• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Raw Feeders (Dogs)

Nanci

Nanci

Alien Lover
So, I can't afford to feed pre-made raw, and I don't have time to feed homemade raw.

I would like my dogs to benefit from the teeth-cleaning effect of raw bones, though, so I was thinking I could feed chicken parts or turkey necks a few times a week.

It's my understanding that I can replace 2-3 meals a week (~20%) without having to worry about supplementation. So that would be roughly a couple turkey necks = one meal, or three chicken wings, or a wing and a thigh.

Does that sound right?

I'm feeding Taste of the Wild, 360 calories/cup, twice a day, two dogs get one cup, one dog gets a cup and a half.

They love antlers, but now I've heard that they could fracture a tooth, which I could not afford...
 
I've switched from mostly raw to mostly Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw). Looks more expensive than it is -especially the formulas with oats make a ton of food. They say a ten pound box makes 40 pounds, but it's closer to 70 the way I mix it. The grain free formulas don't blow up the same, but are more nutrient dense. As for raw poultry, thighs have a pretty good nutrient profile if skinned, necks and backs are pretty fatty if I recall. I think I found the breakdowns on Leerburg, but it's been a while since I ran across that.
 
Just some pics!
baha5a4a.jpg

mamany7a.jpg

basa3yre.jpg

du3e6u7y.jpg
 
I buy Grizzly rabbit feet on line. They are dehydrated (though they look like someone just tossed the feet into a bag). They have the bones in and the hair on, so the hair acts as natural floss and the bones of course clean. I don't know much about Florida and if there are a lot of deer that people hunt, but you can always reach out to deer hunters and ask for the hides and legs. I usually will cut off the legs at the knee so there isn't a lot of meat, and Grizz eats the hide, ligaments, hooves, etc, and loves chewing on the bones once he eats the soft tissues. I've never fed him chicken with bones, only because (even though I KNOW raw bones are safe) I still get nervous.
 
I give turkey necks to my dogs as they are larger breeds. My one dog refuses deer meat so I finally stopped feeding straight raw...it was just too expensive. I've also fed chicken backs, pork necks and chicken necks although the chicken necks are pretty small for my 70 lb dogs...
 
Pig feet = toothbrush :)

If you already know this, forgive me, but just make sure not to feed raw and kibble in the same meal as they digest at different rates.

Your rates also sound good to me, as a "snack" you shouldn't have any need to add supplements.
 
IAmLink said:
Pig feet = toothbrush :)

If you already know this, forgive me, but just make sure not to feed raw and kibble in the same meal as they digest at different rates.

Your rates also sound good to me, as a "snack" you shouldn't have any need to add supplements.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks! I did not know that!

By pigs feet you mean just raw, right? I remember my grandfather used to like pickled pigs' feet. NO WAY!!
 
No, just raw pig's feet...only problem is there is a lot of fat and it can give dog's the runs. I prefer turkey necks as they are lean and mostly meat and bone. I've never had issues feeding both the kibble with the turkey neck sitting in there. They digest all sorts of crap and dogs are not picky as to what they eat and when....at least not most...
 
Grizzly gets very, very sick from any sort of pork. Cooked or raw.
When we have overflow of meat at the center, I take some home and mix it with his kibble, he never had any issues.
 
I read that some dogs have trouble, some don't, maybe the ones with grain-free kibble have less trouble.

I've already got Rose with the touchy stomach, who will be starting probiotics and digestive enzymes this weekend- see if that makes a difference. Right now I'm grinding her food and limiting water and exercise immediately before and after eating.
 
Grizz gets fed Nature's Variety Raw Boost kibble, no grains that I know of. But I'm not 100% sure. I would stay away from pork if Rose has a touchy tummy. Just my thoughts, but of course, all dogs are dfferent
 
AliCat37 said:
Grizzly gets very, very sick from any sort of pork. Cooked or raw.
When we have overflow of meat at the center, I take some home and mix it with his kibble, he never had any issues.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a sensitivity (often diagnosed as an allergy) to pork. My EB is like that with chicken in dog food, but oddly, not raw chicken. I too have mixed raw with kibble regularly with no issues.
Nanci said:
I read that some dogs have trouble, some don't, maybe the ones with grain-free kibble have less trouble.

I've already got Rose with the touchy stomach, who will be starting probiotics and digestive enzymes this weekend- see if that makes a difference. Right now I'm grinding her food and limiting water and exercise immediately before and after eating.
Click to expand...

I use Eagle Pack "Holistic Transition" with good results. I have customers who buy "Organic Pet Superfood Digestion formula" and swear by it. It's mostly mushrooms and is pretty expensive, but feedback has been so solid, I will grab one the next time I have a digestive issue. Or my dogs do! :)
 
When I got Ella (the black one) I was told that she had a chicken/poultry "allergy." She had horrible coat issues and was constantly scratching. I got her on major flea protection, which helped a lot. Grain free, poultry free, beef free diet. Supplemented irregularly with sardines and coconut oil. It's the worst in the spring, and I give her Benedryl. I've worked chicken/poultry treats back into her diet, and there is no change. I believe she had seasonal allergies on top of a major flea allergy. Which is great- it's easy to avoid chicken in the main diet, but harder in treats, much less grain-free treats.
 
What beautiful dogs! My dog will eat anything but I could not get him to eat raw chicken. Raw beef yes but not chicken. I also thought Beau had a chicken allergy but I think it was fleas as well but even with trifexis he still gets all these red spots and he is on taste of the wild as well. I used to give him the fish but now hes on the lamb formula. I gave up on attempting even partial raw feedings because it always gives him diarrhea. So I just give him leftover cooked meat and veggies to supplement.
e6a3uzur.jpg


Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
 
Okay, I'll post a pic too. Grizz loves his deer scraps.

tepa6a9a.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Since it came up--

I've also never had issues mixing raw & kibble in the same meal. There is actually a brand, Nature's Variety (especially the Raw Boost formulas), that adds freeze-dried raw directly into the kibble with the idea that it aids in digestion--helps them more thoroughly digest the kibble and get more from their food. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Beyond that, I can't help a great deal! I do supplement with raw, but I'm lazy (and get an employee discount, hehe), so I just use the pre-made frozen formulas. My guys have steel stomachs, so they rotate between 4 different brands and 5 different protein sources without any issues. Their only real restriction is Stump's poultry allergy.

I've contemplated asking my uncle to save me deer/elk legs (or at least the ankles/feet since my guys are little), but I fear safely transporting them 1200 miles may be a bit difficult. :p
 
I've always recommended not feeding raw and kibble in the same meal because raw meat goes through a dogs' gut much faster than kibble, which takes longer to break down and digest (not including freeze-dried raw which I don't have much experience with outside of treats).

Not that I'm saying it's awful to do so! Just that it can potentially lead to a dog having an issue even if it is a small risk. If no one's had any issues with it then that's great! But I have two sensitive dogs and mixing raw and kibble has led to some digestive upsets and, in an extreme case, vomiting. It seems to be a bigger issue though with older dogs who's systems don't run as well as they used to.

In response to the pigs feet, yes raw not pickled lol ;)
I do love turkey necks because they're great at cleaning teeth, but I also like pigs feet if you can get them/can feed them because the pork skin is very tough and acts like dental floss. If you can't feed pigs feet due to limited availability or an allergy, I would always recommend feeding whole strips of green beef tripe (not the bleached stuff in grocery stores!). It works just as well for teeth flossing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top