Just tried raw food for my dogs.

[Miss Peregrine]

I gave them chicken thighs. Thepuppy was a pro. Munched up all the bone and seemed to love it. My 6 yo 75 lb dog sniffed and licked at it for about 5 minute before finally picking it up. She did chew up some of the bone. Then she left at least half of it in the bowl and went to lie down.ni ended up throwing itbtonthe puppy. I fed her her normal dry and she gobbled it up.

 

I thought for sure she would go crazy for it.:confused:

[Denisemomof4]

I tried raw this summer for the first time ever. My 11 lb rat terrier, 13 lb dachsund, and 65 lb greyhound not only munched it down quickly, it did an impressive job cleaning their teeth.

 

I know there are proponents. I wish I could pick up "fresh" meat for the dogs. Still, I go by smell. My dogs never ever got sick.

 

My rat terrier DID gulp an entire drumstick down then nearly passed out. I saved her that time and never went back to raw with her. She is 15. I now have an almost 6 month old puppy who RUNS to the kitchen when he smells raw meat.

 

If your dog isn't used to it (IMO it is what they are meant to eat, NOT grains) try some of the wild dog food sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Maybe that will adjust his taste buds. Then try again later.

[SonshineLearner]

It took my pup a few days. The first time I had to chop it up in little pieces and feed it to him. I did that for a few times. The first time I fed Chicken feet I chopped them up; I felt like I was chopping baby fingers! EEEKKK!!! Now I can throw a whole chicken in the back yard and he'll eat it. Sometimes if I feed at night... he'll finish it the next day. Try it a bit at a time. I made sure to watch and see if he was a "gulper"... he's not :) He has thrown back up his food a few times in the 4 years I've fed him raw. BUT, he sometimes throws up other food, too. I have no idea why... it just didn't work. (Just remember... no cooked bones.) You might try some beef next time. You can do all organs except for liver... as regular meat.

[Isabella]

Sometimes they do take a while, because they are not used to it - a bit like a junk food addict would turn up their nose at whole foods! Some dogs need to come at it slowly. I'd cut up the chicken & mix it with his dry for a week. Obviously he has lost the stomach enzymes/acid to be able to properly digest it. If you start with bits & pieces he'll build it up again. I think from memory, they say to replace a 1/4 of his food with raw for the first week, then 1/2 for the next week, then 3/4 for the third, and finally completely raw. This will give his gut time to adjust. I think if you put the dry in front of him in a month's time, he'll show you differently!:D

 

Good luck, and great choice to go raw - you'll be cleaning up less poop in the garden, too.

 

Oh, and if you can bring yourself to do it - when on raw, one fasting day each week is good for the dogs to keep their liver in top shape.

[Isabella]

(Just remember... no cooked bones.) You might try some beef next time. You can do all organs except for liver... as regular meat.

 

:iagree:with the cooked bones thing - a big no-no. The molecular structure has changed by cooking, and their stomach acids are not able to break it down so easily as raw bone.

 

Beef, though, is one of the meats that can cause most problems in allergenic-type dogs, so, according to your dog's constitution, it may be best to limit this one, or eliminate it if they show itchiness.

 

NayfiesMama, do you have a reason for thinking this? I think from my research that liver is a great food for dogs, perhaps not as a daily thing, but regular amounts are not a concern. I'd love to hear though, if you've heard differently:001_huh:

[SonshineLearner]

:

NayfiesMama, do you have a reason for thinking this? I think from my research that liver is a great food for dogs, perhaps not as a daily thing, but regular amounts are not a concern. ...

 

Well, the reason that I said no for the cooked bone is that dogs can choke on it. I buy organic chicken for us, so after I cook it... stock off it... I cook it till it's like "meal" and then absolutely make sure that I finger mash it till there's no anything left... My dog has never had a problem with it. But, he's been eating like this forever .... and can just about eat anything.

 

As far as liver... I did feed it a few times, as I had been given it... until I realized that it made him have diarrhea. So, yes it's fine as long as it's just part of the dinner :) If I made a mix I'd put it in. But my dog is almost 70lbs so I just throw out hunks of meat. Here in the States chickens and beef/sheep organs are the least expensive for me to purchase.

 

I do fast my dog about once a week... or so... Sometimes it's every couple of weeks. Usually it's on a day after he eats a whole chicken.

