Raw
- Thread starter Jeannie
- Start date
For newf owners, that fed kibble before and now feed raw.
What are some of the differences you saw for the better.
Also this might sound dumb but do the dogs rip apart lets say the chicken thigh, or do they put it all in their mouth and chew chew. Just want to know what to expect and not get worried thinking they will choke. Has any of your dogs choked on bones and what did you do.
What are some of the differences you saw for the better.
Also this might sound dumb but do the dogs rip apart lets say the chicken thigh, or do they put it all in their mouth and chew chew. Just want to know what to expect and not get worried thinking they will choke. Has any of your dogs choked on bones and what did you do.
KodysGrandma
New member
I've never heard before of any dogs who could eat chicken bones and be OK with it, or rib bones either. Are you talking some special kind of rib bones? I had a vet on Long Island back in the 60s tell me he had never been able to save a dog who ate short ribs. Other than knuckle bones I've never heard about current dogs eatng bones successfully. I realize wolves do but today's dogs aren't really wolves. So help me out here- what's the scoop?
merrymutts
New member
Mine routinely get bones to eat. they eat rae chicken necks and frames and also get venison, goat and lamb ribs to chaw on.
Since starting Raw:
Better coats
Cleaner teeth
no Bad breath or other doggy odor
No more gunky yeasty ears
Just generally 100 % BETTER condition then when feeding kibble
Wish I'd done this years ago
Since starting Raw:
Better coats
Cleaner teeth
no Bad breath or other doggy odor
No more gunky yeasty ears
Just generally 100 % BETTER condition then when feeding kibble
Wish I'd done this years ago
Joan Fisher
New member
Tiika is my 4th Newf and the first one I haven't fed kibble to. The only kibble she's ever had is before we picked her up from the breeder. She gets raw beef, pork, lamb and turkey, and canned sardines, mackerel and salmon. She does get some treats but she's allergic to chicken so I try to give only single protein treats and check the ingredients carefully. She gets turkey necks, pork ribs and necks, and beef, veal and lamb bones with lots of meat which are sold as stewing meat. She's 16 months now and very carefully chews up her meaty bones. I've never seen her have a problem or choke on anything. Her coat is glossy and shiny, she has no doggy odour, her teeth gleam and I don't clean them, and the vet says her muscles feel like she's an athlete! I think raw is great. I have never seen Tiika throw up but my other dogs regularly threw up their kibble and also got diarrhea 2-3 times per year. Tiika has never once had loose stools. My brother started his Newf, Barnacle, on raw 14 months ago at age 6 because he was having so many problems with loose stools and losing weight. The vet wanted to do all kinds of stomach x-rays and other tests. I encouraged him to try raw and his dog hasn't been sick a day since!
jane
New member
I switched to raw a few months ago and will never go back to kibble. My guys get chicken or turkey bone and for muscle meat it varies from chicken, beef and fish. My guys just take it in their mouth and chew. Even my bichon just takes it in her mouth and chews.
The difference's I noticed were...
Slower eating
Teeth look great (my bichon had stinky breath...no more)
Cleaner ears
Much, much, much less stool (It's all protein, so the body absorbs more)
Gorgeous coats
More energy
the list goes on and on....
All three dogs chew the bones fine. They never vomit. Merlin my 2 yr old newf used to eat so darn fast and I could'nt stand it. Now he actually stands there, chews, and savors the flavor.
I knew this could be expensive, so I went on a mission to find a butcher who would sell me his chicken and turkey bones. I ended up finding one right near me. Once a week I pick up 30-40 lbs of bone(which still has meat on it) and he only charges me 13 cents a lb.
I know a few people who feed raw and kibble. They just make one meal raw and the next kibble. I'll never go back to kibble again.
The difference's I noticed were...
Slower eating
Teeth look great (my bichon had stinky breath...no more)
Cleaner ears
Much, much, much less stool (It's all protein, so the body absorbs more)
Gorgeous coats
More energy
the list goes on and on....
All three dogs chew the bones fine. They never vomit. Merlin my 2 yr old newf used to eat so darn fast and I could'nt stand it. Now he actually stands there, chews, and savors the flavor.
I knew this could be expensive, so I went on a mission to find a butcher who would sell me his chicken and turkey bones. I ended up finding one right near me. Once a week I pick up 30-40 lbs of bone(which still has meat on it) and he only charges me 13 cents a lb.
I know a few people who feed raw and kibble. They just make one meal raw and the next kibble. I'll never go back to kibble again.
I asked if we could have a sticky on raw on a different post and here it is: Jeannie was wonderful to oblige.
So once again thank you.
I hope that all members that can contribute to Raw, will do so.
If members of Newf Net that have been feeding raw for a number of years could share there expertise.
The do's and dont's. Things that work and things don't.
