Switched Our Dogs to Raw Food - Results

[DETRoadster]

Hey all!

We recently switched our two mini Dachshunds over to a raw food diet and I wanted to post up our findings.

SUMMARY: It’s amazing. I’m a believer. Its worth every penny.

Dog Overview: So as mentioned we have 2 mini Dachshunds. Bella is 12, a few pounds over weight, low energy, and would eat 24-7 if we let her. Sophie is 5, spot on weight, full of puppy energy, and is not food motivated. In fact, the only reason she eats at meal time is because Bella scarfs down her food and then makes a move towards Sophie’s bowl. If Bella were not around, Sophie would be one of those dogs where you just pour out a mound of kibble that’s good for a couple days and she eats when she’s hungry.

Health Issues: Bella is slowing down as she ages. She has high liver enzymes due to long term doxycycline treatment for chronic Lyme disease. She’s good for about a mile walk, sometimes 2 miles. She lo longer wrestles with or chases Sophie. She also cant make it up onto our bed after we got a new, slightly higher mattress. Sophie is doing great health wise but has chronic, inflamed, gums that bleed when you brush them.

The Food: We went with Sojo brand freeze dried raw. Comes in a 7 pound bag that ends up making about 15 pounds total as you mix with water. Cost is $80 and a bag lasts us a month. So, $80 a month for 2 dogs is do-able but I don’t know how folks with big breed dogs would manage. It would be like $80 every few days! The food looks awesome once it’s reconstituted. Big chunks of meat, big chunks of veggies. It’s a pretty simple formula with only a few ingredients like Turkey, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, and then vitamins and minerals. I mix up 7 scoops of food to 11 scoops of water and then refrigerate. That’s good for 3 days.

The First Week: So both dogs went ape sh*t for the food. Bella no surprise. But even Sophie who could not care less about food is going crazy for it. I feed them at 6:00 AM as I’m on my way out the door to work and 6:00 PM when I get home. I used to have to go get Sophie out of bed at 6:00 AM for breakfast. Once they realized this was their new food, both dogs started waking up at 5:00 and scratching at the bedroom door, wanting to get out to go eat! At 6:00 PM I find them both sitting patiently on a mat in the kitchen, looking up at the fridge.

After 3 Months: Both dogs are showing signs of improvement on the new diet. Bella’s fur is now like it was when she was younger. Her coat is slick and glossy where it was starting to turn rough as she aged. She’s now walking a complete lap of our local lake with us, which is 3 miles. She’s even engaging Sophie in play, some light wrestling, and chasing her around the house. I’m also finding her camped out on our bed which she now feels daring enough to jump up on. She goes back in to the vet at the end of the month for a recheck on her liver enzymes, which I’m really hopeful for as I’ve been able to drop her doxy dose by 50% without an increase in Lyme symptoms. Bella has also lost 1.5 pounds and is nearly back to her target weight. Sophie is still loving the food and we’ve noticed an improvement in her gums. They are still inflamed but they no longer bleed when we brush them.

Conclusion: All in all, I’m amazed at what I’m seeing in both dogs and I do think it’s directly attributable to the new food. They both seem happier, healthier, and full of energy. Yes it’s not cheap and it’s a little bit more of a hassle to prepare than kibble, but it’s 100% worth every penny when I see Bella flying around the house chasing Sophie like she was 6 years old again!

[Mr Carrots]

Good man, my kids were raised on raw and it's so much healthier for them. The poops are much easier to manage and their coats are always soft and glowing

Feeding dogs on a diet of commercial kibble carb/grain based food is like taking your kids to McDonalds every day


Ours eat 80% of their diet as raw, bone in , skinned chicken chunks we get for about 50c a lb, then throw in some K9 Naturals as a treat and liver, heart, kidney or whatever other offal is on discount at the grocery, some eggs in the shells etc. It's really cheap considering we have 200lb of dog lol

[Clark_Kent]

Good to hear you're satisfied with the results. Also, pleased to hear about Sojo as I've always wondered about real world results. I agree that raw is a difference maker. We've had our sweet girl (49 lb. pit bull) on Tucker's raw since she was about 12 weeks old and she loves it. We keep ACANA kibble around "just in case" as she has a sensitive GI tract. All of what you mentioned is spot on: amazing coat, very high-energy, maintains weight and just has more "pep" her in step. I've also noticed when she eliminates, her stool is very fibrous and relatively small in volume as most of the food is actually digested and absorbed.

