raw/home food vs kibble for Bugsy

 Wonderful!

As you know I'm raising a special needs puppy now (Lynn) and I didn't feel equipped to ensure all her challenges were dealt with, in addition to meeting her needs as a growing puppy.

I was really happy with my consult with Mordanna and I think now it's a vastly superior choice to feeding supplemental kibble, if one is feeling insecure about  feeding home prepared.  For one thing, even doing, say, half kibble, it can be shockingly easy to over or under provide a micronutrient.  Most dogs can absorb this less than ideal situation just fine, but for dogs like ours that operate on the edge, I feel better knowing we are well within the ideal range for her circumstances.

I was amazed at the difference in Lynn after even the first day.  Her diet was formulated to be digestible and provide plenty of energy as she is very active (our daily goal for her is around 1500 kcals).  Sure enough, her rumbly tummy was much better, quickly, and she has tons of energy! 

 I didn't realize that Lynn had digestive issues - she couldn't have landed in a better place

I have yet to convince DH that Mordanna is $100 well spent but always pushing - I definitely would feel better having an analysis performed, in the meantime I am trying to diversify the meats/offal and veg. when I do feed home diet.  He needs about 2500kcals to maintain

We have been giving him occasional beef heart and mackerel with his kibble since he was about a year old and we instantly saw a leveling out of his energy, still high just more even keel.

There is however no denying that he thrives on the raw meat/offal. This morning he was like shot out of a cannon following two nights of home diet.  We did a 3 mile bike ride and several times I was struggling to keep up with him - a woman was out walking and shouted woohoo that looks fun!

His environmental allergies are at their worst now so if this is what he would be like at his worst it would be impressive.

Glad Saturday went well - I picked my car up on Thursday and the work was abyssmal so it went back in.  They think it will be ready this afternoon.  I am soo done with all this.  Once I've got it back perhaps we can sort out a trip to you with pancreas

 Well, it must be working well because all of the pics you post of him, he looks fantastic. I really tried to like feeding raw but it's just not for me. Dakota turns her nose up at it (it makes her sick anyway) and Neiko prefers his kibble (he'll sniff the raw then look at me like, is this my only choice?). Lily doesn't care either way.

 I do think for some dogs it is right and others not - as for me DH was laughing as I held my nose while literally throwing (from the packaging) the raw liver in his bowl.  I mean it is a major gag thing for me but from day 1 Bugsy went wild for it and has never had any digestive issues with it.  In fact I had given him raw ground beef many times before I read you need to slowly introduce raw to their diet.

I can't see me feeding raw at breakfast because I couldn't tolerate the smells

I haven't tried a wide variety of veggies but he loves canned green beans, honestly I think they are a trigger that some lovely animal product is coming his way, and he has mashed regular or sweet potato,  cauliflower, carrots, celery, collards, and whatever else I've had in.  I am lucky he isn't fussy and is a hungry boy.

I am going to keep trying to be more adventurous with the offal as we are limited to non poultry and it needs to be inexpensive so options aren't as good as I'd like

Jewlieee

Well, it must be working well because all of the pics you post of him, he looks fantastic.

THanks I believe that's his genetics!

careful you don't feed too much "offal". Most raw diets use very little liver, 5% at most.

mudpuppy

Most raw diets use very little liver, 5% at most.

I am getting fairly curious as to how he would do with an entire rabbit.  I'd like to make sure he is OK (allergy wise) with rabbit first and then see what he does.

kpwlee

I am getting fairly curious as to how he would do with an entire rabbit.  I'd like to make sure he is OK (allergy wise) with rabbit first and then see what he does.

  He'll probably do fine; Jessie catches and eats young rabbits occasionally and always does fine. I have a consultation scheduled with Mordanna for the second week in July; Jessie's food allergies severely limit her kibble choices; she can have only a few premium kibbles. Her allergies to salmon and potatoes limit her more than her allergy to chicken. If you want to make sure Bugsy's nutritional needs are being met the NRC 2006 recommendations for dogs is in Monica Segal's book "Optimal Nutrition" and it's $25;

http://www.monicasegal.com/catalog/product.php?cPath=25&products_id=101

  She tells how to use the table to calculate your dog's requirements; it's not hard.
  