Everyone can search the net, but on this forum it is all about Newfs and that is relevant to us here feeding.
Things like feeding with bones, using a grinder or not.
Pictures of how the portions look etc.
Have any of your newfs choked? If so what did you do to help your dog, things like that.
Share your knowledge and answer questions to newbies like myself.
A FAQ section.
the pros etc.
I know there is a search button but a quick touch for info with this topic I think would be beneficial for the health of a Newf.
To the members who have already posted, thank you.
So once again thank you.
I hope that all members that can contribute to Raw, will do so.
If members of Newf Net that have been feeding raw for a number of years could share there expertise.
The do's and dont's. Things that work and things don't.
Everyone can search the net, but on this forum it is all about Newfs and that is relevant to us here feeding.
Things like feeding with bones, using a grinder or not.
Pictures of how the portions look etc.
Have any of your newfs choked? If so what did you do to help your dog, things like that.
Share your knowledge and answer questions to newbies like myself.
A FAQ section.
the pros etc.
I know there is a search button but a quick touch for info with this topic I think would be beneficial for the health of a Newf.
To the members who have already posted, thank you.
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LindaR
New member
I've been rawfeeding my big boy for 15 months and have started my new 11 week old pup. I feed prey model, rather than a ground blend, which means big chunks of meat, with some bone and organs. The ratio is 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organs (half of which is liver). The rule of thumb for the amount to feed is 2 to 3% of the adult weight of the dog, based on the activity level of the dog. I've found that my Newfs have done well on 1-1/2 to 2% of adult weight. I supplement with salmon oil to bring the Omega 3 and 6 ratio to a proper level. Raw meaty bones of chickens, turkeys, pork are easily consumed by Newfs. Cooked bones, however, should NEVER be fed as the bones become dry, brittle and will splinter. I purchase large whole chickens, quarter them and feed in 4 meals along with a bit of organ. Often I purchase pork shoulders on sale & cut off meal-size chunks to feed. I also NEVER feed leg bones (marrow bones) of large ungulates (cattle,bison, etc) as the weight-bearing bones are much too hard and can cause tooth fractures, as can most other beef bones.
Benefits of a raw diet:
Healthy gums and clean white teeth
No doggy breath or other body odor
No goopy yeasty ears
Teeny tiny poops
Thick luxurious shiny coat
Steady and slow even growth
Lots of energy
I've not had any problems with choking. Feeding large chunks requires them to use their teeth to rip and tear and crunch up consumable meaty bones to a swallowable size. The ripping, tearing and crunching keeps teeth clean and gums healthy.
The cost of rawfeeding depends upon availability of sources in your area. I stock up when whole chickens and pork shoulders are on sale for 89 cents a pound. A 4 pound chicken feeds my Newfy boy for 2 days. That $1.78 per day. My Newfs have eaten chicken, turkey, pork, beef, venison, lamb, rabbit, canned salmon & mackeral; organs: heart, liver, kidney, lung, spleen, green tripe.
Benefits of a raw diet:
Healthy gums and clean white teeth
No doggy breath or other body odor
No goopy yeasty ears
Teeny tiny poops
Thick luxurious shiny coat
Steady and slow even growth
Lots of energy
I've not had any problems with choking. Feeding large chunks requires them to use their teeth to rip and tear and crunch up consumable meaty bones to a swallowable size. The ripping, tearing and crunching keeps teeth clean and gums healthy.
The cost of rawfeeding depends upon availability of sources in your area. I stock up when whole chickens and pork shoulders are on sale for 89 cents a pound. A 4 pound chicken feeds my Newfy boy for 2 days. That $1.78 per day. My Newfs have eaten chicken, turkey, pork, beef, venison, lamb, rabbit, canned salmon & mackeral; organs: heart, liver, kidney, lung, spleen, green tripe.
Sailorgirl
New member
I've been feeding a combination of half raw and half kibble for I think two or more years now. I keep the kibble in the diet for two reasons: 1. my husband (who is not really on board with the whole raw feeding thing) and 2. convenience (it's nice to just do kibble on busy mornings or have that option when we travel with the dogs.)
I've found that choosing a kibble is a little more complicated. I've had to play around with a few to get one that compliments raw feeding. We currently feed Nature's Logic and so far I'm happy with that. So, Rita is 112 pounds and Hudson is 136 (down 20 pounds in the last 6 months due to orthopedic issues). They get basically the same amount of food because of their differing activity levels and the need to keep Hudson extremely lean. In the morning they each get one cup of Nature's Logic kibble.
At night they get raw. I buy from various sources, including a local Oma's Pride rep (Oma's Pride is a brand of raw dog food), a human wholesale meat supply, Taylor Pond Farms (another raw food manufacturer) and even the grocery store. I buy in bulk and now have two freezers to allow this. The biggest hassle by far of feeding raw (for me at least) is sourcing food and I don't like to have to run out every month so I will buy large portions. It's also cheaper to do it this way.
