[Cyndi]

So very sorry for your loss! 🙁

[Cyndi]

I agree about the liver. I just started feeding my dog raw 5 1/2 months ago and I started with just chicken backs & chicken leg quarters for a while and then turkey necks. I didn’t introduce liver (chicken) for about a month & even then I gave just small amounts with a few raw meals each week, and even THAT made her stools soft.

Maybe cut out the liver for a bit and see if her stools firm up and when you reintroduce it, do it slow, in smaller quantities.

[Cyndi]

Those treats sound ok to me, but I’m not one of the “experts” on here. I do like you do, ask questions and do what I’m told, lol! I find it a lot easier that way. Your puppy is adorable, by the way. I’ve always loved boxers. Boxers and bloodhounds are the absolute most adorable when they’re puppies. I came out of a store one time and some guy had a boxer puppy in the front seat of his car, no more than like 9 or 10 weeks old. I stood and waited til he came out, it was only like 2 minutes, and told him he had to let me hold his puppy, lol! I could not resist. I would have stood there for an hour, if I had to. That puppy was just the cutest damn thing ever!

[Cyndi]

I’ve just been going by what people on here feed their dogs for treats. I buy Vital Essentials Freeze dried Niblets that I use for treats & I also have a bag of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Treats. I also make my own Turkey or Chicken little meatball treats that my dog loves. Ever since I switched my dog to a raw diet, 5 months ago, I don’t buy any of those crappy treats anymore. Some of those Purina or Del Monte treats are made with chemicals and poison, I’ve read, just like their dog “foods”.

http://goodnessgracioustreats.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/where’s-the-beef/

[Cyndi]

I don’t think there are too many people here that feed their dogs milk bones, but thanks for the warning…

[Cyndi]

Adam, I am so very sorry for your loss. I went thru a similar experience with my cat and my Doberman a couple years ago. I was feeding him Pedigree and then Purina One. They both died suddenly and with no explanation. I adopted my new dog Bailey in January, although I was still heavily grieving for my best friend that I lost. I happened on this site and did a ton of research and it’s been 5 months since my Bailey has eaten any commercial dog “food”. I feed her a raw diet and she’s never been healthier. It is a bit more expensive. I even took on a second part time job to be able to keep feeding her a raw diet. She eats better than I do. I will NEVER feed another pet crappy commercial dog food again.

Hang in there. There is another dog that is out there waiting for you, just wait until you’re ready. Take your time to grieve. Believe me, I know it’s really hard, and the pain does ease up some. It’s been 2 years and a month for me, but I can just think of my Moose and the tears start flowing.

Good luck to you!

[Cyndi]

My Bailey is 50lbs. and has been on a raw diet for 5 months. I give her a half a turkey neck, along with gizzards or heart and liver, 2 or 3 nights a week for dinner. She has never had any problems with them. A turkey neck is basically one long bone with a lot of meat on it, not a bunch of little bones. I think they would be totally fine for a smaller dog. It would take a bit longer for them to eat it, I would imagine, but I’m sure they’d do fine with them… Good for cleaning teeth too!

[Cyndi]

Thanks for the “flea cheat” suggestion Patty! I went out and got a flea comb yesterday. I never even thought about getting one til you mentioned it (I can be a bit spacey sometimes, lol!) Anyways, I went over Bailey last night with it real good and only found one flea. I will probably bathe her again today, but she hasn’t been scratching hardly at all. What a pain in the butt. I was planning on doing nothing yesterday and I had to vacuum the entire house (took the vacuum bag to the garbage when I was done), wash all the bedding, mine and bailey’s, give bailey a bath, comb her, spray her with flea spray, all on top of my regular saturday “chores”… I’m tired today, lol! Hopefully I got rid of most of them, if not ALL of them. What a pain in the butt!

