Feeding your dog raw food

[Wildsky]

My gf just told me her dog Zamboni died. He was a beautiful Sheltie and only 10. She fed expensive vet-approved kibble. He died of congestive heart failure!!! His mom died of kidney cancer 2 years earlier. I know damn well it was the food that killed these dogs.

Thats sad, I think my old cat died the same way - we found him as a week old kitten, he was so sweet. He died at 10 years old, an indoor only cat, his teeth were bad, he even lost a few.
His buddy cat is still alive, a few years younger and he won't touch raw food at all.

I am glad I switched so early for our dog, she only had the kibble junk for a year or so...

 

[Dace]

I have been feeding raw and starting to add in more variety....more eggs, ground collards & carrots, kefir, fish oil and chicken hearts. I have yet to add fish. Also what are OPCs? I think that is what I have read here....I can't seem to figure that one out!

Now I read this:

A good ratio to follow in the diet, taken on a weekly basis, is approximately 5-10 percent organ meat (make sure to include liver), 10-15% edible bones (this percentage does not include recreational bones like marrow bones that most dogs cannot consume, if yours do, then include it) and 80-85 percent muscle meat. Watch your dog's stool. This is a good indication of whether your percentages are accurate or not. If the stool is dry or crumbly, then you are feeding too much bone; if it is soft, then too much organ meat. In addition to raw meat, a couple of times a month my dogs get canned salmon or mackerel.

Now I am worried that I am not feeding him enough meat. Should I add in a chicken leg a few times a week? He usually gets a chicken back in the A.M and two wings in the P.M.

 

[freemotion]

I find those percentages to be more correct for cats, and too rich for dogs. At least from what I've read in most places, decent sources. In my own experience, too, my dogs do better with a higher ratio of bone/tendon/cartilage/ligament to muscle meat, as in wings and backs and I'd feed stripped rib cages if I could get them (leftover from boneless breast meat). If I feed too much meat, including organs, they get diarrhea and gassy.

The cats are fed something like that ratio, but a bit higher in the organ meats, as that is what my fussiest cat wants. They are old, they win. I am making a batch of catfood tomorrow...broth is on the stove, 20 lbs of legs are stripped and the bones are boiling, and there are 10 lbs of livers in the fridge, waiting. Tomorrow I will add carrots, pumpkin, zuchinni, and collards and some of the broth and grind it and can it.

I add a product called Pet Health with OPC's and Glucosamine. It is basically superantioxidants for heart health, allergies, and general health (no symptoms of OCD or allergies when my older dog gets it steadily) and the glucosamine as added insurance for joint health, although the raw diet gives a lot of that. I also add a multi for canines from the same line since I am using mostly storebought ingredients and know how depleted our foods are. I add the supps when serving the catfood as they shouldn't be cooked. I stir them into peanut butter for the dogs so I can control who gets what, as the older dog does very well on double to triple dose of the OPC's. It is fairly inexpensive, a 90 serving canister is about $22-24 for a medium dog. I use feline supps for the cats and the OPC's. I notice a big difference in one of the cats in particular and the older dog if I run out or get lazy for 2-3 days.

I love it so much that I do sell it. Don't do an online search, check in with me if you want it. I offer discounts for quantities or referrals. Get your vet to talk to me and you can avoid shipping if he/she will sell it. I take the people version (at the insistance of one of my docs years ago) with fantastic results, so I started my pets on it.

You asked!

 

[Dace]

Thanks Free! As always, you are a wealth of great info!

I feel pretty good on what lil' fatty is eating. In fact I am going to go hop on the scale with him and see if there are any changes. I can tell you that his odor is WAAAAAYYYYYYY down, nearly gone. This poor dog has had such an odor problem for so long! Watching tv and relaxing at night my Hubby would randomly say "Is the dog near me?" Good grief it smells!' then I'd look behind Hubby's sofa and lo and behold there is the lil' fat smelly! So the decrease in dog odor is AMAZING and that alone has me completly convinced in raw.

I will definitely do raw for our new (not home yet) kitty!

PS....Lil' Fatty lost a pound, he is down to 27 from 28 4 weeks ago.

 

[freemotion]

I can tell you that his odor is WAAAAAYYYYYYY down, nearly gone. This poor dog has had such an odor problem for so long!

No stinkin' way!!!

 

[Dace]

Very funny