Raw meat diet for dogs

Jansperson

My dog is ''tired''of dry dog food and was just wondering if anybody has experienced raw meat diet mixed with rice and salmon oil.It has much benefits to the pets compared to the dry food.

dharma200

There are lots of threads on this online... people have many different (sometimes strong) opinions on raw feeding, so be careful what you ask for lol.. My three dogs have been on raw for over two years, you have to research loads to make sure they are receiving the right balance.. our dogs diet consist of mainly lamb (neck etc) chicken, kidneys heart, fish and occassionally other bits and pieces of raw meat depending on our butcher. A good butcher is obligitory... read read read.... our dogs (large) are all extremely healthy, gums/teeth/coat in such amazing condition our vet was in shock... their coats are amazing and they are lean, muscular and fit. Many people are against this type of feeding for whatever reason, and you will see ancedotal stories online about dogs keeling over, poo being a strange colour etc etc. I would not feed my dogs pedigree chum if it were the last tin on earth, last time they were fed tinned dog food by a fimaily member they had disgusting runny soft stools and looked ill. It is more expensive we find, but then I wouldnt like to have the vets bills some might have after feeding aldi dog food for years... dogs have no smelly breath.. hths and be prepared for answers and or debate on this issue, many threads have been started that have gone askew because for some reason people seem to think they are experts on issues such as this. Research research research

Nody

Every time it's brought up I'll link back to this thread; it simply has a ton of useful information from people starting the process and what they did/how it went.

Jansperson

Nody,dharma200,thanks for contributions.My dog(Lab) will be happy to get something different.I'll stick to raw chicken meat with a rice some boiled veggies.Is it truth chicken wings and drumsticks are not recommended due to the inclinations of the injuries(of sharp small bones)?

toadfly

As long as they chew them well wings are fine but for a big dog like a lab you might be better sticking to legs and similar if you aren't sure. I have given wings to my staffy and she's been fine.

aonb

Jansperson wrote: »

My dog is ''tired''of dry dog food and was just wondering if anybody has experienced raw meat diet mixed with rice and salmon oil.It has much benefits to the pets compared to the dry food.

I know nothing about the raw meat diet (I have a vegetarian tendancy!!), but just wanted to say that the quality of the dry food is really important if thats what you're feeding. It might help to change to another brand regularly. You could moisten it too to improve flavour. You could vary his diet by giving him something else other than dry food. I feed my lot chicken thighs with rice & veg alternating with beef, potatos & veg alternating with a mix from the butcher. I cook up a big batch once a week & store in the fridge in a huge tupperware. Smells great & economical too.

What breed/age is your dog? Im sure you'll get lots of advice on here from people with their own preferences/recommendation.

Jansperson

aounb,my dog is a Lab,7 years of age.
I was mixing the dry food with a milk,he liked that,then giving him yogurt too.Without diary products he even didn't bother to eat!And lately he ignores the dry food completely.
I changed the food,mixing can food with dry food.Worked Ok but it's a pricey, right.I'm considering cooking method mixed with a raw food but don't want to feed my dog with a leftover from the plate. C'mon,he is not a pig:-)

aonb

Have you checked his teeth/gums?

Probiotic yogurt is very good. Cow's milk isnt good for dogs.

Buy a double pack of chicken thighs/legs (E3.99 or less) put in big pan with lots of water, add 2 cups of rice (40c) add a couple carrots/some peas/chopped up turnip or squash (E1-2). Boil up. Remove the bones from the chicken, chop up, mix it all up in the pan. Enough for 1 week. Watch your dog SLURP it up!

muddypaws

Why are you going to add rice and cooked veggies? A raw diet is just that, raw meat. And chicken bones are fine, as long as they are raw.

I really wouldn't recommend adding milk to a dog's diet, yoghurt doesn't really do much either. What brand of dry food were you feeding?