 

I also try to not feed grain, but he gets some as he is a little food thief!!

 

As Denise commented, you need to know how your dog eats. Mine starts at one end of say... a drumstick... and chomps it piece by piece to the end. It's like he's a really careful eater. This is the same dog that can take a whole plate in his mouth and keep it level to his dog bed. He is crazy funny. (Unless that plate had my steak on it!! :))

[Isabella]

Sorry, NayfiesMama, I didn't write that out correctly! I totally agree with the bone thing, as I said - I just meant to wonder about the liver!:D

To re-read, it did sound confusing! Ok, that makes sense now that your dog doesn't tolerate liver. I just wondered if I'd missed some info on it. Raw food for dogs is something that I've looked into a lot, and I hadn't come across that in my reading, so wanted to know if you had. Yes, every dog is different in what they can handle. Our dogs have whole meals of it (liver), and it's not a problem for them, but they are chow-hounds!

 

I had to laugh at your dog taking a plate to his bed!! :lol:Mine almost swallows chicken frames whole - she's such an inelegant eater!

[Elinor Everywhere]

I gave them chicken thighs. Thepuppy was a pro. Munched up all the bone and seemed to love it. My 6 yo 75 lb dog sniffed and licked at it for about 5 minute before finally picking it up. She did chew up some of the bone. Then she left at least half of it in the bowl and went to lie down.ni ended up throwing itbtonthe puppy. I fed her her normal dry and she gobbled it up.

 

I thought for sure she would go crazy for it.:confused:

 

I just want to say I love this thread! I have a newish puppy (6 months now) and I do feed her grain-free kibble (same as the cat gets) but haven't gone raw. I completely believe in it, however. Honestly, I think maybe I'm too lazy? We have a large feeder that spills out food into the dish as the dog and cat eat it (they eat from the same dish), so I only have to "feed" them once every 4 days or so.

[swellmomma]

My gosh these dogs eat better than my family lol no raw diet here.

[SonshineLearner]

My gosh these dogs eat better than my family lol no raw diet here.

 

It's actually less $$$ than dog food, for us ;)

[Perogi]

It's actually less $$$ than dog food, for us ;)

 

It's about the same as kibble for us now. I used to have a source that was significantly less but we moved and I had to go with something commercial. Still, being the same as kibble it's definitely sorth it.

[Mesa]

You should be VERY cautious when feed drumsticks regularly. It's too much meat for the protein to bone ratio in the raw food diet, plus they are weight bearing bones and are difficult for some dogs to chew up.

Try feeding chicken or turkey necks.. or even ox tails.

 

Also about the cooked bones. When you cook a chicken or turkey bones they tend to splinter when chewed... and then you have the threat of sharp bones perforating the intestines.

[SonshineLearner]

You should be VERY cautious when feed drumsticks regularly. It's too much meat for the protein to bone ratio in the raw food diet, plus they are weight bearing bones and are difficult for some dogs to chew up.

Try feeding chicken or turkey necks.. or even ox tails.

 

Also about the cooked bones. When you cook a chicken or turkey bones they tend to splinter when chewed... and then you have the threat of sharp bones perforating the intestines.

 

:) I pretty much feed the whole chicken... (so I think that makes the meat/bone ratio even out. I'd love to feed ox tails, but here they are crazy expensive. Can you feed those as repetitive meals? I have a place in PDX that I can buy 40 lb boxes of things :)

[swellmomma]

It's actually less $$$ than dog food, for us ;)

 

Wow, out here a whole chicken for example is about $9-10 whereas a bag of kibble with enough to last the whole month is $12.

 

I barely buy meat in this town for my family let alone my dog. I wait until I get to the city to buy cheaper meat for the human family members.

 

Where do you all buy meat for your dogs? Just at the grocery store or do you have a private seller that you can get a great deal from?

[SonshineLearner]

I try to get chicken when it's under $1.00 a lbs. So, for us that's about $30 a month. You have to remember, though, that my dog is about 65-67lbs. He eats about 1 1/3lbs a day. I did feed him on turkey a couple of times when it was free or $5.00 for a whole 15+ turkey... that was pretty cheap :) About $1.00 a day or so is good to me. I won't buy pets again, as it's been an expensive few years.... Mine are 6 or so for the pup, almost 10 for one cat and 1.5 for the other.... I've got a while to go :)

[Miss Peregrine]

Wow, out here a whole chicken for example is about $9-10 whereas a bag of kibble with enough to last the whole month is $12.