[Cyndi]

Well, I don’t have a flea comb. I have to run out and get one, but I sprayed her Thursday completely with the Mercola’s Flea & Tick spray, that’s when I found a flea. The spray had killed it or immobilized it. That was all I found. So I sprayed the entire house with a different organic spray I had & put more DE down. Then last night I covered her entire body in DE. Today, I still didn’t see any other fleas, but she’s been scratching more so I bathed her in Dawn, Apple Cider Vinegar & Water (saw that online) and I found a couple more fleas that I picked off of her. They were dead. When she was dry, I sprayed her with more of the flea & tick spray and she hasn’t scratched once. So, I am going out in a few to get a flea comb and I will probably bathe her again tomorrow. Damn fleas! Damn me for saying I wish it WAS fleas.

[Cyndi]

Someone shoot me for saying “I kind of hope it is fleas…” Well, atleast I know Bailey isn’t allergic to any foods, it’s just those f’n little insects! I’m working on getting rid of them now. Ugh!! I can’t believe it took me so long to find any. I checked and checked and checked her so good and I finally found one. And we all know, there’s NEVER only one! Wish me luck!

[Cyndi]

Lmao! “he has a really big squeaky toy named Patty….” LOL!! Now THAT’S funny! Sorry! Ha ha! I bet you’re really going to enjoy those steaks!

[Cyndi]

Lmao! @ Cheeseburger! Poor steer! Lol!

[Cyndi]

Well, haven’t found any fleas or flea dirt on Bailey. I checked her from head to toe. I’m going to check yet again thoroughly before I start her on an elimination diet. I think, since I just bought so much food, I’m just going to try eliminating one thing at a time and see how it goes. I’m not so sure it would be chicken that she’d have an allergy too, because she’s been on that the longest, unless they can all of a sudden develop a food allergy to a certain food.

We’ll see what happens…

[Cyndi]

Thanks so much Patty! I was hoping to avoid the elimination diet but I may have to do that. BUT after reading your second post, I think I need to really check her good for fleas. Bailey HAS been scratching her neck and back end area. She does her legs too, but also her neck and back end. She doesn’t have thinning hair at all, I’ve checked for that as well & she doesn’t have soft stools. I check her for fleas all the time, but maybe that’s what it is. I’ll check her tomorrow and go over her from head to toe. I really hate fleas, but I’m kind of hoping that’s what it ends up being (never thought I’d say that) and not have to go thru an elimination diet (especially considering I have a big order from Hare-Today coming on Tues, lol!)

and thank you also, PrincessPiper. That ran thru my head too, that she could be allergic to grass. She does lay in the grass all the time.

[Cyndi]

Thanks somebodysme, but I can’t really say when her itching really started. It’s been atleast a month, if not more and I haven’t really introduced anything new. The rabbit is the newest, but it’s even been a while for that. That’s why I wouldn’t even know where to start. I guess I could start with the last thing I introduced her to and work backwards. & I doubt it’s her shampoo. I use an all natural shampoo and I’ve been using it for months. I’m wondering if it IS environmental. It’s been, with the exception of the last 2 weeks, very warm and humid, and she has been spending alot more time outside just laying around.

I know how relieved you were to finally figure out your dog’s allergies to peas. Bailey doesn’t itch and scratch all that much, that’s why I really didn’t give it much thought when it started. Figured she just had a plain old “itch” and was scratching it.

[Cyndi]

I have a question for any raw feeder that would like to help. I have had Bailey on raw for just about 5 months now. I give her raw garlic and use different flea sprays, Mercola’s being one of them, so I’m 99% sure she doesn’t have fleas. I check her all the time too. It’s been maybe over a month now, not sure, but she’s been scratching and biting at herself and licking her front legs. The leg licking is like frantic leg licking for like 5-10 seconds and then she’s done and goes about her business. The itching and scratching isn’t constantly and just about every time she does it, I check her over and I find nothing. So, I’m thinking she maybe allergic to something she eats. In the mornings I give her the ground beef, ground tripe and ground organs for 2 or 3 days and do whole carcass ground rabbit for 2 or 3 days, with either sardines or eggs or veggie blend baby food alternated & right now I’m using the See Spot Live Longer mix on the beef days. For dinners I rotate between a chicken back/feet/heart/gizzards/liver or turkey neck/gizzards or a large rabbit piece & a rabbit head.

