Mercedes55 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Not sure if this subject has been discussed before but wondered if anyone has their dog on a raw food diet. I am really keen to have Daisy on this diet, but my vet went ballistic when I mentioned it to him, so not going to get any support from him. However I have seen over 13yrs with our labrador all the problems allegedly caused by a cereal based diet of tummy problems, ear problems and teeth problems, so don't really want to have to have all that again if I can avoid it. I keep going into Tesco and picking up chicken wings and chicken breasts and then putting them back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 There's quite a few people who feed their dogs on a raw food diet on this forum (Dogmother and Lilybettybabs really know their stuff). I looked into it for ages before taking the plunge - lots of info on the internet seem to make it very complicated which put me off, but really it's not. Go for it - you really won't regret it once you get the hang of what you're doing. If you want info how I (and others) feed raw then just ask I also found this book really helpful. Once I read it, I thought 'It's really THAT easy?!' and took the plunge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 What did the vet say exactly? Guessing by your post Daisy is 13yrs which is my concern for a change onto RAW for a senior dog. What food does she get at the moment and does she have a liver,pancreas problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Daisy is Mercedes55's new puppy. Cuteness Alert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I must stop scanning threads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 There are many pages on the internet and books about RAW feeding which completely baffled me! It's as easy or complicated as you make it. There are some great ready mixed Raw feed on the market and we used Natural instinct to easy our way into it. We now feed a butchers pet mince in the morning and a chicken carcass or lamb bone at night. Some people insist on blending fresh veg and adding to the mince but i'm a bit lazy and buy frozen value veg and sprinkle some in (i'm still not sure if these are essential but they do no harm). Fish oil is important supplement to add to a RAW diet so the dog is getting plenty of Omega 3,6 and 9. The transition onto RAW doesn't have to be as gradual swapping processed foods, try a few chicken wings an look for any reactions, if all goes well then go for it and chat your local butcher up! hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 What did the vet say exactly? Guessing by your post Daisy is 13yrs which is my concern for a change onto RAW for a senior dog. What food does she get at the moment and does she have a liver,pancreas problems? It does get confusing, we have two dogs and it's the new addition we are changing to the raw food diet. Our chocolate labrador is now 13yrs old and we are unsure about changing her diet at her age as most of the things I have read to be associated with processed foods have happened to her already, mainly colitis, ear problems, tooth problems etc. When we went to the vets last week he was quite horrified when we mentioned the raw food diet. He said the only 'scientifically proven diet' for dogs is something like Hill's Science dried food, not even the Nature Diet that our puppy was on when we got her. He then went on about how wolves in the wild don't live beyond 9yrs of age and then usually die a very horrible death and have rotten teeth by that age. He didn't back that up with any evidence, but I have to say he worried me a bit. I asked him what he fed his own dog and he replied 'Hill's Science as it's the best'. Mind you I would guess he gets it for nothing being a vet and also gets a kick back from selling the stuff to clients too. I have been to Tesco and bought some frozen chicken thighs and drumsticks as I was told chicken wings could be too small and bony, but still I worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I do pretty much what LBB does - one bony meal a day, one meaty/mince meal a day and some bits of offal here and there. There is a guide which suggests the diet should be approx 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal. That's a good starting point, but don't get too hung up on getting the quantities exact. Use what comes out the other end as your guide - dry and crumbly means and you are feeding too much bone and not enough offal, soft/sloppy means too much offal and not enough bone. Sorry to be gross but it's easy to get a bit poo obsessed! I don't bother with veg as I find it comes out the back end in much the same state as it went in the front end, although leftover cooked veg is digested just fine, as is fruit. Finding a good, reliable supplier of raw meat was the most difficult part of switching to raw for me (no helpful butchers round here, it would seem). ETA I also add a daily splosh of Omega oil to the food, as well as tinned pilchards once/twice a week. ETA 2 - If it's any reassurance, last time I went to the vet (annual vaccs) the vet gave Tango a once over and was extremely impressed by her fitness and condition, especially her 'no fat, all muscle' lean physique. I didn't mention the raw diet and he didn't ask, but he told me to keep doing whatever it was that I am doing as she is in great condition. Can't say fairer than that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 What did the vet say exactly? Guessing by your post Daisy is 13yrs which is my concern for a change onto RAW for a senior dog. What food does she get at the moment and does she have a liver,pancreas problems? It does get confusing, we have two dogs and it's the new addition we are changing to the raw food diet. Our chocolate labrador is now 13yrs old and we are unsure about changing her diet at her age as most of the things I have read to be associated with processed foods have happened to her already, mainly colitis, ear problems, tooth problems etc. When we went to the vets last week he was