longevity and dog food??? - Page 2

Domenic:  As an "example" in answer to your question I'll use one dog but everyone gets the same RMB's, the same MM and the same OM.  I don't have anyone with allergies to any foods.

She's just over a year.  She has a run in the morning.  We do some physical/mental training.  Right now that's all available to us.  I figure she'll probably be 80 lbs. when she's mature.  She gets 3% or 38.4 oz.

Right now we're working with chicken backs, beef heart and lamb liver.  We just finished up some Venison.

In the morning she gets:

9.6 oz. of chicken backs (the RMB's), 8.64 oz. of beef heart (the MM) and 0.96% of lamb liver (the OM).

She gets that same meal at night.

Edited to add:  Domenic what are you looking for?  Calories from Carbs? If you want a calorie count per ounces, etc. per item you can go to the USDA nutrition website and find it.  If you want more calories FEED MORE PERCENTAGE.  It's not rocket science.  Geez, to post all that would be pages and pages and believe me,  I'm not going to take the time to do that.  That part you can do yourself.  You've obviously researched raw to some extent.  You're talking the difference between pre-made raw and getting answers and doing raw yourself.  I buy the human grade products and make the meals from that.  I don't grind and put in packages and try to sell it.  You wan't pre-made throw it in the bowl?  One commercial product is as good as the next and that includes the "pre-made".  If you want to do raw, do your research and do RAW.

Damn.  I should have just gone to bed.

Jess:  What do you mean "black pudding"?  If it's the "black pudding" I'm thinking of it's a delicacy here and is fried up with eggs and bacon and toast in the morning.   

My 20 mos female (64 lbs) gets about 1.25 lbs a day.

My 12 year old senior (49 lbs) gets about .75 lbs a day.

I confess I'm not very scientific about thier raw feeding, it consists mostly of "giving a bunch of different stuff" and making sure they don't get fat!   Combination of raw ground mixes, meaty bones, eggs, chicken parts now and then, and whatever odds and ends I can pick up on sale at the grocery (pig tails, turkey necks, etc.).

When my old dog was a pup,  we raised him for the first 4 years on science diet, I didn't really know better.  it's what the shelter and our vet recommended we keep him on.  We had lots of problems with ear infections, skin issues, mouth sores, bad breath..  thought it was just because of being away from mum very young.

Around 5 or so we switched to wellness/solid gold kibbles, and saw immediate improvement in most of those problem areas, and his weight trimmed down which we couldn't manage before.    But he started having back/hip arthritis kicking in around 6 or 7.

Switched to a dehyrdated raw for a year,  and the lower carbs did help with the arthritis, but he seemed gassy and there was a lot of waste,  large poops.   Made the switch to raw only when he was eight, and from 8 to 11 his health actually improved!!   He was active, thin, happy, nice coat, small poops, clean teeth!  It was pretty cool and sold me on raw feeding.  What dog is healthier at 11 than he was at 3 or 4??  

Now going on 13 his arthritis is catching up with him again, but he still gets around, still has clean teeth and never another ear infection in his life.  I can't say he's in fantastic shape, but he's pretty good.  He's my only senior dog raised by me for this long, so that's all I have to share.

My young dog raised completely raw hasn't had any real health issues either,  vet says she looks great.   Sorry to sound like a raw feeding commercial, but it really made a big difference in the quality of life for my old boy.  

Heather

My 13 year old male is healthy and strong with no illness or lameness.  He's currently eating Iams Chunks.  He was raised from puppyhood on Eukanuba.  In this last year he went from Eukanuba Premium Performance-Sporting to the Iams Chunks.  He needs less protein as a senior. 

I am a firm believer in not letting a dog get overweight and this will be very helpful in living a long and healthy life.  I watch my dog and if she starts adding on the weight I cut back until I finally hit the exact portion she needs daily to maintain a healthy weight.

Sue-Ann:

Does he need less protein as senior or just smaller meals because he's not as active?

What is it in the Eukanuba and Iam's that keeps him healthy? 

Smaller meals = less protein.  

Less protein in commercial - what tmakes up the rest of the kibble? 

Just Lurkin,thanks for your response.I think you may of misunderstood my WHOLE point and intention.I am NOT looking for what you are saying(carb amounts etc)I was merely making a point but i do understand and respect that you are tired and probably sleep deprived.Anyway,YES i would absolutely do it myself once i get the courage to do so.I am just weighing out my different options now.I may even do a diet made at home but a little different for now.I just feel a need to get my boys OFF this dam kibble once and for all.I do have one with allergies to chicken and certain other foods and i know that one will be tricky to sort out.Thanks for all the responses from ALL OF YOU that did.Please keep them coming because this is an important issue just like training is.

:(  Sorry, Domenic.  Sleep deprived is an understatement and yes I did misread that.

I do want to say one thing before I do go get some sleep. 

Did you determine your dog was allergic to chicken while he was on a "kibble" diet?  It might not be "chicken" he or she is allergic to. 

I have a friend that was told hers was allergic to chicken, lamb, wheat, and some other stuff. 

When she put him on raw she started with chicken wings and found out it wasn't chicken he was allergic to.  Or lamb later on.

Some of these so-called "allergy tests" **** me off.  They can't be accurate when so much is in the diet.

Good luck with your search.  And again I'm sorry I misread what you were saying.

Jess:  What do you mean "black pudding"?  If it's the "black pudding" I'm thinking of it's a delicacy here and is fried up with eggs and bacon and toast in the morning. 

Yes, JustLurkin, that is exactly what I mean the dogs love it.  Because I like to give as much variety as poss. and I like to keep the food drive as high as possible I use different treats in my treat pot.  I don't worry that they are processed because the main food they get is raw.

For training I like to keep the ball reward as a high value reward so use food as a reward along the way but still want the drive.

Jess

Jess - Same "blood pudding" (some call it "black pudding") as we import human grade?

S.O.A.B!!!!  Where are you getting that from that it's cheap enough to feed to dogs and do they ship?  LOL

Mine would LOVE that but I'll be damned if they're getting mine.  

Most butchers and processors here don't have a clue what I'm talking about and aren't interested in knowing after the first part of the description.  LOL  (edited to add - Where do you live?  Might have to just go pick it up.)

Congrats.  I'm sure they do love it.

I agree on the training treats.   I use cooked livers, gizzards, pieces of leftover MM that wouldn't make a meal, etc.  Definitely keep them wondering what the next treat is going to be.  Keeps them "interested".