I'm thinking about feeding my dogs a raw diet and am in the learning process. I was just wondering if anyone else feeds their dogs raw meat.

while I personaly don't do it I think it is great! There is a great site called Raw learning as well as some great books out there. You have a couple options including a home-made raw diet or a pre-made raw (the safer choice until you really learn a lot about raw feeding) pre-made raw foods include Bravo!, Ohma's Pride, Nature's Variety, Natures Logic, Primal and Steeve's Real food.

I hope this helps you out! YAY to you for going raw!!!!!!!!

Yes, i do feed my some of my dogs a raw diet.

Infact, i've read it is even better.

[CorkyMax]

This is a healthy way to feed your dog---but be aware there is a lot to be learned---You have to use safe meat--organic is best of course and you have to make sure you are giving the right proportions of everything--too much meat is way not good---will give some web sites for you to look into at end of this post. Supplement with salmon or fish oils, Vitamin E esp. when using fish oils as this depletes Vitamin E. I give vitamin C. Make sure the calcium intake is sufficient--not too little or too much-both bad. There is so much I could tell you but just can't do it----would take so long and I'm a one-fingered typer to boot. Also if you would read some of the many posts under title in this forum on Health and Nutrition--you might find some good info too.

A few questions---What kind of health are your dogs in--any issues? How old are they? Do you plan on feeding raw chicken necks? (I do) Can't remember what all info. is in these web sites I will give you--hopefully enough of what I'd like to tell you. Another thing--when you are making the transistion--the dog will be getting rid of any toxins in it's system, which can be shown in a few dif. ways--diarrhea for one. But getting rid of any toxins is a good thing for the dog---as this is a cleansing, and a 'pouring' out through the body--dog may appear sick (don't know exactly how to say what I mean here so don't take everything literally!) And you have to change over gradually to a different diet. What are you feeding now--name of dog food?
How much do your dogs weigh? Another thing---feeding raw veggies--you have to pulverize (food processor-whatever) to the consistency of very fine particles (about the size of a pinhead (which I find hard to do but do the very best you can to get as close as possible) Dogs can't process the cellulose walls of veggies and if not crushed for them--they get very little nutrients out of them and will just go right through the dog undigested---you can check on carrots especially by examining the feces--if you see bright colored carrot pcs.--you know not much digestion done there--try harder to crush finer before feeding next time.m Now if I haven't 'turned you off ' completely--will leave you with some addresses to click on-- best one 1st--
BARF for Beginners - Most Frequently Asked Questions The Many Myths of Raw Feeding
Raw dog food | Raw diet | Raw dog food recipes Also put words in your browser like raw feeding/dogs raw diet/dogs etc. Happy and informative hunting.

Please answer my questions as I may have more to tell you later
Have to go feed my 2 now--I'm only about 2 hrs late--Lol, I get into this forum and I never get out!

Hey, thanks for the info!

I've been on another forum (dog food chat) learning a little about raw feeding and getting advice but haven't started yet. It sounds really interesting and am hoping it will help my ailing dog and give them both good health.

Now I'll answer your questions (I don't know how to do the quote thing - if it can be done on here - so I have to go back and forth between your post and mine - there must be an easier way).

I have two dogs - an almost 3-year-old Jack Russell (weighs about 15 pounds) and a 5-1/2-year old mixed breed (collie/terrier - weighs about 45 pounds).

The Jack Russell seemes to be pretty healthy. The mixed breed has a bad limp in his right back leg and has a dry nose, dry skin, isn't very active and is very grouchy. (sounds like he may have hypothyroidism but I'm not fond of vets and haven't taken him there yet - was hoping a raw diet might fix him naturally).

I was thinking about feeding raw chicken necks but read something about dogs choking on them. Do you have any trouble with that? I guess not if you feed them to your dogs. ops:

I read about the diarrhea thing. I'm having visions of cleaning up runny poop all over the house! Oh, well . . . ain't like it hasn't happened before.

