Feeding your dog raw food

[Wifezilla]

When I was a kid we had an Irish Setter. We got her cheap from the breeder because she was a runt. She ended up more like the size of a medium-sized Brittney Spaniel than an Irish Setter. But anyway, this little runt was the fastest darn thing you ever saw. She was just a red blur when she was running full out.

While we always had a full bowl of dog food out for her, she hardly touched it. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits...they never stood a chance. I once caught her in the middle of digging up a rabbit den and eating kits like popcorn.

She was all muscle, her coat was fabulous, and half the time when my brother took her hunting he never had to fire a shot. She would freeze, point for 3 seconds and go get the critter herself

 

[BeccaOH]

Have you heard of this food? Would it be an easy or shortcut way to feed raw?

http://www.primalpetfoods.com/[url]... haven't priced it. I'm sure it is expensive.

 

[freemotion]

I did try a couple of frozen raw brands with my dog. I thought it would be easier when traveling if he would eat them. I couldn't find a brand that he didn't turn his nose up at. This is the dog who will happily eat a rotting chipmunk.... So that just makes me go Hmmmmmm....... But I don't think Primal was one of them. Give it a try.

One of the reasons I make my own is that I know just how clean the processing is....because I do it myself. I can wash the whole meat well before feeding it. And I know it didn't get contaminated with any melamine or anything like that.

As for a time saver, for me, feeding a formulated food would only save me a minute or less per day over what I am feeding now. So the convenience of it is not really a factor in my decision.

 

[warthog]

I have two large dogs, a Rotweiler/German Shepherd Cross and a German Shepherd/Bullmastif cross.

George the Rotweiler is healthy.
Max the Bullmastif/Shepherd Cross, well lets just say, if we hadn't given her a home, she wouldn't be alive now.

She is 3 years old in July this year, and even has a pup she had problems with her back legs. We and the vet think either hip dysplasia or arthiritus (sp)?.

I have recently been looking into a raw diet, this is said to help with this problem. She weighs about 80/90lbs and what I can't seem to find out is how much and what should I feed her. I have searched the internet but information is not that good. Books, here in Belize not available.

I did speak to our vet, she said in that we have livestock, she wouldn't recommend it, it is likely to make them more aggresive. This concerns me, our chickens free range all day, even sit with the dogs and cats who don't bother them. The goats are out browsing all day, fenced from the dogs.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

If I change over, I would put both the dogs on the same diet, and my three cats as well.

All the information you could give me would be appreciated.

 

[The Vail Benton's]

Freemotion, I just started reading your thread here, and at the beginning, you said you didn't have a good enough blender or food processor when you travel... If you still don't, I would recommend that little magic bullet as-seen-on-tv. It's small, it's powerful, and I love mine. If you already have something or this is no longer pertinent, nevermind

 

[xpc]

If you do decide on going raw, then feed it to them slowly upping the amount over time, as with any new food it will upset their constitution (read: poopage).

I tried that with my two pit bulls but ended up eating it all myself secreted away in a mongolian yurt.

 

[freemotion]

Yup, yup!

Warthog, how much to feed? It really depends on the dog, there is no clear answer. My first dog on raw started with 5 wings a day, and now is a little chubby on 2 wings a day. Biscotti is a little underweight, and at about half the weight of Gunnar, gets 3 wings a day, plus extra fatty snacks like raw eggs, butter, and cheese. He has an iron digestive system and nothing seems to disturb it.

I started both dogs right up on raw, no gradual process. But both had health concerns, and we needed to do something fast. Gunnar had diarrhea almost daily UNTIL we switched him to raw, now we only see it if he gets something cooked. Like the time I was eating a sandwich in the car and the car in front of me stopped short. As I hit the brakes,
I automatically reached out to steady Gunnar. He said, "Oh, a whole sandwich, for me??? THANKS! GULP!"

Anyways, a dog that size....you can start by replacing a small amount of her food with a bit of raw chicken, and give a bit more each day, until she is switched over. Then just give her what she can eat without digestive upset until she gains the weight she needs.

Raw diets mainly help PREVENT displasia, not correct it, at least that is my understanding.

As for cats....boy, they can be tough to switch over as adults. I gave up. You can't fast them like you can with dogs....a day without food can be good for a dog, it is very bad for a cat. Cats need richer muscle meat and organ meat, dogs need a "poorer" diet of mostly bones and ligaments with less muscle meat. Cats do best if switched over VERY gradually.

I don't have any issues with my dog and the chickens. He hunts and kills wild critters, but has been taught that my critters are MINE and just like my laundry, my shoes, my dinner plate, etc, he is not to touch them without my invitation (did sic him on George the rooster a few times....)

Warthog, even if you supplement with raw only, that would be a start.

 

[warthog]

Freemotion, thanks for that information.

I think I will certainly switch over slowly with the dogs, both are perhaps a little overweight, and Geroge always seems hungry, I'm sure that its' the dog chow.

Max is already on cod liver oil and glucosomine (sp)?, and i did read somewhere on the internet, that if you feed raw there is natural glucosomine in the cartilage, but if cooked it turns to gelatine.

So I don't think there is any harm in trying, it may help, but I certainly don't think it would do any harm.

What about all the vitamins in the dog chow, do you give yours any supplements for vits and minerals?

With regards to the cats, we will see, they are fussy little so and so's, and as you say fasting for a day with cats is not good news.

I will keep you updated, let you know how things go.

 

[freemotion]

I do feed vitamins....a canine multi for the dogs and a feline multi for the cats, and an opc and glucosamine formula for all of them. The commercially available food for people in our grocery stores here in the USA is very deficient in many important vitamins and minerals, and I noticed a huge difference when I started supplementing. I don't think I would need to if I had access to enough pastured meat and bones or wild meat like deer and rabbit.

Any bit you can add to the diet will only be good. If you can get dog food that contains no grains, that will help, too, until/if you make the switch.

 

[Wildsky]

I'm on the fence - a half half feeder!

My dog has a bowl of dried dog food 24/7 but every day she gets some of what we're going to eat, and all leftovers the chickens won't eat or appreciate. (all meats she gets raw)

She'll get a piece of chicken here and a piece of meat there. If I roast a chicken I cut off a wing or leg before I pop it in the oven and thats her treat for the day. I cut fat off our steaks if I don't buy bone in and she gets that too.

I'm waiting on a cow that went to the processor - we'll get it in a week, and I asked for all the bones to be sent back as well - I will use some for making stock and soup and the dog will get one a day or so.