Going Raw

[sarahdane]

My puppy has had problems digesting any kibble we put her on so we are switching her to raw. I have a local store that sells blue ridge and dehydrated. I am rushing research since she is having such trouble. Is there any problem with just doing the blue ridge and dehydrated? I'll have to get supplements going and I'm sure I'll end up pulling the dehydrated and doing fresh veggies once I get her poop on track and get my research down. We think she was having an issue with chicken so I am planning to start with beef/bone mixture they sell.

[dukers]

My puppy has had problems digesting any kibble we put her on so we are switching her to raw. I have a local store that sells blue ridge and dehydrated. I am rushing research since she is having such trouble. Is there any problem with just doing the blue ridge and dehydrated? I'll have to get supplements going and I'm sure I'll end up pulling the dehydrated and doing fresh veggies once I get her poop on track and get my research down. We think she was having an issue with chicken so I am planning to start with beef/bone mixture they sell.

I wouldn't suggest starting out with beef... as it is pretty rich. Can you do turkey?

One of the biggest benefits of feeding raw is that meaty bones help with dental cleaning. So just ground is not something I would suggest, but that is just me. I would look at the mixture ratios to be sure she doesn't get too much or too little bone.

Has she been to the vet to get checked for worms and other parasites, what about allergy testing?

What issues is she having specifically? Vomiting, diarrhea?

Rushing switching to raw is not something I would advise as there are concerns like How much? Can I afford this when she is 5 months old and eating 5 pounds a day or more? Can you afford the supplements, meaty bones, etc. Do you have freezer space? Usually raw feeders use co-op to get monthly orders of food at reasonable prices, and for organs and what not... if you don't do a co-op where will you get organs?

[mnmouse]

Raw chicken usually is fine. Here are a couple of links. A properly fed prey model raw diets needs no supplements or vegetables. Dogs are carnivores, not cows.

http://preymodelraw.com/page/article...l-raw-diet-r19

http://skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm

[dukers]

Dogs are carnivores, not cows.

But some dogs act like they could eat a whole cow, and look like one.

Also I think OP is concerned about chicken causing issues.

[oceanbluedanes]

Blue Ridge Beef is a great product and if I could afford to solely feed their products, I would.

However I have to find my own, cheaper chicken, turkey and pork of various cuts.

You can certainly start out just using BRB. You can start with beef but turkey would be better if she can tolerate it.

Also keep in mind that a Raw diet that does not include chicken at all can be EXPENSIVE. Make sure you can afford to maintain this diet before switching to it.


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[mnmouse]

But some dogs act like they could eat a whole cow, and look like one.

Also I think OP is concerned about chicken causing issues.

And I was stating that RAW chicken is usually tolerated better than chicken of any kind used in kibble. Mouse couldn't eat any chicken product when he ate kibble but he can eat it raw just fine. Raw meat is a totally different food than cooked and highly processed meat products in kibble.

[dukers]

mnmouse - i see
and I didn't realize blue ridge beef had things besides ground. Learn something new here everyday.

[oshagcj914]

I second the not rushing into raw. It's a great diet, but it needs to be done right, especially for a rapidly growing puppy. Blue ridge beef is a good product, but it is a little pricey. The puppy mix would be good to start with since it has none, organ, tripe, and everything they need. You can add in recreational bones to help keep her teeth in good shape. But keep in mind how much it costs and how much she will eat while growing. Finn is 6 months tomorrow and he's eating at least 5 lbs a day and ready for an increase. I definitely think a co-op is the way to go if you can find one close to you. I drive a few hours to get to mine, but it's once a month at the most and I order several hundred lbs at a time, plus I have a freezer in the garage for dog food.

[SuzanneRM82]

Not to sound like the a-hole here, but there's no telling what the actual issue is with the dog's upset belly. That I can count, she has been on 4 different kibbles with intermittent bouts of chicken or beef and rice in about a 2 month period. Of course there will be upset. Add in the previously mentioned worms and meds, and that's a whole hell of a lot going on with a puppy belly.

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[dukers]

SuzanneRM82 - I agree, I read the previous threads that is why I asked about the worms... they could still be there, and changing foods so often doesn't give the gut time to stabilize.

[sarahdane]

So, she is clear of worms. We have also done every test in the book and tried medications. The only time she got solid was with burger and rice. Started in a lamb based kibble and soft poop came back but thankfully not the shooting tar that happened on the vet food. I can afford to keep her on the blue ridge but will look for more cost effective options. I agree jumping into any diet has it's problems, but she can't handle the kibble, and I keep seeing go to raw. That is the real fix. I used to feed my three hounds raw but that was in 2002. I'm not completely uneducated but things have changed so much in what is available through suppliers to make things a bit easier. There were no supplements then that I knew of then. I kept a chart to make sure everything was rotated and that they got everything they needed. I also got all of my info from books. Gosh, online has so many conflicting opinions on different sites. Going to look at the links provided. Thank you!

[dukers]

We are namely giving supplements to try to assist dukes immune system as he has demodex

[sarahdane]

On an update: with half burger/bone raw from blue ridge and half dehydrated beef whole grain from the honest kitchen, she is great! We are giving her 3lbs a day (she is now 60 lbs) and her body condition is great. At least we found something that works.