Anyone else feed an all RAW diet?

[bckrazy]

Good news! My Mom went to our local Whole Foods Market and got a 3# bag of Steve's Real Food, Turkey, and Gonzo got to try a couple nuggets and he loved it! I guess I have to go refresh my memory about transitioning from kibble to raw...

[beyond_me]

Does a raw diet help with weight gain? I have a pitty too that I can't get to gain weight. She did fill out pretty good but we got a new dog and now she stays pretty skinny. I have been feeding her can food now to help but it is not. Also she gets pretty bored with food but I have her on chicken soup and I like it for the price and food, so I don't want to keep changing her food to keep her happy because I can't aford better food but I don't want to give her what petstores sell. Is it a lot more to feed raw? I have 3 about 50 pounds each dogs.

[bckrazy]

beyond_me, I think raw would work really well for a dog that needs to keep weight on. Or a dog that needs to lose weight. Because you can really accurately measure the caloric value in meats that you feed, and she really would love eating it. In even great kibbles, the calories and ratio of grains/meats/etc totally varies from one bag to the next. I've heard of a meal you can feed to dogs to add weight... I forgot what they're called, but I think they mainly consist of a ball of hamburger meat, egg, and other stuff. Some one else might be able to help you with that.

[beyond_me]

Thank you. I think I am going to start checking this raw stuff out.

[zoomer]

My 1/2 dog (Diesel) eats that. He's not a chubby dog... that's for sure. But it works.

[binka_nugget]

I just switched the Shelties back to premade raw. I'm going to start buying bulk from a supplier soon so I can add in my own veggies and supplements. Kai was THRILLED to be eating raw again!

[Roxyluvsme13]

Aww..you guys make me wanna switch my dogs to raw! Totally absolutely no way mom is going to agree to that. Roxy really needs to go on Raw, especially if it would help with weight gain.They both have pretty perfect teeth though, but ah..Raw sounds really great!

[binka_nugget]

Aww..you guys make me wanna switch my dogs to raw! Totally absolutely no way mom is going to agree to that. Roxy really needs to go on Raw, especially if it would help with weight gain.They both have pretty perfect teeth though, but ah..Raw sounds really great!

What's Roxy eating now? When we adopted Kaedyn, he was at a disgusting weight. We started feeding him a puppy formula instead of adult because of the extra calories. It worked really well (too well actually.. LOL).

[Roxyluvsme13]

What's Roxy eating now? When we adopted Kaedyn, he was at a disgusting weight. We started feeding him a puppy formula instead of adult because of the extra calories. It worked really well (too well actually.. LOL).

A generic brand of Kibbles and Bits and Alpo...
We put her on more food though, because she wasnt eating enough, and she looked like we had starved her, but of course we didnt.
But at this exact moment her dry is Dog Chow, because it was on sale.

[wolfsoul]

RAW feeder here! I do a prey-model diet because it is what is natural. The majority of premade diets (and alot of homemade diets) have too much bone. Rabbits are only 10% bone --- a chicken thigh alone is 15% bone. Alot of premade and homemade diets also have too much vegetable. In the wild, dogs do not eat alot of vegetable matter. Only the stomach contents of the smaller animals are consumed -- the larger animals' stomach contents are shaken out and are not eaten. The taste is bitter, wolves do not like it. So I only feed veggies every couple of days, and not very much. I feed several different kinds of meat and organs. I do not feed vitamin supplements, as I feel they are not needed.

I feel that people make RAW more complicated than it really is. I just think about what happens in the wild and take it from there. I don't measure or weigh. I just feed more or less depending on what Visa's weight looks like. I don't do percentages or things like that. I just make the meal mostly meat, with organs and some bone, and sometimes vegetable or fruit matter. It doesn't matter if the meal isn't nutritionally balanced -- as long as there is variety in every meal, there will be enough nutrition.

Since being on a raw diet, Visa has gained weight, her breath doesn't smell, her coat is shinier, she has more energy, her behaviour has improved, she is more relaxed in stressful situations, she sleeps better, etc. Her teeth haven't improved much, but she doesn't do alot of recreational chewing. I love RAW, I'll do it forever.

[Giselle]

beyond_me, I think raw would work really well for a dog that needs to keep weight on. Or a dog that needs to lose weight. Because you can really accurately measure the caloric value in meats that you feed, and she really would love eating it. In even great kibbles, the calories and ratio of grains/meats/etc totally varies from one bag to the next. I've heard of a meal you can feed to dogs to add weight... I forgot what they're called, but I think they mainly consist of a ball of hamburger meat, egg, and other stuff. Some one else might be able to help you with that.

I think you're talking about Satin Balls
http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

I know a lot of conformation people who use satin balls when they're traveling on shows because it can provide a temporary fatty diet to keep their dogs weight and coat healthy.

Roxyluvsme13, I really recommend you either feed Roxy more (how many cups of Dog Chow are you feeding right now?), go to the vet to rule out medical problems, and/or start supplementing her diet with meat. Skip the veggies, fruits, bread, and all that other junk. What Roxy needs to fatten her up is fat and protein. Dogs are quasiomnivores, and, as such, they usually thrive on a higher than normal protein/fat diet. Since Satin Balls are nice simple way to supplement Roxy's diet, you can continue to feed Dog Chow and add a couple of these balls to her daily portion.

Bckrazy, they sell Steve's Real Food at Whole Food Markets??? I had no clue!! I have to check this out!

[bckrazy]

YES! And they're actually priced reasonably... I think, like, $2.50/lb, which is what Evo costs.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I think you're talking about Satin Balls
http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

Roxyluvsme13, I really recommend you either feed Roxy more (how many cups of Dog Chow are you feeding right now?), go to the vet to rule out medical problems, and/or start supplementing her diet with meat. Skip the veggies, fruits, bread, and all that other junk. What Roxy needs to fatten her up is fat and protein. Dogs are quasiomnivores, and, as such, they usually thrive on a higher than normal protein/fat diet. Since Satin Balls are nice simple way to supplement Roxy's diet, you can continue to feed Dog Chow and add a couple of these balls to her daily portion.

Bckrazy, they sell Steve's Real Food at Whole Food Markets??? I had no clue!! I have to check this out!

She gets 2 in the morning, and 2 in the evening + Alpo in the evening..what are Satin balls?

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

She gets 2 in the morning, and 2 in the evening + Alpo in the evening..what are Satin balls?

It explains what Satin Balls are in the link Giselle posted...

[Roxyluvsme13]

It explains what Satin Balls are in the link Giselle posted...

I didnt notice it till after I posted
Like my mom would buy hamburger for the dog...