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Tikka has been on a prey model raw diet since she was 11 months old. I'm wondering if there are other pups on the forum who feed a predominantly raw diet?
I feed raw. Have fed my girls raw (some home made some pre- made) since they were six months old. Once you go raw, I think you can never feed kibble again.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
Maximos-I find with my girls I have to rotate the proteins every three days or they (actually just Miko) will get bored and not eat. We rotate chicken/pheasant/quail/turkey/sardines/and rabbit.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
That's a good ideas JessicaRabit. I tend to trust Tikka about chicken. If I try to feed it a couple of times and she doesn't eat, I assume something is wrong with it, e.g. Salmonella. The bacteria that cause spoilage are different from serious food borne pathogens, so I may not know if the chicken has high loads of the bacteria. Since dogs have a much better nose, I think she may know something about the chicken that I don't. So I usually throw it out. It doesn't happen that often though, as I am very careful about chicken. My other thought is that she knows her own body and what she needs, so although I pretty much stick to the framework of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone; 10% organs - She may not need as much bone in a particular week and refuse to eat the chicken. If I know the chicken is fresh, I'll refreeze it and try again next week.
Saya is kibble fed right now She loves her fishy wellness core ocean, but I plan to switch her to raw in the next week or month depends on how things go. I already got an idea what I'm going to order from haretoday and some other sites.
I love the idea of raw it just makes sense I'm almost set up for it I just need to get a kitchen food scale and a meat grinder for when I'm not able to get home on time I can just have my family feed her the ground meat/organ/bones..Nicole, Bella(Boxer), and Saya(Shiba inu)
I feed some combination of Raw and Barf, I buy everything from the grocery store, never pre-made. I don't vary meat that much since Akira is really picky.I love my Akira (shiba inu)
I'm a B.A.R.F feeder too....have been doing it for 10 years, which means my Shibas have had it since I got them as pups (I started it with my GSD when his allergies became too overwhelming....really really helped).
I just fed my crew green tripe....Ugh! Smells awful, but they love it, and I know it is good for them.My life revolves around two Shibas and an American Akita puppy
Today I plan to go to Meijer they have some good deals on chicken so I'm picking up some chicken breast, thighs, legs, and some boneless meats. I'm pretty excited I plan to start Saya tomorrow on her first chicken I hope she likes it.
Yesterday my mom bought me another pack of Denver lamb ribs Saya loves her lamb ribs. lol
I hope she doesn't get too gassy with the switch I might go look for some probiotics just in case to help with the transition.
What brand would be good to get my options are only at petsmart I've read some people give their dogs human grade probiotics thoughts on that?
I'll probably just not do the probiotics I'm sure once her system is used to it she'll stop being gassy she didn't fart at all at least not bad when I gave her first Raw meal of lamb ribs..
I'm getting a kitchen scale to help me with getting the right weight on all her meals since I'm new to this, but I'm sure once I get the hang of it I won't need it.
I can't wait to post how Saya does with her chicken I have a feeling she'll lick it for a while then she'll love it and eat it or try to bury it under the towel.. lol
This will be my first time feeding raw full time I had given the dogs raw egg once a week, but this will be a big leap. lol
I plan to do chicken for a few weeks then add organs once that's settled I plan to add a different protein Saya seems to take to changes to her diet pretty well, but I'll still take it slow just in case.
I guess I'll see tomorrow if all my months and months of research on this has paid off. lolNicole, Bella(Boxer), and Saya(Shiba inu)
Just curious. So could I just give my pup a raw chicken drum stick just like that? And he can eat the whole thing including the bone? Thanks.http://severusthesupershiba.tumblr.com/
As long as your dog is not allergic to chicken a raw chicken leg bone and all is fine for him. Chicken bones are only dangerous cooked.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
Thanks. He's been on pre-made raw for 2.5 days now and he seems to be less itchy and has even more energy than before.
If I were to give him some raw meat..what would be the proper way to clean his paws after he touches the meat? Do I just shampoo his feet with his shampoo?http://severusthesupershiba.tumblr.com/
Wait, so dogs can eat uncooked chicken, etc.? I haven't read into raw diet much, but for some reason I was just thinking raw=cooked people food. For example, say we (the humans) eat chicken for dinner and put the package in the trash. If for some reason the dog got into the trash and licked up the uncooked chicken juice/pieces, they wouldn't get sick?
