# Hands down - The BEST part about feeding RAW!



## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

About 3 weeks ago, I switched the dog's back to raw. I had just had enough of the doggy smell, the bad breath, and the large, make you gag smelling poop! Not to mention the fortune I spent on candles, house fresheners, and the like. When I sat down and did the math, the premium kibble I was feeding cost just as much, if not more than feeding raw. Bathing them or trips to the groomers only left them smelling like, well, shampooed dog!

In addition, one thing I realized was that after being in the house awhile, you kinda get used to the doggy smell. But after a long day of work, and walking back into the house, it's the first thing that hits you, and it always bothered me to what my guests smelled when they came over as I like to keep a fairly clean home. 

So anyways, like I said, it's been about 3 weeks now since I've switched them all back. Today I had to go out and run some errands, and when I got back and walked into the house I realized...there was no doggy smell! :wild: They also haven't had a bath in quite awhile either! A few minutes ago, my pup was stretched out napping, so I went down to nuzzle him, and low and behold, NO SMELL whatsoever! I shoved my face into his fur just to be sure and NOTHiNG! Tested my other dog - same thing! I don't know how exactly that feeding raw meat can remove that terrible doggy odor, but dang I love it!!:happyboogie::happyboogie:


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## TheNamesNelson (Apr 4, 2011)

I am unconvinced by this.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm not trying to convince you. I don't care what you feed your dog. I'm stating that this is what happened with MY dogs.


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

Isn't it great! I love feeding raw and all the wonderful things it helps to create! No doggie breath bc the bones and chewing naturally clean the teeth/tartar off. Poops are a huge difference! We had one dog who from day one was always a bright yellow liquid and since switching nice firm and healthy poops. One better is if I don't get around to picking the yard every week the poops have already turned white and are working on disintergrating! No more messy cow pies that I can't pick up let alone no more poop smell! Healthier skin, fur, and better energy! Plus my sickly pup at the time is now healthy weight, muscular and full of energy and starting to fill out! While my other dog has turned into a Brick House!! And just switching our newest 5 month old immediatly she is also already benefitting from raw!!

We too were spending several hundred $$ on kibble bc of how much they all ate but once we figured out a seller we were only showing a difference of $50 bwt kibble and raw! We will NEVER turn back and are researching other options to get more variety into our dogs raw foods! 

Glad its working for your dogs! It makes a 100%+ difference!


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## Rodeo. (Feb 25, 2011)

The poops and coat are my favorite part.  The yard upkeep is easy when she has such small unsmelly poops. When the neighbors dog ventures into my yard it's pretty obvious sadly. I'm lucky and have GREAT connections, I feed raw for maybe $20- $25 a month. It has also got me paying more attention to what I feed myself haha.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I found a local meat vendor and bought 40lbs of chicken necks and 40 lbs of backs for $27 total!! Don't think I'll ever go back to kibble!


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

1 poop a day, healthy sweet smelling pup, fur like silk, gorgeous teeth, I know I'm not feeding my baby crap, head turning " that's such a beautiful dog!" comments...
O, it sucks.


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## duttlyn (Mar 30, 2011)

That's funny... Berghoff is a raw eater but still smells like a dog! I do love the poop issue, ths silky coat, and the amazing teeth but dog smell and breath... still there! Now, he is my first dog and I have nothing to compare it to so maybe he still smells better than other pooches and I just don't know it!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax does not smell (RAW fed). Sierra does (not RAW fed) and makes the couch smell because she lays on it. Cracker (cat) is raw fed. Cat box does NOT stink. I forget to clean it because it doesn't smell.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> Jax does not smell (RAW fed). Sierra does (not RAW fed) and makes the couch smell because she lays on it. Cracker (cat) is raw fed. Cat box does NOT stink. I forget to clean it because it doesn't smell.


I forgot about that! My litterbox used to be HORRIBLE!!!! My cat Lucky would stink up the whole house when he pooped (he's a real pig, I think overeating had something to do with it too...) Now the litterbox is almost completely UNNOTICABLE. And he's took off weight, and looks alot healthier...


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## Management (Aug 1, 2011)

we have had several reccs on the raw diet including another local GSD compadre and owner of St. Bernard- just having trouble defying my vet, and I guess- the establishment path. By my numbers the raw diet is at best 20% of the herd. I'm not afraid to go against the grain but if the results are THAT GOOD why aren't more people doing it?


