# Is there any successful "Raw" stories??



## mostlytina (Jan 3, 2009)

Hi, all,

I will be bring my girl home some time in the summer after she retires. I've been reading lots of information from different books, online articles and of course, this forum. I am quite confused by this "feeding subject". I had my first malt for 14 years and I did everything the "conventional" way. (Feed high quality dry, had all the shots that vet required/recommend...etc) Now... After reading so much more information about holistic life style, I want to do better and give my next girl the best that I can afford...

So...about this "raw" thing... everybody seems to have very strong opinion on both ends... I don't know if I have been brain washed or what, I am very concern if I will do it right (since I am totally newbie to this raw thing...) I think my major concern is the teeth part. My previous girl had very bad teeth and I let the vet clean her teeth once a year all the way to when she couldn't go under anesthesia. My previous girl was not a chewer so I couldn't get her to clean her teeth on her own by daily chewing. So... this raw feeding supposed to be very healthy and good for the teeth?!?! 

I know there are lots of articles praising raw feeding, but a lot of them are big dogs... I think it's very different when it comes to "Maltese"... If any of you had tried it, please share your stories with us. Good or bad... I'd like to get as much knowledge as possible before my new girl comes home with me.

Thank you all~~~
Tina


----------



## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Congrats on your new pup! My Casanova thus far has refused any dry kibble, no matter how high quality. But he has really taken to the Stella & Chewy's chicken steaks which is a raw, freeze-dried dog food that has all organic ingredients including chicken, broccoli, spinach, beets, etc. I do not wet it because he likes dry food, but I feed it to him broken up over steamed carrots, greens, and chicken breast. We haven't been on it long enough for me to comment on long-term health, but I will say his skin and coat seem less dry. And the biggest thing of all is he is actually willing to eat it. He is very very picky and I never thought he would go for this in a million years. I also think this food is appealing because while "raw" sounds gross, this food looks like a normal meat-based dog food to me.


----------



## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

Well you will def. get both sides of the spectrum here. I alternate on their feeding. They have eaten Stella & Chewy's, Natures Variety and now Canz Real Meat raw. I feed my BT prey model and CRM raw. It helps immensely with the coat and teeth. You should double check their blood either a CBC or full blood panel) to make sure they have healthy liver's before you start on raw.


----------



## mostlytina (Jan 3, 2009)

Thank you , guys... that's very helpful.

Do you check your baby's panel to see if you are keeping the "right balance"? If so, how often? 

Oh... and ... does raw help their allergy or tear stain as well??

and... if feeding raw... how about their kisses?? I heard that they are capable to handle those germs...but not us... Is it a big deal to clean their face after they eat?? 

I have so many questions about this subject...

Thanks, again~~~
Tina


----------



## pico's parent (Apr 5, 2004)

According to my vet, who is a long-time Maltese owner, he is seeing a lot of cases of food poisoning in his practice from raw diets. He is not AGAINST raw diets, it is just that not all vendors are equal and you want to be sure you are getting a good product and that you are handling it correctly as well. Thawing properly and keeping the refrigerated temperature correct, etc.


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

I have been feeding my maltese raw since I brought her home as a puppy. She loves it and is thriving - she's never had a problem with ALT levels. 

Eyes and teeth are bright and clean and it does help with tear staining and weight control, as well as breath - the only down side is having to wash her face more often because it gets a bit smelly from the food.

We use Stella and Chewy's - because it is free from harmful bacteria - it's a very high quality raw food that is made using the latest food safety technology - every batch is hydrostatically pressure treated to remove bacteria, and then tested to make sure it is free from ecoli and salmonella - you can see the results on their website. I have met the owner and toured their facility, they use ultraviolet lighting systems to remove bacteria and germs that might be in the air as well. 

I do not work for Stella Chewy's. However in my humble laymans opinion, it is the best raw dog food product available on the market. 

Leslie


----------



## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

You couldn't pay me to feed raw to my pets right now. There's too much information from academia about the nutritional deficiencies and lack of safety because of the pathogens with raw foods


*There was a great article in the latest issue of Modern Dog about the pros and cons of feeding raw so you might want to check out that article.


Here's some sources for the con side of the debate.


*A couple of articles from a site for veterinarians on feeding raw:


Raw Diets


Raw Meat Diet: Not Enough Scientific Validity . . . .




*The Food and Drug Administration advocates AGAINST feeding raw because of the pathogens in the food:

Link to FDA statement



*There was a good article in Consumer Reports recently about dog food. 

I've copied and pasted a part of the paragraph from the Consumer Reports article about the AAFCO nutrition statement on the dog food package. It should be a huge red flag if a dog food company tries to negate the AAFCO statement.

*What ingredients should you look for?
Most experts said individual ingredients are much less important than overall nutrient profile. Check the label for two statements. Look for food labeled "complete and balanced," which indicates it can be the pet's sole nourishment (unlike a treat). Also look for food labels stating that nutritional adequacy was validated by animal-feeding tests based on protocols from the American Association of Feed Control Officials, a regulatory group. That statement is a step above the other one AAFCO allows—that a food was formulated to meet the group's nutrient profiles. Make sure you can find the manufacturer's contact information, in case you have questions. For more on labels, see What pet-food labels really mean.*



I'm taking Karli off Natural Balance because the AAFCO statement only states the food has been formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO. It does NOT state it is complete and balanced nor does it state the nutritional adequacy was validated by animal feeding tests.




Joy



EDITED TO ADD LINK TO THE CONSUMER REPORTS ARTICLE:

Vets Weigh In On Pet Food


----------



## ckim111 (Dec 17, 2008)

I would also second Stella & Chewys. Bella eats the freeze dried lamb from time to time and she has never been sick from it.


----------



## mostlytina (Jan 3, 2009)

Thank you so much for everybody's iinput...

Do you guys just feed the pre-made package and see the teeth improvement?? Do you give them "meaty bone" as well?? (To be honest, this worries me the most...) Bully Stick? Are your babies chewers??

Thanks so much~~~


----------



## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

It's a personal decision on what to feed your dog. I home-cook for Nikki because she has liver issues and I couldn't feed her raw. If I fed raw, I would have to either use a local source for the meat, or use a good quality commercial raw like Stella and Chewy's. When Nikki gets meat (in her rotating protein home cooked recipe,) it is from a local source, grass fed and hormone-free, or organic chicken from California. If she gets scrambled eggs, they are local, free range and organic. I know the person who raises the chickens and cows, and I trust him. I know that sounds like overkill, but it is what we eat, so it is very convenient. 

Regarding teeth, Nikki loves her beef tendons or flossies. As soon as I brought her home at 19 weeks, I began brushing her teeth every day. She has no dental problems.


----------



## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Yeah we don't do the Stella & Chewy's frozen raw. We do the freeze-dried raw chicken steaks, which you don't even have to refrigerate. It's been treated with UV light and hydrostatic pressure after all moisture is removed so all harmful bacteria has been killed.


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

QUOTE (princessre @ Mar 6 2009, 08:19 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=740052


> Yeah we don't do the Stella & Chewy's frozen raw. We do the freeze-dried raw chicken steaks, which you don't even have to refrigerate. It's been treated with UV light and hydrostatic pressure after all moisture is removed so all harmful bacteria has been killed.[/B]



It's actually treated to remove the pathogens before it's freeze dried or frozen. 

L


----------