So, I know how a typical “elimination diet” goes, but I’m wondering if I just cut out something from her diet for a while, if that would work? & what should I start with? Is chicken the likely culprit here? I wish I could pinpoint when her itching and biting started, but I have no clue. Any help, as usual, is greatly appreciated!

[Cyndi]

Hi Dexter, I don’t have anything helpful to add regarding your puppy’s problem, I just want to ask if you can PLEASE post a picture of your puppy? Pretty please! Dobies & pitbulls are my absolute favorite breeds & I’d LOVE to see a pic of a cross of the 2. I’ve only ever seen one “doberbull” & he was absolutely amazing looking! Thanks! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Your best bet if you’re looking for teeth cleaning is an occasional raw meaty bone. Depending on your dog’s size, a chicken neck (for a smaller dog) or a turkey neck (for a larger dog) would be the best thing for teeth cleaning…
Since I’ve been feeding raw, my dog’s teeth sparkle. No sign of tarter or whatever it is dogs get on their teeth.

[Cyndi]

Bailey loves Bully Sticks and she also has a couple of the deer antlers that she loves. The bully sticks take her about a half hour, for an 8 inch one. The deer antlers she chews on them all the time and she has barely made a dent in them.

[Cyndi]

Thanks Sandy! That’s what I thought, but I wanted to be sure. I haven’t tried Urban Wolf yet, I just got my See Spot Live Longer dinner mix and will be trying that soon. I’ve been using the Grandma Lucy’s and I still have Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl that I haven’t used yet.

[Cyndi]

Hey everyone, I have a question, possibly a stupid one, but I can’t figure it out…

When I was questioning about premixes at the beginning of this thread, HDM told me “Make sure not to use a pre-mix with a grind which contains bone.” Why is that? I have a few different premixes here that I’m using and I’m just curious to why I don’t want to use them with meat and bone.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Cyndi.

[Cyndi]

I know pork you have to freeze for up to 3 weeks before giving to your dog and I would imagine that wild hog meat is the same as the pork meat that you get at a butcher or grocery store. Someone else can chime in, I’m just sharing what I know in the mean time… Lucky you scoring free meat!

[Cyndi]

So glad Harry is loving his food! I’ve been using the Grandma Lucy’s premix and Bailey loves it. I also have the Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl that I haven’t started using yet AND I just got my See Spot Live Longer dinner mix that I might start using next and wait on using the Dr. Harvey’s. I also got Steve Brown’s book “See Spot Live Longer” and that’s a good read. It has alot of the things I’ve learned on here already, but it is a good read & very informative. I wish I could get everyone one I know, that has dogs, to read it.

[Cyndi]

“so if the squeamish family members have to feed, they won’t die.” LMAO!!!

[Cyndi]

Hi Sandy! Yes, rabbit heads would be the perfect size for your boys! Hare Today has a bag of 10 for only like $5.99, I believe it was. I was a little iffy about buying a whole bag, because I wasn’t sure if Bailey would like them. But, she does, and for a meal I will feed one to her with a bigger piece of rabbit.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Cyndi.

[Cyndi]

LOL! Learned the HARD way, I’m sure! Ha ha!

[Cyndi]

Lol! Thats true! They’re not too bad to look at though, but I sure didn’t watch Bailey eat it, lol!

[Cyndi]

Good for you for adopting a senior! I love hearing that!

[Cyndi]

Well, I had ordered the rabbit heads from Hare Today last week and more of the rabbit pieces. Bailey had a rabbit piece with liver or some organ attached (I didn’t look that closely, lol!) & she also had a rabbit head. She loved it! 🙂 The whole prey quail was a dud, but she sure is liking the rabbit! I doubt I will be able to do a whole rabbit, but for now I am glad she likes the head and will be getting the benefits from the brain and stuff.

[Cyndi]

I’m understanding now Marie! I’m not around enough to “enjoy” people like that, lol!

