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Feeding Raw

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine posted following info on Facebook and allowed me to share. I began feeding Raw as soon as I got Pippa @ 14 weeks. It's not easy and can be expensive. I now feed good kibble and Raw and cooked. But Pippa doesn't like kibble and it takes a lot to get her to eat it. So I find this info helpful!

ANIMAL NUTRITION : I wanted to share how I feed my pets, as I am asked about it ALL the time. ALSO I am pretty passionate about this subject. ( But mostly I wrote this because I tire easily these days and those phone calls explaining all this can be exhausting )

First off, I am by no means an expert and we must all find what works for us. ( Unfortunately clinical research studies are non-existent ) I do have some education in animal nutrition though. I was certified as an animal nutritionist while working at a vet in Montana, it was required each year to take the course. ( I worked there for 5 years) I have studied the subject of animal nutrition for many years since. ( I have not included everything, including research and facts to back up what I do and have learned, as this is long enough - so please just take it all with a grain of thought ;)

As a starting place I believed there were many clues about what is appropriate food for our pets in looking at their jaw, teeth and intestinal tracts as well as looking at how wolves feed. ( The dog and the wolf are actually the same species. They share similar physical characteristics, but please note, their instincts, disposition and temperament vary widely )

I also believe that we can do better than a kibble diet. ( There are many ways to feed that address inconvenience to an already busy life as you will see from my narrative and pictures below. ) Food that consists primarily of the right meat ingredients is the most biologically-appropriate thing you can feed dogs & cats. My dream diet would be to just throw some elk & fowl parts out in my yard and let the animals have at it, but this isn't going to happen.

I buy organic eggs, meats, fish, organs & fowl ( human grade and on sale) and mix with a pre-made powder that contains all the elements of vitamins you would find in a commercial kibble or canned dog food - but without the 4-D meats ( google is your friend on this ! ) I also buy raw meat patties from a company called Small Batch. Many of these types of ready made raw meat patties are put through what is called High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) to prevent pathogens that can make your pets sick. ( Based on my research this is not valid but if you worry about that type of thing I thought you might like to know about this HPP - which could possibly destroy the nutritional properties ) The patties come in beef, elk, rabbit, duck & turkey )

While these ready made patties are the easiest , most convenient and nutritionally complete, they are pricey as heck, so that is why I only give ONE a DAY to Finnigan, which is added to the raw organic meats I get on sale ( with the pre-made powders ) I calculate out the portions according to Finnigan's ideal body weight.

I offer a variety of meats, eggs, fish & fowl to both my dog & cats. The sardines packed in water ( NO SALT & NO OIL) are good because they have a lot of tiny, safe bones.This provides calcium, which is can be hard to offer in a raw diet. If you buy a high end ( $ 400 - 800.00 dollars ) meat /bone grinder you could grind your own bones and calcium would be in an abundance ) Do NOT GIVE RAW salmon. In regards to EGGS, for dogs; whole eggs only - don't just give the whites. Cats can only have the yolks. Raw, fresh organic eggs, other wise cook them. Variety is key, offer different meat proteins, such as do not just give chicken. Look for duck, rabbit etc... NO GRAINS/CORN

If a person is uneasy with feeding raw, a cooked diet would be a huge improvement above a kibble diet. There are also pre-made powders for cooked meats that ensure they are getting a balanced & complete diet.

( MYTH: kibble, cleans an animals teeth )

As far as veggies go, I don't offer any, however there are some in the ready-made Small Batch patties. Again there is not much in the way of research on this ( clinical trials & clinical research studies are very limited on this whole subject, too much money I guess ) We can see from wolf behavior they do eat some berries and obtain stomach contents that contain grasses, from say a deer they take down. But other than that there doesn't seem to be much in their diets that include vegetables. Vegetables are made up of a cellulose material and hard to digest, also I have a THEORY that they could actually throw off the natural enzymes in the gut. ( I am still studying this )

The hardest part may be changing your pet’s food, so go slow and google step by step tips on how to carry out this out, its way easy !

So far this diet I offer my pets has greatly reduced the number of diseases and veterinarian visits. I have noticed an excellent coat on my animals, no fatty tumors, no ear infections, they have beautiful teeth and no itchy skin or hot spots. ( Finn has had one hot spot in his 9 years and this was due to me shaving a knot off around his neck & ears that was tight on his skin) my bad !

When packaging up the meat I place a serving in a sealed, zip-lock bag and freeze. To serve I submerge the serving in lukewarm water ( this is when I forget to take out a 3 day supply and put in refrig) - takes about 10 minutes to thaw.
One last note: I fed Finnigan the first three years of his life out of a Kong verses a bowl. Stuff the Kong and freeze it. I still to this day often feed him out of the Kong ~ he loves it. ~ Google it ! ;)
Here look at the pictures, it will be faster ! LOL


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DennasMom

Well-Known Member
There's a sub-forum here for support on feeding raw... lots of info.
http://www.mastiff-forum.com/index.php?forums/raw-food-diets.44/

Denna's been raw fed since she was 6 months old (4.5 years ago). She's the first dog we've fed raw. I LOVE it (and I think she does too).

I will say it is EASY to provide ample calcium when feeding raw... include raw bones... I use lamb ribs or pork ribs for most of Denna's bone (calcium) content. I don't grind anything. I provide chunks of meat, organs and slabs of ribs (3-4 ribs per piece) - among other items added for variety.

We feed based on the "Whole Prey Model Raw" formula, which has been working great for us.
We don't regularly feed any kibble or cooked products.