I feed a pretty wide variety of raw foods and each dog has a slightly different diet. Rita is not big on whole bones. She won't, for instance, eat a turkey neck, even if I chunk it up. So she is fed primarily course ground bone/meat mixes. She will eat pork ribs and sometimes lamb, so I feed that when I can. She also gets muscle meat in the form of ground beef and ground turkey (she will not eat most heart or whole frozen fish either). Hudson will eat anything, thank goodness. He gets a wide variety of bones including turkey necks, chicken backs, duck necks, pork, lamb and goat bones. He also gets turkey or pork hearts as muscle meat. I feed him a lot of whole trachea for joint lubrication, lots of fish, etc. I work in about 10% organ (averaged out probably over a month) into their diets. They both adore tripe. I don't add any grains or vegetables.
I read a lot of books and found a couple of raw mentors before I started so I'd have a clue what I was doing. They both get about a pound of food a night, although I rarely weigh it anymore since I now have a pretty good idea what a pound looks like (and it doesn't really look like much).
I just recently took them to a holistic vet who reviewed their diets for me. He reconfigured their supplements a little too (Rita, who is fortunately very healthy doesn't need a lot in the way of supplementation ... just E, Ester C, a joint supp and salmon oil. Hudson has a list of supplements so long I need a chart to keep track). He did recommend that I give them each a multivitamin (he actually gave us a geriatric multivitamin because it has more antioxidants in it) since we are raw feeding. He said he feels that giving a multivitamin is just a layer of protection in case the diet is deficient in some way.
I honestly do not do the math on the feeding. It's a lot. I know that it is cheaper than if I were feeding all kibble though (at least with the kibble I'm feeding). I do, however, feel that I see a cost savings in having healthier dogs who need to see the vet less.
I've seen a lot of benefits from feeding raw, and I have no doubt I would see more if we went entirely raw. They include their overall health, great coats, small, firm poop, good breath, bright eyes, clean ears. The new vet we saw examined the dogs before he read the history and immediately said, "You feed raw, don't you? Dogs who are not raw fed just don't have teeth like this." I think that says a lot.
I will say that I did not start feeding raw until my dogs were done with the majority if their growth. I was not confident enough in my abilities to provide what they needed in those crucial growth periods. If I were to get a puppy now, I would definitely raw feed from day one.
Oh ... edited to add: You asked about HOW they chew the bones. For the necks its sort of a crushing thing. They don't actually break it into pieces and chew each piece at a time. It's more of a crushing thing ... holding the whole thing in their mouth, goobing it all up with a lot of saliva, crunching all the bones and then often one big swallow and down it goes. I've never had a problem with choking, although I would not feed my big guy a small bone like a chicken neck because I don't think he'd bother crunching at all. He will swallow a salmon fillet whole so he's a very enthusiastic eater when allowed to be. When I feel bigger bones, like ribs or a lamb neck or something, they lay down and sort of gnaw on them little by little.
I've found that choosing a kibble is a little more complicated. I've had to play around with a few to get one that compliments raw feeding. We currently feed Nature's Logic and so far I'm happy with that. So, Rita is 112 pounds and Hudson is 136 (down 20 pounds in the last 6 months due to orthopedic issues). They get basically the same amount of food because of their differing activity levels and the need to keep Hudson extremely lean. In the morning they each get one cup of Nature's Logic kibble.
At night they get raw. I buy from various sources, including a local Oma's Pride rep (Oma's Pride is a brand of raw dog food), a human wholesale meat supply, Taylor Pond Farms (another raw food manufacturer) and even the grocery store. I buy in bulk and now have two freezers to allow this. The biggest hassle by far of feeding raw (for me at least) is sourcing food and I don't like to have to run out every month so I will buy large portions. It's also cheaper to do it this way.
I feed a pretty wide variety of raw foods and each dog has a slightly different diet. Rita is not big on whole bones. She won't, for instance, eat a turkey neck, even if I chunk it up. So she is fed primarily course ground bone/meat mixes. She will eat pork ribs and sometimes lamb, so I feed that when I can. She also gets muscle meat in the form of ground beef and ground turkey (she will not eat most heart or whole frozen fish either). Hudson will eat anything, thank goodness. He gets a wide variety of bones including turkey necks, chicken backs, duck necks, pork, lamb and goat bones. He also gets turkey or pork hearts as muscle meat. I feed him a lot of whole trachea for joint lubrication, lots of fish, etc. I work in about 10% organ (averaged out probably over a month) into their diets. They both adore tripe. I don't add any grains or vegetables.
I read a lot of books and found a couple of raw mentors before I started so I'd have a clue what I was doing. They both get about a pound of food a night, although I rarely weigh it anymore since I now have a pretty good idea what a pound looks like (and it doesn't really look like much).
