# Considering raw feeding



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

I have heard both that you need veggies and that you don't. Could a dog be fed raw without veggies? If I were to go the raw diet way, I think the hardest part would be the veggies. 

As far as muscle meat, I read chicken breast, ground turkey/beef, beef heart, etc. I would imagine this would be expensive if you are getting human grade meats. Last I checked chicken breast was pretty expensive. Am I missing something? 

I'd like to hear from both sides. 

Thanks


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I feed veges. 15-20% of their daily intake. I try to make them count. Superfoods. Blueberries, raspberries, squashes, pumpkin, broccoli, sweet peppers.

I made fermented veges once and the difference in their coats was amazing. Have been to lazy to make more.

MM is anything you want. Venison, beef, pork, turkey, chicken, duck, sardines. RMB: poultry necks, chicken quarters, duck wings, chicken wings

You need to look for a co-op with connections. I buy from a wholesaler and local butchers. I rarely pay more than $1/lb for anything.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Can't argue with Jax....and I do like to argue. I'm not quite as thorough however....I like the idea of blueberries/raspberries...dog be getting some soon.

Anyway, I puree the crap out of broccoli, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash....not necessarily all of them..but a few maybe...and add it to her ground portion of her "raw"..

Do you need veggies ? ...beats me..but I do what I do, because of the same reasons you are asking your questions. Whether it's a "prey model" diet or a bastardized version of that diet...which I feed my dog...there's the obvious responsibility. So, by not buying the bag of food...you are on the hook for the dog's proper nutrition.

I think one learns continually about a raw fed dog's diet as time progresses...it is an incredible flexible diet and you tweak it as the dog suggests.

I know a prey model subscriber or two....can't say their dogs look any less healthy than mine. They do like to give me crap at times about the adjuncts I add to my dog's "raw diet". It's all in good humor.

Good of you to be investigating...your dog is in good hands it seems.


SuperG


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Broccoli LEAVES are on the order for next year.  Way more nutrients, way less processing. I get the leftovers from teh organic vege farm. I don't feed carrots because they are high in sugar once cooked.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Jax08 said:


> I don't feed carrots because they are high in sugar once cooked.


Stupid question...fresh carrots are better ?


StupidG


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

something about cooking carrots converts something to more sugar. I dont' understand it, I just know it. 

Dogs can't process fresh carrots. I guess if you could juice them it would work.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I feed prey model style so I only feed muscle meat, bone and organs... I will occasionally give them some pureed veggies but it does not make up a significant portion of their diet. If the dog has yeasty issues then I'd probably stay away from fruits and veg, otherwise I don't think it's wrong either way.. whatever you're comfortable doing and what works best for your dog.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Jax08 said:


> Dogs can't process fresh carrots. I guess if you could juice them it would work.


Can't disagree with that...especially if I give her a whole carrot...next day's dump tells the story...which to the OP...is a great way of telling if you are screwing up in some obvious fashion with the dog's diet. 

Not quite juicing them but they are like mush when I am done with them in the food processor...add a bit of water along the way.

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Carriesue said:


> I feed prey model style so I only feed muscle meat, bone and organs... I will occasionally give them some pureed veggies but it does not make up a significant portion of their diet. If the dog has yeasty issues then I'd probably stay away from fruits and veg, otherwise I don't think it's wrong either way.. whatever you're comfortable doing and what works best for your dog.


So you are kind of another "modified" prey model feeder ? I'm just curious to hear why you at times add a mulched veggie to their food? Didn't know that about dogs with yeast problems...thanks.


SuperG


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

green tripe was as far as l'd go for feeding greens. Until Karlo was diagnosed with kidney failure, then I had to start giving veggies to him to lower his protein intake. I make up a stew of sweet potato, frozen mixed veggies and then add in some pearled tapioca after the veggies have simmered for awhile. All my dogs like this, surprisingly. I also give banana, kale, blueberries but not as regularly as the stew. They all still get green tripe daily...to me that is more important nutrition-wise than veggies. 
But cutting protein for certain conditions is necessary.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

SuperG said:


> So you are kind of another "modified" prey model feeder ? I'm just curious to hear why you at times add a mulched veggie to their food? Didn't know that about dogs with yeast problems...thanks.
> 
> 
> SuperG


I basically just do it to feel like I'm covering all my bases plus sometimes I'm feeling lazy and don't want to deal with organs so I'll do this Dr. Harvey veg/fruit mix in place of that. But all my dogs were thriving on prey model, long before I ever decided to add veg.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

The only thing I add is pumpkin.
Oh, and Feedsentials.

Wondering about Fruit and Veggies For Your Dog?


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## Mesonoxian (Apr 5, 2012)

I feed based heavily on prey model, which means about 99% of Lena's diet is meat, bone, and organs. She gets veggies when we have extra in the house - nothing specific, just any leftovers or things that maybe aren't quite fresh enough for us to eat. Keep in mind that dogs cannot process whole veggies, they must be broken down (either be cooked, or puréed) for them to get anything out of it. 

The cardinal rule of raw feeding is "know thy dog!" - start with a basic "style" of raw feeding you're comfortable with, and tweak it until you feel it's hitting the spot for _your_ dog. For example, my dog needs more than the recommended 10% bone to keep her stool as firm as I like. Lena also happily eats pork, but if we give it too often, the rest of the house is suffering from her noxious gas! 

Never be afraid to ask questions, most of the people I have had contact with in the raw community are very friendly and helpful! (But also take whatever you hear with a grain of salt, I've found that often if you ask 3 people how to feed raw, you'll likely get 4 different answers!)


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | The No-Carb Kick Needs to Be Checked


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## osito23 (Feb 17, 2014)

I loosely feed prey model to 3 of my dogs, so they don't get veggies regularly. I'm not opposed, and they sometimes get veggie scraps, but it's not an important part of their diet. They do get tripe twice a week. My 4th dog eats premade raw with veggies included and does well with them.

Jax - I just read the article you posted. It makes sense. I admit to not feeding veggies mainly out of not wanting to prep them, lol. Maybe I'll blend something up today.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Thanks guys. This is most valuable to me. I will start slow with just supplementing his kibble with some chicken backs, necks, breast and see how he does. I will be working on the wife to move slowing to full raw. That means I have to by a freezer....oh well. At least my dog will have perfect teeth and no bad breath!


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## manako (Apr 3, 2015)

We probably feed 1/4-1/2 a cup of veggies compared to the 1.5 lbs of meat/organs/bone each meal. This can be pumpkin, sweet potato, dark veggies, sometimes oatmeal. I like feeding the veggies because it helps keep her stools consistent between the different protein sources, she doesn't get the same amount of bone each meal which is probably part of that.


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