Well...it was great for a little while

[baileys423]

A little about my GSD, she is 9 yrs old and has been allergic to whatever is in her dog food for yrs! She has always been a picky eater, even as a pup she would go a day w/o eating and then only eat 1 meal a day. We Just started feeding RAW a week and a half ago because I got tired of her having ear infections, DRY, itchy skin and coat, wiry hair, constant hot spots etc... At first she thought it was the BEST THING EVER...her very first meal she licked it to death and then FINALLY started crunching down on it and it was gone! She licked her bowl and the floor for I think 5 mins making sure all the juices were cleaned up and that she didn’t leave a trace of evidence behind. As the week went on around the 5th day she started to become less enthused about it, 2 days ago she only had her morning meal and then yesterday she ate a couple bites for the entire day…she will look at it, look at us…look at it again and look at us as if she is saying with her ears folded down “MOM, do I really have too”? Her poo’s are normal so I guess I’m balancing her meals out correctly. I feed her 1.8 lbs a day but it seems like she gets full so much quicker than her high quality kibble. I would think that she would get hungry faster which in turn would make her eat her 2 meals a day…right? Just wondering if sticking to 1 meal a day would be fine since she did from the time she was a pup on.

[Tbarrios333]

I think a lot of people on here do feed their dogs once a day.
Could it be that you're overfeeding her? A lot of dogs can manage their own weight. What is her activity level like?
She is eating the same amount mine is, but mine is a 2 year old high activity level dog that I have trouble keeping weight on.
If yours is getting on in years and slowing down, then feeding a high body weight percentage can cause her to start managing her own weight. I feed mine 2.5% of her goal weight of 75lbs., but most people feed their older dogs 1.5-2% of their body weight.

[baileys423]

Originally Posted by Tbarrios333

I feed mine 2.5% of her goal weight of 75lbs., but most people feed their older dogs 1.5-2% of their body weight.

That's the exact same amount I feed Nala, she is 75 lbs, BUT her activity level is VERY low..The only high acvitity she does now a days is chasing
Squirrels in the back yard. So I guess that does make sense then

[selzer]

Not an expert on raw feeding to be sure, but as she is a senior, could the bones be hard on her teeth? Have you considered grinding the meat and bones. If anyone says I am crazy, that's ok, it is just a thought. Also, you might be over-feeding, if she is 75 pounds and pretty inactive, I would say try backing down a little, or switching some of the meat for yogurt, egg or cheeses, and maybe a slurry of vegetables and or fruit.

[baileys423]

Originally Posted by selzer

Not an expert on raw feeding to be sure, but as she is a senior, could the bones be hard on her teeth? Have you considered grinding the meat and bones. If anyone says I am crazy, that's ok, it is just a thought. Also, you might be over-feeding, if she is 75 pounds and pretty inactive, I would say try backing down a little, or switching some of the meat for yogurt, egg or cheeses, and maybe a slurry of vegetables and or fruit.

I do add a raw egg to her morning meals..won't add and fruits or veggies since she has allergies, I want to keep her close as possible to the wild RAW feedings as I can. Never considered grinding her foods... when she does decide to eat she crunches those bones like it's nothing to it. I could just be over feeing her for her activity level...It never crossed my mind She use to be the EXTREMELY high energy dog...I would call her my A.D.H.D dog when she was younger, but she has slown down significantly!! She'll act like a young pup again every so often lol

[selzer]

I always hard boil eggs. I have read somewhere about raw egg whites, causing problems with the absorbtion of certain vitamins, vitamin B maybe.

[baileys423]

Originally Posted by selzer

I always hard boil eggs. I have read somewhere about raw egg whites, causing problems with the absorbtion of certain vitamins, vitamin B maybe.

REALLY??? I never knew that!!! I've been giving her raw eggs since she was a pup with her kibble!!! Well, at least I know it won't kill her. I'm gonna have to read up on that...

Anyone else know about RAW eggs? I would love to know more! She loves cooked egg yokes, I wonder if I just feed her that if it would give her the same benefits...I mean, the whites are protien but if she is getting the RAW meat for protien then really she doesn't need anymore, but the yokes are the fat, and that's why I was giving her the eggs for her coat and skin. and of course adding some thickness to her since she was always on the skinny side.

[selzer]

From: WebMD,

"There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog's coat if raw eggs are fed for a long time."

Since your original discussion indicated some coat problems and issues, who knows?

The WebMD has other stuff I am not as excited about, concerning feeding, but that does not mean they cannot be right about something. Interested in other people's thoughts. It may be one of those great debates: eggs cooked or raw?

[baileys423]

Originally Posted by selzer

From: WebMD,

"There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog's coat if raw eggs are fed for a long time."

Since your original discussion indicated some coat problems and issues, who knows?

The WebMD has other stuff I am not as excited about, concerning feeding, but that does not mean they cannot be right about something. Interested in other people's thoughts. It may be one of those great debates: eggs cooked or raw?

That would be a very good debate! I'm very interested in anyone elses opinions in this matter...wonder if I should make another thread about it?????

[Little Wise Owl]

Originally Posted by selzer

From: WebMD,

"There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog's coat if raw eggs are fed for a long time."

Since your original discussion indicated some coat problems and issues, who knows?

The WebMD has other stuff I am not as excited about, concerning feeding, but that does not mean they cannot be right about something. Interested in other people's thoughts. It may be one of those great debates: eggs cooked or raw?

Raw egg WHITES carry the enzyme called Avidin which binds biotin (a B vitamin). Raw egg YOLKS, however, do not contain this enzyme and actually are loaded with Biotin themselves. Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of biotin in fact. Biotin is very good for the skin and coat.

So if you're feeding the whole egg (with or without the shell), the avidin and biotin should balance out. If you're still worried you could just feed two yolks to one egg white or just egg yolks by themselves. That or you can cook them but I read that cooking renders the proteins inactive or something. I can't remember exactly. Anyway, I feed all my eggs raw. Usually with 2 yolks and 1 white but sometimes I'm lazy and just crack a whole egg. I do this with my dogs, ferrets, cats, and red tegu and will continue to do so.

If you're feeding a good and varied diet you shouldn't be seeing any sort of biotin deficiency from feeding raw eggs. I think the only way you'd see a problem is if you were feeding egg whites only and in incredibly high quantities.