[Nizmo]

going to start nismo on a raw food diet. i cant afford 60 bucks a month for his food.
do we already have a raw diet outline?
i searched didnt find much

 

[pitbullmamanatl]

This is the model I use.

 

[Nizmo]

do you think it would be a difficult switch for him since he has GI issues.
he has to have grain free food, no people food. his stomach is REALLY sensitive.
do see a problem with going raw?

 

[aimee235]

You might just need to go really slow with switching over. Some dogs can go straight over to raw no problem other dogs need some time to get used to it. You might want to add some probiotics and digestive enzymes to help him out.

 

[Nizmo]

thanks!
im worried about the bone part, i dont want him to get a block.
it says not to feed dairy, but for a probiotic would a tbs of organic plain yogurt work? or is there something else over the counter.

 

[aimee235]

Yogurt will work fine. You could buy some stuff in pill form but I just use yogurt. As long as you are not feeding really thick bones you should be fine. Or bones that have been cut by people. When the dog eats the bone it gets crushed and doesn't make super sharp edges. They digest bones pretty well. You could always buy bone meal, but I think you have to make sure it is the edible kind because they sell it with added chemicals for plants like roses. I haven't got any before so I am not sure. I feed mostly chicken bones. Uncooked of course. They are soft and easy to digest. Harder bones to digest would be the weight bearing bones from large animals.

 

[Nizmo]

thank you for the info that helps a lot!
i think i need to really study this diet before i make the decision. if something did go wrong i dont have money to get his stomach back tonormal. he almost dies with his GI attack last time

 

[aimee235]

Glad I could help
That's definitely a good idea. There are some yahoo groups with a lot of active raw feeding people you can ask questions so you will get more opinions/advise. I would wait since it could be life threatening. I don't know how sensitive he is. Do you think a couple pieces of raw diced chicken would cause him issues? Does he have a diagnosis for his stomach problems? I don't know what could cause them. Off the top of my head I know if a dog survives parvo it can have intestinal problems later.

 

[Mach0]

Good luck-
Do your research and love it-
I think I spend about 30-40 bucks a month on food for my boy. It takes more time to prepare lol but it's worth it.

 

[pitbullmamanatl]

I spend close to $100 every 3-4 weeks on Kangol's food and I feed him 1.5-2lbs a day. You must go slow when transitioning as it is a shock to the body. Before you switch over make sure you do your research and fully understand everything about feeding organs etc. Follow that Prey Raw Model and you should be ok. I keep a copy on my fridge. This is the site Ronnie and I use for food. They are located in PA, but they ship. Hare Today Gone Tomorrow

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't a RAW diet more expensive to feed if done correctly and with the right supplements. I went the raw diet route once and ended up going back to kibble. I also had a dog with GI issues and it was trial and error on finding the right food. He ended up doing excellent on the Wellness simple solutions formula. Yes, it was almost $60 bucks for a 28lb bag but it lasted me about 6 weeks for a 70lb dog. Much less than what I would spend on raw meat and all the supplements.

 

[pitbullmamanatl]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't a RAW diet more expensive to feed if done correctly and with the right supplements. I went the raw diet route once and ended up going back to kibble. I also had a dog with GI issues and it was trial and error on finding the right food. He ended up doing excellent on the Wellness simple solutions formula. Yes, it was almost $60 bucks for a 28lb bag but it lasted me about 6 weeks for a 70lb dog. Much less than what I would spend on raw meat and all the supplements.

I think it is much more expensive to feed than kibble; however, the end result of RAW vs kibble is well worth it. RAW is not for every dog though and it takes a lot of time and research to get started. It is not something you just plunge right into. Kangol will not touch kibble and I had food issues with him for years before switching over to RAW. Now I have no problems.

This is what I spent today on his food:
10lbs of chicken quarters- $8.80
5lbs of turkey necks and backs- $5.53
8lbs of beef kidney- $5.11
11lbs of beef heart- $11.00
4lbs of chicken livers- $4.00
__________________________
Total- $34.44 for roughly 7 meals granted the kidney and the heart will last me another 7-12 meals because I bought so much. So in 7 days I will have to buy some more chicken and turkey.
I also lucked out this weekend when my best friend's husband killed a deer so I get some meet from that and all the organs, which I will freeze. So the best thing to do is slowly transition and you will just have to weigh the costs. The only supplements I do are fish oil, Vitamin E, milk thistle, and a little garlic every few days in his food.