By the way, when you feed your dogs raw meat, do you do it in the house? If so, is it pretty messy? My Jack Russell likes to carry his food away from his dish and I'm having another vision of chicken guts and yuck all over the house! . . . or worse yet . . . LIVER!!! YUCK!!!!

Sorry . . . back to the questions. The dog food they currently eat is Purina Kibbles and Chunks. They like it but it's probably full of dyes, preservatives and who knows what else.

I read something that said dogs shouldn't eat grains, that their digestive systems don't tolerate grains well and that grains can cause allergies.

Sorry for the rambling and thanks again for the info. I'm going to bookmark the websites you gave me. I have a lot of reading, researching and thinking to do about this but I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it (just don't know when) because I want to see if it will help my grouchy dog.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by anifunk1962

Hey, thanks for the info!

I've been on another forum (dog food chat) learning a little about raw feeding and getting advice but haven't started yet. It sounds really interesting and am hoping it will help my ailing dog and give them both good health.

Now I'll answer your questions (I don't know how to do the quote thing - if it can be done on here - so I have to go back and forth between your post and mine - there must be an easier way).

I have two dogs - an almost 3-year-old Jack Russell (weighs about 15 pounds) and a 5-1/2-year old mixed breed (collie/terrier - weighs about 45 pounds).

The Jack Russell seemes to be pretty healthy. The mixed breed has a bad limp in his right back leg and has a dry nose, dry skin, isn't very active and is very grouchy. (sounds like he may have hypothyroidism but I'm not fond of vets and haven't taken him there yet - was hoping a raw diet might fix him naturally).

I was thinking about feeding raw chicken necks but read something about dogs choking on them. Do you have any trouble with that? I guess not if you feed them to your dogs. ops:

I read about the diarrhea thing. I'm having visions of cleaning up runny poop all over the house! Oh, well . . . ain't like it hasn't happened before.

By the way, when you feed your dogs raw meat, do you do it in the house? If so, is it pretty messy? My Jack Russell likes to carry his food away from his dish and I'm having another vision of chicken guts and yuck all over the house! . . . or worse yet . . . LIVER!!! YUCK!!!!

Sorry . . . back to the questions. The dog food they currently eat is Purina Kibbles and Chunks. They like it but it's probably full of dyes, preservatives and who knows what else.

I read something that said dogs shouldn't eat grains, that their digestive systems don't tolerate grains well and that grains can cause allergies.

Sorry for the rambling and thanks again for the info. I'm going to bookmark the websites you gave me. I have a lot of reading, researching and thinking to do about this but I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it (just don't know when) because I want to see if it will help my grouchy dog.

Am not going to make mention of things to do with raw feeding--in this post because I'm hoping I can post this before you get out of forum right now. First of course I am not a vet or expert---self taught thru a lot of looking on the web---seeing things (answers) on dog forums and I do have a very good home veterinary handbook and have 2 dogs of my own for 10+ years. Why do you think the 5 and a half yr. old dog may have hypothyroidism---I can find no indication of a bad limp to do with this! I am wondering if you should take him to vet and get that leg checked out---also he would be grumpy if the leg was bothering him and it must be or he wouldn't be limping on it and also he wouldn't be very active because of this. Am going to quote from my vet handbook: Limping indicates pain or weakness in the involved leg. It is a common sign of bone and joint disease, but it also occurs with muscle and nerve injuries. [COLOR="Red"]FINDING THE CAUSE[COLOR="red"][COLOR="Black"]Consider the history and circumstances surrounding the appearance of lameness. Did the lameness appear spontaneously or was there a history of injury? A dog usually takes shorter steps on a painful or weak leg. You may notice that his head bobs or drops as his weight comes down on the painful leg. Having identified which leg is involved, try to identify the specific site and possible cause. First examine the foot and look between the toes. Many cases of lameness are due to foot injuries such as sprains, pad lacerations and penetrating puncture wounds caused by thorns and splinters. (me talking here---Do you know the weed called foxtail---it has hairy top and is soft but has barbs or something that can make it go into the skin and you may not even know it is there if it has been there a long time---look up foxtails on your browser----They can get up in between the paw pads---Does or did your dog go through an area that might have this weed in it--I think they are pretty common--I have them-hard to get rid of--esp. since I won't use weed killers, etc. because of my dogs--end of me here-back to quotes: Carefully feel the leg from the toes up. Locate areas of tenderness by applying gentle pressure. Next, flex and extend all joints from the toes to the shoulder looking for resistance (lack of easy movement). Resistance is a sign of joint pain, which will be evident when the dog attempts to pull the leg free. (me talking now--I am going to post this part of the quotes right now and come right back with the rest---If these posts become to long--they end up getting eliminated!