Raw is expensive, no doubt but I would look into adding raw goat's milk as well. There are a host of benefits there...vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and alleviates joint pain. She also goes nuts for that stuff as well...pirouettes, tail wagging, grunting, squealing. It's kind of funny to watch.

[Captain Blood]

My dog gets freshly cooked food all the time, almost weekly. Pancakes, pizza, cake, you name it. There probably isn't a more-skilled counter surfer out there.
His normal food is the Blue Buffalo and costco no-grain.

[Joekerr]

I call my dog (a yellow Lab) a roving garbage disposal. Except for fruits and some vegetables which he does not touch. But he gets freshly cooked everything.

But his regular meals are ACANA kibble. And he is usually one of those eats whenever he is hungry, but doesn't go nuts for it or anything, often walks away after he watches me pour it out. Its almost like he just wants to make sure I don't forget (I have), and once he knows it is in his dish, he's ok.

I can't afford raw - ACANA is expensive enough as it is at $70/bag with a bag lasting around a month.

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

My dog gets freshly cooked food all the time, almost weekly. Pancakes, pizza, cake, you name it. There probably isn't a more-skilled counter surfer out there.
His normal food is the Blue Buffalo and costco no-grain.

I'll see your dog and raise you one yellow Lab of mine.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

My dog gets freshly cooked food all the time, almost weekly. Pancakes, pizza, cake, you name it. There probably isn't a more-skilled counter surfer out there.
His normal food is the Blue Buffalo and costco no-grain.

My other dog eats shitty food because I'm lazy, my stupid dog eats the shitty food because it's the only kind she can stomach.

Op: Great thread, and thanks for the info. My old dog used to hunt all her own food for about half of the year and she looked at me like I was trying to kill her when ever I made her eat dog food. My current dog has gone through about 3k of tests and experiments to find her a food she would keep in her belly preferably in a solid form and after I gave up on her when we found the cheapest dog food on the planet is the one she handles well.

We've tried everything, everything has been tested and the conclusion our multiple vets have offered to us is that she is indeed a bitch. She absolutely loves stealing food and treats the kids leave lying around and it ends up as a smelly disaster every time. We've even tried all foods with the exact same ingredients as the cheap one because I keep freaking out about nutritional values but with any other brand the results always smell.

[jonahk]

Did the same thing with my cats. Had them on "decent" canned food but decided to give full raw a try after a suggestion from the shelter that I volunteer at. We have a place in Minneapolis called Woody's Pet Food Deli that is all locally-sourced meat. I buy 16lbs across a few meat varieties (free range turkey, rabbit, chicken) for around $60 and it'll last about 3 and a half weeks. I was paying almost double that for "premium" canned food.

Changes happened pretty fast - dumps smaller and basically scent-free, coats are incredibly soft, and they both hit target weight pretty quick and have been staying there.

The only drawbacks is one of my cats has ass breath all the time now, and they both go completely nuts around 7am because they know it's feeding time.

Been doing this for over a year and I've since converted three other people. One of my friends had a dog that just stank no matter what she did. Started on the raw food diet and took two weeks for her pitt's coat to become grease free and not stink any more.

[DETRoadster]

Great feedback everyone! My only regret is not starting them on it sooner.

Originally Posted by Clark_Kent

Raw is expensive, no doubt but I would look into adding raw goat's milk as well. There are a host of benefits there...vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and alleviates joint pain. She also goes nuts for that stuff as well...pirouettes, tail wagging, grunting, squealing. It's kind of funny to watch.

Thanks for the tip on the goat milk. I'll look into that. We did pick up a bottle of this bone broth at our last trip to pick up Sojos.

https://platopettreats.com/product/s...ne-broth-pork/

Seems to be packed with all sorts of good nutrients.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Great feedback everyone! My only regret is not starting them on it sooner.




Thanks for the tip on the goat milk. I'll look into that. We did pick up a bottle of this bone broth at our last trip to pick up Sojos.

https://platopettreats.com/product/s...ne-broth-pork/

Seems to be packed with all sorts of good nutrients.

You can feed my momma to your tiny pets but no messing with milk! Some things in life are sacred!