[Cyndi]

I think this is an updated list of foods from HDM. There are an awful lot of pages now in that Large Breed puppy thread…

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

[Cyndi]

Here is a link to the latest list (I believe). Wasn’t too hard to find, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, I would imagine it would be…

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

[Cyndi]

Here is a link to HDM’s google doc with the food list.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFY183Q0NVRXlidWc/edit?pli=1

[Cyndi]

Awww, Sadie’s a cutie!! Glad she’s doing better!! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Absolutely Patty! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Awww, I just want to say Thank You for rescuing her! I LOVE pitbulls and so many of them end up put down just because of their breed, not to mention having anything else wrong with them. You are an angel for giving her a loving home!! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Lol! It’s just a small 3.1 cu. ft. freezer, but it was on sale and I couldn’t resist. I got very tired of having to dig in my little fridge/freezer every time I needed to pull something out or having stuff fall out and almost break my foot. I am so glad I bought it. It has already been a blessing! 🙂

[Cyndi]

No problem HDM! 🙂 I did the same thing.

[Cyndi]

HDM, I just read your response to Julie and you said German Shephards, but she said her dog is a Great Dane, just to let you know. Not sure if your response to her would be any different… I thought I read “GSD” as well, when I first read her post and then further down, she said Dane.

Julie, I hope you get things figured out with your pup. Sounds really frustrating! 🙁

[Cyndi]

Yes I did! 🙂 It sure is going to come in handy too when I place my big order tomorrow. I just got a new freezer! Well, it’s only a little one, but I have more room now to stock up on stuff for Bailey AND actually have room for frozen stuff for me…..like ice cream!! Lol!!

[Cyndi]

Thanks everyone!! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Thanks Sandy! I never win anything, so I was very excited, lol! I don’t think I’ll be returning the quail. It was a bag of 4 & I only have one left. I don’t know anyone that lives near me who feeds raw, unfortunately & my “supplier” is just a small butcher shop who doesnt sell quail.

I could always try to cook it & eat it myself. Ha Ha!! I was definitely joking! 🙂

[Cyndi]

I won’t be doing any cows heads anytime soon, lol! BUT…. Hare Today does sell a bag of rabbit heads. I think I might be daring and try those out for Bailey. Too bad I can’t order a couple to see if she’ll even eat them first. I think she might like them though, considering how much she likes the rabbit.

Oh, and speaking of Hare Today!! I forgot to brag!! I won their $25 gift certificate giveaway for August!! Tracy emailed me on Sunday and told me. Yay Me!! 😀

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Cyndi.

[Cyndi]

Neezerfan, raw bones don’t splinter. Only cooked bones do. Any bones from chicken or turkey are completely safe for dogs to eat. My dog has eaten a ton of chicken legs and she is just fine.

[Cyndi]

I’ve been using the rabbit pieces from Hare Today. Bailey loves them. I wanted something else to use in her rotation instead of chicken backs & feet & turkey necks. I don’t think I am going to do pork/pork necks with Bailey, I just don’t have the freezer space to freeze them for 3 weeks before I feed them. I am glad I went with the rabbit. It is a bit more expensive, but I only feed it every 3rd day for dinner.

I had started using the whole dressed quail from Hare Today, but Bailey decided she didn’t like them anymore. She went on strike for dinner 2 days in a row because I gave her a quail, so I just don’t give her those anymore. Maybe she picked up my squeemish vibe and got grossed out like I was, lol! So, I have one quail left in my freezer that I don’t know what to do with….

[Cyndi]

And with everyone on here who gets a puppy, dobermans especially, you are required (by me) to post a picture! 🙂 You can go to the off topic thread in the review section and post one very easily. Please, let me know when you do! Thank you! Lol!

It’s so good to be back home! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Lmao!! @ kibble kruncher! Ha ha ha!!!

[Cyndi]

Try Petfinder or TheAnimalRescueSite. both at dot com. That’s where I found my dog. Back in January, when I adopted my Bailey, they had a few yorkies, from what I remember. I don’t know where you live, but I think the two sites I mentioned could help.

[Cyndi]

Atleast we all know better now.

[Cyndi]

I used to pour my kibble into a big bin too. I had one on wheels. I would always use most of it up and then pour the new bag in on top of what was left. 🙁 & to make matters worse, it was Purina One, and for a while, Pedigree. 🙁 If only I had known then what I know now….

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