Advice on changing food

[cy1266]

Also what do you guys think of mixing in some human diet stuff. I've been reading that you can give your dogs raw eggs??

I feed raw and mix in "human" food...in the morning they are fed The Honest Kitchen "Preference" line (all veg/fruits, no meats/grains/gluten), and I mix in cottage cheese or goats milk yogurt, flaked barley, oats, pumpkin, salmon oil, olive oil, a few supplements, tripe, and a raw egg about twice a week. For dinner they get their RMBs and organ meat (raw meaty bones - either chicken, turkey, beef, lamb or rabbit) - they also get canned fish sometimes.

I hope that helps. It might seem complicated, but once you're used to it and get into a routine it's easy I just always make sure I supervise them when they're eating their RMBs...The Honest Kitchen has several formulas, mostly with a meat source, and it's a great way to start feeding raw (it contains dehydrated fruits, veggies, meat, etc). Then you can slowly add extra ingredients, and if you're not sure about what to add you can call them, they will tell you what you can add and what NOT to add (ex: egg shells), because it will throw off certain ratios.

Good luck!

[emmag]

"The only thing is all our dogs have fish breath! But secretly I kinda like it. "

Just found your comment Trisha and it cracked me up!!!!!!!!!! We have to be friends!

Just to let you all know I'm trying the iz dog on raw food and orijen kibble . I also bought some fish oil. Well....
OMG she was soooo excited for her dinner. She was doing '360' jumps which she hasnt done for so long. It was so cute and almost bought me to tears! Its just great to see your puppy excited again about eating after all the struggles we have had over the last couple of weeks.
Thanks again so much everybody I sure as hell have one happy content puppy who is currently laying next to me snoring her little head off, probably dreaming of orijen and dancing fish!!

Emma and Izzie

[emmag]

Izzie has got such a bad tummy. Im not sure what to do . She has really bad diarrhea. I put her on raw plus some Orijen kibble. Has anybody had problems with Orijen?
She also got attacked quite badly on friday so I'm not sure if this could have caused it too??

[Mindysmom]

Did you switch her food gradually? A quick switch can sometimes cause tummy problems. Has she seen a vet after the attack? Are there infected wounds? If she is on meds that could contribute I'm sure.

[chloe92us]

When I switched my dogs to Orijen and yes, there were some soft poops but not diarrhea. Did you switch gradually? Remember that not all dogs do well on a high protein diet- so keep that in mind.

[emmag]

Yes I am switching gradually but she seems so sensitive even to her normal food, which is giving her diarrhea.
She's now just vomited so I'm going to take her to the vet, poor little puppy dog, she's really going through it lately..
No infected wounds, thankfully!

[waldor]

emmag - There is a Yahoo Group that I read, which is all about healthy eating. They don't debate raw vs grain-free quality kibble and are only interested in what is best for each person's dog. You might enjoy browsing it. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Nutrition/

As far as ready-made raw diets, the brands I am familiar with are Primal Pets, Nature's Variety, and Aunt Jeni's. There are other brands that are here in the U.S., but those 3 are the ones I can get locally.

There may be other Yahoo Groups dedicated to raw feeding; ;you can search the Yahoo Groups and probably find more. So far, I have used the frozen ready to eat types. I don't cook much at home, and won't do it for a dog. Food prep is hard on my degenerating neck... all that looking down.