Ducking Americans always disrespecting milk every time I open this damn forum...

[EnVe46]

Both our dogs are raw fed and have been for awhile. We were using ACANA but there have been studies of high toxins in their food and theres even a new lawsuit against them for it. Honestly, with all the shit in todays food, raw or cooked meats/veggies/bone/organs is the best way to know you're helping your dog live healthier life. I was a believer after it gave me a full month extra with my dog who was dying of cancer. He wouldn't eat but gave him raw and he continued until he couldn't hold his pee anymore.

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by Lups

You can feed my momma to your tiny pets but no messing with milk! Some things in life are sacred!

Ducking NORTH Americans always disrespecting milk every time I open this damn forum...

FTFY

[Hammer Werke]

My pup was on Orijen and Acana dry dog food for years. Every boutique pet store said it was one of the best you could get. Well it turns out it was poison. Laced with super high heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic etc. Dog (terrier mix) got thyroid cancer at like age 4. All the vets I saw said they had never seen in a young dog. Crazy $ to get tumor removed. Followed by another one on her eye-lid which is also not fun to remove.

Well, shes doing fine now (knock on wood). Been cooking her own food from ground chicken, turkey, bison etc with a lot of vegetables. Lightly cooked with turmeric and some black pepper. I then mix in a little Ziwipeak lamb dry food. The turmeric is for metal detox and a little black pepper helps absorb the turmeric into the blood stream better.

A lawsuit is underway against Champion Pet foods (Orijen / Acana) and I hope they get whats coming to them.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by EnVe46

Both our dogs are raw fed and have been for awhile. We were using ACANA but there have been studies of high toxins in their food and theres even a new lawsuit against them for it. Honestly, with all the shit in todays food, raw or cooked meats/veggies/bone/organs is the best way to know you're helping your dog live healthier life. I was a believer after it gave me a full month extra with my dog who was dying of cancer. He wouldn't eat but gave him raw and he continued until he couldn't hold his pee anymore.

Originally Posted by Hammer Werke

My pup was on Orijen and Acana dry dog food for years. Every boutique pet store said it was one of the best you could get. Well it turns out it was poison. Laced with super high heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic etc. Dog (terrier mix) got thyroid cancer at like age 4. All the vets I saw said they had never seen in a young dog. Crazy $ to get tumor removed. Followed by another one on her eye-lid which is also not fun to remove.

Well, shes doing fine now (knock on wood). Been cooking her own food from ground chicken, turkey, bison etc with a lot of vegetables. Lightly cooked with turmeric and some black pepper. I then mix in a little Ziwipeak lamb dry food. The turmeric is for metal detox and a little black pepper helps absorb the turmeric into the blood stream better.

A lawsuit is underway against Champion Pet foods (Orijen / Acana) and I hope they get whats coming to them.

Thanks for sharing I must've missed this. I didn't realize they were being sued.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

FTFY

Thanks!

I'm a single issue rager especially when I've suffered a horrible, body crushing incident which I blame on this forum, all Canadians and all men in general.

[Taskmaster]

Stop inbreeding your pets, that's the first place to start.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by EnVe46

Both our dogs are raw fed and have been for awhile. We were using ACANA but there have been studies of high toxins in their food and theres even a new lawsuit against them for it. Honestly, with all the shit in todays food, raw or cooked meats/veggies/bone/organs is the best way to know you're helping your dog live healthier life. I was a believer after it gave me a full month extra with my dog who was dying of cancer. He wouldn't eat but gave him raw and he continued until he couldn't hold his pee anymore.

Originally Posted by Hammer Werke

My pup was on Orijen and Acana dry dog food for years. Every boutique pet store said it was one of the best you could get. Well it turns out it was poison. Laced with super high heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic etc. Dog (terrier mix) got thyroid cancer at like age 4. All the vets I saw said they had never seen in a young dog. Crazy $ to get tumor removed. Followed by another one on her eye-lid which is also not fun to remove.

Well, shes doing fine now (knock on wood). Been cooking her own food from ground chicken, turkey, bison etc with a lot of vegetables. Lightly cooked with turmeric and some black pepper. I then mix in a little Ziwipeak lamb dry food. The turmeric is for metal detox and a little black pepper helps absorb the turmeric into the blood stream better.