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## bboylayz (Sep 7, 2010)

I've been feeding my pup (6 months now) orijen large breed puppy because I read it was one of the best thing next to feeding raw. For those of you who don't know, it is a grain free diet with locally farmed, cage free animals and such. (Orijen) But he has such a sensitive tummy that he constantly has diarrhea (even on a week where we don't even give him treats - just kibble while training). I celebrate on the rare occasion that he has a completely nice dry solid poop. The thing is, his energy is so high, he's well hydrated, his coat is like silk. He just seems to be doing soooo well on it. But the un-pick-up-able and terrible smelling poop is driving me crazy! He is starting to slowly get more consistent but... it is taking a while. It has been months!

I've considered doing raw (seeing as Orijen is probably the most expensive kibble out there) but it seems like a big hassle. But after all I've gone through with this little guys stomach, I'm starting to really consider it. Some things I wanted to know before hand. First, this one was always the one that kept me from really switching, is salmonella. I realize that it isn't an issue for dogs, but could it potentially be a risk for human handlers right after a dog eats say raw chicken? I allow my dog to slobber all over me all the time and only wash my hands if it is pretty bad or if I'm going to eat something. Second, are their any guides you recommend for raw - like a calendar to balance their diet? Any supplements needed etc?


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## Management (Aug 1, 2011)

heard good things about Orijen but my breeder said flat-out they were using Costco Kirkland and results were there. I can't complain at all, but I would do the best for my pup if justified.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

bboylayz said:


> I've considered doing raw (seeing as Orijen is probably the most expensive kibble out there) but it seems like a big hassle. But after all I've gone through with this little guys stomach, I'm starting to really consider it. Some things I wanted to know before hand. First, this one was always the one that kept me from really switching, is salmonella. I realize that it isn't an issue for dogs, but could it potentially be a risk for human handlers right after a dog eats say raw chicken? I allow my dog to slobber all over me all the time and only wash my hands if it is pretty bad or if I'm going to eat something. Second, are their any guides you recommend for raw - like a calendar to balance their diet? Any supplements needed etc?


I would like to see the "scientific" answer to this question myself. I mean, dogs lick themselves, eat rotting things, etc...but people don't ever seem to "get" anything from them. Maybe the saliva enzymes kill the "bugs" quickly?
I feed a "loose" prey model. I say loose because I allow treats, and I supplement. (a TRUE prey model does not supplement). It balances out over time...80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organ (1/2 being liver). I supplement with fish oil and vitamin E gelcaps. I have a couple books Natural Nutrition for dogs and cats is really good, by Kymythy R. Schultze. It's an easy read, and gives you a good grasp on what your doing. Yahoo rawfeeding group is good, but they are STRICT prey model (nothing but raw). It's really not difficult or expensive, just gotta learn the basics. 

Leerburg has a page on it too http://http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm

Good luck! my non-stinky cat does eat a portion of 
TOTW every day also. I'm just not real strict by nature...but this is working for us


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i couldnt do a full RAW diet for my animals. hubby would kill me if i even tried it. the cats are kibble fed and surprisingly enough no smelly litter box! but the dogs do get raw eggs a couple times a week and occassionally some raw chicken. beyond that.... close to RAW as they get. Glad its working out for you. i dont have the funky dog smell. First time since switching their food away from purina. Plus they get bathed with an essential oils shampoo when they do get a bath so they smell all pretty anyway!


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

bboylayz said:


> I've been feeding my pup (6 months now) orijen large breed puppy because I read it was one of the best thing next to feeding raw. For those of you who don't know, it is a grain free diet with locally farmed, cage free animals and such. (Orijen) But he has such a sensitive tummy that he constantly has diarrhea (even on a week where we don't even give him treats - just kibble while training). I celebrate on the rare occasion that he has a completely nice dry solid poop. The thing is, his energy is so high, he's well hydrated, his coat is like silk. He just seems to be doing soooo well on it. But the un-pick-up-able and terrible smelling poop is driving me crazy! He is starting to slowly get more consistent but... it is taking a while. It has been months!
> 
> ?