Edit: Well I guess that makes since. Their digestive system is designed to eat dead uncooked animals. I guess since growing up with dogs that only ate "dog" food I grew accustomed to thinking they can't eat the raw stuff.
Sounds like you answered your own question, but to reinforce, raw means exactly that RAW. My girls (both of them apparently...oh well) are allergic to chicken so we don't feed them that but they eat raw pheasant, rabbit, quail, duck, venison, lamb and sometimes turkey. We buy the pre-made raw. It is nutritionally balanced so less calculating for us, and frankly we are vegan and the smell of that even makes me gag. The pre-made contains the meat, organs, and bones of the specified animal as well as vegetables. My dogs LOVE it.
We feed Primal Brand http://www.primalpetfoods.com/Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
For a long time I have been considering RAW, especially for my ferret, but I'm not sure where one would get the meat. I honestly do not trust the cleanliness of meat from a lot of the supermarkets near me, not to mention its a huge expense. Does it really make a big difference for someone who feeds high quality kibble, and supplements with cooked foods? I know it makes a difference in wolves and hybrids because they have much higher nutritional needs then a domestic dog, but I'm not so sure with domestic dogs. That and a lot of people also do not seem to take into account a wolf eats the whole animal. That includes fur and everything else, not to mention wolves are also running miles a day, suffer from injuries, and they don't even eat every day, whereas our pampered pooches eat on a regular basis and for many cases do not even walk as much as a wolf runs in a day. I know it's natural for them to eat RAW but I also know the "natural" diet for human doesn't actually equal a longer life, just as I have yet to see a RAW dog outlive a kibble dog or vice versa. That and a lot of people do not realize wolves have very runny stools compared to our dogs, so when you feed a dog raw it does happen. I know people say wolves live longer on RAW but wolves live longer then dogs of equal size in general (in captivity of course). I do not think it is so much a result of diet, as it is about having better genetics in general. I also know that wolves in captivity have vitamins added to their RAW anyway (can you tell that I plan to own a hybrid one day?). I just wanted to know because I see a lot of people supporting RAW (especially after the kibble scare), but I haven't seen any substantial evidence that its better for the dogs, except for dogs who suffer from allergies. If anyone has anywhere they can direct me, that would be great.Ariel (me), Zora (parent's/family Rottweiler), Haru (my ferret), Kenshin (my "first" dog, Shiba Inu)
After 2.5 days on RAW my puppy has been more energetic, less itchy, and he has very solid poo and does it less often now.http://severusthesupershiba.tumblr.com/
Actually Ariel, the life expectancy of a dog fed RAW has been shown in studies compared to a kibble based diet is nearly double.
My vet who specializes in canine nutrition refers to kibble (even premium, prior to seeing her I was feeding Orijen) as "bags of death". She put it fairly simply," you can use the most beautiful ingredients, but you are still refining and compressing them down to little food pellets. How is that healthy?"
Wolves do eat the whole animal (not fur though you are mistaken about that), however so do dogs who are fed RAW. As I stated above, my animals are fed the meat organs and bones of the animal. My dogs are also run 3 miles 2 times a day and given a minimum of an hour of off leashing running every day as well. My vet whom I get vaccinations from was skeptical of RAW originally (remember most vets receive their nutritional training from corporate sponsored programs like Hills). She they looked at how RAW transformed my dog Piglet. Piglet was 10 years old, had been fought/abused and was riddled with tumors when I rescued her. Her abdomen was so filled with growths she looked pregnant. After 6 months of RAW even AFTER knee replacement surgery was able to run 3 miles 2 times a day. The swelling was gone and while eventually a brain tumor did claim her 2 years later, my conventional vet will be the first to say had she lived with anyone else she would have died much sooner and with far lower a quality of life.
She also now feeds her dogs RAW.
My holistic vet has many of her patients live past the age of twenty.
Miko and Ruby have been raised on RAW. Their teeth are perfect/ Their skin is healthy. They have remarkable tone and health.