 

[Nizmo]

so just got back from the butcher shop. lil bit spendy. ha.
they didnt have chicken backs or whole turkey necks. they just had ground turkey neck for a dollar something per pound.
also got some liver, some chicken breast.
tonight im going to go to the store and pick up some gizzards.
in that plan it said keep the ground up stuff to maybe once weekly. but i cannot find chicken backs or whole turkey necks ANYWHERE around here. do you think it'll be ok?
im going to first start him on some satin balls for a day, then start the diet.
anyone have any advice or input?
im really trying to do my research i wanna do this the right way

 

[pitbullmamanatl]

so just got back from the butcher shop. lil bit spendy. ha.
they didnt have chicken backs or whole turkey necks. they just had ground turkey neck for a dollar something per pound.
also got some liver, some chicken breast.
tonight im going to go to the store and pick up some gizzards.
in that plan it said keep the ground up stuff to maybe once weekly. but i cannot find chicken backs or whole turkey necks ANYWHERE around here. do you think it'll be ok?
im going to first start him on some satin balls for a day, then start the diet.
anyone have any advice or input?
im really trying to do my research i wanna do this the right way

I suggest doing a search for all Deb's posts. There is a lot of great information she has posted. Once you read through all of her posts and still have questions she will answer them. She likes you to do all the research, put together a plan, and then hit her up if you have any questions.

 

[Nizmo]

good deal, thank you!

 

[Pitbull Palace]

Ive read threw all this and let me ask a Question i havent seen asked.
Is it ok that Ive been - Feeding my Pup (10 wks) Nutro 1 in the mornig for breakfast,
Lunch is Half Nutro1 and half Raw meat. Dinner is Raw Totally. This is Basiccaly because i dont have the Time to prepare a TOTALLY raw meal. ( SUmmertime I work aprox 16 hrs a day) and wife won't prepare it for the dogs.
I dont show my dogs, I feed them the Raw for the Health reasons. Rocky has a bad Yeast Problem/ kibble grain alergy, and Ive tried everything under the sun, and what seems to work Is 1/2 Nutro Lamb and Rice kibble/and raw meat. So i started Puppy on that the day she came home by adding a tiny amount of a raw meat to her dinner. It's been 2 wks for the Pup and alls well. Whats ur Opinions ?

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Raw feeders will tell you to go all raw and skip kibble completely. However, my last dog ate a half raw half kibble diet but I fed him kibble in the morning and raw at night. The raw and kibble digest differently so with alot of dogs it can be an issue when it comes to the belly and bathroom. I was told by other raw feeders that it was fine to do it the way I was doing it because there was an 8-9 hour time difference between feedings. I do know others who mix raw with kibble but they feed a grain free kibble with it. That's just my input someone else may have better

 

[Pitbull Palace]

Raw feeders will tell you to go all raw and skip kibble completely. However, my last dog ate a half raw half kibble diet but I fed him kibble in the morning and raw at night. The raw and kibble digest differently so with alot of dogs it can be an issue when it comes to the belly and bathroom. I was told by other raw feeders that it was fine to do it the way I was doing it because there was an 8-9 hour time difference between feedings. I do know others who mix raw with kibble but they feed a grain free kibble with it. That's just my input someone else may have better

Ok, Rocky's is seperated, he's 11, eats a Kibble Snack in AM, then the Raw dinner. Puppy maybe i should consider seperating the Kibble/Raw...Its been fine so far, but that doesnt mean she couldnt start having a digestion problem with age..better safe than sorry.

 

[pitbullmamanatl]

If you feed both use these portions:

• 40% RAW
• 40% kibble
• 15% vegetation(pureed carrots/green beans or green tripe)
• 5% supplements

Personally, I would choose one or the other.

 

[Pitbull Palace]

If you feed both use these portions:

• 40% RAW
• 40% kibble
• 15% vegetation(pureed carrots/green beans or green tripe)
• 5% supplements

Personally, I would choose one or the other.

I take it that you broke that down to a balanced Diet to come out w/that. Thank you, geez I hate to see the Bill when your done w/me lol