# Raw Diet



## ikesmommy (Jul 11, 2007)

I went to a new pet supply store the other day and they have a great selection of dog foods (Innova, Canidae, Evo, etc). The lady at the register was telling us about the raw diet. She has a Yorkie herself and that is what he is on. She said that with the diet it has made his coat shiny and healthy. 

I haven't heard too much about the raw diet mentioned in this forum. Has anyone ever tried it?


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Yup - We eat raw - Love it. 

I do feed a little kibble with the puppy around for convenience but she loves the raw. I've tried the frozen kinds but wound up sticking with the deydrated formulas as they are easy to work with.


Leslie and Izzy


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

Mine it raw.....Nature's Variety frozen raw & freeze dried and Stella & Chewy's freeze dried. They love it and even the new Yorkie likes it!


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## BrookeB676 (Oct 17, 2004)

My 3 babies eat Primal and they are doing great so far (knock on wood). They have been on it almost 6 months and seem so healthy. My 4 year old yorkie was looking like she needed a dental and now her breath and teeth are doing so great that we will probably be able to hold off until next year, which is great because she is only 3 lbs. so we hate to put her to sleep. Raw diet is controversial, but I personally think, with many controversial issues (especially with dog food), the benefits outweigh the risks.


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## ShilohsMom (Jun 25, 2007)

We feed raw as well. If you type in raw in the search column there are many previous topics with lots of info.


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

I am a huge proponent of raw feeding and fed my dogs raw (Stella & Chewy's and Natures Variety freeze dried versions) for awhile. 

HOWEVER, I have learned a very hard lesson recently and want to prevent others from the same problem. Because of the prevalence of liver disease in maltese and yorkies, I strongly urge you to have your dogs get a bile acid test prior to switching to "raw" or a meat-based protein diet. The bile acid test is actually 2 blood tests, one before they've eaten (no longer needs to be a 12 hour fast) and 2 hours after they've eaten. High protein - especially red meat protein - is very toxic to dogs with compromised livers because ammonia builds up in their system (from the protein the liver cannot properly filter) and it can cause seizures and strange behavior (the condition is called hepatic encephalopathy). Simply doing a blood panel and checking ALT levels will NOT guarantee your dog has a healthy liver.

Both of my puppies had high bile acids recently and I'm trying to get my little girl stabilized from hepatic encephalopathy, because I fed her too much red meat protein. Her ALTs were normal for 18 months.

If you want more information on liver compromised dogs, I recommend the following link:
http://www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/shunt...y.shtml#hepatic

Best of luck to you all and I hope that you can safely feed your dogs raw and that they love it as much as mine did. They're now vegetarians (and some fish).


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## KandiMaltese (Mar 27, 2007)

I tried Raw for mine and they liked it for a day and wouldn't touch it after. Actually, Petunia liked it for a day, the others wouldn't even eat it the first time. I had bought the Nature's Variety. I have a whole bag here if you're in the NJ/NY area :HistericalSmiley: ..Mine are doing super well on Eukanuba small bites and I have Ace on Natural Balance Duck and Potato..that stuff is great and doesn't make the poopie smell bad either! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Whether or not to feed a raw food diet is always a hotly debated issue. Tami brings up the most important point, though, that the decison to feed raw should always be made in consultation with your vet as not all dogs can eat it safely.

My Lady can't eat raw because of her health issues, mainly her diabetes which weakens her immune system. Her body would not be able to handle the higher level of bacteria that is found in a raw diet. 

So please check with your vet first to see if he feels Ike would be a good candidate for a raw diet.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

I feed Nature's Variety but not sure if that's 'raw' exactly. I don't feed the frozen items, just the kibble. 

tami brought up a good point about liver shunt and bile acids, so if you're thinking of switching completely to raw, definitely have the bile acids tested.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

> I feed Nature's Variety but not sure if that's 'raw' exactly. I don't feed the frozen items, just the kibble.
> 
> tami brought up a good point about liver shunt and bile acids, so if you're thinking of switching completely to raw, definitely have the bile acids tested.[/B]



I feed the Natures Variety Prairie kibble, too. It's not raw, but it's an excellent high protein food for those of us who don't feed raw. Lady's new opthalmologist said Natures Variety Prairie is one of the few commercial kibbles he would recommend.

I think it's an excellent choice for those of us who can't or won't feed raw.


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## ikesmommy (Jul 11, 2007)

As always, thanks everyone for your input. I will definitely talk to my vet about it this weekend and see what he recommends. I see there are good and bad things about it (as to everything), but it's definitely worth looking into.

I didn't know raw diets were so controversial. I had tried to search for "raw" in the forum, but I was having trouble with it. Maybe it's my comp? I will try to find more info on it from the other posts in the forum.

Thanks!


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