buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I just thought I'd see if anyone is doing the raw diet for their pets (cats and dogs). Some of you know we have had real problems with daisie and her digestion. We have tried everything and the constant advice of 'science plan diet' and antibiotics just got too much for us! We decided to visit an holistic vet and get a different look at the probs and interestingly he thinks the vaccinations used now cause alot of health problems. Daisie had all her jabs last september and then had a lump come up on her chest (antibiotics), constant smelly poo and wind and more antibiotics. She was spayed and given antibiotics and then yes more antibiotics. I have cried about this as I hate using them. Well we now have homoeopathic remedies prescribed and a raw meat and bones and steamed veg diet. It has worked and Daisie has put on 1kg in 7 days!! We have decided to feed our cats similarly and use homoeopathic nossodes to prevent disease instead of vaccine. Have you any problems developed after vaccination or have you used a raw diet? I have to add previously I didn't think this diet would be any good for my pets but the vet, Chris Day was so wonderful I felt he had Daisies best interests at heart and was happy to try. The results speak for themselves. off to call them with daisies progress report, BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi Buffie I've never understood why pet owners give their dogs and cats cooked meat Buffie. I don't have cats or dogs but my brother has never given his dog cooked meat. Antibiotics will mess up the digestive system have you given her any probiotics to aid that recovery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 That's great news Buffie - glad to hear that she's on the mend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Chris is a fab vet Buffie just a shame he is too far away for me now A friend of mine had a cat that appeared to get cancer after a leukeamia vaccination and Chris made a remedy using the vaccine which did help a bit but sadly Spike still had to be put to sleep They think he was not 100% fit when vaccinated and his immune system kind of went wonky after the jab That is the only animal case I have ever heard of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Thanks yes done everything LJ. Thanks Clare I never allow the use of antibiotics but this time as daisie was 'little' I got pressured into it. 'she is thin, we'll have to do more tests if whe doesn't improve' I felt like a bad mum and pushed into a corner! I was feeding burns and they said Science Plan was better but I wouldn't cave in. I feel cross that the average vet just throws antibiotics at you and I always have to fight ...why? Why also do vets vaccinate when animals aren't well. My cats have a problem and have been vaccinated routinely and I now learn they shouldn't be. I am not going to be easy to convince again, silly isn't it if our pets (chickens too) are very seriously ill antibiotics can be used but not for every little thing, MRSA in pets, why don't we learn. Got meat coming from good online source as the chicken is the main problem if raw and I have to know the welfare. Have spoken with vets and they think she is doing really well, I am so happy. BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I am ashamed to say I have never had any of my cats vaccinated ever I have also never had one die of a vaccinatable disease Wheels of cars usually see to that One of my cats had cat flu when I first got him as a kitten but none of the others caught it despite the dire warnings from the vet It is up to the individual but once you go down the vaccine route you have to keep on it as you are upsetting the natural immune system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) Glad to hear Daisie is doing well Buffie I've had more than my fair share of poorly dogs in recent years, mainly because we had four all getting on a bit and who went to the kennel in the sky in consecutive years. One of them permenantly had digestive problems and on one occasion was treated for weeks on end with antibiotics, which made no difference whatsoever. Eventually I made the decision to take him off them and I gave him a probiotic drink every day for a few days - his squitty tummy gradually recovered as a result. Rather bizarely, if he ate anything other than his Burns dog food, he became violently ill again. But if he found a mouldy, stinking, decaying rat/mouse/bird/rabbit and swallowed it whole to stop me taking it off him, he was absolutely fine. Very strange! Another one developed a tumour in her pancreas which caused havoc with her insulin production. We were advised to feed her a low carb / high protein diet by the vet, little and often. She lived another 18 months on chicken or rabbit and vegetables only, when the vet said she only had 6 months .... We now have two young terriers and one of them developed a drastic immunity problem three months ago and very nearly died. He is on the slow road to recovery now, but there's a long way to go yet. The cause of his condition is unknown as there can be many triggers, but one is vaccination - which he had had a month or so before becoming ill ...... I have changed the way I feed them now. They are both on Burns dry food and I make my own gravy for them out of liver or left over chicken (locally grown, organic, very expensive!!) as I hate the thought of them eating unethical meat! They also get meaty bones at least twice a week from our local butcher and, depending on the meatiness, these sometimes replace one of their meals. I'd be really interested to hear what others are doing Edited July 24, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Well we are ok as the