I just recently took them to a holistic vet who reviewed their diets for me. He reconfigured their supplements a little too (Rita, who is fortunately very healthy doesn't need a lot in the way of supplementation ... just E, Ester C, a joint supp and salmon oil. Hudson has a list of supplements so long I need a chart to keep track). He did recommend that I give them each a multivitamin (he actually gave us a geriatric multivitamin because it has more antioxidants in it) since we are raw feeding. He said he feels that giving a multivitamin is just a layer of protection in case the diet is deficient in some way.
I honestly do not do the math on the feeding. It's a lot. I know that it is cheaper than if I were feeding all kibble though (at least with the kibble I'm feeding). I do, however, feel that I see a cost savings in having healthier dogs who need to see the vet less.
I've seen a lot of benefits from feeding raw, and I have no doubt I would see more if we went entirely raw. They include their overall health, great coats, small, firm poop, good breath, bright eyes, clean ears. The new vet we saw examined the dogs before he read the history and immediately said, "You feed raw, don't you? Dogs who are not raw fed just don't have teeth like this." I think that says a lot.
I will say that I did not start feeding raw until my dogs were done with the majority if their growth. I was not confident enough in my abilities to provide what they needed in those crucial growth periods. If I were to get a puppy now, I would definitely raw feed from day one.
Oh ... edited to add: You asked about HOW they chew the bones. For the necks its sort of a crushing thing. They don't actually break it into pieces and chew each piece at a time. It's more of a crushing thing ... holding the whole thing in their mouth, goobing it all up with a lot of saliva, crunching all the bones and then often one big swallow and down it goes. I've never had a problem with choking, although I would not feed my big guy a small bone like a chicken neck because I don't think he'd bother crunching at all. He will swallow a salmon fillet whole so he's a very enthusiastic eater when allowed to be. When I feel bigger bones, like ribs or a lamb neck or something, they lay down and sort of gnaw on them little by little.
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Newfs Forever
New member
I've been feeding raw for 9 years. I wouldn't go back to kibble. I feed Dex fish, ground hamburger, ground turkey necks, ground chicken. On occasion, he gets chicken gizzards and liver. Occasionally, I will also throw in a raw egg. His pm meal is all protein. His am meal is mostly veggies with a handful of meat or chicken.
His teeth are primarily cleaned by raw long bones. His teeth are pretty white for a dog that will be 12 yo. in January.
His breath is good.
His stools are solid and well formed. (This was one of the issues for me to go to raw. On kibble he used to have semi diarrhea.)
His coat is nice and shiny.
I feel with raw, I can control more of what he eats, than relying on some manufacturer.
HTH,
His teeth are primarily cleaned by raw long bones. His teeth are pretty white for a dog that will be 12 yo. in January.
His breath is good.
His stools are solid and well formed. (This was one of the issues for me to go to raw. On kibble he used to have semi diarrhea.)
His coat is nice and shiny.
I feel with raw, I can control more of what he eats, than relying on some manufacturer.
HTH,
selah
New member
We have been feeding raw since we brought Brutus home. To answer some of the questions I saw in here--
He has never choked.
Cooked bones are bad for dogs, but raw are okay. However, we don't feed weight bearing bones since they are harder and it's more likely to chip a tooth.
He doesn't tear the meat apart; he prefers to just chew it up. Dogs don't have a gag reflex like us, so they an be chewing part while part is half way down their throat. It sounds gross, but you get used to it.
When I figured it out awhile back it was running us about $100/ month for our one dog, but meat prices have really gone up in the past few months so if I had to guess it's probably closer to $120. We could do it cheaper if we had a freezer and could buy it in bulk and we're looking into that. Plus, about a year ago Brutus decided he did not like chicken anymore and won't touch the stuff. Unfortunately around here chicken is usually the cheapest meat in the store!
We switched Brutus to kibble for about a month when we were out of the country-- we didn't want the dog sitter to have to deal with buying the meat and what not. The change in him when we came back was staggering-- the biggest different was his teeth and breath. Before kibble he only had bad breath when we fed him fish, and that just lasted for an hour or so. With kibble he had constant bad breath. And his beautiful white teeth were all yellow!
Luckily his mouth improved when we put him back on raw. There are plenty of books about raw feeding and there are a lot of different takes on how to do it. At first I was scared that I would be missing something or Brutus would be vitamin deficient, but after reading more and more and thinking about it, raw feeding just makes sense to me. Imagine if you only hate processed food all the time-- no fruits and veggies. I would feel awful. I think it's the same for dogs.
He has never choked.
Cooked bones are bad for dogs, but raw are okay. However, we don't feed weight bearing bones since they are harder and it's more likely to chip a tooth.
He doesn't tear the meat apart; he prefers to just chew it up. Dogs don't have a gag reflex like us, so they an be chewing part while part is half way down their throat. It sounds gross, but you get used to it.
When I figured it out awhile back it was running us about $100/ month for our one dog, but meat prices have really gone up in the past few months so if I had to guess it's probably closer to $120. We could do it cheaper if we had a freezer and could buy it in bulk and we're looking into that. Plus, about a year ago Brutus decided he did not like chicken anymore and won't touch the stuff. Unfortunately around here chicken is usually the cheapest meat in the store!
We switched Brutus to kibble for about a month when we were out of the country-- we didn't want the dog sitter to have to deal with buying the meat and what not. The change in him when we came back was staggering-- the biggest different was his teeth and breath. Before kibble he only had bad breath when we fed him fish, and that just lasted for an hour or so. With kibble he had constant bad breath. And his beautiful white teeth were all yellow!
Luckily his mouth improved when we put him back on raw. There are plenty of books about raw feeding and there are a lot of different takes on how to do it. At first I was scared that I would be missing something or Brutus would be vitamin deficient, but after reading more and more and thinking about it, raw feeding just makes sense to me. Imagine if you only hate processed food all the time-- no fruits and veggies. I would feel awful. I think it's the same for dogs.
If and when you use grinders, what make is a good one. They are not cheap and I would hate to pay out the money for one that doesn't work well.
Do you think it is necessary to buy one?
Or should I save my money and put it towards the meat and fish.
Or should I just give hand chopped up meat, big bones with meat on it , and ground beef or pork, whole fish etc.?
Do you think it is necessary to buy one?
Or should I save my money and put it towards the meat and fish.
Or should I just give hand chopped up meat, big bones with meat on it , and ground beef or pork, whole fish etc.?
Newfs Forever
New member
If you choose to grind, particularly turkey necks, I would recommend the American Eagle grinder. It is 3/4 hp and can handle the necks. It cost me about $475.00 roughly 9 years ago. However, this machine is quite heavy. So, if you don't want it sitting on your countertop, then don't buy it. This is something that you are not going to want to lift all the time.
Previous to my buying the grinder, I had the attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer. It did nothing.
HTH,
Previous to my buying the grinder, I had the attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer. It did nothing.
HTH,
R Taft
Active member
We also feed raw because it is also cheaper for us and Annabelle had all the allergy issues with all kibbles. Some of our meat is ground, because that is how it is supplied by the organic chicken place. But all beef and lamb is chunks and bones. We seem to have no loose stools since the change with Annabelle. We fed a 70% raw diet before the Annabelle allergies and our fourteen year old dog has the most beautiful teeth and alway good stools. Our dogs have always had lots of raw bones (any bones) for about thirty years. And I have never cleaned our dogs teeth or have i had problems. I have never had gut problems either as persay from bones
We also feed a lot of veg and fruit (because we grow so much) in whatever amounts available. And I also blend legumes and oats together for a breakfast mix. I have done this for about twenty years. It is raw and soaked overnight in cold water. It goes with raw chicken and or eggs at brekky. We feed our dogs according to their weight, if they look heavy we reduce the carb and protein. And we increase the carrot/pumkin/greenveg/fruit. If you feel them getting lighter we increase the other. Our dogs are never hungry, because the food twice a day is quite bulky due to fruit and veg. And especially in Summer they might leave some, so the next day we give slightly less. We have never gone by this amount of cups etc And I nearly forgot............They also get fish, be it raw or sometimes canned sardines. And two to three times a treat of the cooked rice/oats/chicken, because it is their favourite. Tessa sings for it..........
We also feed a lot of veg and fruit (because we grow so much) in whatever amounts available. And I also blend legumes and oats together for a breakfast mix. I have done this for about twenty years. It is raw and soaked overnight in cold water. It goes with raw chicken and or eggs at brekky. We feed our dogs according to their weight, if they look heavy we reduce the carb and protein. And we increase the carrot/pumkin/greenveg/fruit. If you feel them getting lighter we increase the other. Our dogs are never hungry, because the food twice a day is quite bulky due to fruit and veg. And especially in Summer they might leave some, so the next day we give slightly less. We have never gone by this amount of cups etc And I nearly forgot............They also get fish, be it raw or sometimes canned sardines. And two to three times a treat of the cooked rice/oats/chicken, because it is their favourite. Tessa sings for it..........
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Hi all.
Am a returning member from quite a while ago. Hope this finds you well.
I have been feeding a combination kibble and raw diet for several years. I use the grain free kibble in the am and then I use Primal at night. Used to use Nature's Variety frozen but can not get in locally.
I would love to feed entirely raw but the problem is I have 6 dogs - 2 newfs - 3 guardian livestock dogs and one "shmuppy (mutt)". I don't know how to manage it for that many dogs. I buy the Primal 500# at a time so it runs me about $1.40 per pound. The kibble is a little more expensive than that.
