How many of us feed raw??

T

TaraLynn

Forums Enthusiast
I was talking today to my friend who works at a vet clinic, and her dietitian had her fair share to say about how I wanted to switch to the raw diet. She said that because he's a Sheltie he doesn't need it, and he probably won't benefit out of it, and that I'd prolly have more problems. I think she's just dumb, but...she works in a clinic, so of course she would promote the garbage they sell there lol. I was given a sample from a place up near Barrie and Caliber ate it with no problems at all. He didn't get diarrhea, no upset tummy(that I knew of) he never showed any negative signs at all. Heck - even my trainer bought a bunch of raw things from her...she feed all 6 of her dogs raw, and she hasn't had one bad thing to say about it. So, I was just wondering, how many of you guys DO feed raw....what are your positive/negative outcomes in feeding. I really think Caliber CAN benefit out of the raw diet if I switch him, which I REALLY want to...so any stories, good or bad I'd appreciate! Thanks! :biggrin2:
 
TaraLynn said:
I was talking today to my friend who works at a vet clinic, and her dietitian had her fair share to say about how I wanted to switch to the raw diet. She said that because he's a Sheltie he doesn't need it, and he probably won't benefit out of it, and that I'd prolly have more problems. I think she's just dumb, but...she works in a clinic, so of course she would promote the garbage they sell there lol. I was given a sample from a place up near Barrie and Caliber ate it with no problems at all. He didn't get diarrhea, no upset tummy(that I knew of) he never showed any negative signs at all. Heck - even my trainer bought a bunch of raw things from her...she feed all 6 of her dogs raw, and she hasn't had one bad thing to say about it. So, I was just wondering, how many of you guys DO feed raw....what are your positive/negative outcomes in feeding. I really think Caliber CAN benefit out of the raw diet if I switch him, which I REALLY want to...so any stories, good or bad I'd appreciate! Thanks! :biggrin2:
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While I love my pups, I think it's just too much work for me to do it right. I'm sticking to kibble!

Besides, when would I have time to be on the forum?!:eek2:
 
I don't feed raw because Brandi has issues with raw meat. She gets diarrhea from eating raw chicken. I believe it's a sensitivity to salmonella.

I do home cook my dog food however and do not trust any of the commercial manufacturers to be honest about their formulas and where they are manufactured. Too much has happened over the last few years for me to go back to kibble.

When I say I home cook.. it means I only cook their meat and eggs all other ingredients are either fresh or fresh frozen.
 
I've been feeding raw to my guys for nearly two years now. Romeo's breeder feeds all of her show/breeding dogs raw, so Romeo was weaned straight onto it. There is a huge dog sport/dog show community in this area, and the vast majority of the people that breed, show, and compete their dogs feed raw.

As for personal experience, I have not seen any negative effects of raw feeding. Positive effects, now those I have seen! A raw diet has helped immensely with Gio's epilepsy, both dogs have better coats, pearly white teeth with no brushing or dentals, very lean muscle mass and muscle tone, no "eye goobers", odorless breath, small compact poops that disintegrate to powder when they dry (ie. no pooper scooper duty!), healthy sustainable energy as compared to starch induced hyperactivity, the list goes on! Due to Gio's epilepsy meds, he has to have blood work done every 4 months or so. All bloodwork in the past two years has come back perfectly within acceptable range, so there has been no negative impact internally. And I can rest assured knowing that I am doing all that I can to feed a species appropriate diet and avoid pumping my dogs full of artificial preservatives, flavorings, chemicals, and low quality food ingredients.

A while back I put together a FAQ sheet for the most commonly asked "starter" questions regarding raw feeding.
http://sheltie-hair.blogspot.com/2008/09/raw-food-diet-for-dogs-starting-raw.html

Another great site to check out if you are unsure of raw or have heard a lot of horror stories is, http://www.rawfed.com/myths/
 
I don't think that I have ever fed my dogs when I am in the raw. I do admit to a high number of times I've fed them when I'm in my PJ's or tshirt, undies, and socks but NEVER in the nude. Call me a prude, but I just don't do raw.:no:

:lol::lol::lol:
 
granite said:
I don't think that I have ever fed my dogs when I am in the raw. I do admit to a high number of times I've fed them when I'm in my PJ's or tshirt, undies, and socks but NEVER in the nude. Call me a prude, but I just don't do raw.:no:

:lol::lol:
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Oh dear! Another Comedian is born! Chris, you're gonna have to step in if you want to retain your title! :biggrin2: And I thought I was in the running too! More competition!
 
I don't feed raw either. I don't trust our meat source enough . I cook the items for Kia then feed them to her. I don't trust bones because I'm brought up in old school thinking and am not willing to chance it. I buy the best quality Kibble I can and add in things like yougurt, Beef, chicken, pork, eggs etc. She's a nibbler so doesn't eat much at any given time.:uhoh::biggrin2:
 
My boy's on raw on weekends only. I know I should go all the way, but I'm still doing the research! He's on home cooked Mondays through Fridays. No more kibble! I really don't trust kibble anymore. Plus I was on a no preservative/artificial flavouring/colouring/chemical diet for awhile once (everything is cooked though) and it did wonders for my health (others reported that their blood pressure/sugar levels, etc problems also went away with such a diet), so none of that stuff for my boy!

Romeo looooves raw meaty bones tho'. Never a problem with his poop, he's alert and energetic, teeth surprisingly clean, fur looks good and growing out nicely.

In all likelihood I may not go all the way. I'd probably alternate home cooked and raw maybe weekly or monthly? Don't ask me what's holding me back, I haven't figured that one out either!
 
I've been a raw feeder since Oct. I am feeding the whole kennel raw and switched them cold turkey! I have not had any problems at all with loose stools, they have all accepted new meats easily, their teeth are so shiney and clean (which makes them happy as I don't have scrape before shows!), and all of the other things that GeeRome has said.

I had one raw weaned litter so far and their coats were fuller, their weights were better, and all of them had negative stool checks all along. Also, I had a problem with coccidia in my pups previously....all gone!!! I guess that would be one of my biggest 'pros' for the raw feeding so far.

I didn't have any dogs with health problems so I can't comment on the benefits on that level but I can say that all of my coats are great and any of them that were picky eaters, eagerly eat now :biggrin2:

My reason for switching was the price of the dog food kept rising, the size of the bags kept decreasing, and it seemed every day I was waiting for my brand to have a recall. It just seemed smarter to know exactly what they were being fed as opposed to waiting for that dreadful day. The hardest part of the whole raw feeding thing for me is to remember to defrost their meat for the day LOL
 
I feed mine raw and it is great. They both love it, have small, non smelly poops, and great looking teeth and coats. I do not find it hard to feed. I belong to a sheltie-naturals forum that discusses feeding shelties a raw, natural diet, and then there are a few members here that feed it too that give great advice if I have any questions. With raw, I know exactly what they are eating, and I like that. It gives me peace of mind and they are HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!
 
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