 Emma's the same way. I think these sensitive pups just don't process the kibble as well as they should. The more raw food she got, the better she looked. We transitioned very, very slowly. Both of us needed that, LOL. I've been a vegetarian for years, and vegan for a year and a half. Most days I do fine, but some days it's a bit much and she ends up eating a veggie meal. I figure it balances out (or counts almost as a fast day) since she eats about 98% meat the rest of the time.

I find it a lot easier to feed raw in the mornings, if it's already mixed and ready to go. Now, I'm doing premade, because my dogs are smidglings and eat less than half a pound, together, at a meal. Before, though, when I was mixing things at home, I would just have it portioned in Gladwares (I know they come in Bugsy size! LOL) and dump it in the bowls.

 They do make Bugsy sized Gladware, but does Karen have a Bugsy Gladware sized fridge? 

I put the mushy and boneless part of Lynn's diet in gallon bags and they are only maybe a third filled. 

Heart is muscle meat, and I've found it's the cheapest meat out there, apart from poultry.  I'm talking to a local guy, who I hope will give me a deal on heart from his grass fed beef.  Lynn eats 32 ounces a week, and Ben eats about 20 ounces, and Maggie eats about 10.  If the guy will talk turkey (uh, or beef) with me, then I'm assuming you would be interested in some also?
 

 You guys are all great! 

Thank you Janice I have considered that book several times but the fact the descriptor lists all RMB's he DOESN'T eat has put me off.

My ideal Bugsy fridge is really a small freezer in the garage with ziplocs of meals ready to go

brookcove

I'm assuming you would be interested in some also?

I am doing more and more and learning more and more all of which is making the beast even happier   I posted this because it was so obvious how much better he felt after the raw meal then a week of kibble

Jennie I find it amazing dedication that a vegan would be able to feed raw  - I bow down to you 

kpwlee

Thank you Janice I have considered that book several times but the fact the descriptor lists all RMB's he DOESN'T eat has put me off.

 You're welcome; it does include lamb shanks and ribs, as well as pork ribs, but that's probably not enough to justify the cost. I bought it for the 2006 NRC recommendations to formulate a diet for Jessie, and did figure out her nutrient requirements but then decided to have someone more qualified design her diet. Bugsy looks fantastic in your pictures; the raw diet really seems to agree with him. Don't know if this will help, but for $50 Monica Segal provides a diet analysis;  http://www.monicasegal.com/catalog/product.php?cPath=24&products_id=67;

jessies_mom

it does include lamb shanks and ribs, as well as pork ribs,

jessies_mom

I bought it for the 2006 NRC recommendations to formulate a diet for Jessie, and did figure out her nutrient requirements

jessies_mom

Bugsy looks fantastic in your pictures; the raw diet really seems to agree with him

I forgot to say that as for the whole rabbit - the thing is Bugs catches stuff frequently yet has never killed what he caught and never tried to eat it.  Fresh road kill is of high interest but would he eat it?  Don't know

Thank you again and please post how your consult goes I am very curious

Karen

I think that will be the greatest value for me - is this the only place these recommendations are listed?  Or is it the best because it helps you calculate for your dog?

  Monica was able to include the recommendations for dogs in her book with permission from the NRC; the only other place I know of to find the information is the book by the NRC called "Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats", and it's $266 on Amazon;  http://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Requirements-Dogs-Domestic-Animals/dp/0309086280.

   She explains how to convert your dog's weight to kilograms and then how to use a scientific calculator to find your dog's requirements using the table in her book.  For the calculator, you can use the one that comes with Windows and just change change the "view" to scientific.

Thank you again and please post how your consult goes I am very curious

  I'm really looking forward to it; Becca was very pleased with her consultation.
 

 It's all related More fresh foods, more appropriate for our individual bodies. I do great on a vegan diet, and Em just doesn't do well on anything but raw. If I eat animal products, my skin goes to crap and I feel bad all the time. If she eats processed kibble, she starts having seizures and falls apart.