I feed about 2 cups of dry to my three house companions and one of my guardian dogs each morning. In the evening the newfs get 1.5# each, the shmuppy gets 1# and each guardian dog gets 3# of the raw.
I am going to start adding a can of sardines to each diet weekly.
Would love some suggestions as to how to move more to a complete raw diet that is manageable. If I replaced the kibble in the am with say bones would that be sufficient? Chicken necks/turkey necks/ backs/ what about legs, thighs?
I live in a very rural area. I have a source for pasture raised animals but it is EXTREMELY expensive. There are no butchers. We have Food Lion and Wal Mart.
Another concern: it is now known that commercial chickens are being injected with a variety of substances and irradiated - none of which are good - not for humans and I suspect not for pets. Comments on that?
Look forward to talking with all of you again.
Sharon Kinsey
Follow Your Dream Farm
www.followyourdreamfarm.net
Am a returning member from quite a while ago. Hope this finds you well.
I have been feeding a combination kibble and raw diet for several years. I use the grain free kibble in the am and then I use Primal at night. Used to use Nature's Variety frozen but can not get in locally.
I would love to feed entirely raw but the problem is I have 6 dogs - 2 newfs - 3 guardian livestock dogs and one "shmuppy (mutt)". I don't know how to manage it for that many dogs. I buy the Primal 500# at a time so it runs me about $1.40 per pound. The kibble is a little more expensive than that.
I feed about 2 cups of dry to my three house companions and one of my guardian dogs each morning. In the evening the newfs get 1.5# each, the shmuppy gets 1# and each guardian dog gets 3# of the raw.
I am going to start adding a can of sardines to each diet weekly.
Would love some suggestions as to how to move more to a complete raw diet that is manageable. If I replaced the kibble in the am with say bones would that be sufficient? Chicken necks/turkey necks/ backs/ what about legs, thighs?
I live in a very rural area. I have a source for pasture raised animals but it is EXTREMELY expensive. There are no butchers. We have Food Lion and Wal Mart.
Another concern: it is now known that commercial chickens are being injected with a variety of substances and irradiated - none of which are good - not for humans and I suspect not for pets. Comments on that?
Look forward to talking with all of you again.
Sharon Kinsey
Follow Your Dream Farm
www.followyourdreamfarm.net
2Paws
New member
I started feeding raw about 2 years ago after reading several books and talking to other raw feeders. I still consider myself a newbie at this and still rely on the assistance of several raw feeding mentors to help answer my questions or concerns. It's a very big step to switch from kibble to raw as we have been conditioned to believe we don't know how to feed our dogs and only the dog food manufactor "experts" can do this for us.
For my own peace of mind I started out with kibble for the AM and raw for the PM feeding. They now get raw for both feedings except for Winston. He came to us as a rescue at 8 1/2 years old so he gets a combination of raw and kibble just to get his system use to fresh food. He will go to a completely raw diet when this bag of Orijen is gone. He's done very well with the fresh food.
Here's a link to the food grinder that I purchased. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_36989_36989 This was recommended to my by some other raw feeders. It's heavy but I can still move it around by myself and I'm kind of a light weight. I haven't tried grinding bones in it but it does a wonderful job with vegetables and meat. I've been told it can handle turkey necks, chicken wings and chicken backs.
I feel very fortunate to have some great meat sources nearby. I get a ground turkey pet mix of muscle, organ and bones from a turkey farmer. I get a ground chicken mix of muscle, organ and bones from a chicken farmer. The meat is free of the hormones and the other crap that is injected into so much of the meat we find at the grocery store. I get a ground beef and organ mixture from another butcher as well as beef hearts and liver. There are times when I will get ground goat, mutton, venison, kidneys and tripe from Taylor Ponds (a manufactor of fresh pet food). I found out about these sources by talking with other people that feed raw. I get eggs, canned mackeral and sardines at the grocery store.
I don't feel comfortable giving my dogs raw meaty bones. Benson is a gulper and I feel we could have some issues with that so I give them tom turkey necks (they are bigger than the hen turkey necks) from that turkey farmer and chicken feet from the chicken farmer. Because this is mostly cartiledge, I feel safer with these and they still get that good chewing exercise along with all the wonderful joint nutrients that are in them.
When fresh veggies are in season, I will do combinations of cooked squash, sweet potatoes, yam and white potatoes and finely raw ground carrots, celery, brocolli, garlic and califlower. When I can't get the fresh veggies, I use a dyhydrated veggie mix from Honest Kitchen and Sojo's. I also make a mixture of fresh cranberries, apples, parsley and celery and give them a tablespoon of that with their breakfast.
