Feeding RAW

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Raw feeding our doodles is advocated by many people. There are some pros and cons in this...let's discuss it.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I do agree, it is the fresh ingredients that has solved many of our dogs problems. As far as giving only kibble, all the time, dogs are not designed to eat only kibble day after day. If that is all they get and then you add in something new too fast, it could cause the gas and runny poops. You have to add new things slowly a little at a time. I am not a big fan of raw, I homecook, but many of our members do and have no problems. I think like everything else, moderation and slow additions are the key. I would never feed all kibble, all raw or all homecooked. Variety is the spice of life for human and canine, alike.

[pam]

my dog is nearly 2 years old, and I have been feeding him raw since he was a puppy. We began with chicken wings and then have progressed to chicken thighs/drum sticks and he is very very HEALTHY. His coat is great and well you know those teeth are fabulous. I have had to stand my ground with the vet regarding some kibble eating. I basically let Ranger call the shots, if he is not hungry then he does not eat. This has only happened lately, with occasional fast days. Most of the time he eats about 1-1.5 # of chicken daily, in two meals morning and evening. I have just begun trying eggs and once a week plain yogart I would like to feed a few more vegetables and other things, does anyone have any ideas how to get this into a dog who just loves his protein? Let me know.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Pam, try steaming some veggies in low-salt broth. You can add a little sprinkle of garlic powder, that attracts their sense of smell. You can also mix it with the plain yogurt if he likes that. Experiment with it until you find a way that works. Karen's Jack likes Lima Beans with a little butter. My guys like frozen broccoli right from the freezer. You have to try different things. If he likes marrow bomes you can scoop out the marrow and add that to the veggies. Some, they will eat raw and some they might like better steamed a little bit. You can also add them into an omlet with the eggs. Lots of choices, play with it. Just don't feed onions or raisins. Apples, blueberries, crazins (dried cranberries), banana, broccoli, carrots, squashes, peas, greenbeans, beans are some of the things OK to feed. There are many others, too. Good Luck!

[pam]

thanks for the ideas, I will try the broth idea and see what works. I just know that he needs to be eating a more varied diet.

[Ellen]

Pam,

You noted that you had to stand your ground with the vet -- Was the vet against a raw food diet? Just curious. My vet wasn't very keen on the idea. Because of some earlier GI issues when Riley was 100% on raw food, I'm now giving him freeze-dried chicken patties (which were prepared with veggies and fruits) in the morning and kibble in the afternoon....seems to work well -- no GI issues, but I'm seeing an improvement in his coat and eye crusties.

[pam]

thank for your response, Yes I did have to stand my ground with the vet. However, now that Ranger has only had to go for his healthy check ups and shots,he has been able to see how beautiful his coat is and how great his teeth are. But we have made a few concessions and for variety about 1-2 times a week I will give him some large dog kibbles that contain vegies and this seems to satisfy the vet. I just am so glad not to be thinking that teeth will have to be cleaned!!!

[Iris Gillon]

William and Diana eat raw chicken wings and wingettes, from time to time I throw down some raw fish (they LOVE that, but the smell really kills the rest of us...) and I always leave down the junk food (Purina lamb-rice) and they nibble on that from time to time, and I throw a bunch of the wings and wingettes into the back yard twice a day which they hunt and kill (again) and chow down, bones, skin and all. Their poopies are PERFECT, they have perfect health, skin, hair and they are energetic and happy. I highly recommend this diet for other doodelers and doodelettes.

PS you are all invited to our wedding! William and Diana.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Raw fish is extremely dangerous and can kill a dog. We have had a DK member whose dog nearly died from Salmon Poisoning, and other dogs have died.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine website:
"Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen in dogs that eat certain types of raw fish. Salmon (salmonid fish) and other anadromous fish (fish that swim upstream to breed) can be infected with a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. Overall, the parasite is relatively harmless. The danger occurs when the parasite itself is infected with a rickettsial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. It’s this microorganism that causes salmon poisoning.
Salmon poisoning occurs most commonly west of the Cascade mountain range,” says Dr. Bill Foreyt, a veterinary parasitologist at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He adds, “Canids (dogs) are the only species susceptible to salmon poisoning. That’s why cats, raccoons and bears eat raw fish regularly with out consequence.
Generally clinical signs appear within six days of a dog eating an infected fish."
For the complete article, here's link:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientEd/salmon.aspx

[Mona Haight]

how do you guage the portions for your dog if you are cooking your own dog meals?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Mona, check the Homecooking section, or do a search in the discussions for "Homecooking". You'll find lots of info there.
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/homecoo...

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, there's lots of info there. My "rule of thumb" is to feed about the same amount of home cooking as you would give if you were feeding a high quality dog food. It has worked well with Guinness. If he's had a day where he got more than average exercise, I might give a little more. Then you just need to watch their weight (I look to be sure I can feel those first few ribs and that there is a "waist"). Because they seem to love this food so much, they won't give you an indication that they're "full", so just be careful that you're not overfeeding.