Switched Our Dogs to Raw Food - Results

[Kwando]

Feed our dogs raw food as well. Sometimes they eat better than I do.

[xander_g]

My dog has a sensitive stomach and has been dealing with bouts of pancreatitis. He's currently on a prescription low fat diet. I've considered switching him to raw but im worried how his digestive system and pancreas will react so I have been hesitant.

Planning to consult with a nutritionist regarding the matter.

[david in germany]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

While I agree there is no need for wheat in a dog's food or words like "by-products" in the ingredient list, I disagree with the notion there are no dry dogs foods of reasonable quality. For some dogs with food allergies (commonly chicken and beef in addition to wheat) it is difficult to find food that works for them except from the vet with an Rx and then it is rarely raw.

As far as feeding dogs a raw diet, there can be advantages but there are also risks. For example, raw food is more likely to be contaminated by salmonella or listeria, which can be harmful to the dog and the human handling it. That doesn't mean to imply there are no risks to dry food because there have been plenty of horror stories and recalls of all types of foods. It also doesn't mean I am suggesting people should avoid raw - they just need to understand potential pros and cons.

It's great that it has worked out well for OP, you and others in the thread but everyone should read up on what they feed their pets, dry, canned, raw or otherwise.

A common misconception, salmonella. It does not effect dogs. I would also never take a prescription food from a vet ever again..

Any vets here on the forum? How much time do you guys get on nutrition at Vet School? Oh, who sponsors it? (Iams, or Science diet maybe?) I got a prescription diet from my vet at the time for my golden being over weight.. Do you know what the filler is in Science diet RD is? Peanut shells, 0- nutritional value. My poor dog was starving to death while eating till he was full...

As for chicken alergies, I would venture to say the allergy issues are to the antibiotics pumped into the chickens or cows and not the animals them self. There is a possibility but typically very rarely. Even my wife and I have issues with certain chicken meat, we can't eat non fair trade or organic without issues. Pets are the same, not likely an issue with the type of meat but how it was raised, fed, what it was treated with.

I do agree, everyone should read up on what they are feeding their pets/family members.

[david in germany]

Originally Posted by xander_g

My dog has a sensitive stomach and has been dealing with bouts of pancreatitis. He's currently on a prescription low fat diet. I've considered switching him to raw but im worried how his digestive system and pancreas will react so I have been hesitant.


Planning to consult with a nutritionist regarding the matter.

Please research what is in the food you are feeding him. See my post just below this one ( comment about the Science diet food) I know you didn't mention the brand but be careful.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by xander_g

My dog has a sensitive stomach and has been dealing with bouts of pancreatitis. He's currently on a prescription low fat diet. I've considered switching him to raw but im worried how his digestive system and pancreas will react so I have been hesitant.

Planning to consult with a nutritionist regarding the matter.

We went through the same thing with Bella. Had that poor dog on the Rx diet from the vet which was basically 90% corn. It was pure garbage. We switched her over to a high quality, low fat, kibble (First Mate brand) and she did well. No issues either on the raw diet.

I agree with David In Germany. The Rx foods from the vet are pretty crappy from what I've seen.

[RickFLM4]

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions..._salmonellosis

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

It's great that it has worked out well for OP, you and others in the thread but everyone should read up on what they feed their pets, dry, canned, raw or otherwise.

Researching pet food is like Googling "What's this rash?" You are guaranteed to walk away completely and totally paranoid!

On a serious note though, I do agree with you. Educating ones self and making an informed decision is always best.

[david in germany]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions..._salmonellosis

Written by? The same people that get about 6 hours of nutritional training?
That article even contradicts itself.

[david in germany]

As I said in my other reply "somenelia does not effect dogs" I did not say they can't get it.
https://rawdogfood.co.uk/raw-feeding...onella-e-coli/

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by david in germany

Written by? The same people that get about 6 hours of nutritional training?
That article even contradicts itself.

Here's another source I suspect you will find biased:

https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pag...Dog-Diets.aspx

[DETRoadster]

I could be mistaken (or buying the hype) but I believe the freeze dried raw brands like the one I switched my dogs to addresses the food safety issue through that freeze drying process. The bacteria cant survive it and it leaves the nutrients in place.

[EDWYER]

My beagle will eat anything. LOL

[Mr Carrots]

Dogs managed to survive eating dead and often decaying animals for tens of thousands of years, they're very robust

My boys eaten thousands of raw whole chickens and has never had a single problem with salmonella, although I do wipe his mouth before hes allowed to kiss us after eating

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I could be mistaken (or buying the hype) but I believe the freeze dried raw brands like the one I switched my dogs to addresses the food safety issue through that freeze drying process. The bacteria cant survive it and it leaves the nutrients in place.

