Thinking of starting Raw...

[Sansal]

No, you don't need to give him anything. Raw food is easily digested by dogs.
Rocky will get all the supplements he needs if you feed him a variety of meats with bone and organs. (It is okay to only feed chicken in the beginning variety comes over time.)

 

[Stub]

I am watching this thread! I would soooo love to feed raw but am super paranoid I'll do it wrong and not feed what she needs. This thread is helping.

The thing is, most people who feed raw (myself included) feel that no matter what, we are giving our dogs OPTIMAL nutrition. Even if we don't get it exactly right all the time, the main thing is balance over time. If you miss a week or two without organs, or don't have any bone-in meats handy, well, it's not a huge deal. (Except without bone your dog may have runny poo) You can change it up later, next meal or next week. Not many of us can go out and shoot a deer, so we have to feed what we can afford from the grocery store or can get from friends cleaning out their freezers. Dogs are meant to eat meat, not corn and other things dog food is made of. And the nutrients are not changed or destroyed by cooking or processing. So the worst raw meal is still better than the best kibble. In my opinion!

 

[whiskers]

Very helpful! I give her raw chicken drumsticks and turkey necks etc. as an occasional treat, so I'm not worried that it's harmful or anything. Just didn't know where or how to start, how much of what they need, etc. Now I just have to find a source for meat (organs will be most complicated I think) and find freezer space .

 

[samsons]

whiskers ~

i have been fallowing this thread , considering the issues I am having with delilah ~~ it all sounds so simple , reading it here !! ... real life might be different.

thanks for starting it

 

[MrLennon]

So I'm scared to start it. I'll be honest. But Rocky is a tall, skinny boy and needs to gain some weight. He eats anywhere from 0-2 cups of TOTW daily - even though it is offered to him morning (he never eats) and night (sometimes he eats).

He's been having problems with vomiting in the morning, I think it's because he's gone so long without eating in bewteen meals that he has acid building up.

My questions are this:
1. WHAT do I feed him? how much - how do you know what the right amount is?
2. Organ meat- where do you get this? (I know, sounds silly - but I have no idea what to even look for).
3. Veggies? no veggies?

How do you even find this much meat in bulk? If I pay at the grocery store this will be expensive....I think.

I'm just a bit nervous and need some discussion about what would be right for him. He's 67# now.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

I was in the same boat with Lennon. TOTW, sometimes he'd eat, sometimes no.
We got him on chicken, sweet potatoes and sometimes a raw egg in there too.

He's not itching anymore, poops much less, not as gassy.

I have one question though, what supplements should he be getting and how often?

 

[RockyCody]

So I haven't started Rocky on Raw becuase he has been battling some major vomiting and horrible diarrhea, etc. We are waiting on blood work.

My question is this - IF he has pancreatitis (which he might) - can you still feed a raw diet or no?

 

[prittiegirl]

I'm sorry to hear that Rocky has been battling vomitting and diarrhea. I hope it is nothing serious.

I have to admit that when Kinnon was dealing with her second bout of mass vomitting and diarrhea that it was my final tipping point for me to switch her over to raw. Something that I have not looked back on since I started her on this back in January.

As a matter of fact, I just had my faith in raw strengthened as she was given some treats that upset her stomach majorly this week, and taking away all processed foods and just focusing on her raw diet has been the answer.

As for the bone thing - yes, it is sometimes scary at the beginning, but also immensly satisfying to watch them work on!

 

[RoxyRoo]

what about the bones

i would love to feed my Roxy raw but she got a hold of a buffalo wing maybe a week after we got her(she is a rescue dog who is about 1.5 years now), but she wasn't eatting the same after that and her poo was kinda bloody me and my wife became paranoid that the bone punctured her stomach or intestines. She is fine now, it's been 3 months since that issue and the vet said that she was okay the next day but she is our first real dog(we had a lasapoo which i did not like at all ) and I want her as healthy as possible.

 

[Stub]

a buffalo wing is a COOKED bone, which is prone to splintering and causing damage. RAW bones are more easily digested and also much softer. Also, the spicy buffalo sauce alone could give any dog bloody poop due to irritation of the intestine, especially a rescue dog that had been eating who-knows-what prior to being rescued!

 

[RoxyRoo]

a buffalo wing is a COOKED bone, which is prone to splintering and causing damage. RAW bones are more easily digested and also much softer. Also, the spicy buffalo sauce alone could give any dog bloody poop due to irritation of the intestine, especially a rescue dog that had been eating who-knows-what prior to being rescued!

do you think it is good to start Roxy on a raw diet or is this something that should be transitioned to over time?