathic Vet who is wonderful and who has recommended Big Dog Natural although DFA people did not feel good about what BDN not coming forth with info re GA. I asked BDN about it and they said they could not tell their “secret” (which she inferred had to do with the fermentation of the veggies and the air drying process). The Homeopath vet feeds BDN to his 6 dogs – several are Great Danes – and he loves the food and the company. He also feeds Darwins. He has suggested that I go cold turkey when I transition the GSD using chicken and the turkey formulas (BDN) to begin with for several weeks. One Protein. (THat is what Tracy at HARE TODAY also suggested.) Once he’s doing great on that I will pull out the Turkey necks. After that I think I can start veering out a little. Tracy at HARE TODAY emailed me to take my time and NOT PUSH IT — that getting in a hurry will mess up his digestion. She’s SELLING RAW and TOLD ME TO SLOW DOWN! (That’s a sign of a good person!)

The woman who 1/2 owns Ziwipeak has two labs and she said she feeds them Ziwi at breakfast everyday and then gives them a raw very meaty bone for supper at night. I never got into Ziwipeak myself but it was interesting to hear that she does that. Says they are a picture of health.

Now it appears I must find out about CALCIUM so I do not overdo it. Any references about that?
Thank you again for your input. This is such a great site and I have met wonderful people.
With Gratitude,
Nancy C.

[Nancy C]

WHERE do you find the goat, llama, mutton rib bones? And they are “softer” meaning easier to chew which MIGHT mean that there could be a decreased chance of a cracked tooth? Oh yes, you have your own goats.

was just at the pet store. INSTINCT has a pkg of two lamb bones. They were about 9 to 10 inches long and had some meat on them — about $9 for two. They must have been femur bones. NOW would THAT BE A GOOD CHOICE? (I have read to stay away from load bearing bones).

Bottom line: I am scared. But I have Got to do it for his teeth.

Would you please tell me WHY you have to “watch their bone intake” because you feed 1/2 raw? I need to understand that concept. Thank you. If you could see my notebook full of notes and things I have learned you would be proud of me. It’s just that there is SO MUCH TO LEARN. I never knew having a new dog would require so much knowledge! But NOT to know these things is dangerous.

Thank you so much!!! You are a great teacher.
nc

[Nancy C]

PS It’s too bad, but to get money back it is often necessary to be tenacious. I was. I just stayed at it and the Business Manager at the vet seemed to be the one with the power to DO SOMETHING. She knew I was not going away. She KNEW I had spent a lot of money there BECAUSE OF THE COLLAR! Not to mention angst and then the stress on the dog. You could perhaps ask for someone at the vet who could help you get your refund…. that the price of this collar was significantly MORE than the actual collar and you NEED your refund. Stay with it. You will get the refund if you don’t back down.

[Nancy C]

My vet herself at the time did NOT think it was the collar. She was “nice” about it but disagreed w me. Didn’t matter. I called BAYER and had a couple of conversations with two diff people. One of them told me I would have to work through my vet but that they would give me my money back. So I THINK I went back to the vet in person to discuss it with their “business manager.” I reminded her that I had asked them at the time of purchase, what if the collar did not work, to which they responded that they would refund the money. I went through the story with her, told her I had talked to Bayer and that the request for refund HAD TO COME THROUGH THE VET. so she agreed to call Bayer and talk to them. In several weeks the vet called me back saying that Bayer was going to give me a refund. The refund was, interestingly, “returned” to me as CREDIT AT THE VET ! I did not argue it bec I knew I’d use it up. so you might have to eat crow and return to that bad vet just to get your refund. the very fact that they are STILL asking about Snowy shows they feel SOME OBLIGATION (if only to call and inquire) – so you have that going for you. The collar was $$$ so I’d encourage you to go GET YOUR REFUND. You MIGHT want to try calling Bayer once more. Maybe you will get a more decent human being. Look on the small print — seems that there is something there about guarantees. Not dead sure. But check it. There was a product info/ complaint phone number if I am remembering correctly. It’s been since March and my memory is leaving me. Best of Luck!

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