# Senior Raw



## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

I know I've been posting alot of questions lately, but with my switch to Raw this weekend, I just want to make sure I have all of my bases covered.









I have 4 dogs. 3 are 3,4,5 yrs old. My fourth is a 9yr old 65lb GSDmix. All would be considered average/inactive--they horse around outside for hours, but when they get inside they find a warm soft spot & lay down--(at least in the winter).

Are there any special requirements for a senior dog when doing Raw? Or does she get the same things as my 3yr old 65lb gsdmix?

(I plan on mixing in some Nupro for joint health, unless you guys think that the RAW diet will take care of that itself?)

We're starting with chicken.... quarters, hearts, liver, etc...

Thanks in advance!


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would make sure that the teeth are in good shape before feeding bones. Some people will give a dog with damaged teeth a bone and the dog breaks a tooth and they blame it on the bone when in fact it was due to the condition of the teeth to start.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

should I mash the bones in that case?

She had to undergo surgery before to remove a damaged "fang" tooth, they did a fill & sealed it.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Softer bones should not be an issue.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

what about the chicken quarter bone?


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

Those are softer. Duchess is 12.5, Oxana is 11. I give them necks, backs and leg quarters (though I do have to cut them in half for duchess)

Neither one get pork or beef neck bones as those can be really hard.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I am going to be feeding my seniors chx backs, duck necks, turkey necks and 1/4s.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

ok, thanks guys!


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## Dejavu (Nov 11, 2010)

Bumping an old thread to ask, is there anything, besides harder bones of course, that you don't give your senior dog?
Or anything that you give more than in a "regular" raw diet? Or do you just give the same that you would give a younger dog?

Mine gets more supplements that my younger dogs, a higher dose of salmon oil and CoQ10. (He's a 10 and a half year old mini Poodle, not a GSD though).
And so far the only thing I watch for in his diet is sodium due to a heart murmur, so no kidney for him, for example.
And his diet is based on chicken wings, chicken necks, chicken thighs, chicken hearts/liver, beef heart and liver. Sometimes ground turkey and some steak.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Duncan, our mix senior, gets the same as Anna. Just waaaay less due to his actvity (or inactivity level ). I watch his fat intake a little more, and he gets the same supps as Anna, but more of the Longevity. 

Most of our RMBs are chicken necks/backs and turkey necks. There's also some ground bone in their whole ground quail.


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## Dejavu (Nov 11, 2010)

How do you watch the fat intake in raw food? 

What I have tried, but I'm not sure it's even the right way, is removing all the chicken skin or cutting with a knife some of the obvious fat in steak or even chicken. Not all the fat, just some of it if the part I'm feeding seems to have lots of it.


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