Maybe - I’m no expert. I did a quick search when I saw your post and came across this (see Myths 3 and 4):

http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/0...or-a-raw-deal/

Ultimately, each pet owner needs to research themselves and reach their own conclusion. This is one link from a 2 minute search. More exhaustive research can yield contradictory results or an overall more complete picture.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Mr Carrots

Dogs managed to survive eating dead and often decaying animals for tens of thousands of years, they're very robust

My boys eaten thousands of raw whole chickens and has never had a single problem with salmonella, although I do wipe his mouth before hes allowed to kiss us after eating

Very true. I've pulled a dead squirrel, a dead rat, and a dead bird from Bellas mouth. Once she chowed down on a massive pile of wet sh*t in the park. She ate my bluetooth headset and most of a sock. Disgusting beast. She survived it all.

[vinylengraver]

Quoting from Animal Planet:
"A pet food manufacturer made a mock product that had a guaranteed analysis of 10% protein, 6.5% fat, 2.4% fiber, and 68% moisture, similar to what you see on many canned pet food labels. The only problem, was that the ingredients were old leather work boots, used motor oil, crushed coal, and water!"
The breeder where I got my Phoebe showed me what happens when you dissolve a bunch of typical dogfood in water and let sit until it settles.
Floating on the surface there was a half-inch thick layer of finely ground hair. Human or animal, not quite sure which... still, legitimate protein source for your beloved pet according to a typical pet food label.

This is why I will NEVER feed my dog any commercially available dog food product. Period.

[Emilime75]

You guys are freaking me out. I've researched this in the past and concluded the internet is full of shit(no surprise). So many biased and contradictory reports, it's nearly impossible to come up with a clear and conclusive answer as to just what we should be feeding our beloved pets.

Often the results of a bad diet for a dog is clear as the changes in their behavior is evident quickly, but not always. So, we may think we're doing them good, but they can't exactly say "Hey, asshole, this stuff is killing me", especially when they're like mine and want to eat anything and everything in sight.

Eventually wound up on DogFoodAdvisor.com and found what I think is a relatively good, dry food at a cost I can live with. NutriSource Supreme grain free, which I switch between chicken and lamb every 3 months or so. It's about $75/month for 2 Labs that average about 75lbs each. They're 12 years old and they've been on it for about 2 years now. Things seem ok, they're slowing down a bit, but I'm blaming that on age...but how does one really know?

[EnVe46]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

That's terrifying!

Yes it is! Especially with the high cost. Our English bulldog has lost about 8 lbs since they moved their farm to the US and has really struggled digestion wise. At one point his stool was so compacted they thought he had a tumor. We always add water and goats milk to his food. The vet said there's something causing these issues as well as skin issues that have reappeared. He didn't respond to great to raw so he will primarily be cooked meals in the crockpot. Our mix dog is straight raw. She rarely needs baths and her teeth are pearly white. It's amazing to see the difference

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Emilime75

You guys are freaking me out. I've researched this in the past and concluded the internet is full of shit(no surprise). So many biased and contradictory reports, it's nearly impossible to come up with a clear and conclusive answer as to just what we should be feeding our beloved pets.

Often the results of a bad diet for a dog is clear as the changes in their behavior is evident quickly, but not always. So, we may think we're doing them good, but they can't exactly say "Hey, asshole, this stuff is killing me", especially when they're like mine and want to eat anything and everything in sight.

Eventually wound up on DogFoodAdvisor.com and found what I think is a relatively good, dry food at a cost I can live with. NutriSource Supreme grain free, which I switch between chicken and lamb every 3 months or so. It's about $75/month for 2 Labs that average about 75lbs each. They're 12 years old and they've been on it for about 2 years now. Things seem ok, they're slowing down a bit, but I'm blaming that on age...but how does one really know?

It's not unlike diets for people. Google Paleo, or Gluten Free, or Vegan, or Low Fat, or Mediterranean, and you'll find a million people saying its the best thing on Earth and a million people saying it's total BS and will kill you. Bottom line is our bodies are all different and what works for some wont for others. Same with our dogs. It's up to us as responsible pet owners to watch our critters for signs they are thriving or signs they are not. That's about all you can do.

As for the contamination issues, there's not a lot you can do. It's a numbers game and you just cross your fingers and hope you don't get locked into a food that winds up being bad. Kinda like eating at the taco truck. It's so damn tasty, and a bit sketchy. You know the risk is there and once in a while you get bit.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by EnVe46

Yes it is! Especially with the high cost. Our English bulldog has lost about 8 lbs since they moved their farm to the US and has really struggled digestion wise. At one point his stool was so compacted they thought he had a tumor. We always add water and goats milk to his food. The vet said there's something causing these issues as well as skin issues that have reappeared. He didn't respond to great to raw so he will primarily be cooked meals in the crockpot. Our mix dog is straight raw. She rarely needs baths and her teeth are pearly white. It's amazing to see the difference

I think you have the right approach. You gotta just watch them and see what they respond well to and what they don't. They can tell us when something is not right, just not through language.

[blbroo]

We feed our dogs Fromms dry food aimed at their sizes and ages with some yogurt and salmon oil. They are all very healthy and one of them even uses a laptop.

[kscarrol]

+1 for Fromms. My oldest Cavalier Kings Charles just turned 14 and the youngest is seven. There are quality, commercially produced dog foods out there and like most things in this world you're going pay up for that quality. As others noted, find what works for your pet...

And no, my dogs have not learned to use the laptop!!