[CorkyMax]

continued where left off--Quotes: Having located the site of pain, the next step is to try to determine the cause of the pain. Consider the following:
[COLOR="Red"]INFECTED AREAS[COLOR="red"][COLOR="Black"] are red, warm and tender, and are often associated with skin lacerations or bite wounds. There may be purulent drainage from the wound. The limp grows steadily worse. An abcess may be developing. (me again--I realise that some of this may not apply (and then again it might, but I do have to quote the entire subject on the matter) Quote: [COLOR="red"]SPRAINS AND STRAINS[COLOR="Black"] occur suddenly and are often accompanied by swelling and bruising. Usually the dog is able to bear some weight on the leg. The lameness may persist for days or weeks. [COLOR="Red"]FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS[COLOR="Black"] cause severe pain and the dog is unable to bear weight on the leg. Some degree of deformity is present. The tissues are swollen and discolored from bleeding. [COLOR="Red"]INHERITED ORTHOPEDIC DISEASES[COLOR="Black"] generally come on gradually. Young dogs are affected. There may be a few local findings to explain the lameness.
Swelling, if present, is often slight. The lameness persists and grows worse with time. [COLOR="Red"] DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE, also called artritis
[COLOR="Black"]or osteoarthritis, is the most common cause of lameness in older dogs. The lameness is worse when the dog wakes up and improves as it moves about.[COLOR="Red"]SPINAL CORD INJURIES and PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURIES[COLOR="Black" produce weakness or paralysis (without pain) in one or more limbs. A firm mass or swelling without signs of inflammation suggests a bone tumor. Pressure over a bone tumor causes varying degrees of pain. Consider this diagnosis in a mature dog with an unexplained limp.

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]DIAGNOSTIC TESTS[COLOR="Black"] Bone scan---expensive CT Scan and MRI---expensive Synovial Fluid Analysis--Synovial fluid is a viscous joint lubricant that contains hyaluronic acid. The fluid can be removed using a sterile needle and syringe. Analysis helps to determine the cause of the joint swelling. Normal synovial fluid is clear and pale yellow. Blood in the fluid indicates recent joint injury. Pus indicates joint infection (septic arthritis). More pages to look at on this subject--back with another post soon. HOW LONG HAS HE HAD THIS LIMP? Guess you will have to try and ignore the 'color words' here as evidently they aren't working right now!!!

Ive read you dont need to give your dogs onions or garlic. I know carrots are good for them. What about green beans or peas? My mother will give a few cooked green beans to her yorkie and she eats them like they are going out of style! Shes 16 years old! We just got a new dog (Pooh) a shih tzu and I want to keep him as healthy as we can. He eats science diet food and we give him treats once in a while. We're not letting him eat food off the table. A bad habit of mine with previous dogs.

I feed a raw prey model diet. My dogs like it, are in condition and look great. There is a lot to learn but it is really not that complicated, once you start its really easy, it becomes habit.

Here is a helpful site about raw feeding.

Raw Fed Dogs/

Originally Posted by Pooh's Mama

Ive read you dont need to give your dogs onions or garlic. I know carrots are good for them. What about green beans or peas? My mother will give a few cooked green beans to her yorkie and she eats them like they are going out of style! Shes 16 years old! We just got a new dog (Pooh) a shih tzu and I want to keep him as healthy as we can. He eats science diet food and we give him treats once in a while. We're not letting him eat food off the table. A bad habit of mine with previous dogs.

