Dog Community

Frozen Raw food

Posted : 4/21/2006 11:06:15 AM

I have started giving my dogs frozen raw food made by Steve's real food for dogs and they love it. I also still give them some kibble and some home cooked. Is all this OK? They looooovee the raw and seem to digest it all well, no large landmines and the gas in the little one has stopped.

Does anyone use a product like this? I am squeamish about raw as in just throwing them a chicken back, but this I like? What do you all think?

Thanks for the advice and opinions.

Julie

schlep

Posted : 4/21/2006 11:29:13 AM

I use FarMore's Buffalo diet since Link is allergic to chicken, and his Wolfcub is made from Bison. Doesn't hurt that the company is located 10 miles from here in Sanger. Adding raw to his diet seems to have cured up the little bit of gas problem he had. [sm=wink2.gif]

labcrab

Posted : 4/21/2006 11:51:59 AM

I feed Natures Variety pre-made frozen raw and I love it. I also feed kibble and RMB's (lamb necks and riblets mostly). I've heard good things about Steve's and it sounds like your dogs do well on it! I think it's a great choice.

Just an fyi - there is some controversey regarding the feeding of raw and kibble in the same meal. Some say that they digest at different rates and therefore should not be moving through GIT at the same time... Others say, it makes no difference. Don't know if you do this or not, but just thought I would mention it.

jamcony

Posted : 4/21/2006 2:34:38 PM

My dog loves the Nature's Variety raw frozen medallions. I do feed a little kibble with the raw frozen without a problem. I will be trying BRAVO, Steve's and Aunt Jeni's raw frozen as well.

MC Arab

Posted : 4/21/2006 5:29:49 PM

ORIGINAL: labcrab

I feed Natures Variety pre-made frozen raw and I love it. I also feed kibble and RMB's (lamb necks and riblets mostly). I've heard good things about Steve's and it sounds like your dogs do well on it! I think it's a great choice.

Just an fyi - there is some controversey regarding the feeding of raw and kibble in the same meal. Some say that they digest at different rates and therefore should not be moving through GIT at the same time... Others say, it makes no difference. Don't know if you do this or not, but just thought I would mention it.

That sounds stupid to me no offense. It's not like dogs are weak animals or anything. I mean come on they are descendants of Wolves and look at how Wolves are.

Julie Beveridge

Posted : 4/21/2006 7:52:45 PM

From Steves Real food for dogs website.........this is what I have been doing.

How do I mix Steve's with other foods?

[blockquote]

Many of our customers mix Steve's with a premium grain-based food. There are two general theories on mixing:

Some people believe that you should not mix meat with grain because they are digested differently. These people feed Steve's one day, and a premium grain-based food the next day.

Others believe that the dog or cat should receive some of the thousands of enzymes, phytochemicals and antioxidants that are only in properly prepared raw meat-based diets everyday. These people will mix from 25% to 75% Steve's in with the kibble daily.

We think both points-of-view make sense. We've also seen wonderful results either way. Our advice is to use whichever system works for you.

[/blockquote]

Britney Pelletier

Posted : 4/22/2006 1:01:26 PM

ORIGINAL: TAK

ORIGINAL: labcrab

I feed Natures Variety pre-made frozen raw and I love it. I also feed kibble and RMB's (lamb necks and riblets mostly). I've heard good things about Steve's and it sounds like your dogs do well on it! I think it's a great choice.

Just an fyi - there is some controversey regarding the feeding of raw and kibble in the same meal. Some say that they digest at different rates and therefore should not be moving through GIT at the same time... Others say, it makes no difference. Don't know if you do this or not, but just thought I would mention it.

That sounds stupid to me no offense. It's not like dogs are weak animals or anything. I mean come on they are descendants of Wolves and look at how Wolves are.

The statement you just made actually makes little to no sense at all. What labcrab originally posted about raw and kibble being digested differently is 100% true and you should absolutely proceed with caution if choosing to feed them both at the same time. It allows the raw food more time to sit in the digestive tract and increases the risks of bacterial problems, like e.coli and so forth.

Britney Pelletier

Posted : 4/22/2006 1:03:56 PM

I personally think the best possible option when feeding a combonation diet of Raw and Kibble is to try to feed 2 meals a day and feed one of raw and one of kibble. I suppose that's just my personal opinion, but it seems to be the consensus among many people I've talked to who do it this way. It makes the most sense as far as allowing your dog to digest everything properly.

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/24/2006 8:57:42 AM

I would love for someone to post some hard facts supporting this "kibble and meat are digested at different rates and this causes problems" idea. My own personal experiences with dog puke suggests kibble actually sits around in the stomach for longer than wet foods like raw meat, and that dog-stomachs have an amazing ability to sort out mixed meals and only "pass on to the intestine" foods that have been properly "prepared" in the stomach. I've fed mixed meals and had the dog selectively puke up only certain ingredients the next morning.
How many folks have posted that after switching to raw their dog started doing empty-stomach-bile puking in the early hours of the morning? which they never did when fed kibble? I routinely mix raw, kibble, and home-cooked and haven't ever noticed any resulting health problems.

Julie Beveridge

Posted : 4/24/2006 9:43:41 AM

I wish I could get something backed up as well, my dogs have no problems whatsoever with mixing it. I wonder where we could find the info.

Julie

Pam

Posted : 4/24/2006 1:21:16 PM

My dogs love all 3, Steves, Nature Varity and Bravo. Steves thaws the quickest because it is nuggets vs patties.

On NV, tho, my dog gets constipated so I add pureed pumpkin and purred greens which gets her going.

I only recently started cooking veggies that I mix into the raw meat which I puree afterward. This works well. My dog started puking chopped uncooked carrots and zucchini . She always was fine with a whole raw carrot before as a treat

I love the frozen as well. I do know that you are supposed to give raw bones to clean the teeth also. I have not mastered this yet since the dog fight over raw bones sent one to the vet. I still give them hard Nylabones for teeth cleaning.

Oh and don't give just raw meat w/o calcium or ground up egg shells or bones or you will have major diarreahea on your carpets. I "think' Bravo has no calcium?

olinda

Posted : 4/25/2006 8:45:23 PM

I have fed Romeo raw for the two years that I have had him and do not have any regrets. I use Bravo, and he loves it any of the meats. I also just don't feed one type of protein, I rotate every other day or so and he is one happy dog. He enjoys chicken backs, wings, oxtails, lamb shanks and pork necks. About twice a month he gets salmon, tuna or sardines...the fish not the canned type. If you are going to feed bones, you have to be careful with how much they eat, if too much their stools are rock hard the next day. On days that I have forgotten to thaw food out, I give him Merricks canned food or take advantage and fast him.