raw poll

[ashleycat]

My vet said he sees too many dogs come in sick and have injuries from bones.

I know yall said vets didn't have much info on nutrition.

My poll..

How many did get sick or injured from feeding raw?

[Kfamr]

Nope, never. I have been feeding them raw for a few months now.

Yes, vets generally don't know a lot about nutrition. Are you sure the injuries were from RAW bones? I've heard of many horror stories with cook bones, but I've yet to experience or hear of any with raw. The worst I've heard of is teeth wearing down on beef bones.

[ashleycat]

Hubby gave Charlie cooked bones. So that's why he got sick

[.sarah]

My opinion is that if a dog gets injured from a raw bone, you are not feeding them the right sized pieces. Always feed big raw meaty bones, especially until you know how well your dog chews. My Labs can't handle anything small, but Mandy does great with any sized RMBs. She actually had cut up lamb necks today, with no problems. She chews very well.

It's also very likely that your vet was talking about cooked bones.

[JenBKR]

Vets may very well see a lot of injuries and sicknesses from people who feed raw....my opinion is that would be from owners making mistakes and not doing it right. Feeding raw takes a bit of research time on the part of the owners, and if not done properly I think it may cause some of the above. I don't feed raw personally, at least not at this time, so this is just my opinion so I may be way off

[.sarah]

Nope, Jen, you're completely correct! The only injuries from raw bones that I've heard of where from owners who did not feed proper RMBs for their dog's size and chewing ability.

[ashleycat]

ok so other than getting hurt from wrong bones. HOw would feeding raw make them sick? just allergic to it right?

[Kfamr]

I wouldn't imagine that a dog would be allergive specifically raw. They could be allergic to a specific meat but it wouldn't matter if it was raw or cooked in that case.

When first being fed raw, dogs' stomachs can be sensitive. It's best to take it very slow and start with a bland, plain meat such as chicken and the move onto different meats.

[IRescue452]

No sickness or injury on raw. Autumn did get very sick on a higher quality kibble though. I'll bet most of what the vet sees are cooked bones. Very few people feed raw currently, the diet is too new to see so many problems at one vet. Most people are just learning the advantages and they think they can get away with feeding cooked meat because its less "gross".

[binka_nugget]

Nope, my boys have never gotten sick from raw. Our vet was very helpful when I was learning about feeding raw. He never told me to feed one thing or the other, he only gave me his experiences.. no opinions. He told me that in all his years of being a vet, he has never seen a single dog get sick or injured from the raw diet. He has seen countless cases of dogs that got cooked bones and were injured, but never raw. Of course, it'll happen with raw.. but whenever I hear mishaps with the raw diet, I always find out the dog was being fed an inappropriate sized RMB.

[CathyBogart]

ok so other than getting hurt from wrong bones. HOw would feeding raw make them sick? just allergic to it right?

The problem that I've heard comes up once in a blue moon...

A dog who eats very enthusiastically can asphyxiate if it tries to swallow too much bone in one gulp. Star is an extreely enthusiastic eater so I monitor her especially carefully, but she seems to know to chew up bones.

[Glacier]

The only problem we've ever had from raw is that caribou gives several of my dogs the runs. Oh, and the occasional disagreement about which bone belongs to which dog!

[CathyBogart]

Oh, and the occasionally disagreement about which bone belongs to which dog!

LoL, yes, we had a disagreement this morning when Jasper decided Wilbur's half of a game hen was more appetizing than his. Silly boy.

[finn's mom]

I've never had a problem with it, either. I've fed Finn (who'll be three in December) this way since the day he came home (at 7.5 weeks). There are risks with everything, from feeding kibble to canned food to a homecooked diet to feeding raw. I, personally, decided on raw because, after research, felt that the benefits far outweighed any risks involved. I'm sorry Charlie got sick.

[ashleycat]

Ok, so if I'm just starting out, can I give her just the boneless chicken, and give a big beef bone? just scrape off all the beef for now untill she gets used to chicken? Just so she has a bone to chew?

I know her teeth need cleaning, this rmb helps right?