My Vets, semi successful argument against All Raw meat diet???

[selzer]

Dogs like meat and will eat meat. If there is meat in a kibble and the fat isn't rancid, there is no reason to sugar it up with molassis. I am not sure about Royal Canin or Science Diet, but some of the feeding tests they do, that require that so many percentage of the dogs on the food do not lose more than a certain percentage of their body weights, if the formula fails, they put more molassis in it, so that the dogs will eat more of it.

This is basically why I avoid kibbles that are sugared up.

Again, I am not sure about RC or SD, but both foods are foods that I have looked at in the past and chosen against, I just am not sure why.

I feed mostly kibble, and give hunks of raw meat just as a treat or as an occasional meal in lieu of kibble.

[lone Ranger]

Thank you Verivus and Selzer...

So what you are saying Verivus, is it is not that he is lacking something present in the kibble, but that it just tastes good and that is why he hoes into it? Look I am just learning blind, by feel.. I was afraid he was lacking some nutrient in the all raw meat diet I am giving him...

And Selzer, on recommendations, the Science Diet and Royal Canin are the highest rated.. That and maybe Eucanubra (something like that)... What are you feeding yours?

I am hoping to not make the mistakes I can see on my first two GSDs... There is hope though, since starting Cody on about a half to full kilo of raw in the morning (what ever he will eat) and a chicken carcass at night, my 10 year old is responding and heat spot is gone (summer here) shedding is less, odour down, and I think his coat is better and he is putting on weight over his hips.. It could be wishful thinking in only sort of 10 day on it.. But...

My observations so far are that the raw meat and bone diet is better than all kibble. I am just wondering if I do a handful of kibble as well...

Kind regards, and Thank you for your input... !!!

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by lone Ranger

Look I am just learning blind, by feel.. I was afraid he was lacking some nutrient in the all raw meat diet I am giving him...

As long as you are feeding raw meat, with edible bone, and organ meats from several (3-5 at least) protein sources then you should be fine.

If you feel the need to add something 'green' to your dogs diet - try green tripe (not the stuff you find at grocery stores).

And Selzer, on recommendations, the Science Diet and Royal Canin are the highest rated..

Science Diet (aka Science Death) is one of the WORST foods you can feed a dog.

Here's the first ingredients in the SD Mature Adult Dry food:

Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Whole Grain Wheat, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Animal Fat, Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Corn Gluten Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Dried Beet Pulp

Out of the first seven ingredients - only ONE is what dogs (carnivores) actually need - Chicken Meal. Those are followed by Animal Fat (since it's not a named source it could be from ANY animal - including other dogs and cats??). Then there's liver FLAVOR (not even real liver) and more grains (carnivores do not need grains).

Yuck and a waste of money. You are paying for all that grain which is going to come out the other end as large stools.

... my 10 year old is responding and heat spot is gone (summer here) shedding is less, odour down, and I think his coat is better and he is putting on weight over his hips.. It could be wishful thinking in only sort of 10 day on it.. But...

NOT wishful thinking. I adopted an old Husky in very bad shape and switched her to raw right away. These are the changes I saw in just 30 days:

[GatorBytes]

and...the corn and soy are GMO

[BamasPride]

Ok so this is prolly gonna sound stupid to those of you who feed raw but I have always been told to never let my dog have chicken bones because they splinter and will hurt the dogs insides is this true? Or have I been believing An old wives tale?

[lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by BamasPride

Ok so this is prolly gonna sound stupid to those of you who feed raw but I have always been told to never let my dog have chicken bones because they splinter and will hurt the dogs insides is this true? Or have I been believing An old wives tale?

Bama, that is COOKED chicken bones... Raw is not a splintering issue the same.. Mind you I am not over to raw legs yet because of the spike needle bone in there, but the rest is all ok. The raw thigh bones, the whole carcass, on a young pup I just will not do the leg bone. I will carve off the meat on the leg as I still do not go for that spike along the main bone, even raw. I am sure some do, especially with older dogs, but not me on my 12 week old Pup...

Bama, cooked carcass rib and back and neck and whole carcass, without the big cooked bones, is also just fine...
Kind regards from Oz

[BamasPride]

He is7 and a half months as long as its raw he can have it? Where do you get your raw meat do u you buy it like from Walmart? Sorry for dumb questions but if it is healthier for him to it raw I will try to do it but I want to have my facts straight before I give him anything

[Lucy Dog]

Originally Posted by BamasPride

He is7 and a half months as long as its raw he can have it?

That's correct. Do not cook those bone or meat in any way. Raw bones will not splinter and the dog will fully digest them.

Originally Posted by BamasPride

Where do you get your raw meat do u you buy it like from Walmart? Sorry for dumb questions but if it is healthier for him to it raw I will try to do it but I want to have my facts straight before I give him anything

Go anywhere. Where would you buy your meat for dinner? It's the same thing. Costco, walmart, stop and shop, whatever. You'll probably save money if you buy in bulk and freeze though.

And if you do go the raw route... make sure you're feeding the correct amounts. There's very specific ratios of meat, bone, and organs that you have to feed to feed a balanced raw diet. This is probably the best possible diet for a dog (carnivore) if done correctly... regardless of what your or anyone elses vet says.

[volcano]

I wouldnt even feed plants that I eat that low quality crap. My little girl is on raw and had her first visit at a "holistic"vet today. They dont even know, I asked quantity and they handed packets of some dehydrated commercial version of raw. Me< I likea restaruant, change of flavor etc. My dog doesnt need every single meal "balanced" as if she on mre's or an astronaut. Im gona give her some different stuff- and im seriously considering starting a raw feed business, more dogs need a real food, like I said I wouldnt feed the ingredients in kibble to a plant I was gonna eat.

[sparra]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

As long as you are feeding raw meat, with edible bone, and organ meats from several (3-5 at least) protein sources then you should be fine.

Just a word of caution.....here in Australia you need to be very careful when it comes to feeding internal organs of livestock including sheep, cattle, goats, kangaroo etc due to the high incidence of hydatid tapeworm in our environment .....not sure about the US but over here it is an issue. You would have to buy it from a butcher selling for human consumption.