A lawsuit is underway against Champion Pet foods (Orijen / Acana) and I hope they get whats coming to them.

That's terrifying!

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by Lups

Thanks!

I'm a single issue rager especially when I've suffered a horrible, body crushing incident which I blame on this forum, all Canadians and all men in general.

Childbirth?

[vinylengraver]

My bichon-westie cross is 10 years old now and on raw food since day one.
ZERO health issues and ZERO vet bills.
And we religiously stick to the rule of 1.Exercise 2.Discipline 3.Affection, in that order.
Never the other way around.
But yeah, a true omnivore, she could easily be mistaken for a year-old puppy.

[david in germany]

Originally Posted by Hammer Werke

My pup was on Orijen and Acana dry dog food for years. Every boutique pet store said it was one of the best you could get. Well it turns out it was poison. Laced with super high heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic etc. Dog (terrier mix) got thyroid cancer at like age 4. All the vets I saw said they had never seen in a young dog. Crazy $ to get tumor removed. Followed by another one on her eye-lid which is also not fun to remove.

Well, shes doing fine now (knock on wood). Been cooking her own food from ground chicken, turkey, bison etc with a lot of vegetables. Lightly cooked with turmeric and some black pepper. I then mix in a little Ziwipeak lamb dry food. The turmeric is for metal detox and a little black pepper helps absorb the turmeric into the blood stream better.

A lawsuit is underway against Champion Pet foods (Orijen / Acana) and I hope they get whats coming to them.

Stop cooking it and stay away from the dry food! It does not matter what dry food you use, it is not healthy. The food manufacturers are only required to tell you what they put into the food not what their suppliers put into it. Example, chicken meat = all the waste chicken, rotten, sick, you name it.. They then cook it, add salt, sugar, ect. Non of which the animals need but it does get them addicted to the taste. Plus, rice and wheat are not needed in a dogs diet.. EVER!
When you cook the meats it takes the minerals and vitamins out that they need.

What my golden loved was ground up raw broccoli with cottage cheese and natural linseed oil (not the refined stuff for woodworking) that was his no meat Thursday breakfast and dinner meal. He use to dance at the kitchen door waiting for it!

Many people think their dogs can't take a raw diet because the first couple of times they feed them they get diarrhea from their body cleansing. That is a good thing, getting rid of the junk in their system.


I forgot to mention why we started Barfing, (bones, and Raw Food), my golden had about a half of his side removed because of cancer and the doctor told us to make him comfortable because he only had about 6 months to live (he was 5) we went all in and changed his diet and had a beautiful active, golden for an additional 6 years until he died of a stroke.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Childbirth?

That's less painful than this. This is soul crushing, constant and it took me hours to figure out a way to blame everyone but myself for it.

I can't tell you more since the details make me look way less innocent and it was brought to my attention by everyone that I sound whiny, pathetic, and somewhat old when I retell my story. My kids let a friend in to our home after he paid them just so he could laugh at me. The same damn kids have tormented me all day and even from the internet I couldn't find sympathy. Even my dog hates me because she got two mini walks today because I'm so badly hurt all over. She did steal a sandwich so I better be able to move tomorrow 'cause her bowels sure as hell will be firing all the time.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by david in germany

Stop cooking it and stay away from the dry food! It does not matter what dry food you use, it is not healthy. The food manufacturers are only required to tell you what they put into the food not what their suppliers put into it. Example, chicken meat = all the waste chicken, rotten, sick, you name it.. They then cook it, add salt, sugar, ect. Non of which the animals need but it does get them addicted to the taste. Plus, rice and wheat are not needed in a dogs diet.. EVER!
When you cook the meats it takes the minerals and vitamins out that they need.

What my golden loved was ground up raw broccoli with cottage cheese and natural linseed oil (not the refined stuff for woodworking) that was his no meat Thursday breakfast and dinner meal. He use to dance at the kitchen door waiting for it!

Many people think their dogs can't take a raw diet because the first couple of times they feed them they get diarrhea from their body cleansing. That is a good thing, getting rid of the junk in their system.


I forgot to mention why we started Barfing, (bones, and Raw Food), my golden had about a half of his side removed because of cancer and the doctor told us to make him comfortable because he only had about 6 months to live (he was 5) we went all in and changed his diet and had a beautiful active, golden for an additional 6 years until he died of a stroke.

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.