quite horrified when we mentioned the raw food diet. He said the only 'scientifically proven diet' for dogs is something like Hill's Science dried food, not even the Nature Diet that our puppy was on when we got her. He then went on about how wolves in the wild don't live beyond 9yrs of age and then usually die a very horrible death and have rotten teeth by that age. He didn't back that up with any evidence, but I have to say he worried me a bit. I asked him what he fed his own dog and he replied 'Hill's Science as it's the best'. Mind you I would guess he gets it for nothing being a vet and also gets a kick back from selling the stuff to clients too. I have been to Tesco and bought some frozen chicken thighs and drumsticks as I was told chicken wings could be too small and bony, but still I worry I'm crying with laughter at the vet bit So all the zoos in the world that feed their captive wolves RAW meat are wrong and should feed them Hill Science food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I feed mine more or less the same as LBB (by pure chance I hasten to add) we both have working dogs and like them to be in top condition. My previous lurcher was also on a mostly raw diet; she lived to be 16.5... so there you go! You can read books until they come out of your ears, some make it sound unbelievably complicated LBB and I are lucky enough to have a very good local butcher who is happy to mince up their meat off-cuts and offal for us and to chop up and freeze their chicken carcasses and lamb bones. I got an under-counter freezer off Freecycle for my dog and cat food (the cats also eat the dog mince!). It is very easy to plan ahead, I phone up on the Wednesday with my order and it's ready, boxed up, for me to collect on the Saturday. So, how do I do it? They get a wee bit of fish-based kibble (mine really Jon Angell salmon one or Fish4Dogs) with raw dog mince (as above) in the morning. I add a raw egg and some frozen peas to that, plus a dab of cod liver oil (sometimes I add powdered kelp too). Once a week they get the kibble with a can of pilchards in tomato sauce or sardines.... I think they must inhale this as it disappears in no time and the prep is accompanied by a lot of singing on their part! Of an evening, they settle down on their mats with a bone each; either half a chicken carcass or some meaty lamb bones - a rib with the spine end is enough for one dog. My vet has given up nagging me about feeding their (very expensive) dried diets and reluctantly admits that my dogs are the healthiest, and have the best teeth that he's seen in a long time! It's really easy, doesn't smell and neither does what comes out the other end! Here are a couple of photos as proof.. The ginger loon Blue-eyed girl Oh, I forgot to add that Cyrus came to me from the rescue as a 'picky eater' who was mostly fed on breakfast cereal as that was all he'd eat; he had brown teeth covered in plaque and gingivitis. After 2 months on the diet above his teeth and gums were clean and normal, his digestion was sorted and he's never been a fussy eater... in fact he's well known for hoovering up stray cheese sandwiches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 I feed mine more or less the same as LBB (by pure chance I hasten to add) we both have working dogs and like them to be in top condition. My previous lurcher was also on a mostly raw diet; she lived to be 16.5... so there you go! You can read books until they come out of your ears, some make it sound unbelievably complicated LBB and I are lucky enough to have a very good local butcher who is happy to mince up their meat off-cuts and offal for us and to chop up and freeze their chicken carcasses and lamb bones. I got an under-counter freezer off Freecycle for my dog and cat food (the cats also eat the dog mince!). It is very easy to plan ahead, I phone up on the Wednesday with my order and it's ready, boxed up, for me to collect on the Saturday. So, how do I do it? They get a wee bit of fish-based kibble (mine really Jon Angell salmon one or Fish4Dogs) with raw dog mince (as above) in the morning. I add a raw egg and some frozen peas to that, plus a dab of cod liver oil (sometimes I add powdered kelp too). Once a week they get the kibble with a can of pilchards in tomato sauce or sardines.... I think they must inhale this as it disappears in no time and the prep is accompanied by a lot of singing on their part! Of an evening, they settle down on their mats with a bone each; either half a chicken carcass or some meaty lamb bones - a rib with the spine end is enough for one dog. My vet has given up nagging me about feeding their (very expensive) dried diets and reluctantly admits that my dogs are the healthiest, and have the best teeth that he's seen in a long time! It's really easy, doesn't smell and neither does what comes out the other end! Here are a couple of photos as proof.. The ginger loon Blue-eyed girl Oh, I forgot to add that Cyrus came to me from the rescue as a 'picky eater' who was mostly fed on breakfast cereal as that was all he'd eat; he had brown teeth covered in plaque and gingivitis. After 2 months on the diet above his teeth and gums were clean and normal, his digestion was sorted and he's never been a fussy eater... in fact he's well known for hoovering up stray cheese sandwiches What a good advert they both are for diet they are on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I have Finley on Natural instinct http://www.naturalinstinct.com/ He loves it. It's done on weight as are they all. This is a complete food, so comes with Bone added. It's frozen and looks like minced beef. It's really reduced his wind problems and there is very little poop as there's no cereal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Not dogs, but I posted a while ago about moving my cats to raw food, as it seemed to be the best thing for Tozi, my elderly diabetic boy, and got lots of good advice here, prompting me to give it a go. My lot now get the frozen food delivered from Honey's (formerly Darlings) and are all thriving on it. It's very expensive compared to cheap tinned cat food, but they actually eat it rather than leave it, all have thick shiny coats, good teeth and no bad breath, and no more stinky poos (and Cleo could clear the room before !). The vet has commented on what good condition they are in for their respective ages. I was told over 18 months ago that Tozi could have weeks to live, maybe months, but not years. He's still here, maintaining his weight well and a very contented cat, judging from the amount of purring he does in his sleep - aaww! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 My two cats get a largely raw diet too; they have the same mince as the dogs, which costs about 70p for a 1kg bag from a local butcher. Sadly they aren't keen on raw bones of any kind when I present them, but are happy to fill that part of their dietary requirements themselves with live prey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I switched my collie over a few years ago when he was 8, unfortunately by this time he's had to have his front teeth removed and had also had a really bad reaction to something and ended up in the vets on a drip for a day. After faffing around with raw meat and realising it just wasn't practical, and I have to say his breath did stink, I now have him on Natures Menu http://naturesmenu.co.uk/ and it really suits him, he also has a handfull of james wellbeloved so not a completely raw diet but it's what works for him. Whilst staying with the in-laws they clearly thought they knew better and ignored my intructions and gave him the bakers dry mix stuff, within two days he was throwing up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Whilst staying with the in-laws they clearly thought they knew better and ignored my intructions and gave him the bakers dry mix stuff, within two days he was throwing up Nooo Bakers is vile and full of additives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Mcdonalds for dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Whilst staying with the in-laws they clearly thought they knew better and ignored my intructions and gave him the bakers dry mix stuff, within two days he was throwing up Nooo Bakers is vile and full of additives. I was absolutely fuming, and even with the blatant evidence of him throwing up they still wouldn't believe me. Their dog loves it and mine apparently really likes it, I presume by that they meant he ate it! As I was stood over a pile of dog sick I smiled and pointed out that it clearly didn't like him! They did the same thing with my sister in laws puppies. Needless to say my dog doesn't stay with them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Apart from the digestive problems, it can cause behavioural issues too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Apart from the digestive problems, it can cause behavioural issues too. That would explain a lot with their dog. How on earth can they get away with selling this rubbish The sad thing is so many people don't realise, or don't believe/don't want to believe, the damage this stuff can do, and of course because it's on every supermarket shelf it's convenient and can't be bad otherwise it wouldn't be there. My parents were only convinced when they read an article in the mail on sunday magazine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I think a lot of it is just down to lack of information/ignorance. I know of a dog which often walks in our park; it's sporty type of breed but is hugely fat, has bad teeth and breath... and as for what comes out of the other end.. it is multi-coloured and you'd need a JCB to shift the amount that it makes. In chatting I've made casual references to various other types of dried food hoping that they might take the hint. It's akin to those stories you hear of young adults who are trapped at home by their obesity... while their parents buy them all that food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 It's akin to those stories you hear of young adults who are trapped at home by their obesity... while their parents buy them all that food. Don't get me started on that. I have always said there is no excuse for fat pets or fat kids, they don't have the means to go out and buy the food themselves so it's up to someone else to make the best choices for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 shall we leave that fro another soapbox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Not dogs, but I posted a while ago about moving my cats to raw food, as it seemed to be the best thing for Tozi, my elderly diabetic boy, and got lots of good advice here, prompting me to give it a go. My lot now get the frozen food delivered from Honey's (formerly Darlings) and are all thriving on it. It's very expensive compared to cheap tinned cat food, but they actually eat it rather than leave it, all have thick shiny coats, good teeth and no bad breath, and no more stinky poos (and Cleo could clear the room before !). The vet has commented on what good condition they are in for their respective ages. I was told over 18 months ago that Tozi could have weeks to live, maybe months, but not years. He's still here, maintaining his weight well and a very contented cat, judging from the amount of purring he does in his sleep - aaww! Really interested in this - I moved my kitties to a combination of Organipets and Applaws dried food and then Applaws wet food as a treat....but it never occurred to me that they could eat raw Did you switch yours over gradually? Did it upset their stomachs or anything initially? I think I'm going to try the tester pack that they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Mine get the same raw pet mince as the dogs, mixed in with a basic cat kibble; they reject any fancy cat kibble, preferring the Burgess salmon one. They refuse to eat any chicken wings even when I microwave them slightly (bones not the cats) to increase the scent, so I figure that with a bit of kibble plus any wildlife that they catch, their diet is pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
