Detox Question - feeding raw
 

Sorry to keep bugging everyone with my questions. We are new to feeding raw, and to puppy parenthood in general:) Our puppy is almost 6 months old now and he's a beautiful Golden Retriever that we named Barkley.
I read that dogs (especially ones who were previously fed kibble) can go through a detox period when they switch to raw, and I was just wondering what some of the common signs of detox are? Barkley's poops have been nice and solid (no loose stools, or diarrhea) and he's actually been showing nothing but good signs for the most part. He's been on raw for 1.5 weeks now and he's doing so much better than before. He had a whole bunch of problems starting with loose stools, followed by colitis, then a UTI with struvite crystals, dark brown wax in his ears that smelled awful:yuck: , and he kept scratching and biting at his paws. We decided to get him off of kibble after about the 5th brand we tried didn't work, and switched him to raw. Since on raw, his ears have cleared up, he hardly ever bites and scratches himself, and his poops are nice and formed and solid....all this after only 1.5 weeks! I think he had an upset tummy a few times because he ate grass and then threw up, which I hear is pretty common, but other than that, he's been doing great. However, today I noticed that his right eye has some discharge and it's greenish in colour. Is this another common sign of detox or something completely unrelated and possibly the sign of an eye infection?:confused:

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Viola

viola, so nice to hear how well barkley is doing :highfive: actually most dogs don't go through a "detox" but they can go through a digestive-system readjustment period, specially if their systems were weak to begin with. many dogs don't experience a single soft poop when first eating raw, my girl was one of these dogs. and on occasion she did (and still does) get an eye goop for a day or two, nothing to worry about unless it lasts for more than a few days and the goop is profuse and/or doesn't look normal - then i would call the vet to get their opinion. the thing about raw is that it boost the dog's immune system so these kinds of little infections tend to blow over quite quickly :thumbs up I'm so happy for your boy, are you feeding him a commercial raw diet or making it yourself? :dog:

Wrong forum?
 

Violet, I think this should be posted in the pet health section.

The green junk in his eye is probably an allergy or dust, or a mild virus infection. I've had dogs that chronicly had the green slime, it's like snot--I would clean it out with a tissue--dabbing at the closest corner of the eye will usually draw it out. I don't think it's anything serious, but it's up to you--if you are concerned, give the vet a call.

Are you using digestive enzymes while you switch the diet over? Probably would be a good idea. And a little nonfat, plain, unsweetened yogurt, too. Sounds like your dog is doing a lot better, tho.

Oops...
 

:offtopic: Maybe I should have put this in the pet health section.
I posted a question about raw bones just prior to this post, and I guess I was still in that frame of mind. Oops!
Anyway, to answer technodoll's question, I am feeding a commercial raw diet. I was too scared to do it myself as I feel like a dog dummy (Barkley is my first dog EVER, and I love him to death) and I was worried about not getting the right proportions, ingredients, textures etc. so we've started out with baby steps until we're more used to the whole concept of raw. We feed him ground chicken patties that have ground bones in them and a little sweet potato, kelp, apple cider vinegar, and apples. We also feed him raw chicken necks, organic eggs once a week (well, only once so far since he's only been on this diet for 1.5 weeks), and a little probiotic yogurt. We also sprinkle a digestive aid/probiotic on his breakfast and dinner and give him one salmon oil capsule per day. Yesterday we even introduced him to his first raw meaty bone and he just loved it :dog: We loved it too because it gave us peace and quiet for HOURS :cloud9: I thought it might give him runny poops today, but all was great! We're slowly starting to introduce different meats to him, and next week will be the first time he tries lamb tripe (we're waiting for the order to come in). Does it sound like we're doing this right? We're trying to take it slow because of all the problems he's had in the past with his digestive system.

it sounds like you are PROS !! and it is showing in barkley's easy and successful transition, isn't it? :highfive: it shows you did your research and are using a commonsense approach and you should really congratulate yourselves! :thumbs up

Thank You
 

Thanks for the support technodoll. Your posts are awesome and so helpful :thumbs up
By the way, you're right about the bones. Next time we will buy them from the supermarket. They weren't crazy expensive from the pet store, but I know they are still cheaper from the butcher or supermarket. Are there any types that are better than others? The kind we got were beef knuckle bones I believe. Was that a good choice?

in the raw-feeding forum, recreational bones are often called "wreck bones" because of the damage they can do to teeth... now this all depends on how strong your dog's teeth are and how much of an aggressive chewer he is, hard to make a blanket statement since all dogs are so different (in their wolf's clothing, LOL!)

i would strongly suggest that, for recreational chewing, you forego the thick, heavy, weight-bearing bones of large ungulates and stick with the more edible bones... a big, thick, skinless turkey neck is a wonderful treat AND nutritious and safe for teeth & gums, try feeding frozen for extra durability :) beef ribs make a good chewing, some dogs can chew the ends off but mostly just pick all the meat off... pork necks & tails, chicken feet, all edible but can take time to get through...

if you try a beef knucklebone, i suggest checking your dog's teeth & gums thoroughly after about 30 mins of chewing, and do this for about a week to gauge if any damage is happening. if not, then lucky you! go ahead! and if yes, then an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure eh? ;) uneaten bones can be rinsed in white vinegar and then with water, and stored in the fridge or freezer and given again the next day, for a week or so. most butchers give them for free if you buy meat from them :highfive: