# Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious tho!



## sleepybree03 (Dec 14, 2007)

I bought one of those sample boxes of frozen meat patties for the gsds (like nature's variety). I want to feed them raw but I am still a little concerned about bacteria and stuff. Are the frozen diets that you can buy safer? They are are soooo expensive so I wanted to just prepare things for them but I am concerned with bacteria even though a lot of articles say it is ok ( but so many vets discourage raw feeding b/c of fear of bacteria illnesses). As anyone had any problems over the years? Does freezing the meat reduce the risk? Also, I gave them one meal raw and there second meal kibble so I can see if they get sick or anything ( I feed them eukanuba german shepherd breed specific).


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Many vets will discourage raw, as they aren't knowledgeable on it. There are so many raw feeders, very few stories of dogs getting sick or getting their human's sick from bacteria, e-coli, etc. 
Their digestive systems are shorter, so the food moves thru faster. 
I would read up more on it thru the threads right here, you will see it really is safe(as long as your dog can handle it, there are a few that don't do well on raw) Washing the food bowls, feeding in a designated area, disinfecting should be done whether you feed kibble or raw. 
Many dogs can't handle the change from raw to kibble and back in a short time period, so if you see problems, this may be the reason. Raw tends to go thru the system faster than kibble. And contains water, kibble doesn't so you'll see less water consumption on raw.
My dogs can handle a kibble meal every now and then-I feed a grain free fish based when I feed it, though.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I just switched my 15 week old puppy to full Raw. 
So far so good, no sickness except for the usual runny poop when you introduce new foods. In fact, the only changes I've seen are all for the better! Shedding cut by 80%, itching cut, fur is like velvet...

I myself have not gotten sick either and I'm elbow deep in her meats. I make sure to clean myself up and the counters and the floor when she's done. 
I clean the floor only because she gets it messy and it looks kinda bad so I'll probably start feeding her on the patio from now on.
Yes, all that bacteria would kill US, but we're not dogs and weren't made to tolerate it like they are.
The first raw meals are a little nerve wrecking! I know! Denali had no idea what I had given her... only that it smelled good and she wanted to eat it! At first she didn't know how to crunch up the bones so it took her a long time, but she eventually learned. 

Good luck!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I have been raw feeding for 10 years or so. In that time I have fed over ten THOUSAND pounds of raw meat and bone to healthy dog, sick dogs, old dogs and young dogs (8 week old puppies).

I have NEVER had a problem with bacteria, blockage or other 'stuff'.

In fact, the only problem I had was some constipation due to too many turkey neck meals in a row.

I wash my guys bowls MAYBE once a month, if I remember. They eat stuff that I would eat and stuff I would NEVER eat (as in it's gone waaay past it's 'Good By' date).

BTW - Eukanuba is not a good food:



> Quote:Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal (Natural source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Brewers Rice, Fish Meal, Chicken Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast ...


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## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*

I love this site: The Many Myths of Raw Feeding 

From it I learned that dogs have an enzyme (lysozyme) in their saliva that destroys bacteria. They can't live in a dog's mouth except in the plaque on the dog's teeth, which provides shelter for the bacteria...


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## sleepybree03 (Dec 14, 2007)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*

Thanks for all the responses! It is just weird i guess giving them raw food tho at the same time it is not since they are dogs. They are pooping normal so far. I was planning on giving them one meal raw and one meal kibble for a few weeks and continue decreasing the kibble. I will look at recipes on this site since I want to start making them the stuff myself instead of buying it. Are supplements really that necessary? That is another thing I am anxious about since I don't want them to miss out anything in their diet. If there is a site where I can buy like a one bottle-has-all-the necessarily supplements- for dogs on a barf diet that would be good. Thanks again!


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*



> Originally Posted By: sleepybree03 Are supplements really that necessary?


You need to read up on supplements and decide what supplements your dogs, specifically, will need. Whether or not to add supplements is not a universally agreed on thing. It's really up to _you_ and what your dogs are missing from their diet. Currently, my dog only gets fish oil as a supplement for her dry skin. Based on the reading I've done, I think I will add Vit. E soon to balance out that which is used up by the absorption of the fish oil. I'm sure people will be able to tell you a good, all-around supplement but get your dogs stable with the diet FIRST. Then worry about supplements later.


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## sleepybree03 (Dec 14, 2007)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*

Thanks for everyone's input. I gave them a turkey drumstick today and they loved it. lol it looked like a scene from animal planet with wolves the way they were chewing at the bone after. I still have to get used to it b/c i am a vegetarian so this is pretty gross for me. So far, they are handling it well and i've have no problems at all.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*

Good for you for being willing to feed your dogs a raw diet when you're a vegetarian!!!


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*

You are doing a wonderful thing for your dog!







There are quite a few vegetarians on the forum who feed raw. I, too, commend you for feeding your dog raw! Good going!!









Bacteria: Raw has lots of good bacteria that dogs NEED. Plus, enzymes that help whallop the bad bugs. Actually, the active enzymes in raw foods help your dog digest the raw food easier. Raw food breaks down easier than kibble anyway, but, those enzymes do a lot to helping your dog absorb nearly everything in the food. Most everything in raw is bio-available to your dog. (that's one reason why the poops will be very small and low odor on all raw)

More on bacteria: Dogs eat poop, dead birds, bugs, garbage, and worse. You are feeding fresh, quality, human-grade, inspected foods with raw.









Even more on bacteria: We all need some bacteria. We even ADD bugs to a raw fed dog's diet, such as a dollop of yogurt (live cultures = live bacteria) and brewer's yeast tablets (dead bodies of yeast organisms). We add these because it helps the dog digest better, and they get lots of nutrients from these things.

Finally: My own dog always had a bacterial overgrowth in his gut. Lots of soft poops and trips to the vet. I thought: Raw might make this worse, cos of the bacteria!"







Nope. The active enzymes in raw really helped set his gut flora RIGHT. For the first time ever, perfect poops! YEAH!!









Good for you for feeding raw. Good for your dog!!


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## sleepybree03 (Dec 14, 2007)

Thanks for all the encouragement. You all are awesome!


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

*Re: Starting feed frozen raw diet- still anxious t*



> Originally Posted By: sleepybree03Are supplements really that necessary? That is another thing I am anxious about since I don't want them to miss out anything in their diet.


Them 'missing' something from the diet is greatly possible. The only way to know for sure is to do a little math and figure what your dogs needs are, whats in the diet you are feeding, compare the two and supplement the difference. 

I wrote about this in more detail here, http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=428679&page=5#Post428679


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