If you do the research you will find that RAW is the most healthful optimum lifestyle for a dog. Longer lifespans, lower cancer rates, and superior quality of life in senior years.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
A big part of my fear with the RAW diet is if I feed it to my Shiba Inu, will it make it harder for me to not make him think of my ferret as a meal? My ferret grew up with cats who caught their own live prey and it took a bit of time for them to not treat him as something to stalk, but with a Shiba who will be much bigger, I don't know if it would be a good idea to feed RAW. Maybe if I cut the meat into small pieces? I wouldn't mind feeding it, if this isn't the case (Im not saying RAW creates bloodlust, only that having something running around that sort of looks like dinner may be a problem) but i do worry about bacteria and parasites. I also lack the availability of a local butcher, which I think is a must for this sort of diet. I have always liked RAW for the teeth aspect, and it would be really nice not to have to pay for a dentist visit down the road. If you have any books you would recommend I would greatly appreciate it. I'm open to things that will benefit my animals, but I'm a skeptic by heart, so I always want to see compelling evidence before I just jump into anything.Ariel (me), Zora (parent's/family Rottweiler), Haru (my ferret), Kenshin (my "first" dog, Shiba Inu)
1. Frank you ask..."If I were to give him some raw meat..what would be the proper way to clean his paws after he touches the meat? Do I just shampoo his feet with his shampoo?"
-- They do get it on the paws etc. I feed in the kitchen in isolation or crate. Get unscented baby wipes at target or you can have a wash cloth handy that you can put some non irritating shampoo or diluted spritz on to wipe the paws after a meal. I would not spritz the dog directly if he is sensitive to the noise.
2. Inoushi you write "A big part of my fear with the RAW diet is if I feed it to my Shiba Inu, will it make it harder for me to not make him think of my ferret as a meal? My ferret grew up with cats who caught their own live prey and it took a bit of time for them to not treat him as something to stalk, but with a Shiba who will be much bigger, I don't know if it would be a good idea to feed RAW."
--The food in of itself does not really make a dog want to stalk and hunt. It usually is the motion of live prey or possibly learning from another animal dog cat etc.
We feed raw since she was fed that way since birth. Mostly chicken breast, chicken wings, and fish (salmon) bought from the grocery store. We add in a heart and few gizzard pieces every couple of days - and when we can get it. We also give Maru pork and beef bones as a special treat. She tends to get the runs if she eats too much pork and beef flesh. She really likes the bones with the white solidified marrow in the middle - she pushes out the marrow with tongue somehow and gobbles it up. She also nibbles on kibble during the day.
I understand the chewing of the bones are supposed to improve oral health but Maru's breath is pretty stinky. I don't think its the kibble because even when she doesn't eat it her breath is stinky. Anyone have this problem on raw diet or have tips on how to improve? I bought doggie tooth paste but its hard to really get in there for a thorough cleaning...
Inoushi I think you'll be fine with raw with no issues with the ferrets just need to supervise the pup till he/she learns to play nicely with the ferrets.
I don't think feeding raw will make him/her want to hunt down animals and eat them, especially if you feed meat, RMB, and organs just not serve whole prey like rabbits with fur on or quail?
I get my meats from grocery store and I stay away from enhanced meats that stuff can cause diarrhea from the salt and broth injected into the meat.
Saya weekly menu is pretty much a mix of pork, beef, chicken gizzards, lamb, beef heart, lamb heart, ground bison, ground turkey, and once a week smelt and her bone in meals she gets once a week is pork rib, chicken legs, chicken quarters, and lamb ribs if available.
She gets for her organs are beef liver and beef kidneys sometimes I give her chicken livers, but not often.
I'd love to buy all organic meat for Saya, but so far I can only afford the organic lamb heart, lamb liver, and ground bison the rest of the meats I buy from grocery stores and local butcher.
Saya's been on raw for six weeks and she's doing great on it she no longer reverse sneezes and she enjoys her meals much more on raw than kibble.
When starting out on raw it's best to take it slow there's many options out there for the diet pre-made or do it yourself.
I started Saya on raw on March 22 It cost me about $152 to feed Saya from now to I think the meat should last her for three or four more weeks I dunno I'm not good at estimating it.. It seems like a high price, but for the variety of things she gets to eat I think it's worth it for the health benefits and since it'll help with the dental bill as she gets older..
She gets 6 ounces of meat a day and sometimes I go over it I need to get her weighed again I think she grew a tiny bit..
I'm not sure why Maru's breath is stinky what does it smell like?Nicole, Bella(Boxer), and Saya(Shiba inu)
Could I get an ideal of the kind of budget you all are spending and the time between your purchases? I know it would vary but it would also give me a better idea of what I am looking at. I am trying to talk my girlfriend into switching (with my help and guidance) to RAW for Micha (a MaltePoo), and i told her the different types of food that it consists of and the over all benefits, and she liked the thought of the benefits, but her first reaction was, "Sounds expensive". I am also considering this for when I finally get to have a pup/Shiba of my own. From many of the things I have read, I have not found much of any kind of solid negatives. My only concerns are time (for actual preparation) and calculations on the food to be fed.
Are there other options to feed along with the RAW? I believe I read somewhere that they don't really gain much nutritional benefit from eating vegetables. So would or is the majority of the variety in the different types of meats offered? Also how often would you all suggest to switching out from one meat to another?
How would one go about judging or inspecting meat to be qualified to be fed?
That is all I can really think of for right now... thank you for you time in advance!You can call me K (human) Her name is Stella (Shiba)
Had a question for the raw feeders, Do you ever take car trips with your dog? What's the best way to properly handle the food while you're away from electricity for several days at a time? I'm curious because I'll take my dogs camping and wonder how feasible it would be to sustain a diet like this in these types of situations.
That is a load of huey that there is no nutrition in vegetables. At the very least the fiber is essential for digestion.
This is taken from primals sites with regard to health benefits of the fruits and vegetables in the food. " Wholesome Organic Fruits and Vegetables Organic Apples: Rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, fiber and pectin • Helps to bind minerals like iron and copper to prevent toxic buildup • Helps to purify the blood to prevent heart disease and colon ailments • Helps to promote good digestion and a healthy lymphatic system
Blueberries: Natural antioxidant source • Promotes urinary tract health • Contains a high concentration of anthocyanin, enhancing retinal health
Organic Broccoli: Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium and fiber • Helps promote good health in the heart, colon and bones
Organic Carrots: Rich in vitamins A and C, beta carotene, potassium and fiber • Helps promote eyesight and strengthen the immune system
Organic Kale: Rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium • Contains superior levels of anti-cancer and antioxidant properties
Organic Parsley: High in vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium • Useful as an antibiotic, antifungal and antiseptic
Organic Yams: Excellent source of vitamin A, fiber and niacin • Promotes healthy vision and skin"
And there was a great article on Whole Dog Journal last year about raspberries being fabulous fighters against cancer.
As far as cost, we spend about $60 a week to feed our dogs. Keep in mind however that I have a pit bull who is 35lbs who we are trying to fatten up, and a Shikoku which is a larger breed then the shiba. And my dogs are on the extremely high activity level. AND we feed premade raw. I know Shiba Mistress feeds RAW homemade and is feeding three dogs for considerably less money.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
As far as cost goes it depends on where you live I try to look through the store ads every week to see what's on sale and if there's a good deal I stock up on it a few weeks ago a pack of chicken legs and chicken quarters were at a decent price so I bought a couple of each and this week pork chops were 1.49lb so I bought a couple packs of them.
http://www.hare-today.com/feed.php sells varies raw food and some ground meat/organs/ and bones too also on the page I linked for you has a calculator you put the dogs weight and how much % your wanting to feed the dog.
Usually you want to feed 2% of the dogs weight, but with puppies I'm not sure I think most people say to feed 2% of the puppies expected weight or something like that.
I do the do it yourself raw, but I plan to buy some primal premade raw for when I have to go on vacation to make it easy for my family or boarding staff..
When I shop for meat I check to see if it has been enhanced with salt, or whatever else they inject into the meat usually they say it in small print on front of the meat packaging or it's in the nutrition area the sodium is a good indicator too if it's way high then it's enhanced I think I read somewhere that more that 80% or 90% something like that is enhanced.
Sundays are my shopping days I buy things that I need and things that are on sale once I get home I portion each days meal into plastic bags so once all that is done I put it in the chest freezer and take them out of the freezer the day or two before depends on the type of meat.
