Changed to Raw :-)

toadfly

tk123 wrote: »

Oh I wonder if ours is the same!! I'll be passing this Tesco everyday now on the way home from my new job so I'll drop in on Monday and see what they have!

Haha me too because I never find anything right reduced.

belongtojazz

You really do have to time it right but it can be worth it when you get lucky

I managed to get 6 packs of 500gm turkey breast for 50c each just before Christmas, I was thrilled to pieces

TooManyDogs

belongtojazz wrote: »

I managed to get 6 packs of 500gm turkey breast for 50c each just before Christmas, I was thrilled to pieces

You're only showing off now Apart from getting pork liver for 19c a pack I've never managed to bag much of a bargain for my gang, mind you it has to go well under €2.50/kg to be worthwhile for me

belongtojazz

He he you're only jealous

TooManyDogs

belongtojazz wrote: »

He he you're only jealous

Too right

Ophiopogon

Kinda of jumping the gun here as I've not actually got a dog yet...

I'm off out today to the local shelters to see about getting a dog, I'll prob have to get a home check first as well as might be a while before I get to bring home him/her.

I plan on feeding raw but was wondering on whether to start with tinned etc when the dog comes home first as to reduce the stress of new surroundings or to try them on a bit of raw? There's already a dog in the house that is fed tinned so think I'll have to feed mine separate if they take to raw. I hoping to get a 2+ year old of medium size with a good bit of energy as we'll be outside a good bit.

Also I've been following this tried anyway but still a bit confused about recipes so will prob have lots of questions if that's ok.

I went up to the local butchers to see what they have and got a cows heart chopped up as well as a big bag of bones. Turns out they do a bag of dog mince for a euro a bag, forgot to check the size of the bag but it would definitely take out some of the prep.

DogsFirst

Don't stress too much re recipes etc, just stick a heap of fresh meat, you can't go wrong.

Re tinned food to reduce stress etcI wouldn't bother. The lad is going to love his new home and if a few tasty selections of meat are put down for dinner, he'd be sure to gobble them up. The shelter are unlikely to send him with any food but they will recommend a food. Theres no real need to keep feeding the stuff though.

His stress will increase certainly, particularly as there's another dog. If the other dog is intact I recommend keeping him on a lead until the new dog gets his bearings. Best introduce new dogs out somewhere neutral (the park) and not the established dogs house / garden. Imagine if a strange guy was hanging out in your garden, kinda thing. Keep intact dog on lead (or both, but often the handlers fudge the whole greeting process by yanking on leads, pulling dogs heads up, which is a confrontational posture etc). Once dogs have had a sniff, distract them with some food and go for a rigourous walk, don't hang around. If brand new to the doggie world this is the best time to call out a trainer, right at the start. Best 50 quid you'll ever spend. A boy and a girl is best mix if they are to be living together.

The stress (cortisol in the blood) will cause some looseness in the poo, don't misinterpret as resulting from his new meat additions, bbut if it continues, best remove and re-approach much slower. Some dry fed dogs take time to adjust their stomach acids to raw meat (lower) and bone. Fresh food will actually reduce his stress (lots of vitamins as opposed to the minimum, fresh meat and bone releases dopamine which settles a dog etc). Recommend picking up some vitamin C in some form from your health shop and sprinkling on food (dose according to size). Vit C is the anti-stress vitamin. Fresh ginger about the place works incredibly well with horses and dogs to settle nerves.

Maybe just start off with a nice raw bone, then a little meat thrown in and build it up, over time decreasing his dry food.

Main thing, don't stress over levels and quantities, your worst effort will be nutritionally superior to any dry food out there.

Ophiopogon

Cheers for the advice.

I ended up going against my very few pre conditions (short haired, 1/2 year old, preferably male, not a collie) and got a 5 year old female collie I Just fell in love with her so if I couldn't say no. Still have to wait on the home visit to be sure she is mine but we introduced her to the other dog (also a female collie) at the shelter and they seemed ok with each other. Still will "introduce" as you've mentioned again as she is very nervous so want the transition to go as smooth as possible.

She's quite a small collie and is also very underweight so I'm thinking I will start her out on some chicken breast on the bone and see how she gets on?

DogsFirst

Any part of the chicken is fine. If it's weight you're after go for the cheaper pieces that contain more fat and cartilage, like thighs etc. The breast, for a dog, is one of the less nutritious, chicken meat itself being a bit plain on the nutrient front. The business is inn all the other stuff surrounding it, which is good news considering these other pieces are so much cheaper as humans like them less.

Go to butchers and buy your stuff off them, then ask what they have for your dog and whens a good day to pop out for going off stuff. Also keep a good eye on Tescoes reduced section. Ask some staff whens a good day to find half priced meat. I'm finding the older ones, certainly in the meat section, guide you in the right direction. This is the key to cutting your food (and vet) bills. Buy green beans / pea / carrot mix in Aldi / Lidl from frozen (par-cooked), mash or chop and add in. Pick up some sardines (not in veg oil) while you're there! Or buy in bulk.

Best of luck with your new girl.

Whispered

DogsFirst wrote: »

Pick up some sardines (not in veg oil) while you're there!

Cooked sardines? If not in veg oil, is sunflower oil ok? I don't give mine fish in brine as I would worry it's too salty.

A few q's. Phoes breath is at him again. It smells a bit like urine. I'm going to cut out all non-raw components to his diet like treats, I'm going to cut out all carby and sweet veg, so no potatoes, carrots, parsnips etc and I'm thinking of giving him some natural yoghurt in on his food every day. How do you think this will work?

Also, for the first time ever Harley seems to be suffering with dry skin. He has tiny little white flakes on his coat, on the longer hair on his back. His fur itself is silky soft and shiny.

Does it sound to you like they might be missing something from their diet?

DogsFirst

People differ over the whole veg oil thing. The only reason I don't recommend veg / sunflower oil is because it's so high in omega 6. It's the omega 3 you're after for the immune soothing qualities. Omega 6 does the opposite. Hence you get very little benefit from the sardines inside. It's like those stupid probioitic drinks (great for tums) that are loaded with sugar (inflames tums). Best avoid all veg oil with dogs.
Brine is 1% salt, which is less salt than any dry food. It's not too much salt if you're pouring the brine out and feeding occasionally.

Cut out all root veg and cruciferous veg (broccoli, caulliflower, brusell srouts). They're loaded with sulphur compounds, which makes your farts smell bad!! Maybe breath too. Usually bad breath (halitosis) is connected to dirty teeth. Feed more fresh bones to clear plaque. Or pick up some Ascophuyllum (type of kelp) which is clinically proven to reduce tartar, plaque and halitosis in 5 weeks. Inspect the back teeth for damage. Are the gums nice and pink? Is there a red line above the teeth? If there's fur on the tongue it indicates there may be an issue in the stomach, which is another reason for bad breath. It's weird though, raw fed dogs hardly smell at all. It's unusual. Not sure

Dry skin - another unusual one for a raw fed dog. Increase the oil content (fattier bits of chicken) and feed it on the bone . Most dry skin in dogs is linked to zinc deficiency in dry food (they use zinc oxide whcich is cheap but poorly absorbed). Bones have all the skin stuff, zinc, magnesium etc. Also add primrose oil (half teaspoon every second day), that'll sort out any dry coat. Great stuff.

Try that, see how you go for a two weeks. They're not big issues. Doubt you're missing anything of note. It's really really hard to miss anything as long as you vary it up. Don't forget organ additions when and where you can get them. 10% of the diet.

Whispered

DogsFirst wrote: »

People differ over the whole veg oil thing. The only reason I don't recommend veg / sunflower oil is because it's so high in omega 6. It's the omega 3 you're after for the immune soothing qualities. Omega 6 does the opposite. Hence you get very little benefit from the sardines inside. It's like those stupid probioitic drinks (great for tums) that are loaded with sugar (inflames tums). Best avoid all veg oil with dogs.
Brine is 1% salt, which is less salt than any dry food. It's not too much salt if you're pouring the brine out and feeding occasionally.

Oh that's good to know.

Thanks for all the tips.

borderlinemeath

What about the sardines in tomato sauce? Did you post somewhere that they were ok?

TooManyDogs

They're perfect in tomato sauce and the dogs seem to love the tomato!

fatmammycat

True! Herrings in tomato sauce is my dog's favourite lunch- smells gross to me, but he whines with excitement when I'm getting it ready.

DogsFirst

Yeah I think they're fine. Have heard a few google grumblers going on about tomatoes but I reckon if you're talking about a tablespoon of sauce now and again it won't have an effect, whatever that effect is.....

Its like the egg thing....."God don't the avidin will destroy all the biotin in your dogs body!" So many things wrong with this but in short, egg yolk is packed to the rafter with biotin, there isn't enough of the other stuff for it be a concern.

Also same re garlic, small amount of fresh garlic are fine, in fact it's brilliant. Tests on labs involved 125g of raw garlic a day (same as a yoplait yoghurt). These overdose studies are then taken as normal instance.

I would love to say this extends to chocolate but unfortunately not!! Chocolate does not work out well for doggies. Mind you we've all had a dog that's eaten the box of roses.........I remember coming down to my 16wk old pup one morning moons ago (a thick, ginormous, lab cross, brilliant dog god rest him) and he had pulled my Dads monstrous 50th birthday cake off the table. It landed cream up and he ate the whole top layer. He was sitting with his back against the unit like a human, this massive round gut on him. He could barely wag his tail. Reckon he ate around 20% of his body weight. Cutest damn thing I ever saw.

Bullseye1

fatmammycat wrote: »

True! Herrings in tomato sauce is my dog's favourite lunch- smells gross to me, but he whines with excitement when I'm getting it ready.

Are they filleted?

fatmammycat

Yep, probably some small bones in there but yes, filleted. 99c in Aldi. He eats whole mackerel though, head and all.

borderlinemeath

Well Coco & Benson got their first raw meal today. Benson ate his no problem, he seemed delighted with it, but I had to cut Cocos chicken leg up for her, she wouldn't touch it unless it was in bite sized pieces:o:o., I would have left it only poor Benson sat their with his mouth watering while hers was left in her bowl!

Dinner went much better, I cut up the chicken thighs and legs so there was no hesitation. Had some brown rice leftover so they had a bit of that as well. Have a big bag of spuds and have green beans, carrots and butternut squash to make into individual 'tk' patties tomorrow to do me for the week. Also thankfully Coco hasn't been 'asking' for her nuts. She tends to scrape her bowl and look at you if she's hungry and that hasn't happened so she must be satisfied (so far!)

I got my dogsfirst delivery of goodies yesterday but I was heading to the butchers today anyway so chanced my arm and asked for any stuff left over and some bones (he always gives me bones anyway). Along with the bones I got a HUGE bag of offal for free! He told me there was a few hearts in there as well, I'm nearly afraid to open the bag!

toadfly

How are Coco & Benson getting on BLM?

Got meat for ourselves today in our butcher, got a few bones for Lexi (can I freeze them?!) and he said their chicken legs/drumsticks are only €2/kg so will be going there anymore

tk123

TillyGirl wrote: »

How are Coco & Benson getting on BLM?

Got meat for ourselves today in our butcher, got a few bones for Lexi (can I freeze them?!) and he said their chicken legs/drumsticks are only €2/kg so will be going there anymore

Yeah I freeze the bones all the time! Asked the guys on the fish counter in Tescos today when they reduce everything - Friday morning! So don't think I'll manage to get anything good by evening time! I could drive down at lunch but I'm only new in work and don't want to look like a weirdo filling the fridge up with fish :pac::pac:

borderlinemeath

TillyGirl wrote: »

How are Coco & Benson getting on BLM?

Got meat for ourselves today in our butcher, got a few bones for Lexi (can I freeze them?!) and he said their chicken legs/drumsticks are only €2/kg so will be going there anymore

Today was once again a complete success for Benson but Coco stalled again. She refused to eat the half a heart I cut into bite size chunks for her, nor would she eat the spud and veg. She was starving by this evening and demanding food but refusing the offal so I relented and gave her a tin of sardines with a bit of rice.:(. Still OK but I would have preferred her to eat the heart. Benson made sure it didn't go to waste though!

I'll do chicken tomorrow so she'll be grand with that but she's not into the spud/veg at all. I've ordered Salmon oil which is due tomorrow so I'll be able to mix it in to make it a bit more appetizing!

I went through the big bag of hearts/liver that the butcher gave me, total weight over 4kg! Separated it all up for the freezer. I don't know how I'm going to disguise the offal for her next portion though!

I always freeze the bones. My butcher knows I have doggy guests so he's been giving them to me by the crate load! We only got the freezer on Sunday and it's full to the brim already.

fatmammycat

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Today was once again a complete success for Benson but Coco stalled again. She refused to eat the half a heart I cut into bite size chunks for her, nor would she eat the spud and veg. She was starving by this evening and demanding food but refusing the offal so I relented and gave her a tin of sardines with a bit of rice.:(. Still OK but I would have preferred her to eat the heart. Benson made sure it didn't go to waste though!

I'll do chicken tomorrow so she'll be grand with that but she's not into the spud/veg at all. I've ordered Salmon oil which is due tomorrow so I'll be able to mix it in to make it a bit more appetizing!

I went through the big bag of hearts/liver that the butcher gave me, total weight over 4kg! Separated it all up for the freezer. I don't know how I'm going to disguise the offal for her next portion though!

I always freeze the bones. My butcher knows I have doggy guests so he's been giving them to me by the crate load! We only got the freezer on Sunday and it's full to the brim already.

My guy doesn't eat spuds OR veg, he just wouldn't be bothered with them so don't get too worried about it ( I tell a lie, he will pick at green beans if there are any mixed in).
I throw in a little rice these days as he works a lot more and I still have it in my head that a little carbs won't harm him, but other than that his diet is almot 100% animal product. My dog was cagey about liver at first, just didnt like the taste, so I mixed it in with his mince one evening and he wolfed it. These days he eats it without any mixing at all. He was the same about whole mackerel initially, but again I mixed it slightly and now he eats them whole.

borderlinemeath

fatmammycat wrote: »

My guy doesn't eat spuds OR veg, he just wouldn't be bothered with them so don't get too worried about it ( I tell a lie, he will pick at green beans if there are any mixed in).
I throw in a little rice these days as he works a lot more and I still have it in my head that a little carbs won't harm him, but other than that his diet is almot 100% animal product. My dog was cagey about liver at first, just didnt like the taste, so I mixed it in with his mince one evening and he wolfed it. These days he eats it without any mixing at all. He was the same about whole mackerel initially, but again I mixed it slightly and now he eats them whole.

I've ordered salmon oil so I can mix it in if I'm giving spuds and veg to flavour it to her liking;). I'll just have to go slowly slowly with the offal, hiding it and mixing it, it's only a couple of portions a week so she'll not starve.

While my setters aren't working they do run like hell on the beach and expend a lot of energy so I would prefer them to have a wee bit, but at least she'll eat the rice.

They nearly tear the bag out of my hand when I come home with fish so I don't think I'll have any problems feeding it.

nala2012

Started giving nala natural yogurt this week... She absolutly loves it! Anyone know how much i should or shouldn't give? She's been having 2 tablespoons a day and i haven't seen any problems

DogsFirst

Think it's OK, a spoon now and again. Haven't seen any trouble from it all in a good number of dogs. That said I'd like to hear from a lactose / casein intolerant person on the whole thing......

DBB

I'm lactose sensitive, and it's okay for me to eat yogurt, as the yogurtifying process (I think I've made up a new word :-) converts lactose into lactase. Cheap, sweetened yogurts are not good, but natural yogurt is fine. Same goes for hard cheeses.
Could be different for severe intolerance, but the amount of lactose in natural yogurt and hard cheese is very small.

littlebug

right I'm finally ready to make the big move. Not fair on my dog to go back to dry fulltime when problems keep recurring.:(

given that she is a very sensitive dog and my one and only attempt at raw (chicken wing ) resulted in explosives the next day how best to start now?

Other things i have to consider are that she will be on anti-biotics for another 3 days, and also that after her 5 days of diarrhoea we have now had 3 days with nothing :eek:

She's loving her boiled chicken and rice with natural yoghurt mixed in..really loving the yogurt:D I do occasionally give her sardines and there hasn't been any reaction.
I also have half a bag of Barking heads tlc so should i try half/ half for a while til we both the the hang of the new foods/ system?

toadfly

What I done was fast her for 24 hours so she was cleared out and started her on chicken and veg only. I didnt add liver and fish for about a month and added everything one at a time so I would know the problem if anything did happen. The only reaction she had was to a raw egg, she vomitted shortly after eating. Everything else was fine and she had chicken, white fish, whole mackeral, salmon head, liver, beef.

borderlinemeath

I've officially crossed to side of certifiable lunatic. I bagged up Cocos small hard poo on the beach today and made himself squeeze it in the bag as I was so proud of it's 'consistency':eek: