Feeding your dog raw food

[Beekissed]

My labs LOVE chicken snacks! I can't even place them out on the garden without being robbed!

But then, my dogs are more used to a variety of yuck than most, I'm thinking. They are very opportunistic eaters....

 

[Dace]

I kind of assumed that the E & fish oils were for fat and O3s....but wasn't really sure. I mean most folks don't have a clue about O6/O3 ratios...and we are going to worry about the dogs?

Thanks for pointing out the salmon oil thing, and I think it is cheaper in volume as liq. than caplets.

My guy does not have access to horse poo and I no longer have chickens for fresh eggs Although I can search out a butcher and see if I can get some goods.

Night before last I put some kefir, kale & a few carrots in the blender along with a whole egg (which I had thoroughly washed) and whizzed it up. He ate some of it, not all....mostly licking up the liquid. The good part is that it did not upset his tummy

So if I am using commercial chicken I would feed daily: backs, kefir & salmon oil.....then once or twice a week some cooked veg or finely ground veg?

My asian market has cheap chicken backs as well as meaty beef bones and at the middle east market they have goat bones. But those larger bones are really just for jaw work right, I mean they are not eating it really, so those would be given in addition to the daily chicken?

Without the cellulase (?) the veggies can be digested if they are cooked? Is that correct? Cooked or ground and they are ok.....leaning towards dark leafy greens and richly colored veg (carrots, sweet pots, red bell) and fruit should be given vary rarely?

One more ?....my smoothie, kefir, coconut milk, spinach, kale, 1/2 c blueberries and 1/4 banana...too much sugar for him? Coconut milk too high in calories? I know it is a med chain fatty acid and easy for the body to use...just wonder if that is too much fat/cals for a little fat pooch. Seems like taking him off of his food will be a serious drop in calories, and I want to make sure that is ok.

What about coconut oil for his coat? Better to stick with anima fats?

Geeze, his diet looks alot like mine except my meat is cooked

 

[MsPony]

Want me to send you some horse poo? I have plenty

I think they are mainly for chewing too, the larger bones? Jax chews on his and gets everything good and edible off, including the soft "spongy" bone. He's been working tirelessly on a saddle bone.

 

[tortoise]

Sounds good - except skip the big chew bones. Dogs DO break their teeth on them and some dogs eat enough bone to get impacted. I don't feed treats that have a significant risk of ending up in emergency surgery.

I think all plant matter is fair game given that it is cooked or fermented. When you're doing veggies, think "stomach contents." But wild dogs and wolves will scrounge for fresh berries, apples, and certain grasses, and many raw fed dogs enough and tolerate fresh plant foods.

 

[Dace]

Thanks Tort

I think it is really important to have a good handle on this, I don't want to leap in before I understand!

I seriously can't even believe that I am even considering raw! I always thought is sounded so disgusting....but the researh is really playing out that this may be just what my old guy needs.

 

[freemotion]

I forget, how big is your dog, Dace? And if you think the thought of raw is disgusting, just wait until you watch....LISTEN....to him eating it! Serious EW! My stomach used to turn somersaults, now it is nothing to me.

Skip the fruit. Give him a little bite on occasion if you are eating something he likes, otherwise, I skip the fruit.

I give veggies cooked and mashed or finely ground raw in the VitaMix. I'd use the food processor if I didn't have the VitaMix. I used frozen collards as my main green, it is easy and both dogs love it. I mix it up with whatever I have for us, usually green beans, brocolli, zuchinni, etc. I feed them veggies off our plates, too, and when I cook something they really love like roasted root veggies, I always cook plenty so they can have a generous portion. No potatoes, though, or starchy, high glycemic load veggies.

You can balance their diet daily, or as I do, weekly. They get raw meat five days a week and veggies/dairy/egg twice a week. They get a wide variety of snacks from our plates at each meal we eat, appropriate to their diet. So I've learned to adjust their meals to account for all the snacks.

They are both trained to sit quietly at an appropriate distance when we eat, and they get their bits when we are done. When my mother is eating with us, they both focus on her....it is hysterical. They can tell who is the softest touch in the room, for sure!

 

[Dace]

Dogs are smart aren't they?

I appreciate the feedback....I think I get it.

I have a sheltie, but he is quite short for his breed. I will have to weigh him....I think he should be about 30ish lbs but he is probably 45ish. I will weigh him later and post an update so someone can guide me as to how much he should be fed.

 

[warthog]

Dace - I don't feed my dog raw, would like to but couldn't get one of them to eat, will try again soon.

Anyhow my reason for this post, is you mention goat bones.

All my dogs get bones, we had eaten goat ribs one day and we gave the bones to the dogs, all three are in the weight range 90 - 120lbs and they struggled with the rib bones (when you think about goat behaviour they must be strong). I was a little nervous about breaking teeth they did eventually manage them, but I've seen them get through big beef bones easier.

Just thought I would mention it.

 

[tortoise]

Dace - I don't feed my dog raw, would like to but couldn't get one of them to eat, will try again soon.

Anyhow my reason for this post, is you mention goat bones.

All my dogs get bones, we had eaten goat ribs one day and we gave the bones to the dogs, all three are in the weight range 90 - 120lbs and they struggled with the rib bones (when you think about goat behaviour they must be strong). I was a little nervous about breaking teeth they did eventually manage them, but I've seen them get through big beef bones easier.

Just thought I would mention it.

Those were cooked bone, not raw. Totally different.

 

[freemotion]

Please don't give cooked bones to your dogs. They splinter and can cause serious problems.....