Feeding raw is not too much time consuming yeah it's a bit more work compared with kibble, but it's worth it in the long run I think it's great for their dental health I don't want to spend the money on vet bills if it can be avoided by feeding a good diet I think it's cheaper compared to kibble due to that and I don't have to buy dental bones like greenies because pork feet or pork hocks are good enough...
When first starting raw I'm going by what I've learned and from the prey modal way is it's best to start out with chicken first when new to raw for two or more weeks once things are settled you can slowly start to add new proteins like pork or beef, but patience is the key too much variety at once can be bad need to take it slow. Example:Offer the normal meal of chicken thigh and give a small piece of pork for the first few days with each meal up it two two small pieces and if the dog is handling it well up it to three and so on.
With introducing a puppy to raw it should be pretty easy since they haven't been on kibble for a long time so the pup should adjust to it much easier. With starting on raw the dog/pup might have some diarrhea, or bones in the poop, but once things are settled and the dog/pup should be fine and digest the bone fine.
I'm not sure on how much nutrition dogs get from fruits and veggies it's not the main part of Saya's diet she does get blue berries, strawberries, mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed mashed carrots when I make them for myself, but I don't go out of my way to give it to her every day..
There's different feeding methods there's barf which I haven't researched on it a ton, but it include veggies and fruits, and there's prey modal where you feed these percentage of foods 80%meat/10%bone/5%liver/5%other secreting organ like kidneys, spleen, pancreas, thymus etc..
I've never went on long vacations or camping with Saya just yet, but I guess it depends on how many days I'll be gone, but to make things easier I'll probably order a meat/organ/bone grinds from haretoday or primal and freeze the patties in fill a chest with ice on the bottom put the meat in the middle then ice packs on top and ice on top of everything it should keep things frozen while I'm camping.
or you could do freeze dried raw where you just add water or something like that?Nicole, Bella(Boxer), and Saya(Shiba inu)
Adamallstar, our breeder (Tengai) does feed raw, but also feeds some kibble so that he can feed them kibble when traveling / camping. I imagine that trying to do camping w/ raw could be logistically difficult.Brian, proud shiba-dad of Violet (along with Janie, shiba-mom)
That is when we use freeze dried raw like Honest Kitchen.Jessica “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”-Milan Kundera
My dogs eat raw at home, when we travel to dog shows they get kibble with canned mixed in. I feed Evo kibble and usually use Evo canned when I travel.Stacey and Jason. Shibas : Kuma (Mr. K), Fuu (Bug), Foxey Kai: Tora (little T)
I sware I posted that earlier with another comment and question. Saya answered some of it... I can't quite remember all of what I thought I posted earlier, but i remember part of it was about the % to weight ratio. In the case of Micha, he's about 10lbs. and from what I have read, it would be 2% of his weight... so that would be less than 1/4lbs. ? does that sound about right? Now does that % mean the total of each meal size, or the total of his daily amount fed? If that is the case, then any foods bought for him would probably go a long way.
Any addition input and info is greatly appreciated!You can call me K (human) Her name is Stella (Shiba)
My breeder suggested chatting to my local butcher to ask if they can help provide me with a regular supply of fresh raw chicken, turkey, rabbits etc.
Turns out I can get 10kg of chicken and chicken carcasses for about 50pence a kilo - so about £5 for 10kg box.
As far as I can work out, this would turn out much cheaper than buying kibble regularly. Plus it would be fresh and reasonably easy to chill and store.
The butcher is literally down the road from me.
Hopefully it will be ok to feed my Shiba this way - makes it much easier for me.
Saya is raw fed she does great on it. I love the variety she gets chicken, turkey, beef, bison, fish(smelt, mackerel), lamb, pork and bunch of other things.
Raw diet should be 80%meat /10% bone/ 5% liver and 5% other secreting organs.
This site has some info on raw and a calculator to see how much you'd feed for the dogs weight.
When starting raw should feed chicken first it's more bland and easier to adjust too then once the pup is settled on that you can try other protein like beef or pork and then organs.
Need any help please ask questions I don't mind answering if I can.Nicole, Bella(Boxer), and Saya(Shiba inu)