Jansperson

I used to give him Royal Canine Maxi Adult, then I switched to Eukanuba Lab.Later one denied by my dog.

Hooked

aonb wrote: »

Have you checked his teeth/gums?

Probiotic yogurt is very good. Cow's milk isnt good for dogs.

Buy a double pack of chicken thighs/legs (E3.99 or less) put in big pan with lots of water, add 2 cups of rice (40c) add a couple carrots/some peas/chopped up turnip or squash (E1-2). Boil up. Remove the bones from the chicken, chop up, mix it all up in the pan. Enough for 1 week. Watch your dog SLURP it up!

But the OP is asking about feeding raw. Not boiled (cooked). Our fella does the 'raw feed dance' as soon as I open the thawed parcels we pre-prepare and freeze.

I made the switch to feeding half of our meals raw and its made a huge difference. Check out the thread linked above and dogsfirst.ie website and Facebook for more info, feed guides and recipes.

My freezer now has everything from brisket bones, salmon off cuts, mackerel heads, prepared mixed parcels (veg, rice, meat, salmon oil, eggs, fish and herbs), and offal ( hearts, kidneys, etc).

Raw all the way

Hooked

muddypaws wrote: »

Why are you going to add rice and cooked veggies? A raw diet is just that, raw meat. And chicken bones are fine, as long as they are raw.

I really wouldn't recommend adding milk to a dog's diet, yoghurt doesn't really do much either. What brand of dry food were you feeding?

But raw can include veggies and brown rice, herbs, salmon oil and others mixed in with the feed. Check out the feed table over on dogsfirst.ie

Natural youghurt contains good Bacteria for the dogs stomach and I feed a spoonful every now and then.

aonb

muddypaws wrote: »

Why are you going to add rice and cooked veggies? A raw diet is just that, raw meat. And chicken bones are fine, as long as they are raw.

I really wouldn't recommend adding milk to a dog's diet, yoghurt doesn't really do much either. What brand of dry food were you feeding?

My post started out with a statement that I know nothing about RAW, and was giving my alternative which is home cooked - the OP did say:

"I'm considering cooking method mixed with a raw food but don't want to feed my dog with a leftover from the plate. C'mon,he is not a pig:-)"

Muddypaws PROBIOTIC YOGHURT is good for digestive health (and the bit of extra calcium doesnt go astray)

I suggested OP check his teeth/gums which would be one of the 1st things I would check with a dog going off his food ...

muddypaws

Hooked wrote: »

But raw can include veggies and brown rice, herbs, salmon oil and others mixed in with the feed. Check out the feed table over on dogsfirst.ie

Natural youghurt contains good Bacteria for the dogs stomach and I feed a spoonful every now and then.

No, you're alright thanks. Call me a cynic, but someone joins forums, saying how great raw feeding is, then all of a sudden, a business pops up. Hmmmmm, great groundwork done, I'll give you that, but not a business that I want to have any dealings with. Also advocated feeding rescue dogs those dumped burgers, with onion etc in them, but sure they're only rescue dogs. Two of quite a few reasons why I certainly won't check out that website. I'll wait for an email from him now, like the ones I used to get if I dared to disagree with him on here.

Do you have research on that about yoghurt, I also used to give my lot some, until I was told it has absolutely no benefit at all.

aonb wrote: »

My post started out with a statement that I know nothing about RAW, and was giving my alternative which is home cooked - the OP did say:

"I'm considering cooking method mixed with a raw food but don't want to feed my dog with a leftover from the plate. C'mon,he is not a pig:-)"

Muddypaws PROBIOTIC YOGHURT is good for digestive health (and the bit of extra calcium doesnt go astray)

I suggested OP check his teeth/gums which would be one of the 1st things I would check with a dog going off his food ...

Have you got any evidence for that in dogs? Not arguing with you, just would like to see why you think that, having had long conversations with a scientist who thinks that probiotic drinks and yoghurts are a very clever marking strategy, but have absolutely no benefit whatsoever.