I had the same issue with Orijen LBP. I switched Saber to regular adult Orijen at about 6 months and she immediately had solid nice poops from then on.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I read many times that Orijen can be too rich for a lot of dogs. I feed 100% raw, but I do give supplements. I have not had any issues with feeding raw. I am not a "germaphobic" type person, but I do spray and clean everything down with Clorox bleach spray when I'm done preparing, but I've never worried about getting sick from them licking me or anything and I never have. I also have 4 kids and none of them have ever been sick from it.

Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch is a great site to get started and the leerburg site has actual menus of what they feed. Once you get the hang of it, it's really not hard at all. Takes me about 5 min every morning to prepare meals for 4 dogs. I also bought a $15 scale from Walmart to weigh it out. I buy the meat in bulk, then separate it in sandwich bags. I pull a bag or two out a day ahead of time, so it will be thawed for the next day, and I try to give a good variety. Like this morning, I'll feed a chicken back, some ground beef or turkey, and some canned sardines. I also give big meaty beef bones to help keep their teeth clean that I get for free from my butcher at work. I feed my dog's outside on the back patio to avoid any mess inside.

There are no big piles of stinky poop in my yard. My GSD's poop is literally the same size as my chihuahua's, and it is always solid and usually disintegrates before I can even pick it up. When I had the dogs on TOTW, it wasn't as bad, but I had to switch them to Natural Balance which is not as meat heavy, and pee-yew, they stunk! And my backyard stunk as well, and it was not fun picking up all the poop, and there would be tons of it!

My younger brother just came in last night to visit and I asked him if the house smelled like dog when he walked in. He said no. I told him to smell the dog's, and he said he didn't smell anything on them. THAT makes it all worth it for me!


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Originally Posted by bboylayz 
I've been feeding my pup (6 months now) orijen large breed puppy because I read it was one of the best thing next to feeding raw. For those of you who don't know, it is a grain free diet with locally farmed, cage free animals and such. (Orijen) But he has such a sensitive tummy that he constantly has diarrhea (even on a week where we don't even give him treats - just kibble while training). I celebrate on the rare occasion that he has a completely nice dry solid poop. The thing is, his energy is so high, he's well hydrated, his coat is like silk. He just seems to be doing soooo well on it. But the un-pick-up-able and terrible smelling poop is driving me crazy! He is starting to slowly get more consistent but... it is taking a while. It has been months!



cassadee7 said:


> I had the same issue with Orijen LBP. I switched Saber to regular adult Orijen at about 6 months and she immediately had solid nice poops from then on.


I had the same problem too, plus bad gas. Problems went away when I switched to TOTW. If I weren't so lazy, I would switch to raw.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I agree, I've been feeding raw for over a decade and there's no way I'd go back to kibble. 

My cat is 13 and a half, when Zeus died, I stop going to my vendor for cat food, my gosh, he had UTI one after the other. I put him back on raw and he has been UTI free for 2 years!


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

My dogs don't smell, but I feed some raw meat with their EVO kibble. I have a friend who feeds cheaper kibble and I was very glad to change my clothes when I got home because of the doggie smell on them. My friend's dogs also have very brittle feeling coats.


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## Thru the Viewfinder (Aug 8, 2011)

Okay so I had to give Dakota a bath yesterday because she REEKED. I don't think it was so much because she as a dog stunk, I think it was all the heat, then rain, then heat again. And playing in it all. lol

I still don't think she has great breath, but I do feel like her teeth have improved since getting off of dry food. 

Now, her farts. Bleck. She can clear a room. Chicken and deer make for really gross farts. Beef, pork, rabbit, and squirrel do not. Verdicts still out for groundhog.


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## duttlyn (Mar 30, 2011)

thru the viewfinder said:


> now, her farts. Bleck. She can clear a room. Chicken and deer make for really gross farts. Beef, pork, rabbit, and squirrel do not. Verdicts still out for groundhog.


lmfao!!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I know some raw fed dogs and they still smell like dogs and look the same as mine...so yeah, I don't buy all the benefits.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

dazedtrucker said:


> I forgot about that! My litterbox used to be HORRIBLE!!!! My cat Lucky would stink up the whole house when he pooped (he's a real pig, I think overeating had something to do with it too...) Now the litterbox is almost completely UNNOTICABLE. And he's took off weight, and looks alot healthier...


Mine lost that housecat "pouch" but hasn't lost weight.  You are the second person to tell me they noticed that with the change!


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