Anyone feed a raw diet?

[Erin2854]

I gave my VERY picky and finicky 10 month old girl a raw nugget of the Nature's Variety raw medallions and I was shocked that she actually ate it up and seemed to enjoy it. She generally has a very sensitive tummy and Im always trying to go through what works best for her. I work at a pet supply store that focus's on organic/holistic foods so I am lucky to have alot of opportunities to try new things. Anyone here feeding a raw diet? Or raw diet in the a.m. and kibble in the p.m.? Thanks!

[HollyDolly]

Hi Erin

Started to feed a raw diet a few months ago. My two still have kibble in the morning (Burns) and then for the main meal have a variety of meats,
Chicken wings, green tripe, lamb ribs, red meat and kidney, rabbit, liver, hearts. The only reason I am continuing with the kibble is in case they have to be looked after by someone else who might object to feeding raw.

So far it is working realy well and I am delighted with the results, anal glands have not needed to be emptied, teeth much cleaner, poo much smaller, does not smell.

There are some realy good books to read, let me know if you want the titles.

Nanette

[Yorkysue]

I feed my two girls on Natures Choice meats that are frozen in blocks - ie: chicken, lamb, rabbit, tripe + plus I get the nuggets of meat and veg sometimes for a change. My dogs absolutely love it and I know I am feeding fresh meat to them which would be part of their natural diet, rather than something highly processed.

I give them 1.5 oz to 1.75 oz meat + 1oz of chum mixer or similar twice a day + plus raw veg as titbits. This keeps them trim and healthy.

Hope this helps.

[renate]

my girls are fed raw food, starting when the got them.
they are all good eaters, never have tummy aches or upsets.
and like to see, and smell what i actually feed them.

it works well with us.

[cy1266]

My boys have been fed raw their entire lives (at the breeder's and since I got them at 12 weeks) and they are doing great.

They are fed The Honest Kitchen "Preference" line (all vegetarian) in the morning with a bit of cottage cheese, pumpkin, oils and grains, and at night they are only fed raw meat with the bones - chicken, lamb, beef, pheasant, rabbit, turkey...although right now they're eating Nature's Variety medallions (venison, bison and lamb formulas) - I like to switch it up sometimes.

When they are watched while we're on vacation they are fed either The Honest Kitchen (one of the varieties that includes meat) or kibble/canned food - they'll eat anything and they don't seem to be bothered when they're occasionally fed kibble or canned food. They also get tripe and fish sometimes, and raw veggies as treats.

Their coat, teeth and skin are all healthy, they are at good weights, have lots of energy, and their poops are always firm. Raw seems to work very well for us

[Kizzys Mum]

We have recently started feeding raw after a lot of research. We've previously had various problems with colitis, allergies, etc and so far, so good. As mentioned above - small, firm poo, no bouts of colitis and Kizzy is much more puppy-like. There are risks associated with raw feeding, which you need to be aware of - but there are lots of good books available and plenty of information on the internet. Also, the dogs LOVE their food (not that they didn't before, they will pretty much eat anything!), but this is like a whole new level of loving food! Good luck with whatever you decide to do

[Tania]

Molly has been on a Raw Food Diet for over a year now. We had a serious
problem with her weight, diet commercial foods made her miserable as it was not giving her enough. We now feed her under the direction of a Holistic Vet, Ground Vegetables and fruit with either chopped up chicken wings, sardines, egg and various other things. We also give her supplements to ensure she has everything she needs. Molly has 2 meals a day and a snack at lunchtime plus natural treats. The chicken and meat are local and the vegetables are organic or we try and grow them ourselves. Molly was almost 12kgms and now weighs 10.5kgms. She is a very happy and contented girlie

[Cathy T]

Both of mine eat Primal and have been on this for about 2 years now. They do great on it! And they love it. I had constant tummy issues with Jake and since starting raw...no more problems.....firm, little, less smelly poops

[waldor]

I gave my VERY picky and finicky 10 month old girl a raw nugget of the Nature's Variety raw medallions and I was shocked that she actually ate it up and seemed to enjoy it. ...... Anyone here feeding a raw diet? Or raw diet in the a.m. and kibble in the p.m.? Thanks!

I feed raw. Sophie's breeder did and told me about it. I had never heard of raw food diets before (always kibble) but was open to a new concept. I buy the frozen pre-mixed kind (Nature's Variety would be in that category) from local vendors. Sophie loves it. In a pinch, I give her regular ground beef.

Most raw advocates suggest if you also feed kibble, to do that in the morning as it is a little harder to digest. I guess they worry about it sitting in the dog's stomach all night, but I always fed kibble 1x/day to our last dog at night and had no problems.

We had Sophie on Orijen kibble for a while, but I think a lot of her itching & scratching may have been food allergies, or grass. We'll know when summer comes around. For now, I am feeding her Oma's Pride because it has the least number of other ingredients. That reduces her chance of allergic reaction to berries, herbs, & such. There's none of that in Oma's. http://www.omaspride.com/

There is a lot of good information on the internet about raw feeding.

[Karlin]

I've done raw at various times -- didn't notice much difference either way (and have noticed blood in poops after eating raw meaty bones, as I always pick up poops immediately on walks and worry about it -- doubt that is a sign of a wholly beneficial diet...) but think if you have a dog with sensitivities it can be well worth looking into. I think premade nutritionally balanced raw diets are the best option but there are extra responsibilities that come with feeding such a diet -- dogs will pass salmonella through their systen into their poops and it is extra important to *clean up after your dog every time* so poops are never in a public place and are hygienically disposed of. EG scoop all poops right away at home or in public.

Th other angle is that raw bones can definitely be a risk regardless of what the raw food advocates may say so feed with caution. And be careful of internet information -- in my opinion about 2o% of it is useful and accurate and the rest nonsense or confused. That is speaking as someone who was very interested in raw diets.

If a commercial raw, ground bone diet was available here in Ireland I would certainly feed it as an option, however. Most dogs prefer a raw or homecooked diet any day over commercial kibbles (which is a pretty bland option -- like eating fortified cornflakes every day!).