nossodes will replace the vaccine but this after problems I believe they have created were discovered. Information is power so I would suggest anyone researches what they want to do before they get railroaded into something. At the puppy parties you get a science plan goody bag...dreadful and 'this is the right food if you want a healthy pet'. People feel guilty. If I can feed me I can feed my cats and dog and chickens surely. BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Our two young Burmese have had their initial vaccinations (pedigrees are always vaccinated before sale), but I'm loath to have them done routinely. Since they spend most of their time indoors - for their own safety, as well as that of the local bird population - their exposure to random cats and other disease vectors is very limited. I guess I'd do it if we had to put them into a cattery for any reason, though I prefer them to stay at home and have my son or a friend feed them as it's less traumatic for them (Burmese, like Siamese, get very attached to their owners). I feed them on Arden Grange Kitten, as Burns have only just introduced a kitten kibble, in tiny trial-sized packs. It's not free range as far as I can find out, but at least it's BUAV-approved, unlike Horrible Hills and their totally unnecessarily and heartless animal testing The kittens also get a bit of commercial cat food, because OH's moggy was on medication for thyroid cancer (now operated on and drug-free, thank goodness), so we gave them pouches of kitten food in the evenings to try and keep them away from the medicated stuff. However dry food is supposed to make for less smelly poos - not an insignificant advantage with indoor cats! - so I might have to wean them onto kibble + a bit of fresh food with their evening meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Interesting to hear what you are doing I've noticed daisie smells nice and clean breath wise, bone smell but clean. She is more lively and less windy I have maisie on the nossodes now and she gets a certificate. Will see what happens but I will not be vaccinating any of ours again. BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Sorry to sound stupid Buffie, but what's Nossodes please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Not stupid Jools, it's the homoeopathic version of vaccine 'A nosode is a homeopathic preparation made from a disease or pathological product. Substances such as fecal, urinary, respiratory discharges, as well as tissue and blood products are used in the fabrication of nosodes.' daisie has had a nossode ( vets spelling so guess correct ) for e coli and for bowel disease and it's sorted her problems really quickly. The mild ecoli was found in a sample When she is due vaccination next we will use this method, BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Good news about Daisy We ended up calling in Bark Busters dog trainers due to some behavioural problems with Alfie tried lots of books first! and the therapist suggested raw meaty bones and veg to reduce the chance of mineral deficiency They were on Burns then it was suggested they try Royal Canin, but they really enjoy the bones. If you put "Raw Meaty Bones" into a search engine then all the info comes up, there is a british and usa version. The therapist said another thing you never see anymore is white dog pooh that you saw years ago that crumbled and blew away. This is due to the dogs eating food they can't digest. karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Are white poo's good then karen dasie had white ones at the begining when we started the change of diet. isn't it great how the simple chnage of s diet helps them so much. Royal Canin another of the premium foods with 'poor' animal content from an unspecified source ...this is the subject of my october hens detective investigation. I was even more shocked and that also made me think about perhaps feeding our pets myself as I would know source and welfare, BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 According to the man! they are white because the animal has taken out all the vitamins etc. We are starting to feed animals such rich processed food that they are not designed for, he also suggested chopping carrots and apples up small and 'hiding' them around the garden for the dogs to find keep them inside 'till you've finished and then let them out to play karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 daisie has had a nossode ( vets spelling so guess correct ) Google didn't recognize this spelling - the sites I looked at spelt it "nosode"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Mine do white poos when they've been eating bones! Actually Alfie (my poorly boy) was a bit squitty (sorry, but it does describe it well!) for a few days, so I gave him a good bone and it sorted him out almost immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Redfox think it's a case of neither is wrong probably . I did homoeopathy at college just a basic thing but it was spelt HOMOEOPATHY, it's often called HOMEOPATHY though. The certificates spell it Nosode too. Just not sure...Receptionist mis-spelling The poo thing is interesting as they did dry to powder I realise that's also a good sign now . I'd never have thought give a bone for a funny tum before this experience...quite amazed at what I learn. I think the next order of meat and bones just won't fit in the freezer...HELP! BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi Buffie, I have been using the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet with my EBTs for over 10 years now so please feel free to ask me any questions you may have - even about pooh! I would not class myself as an expert but having EBTs which have numerous