Question by Ashley: Raw diet eating problems?
I just switched my dogs to a raw food diet today. I need to say this about my dogs. One weighs 75 lbs, the other weighs 28 lbs. The bigger dog is a male and eats anything. He usually vacuums the floor for crumbs all the time. When I used to feed him table scraps, he would eat whatever I handed him. The smaller one is VERY picky. She won’t eat table scraps usually, unless its a piece of bacon or something. She won’t eat cheese, popcorn, chips, or anything. The big one will eat everything. So when I decide to switch to a raw food diet, I figured I would have trouble with the little one. I thought she may eat the meat, but I knew she would never eat the bones.
This week the menu is chicken legs. I got the appropriate weight and put the legs in their bowls. All they did was stare at them. So, I cut up the meat into smaller chunks. The little one tore into it when I put it back down. She even ate the bones. The big one just stared at it. I hand fed him a few chunks to show him it was okay to eat. He ate two chunks, and just sniffed the rest. Nothing I could do would get him to eat it. I finally partially cooked the bits that didn’t have bones in them in the microwave. He ate them then, but he left the bones and a couple chunks of skin. When I was sure he wouldn’t eat anymore, the small one cleaned up after him. She even ate his leftover bones.

I thought he would have loved raw food. They both have skin problems and ear infections, and I think its probably from food allergies. We kept trying different foods, but when I found out how much better a raw diet was for their health, and also that it was cheaper than buying the dog food, I decided to make the switch. Tomorrow, if he doesn’t eat his food, I’m going to stick it in the fridge until that night. If he still refuses, I’ll save it till the next day. I’m sure once he gets hungry enough he’ll eat it. Has anyone else had any problems like this when they switched to raw food? If so, what did you do?

I’m willing to continue cutting up the meat for them, but I’m not going to cook the food for him anymore. It’s called a raw diet for a reason.

Best answer:

Answer by Eon
It takes them a little bit of time to get used to raw foods. Some take to is super fast, for others it goes slower. You should join the Raw Meaty Bones yahoo group on here. They are very helpful.

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Question by asweetangelseyes: Does your dog have allergies/hot spots… my dog was on science diet and I switched to Canidae.. experiences?
I rescued my pit from the humane society last month. She was underfed/underweight due to neglect. The humane society had her on science diet. They told me her little bald patches were not mange (she was tested) due to alopecia or stress. They said after regular feeding on the food, we should see her hair come back (less stress, exercise, love, etc.)… well, I didnt see improvement and then someone at the petstore advised me it looked like she has hot spots.One of the girls at petsmart told me she had the same issue with her dogs… and recommended canidae. I figured it is possible the dog is allergic to wheat/by products, fillers and crap… so I am in the process of switching her to canidae from her science diet. I also restrict her treats to all natrual (mother hubbard, etc.) I want to knowhow others in the same situation and how your dog improved? other advice ideas for topical treatment? i bought some hot spot (tea tree oil spray) for her as well.. what else can i do, no drugs!
The dog did not/does not have fleas or any skin parasites. She had a skin scrape and was tested by the vet.

Best answer:

Answer by star
You know you may try lean hambugar and rice 4 a while. THAt what my mon did 4 about 6 weeks. HE dog seemed to get better.

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Question by Misa M: Why recommend Science Diet?
Why is it that Vets recommend Science Diet?
Here’s a quote from Dogfoodanalysis.com:
“The primary ingredient in the food is a low quality grain. Corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. We prefer not to see this used in dog food, yet it is the primary grain in this food.
The next ingredient in this food is by-products….”

