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Old May 27th, 2011, 07:27 AM
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Marty11 Marty11 is offline
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Trying Raw I'm fed up

So I am at the end with this scratching. I tried raw frozen patties a very long time ago when she was a pup. Marty had a raw meal this morning. Cross your fingers that I can improve her health even if it's just a bit. I'm trying to wean her off steriods and she is a mess again. I'm afraid she is developing "cushings disease" Have an appointment on Tuesday (although I doubt anything will be cured) She looked up at me as if to say this isn't my normal breaky, and then she devoured it. I would like to give her a sardine once in awhile for extra essential oils, is that ok? If I were to see an improvement, how long could it be?
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Old May 27th, 2011, 08:05 AM
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Marty11 Marty11 is offline
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I am also a stool checker!!! What changes will her stools have that is somewhat normal?
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Old May 27th, 2011, 02:33 PM
Choochi Choochi is offline
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You need to give it time. Some dogs are pigs and will eat what ever you put in front of them some are not. It took my Maltese a few weeks to get used to the idea of raw, she now loves it! The pre made frozen foods are probably the easiest way to start. You can try different brands too as they all have different formulas and textures. Tolloden Farms is my favourite.

What you can also try is to microwave the food on low until it begins to cook and emit more smell and flavour, then gradually serve it more raw.

Sardines I buy fresh and whole at my local chinese supermarket. My big dog eats them whole, for my little one I cut them up into pieces with kitchen scissors.
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Old May 27th, 2011, 03:20 PM
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Masha Masha is offline
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I have to disagree on the microwing recommendation - if there is bone in the meat (as there should be for a balanced raw diet) it can cook and splinter - cooked bones are dangerous. I also feel that its better to stay away from premade raw - i am more a fan of the prey model ( whole pieces of raw wih bone, meat and organs as well as fish and eggs)
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Old May 27th, 2011, 03:52 PM
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Corrie Corrie is offline
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My girls have both been on RAW for quite a while now and I must second the comment about NOT microwaving the food!

When you say you have an appt on Tues with the Vet...is that your regular Vet or a canine dermatologist or a holistic Vet????

Getting off the steroids is a great idea—I would suggest going the holistic route if possible.

You will get tons of suggestions from wonderful dog loving folks…such as, try sardines or eggs or liver or whatever…all VERY good suggestions unless your dog is allergic to sardines or liver or eggs and then you will be right back where you started.

I have a Westie who we went through all this with and turns out she is allergic to every fruit they tested for (every single one-and they tested for 13 of them) and she can only have 2 different proteins (and they tested for 19 of them) so if you don’t know what your dog is sensitive to, you will not know what to avoid.

Best of Luck...it is a long road but when they finally stop scratching or licking themselves raw it is all worth it.
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Old June 21st, 2011, 04:51 PM
MerlinsHope MerlinsHope is offline
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Quote:
What you can also try is to microwave the food on low until it begins to cook and emit more smell and flavour, then gradually serve it more raw.
I think everyone is right telling you that microwaving is a big no, no. Emitting more smell and flavour won't impress your dog's taste buds. They can already smell the food. Their sense of smell is 2000 times more potent than ours.

Telling someone to start with pre-made raw, is like telling someone to buy processed food. Pre-made raw is no different from kibble. It's COMMERCIAL, re-cycled food that has been "made" into a bundle of meat. Some have additives, some don't. The concept behind a raw diet is not only to know what goes in your dog's mouth, but to be able to make choices for your dog's health and in ensure a quality of eating and pre-made raw , just like commercial kibble can not make that guarantee.

Generally speaking dogs don't know what raw food is, because they have no point of reference. T hey've been too busy eating fat coated, sugar coated crunchy stuff and have developed their palettes in that direction, so one can't blame them for not knowing what a fresh piece of beef should smell like.

Taste enhancers can be as easy as dolops of natural peanut butter, grated romano cheese, fish oils, leftover animal fats ( just like they do with kibble), butter, but never microwaving or any kind of cooking whatsoever.

Also, meat, like any other food is rated as anti-inflammatory, or inflammatory, and some dogs shy away from inflammatory foods and wisely so because these meats can contribute to ill health if their immune system or digestive system is off or not up to par.

Poultries; chicken and turkey especially, (not duck or goose) are inflammatory meats, so, conceivably, a dog with a fever or even kidney disease, would be very naturally turned off with this type of meat. ( it's not uncommon) So is lamb by the way.

Beef, bison and pork and fish of all kinds, on the other hand are anti-inflammatory meats and generally better received by the neophyte raw eater
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Last edited by MerlinsHope; June 21st, 2011 at 05:17 PM. Reason: atrocious spelling
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Old July 23rd, 2011, 09:52 PM
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FurryMom FurryMom is offline
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Good luck on your raw feeding experience. I hope yours takes to it better than mine. I have the pickiest dog EVER!! He rarely eats all of his meat, sometimes he won't eat at all.
I hear that a lot of dogs take right to it, I did not have one of those dogs. I hope you have a pooch that will take to it. Regardless of the difficulties with mine I would never turn back to kibble. The benefits far outweigh the "convenience" of kibble.

Merlin, you are informative as ever.
P.S. I love your "edit" reason!
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