health problems inc digestion i have used this type of diet for years without any problems what so ever. You can PM me if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 That's fantastic i knew it would be a good idea to post this and will PM you BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxhen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi Buffie I have been feeding my three dogs BARF for nearly three years , becaseu all dry made my collie too loose. However, I do use Burns too. Thye have that in the morning and their raw mince/bones etc in the evening. Some BARF feeders can be dismissive about ANY dry food but as long as you do not mix raw food and dry in one meal or leave insufficient time in between the meals than the combi diet works just as well. I do it becaseu of time really - it is quicker to give dry a.m. Burns is so good becasue they take so much care about sourcing their meat and like you the source is very important to me. All theri raw meaty and fatty bones and raw chicken wings and raw mince come from Real Meat Co. And is the same standard as the meat my husband has. I have been vegetarian for 26 years and committed to humane farming/meat production for longer than that. My dogs all have fantastic teeth and coat condition and the vet is alwasy very pleased with them. Food manufacturers are going to try to make you and me and others feel we cannot know what is best for our dogs but that only they do - they want to sell more of their food. I watch their weight and modify accordingly. I find the diet they have keeps them lean and very strong for all the activities they do. I also had to buy a nother freezer for all the beef and lamb bones, wings, lamb and beef mince, liver and kidneys.......And they love the hens eggs. And sardines, salmon and pilchards in tom sauce...I also use Easigreens (spinach and parsley) and Gamekeepers mix (minerals and herbs) both from Dorwest herbs (they have awebsite) and hemp oil (rich in omega 6 more than 3 which is the combination that dogs need - we need the other way round) and lovely organic Yeo valley bio yoghurt (we all have that including the chooks ) Thye have orgaing brown rice sometimes and I mash in fruit sometimes too like banana and strwaberries and sometimes steamed greens or peas or carrots. Just make sure you freeze ALL meat and bones that you intend to feed raw for at least 24 hours before you use it. No matter what your source is. I do it for longer than this. i try to keep it all cycling round in my freezer so I am always at least two weeks ahead, usually more. And pork (bones or anything) is apparently a no-no. I got loads of feedback on this when I posted on a canine forum not too long ago. It IS OK if you can freeze it for something like 3 months so if you just keep bones for occassional use over a long period you'll be OK. Another benefit of raw bones is the mental stimulation it gives them as they negotiate the crevices and angles of a bone thinking about how to tackle their food as if they were wild dogs rather than just hoovering up some bits in a bowl and a workout to their neck and shoulder muscles as they hold the bones in their paws and gnaw and chew. My lot love it. Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Thanks Helen I won't be feeding pork as Chris said it is hard to digest and that's been Daisies problem. Yes the mental stimulation is great she has a mini workout just eating a bone! It's clear to see that it really is all about people just feeding their pets as they would themselves or a child we will all have our own way of doing it but I am a convert and the unbelievable difference in her coat conditon and energy YES even in the hot weather she wants to race around but I won't walk her only early and later PM. Nice to discuss this here amongst friends and I know the advice is all good. BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Just one question relating to bones, may sound a bit stupid how long do you let the dogs chew on them for? ours have some that are at least a month old and get a daily chew, others that get the meat cleaned off and then left I'm getting to the stage that in a couple of weeks we could rebuild the bones into an ideti-kit cow karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 My cats have been on the barf way of feeding since we got them, 8 years with the oldest. The only health issue we've ever had couldn't have been changed by diet, the oldest has a dodgy heart valve and has slowed down and got "slightly chubby", in the vets words, now he's older. They both have such soft fut and clean teeth and have always been pronounced in the great condition. I do chicken out and do the vaccinations as the hunt so much, we back onto railway lines with acres of scrub land near it, and they must get exposed to it all, but in my heart I really so wonder if theyneed them and need them every year. We vaccinate once or twice in a life time for humans, what is so different in a cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 I have battled with this and out of guilt Trish did daisies jabs but it did effect her . I am now not troubled by having the nosodes instead and believe in the decision we have made. It has to be a perdsonal choice though. Chris didn't pressure us but I wanted both sides and I believe the drug company's make a lot of money out of the yearly booster (yes as do vets and they have free weight clinics to sell 'science plan' and free 'teeth checks to sell 'science plan', puppy classes etc so why change it. Our pets have insurance and I felt caught in the trap to just do what they want as it's covered or I am bad, or at least did. We pays our money and take sour choice I suppose BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
