# Raw Frozen Diet ??



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

I need some advice ladies. When Bailey first came to me he had been eating the cheap supermarket garbage (remember, he came from a BYB). The first thing I did was change his diet to Eukanuba small kibble with a spoonful of wet. After finding this forum and coming to the realization I still wasn't giving him the best, I changed again. I am now feeding Blue Buffalo puppy kibble in the mornings and Nature's Variety Raw frozen at dinner (and I quite often add a vegtable to this). Now comes my problem .... Bailey has decided he no longer "likes" the kibble and wants the Nature's Variety for both meals :smilie_tischkante: 

My question is: will I be doing him harm by giving him the Nature's Variety all the time or is it imperative he eat a kibble as well?


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

maltemom09 said:


> I need some advice ladies. When Bailey first came to me he had been eating the cheap supermarket garbage (remember, he came from a BYB). The first thing I did was change his diet to Eukanuba small kibble with a spoonful of wet. After finding this forum and coming to the realization I still wasn't giving him the best, I changed again. I am now feeding Blue Buffalo puppy kibble in the mornings and Nature's Variety Raw frozen at dinner (and I quite often add a vegtable to this). Now comes my problem .... Bailey has decided he no longer "likes" the kibble and wants the Nature's Variety for both meals :smilie_tischkante:
> 
> My question is: will I be doing him harm by giving him the Nature's Variety all the time or is it imperative he eat a kibble as well?


Sorry ... that was supposed to read "BYB"


----------



## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

Mine were exclusively on raw when they were little. It has all the vitamins and nutrients they need. I would refrain from feeding him veggies with the raw. Raw needs to digest quickly and feeding him veggies stops this process. You should feed him the veggies 4 hours before or after you feed him raw.


----------



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

Raw is fine as long as it agrees with your dog.


----------



## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

Mine are fed raw. You aren't supposed to mix raw with kibble either. I think for separate meals it's fine, but not at the same time.


----------



## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)

I fed Toby raw for several months and he was fine with it. I stopped the raw because Toby lost so much weight on it (weight he did not need to lose!). I mentioned this to the vet and she said it was like the Atkins Diet--all protein and no carbs. Just be sure to monitor your little one's weight. Maybe kibble in the morning and raw at night???


----------



## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

nichole said:


> I fed Toby raw for several months and he was fine with it. I stopped the raw because Toby lost so much weight on it (weight he did not need to lose!). I mentioned this to the vet and she said it was like the Atkins Diet--all protein and no carbs. Just be sure to monitor your little one's weight. Maybe kibble in the morning and raw at night???


That's interesting. My dogs will gain a weight if I give them just a bit too much. I've had to figure out the perfect amount for each dog starting with the base %. Dogs don't necessarily NEED carbs that are in basic kibble. As long as it is a balanced raw diet (like the Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewy's, PawNaturaw, etc..) they don't need to take in any additional food.

I'd say if you don't mind feeding raw for both meals, go for it! Keep an eye on his weight make sure he doesn't gain or lose too much and he maintains a healthy weight. 

And an answer to your question:
No you are not going to do him harm by feeding only raw, you will probably be doing him a favor. It is not imperative to feed him kibble.


----------



## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

It's fine if your dog tolerates it. I used to feed only NV raw to my dogs but after almost 2 1/2 years of feeding it to Lacy, she started having GI issues. She was diagnosed with fatty liver and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I switched her to a homecooked only diet for a couple months, along with antibiotics, probiotics, and an enzyme supplement. And from then on I've fed a combination of homecooked & Ziwi Peak dehydrated raw at every meal. My dogs have done great one that. The nutritionist I used said she though feeding only raw was too rich & too high in fat and protein for most dogs and didn't recommend it. She believed that a combination of homecooked & raw was best. And it has worked well for my dogs so far. But I also have a friend that has been feeding only NV raw and her dog is still doing well on it.


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

nichole said:


> I fed Toby raw for several months and he was fine with it. I stopped the raw because Toby lost so much weight on it (weight he did not need to lose!). I mentioned this to the vet and she said it was like the Atkins Diet--all protein and no carbs. Just be sure to monitor your little one's weight. Maybe kibble in the morning and raw at night???


WOW! I will definately keep an eye on his weight. My problem with giving him kibble is .... he won't eat it :yucky: now that he has had a taste of the raw. Hmmmm .... a little bit spoiled maybe? :wub: Nonetheless, it is my best intention to keep him as healthy as possible even it means all raw. I just wanted to be certain I wasn't going to hurt him in any way by feeding him that kind of a diet.


----------



## villemo (Aug 21, 2006)

i feed (real) raw meat with veggies for over 3 years now and my doggies love it and feel great. they don´t even know what *vet* means ;-)
they also get kibble - sometimes - when i forget to take out the meat out of the freezer *oops*


----------



## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

villemo said:


> i feed (real) raw meat with veggies for over 3 years now and my doggies love it and feel great. they don´t even know what *vet* means ;-)
> they also get kibble - sometimes - when i forget to take out the meat out of the freezer *oops*


LOL I keep freeze dried raw on hand for those times I forget! 

Jax has been on raw for over a year and Kenz has been on it for a year and they both love it!


----------



## villemo (Aug 21, 2006)

I would too, but I can´t buy that here in germany...


----------



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

I'm thinking of transitioning Nikki to a rotating raw/cooked diet to add some variety to her food intake from month to month. I'd feed her the raw food for a month, then rotate to home cooked for a month. Has anyone done that?


----------



## cindy6755 (Mar 20, 2005)

Mine get raw mixed with Honest Kitchen preference and probiotics, digestive enzymes, fish oil ,primrose oil, and co q 10


----------



## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

Nikki's Mom said:


> I'm thinking of transitioning Nikki to a rotating raw/cooked diet to add some variety to her food intake from month to month. I'd feed her the raw food for a month, then rotate to home cooked for a month. Has anyone done that?


i haven't done it that way, but i have done homecooked in the morning and raw in the evening.


----------



## lovesophie (Jan 28, 2008)

I feed Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried lamb steaks to Sophie when I'm unable to cook for her, though I have to admit that I've been getting lax with the cooking, so she's been eating the raw a lot more than I'd like. :hiding:


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

You have a very smart dog! Raw is an excellent diet both morning and night. Your dog likes it and does well with it so keep it up! Just make sure you rotate through at least 3 different types of meat and you can rotate brands as well it gives them well rounded nutrition. What one brand lacks another might not and none of them are perfect so rotating gives your dog the best of all the brands.


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

wooflife said:


> You have a very smart dog! Raw is an excellent diet both morning and night. Your dog likes it and does well with it so keep it up! Just make sure you rotate through at least 3 different types of meat and you can rotate brands as well it gives them well rounded nutrition. What one brand lacks another might not and none of them are perfect so rotating gives your dog the best of all the brands.


 
Thanks! So far we have been eating Nature's Variety medallions in the Lamb, Rabbit and Beef. So far Lamb seems to be his favorite but when we go shopping this week I am going to try a couple of other flavors. 

I admit, I am concerned about him getting enough. It says on the bag for a dog up to 10 pounds .... feed 4 to 5 medallions a day. I give him 2 in the morning and 2 at dinnertime and it is almost as if he takes a deep breath and BINGO it's gone! I guess the best thing to do is just weigh him every week to insure he isn't losing weight.


----------



## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

maltemom09 said:


> Thanks! So far we have been eating Nature's Variety medallions in the Lamb, Rabbit and Beef. So far Lamb seems to be his favorite but when we go shopping this week I am going to try a couple of other flavors.
> 
> I admit, I am concerned about him getting enough. It says on the bag for a dog up to 10 pounds .... feed 4 to 5 medallions a day. I give him 2 in the morning and 2 at dinnertime and it is almost as if he takes a deep breath and BINGO it's gone! I guess the best thing to do is just weigh him every week to insure he isn't losing weight.


That's how mine are, I don't even know how they taste it! I buy the Stella & Chewy's 3 pound bags. They have 1.5 oz medallions in them. Jax (he's about 8 lbs) gets around 1 1/4 and Kenzie (around 6 lbs) gets 3/4 a medallion at each meal. 

There aren't any fillers in the raw diet so there's no need to feed them more food. I was feeding Kenzie a full medallion at each meal and just that extra 1/4 causes her to chunk up!


----------



## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

maltemom09 said:


> Thanks! So far we have been eating Nature's Variety medallions in the Lamb, Rabbit and Beef. So far Lamb seems to be his favorite but when we go shopping this week I am going to try a couple of other flavors.
> 
> I admit, I am concerned about him getting enough. It says on the bag for a dog up to 10 pounds .... feed 4 to 5 medallions a day. I give him 2 in the morning and 2 at dinnertime and it is almost as if he takes a deep breath and BINGO it's gone! I guess the best thing to do is just weigh him every week to insure he isn't losing weight.


Yes you feel like you are starving them....LOL It's enough because it's all nutrients and no fillers. (That's why the poop is next to nothing) 

I would stay away from the chicken right now because they were recently voluntarily recalled.


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

MandyMc65 said:


> That's how mine are, I don't even know how they taste it! I buy the Stella & Chewy's 3 pound bags. They have 1.5 oz medallions in them. Jax (he's about 8 lbs) gets around 1 1/4 and Kenzie (around 6 lbs) gets 3/4 a medallion at each meal.
> 
> There aren't any fillers in the raw diet so there's no need to feed them more food. I was feeding Kenzie a full medallion at each meal and just that extra 1/4 causes her to chunk up!


 
LOL .... I don't think Bailey does taste it! In the amount of time it takes me to walk from the diningroom back to the kitchen he is done and is in the kitchen ahead of me looking for more :HistericalSmiley: Makes one feel as though I am starving him :smilie_tischkante:


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

luvmyfurbaby said:


> Yes you feel like you are starving them....LOL It's enough because it's all nutrients and no fillers. (That's why the poop is next to nothing)
> 
> I would stay away from the chicken right now because they were recently voluntarily recalled.


LOL .... Sometimes I do feel as though I am starving the poor baby! No chicken here, he doesn't like anything chicken flavored so this time I am going to try the Bison and maybe the Venison.


----------



## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

MandyMc65 said:


> Mine are fed raw. You aren't supposed to mix raw with kibble either. I think for separate meals it's fine, but not at the same time.


Mandy - do you know why or where it is stated that you shouldn't feed kibble and raw together? I ask because I feed Bonnie S&C freeze dried raw with a little kibble. It's never bothered her, but if there's some reason I should be separating them, I'd like to know.

Thanks!


----------



## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

When I fed Natures Variety raw, Lacy (8lbs..high metabolism) got 4 medallions a day. Rylie (7lbs...slow metabolism) got 2.5 medallions a day


----------



## beckinwolf (Sep 2, 2008)

Bonnie's Mommie said:


> Mandy - do you know why or where it is stated that you shouldn't feed kibble and raw together? I ask because I feed Bonnie S&C freeze dried raw with a little kibble. It's never bothered her, but if there's some reason I should be separating them, I'd like to know.
> 
> Thanks!


From what I've read, they digest differently because they are made of different ingredients. Raw is digested quickly because its less processed, where kibble is already cooked and usually contains some kind of carbohydrate so takes longer to digest. If you feed them together, the slower digesting food will cause the faster digesting food to rot in the gut because it has to wait for the slow thing to digest first, if that makes any sense. I will try to find a link to where I read that.


----------



## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

beckinwolf said:


> From what I've read, they digest differently because they are made of different ingredients. Raw is digested quickly because its less processed, where kibble is already cooked and usually contains some kind of carbohydrate so takes longer to digest. If you feed them together, the slower digesting food will cause the faster digesting food to rot in the gut because it has to wait for the slow thing to digest first, if that makes any sense. I will try to find a link to where I read that.


Exactly!:thumbsup:


----------



## beckinwolf (Sep 2, 2008)

Bonnie's Mommie said:


> Mandy - do you know why or where it is stated that you shouldn't feed kibble and raw together? I ask because I feed Bonnie S&C freeze dried raw with a little kibble. It's never bothered her, but if there's some reason I should be separating them, I'd like to know.
> 
> Thanks!


Here's those links I found:

Leerburg | Feeding a Raw Diet

What about feeding Raw and Kibble together, is that OK? Many people want to do this! I guess I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just ditch the kibble once and for all? It’s like eating a healthy meal and then having a Big Mac or box of Hostess Twinkies along with it. Get the junk food out of your dog’s diet and watch him thrive! 
I personally don’t feel combining raw and kibble is OK and many dogs have digestive upsets when RMBs (raw meaty bones) and kibble are mixed together. 
If you absolutely MUST do this, at least feed raw for one meal and kibble for the other. I feel that it's easier on the dog that way.
Switch your dog to Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Raw Food and continue your education about raw feeding in the meantime. 

And another quote I found Raw Fed Pits

*5. Feeding both raw and kibble:* I'm not sure why people do this and it's not necessarily a "mistake" per se, but I really don't understand why you would want to feed both. Raw is by far more beneficial to your dog and feeding kibble and raw together may cause some *digestive issues since raw food processes much faster than kibble. However, if there's still kibble in your dog's digestive tract, then the raw food gets "backed up."* It's not impossible to feed both raw and kibble, and it's probably better than feeding only kibble, but it's just not something I'd recommend.


----------



## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

Thanks Becky!

I had been told by the people who own the shop we buy our food from. She has done a ton of research and told me not to mix the two. I never really asked why..


----------



## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Bonnie had been on strictly the freeze dried raw, but when she had her liver problems in August, her vet suspected pancreatits and suggested a low fat kibble. I'll see if I can phase her out of it. Could be the cause of her weight gain...


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

beckinwolf said:


> Here's those links I found:
> 
> Leerburg | Feeding a Raw Diet
> 
> ...


 
Becky, thanks for the excellent information. I had, at one point, been mixing in a little kibble with the raw but Bailey would only eat the raw and leave the kibble in his bowl and since I remove the bowl immediately after he is done eating (bacteria breeding ground) I was throwing away kibble every day! 

Loved the: "It’s like eating a healthy meal and then having a Big Mac or box of Hostess Twinkies along with it." :HistericalSmiley:


----------



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

Yeah, why ruin a good raw meal?


----------

