# Do you feed raw?



## Dionne2u (Nov 5, 2018)

Hey guys, let's share! Are you feeding raw? Have you noticed any changes in health of your dog? So whatcha feeding? Please share amount and of what is fed, dogs age, weight, activity level and if using supplements.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I am coming up on 20 years of raw feeding. Have weaned 10 litters and raised up a lot of dogs on raw. My foundation bitch was raw fed from 9.5 weeks and I am now 5 generations down from her of raw fed dogs. 

A lot of the people I train with also feed raw though many feed a combination with kibble since traveling with raw is difficult (I have done it, except when I went to Germany). Biggest thing I tell people is to do a lot of research. I would rather people feed a good quality kibble than feed a poorly done raw diet. I have seen the results of junk kibble and badly done raw diets.


I won't go into the holistic, ying and yang of why I feed certain things, but what I feed depends on the dog. I have found some do better on some protein sources than others. Some dogs also do better on more bone and others less bone. I feed chicken, turkey (just finished a whole cut up turkey last night), beef, pork, lamb/mutton, duck, goat, fish (canned or whole flash frozen), eggs (and they would be fresh free range eggs if I could afford them) and beaver. 



We had a thread started years ago that discussed what we all feed that might be fun to read. 
https://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/b-r-f-raw-feeding/85902-our-dogs-menus.html


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I feed raw with kibble supplement. My girl is very food sensitive and her raw diet is primarily beef and beef organ meat. Wish I could afford grass fed, grass finished beef. As it is all beef is pricey. I also use lamb and goat organ meats.
She gets about 1.5 lbs. of raw a day. She is free feed a lamb LID kibble that some days she eats none and others she eats a cup or so. Depends on her mood and activity level on any given day.

Because of dietary restrictions I add supplements:

Bone meal
Organic cold pressed hemp oil
Home made vitamin blend (iron, manganese, zinc, kelp[iodine], vitamin E, taurine, vitamin D, copper, salt)
I often add goat milk powder (THK) and beef bone broth powder (THK)

If I can get her to eat it I throw in an egg from time to time but she doesn't much like them.

Favorite treats are Merrick's beef and lamb lung treats. She has an addiction and we call them her "puppy crack". She also gets LID bison or lamb treats. 

She is moderately active. We walk mostly off leash daily for about 1-1.5 hrs. and she gets 15-30 mins of ball/frisbee/flirt pole play once or twice a day. She is 5.5 years, weighs about 78 lbs (needs to take off about 5 lbs). 

We feed raw because of her abundance of food sensitivities. As a result her coat is better, itching and chewing is relieved, irritable bowel issues mostly resolved (she does get stress colitis from time to time). Skin rashes have resolved. My girl is the poster child of poorly bred genetic hot mess (HD, Plasmoma/pannus, food sensitivities, weak temperament) raw feeding has saved her from a life of misery. She is my first raw fed dog. My learning curve has been steep and I'm sure her diet isn't perfect but I do try my very best to give her the best balanced diet I can given her dietary sensitivities and very picky eating habits.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

Yes. Yes. Less allergy symptoms, shinier coat, cleaner teeth, better breath, less and firmer stools.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Yes, I started 20 years ago and my current 10mth + pup was fed raw the day I brought her home.

I feed a whole prey model diet or a franken prey model diet.

I supplement with salmon oil or fish body oil, if the meat has come from grain fed rather than grass fed.

Healthy skin and coat, bright eyes, strong white teeth, fresh breath, small stools that don't stink.

I don't weigh her food, she eats until full.

I seldom weigh her now as I look at her shape to determine if she is a healthy weight. 



Sent from my Wileyfox Swift using Tapatalk


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Yes, I forgot the supplements. Everyone gets salmon oil and vit E. The rest varies on which dog I am feeding. Organ meat comes from mostly beef, some goat, some turkey or chicken here and there.


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## Dionne2u (Nov 5, 2018)

Thanks everyone, well goodness. I am looking at trying it again, i cook with little kibble and add a raw egg and supplements. My older dog started out on raw and then just got to where he didn't want to eat it. But maybe I'll just see of puppy will now. 

Question: do you freeze the food before serving? Do you feed any vegetables? Leafy greens? Or primary meat, poultry, and fish? 

Thanks!!


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Dionne2u said:


> Thanks everyone, well goodness. I am looking at trying it again, i cook with little kibble and add a raw egg and supplements. My older dog started out on raw and then just got to where he didn't want to eat it. But maybe I'll just see of puppy will now.
> 
> Question: do you freeze the food before serving? Do you feed any vegetables? Leafy greens? Or primary meat, poultry, and fish?
> 
> Thanks!!


If its from the wild, yes.
I buy from a raw feeding supplier and it comes frozen; I either feed frozen or thawed.

No veg or leafy greens; plenty of grass around if she needs it.

Sent from my Wileyfox Swift using Tapatalk


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## Dionne2u (Nov 5, 2018)

Wish we had a place to buy wild.


