Go Back   Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca > Discussion Groups - mainly cats and dogs > Dog food forum > Feeding raw food to dogs & cats - B.A.R.F - RMB - Homecooked diet

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old December 15th, 2008, 01:47 PM
bendyfoot's Avatar
bendyfoot bendyfoot is offline
Geek Club CEO
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 5,019
Question Trying to work up to full-time raw, some questions

Ok, so we're about 20% raw right now (2-3 full days a week of raw diet, Orijen the other days). The main holdup for 100% is our lack of freezer space, and we're still sourcing some protein sources (although our butcher is now setting aside chicken backs etc. FREE for us, whoot!)

So, questions:

1. How on earth do you keep them from dragging those carcasses OUT of their bowls and ONTO the carpets???? I'm sure my dogs aren't the only ones doing this.

2. Teeth. Gracie is missing an upper carnassial (big cutting molar) on the left side, and is pretty much slated to loose the other upper carnassial on the right side within the next few months (it's chipped with pink exposed, ow). She seems to be having the most trouble adapting to RMBs of the three dogs. She will eventually chew them but has to move them around and play and nibble a lot first. I'm wondering if this is tooth pain? Problems caused by missing tooth? Or just Gracie being a fusspot?

3. Veggie slop. I know some people feed a muscle meat/veggie slop blend once a week or so. I tried them on it this weekend...Gracie/Heidi had no qualms about wolfing it down, Jaida was seriously less than impressed (she loves raw meats/RMBs though) and didn't eat most of it. How important is getting in the veggies?
__________________
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
__________
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old December 15th, 2008, 02:19 PM
luckypenny's Avatar
luckypenny luckypenny is offline
Doggie Wench
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: St. Philippe-de-Laprairie, Qc
Posts: 11,812
Quote:
Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
The main holdup for 100% is our lack of freezer space
Have you tried Freecycle. I gave away a jumbo size freezer a couple of years ago on that site (that was before I considered going raw )


Quote:
Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
1. How on earth do you keep them from dragging those carcasses OUT of their bowls and ONTO the carpets????
I feed carcasses outside and meaty bones in their crates. Although they no longer use their crates since we've moved, I've kept them assembled just for this purpose.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
2. I'm wondering if this is tooth pain? Problems caused by missing tooth? Or just Gracie being a fusspot?
I can't really answer this one. If you touch her tooth, does she seem to be in pain?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bendyfoot View Post
3. Veggie slop. I know some people feed a muscle meat/veggie slop blend once a week or so. I tried them on it this weekend...Gracie/Heidi had no qualms about wolfing it down, Jaida was seriously less than impressed (she loves raw meats/RMBs though) and didn't eat most of it. How important is getting in the veggies?
I feed muscle meat daily (incl. organs). I alternate between giving them huge chunks of meat and cutting it up into cubes (usually when I have lots of trimmings to feed them as well). It's into their raw "stew" that I'll add small amounts of raw pureed or juiced veggies to. Perhaps a tablespoon or two. Many ppl don't feed veggies but I choose to.

I don't have a set menu for them or anything. Most mornings they get a chicken carcass, or chicken necks, or frozen raw sardines, etc. Evenings, they get their chunk of meat or "stew." We have a dilemma with only having a small chest freezer as well so once it empties of the boneless meat, I'll fill it with beef ribs. Once that empties, I go back to the chunks of meat.
__________________
"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -Will Durant
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old December 16th, 2008, 03:05 AM
mummummum's Avatar
mummummum mummummum is offline
-
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: The Hammer
Posts: 8,534
I'm with Luckypenny here, when I fed raw (and I still miss those days) we had no set "menu". I do believe in veggies but that's me and my vegetarian bent.

A dog needs very little vegetable matter to be healthy. If you juice for yourself, just take the pulp (the "waste") from the juicer and add a tablespoon to each dogs bowl in the morning and evening. Add another tablespoon as tolerated. Some dogs are vegetarian and apparently do well. We know our dogs health by their poop

As for Grace I would give her turkey necks rather than bones. You may need to add a calcium supplement to her diet.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old December 16th, 2008, 09:29 AM
bendyfoot's Avatar
bendyfoot bendyfoot is offline
Geek Club CEO
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 5,019
Gracie did nom up a bunch of chicken necks last weekend with no hesitation at all...maybe that's the solution for her...thanks for the input, guys!

