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View Full Version : Raw Food - making the switch - help!



BethMH
01-13-2006, 03:42 PM
This site has really been a learning experience!

I have a question about raw food. I read some of the threads that touched on it. I also visited the sitstay website that sells raw food in an easy to handle form, but quite expensive.

I have never heard of feeding dogs raw food, so I know nothing. Both of my dogs need to lose weight, but even with two feedings a day and cutting back on their servings, it's not happening. Both have bad breath. I recently started giving Greenies, but then saw a post about a little doxie who died and now his parents are suing. The more I searched, the more I found out about them, so I returned what I had left to the store.

I just fed my pups the last of their dry dog food and before I got to the store to get something for them to eat tonight, would someone fill me in on how best to switch them to raw food and what you would suggest I start them out with. I have no idea if my pups would drag the food out of the bowl with the intent to knaw on it somewhere else, but I don't want that to happen. I just have no idea how to best make this switch. One thing I don't want is a lot of work in food prep. I don't have that kind of time on my hands, which is why sitstay looked enticing - but geez - it is really expensive, especially when shipping is added.

Anyway - help of any kind would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Lisa
01-13-2006, 03:51 PM
Hello,

Mine are on Raw and it has helped with their weight plus other issues.

I feed Nature's Variety (http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1308&-session=naturesvariety:461AA60502c2a20D80IlU3044FD 9) one oz. medallions. My boy who are 11 and 20 lbs. get one each for breakfast and two each for dinner (plus some pumpkin). If you read the ingredients and try to match it, the cost is super reasonable. I buy mine in a store and it is about $15.00 CDN a bag, which is about $12.00 US. There is a store locator on the website. The bag last me a little longer than a week (I think 8 days)

I just take out a couple days worth, divide it into tupperware, toss in the fridge and then I take it out about 1/2 hour before I serve it to them. Easy is an understatement.

Good luck, let us know how your little ones likes it.
Lisa

Lisa
01-13-2006, 03:56 PM
ooops sorry, I only answered 1/2 your question. I just switched...don't know if that is the right way or not, they had soft poop for about a day and then it normalized. No other stomach upset at all. Pogo used to have yellow barfies, he would throw up this bile all the time, he has not done that once since we switched.

I do know that that you should not mix kibble and raw food at the same meals (they digest it differently), so given that I just stopped feeding kibble and never went back. The great thing about the Nature's Variety is you can travel with it. They offer a VERY expensive freezed dry version - but I will purchase it when we go on the road with the boys.

BethMH
01-13-2006, 04:07 PM
Thank you so much for the info. I located a store that's about 7 miles away from me. I'm really excited about this! I think I will try the medallions and see how they do. Do you heat up the food at all? I will probably have some more questions later. I want to get some pumpkin too. I love pumpkin! Never knew I could give it to my pups. Guess the drinking of left over milk in the cereal bowl is going to have to stop! :( I know two pups who are going to be very sad about that!

Going pup food shopping...:boogie:

jenfer
01-13-2006, 04:27 PM
I find that info helpful. Thanks Lisa, I am going to take a closer look on the website.

Lisa
01-13-2006, 04:27 PM
Hehehehe, yes, the cereal milk will have to stop, but they will be very happy with their food. I don't heat it up, that is why I take it out of the fridge for 1/2 hour. I think Janet (tiggermiss) nukes hers for about 15 seconds, but I don't bother, I just mush it and the pumpkin (the canned pure kind, not the pie filling) together. I used to pierce & squeeze in the salmon oil, but I was getting every top I owned covered in oil, so now I just toss the pill in and both eat it that way.

The medallions really are awesome. I am so happy with the product....I used to drive over 45 minutes (one way!) to buy it for them. But now a store near me carries it. :boogie:

Courtney
01-13-2006, 04:28 PM
Medallions could be great to start....if you want to try real cuts of meat let me know!

Loren
01-13-2006, 04:50 PM
bravo, aunt jeni, oma's, and a few others. Variety is the key!

lotsadox
01-13-2006, 05:26 PM
Nature's Variety also makes their food in what they call a chubb. It's a big roll that is divided into patties. It's not as handy as the medallions and takes a LOT longer to thaw, but is less expensive. I use it for mine. With six on raw I have to cut backs somewhere. I switched Sweetums over to raw at 13 and she had no trouble. It was just like Lisa said, soft poops for a few days and then everything was fine.