 

I barely buy meat in this town for my family let alone my dog. I wait until I get to the city to buy cheaper meat for the human family members.

 

Where do you all buy meat for your dogs? Just at the grocery store or do you have a private seller that you can get a great deal from?

 

 

I've been stocking up on the $.99/lb chicken thighs every time I go shopping. I need to feed 60 lb a month between the 2 dogs. I think Costco dry is around $40./month so we will see if we can do it or not.

[violinmom]

One of my dogs didn't take to it right away either. I had to get rid of all the "kibble" so she couldn't smell it. Also, you can warm it a bit, and try a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese. This worked for us, and after a week I didn't have to do it anymore. Now, years later, she is a pro. My dogs have perfect teeth, very little poop, and are very healthy. It's much cheaper than what we were paying for vets, and expensive food for allergies.

[houseofkids&pets]

I am very interested in this thread since I have two dogs. I have to say, I don't know a lot about raw diets. When I asked my vet about it, he was against it, so I never really researched it. Has anyone had their vet disagree with them when they use the raw diet with their dog?

[SonshineLearner]

I am very interested in this thread since I have two dogs. I have to say, I don't know a lot about raw diets. When I asked my vet about it, he was against it, so I never really researched it. Has anyone had their vet disagree with them when they use the raw diet with their dog?

 

What type of dogs do you have? One of my vets was ok with it... (their office of rotating vets) Their office was actually where I got the place in PDX that I could pick up the boxes of meat. :) The office workers (2 or 3) actually fed raw.

 

The holistic vet that I take my pets to now, thinks it's great. ;)

[houseofkids&pets]

Hi,

In response to your question, we have one mixed breed (most likely some combination of beagle, German short haired pointer, and Lab, based on size and markings). She is very overweight and just can't seem to stop eating! It is beginning to affect her mobility and she is only six. Our other dog is an over-sized "miniature" dachshund. I guess he would be considered a tweenie size he grew larger than a mini, but is not a standard.

 

So, breed would influence the decision to feed a raw diet??

[SonshineLearner]

No, not necessary that breed would affect whether you feed raw or not... just a curiosity :)

About doing the raw, I think it's great for overweight pets. I'm sorry I don't know exactly what amount to tell you, but I think I'm feeding right at 2% or so of body weight.

You can totally bring your dog's weight down with raw and especially some gentle exercise.

I will tell you what I do, but of course, I'm not a vet :)

Feed your dog and watch how they eat for a bit... just to make sure they're not gulpers. My dog is consistent with how he eats. I can just throw out the chicken and he'll eat what he wants. Sometimes it's a whole chicken... sometimes less. I average out his food intake, if there's an issue.

So, for your bigger one, about 2% of his body weight, with a bit of salmon oil (You can click that and it will show you some one choice :))

Then if you're worried about vitamins you can give them dog vitamins Those will last a long time and you can purchase them in the first few weeks.

When you feel comfortable, you'll just throw some stuff down as you feel like it. Some probiotics/yogurt....

The only foods not to feed them are Grapes/Raisins (NONE) and some other foods like that... Easy to look up, but my connection must be slow right now... Due to what we've found out about that's not good for dogs, We also don't do onions, garlic, or mushrooms.

There ya go!! :) It's sooooo easy!! :) I feed in the backyard or tub. I've trained my pup to stay in the tub till he's done... :)

Seriously, it was the best decision ever for my dog... It actually saved his life. He had horrible allergies that weren't clearing..

Good Luck!! :)

[Wabi Sabi]

Wow, out here a whole chicken for example is about $9-10 whereas a bag of kibble with enough to last the whole month is $12.

 

I barely buy meat in this town for my family let alone my dog. I wait until I get to the city to buy cheaper meat for the human family members.

 

Where do you all buy meat for your dogs? Just at the grocery store or do you have a private seller that you can get a great deal from?

 

I can get low-quality food for that price ($12/bag) but it was costing me much more than that when feeding a high-quality commercial kibble. A big bag was as much as $60.

 

Now I pick up 10 lb. bags of chicken quarters at the grocery store for $5.90 and it's enough for a full week. Much healthier and more affordable, IMO!