Raw feeders: need help tweaking my dog's diet - Page 1

She's an active three-year old female GSD being fed chicken legs and thighs, turkey necks, beef and pork heart, pork hock, and whole fish (smelt). I also use Embark, the dehydrated raw Honest Kitchen product for balance, and to blend with the fish and heart; she ignores the fish otherwise.

Overall health is great, activity level fine - but her coat is somewhat dull and there is intermittent minor scratching.

Adding salmon oil would be the obvious answer I suppose, but I understood supplementation of a proper diet to be unnecessary? What am I missing?

Thanks,

Gary

 

How much beef and pork heart are you feeding? It's the only real muscle meat I see. What about organs (liver, spleen, etc.)? Chicken, turkey necks & pork hocks have a pretty high bone-to-meat ratio. How are the dog's stools?

I supplement with Salmon oil and vitamin E, but I don't feed any dog food at all, just RAW.

She gets about a quarter-pound of beef and pork heart daily, with a total intake of about two pounds daily. She is 67 pounds. She has had no liver but some stomach. The stools are moderately firm and I watch that closely as early in my raw feeding career I believe I fed too much bone.

I've stopped feeding the lower part of the hock, what I imagine to be the ankle and foot, for that reason.

If salmon oil is inevitable, is there a particularly good brand? And where might I find it?

 

The salmon oil will help tremendously and you can find it in any drug store or even at Walmart. The capsules work best and you can pierce them put on food or "pill" her. You will see results very quickly.
Debby

I agree salmon or fish oil caps. I use 2 daily, either 1000mgs or 1200 mgs each cap.

GIVE HER A TBSP OF PURE RAW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DAILY AND SPRAY HER COAT, BELLY, LEGS, WIPE EARS OUT AND HEAD BY HAND WITH SOFT CLOTH, DO TAIL.  KINDA RUB IT INTO THE COAT TO SKIN AS DOGS LOVE TO LICK THIS AND IT IS GOOD FOR THEM.  IT KILLS FLEAS AND TICKS, KEEPS SKIN SUPPLE, STOPS ITCHING, MAKES A VERY NICE SHINY COAT.  PUT IN FOOD OR WATER DAILY AND SPRAY HALF WATER BOTTLE SPRAY AND HALF ACV AND DO THIS DAILY AND WITHIN A WEEK WATCH THE COAT SHINE AND CHANGE.  CHEAP TO USE AND EFFECTIVE.

I'm with Sueincc; I don't feed dog food at all. Nor do I feed fruits or vegetables. I follow the "prey model" diet which means I feed approximately 80% meat 10% bone and 10% organs (with 5% of that being liver). Organs are very important as the dog gets a great deal of their nutrients from them.  I'm not clear on what you mean by the stools are "moderately firm." If they are a bit crumbly, you are feeding too much bone. looking at your diet, it sounds a bit like it might be. While any raw is better than kibble, the key is variety, if possible. Try to feed as many different protein sources you can get your hands on.

If you choose to use a salmon oil supplement you can pick up a bottle almost anywhere. I just grab mine at the drug store (1000mg gel capsules). My dog eats them like treats and runs when he hears the bottle rattle. I use them for quick training snacks in the house.

The dosage rule of thumb is:
Maintainence: 1000mg for every 20lbs of dog. (So 3 every day for your 67lb dog. My guy gets 4 a day)
Theraputic: 1000mg for every 10lbs of dog. (Since you are having some issues, you may want to start with this)*

*Oil supplements can cause loose stools so I would start with a small dosage and let your dog adjust while you build up the amount over a week or so. The same applies to organs.

If your dog is not too keen on eating fish, you might try feeding it frozen. Sometimes feeding something frozen helps. My guy will not eat fresh organs. He mouths them but always spits them out. If I feed them frozen (which I do now) they are the first thing he goes for at feeding time.

Thanks for the guidance; I've increased the amount of meat and organs and put salmon oil caplets on my shopping list for today.