Changes after being switched to raw

[Lauri & The Gang]

I've made this post a sticky so we can always find it.

Show and Tell - what changes have you seen since your dog was switched from kibble to raw?

[Lauri & The Gang]

I'm copying Patti's post to this thread:

Grimm stopped developing at age 8 - 10 months. He stayed "stuck" physically and emotionally at that age-- for an entire YEAR. Something, I knew, was very wrong.

He was on Orijen 6 Fresh Fish, a premium grain-free kibble. Yet, he had very sparse, short, pale, poor coat, a thin weak frame, little muscle at all, off and on chronic diarrhea (pancreas, stool samples, bloodwork all normal)-- and at 18 months, he still looked like an 8 - 10 month old... he looked like Bambi.










I knew that somehow, he was not absorbing nutrients. His vet discussed malabsorption syndomes, and felt this was not the issue, with such good bloodwork results. I'd been hashing around starting a raw diet, after much research-- and the vet urged me to try that.

I started feeding Grimm raw meals-- with much support from everyone here. \:\)

I saw results almost immediately. Grimm suddenly began acting calmer.. more settled, less frenzied. He could concentrate more when we played a training game.

But the shockers were physical. His coat fell out, nearly all of it. In it's place was a thick, soft, glossy pelt of deeply pigmented real GSD fur... instead of the sparse, prickly, brittle, pale hairs he always had.

He developed thick heavy slabs of muscles. His flat butt became rounded and firm, his forearms muscled, his shoulders fuller, his chest much less pinched, under a thick coating of firm muscle.

Tartar disappeared from his teeth.

His head got wider suddenly.. and wider.

All these changes happened in a short time after beginning the raw. Here are pics of Grimm after just 3 months on raw.

(And yes-- this is the same dog!)












If his body was not getting enough nutrients on premium grain-free kibble for all those months to develop properly.. what was happening with his brain? Grimm has always acted many months younger than he is. I am eager to see if his maturity level developes along with his body now.

Thanks for looking. Amazing what a raw diet can mean for a dog needing those nutrients! What do you think?

From this..



..to this, in just under 3 months?

[Lauri & The Gang]

My foster boy Sparks aka Sparky.

I offered to foster a Lab for a local Lab rescue under one condition - I would be switching him to raw. He was given up by his owners due to his allergies. They gave us all the paperwork from his numerous vets. In the years that they had tried to 'fix' his allergies they had done several allergy tests, tried many different drugs, special prescription foods, shampoos, ointments, etc. and spent over $2,000 for all that to have very little (if any) improvement.

When he arrived at our place we already had his crate set up in our living room. That lasted about 30 minutes. He smelled SO bad we had to move him out of the room.

He had open, oozing sores on his chest, a very sparse coat that felt like greasy straw and scratched himself constantly!

We took these pictures the day after he arrived:

His chest



His back (thinning coat and red skin):




This picture was taken just FIVE days later:




And the day before he left:



What you can't see in the photo is that his scratching was reduced by 95% and his coat was soft and silky and thick.

And all we did was switch him to a raw, grain-free diet.

[Technostorm]

Lauri, Great post!

Can you share with us how many times and what type of raw meat Grimm was fed daily?

[Lauri & The Gang]

For Aniadouble:

The MAIN reason I started my dogs on RAW:

<span style="color: #FF0000">Rorie:</span>

He collapsed on Christmas Day 2004 (that's vomit and nasal discharge on the rug)

*** Picture missing

I rushed him to the Pet ER where he spent 6 days in ICU DYING of pneumonia! (he came from a "rescue" in TN a week before)

*** Picture missing

After he was discharged from the ER Rorie's immune system was very weakened. He developed complications and I was told by my vet that he might NEVER FULLY RECOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By January 2005, Rorie was loosing his hair due to mange (his system was so weak that it couldn't fight off the mites)

*** Picture missing

By June 2005, his mouth and throat were filled by papillomas!

*** Picture missing

My vet was very good. She treated him for the mange and papillomas, but said that this is what I had to look forward to for the rest of Rorie's life.................. "He would always be weak and sickly....."


I did my homework and asked many questions about dog nutrition and health and come to the conclusion that feeding RAW was THE BEST THING for Rorie!!! Rorie is also MINIMALLY VACTIATED (another very interesting and somewhat controversial topic!)


And here he is now - 4.5 years old, on 100% RAW for 3 years and 4 months! And he's <u>NEVER BEEN TO THE VET (for illness) SINCE!!!!!</u>

*** Picture missing




And here he is TAKING NO CRAP from his used-to-be ADHD sister <span style="color: #FF0000">Gretchen </span>- MY OTHER REASON for feeding RAW




When I got <span style="color: #FF0000">Gretchen </span>at 6-7 months old from the VGSD rescue she was out of control! I was her 3rd owner by then and she was a mess behaviorally!!! I really did think that she had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)!!!!!

She might have looked sweet and innocent.......



She grew into an intelligent and calm (when reqired) young lady.......

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted By: TechnostormLauri, Great post!

Can you share with us how many times and what type of raw meat Grimm was fed daily?

Grimm is actually Patti's dog - I just copied the post for her.

I'm sure she will respond when she sees this.

[Brightelf]

Grimm just ate cheap ground beef (head meat), with a chicken leg thrown in.

Sometimes the cheap ground beef would be switched with turkey hearts.

Sometimes I tossed in a handful of raw herring.

But basicly, just cheap cuts of fresh raw beef, with a chicken leg.

I did add: A blob of yogurt, fish oil, vitamin E, and maybe either a brewers yeast, or a lecithin, or a vitamin B complex.

Also: a chunk of cheap frozen spinach, a lil grated carrot, or a piece of whatever fruit in the fridge was starting to go soft.

Organ meat? Cheap tiny chunk of chicken liver.

The raw diet turned out to be cheaper than premium kibble! Cheap, and EASY.

[Brightelf]

Lauri, could you please post Sadie's pics, too? Another amazing transformation! Another fantastic save... great job by you, Lauri!

[Technostorm]

Wow! that is amazing and good info. Thanks Patti.

btw, can a small 8 week old puppy start our raw? I mean gradually switching him from breeder feeds? I've always fed kibble to my previous GSDs with an occasional toss in of beefy ribs..

Dan

[gsdlove212]

Dan, there are several breeders that wean their litters directly to RAW. My pup was eating RAW at 8 weeks so I do not see an issue with starting your pup on it. However, I urge you to research and learn about RAW feeding, amounts to feed, and all the basics that are so very important. There are several members here that can point you in the right direction, and I know they would be happy to do so. Just make a new post in the RAW section and learn away!