I do give my dogs grain in their AM feeding. I use an oat mix from Sojo's that has worked very well with the dogs. I also give them white rice and brown rice. When I cook their rice, I use twice the water recommended and cook it about twice as long. This was suggested by another raw feeder and I have noticed that it seems to be digested easier by the dogs.
I will occassionally give them a meal of commercial dog food made by Honest Kitchen. This is dehydrated organic food and about as close to raw as you can go. This is my back-up just in case I forgot to take something out of the freezer or have to be away where someone else needs to feed the dogs. The dogs like it, their system is use to it and I feel good knowing that they will have something to eat that won't upset their system or our feeding program.
When I first started feeding raw, I have what seemed like a million supplements that I would give. Since then, I've relaxed somewhat and gained some confidence. They get their vitamin E daily, a multi mineral tab twice a week, B12 combo every other day, a daily dose of salmon oil and digestive enzymes. Benson is on some other supplements as he is still healing from cruciate surgery and we want his body to be able to repair itself.
I have a complete blood chemistry test done on the dogs as part of their annual exam. This gives me a very good indication of whether their diet is sound for them or if we need to add anything to it.
As I said earlier, I have read many books on this subject. The one book that I found to be most helpful is K9 Kitchen by Monica Segal. Her website is an excellent source for raw, cooked or mixed diet feeders. Here is a link to her website. http://www.monicasegal.com/ I loaned this book to one of my vets who was highly opposed to raw feeding. I felt it was one of the few books that didn't bash the veterinarians.
The results I've seen in my fur kids have been very positive. Pretty much the same as what others have reported. Benson and Henry have never really had any serious issues but their coats are beautiful, their skin is healthy, ears are clear, eyes are clear and they are full of energy. Glory use to have issues with goopy ears, runny eyes and hot spots. I'm happy to report we haven't had ear issues or hot spots for over a year now and she is in the water on a daily basis in the summer time. Winston came to us very underweight and very bad skin as a result of malnourishment and a bad case of flea infestation. He was also shaved from the head down. I was told by the vet that he would never grow hair in one skin area that was extremely dried out and thickened. His coat has come back soft and shiny in all areas and his skin is nice and healthy again. All the dogs have beautiful teeth and their breath is sweet smelling. Even our two seniors, Glory and Winston have wonderful teeth and breath.
The other thing I noticed is I don't have to give flea preventative as often as before. I give it to them if I see any indication of itching.
I use to be very anal and worried about the quantities fed. I've learned somwhat how much each of them needs by trial and error. I make a point of keep tabs of their weight by having them weighed at the vet's office (free service) or by just feeling them and using the time tested rule of the ribs and spine. I've learned more about their individual needs. Benson is my biggest guy but tends to beef out easily so he actually gets less than Henry who burns away energy just thinking about it.
Feeding raw is a big commitment and it does take more time for planning and shopping but I feel it is worth it and don't think I could ever go back to commercial food again. I like knowing where their food sources came from and having some control over that.
Sorry for the length of this post but just wanted to add my 2 cents worth here.
For my own peace of mind I started out with kibble for the AM and raw for the PM feeding. They now get raw for both feedings except for Winston. He came to us as a rescue at 8 1/2 years old so he gets a combination of raw and kibble just to get his system use to fresh food. He will go to a completely raw diet when this bag of Orijen is gone. He's done very well with the fresh food.
Here's a link to the food grinder that I purchased. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_36989_36989 This was recommended to my by some other raw feeders. It's heavy but I can still move it around by myself and I'm kind of a light weight. I haven't tried grinding bones in it but it does a wonderful job with vegetables and meat. I've been told it can handle turkey necks, chicken wings and chicken backs.
I feel very fortunate to have some great meat sources nearby. I get a ground turkey pet mix of muscle, organ and bones from a turkey farmer. I get a ground chicken mix of muscle, organ and bones from a chicken farmer. The meat is free of the hormones and the other crap that is injected into so much of the meat we find at the grocery store. I get a ground beef and organ mixture from another butcher as well as beef hearts and liver. There are times when I will get ground goat, mutton, venison, kidneys and tripe from Taylor Ponds (a manufactor of fresh pet food). I found out about these sources by talking with other people that feed raw. I get eggs, canned mackeral and sardines at the grocery store.
I don't feel comfortable giving my dogs raw meaty bones. Benson is a gulper and I feel we could have some issues with that so I give them tom turkey necks (they are bigger than the hen turkey necks) from that turkey farmer and chicken feet from the chicken farmer. Because this is mostly cartiledge, I feel safer with these and they still get that good chewing exercise along with all the wonderful joint nutrients that are in them.
When fresh veggies are in season, I will do combinations of cooked squash, sweet potatoes, yam and white potatoes and finely raw ground carrots, celery, brocolli, garlic and califlower. When I can't get the fresh veggies, I use a dyhydrated veggie mix from Honest Kitchen and Sojo's. I also make a mixture of fresh cranberries, apples, parsley and celery and give them a tablespoon of that with their breakfast.