After all of the recalls, and all of the information that’s readily available about the problems that dogs have with these kinds of ingredients, why is it still being regarded as “good food”?
Ms. Vet Tech – uh, did you read the ingredients listed? What is a by-product? How is it that generic “animal fat” is good for our pets? I really do want to know how this is justified. Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by ~Jordan S~
Because Hill’s gets paid to brainwash vet students. The only thing vet student learn about diet is which Perscription diet you should proscribe dogs with such in such problems. Also vets will reccomed watever the office sells, so they can get money and kickbacks. Just because a vet reccomend something, does not mean it’s quality. Take it upon yourself to research and find out which food is best for your dog. I personally no longer listen to my vets diet reccomendations. When I took in Chocolate for a flea bath my vet told me I should start feeding him a “good” senior feed like Science Diet(lol) . I said sure thanks. But I never actually bought it.

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Question by Effi: nature diet sensitive salmon & prawn dogfood. anyone else experience problems when feeding their dog this?
hi everyone. i have a bit of a strange question. my dog (english bull terrier cross) has food and skin allergy issues and we usually feed him james wellbeloved dry kibble in white fish and rice. he has always been fine on this but we wanted to try him on a wet food as he was starting to chew himself on his paws again and the cone has had to come back out, much to our dismay
we are now giving him james wellbeloved dry on a morning and nature diet salmon and prawn for sensitive tummies (which is 60% meat guaranteed) on an evening but since changing him onto this (only around 2 weeks ago) i have noticed when i’m doing the dog poo pick up in my garden that his poos arent as solid and look like they are made up of a browny-phlegmy jelly type substance mixed in with his normal looking poo, at first i thought it was slugs on his poo but on closer inspection it is clearly his poo, no slug! i have become concerned as today i found what looked like fresh blood in the jellyish poo too. now i dont know if this could be down to his food not agreeing with him or more problems! i’ve had his urine dipped in the last 6 months and it showed all his vital organs are working fine but obviously its a worry! has anyone else experienced problems like this with this food or do you think its vet visiting time? i have a 6 m.o staffy cross puppy too and her poos havent been as solid either but i just put this change down to them getting used to the food. if someone could give me some advice that would be great because i love my doggies and dont want to make them suffer any longer if something is up! thanks for reading and all advice will be greatly recieved

Best answer:

Answer by ms manners
I think that if you know your dog has food allergies, its a bad idea to add more and varied food items to his diet. Usually you want to eliminate items, to make it easier to determine what the allergy is.

If you want him to have a wet food, EVO makes a canned food that is 95% meat, and offers unusual proteins like venison (I dont know if EVO is available where you live).

Has your vet done any testing to find out what your dogs allergies are?

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Question by 1 Fox: Can a high protein diet give a dog Canine Diabetes?
My dog is on a protein diet due to the fact that he is allergic to the fillers found in most dog foods (corn, flower, etc.) He has been on many different brands of dog food and I finally found one he likes and one that works with his allergies. He only gets 2 cups a day measured for his weight (23lbs). He has been on this diet for about 2 yr but on this brand for about 6 mouths to a year. He almost 6 yrs old.

He has started peeing in the house for no reason in the past month (but only 3 times, twice were in the same area)
I also noticed that his water intake is a lot higher than it used to be (when he was still on generic dog food). My mom was the one that brought up that he might have diabetes as these are two symptoms.

I plan on making a vet appointment but since he lives with my parents he won’t see the vet till this weekend or next week, when I come home. Being so far way worries me. So I’m asking just for a better understanding.

His food is fish and potato and the first 10 ingredients are:
Trout, Potato, Course Ground Millet, Herring Meal, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Canola Oil, (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flax Seed, Oat Bran, Natural Flavors, Blueberries
Analysis:
Protein: minimum 21% Fat: minimum 12% Fiber: maximum 4% Moisture: maximum 10%

So can his food cause diabetes?

Best answer:

Answer by Dances With Woofs!
No,a high protein diet would not cause diabetes,but it may affect the kidneys of an older dog.The symptoms sound like the dog may be developing renal failure,but it could be diabetes or Cushing’s disease,or even something as simple as a urinary tract infection.. The food you are feeding is not a high protein food. 21% protein is a moderate amount of protein which most any dog can handle. You just need to have the dog checked out asap. Ask your parents to at least take a urine sample in to the vet until you get home.

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