Jansperson

Re teeth/gums are OK, Vet checked them,he did ''dental check'' by removing the stones,however there were none.It all started because I brought my dog to the vet and I smelled sometimes a strange smell out of his mouth(of my dog's not of vet's:-)).Vet recommended the different diet,so I switched to Eukanuba.But my dog denies it completely and raw food would be the choice.

borderlinemeath

I feed mine raw and it has improved their appetite immensely. I have a female setter, almost 6 who used to pick and graze at her food, she loves the raw food and will now take kibble as treats, which never worked before. My male setter loves it too.

I feed either chicken backs or duck necks with a bit of offal or salmon mixed with a bit of spud & veg or rice and a wee bit of offal as well. I find it good to mix it up a bit, keeps it interesting for them. The only thing I find is my female isn't overly fond of offal so tends to leave it when it's just with the chicken/duck but doesn't notice it when it's mixed in with the salmon/spud/veg.

aonb

muddypaws, have no proof to show you that probiotics are good, other than that since the stomach is made up of good and bad bacteria, and that balance is important to maintain, I choose to use probiotics. The vet has told me that my gastric-sensitive dog will benefit from probiotics, and I know my hens have never had sour crop or any crop problems cos I give them probiotic yogourt regularly. They inhale it!! Plus the good quality yogourt I use (home made too) is high in calcium, that wont hurt either.

Dogs being carnivores are meat eaters. It makes sense to feed raw, but its not for me as I have a problem handling raw bits and bobs! Lucky dogs whose owners will go to the effort of feeding raw

fatmammycat

aonb wrote: »

muddypaws, have no proof to show you that probiotics are good, other than that since the stomach is made up of good and bad bacteria, and that balance is important to maintain, I choose to use probiotics. The vet has told me that my gastric-sensitive dog will benefit from probiotics, and I know my hens have never had sour crop or any crop problems cos I give them probiotic yogourt regularly. They inhale it!! Plus the good quality yogourt I use (home made too) is high in calcium, that wont hurt either.

Dogs being carnivores are meat eaters. It makes sense to feed raw, but its not for me as I have a problem handling raw bits and bobs! Lucky dogs whose owners will go to the effort of feeding raw

I think it's actually guts that are made up of good and bad bacteria and dogs have a relatively short gastrointestinal tract. The gasatric PH in a dog's stomach is low and very acidic which is what helps them digest bones and raw food easily, it's also what allows them to eat carrion and spoiled food without getting sick like you or I would.
I don't really see what a probiotic yoghurt would do in this environment, but hey, if it does no harm then why not. I often add a bit of cooked rice to my dog's raw diet, I doubt he gets much from it but a few extra calories, but he's a very active dog so it makes ME feel better. I dont bother with veg at all. It seems to pass straight though him, so I don't think there's any point to it at this stage.

AllAboutDogs

I have a Great Dane and a Boxer and they both love their raw meat and bones! I buy raw chicken legs and thighs for the Great Dane as it was recommended from the breeder. I also go to the butchers and ask for any leftover bones they might have. I also give them tuna in sunflower oil as its great for their coats.

muddypaws

fatmammycat wrote: »

I think it's actually guts that are made up of good and bad bacteria and dogs have a relatively short gastrointestinal tract. The gasatric PH in a dog's stomach is low and very acidic which is what helps them digest bones and raw food easily, it's also what allows them to eat carrion and spoiled food without getting sick like you or I would.
I don't really see what a probiotic yoghurt would do in this environment, but hey, if it does no harm then why not. I often add a bit of cooked rice to my dog's raw diet, I doubt he gets much from it but a few extra calories, but he's a very active dog so it makes ME feel better. I dont bother with veg at all. It seems to pass straight though him, so I don't think there's any point to it at this stage.

I think thats why some dry dog foods have prebiotics in them, but don't bother with probiotics.