One other benefit we're getting out of raw in our house is that our "I can't be bothered to eat" Miss Jaida can't get enough of it! She's turning into a regular chow hound and normally we have to beg/bribe her to eat anything! Such a nice change
__________________
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
__________
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old December 16th, 2008, 10:30 AM
want4rain's Avatar
want4rain want4rain is offline
Swift Tribe
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 2,445
we have taken the mentality of 'fresh food' rather than 'diet' approach. Mister gets mostly (5-6 days a week) of raw meaty bones and a few randomly chosen organ parts (he. loves. rabbit. anything.) along with clean up duty (Jeffrey left overs, never really more than a handful of food daily) and the other days he gets a fish and egg mix with a supplement and the fridge left overs that would normally go in the trash.

-ashley
__________________
Pastafarians Unite!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1buym2xUM

Swift Tribe-
Chris- Husband, 04/30/77
Cailyn- Daughter, 07/05/99
Jeffrey- Son, 03/24/06
Alex- Son, 03/25/09
Mister- Black LabX, M, 08/06(?)
The Shadow Stalker- Gray Tux DSH, M, 04/04
The Mighty Hunter- Black Tux DSH, M, 04/04
Baby Girl- Tabby DMH, F, 12/03(?)
Frances- Tortie, DSH, F, 2007(?)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old December 17th, 2008, 01:32 PM
mummummum's Avatar
mummummum mummummum is offline
-
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: The Hammer
Posts: 8,534
You can't beat plate scrapings ~ what is it Homer says "MMMMmmmmmmm.... Pizza."
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old December 17th, 2008, 02:53 PM
totallyhip's Avatar
totallyhip totallyhip is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC CANADA
Posts: 550
1. How on earth do you keep them from dragging those carcasses OUT of their bowls and ONTO the carpets???? I'm sure my dogs aren't the only ones doing this.

We feed our 3 in the kitchen. They each get newspapers and then a towel, with their dish of food on top. We sit with them while they eat (always). It took Leia & Han about 3 days to figure out that we don't want them taking their food anywhere off the towel. Luke is a neat freak (just like his mommy ) and we never had to even teach him not to move his food. He won't even touch the bones with his paws! So just training on this part should do the trick.



2. Teeth. Gracie is missing an upper carnassial (big cutting molar) on the left side, and is pretty much slated to loose the other upper carnassial on the right side within the next few months (it's chipped with pink exposed, ow). She seems to be having the most trouble adapting to RMBs of the three dogs. She will eventually chew them but has to move them around and play and nibble a lot first. I'm wondering if this is tooth pain? Problems caused by missing tooth? Or just Gracie being a fusspot?


Maybe try some softer bones like Chicken or turkey necks? I know my friend fed her dog RMBs when he had little teeth. She may just be fussy?


3. Veggie slop. I know some people feed a muscle meat/veggie slop blend once a week or so. I tried them on it this weekend...Gracie/Heidi had no qualms about wolfing it down, Jaida was seriously less than impressed (she loves raw meats/RMBs though) and didn't eat most of it. How important is getting in the veggies?


When I first started raw we fed veggies almost every day. Now we don't feed it at all. As long as you make their diet well balanced it should be fine. I'm sure you will get different opinions on this (depending on what model of raw people feed) and everyone feels different about this. But my personal experience is that we don't feed it. And the dogs are thriving and doing great!
__________________
Owned By:
Han Solo - Male Flashy Fawn Boxer (RESCUE)
Chewie - Male White Boxer (RESCUE)
Lovey - Female Fawn Boxer (RESCUE)
Anakin - Male Brindle Boxer (RESCUE)

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mohandas Gandhi -

~Until there are none, rescue one ~

Boxer Rescue - www.rescueaboxer.com
Scentsy - www.ilovescents.ca
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old January 6th, 2009, 02:16 PM
bendyfoot's Avatar
bendyfoot bendyfoot is offline
Geek Club CEO
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 5,019
I'm answering my own Question #1:

if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! These guys apparently NEED to lie down on something with a bit of traction to work on their food, and their dog beds are the prefered place. We now have Nasty Gory Chicken Towels which are artfully draped over the beds before a meal, then tucked away for washing after the meal is done.

the beds stay clean and the dogs stay off the carpets!


ETA: oh, and re: Gracie? She was just being a fusspot she's fine now. But I still can't get her to eat liver for some reason???
__________________
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
__________
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Forum Terms of Use

  • All Bulletin Board Posts are for personal/non-commercial use only.
  • Self-promotion and/or promotion in general is prohibited.
  • Debate is healthy but profane and deliberately rude posts will be deleted.
  • Posters not following the rules will be banned at the Admins' discretion.
  • Read the Full Forum Rules

Forum Details

  • Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
    Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
    vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 0%).
  • All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:54 AM.