Re: Raw Food Diet

I have considered a raw food diet for my Chow Chow and my Jack Russell Terrier. I would be interested in hearing from those people who are feeding this diet. How about for cats?

Re: Raw Food Diet

My two dogs (Cockers) love raw carrots, potato pealings & most other fruits & vegtables as treats.

Re: Raw Food Diet

We had our 2 pitbulls on the raw foods diet for about a year. They both loved it! Because of their size, they received a pound of raw meat and a 1/2 pound of raw fruits and veggies each day. We mixed everything ourselves, which became tedious at times. We used a food processor to puree the fruits and veggies with a little non-fat, plain, organic yogurt. Ocassionally we added flax seed for their coats, and usually gave them a raw egg too.
Our older dog, a male, has always been really slender and can't seem to gain weight. He also has a lot of skin issues. All of the skin issues cleared up after about a month and a half. He gained weight, but it was healthy, muscular weight. He acted like a puppy again.
Our female is a muscular, stocky dog who tends to put weight on in the winter when she gets less exercise. She slimmed down and her fat was transformed to muscle very quickly.
Another advantage was the fact that they LOVED IT, and that you could give them a bite of banana or carrot for a treat!
Ultimately, it just became too difficult and too expensive for us to continue with the all raw foods diet. We were giving them chiken or turkey backs and necks that had to be ordered in 80 lbs. boxes at anywhere from $.95 to $1.10 a pound! If we didn't have 3 dogs now who are all over 50 lbs., we would definately be giving them this diet.
It is definitely worth checking into, especially if you have a little extra $ to pamper your pets or have your own garden, or just have a smaller pet!

Re: Raw Food Diet

We have just started all our animals on a raw food diet (Primal prepared raw food). Our 2 yr old Pit loves it (except for the buffalo variety) and we mix raw veges and sometimes egg in there also.
The cats are another story! we have six and they are not fans of the raw food. We are having to mix it with tuna or mackeral canned food and Friskies (which seems to be klitty crack!) in order to get them to eat even the tiniest bit of raw food. It is definitely more time consuming and more expensive than kibble. I will definitely continue feeding our dog raw but the jury is still out on continuing with our cats!

Re: Raw Food Diet

My dogs eat raw foods and they do great. They are healthy and fit and have never had a problem

Re: Raw Food Diet

I have friends with 7 dogs, all are on raw, and doing fantastic! It does take time, and some running around to hit the good sales, but their dogs love it, and they all look wonderful!
They do it all in bulk, and bought a freezer just to store the "batches". When feeding that many raw food you have to be ready in advance.
Good luck!

Re: Raw Food Diet

I feed 4 cats and one dog on raw food. The cats have thrived! One, with a food alergy that caused sever diariha, has not had an issue since starting the raw food diet (raw chicken). My dog is doing great, too! She had ear infections and skin rashes before being put on the raw food diet (raw chicken, a mix of veggies added). It is a bit of a trick to get going...not as easy as opening a bag and pouring out kibble, but once you get in the grove, it is not a big deal and the animals thrive!

Re: Raw Food Diet

six cats here. I had a diabetic (I lost her to cancer last year) and learned about the low carb / species appropriate approach to feeding through that. I switched her over to a raw diet and her need for insulin vanished (of course she started refusing raw after about two weeks, but she was old I couldn't blame her) after having previously needed seven units twice a day while on dry!

Two of my cats had urinary issues while on dry/canned food... nothing in the almost two years since they have been on raw.

I got my info on a raw diet from a vet, she runs a website at http://www.catinfo.org. Lots of great help on getting cats on a species appropriate diet - weither it be raw or canned.

Re: Raw Food Diet

Are the additive free brands such as Eagle Pack and Wellness as good as all that I've heard? Not being a scientist, I can only accept that these higher quality brands are superior to those in the grocery store-?

Re: Raw Food Diet

My Persian cat Oscar is a BRAND NEW CAT after just 2 months of a raw food diet. I had no idea there was a healthy, fluffy, playful boy underneath what seemed to be an aging, listless animal who had lost his fluffy undercoat years ago. You can read the whole story at my blog: http://www.arenaissancelife.com/pets/i-must-be-crazy-im-feeding-my-cats-raw-food/

Re: Raw Food Diet

Hopefully this will be clickable:

Read my raw food story

Re: Raw Food Diet

Hopefully this will be clickable:

Read my raw food story

Re: Raw Food Diet

My sister had a Rotti that wasnt to crazy about it at first.It took him a few days to get used to it,because well he LOVED his cooked meat..After a few days though he liked it

Re: Raw Food Diet

In my research I found a few brands of dry food that are sepcies specific and are based on the raw food diet. Eveno, Wellness, and Innova as well as others, I was nervous about the raw food prepared by others as I don't want my dogs to get sick and I was not sure about how to mix it my self and make sure all the necessary nurtients were in there for them. I would love to transition them or supplement with the raw food diet if anyone knows a good health brand. I just want to get away from the store brands all together. They are doing well on the Wellness and next I am going to try the Eveno as it is more like the raw food diet.

Re: Raw Food Diet

I love Evo (by Innova). It is a gluten free, holistic, gently cooked alternative to raw. My Maltese loves it. She gets that mixed with home cooked meat (gently boiled) chicken or beef (and sometimes a hardboiled egg) every day.

Re: Raw Food Diet

We have a new boxer puppy (4+ months) and I am concerned that he get all he needs to prvent any of the diseases known to plague boxers. I previously had 3 old girls who had a multitude of issues, skin being the major one, and would like to avoid this. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Raw Food Diet

I adopted a border collie who was starved most of her 1st year of life which shows in the front legs. The Vet wanted me to put her on Kibble and suppliments. I did. She was filling out ok but a few years later I heard about the raw diet and I did major research on it. After about 4 months of research, it was unanimous - a Raw Diet it is.
I prepare all her meals myself using organic meats, bones, RMB's, organ meat, fresh eggs (from my neighbor), kerfir, some veggies, green tripe, organic herbal green supplement from Animal Essentials, Imported Salmon Oil, Colostrum, bee pollen, probiotics, digestive enzymes, calcium from the sea, LaKota K9 for Joint Care, etc.
She looks like a different dog, her coat is blindingly shiny and feels like silk (it was dull & brittle), her teeth look great, no bad breath, when she gets wet she doesn't smell like most wet dogs, less waste, eyes are clear. Other than having ACL surgery on her knee in 2005, she hasn't had any health issues and she is 8 years old now. Every dog is different, there isn't 1 diet that is good for all dogs. Some think I am a little obsessive about my pets diets, but that's my choice. They eat very little food with preservatives.
She's a angel, really. Very sweet, gentle, quiet, she doesn't do anything bad, like my Corgi, Sadie who is hell on wheels.
I feed my 2 dogs and 3 cats raw. It works very well for my animals. NO ONE should feed a raw diet without doing research, you really have to be aware of what their nutrional needs are.
Thank you,
Pinky

Re: Raw Food Diet

I adopted a border collie who was starved most of her 1st year of life which shows in the front legs. The Vet wanted me to put her on Kibble and suppliments. I did. She was filling out ok but a few years later I heard about the raw diet and I did major research on it. After about 4 months of research, it was unanimous - a Raw Diet it is.
I prepare all her meals myself using organic meats, bones, RMB's, organ meat, fresh eggs (from my neighbor), kerfir, some veggies, green tripe, organic herbal green supplement from Animal Essentials, Imported Salmon Oil, Colostrum, bee pollen, probiotics, digestive enzymes, calcium from the sea, LaKota K9 for Joint Care, etc.
She looks like a different dog, her coat is blindingly shiny and feels like silk (it was dull & brittle), her teeth look great, no bad breath, when she gets wet she doesn't smell like most wet dogs, less waste, eyes are clear. Other than having ACL surgery on her knee in 2005, she hasn't had any health issues and she is 8 years old now. Every dog is different, there isn't 1 diet that is good for all dogs. Some think I am a little obsessive about my pets diets, but that's my choice. They eat very little food with preservatives.
She's a angel, really. Very sweet, gentle, quiet, she doesn't do anything bad, like my Corgi, Sadie who is hell on wheels.
I feed my 2 dogs and 3 cats raw. It works very well for my animals. NO ONE should feed a raw diet without doing research, you really have to be aware of what their nutrional needs are.
Thank you,
Pinky

Re: Raw Food Diet

2 more comments - one concerning loriawilkinson's comments.
I totally understand your concern about raw feeding, although it sounds like you are interested. Depending on where you live, we have an All Natural Pet Food Store within miles of our farm & there are several top quality pet food mfgrs (believe me, there ain't many) that make freeze dried raw food. Have you checked that out? Wysong, Natures Variety and Stella and Chewy are the best in my opinion. I purchase them and keep them on hand for when I do not have the time to prepare my girl's dinner. Natural Balance, a company started by the actor Dick Van Patten, makes these meat rolls. They come in Lamb, Turkey, Chicken or Beef. They are between 65 to 75% meat (meat, organ meats, etc.), they also contain some fruits and veggies, vitamins and minerals. They look like the packaging that sausage comes in, that long, round package. It comes in 1 lb., 2 lb and 4 lb rolls. They slow cook them at very low temperatur in the package they come in, which doesnt cook away all the good stuff, ie amino acids, vitamins, etc.

The other comment I wanted to say is my Holistic Vet said unless you know the Owner of the Pet Food Company don't trust what they say....... :)

Re: Raw Food Diet

I fee my Chins Primal ( raw duck). They seem to like it, at times they put their nose up at the food. I am still in the stage of trying out the diffrerent Pirmal flavors. I also feed them green beans, apples, and carrots for snacks. I supplement their diet with flaxseed oil. They get a salmon kibble snack when I am training them.
My cat is very fussy, he is old. I give him EVO, low carb diet. He is on insulin and I'm trying to get him off the injections.
I can reccomend a wonderful pet store here we have in our area. The owner , Bill, has extensive knowledge in pet foods. I am blessed to have him in my area. Bills Wonderland of Pets, 600 North White Horse Pike, Somerdale NJ 08083 Phone: 856 435 0800. When ever I need, he has the answers. My dogs are healthy and the cat numbers are low. He does not carry junk in his store. He has the home made, Holistic, you name it, if it is healthy, he has it. He spends major time in the store with his customers. I really like that and I trust him with my babies. etc. He can advise you on the best diet for your animal.

Re: Raw Food Diet

My Austrailan Shepherd, Sally, was diagnosed with Lymphoma at 7 years of age. This was devestating news for me. I did a lot of research and, while she did go through chemo, I learned how to make her a complete RAW food diet. She went into remission for about 12 months and was happy, playful, and had the most wonderful coat she had ever had in her life. I fed her 'the best' kibble prior to that. It IS a lot of work. I would chop meat, veggies, etc., cook oatmeal and lentils, and add appropriate supplements to make her breakfast and dinner every day. Beside the supplements, the recipe was pretty easy - 1/2 cup protien (meat, eggs, cottage cheese), 1/4 cup veggies, and 1/4 cup either oatmeal or lentils or potatoes. I am aware that there is much controversy over feeding oatmeal/lentils/potatoes to your dogs... so just take that as what I did. I found good recipes in Dr. Pitcarin's book - not sure if I spelled the name correctly or not. My supplements included fish oil, enzymes, probiotics, and a few other special ones for her immune system. While expensive, I believe this is the best way to go. I used RAW ADVANTAGE as a back up - just kept a few in the freezer - in case of emergency. On occations I would cook her up some stew made from all organic veggies and meat - and boy was it good - I had it for dinner too! I think that's about the only time during that period of time that I actually ate a good meal - I spent so much time preparing hers, making sure it was just right, and I would throw a lean quisine in the microwave for me - Oh Brother - I know. But her health was the top of my list. She did pass away, but I'll never forget the lessons I learned from her and would be happy to share those to anyone who has the time, patience and money (yes it is expensive) to do this. Making batches ahead of time and freezing is a great idea - I didn't have the space at that time, but now have a chest freezer so I can.