I do give my dogs grain in their AM feeding. I use an oat mix from Sojo's that has worked very well with the dogs. I also give them white rice and brown rice. When I cook their rice, I use twice the water recommended and cook it about twice as long. This was suggested by another raw feeder and I have noticed that it seems to be digested easier by the dogs.
I will occassionally give them a meal of commercial dog food made by Honest Kitchen. This is dehydrated organic food and about as close to raw as you can go. This is my back-up just in case I forgot to take something out of the freezer or have to be away where someone else needs to feed the dogs. The dogs like it, their system is use to it and I feel good knowing that they will have something to eat that won't upset their system or our feeding program.
When I first started feeding raw, I have what seemed like a million supplements that I would give. Since then, I've relaxed somewhat and gained some confidence. They get their vitamin E daily, a multi mineral tab twice a week, B12 combo every other day, a daily dose of salmon oil and digestive enzymes. Benson is on some other supplements as he is still healing from cruciate surgery and we want his body to be able to repair itself.
I have a complete blood chemistry test done on the dogs as part of their annual exam. This gives me a very good indication of whether their diet is sound for them or if we need to add anything to it.
As I said earlier, I have read many books on this subject. The one book that I found to be most helpful is K9 Kitchen by Monica Segal. Her website is an excellent source for raw, cooked or mixed diet feeders. Here is a link to her website. http://www.monicasegal.com/ I loaned this book to one of my vets who was highly opposed to raw feeding. I felt it was one of the few books that didn't bash the veterinarians.
The results I've seen in my fur kids have been very positive. Pretty much the same as what others have reported. Benson and Henry have never really had any serious issues but their coats are beautiful, their skin is healthy, ears are clear, eyes are clear and they are full of energy. Glory use to have issues with goopy ears, runny eyes and hot spots. I'm happy to report we haven't had ear issues or hot spots for over a year now and she is in the water on a daily basis in the summer time. Winston came to us very underweight and very bad skin as a result of malnourishment and a bad case of flea infestation. He was also shaved from the head down. I was told by the vet that he would never grow hair in one skin area that was extremely dried out and thickened. His coat has come back soft and shiny in all areas and his skin is nice and healthy again. All the dogs have beautiful teeth and their breath is sweet smelling. Even our two seniors, Glory and Winston have wonderful teeth and breath.
The other thing I noticed is I don't have to give flea preventative as often as before. I give it to them if I see any indication of itching.
I use to be very anal and worried about the quantities fed. I've learned somwhat how much each of them needs by trial and error. I make a point of keep tabs of their weight by having them weighed at the vet's office (free service) or by just feeling them and using the time tested rule of the ribs and spine. I've learned more about their individual needs. Benson is my biggest guy but tends to beef out easily so he actually gets less than Henry who burns away energy just thinking about it.
Feeding raw is a big commitment and it does take more time for planning and shopping but I feel it is worth it and don't think I could ever go back to commercial food again. I like knowing where their food sources came from and having some control over that.
Sorry for the length of this post but just wanted to add my 2 cents worth here.
2newfs4now
New member
Max came to us eating kibble and I continued that for about 4 years...after allergy testing, I started him on raw (there's a lot this boy can't eat). I was worried that I wasn't giving him a good balance and all the right nutrients, so after about 1.5 years I found a kibble he could eat... I've tried to keep his weight down because of arthritis but, on kibble, he has lost far too much weight (he's not real active and needs 6 cups a day to maintain his weight at about 120 which is about 20lbs. too light) and his ears are a smelly mess again. His coat also isn't as shiny as it was; needless to say, I am going back to raw beginning next week.
Leslie
New member
I have this grinder Maverick Grinder because I do have to grind the bones for the kitties (when they CHOOSE to eat them). It says don't grind bones but I've had mine for about 6 years and it's ground about 50 pounds of chicken wings and god knows how many turkey necks. Never had a problem. I would never grind the dog's bones. The sheer joy they get in eating them...true love. Anyway, the grinder is now only $99. It was $149 when I got it.
I've never had a dog choke but Bailey did bite a turkey neck (it was a big old tom) and it wedged between in the roof of her mouth. She does NOT give up food once she has it and would not let me help her dislodge it. She would clamp down as soon as I came near. She just keept trying and finally got it out. She will also swallow chicken wings whole so I just hold the tip until she crunches a bunch of times or I'll bash them with a hammer.
I've never had a dog choke but Bailey did bite a turkey neck (it was a big old tom) and it wedged between in the roof of her mouth. She does NOT give up food once she has it and would not let me help her dislodge it. She would clamp down as soon as I came near. She just keept trying and finally got it out. She will also swallow chicken wings whole so I just hold the tip until she crunches a bunch of times or I'll bash them with a hammer.