Well since onions are toxic I certainly don't see it as needed to give to a dog, nor chocolate either. Garlic is less toxic and some people give small amounts for a couple of reasons but of course you don't need to give it to them. It's your choice if you'd like. Some swear it will keep fleas away, a problem I don't have anyway.

Some of mine get carrots from time to time, they are not harmful. Although they can't be digested it is a nice "treat" for them that doesn't add calories/fat to their diet. So they feel like they are getting something special even though its just a carrot.

Peas and green beans are also ok to give.

Science Diet isn't a good food. Some are better then other but most all are made with low quality ingredients and fillers. Some with harmful chemicals also. I wouldn't give food off the table either which promotes begging and somethings we eat are not good for dogs but somethings that we call "table food" are good for your dog, better then science diet.

I can't remember a specific injury to my dog with the limp, but we live in a wooded area and have lots of weeds, and I don't use weed killer either, so getting a thorn or sticker or something like that in his foot is a possibility. I'm pretty chicken to probe around on this dog much because he has somewhat large teeth and I don't like pain.

I had a vet student check him out a while back and he couldn't find anything very unusual except for the tenderness. He also did 3 tests on him - one for Lyme disease and I can't remember the other 2, and they were all negative. I need to take him to the vet but money is an issue right now and I also don't like mainstream medicine - I like natural stuff. To be honest, I don't really trust vets to be able to find out what is wrong without it costing a lot of money. I tried him on a natural joint supplement but that didn't help.

I suspected hypothyroidism because he had the other symptoms before the leg problem - dry itchy skin, anxiety, anti-social, not very active, grumpy, etc., and I googled hypothyroidism in dogs and found some of those symptoms. I also read something about ligament problems in hypothyroid dogs.

I thought it was a joint problem at first because he seems better after he is up moving around and worse after he is inactive for a while. He will actually go outside and run a little bit but not a whole lot.

You got a great link to the Barf Diets, I wanted to add that grains are not bad for your dog, you can buy the grain free foods, these will have potatoes in them, mostly more protein also, dogs do need carbs whether they are from grains or another source of carbs. Look for foods without by-products

With all the ("Natural") pet food advertised today, check out the ingredients, you can always look on Itchmo for imput on dogfoods and recalls, and there is a site called The truth about pet foods

[CorkyMax]

I think you should take the 'grump' to the vet and get a simple blood test done to determine if your dog has hypothyroidism---then you wouldn't have to wonder anymore and from what I have just read----It is easy to treat--thyroid replacement tablets (for life) If your dog does indeed have it--will take about 3 months to hopefully get him back to his old happier healthy life.
I still think the new diet you want to start is a good idea---it should bring healthier results than any commercial dog food, BUT, I don't think anything is going to cure hypothyroidism---Think you will still need the thyroid replacement tablets. My daughter has this and she is on pills for life. Another suggestion is to talk to a holistic vet and ask if it can be taken care of by nutrition alone. Evidently doesn't happen for humans or my daughter wouldn't be taking pills. It has to be regulated by the tablets. I would wonder if more bad things could happen to your dog if it has hypothyroidism and it isn't being treated for it?

Getting back to more on raw feeding: Yes I feed raw (never cooked) chicken necks but am still a little cautious about them (I'm overly cautious most the time, anyhow). My Max (the cocker) is spoild and has a tendency to either swallow too big a pc. or just won't eat it unless I cut it in 1" or so pcs. Corky (the cocker/golden retriever mix) eats them whole--chews them up first. Right now I have been cutting his up somewhat as he just had some teeth removed. As far as them making a mess---they don't, lol, anytime
Max thinks the size pc (chicken neck) is not to his liking---Corky will grab it right up. I use a raised diner for dogs (like a short low table w/2 holes for the bowls) I have to say this here now---I've heard that raised diners are not good as can create gas in their stomach and thus more chance for bloat.
Anyway, I came across this hint on another forum--Buy a couple of carpet door entrance mats (the big ones), put his bowl next to it--becomes his area to eat. Have 2 so can rotate (one in use, one is being washed/dried, one is clean.) Note--I am copying this the way she wrote it so have to figure it out
Person is from either Canada or England---I suppose we have the same kind of mats, but what is the big one---gives you the idea and guess you can wing it for your situation! Suppose you could also lay down yesterday's newspaper esp. when giving necks--just put on (not colored) the paper.
A few more comments---Even though some places state it is okay to feed raw pork or fish---I WON'T!!! Salmon (esp) from the Pacific ocean area has some kind of parasite/fluke that can kill your dog if ingested.---Cooked fish is okay of course, as well as cooked pork. I give them canned salmon once in a while---but does have a little too much salt-----so I only give 3-4oz. at a time and not 2 days straight. My dogs weigh 35-40#. I add a raw egg along with this usually and some oatmeal (cooked well--not digested as well as should be. Don't feed much grains---only oatmeal---the best of grains for dogs. Grains are bad for a lot of dogs anyhow as they also can cause allergies. But you do need some carbs. which would be best in form of raw pulverized veggies. (I mentioned in a previous post to you about veggies)
Corn is worst grain and wheat is next. Iam going to end this for now--getting long again and don't want it 'shot down'!

Feeding your dog a raw diet is typically the best thing you can do for your dog. I recommend using a prepared raw diet because it has the proper ratio of meats, vegetables, nutrients, and the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. Unless you are a nutritionist, just feeding raw yourself, could cause your dog to not get all of the proper nutrion that he needs. I know some people who just buy meat from the grocery store, and throw in vegetables, I don't trust that because you don't know if your dog is getting everything they need. I use to feed my dog a venison formula form primal, I found that to be the best because it was the only formula I could find that was all venison, other companies venison formula had venison meat, but, lamb heart, lamb liver, lamb lungs, or chicken, and I needed an all venison formula because my dog was having allergic reactions to his Innova after being on it for 15 months. He had developed chronic diarrhea on the Innova and lost weight like crazy. So, I had to find out what protein he was allergic to, and I couldn't do that on other brands because I needed a novel protein source.

So, the raw diet did wonders, I also recommend using a enzyme product from Prozyme also, you should use it with any dog food you use, but, it's really necessary in the beginning of a raw diet till your dog's body get's use to the change of food. My dog did great on it, but, my wife had trouble with the smell, and all of the extra stuff that came along with feeding raw, such as freezing the food, keeping so much out in the refrigerator, then heating it up in a bag in warm water, then washing his bowl immediately after feeding because we have kids, so, we were very happy when we came across Ziwi Peak, which is a raw diet also, except it is air dried, so, it comes in a bag like kibble, and there is no heating or anything. It's the best of both worlds, the convenience of kibble, but, the nutrition of raw.

If your dog is not allergic to anything, then go with primal or natures variety raw food.

Great site this Dog, Dogs, Dog Breeds, Dog Training =Canine Wonderland= I-Love-Dogs and I am really pleased to see you have what I am actually looking for here and this this post is exactly what I am interested in. I shall be pleased to become a regular visitor

Sorry I'm just posting to this. I didn't know it was here.

About the hypothyroidism, I have it myself and I don't take conventional medicine for it. I tried that when I was first diagnosed and it didn't work - made my thyroid levels go up and down. I now go to a naturopathic doctor who has me on supplements for my thyroid and I think it's finally getting regulated. The supplements are made up of animal thyroid and other animal glandulars. I've learned and believe that our bodies are made to heal themselves when given proper nutrients, so that's why I think maybe, if my dog does have hypothyroidism, it may be corrected if he is taken off of the garbage dog food I've been giving him and start him on a raw diet. I want to try that first, anyway.

About the raw feeding, I've heard pros and cons about feeding chicken necks. On the "raw food forum," I was told that, for my size dogs, they can choke easily on chicken necks. I ordered chicken backs to start with, and when I opened the huge 40-pound box, it was nothing but chicken necks! ARRRGGGGHHHH! Someone on the other forum told me to hit them a few times with a hammer and that should be okay. Whew! I'm going to try that, but I re-ordered chicken backs too. I haven't actually started the new diet yet. I'm still getting my thoughts together and trying to make sure I have everything in place to start it.