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## Custom Billet (Mar 10, 2018)

Shasta has been on NW Naturals beef since she was 11 weeks old. And a lot of it! She eats almost 3/4 of a pound, 3 meals a day. Nice and lean, all muscle, happy as can be, lots of energy. Just shy of 1 year, and 60 pounds. My wallet is looking forward to her metabolism to slow down a little....... 

I wish I had the time to prepare everything from scratch. From everything I have read, these guys do a pretty good job keeping everything balanced in the food. I tried the turkey recipe a couple times, but it was hard to keep weight on her. The beef has enough fat in it to keep her looking good.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Nope. I tried it with 2 dogs. Both didn't like it, didn't want to eat it, and got sick on it. One I transitioned to homecooked instead which she did love and did great on for a long time. The other I went back to kibble and finally found one he does great on : Victor.

My old dog eats Honest Kitchen and ZiwiPeak. I don't give her Cosequin anymore because according to Ziwipeak it's all in there. The others eat Victor. Everybody healthy.

I know of 3 dogs in the past 3 years who were raw fed and minimally vaccinated who died young to cancer. I also had one die young to cancer who ate Taste of the Wild. 

I board some raw dogs and yeah they have better breath and shinier and nice little poops usually. My dogs have nice breath because I brush their teeth regularly.

To each their own. I was willing to go raw for my one if it would solve his tummy problem..even bought a freezer and everything. Nope. He went on hunger strike and got so sick he required vet attention. He just wanted his kibble back. 

I still cook stuff for them--whatever bargain chicken I can get at the grocery store and I cook a whole huge mess of it at a time and top their kibble with it so at least they are getting something tasty and real. That's the best I can do/afford at the moment and they all seem fine, so it's good enough for us.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Dionne2u said:


> Thanks everyone, well goodness. I am looking at trying it again, i cook with little kibble and add a raw egg and supplements. My older dog started out on raw and then just got to where he didn't want to eat it. But maybe I'll just see of puppy will now.
> 
> Question: do you freeze the food before serving? Do you feed any vegetables? Leafy greens? Or primary meat, poultry, and fish?
> 
> Thanks!!


I don't do veggies or fruits mainly because my fussy one won't eat them. She is a grass eater though. 
Seems there is a split on whether veggies are needed or not. Monica Segal would say veggies and fruit are indeed part of a balanced raw diet. Others would say prey model doesn't included regular addition of veg. However, true prey model would include fur,skin, feathers etc. I feel like the majority of raw feeders do what I call franken raw. The best blend of what works and as balanced as you can get and afford and their dog will eat. 

I sometimes have to cook my girls raw because she decides she isn't eating it raw and I can't afford to throw away 1.5 lbs. of beef after 2-3 days of refusal because she wants something different and is being picky. 

I buy grocery store beef (usually large roasts). I also order varied organ meat, etc. from Mypetcarnivoir. I spend a few hours once or twice a month cutting and portioning her meals. Then I pop them in the freezer all preportioned and take out one or two days at a time. She likes her food partially frozen most of the time. 

If you decide to return to raw feeding and go with mostly chicken (as it's a less expensive protein) do remember that although many will rave about .59/lb chicken quarters from the local big box grocery they are often injected with a large quantity of saline based flavor enhancers that you want to avoid.


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## Cascade (Mar 5, 2017)

I got my first GSD Kilo when he was fed puppy chow. I had him on kibble and slowly transitioned him to full raw over the years. Once he was fully on raw his coat looked fantastic, he had no smell, no bad breath, smaller poops, clean teeth. He had issues with diarrhea on kibble but on raw he was fine. When diagnosed with HSA I had him on a more specific cancer diet formulated by a holistic vet (still raw).

I feed my current shepherds raw. My older one gets some kibble with honest kitchen and my younger one is on full raw. Some diy using beef, chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, kangaroo, wild herring, etc. Sometimes premade grinds such as Natural Instincts & Irrawsistable. I also use Feedsentials from carmspack and/or add other things such as fish oil, leafy greens, eggs, etc.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

I have fed raw exclusively for the last 12 1/2 years. Two of my dogs have never had kibble in their life, they were on raw from 4 weeks old. I switched my current working dog which I got at 3 1/2 to raw the first day I got him. 

The benefits that I see are greater energy, lower to no vet bills, better muscle tone, my dogs are ripped. Raw fed dogs are rarely ever fat. Working ability, endurance, mental focus are all increased. I travel extensively with my dogs and find it very easy to feed raw on all my trips. If I kennel my dogs I provide raw food food for the kennel to feed them.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Slamdunc said:


> I have fed raw exclusively for the last 12 1/2 years. Two of my dogs have never had kibble in their life, they were on raw from 4 weeks old. I switched my current working dog which I got at 3 1/2 to raw the first day I got him.
> 
> The benefits that I see are greater energy, lower to no vet bills, better muscle tone, my dogs are ripped. Raw fed dogs are rarely ever fat. Working ability, endurance, mental focus are all increased. I travel extensively with my dogs and find it very easy to feed raw on all my trips. If I kennel my dogs I provide raw food food for the kennel to feed them.


Do you think raw fed dogs are rarely overweight because they are fed raw, or because of the type of people who feed raw are not the type of people to let their dog get fat?

I've never seen a fat raw fed dog either but the only people I know who do it are pretty hard core dog people, mostly competition dogs. Those dogs aren't gonna be fat. Just a thought


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> I've never seen a fat raw fed dog either but the only people I know who do it are pretty hard core dog people, mostly competition dogs. Those dogs aren't gonna be fat. Just a thought





I've seen an overweight/out of shape raw fed dog or three.........retired show dogs coupled with a sedentary lifestyle.....both dog and human.




SuperG


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## Saco (Oct 23, 2018)

I am out in the fields catching mice so my dogs can really eat like their ancestors. It's an all day job, but who needs to work? 

I also add in some human waste, once or twice a week, because I like to feed my dogs what they evolved on, a "paleo" diet for dogs, if you will. Plus, the natural probiotics. 

I take trips to Siberia to excavate a frozen mammoth once a year. The dogs really love mammoth, they get tired of mice after a while.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

saco said:


> i am out in the fields catching mice so my dogs can really eat like their ancestors. It's an all day job, but who needs to work?
> 
> I also add in some human waste, once or twice a week, because i like to feed my dogs what they evolved on, a "paleo" diet for dogs, if you will. Plus, the natural probiotics.
> 
> I take trips to siberia to excavate a frozen mammoth once a year. The dogs really love mammoth, they get tired of mice after a while.


lol


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> Do you think raw fed dogs are rarely overweight because they are fed raw, or because of the type of people who feed raw are not the type of people to let their dog get fat?
> 
> I've never seen a fat raw fed dog either but the only people I know who do it are pretty hard core dog people, mostly competition dogs. Those dogs aren't gonna be fat. Just a thought


It is harder to make a dog fat on a raw diet. Unlike a kibble diet, there are little to no carbs in a raw diet. Dogs do not process or utilize carbs like we do. Fat and protein are energy sources for dogs. Dogs have no use for carbohydrates or grain and kibble fed dogs are far more likely to become overweight than raw fed dogs. Is it possible for a raw fed dog to become fat? Sure, with large amounts of food and little to no exercise. I am feeding Boru a little more than 3 lbs of raw meat a day currently. He is very lean, very strong and very energetic. Dogs burn more calories over the winter to keep warm then they do over the summer or in warmer months. In the summer he eats between 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 lbs per day. I watch my dogs muscle tone and weight daily. Although, I do not actually weigh my dogs I can tell by their body tone if they need more or less food based on time of year and activity level. 

I keep my dogs lean and in shape. One of my pet peeves is a fat dog, especially an overweight GSD. I suppose it is both, the diet and the activity level of the dogs and owners that take the time to feed raw.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> Do you think raw fed dogs are rarely overweight because they are fed raw, or because of the type of people who feed raw are not the type of people to let their dog get fat?
> 
> I've never seen a fat raw fed dog either but the only people I know who do it are pretty hard core dog people, mostly competition dogs. Those dogs aren't gonna be fat. Just a thought


You can overfeed a raw diet, I did. I kept feeding my dog the same amount of food after she was injured, had surgery as when she was active and she got chunky.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Slamdunc said:


> It is harder to make a dog fat on a raw diet. Unlike a kibble diet, there are little to no carbs in a raw diet. Dogs do not process or utilize carbs like we do. Fat and protein are energy sources for dogs. Dogs have no use for carbohydrates or grain and kibble fed dogs are far more likely to become overweight than raw fed dogs. Is it possible for a raw fed dog to become fat? Sure, with large amounts of food and little to no exercise. I am feeding Boru a little more than 3 lbs of raw meat a day currently. He is very lean, very strong and very energetic. Dogs burn more calories over the winter to keep warm then they do over the summer or in warmer months. In the summer he eats between 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 lbs per day. I watch my dogs muscle tone and weight daily. Although, I do not actually weigh my dogs I can tell by their body tone if they need more or less food based on time of year and activity level.
> 
> I keep my dogs lean and in shape. One of my pet peeves is a fat dog, especially an overweight GSD. I suppose it is both, the diet and the activity level of the dogs and owners that take the time to feed raw.


That makes sense. Carbs sure make me fat in a hurry lol

I'm with you, I don't want fat dogs either. And kibble or anything else fed dogs do not need to be fat. I bet another factor is that anybody going to the trouble to feed raw I would presume really cares about their dogs' health. Because why else would you do it. And if you care that much about your dog's health, I doubt you are going to let them get fat, because people who care about that stuff keep their dogs at a healthy weight.

Now, if only someone would be in charge of MY portion sizes LOL


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I seem to be able to make dogs fat on raw. Heck, I am able to make my lactating females fat. LOL Nice thing, though, is that I have found it much easier to thin them down without starving them.


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