If your dogs have any digestive problems or pancreatitis you might want to check with your vet about the best way to switch them over. I know, one of my friends switched her schnauzers (both of whom had bad pancreatitis problems) over to raw gradually, but I'm not sure what she was feeding before and how she did the switch.

Mama S.
01-13-2006, 05:27 PM
OK, I have a question. I went to the site - on the page that tells you how much to feed - I put in that Jadaa weighs 22 pounds, is moderately active. Am I reading right that she should only get 1 medallion per day?? That just doesn't sound right. WHat am I missing?
Sandi

Oh Courtney......is there site in plain English (:rotfl: ) that will give me exacts on serving sizes - products - for me to take a look at for pure raw??
Sandi

lotsadox
01-13-2006, 05:34 PM
That's sounds low. I feed Bogart and Cash 1 medallion per day (plus they get some treats) and they are 12 and 15 lbs respectively.

Lisa
01-13-2006, 05:42 PM
1 medallion or one patty Patrice? Because mine get three 1 oz. medallions each each??? Am I overfeeding?

lotsadox
01-13-2006, 05:45 PM
I think you read it wrong Sandi. I went to the site and put that info in and got 6.3 oz. Underneath I says that one pattie equals 8 oz and one medallion equals 1 oz. You probably read the one medallion instead of the part on top. It will depend somewhat on the dog's natural metabolism. Miller is moderately active and has a good metabolism and it showed that he should have 4.9 oz which it probably about what I feed him. Cash on the other hand has a slow metabolism and at 15 lbs I only feed him 1 medallion a day (plus he grabs all the treats he can get) to keep his weight down. Bogart get a little more than 1 medallion a day at 12 lbs but he's very inactive, major couch potato (or should I say bed potato).

Lisa, believe it or not with these two it's one medallion a day for these two. I think they can gain weight by breathing too much!! :banana: You're probably not overfeeding. Miller gets the equivalent of about 4 medallions a day.

Mama S.
01-13-2006, 06:01 PM
I went back and looked again ! DUHHH.. so Jadaa would get 6.5 medallions per day.. How many medallions are in a bag? Trying to get an estimate on how far a bag of medallions would go with the herd. If I saw right - there is a 6 pound bag - 6 pounds x 16 ounces per pound = 96 medallions. The herd runs from 15 - 23 pounds per dog so that's an average of 6 per dog per day or 48 medallions per day so I would roughly get 2 days per bag. PROFESSOR _ HELPP Is my math right?
Sandi

Lisa
01-13-2006, 06:34 PM
That sounds like a lot of food. And you would probably buy the chub rolls and then have to work out how much to each dog. You would really need to weigh the expense though because I think that would get very costly very fast. But I guess it would be like feed 2 large breed dogs on raw?? :shocked:

Linus
01-13-2006, 07:18 PM
Sandi, Nature's Variety also makes a raw kibble. I'm sure its not AS good as the medallions as there has to be some processing to make it into kibble, but its ingredients are better than the Natural Balance Bailey was on. He is doing great on it, he has gained weight (which was needed) and his coat is thickening and shiny.

JanUet
01-13-2006, 07:38 PM
I feed my 2 the Nature's Variety Kibble and Medaillions.
I do nuke the medallions for 15 seconds to take the chill off. I place all 5 in a bowl and nuke them.

The get 1/4 cup of the kibble each morning with pumpkin or veggies.

In the evening Casey gets 3 medallions with One tablespoon of 1% cottage cheese and 1 heaping tablespoon of veggies.
Sophie gets 2 medallions with the same cottage cheese and veggie mix Casey gets.

I wll be cutting out the kibble after Sophie's Dental. I promised the vet that Sophie would continue with the kibble until her Dental is done. He says the kibble helps scrape tartar off their teeth :scratch: :dunno:

The both get one little chicken wing twice a week. On the week-end (Saturday night) they get one Marrow Bone each to munch on.

I buy 6 bags of medallions a 2 months. 48 (1 oz)medallions in each bag, I use 5 a day. One bag does me 9 days.
My plan is to switch them to total Raw (like Courtney). If I can stomach it!
I need to check the Nature's Variety site again. Me thinks I am giving Sophie too much!:shocked: She is a Total Couch Potatoe!

LUVMYGUNNER
01-13-2006, 07:41 PM
Natural Balance also just came out with a raw--don't know much about it but do a search, might be cheaper.

Loren
01-15-2006, 08:09 AM
Natural Balance also just came out with a raw--don't know much about it but do a search, might be cheaper.


Here's their link...http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/RAW.html they are just starting out so not many states are carrying it yet.