Raw food diet-- need input!

[dogs_4_me]

What do you guys think about the raw food diet?! Do any of you have your dogs on it? I have my retriever on it, she seems to do well. but raw food...makes you wonder lol ...Please reply!

[binka_nugget]

I think it's generally a great diet! I've heard more good stories than bad. It really depends on the dog though.

My dogs used to be on the raw diet. I switched them back to kibble because of the cost and lack of room. We're getting an upright freezer soon so I'll be putting them back on raw since we can buy in bulk. They did really well on it, especially Kaedyn. I just realized recently how horrible their teeth are, how much bigger their poops are, Kaedyn's lower energy level, their okay-ish coats and how much itchier they seem to be since switching back to kibble.

[dogs_4_me]

WHen i did take emma off for a short time period her teeth weren't nearly as good, and her coat was not to shiny.

Do you feed your dogs turkey necks?..emma seems to love them but she eats them wayyyy to fast!

[binka_nugget]

Yup! They got (chicken and turkey) necks on a regular basis. They LOOOOOOOOVED them!

Maybe you could try holding the bone while she chews? I have the opposite problem. It takes Kaedyn 20 minutes to eat a single neck. :p

[cali]

I feed RAW I there is no way I will EVER go back to kibble! I really dont know too much about how well my others would so on kibble, but it saved Happy and shadows lives. Happy was voilently ill all the time when she was on kibble, and shadow was gonna be put down at the age of 4 because she was in so much pain from arthritus she could not even stand, she was on purina one, the only kind of kibble that did not make her throw up 5 times a day, after the switch well, shadow is 8 years old now and running around playing like a puppy :p Happy is a sub 4 second flyball dog, very healthy and has a gorgous shiny black coat :D Ripley well, picture do the talking for him lol

the day we brought him home
http://users.accesscomm.ca/k9furkids/pets/feb13RipleyFront.jpg

and few days after the switch
http://users.accesscomm.ca/k9furkids/pets/ripley_trot_2002519.jpg

:p

[dogs_4_me]

woooo what a change in those two pictures!!!!!!! Well I've definitly made up my mind over kibble/raw food! haha i just wish i had a bigger freezer!

[tatsxxx11]

Here's a link to one of the many discussions we've had on Pet Talk re: the BARF diet. Hope it helps!:)

Barf Diet (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22381&highlight=Barf)

[cali]

lol hey we dont have a big freezer either lol we just have to re package the bones in smaller packages and buy less at a time :p

[guster girl]

My RB dog, Bruno, was put on a raw diet about two years before he died, and, it made me a believer. He went from barely being able to walk around the yard to jumping back up on the bed and couch. Stopped throwing up sometimes daily, his fur was shiny, teeth were better, he wasn't pooping as much, way more energy! So, when I got Finn in February, he had been eating Iams, but, I switched him right over to the raw diet. It's been fantastic. He's in awesome shape and looks wonderful! I'll never feed kibble again. I've never felt GOOD feeding dog food, or even cat food, even when I was young and before I had even heard of the raw diet. I always felt like I was doing my pets a disservice. But, I didn't know there were alternatives. My ex and I had a cat (he keeps Lock with him) and Lock eats raw as well. I don't feed necks cuz Finn is a gulper. I only feed him stuff that's at least as big as his head so he HAS to chew. But, it's different for every dog.

[dogs_4_me]

thanks everyone!

[dogs_4_me]

how many necks or backs do u feed ur dog per night?

[cali]

that would depend on the dog.. my little dogs eat about 6 necks eack, while the big ones dont eat any necks but get a couple of backs each. but I have smaller dogs. my biggest is really not that big lol

[dogs_4_me]

lol ok thanks,

[guster girl]

I feed Finn close to three pounds a day. He eats whole chickens or pork ribs or beef or fish. Just feed according to your dog. Watch her waist! The guideline I remember reading is something like 2 to 5% of the dog's weight. But, it also depends on the dog's activity, too.