My dogs tend to carry their food away from their bowl - at least the Jack Russell does. He even likes to play with his dry food sometimes. That's why I'm thinking he will carry it to another room. The mat is a good idea, though, but I think he will still try to take off with the meat. I may try to start feeding them outside until they get the hang of it and I see how it's going to work.

Thanks to everyone for advice - I need it!

[UnderDog]

Haven't read the whole thread so won't post much incase I am just repeating, Lol!
All the dogs in my signature are fed raw/whole prey and as of yet, none of my personal dogs have had to have any medical treatment (some are currently over 13 and only just about starting to slow down) for anything. I wouldn't feed anything other then raw now after seeing the affects.
My dogs get a mix of deer, chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit, phesant, beef, lamb and all the bones/organ to go with them. Then to mix it up a bit I will feed a bit of boiled brown rice, carrot, green beans, insects, berries etc.
This is what fed my 4 Border Terriers last week, and is about average of what they eat every week, now keep in mind they also work whenever possible (usually every day or every other day) for 1+ hour and they walk 4+ miles daily with a weighted back pack, so if your dog is about the same size but less active, they won't need as much. Generally dogs need 3% of their body weight, so start with 2% of their body weight in food then put it up to 3% or down to 1% depending on how their weight is. And the normal amount for meat/bone/organ ratio is 80%/10%/10%.
Need anything just ask =] x

I cook for Sammy, but my aunt has 3 dogs and they are all on the raw/barf diet and they are doing fantastic. I used to have a dog that loved it, but I decided to start cooking for him because it was just too messy. My mom feads her cockapoo Royal Canine and some raw patties that she buys frozen. My mom and I recently went to my aunts and my aunt raved about the benefits of a raw diet. So my mom went out and bought Sara some chicken wings. My mom said that Sara nibbled the middle part of the wing and at 3 o'clock in the morning started to throw up and had the runs. She ended taking Sara to the vet 2 days after cause she continued to get diarrhea. The vet gave her some shot. 2 days later she had to take her again because Sara's diarrhea was not ending and she was getting pretty weak. They took x-rays and everything was fine. We do not exactly know what happened, but my mom is done experimenting with Sara's diet, it cost her alot of worrying and heart-ache, not to mention a pretty costly vet bill. So I geuss the benefits vary from dog to dog. Just like with people, one food may be good for one person and that same food might make someone sick or give them heartburn or something. Good luck!:mrgreen:

I cook for Sammy, but my aunt has 3 dogs and they are all on the raw/barf diet and they are doing fantastic. I used to have a dog that loved it, but I decided to start cooking for him because it was just too messy. My mom feads her cockapoo Royal Canine and some raw patties that she buys frozen. My mom and I recently went to my aunts and my aunt raved about the benefits of a raw diet. So my mom went out and bought Sara some chicken wings. My mom said that Sara nibbled the middle part of the wing and at 3 o'clock in the morning started to throw up and had the runs. She ended taking Sara to the vet 2 days after cause she continued to get diarrhea. The vet gave her some shot. 2 days later she had to take her again because Sara's diarrhea was not ending and she was getting pretty weak. They took x-rays and everything was fine. We do not exactly know what happened, but my mom is done experimenting with Sara's diet, it cost her alot of worrying and heart-ache, not to mention a pretty costly vet bill. So I geuss the benefits vary from dog to dog.

Wow, that's a lot of dogs!

If you don't mind me asking, what work does your dogs do? That sounds very interesting. I would love to put my dogs to work so they can earn their keep.

I started a blog in February with a different breed of dog each week, and before I post a new article, I do research on that breed and have learned that a lot of different breeds were bred to work. It's called Pick of the Litter.

I believe I saw that you have Jack Russells? I would be interested in knowing if they do any work because I have one of them and would like to see him do some work for a change.

I'm planning on starting the raw feeding soon, in the next day or so. I've asked a lot of questions on forums and have done some reading and thinking and just got chicken backs today to start out with, so I think I'm ready.

love pets as voguemalls did