# Raw Feeding for Maltese - Answers Brand Raw Food



## jsbrook (Jul 4, 2020)

Wondering if anyone feeds their maltese this brand. Home - Answers Pet Food We are transitioning our goldendoodle to it and will do the same with the bernedoodle at the right age. The maltese will be the third and final family dog. I am more concerned feeding raw for such a small dog, though I believe it has benefits. I do think that a brand like Answers that has done the balancing for you would be the way to go for a toy dog (if at all). Thoughts?


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

My fluff who has had pancreatitis and other digestive issues couldn't tolerate the higher fat content, but I know quite a few Maltese owners whose dogs are thriving on Answers. I would definitely stick with a high quality pre-made like Answers rather than trying your own recipes.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I don't feed the Answers brand (because I haven't seen it in my area) but I do feed one of my malts and my shih tzu freeze dried Primal raw. Also, I make bone broth once a month and freeze it in small containers, I heat the broth and add it to their meals instead of warm water. Oh, I also add the bone broth to the Hepatic prescription food for two of my other malts. ...the oldest gets whatever she'll eat at this point. The pups on the raw are doing great!


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## jsbrook (Jul 4, 2020)

Thanks for the input, all. Very helpful. Our current puppy also loves Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw. We've started breaking little pieces off and using for training rewards for commands and behaviors. I feel like this brand could work well for a Maltese as primary food.


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## rosietoby (Mar 27, 2008)

I just started my puppy on Answers. I’ve heard great things about it.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

rosietoby said:


> I just started my puppy on Answers. I’ve heard great things about it.


I use Stella and Chewys patties. He doesnt eat 4 in a day, but with baked chicken cut up, he eats more that enough


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

jsbrook said:


> Thanks for the input, all. Very helpful. Our current puppy also loves Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw. We've started breaking little pieces off and using for training rewards for commands and behaviors. I feel like this brand could work well for a Maltese as primary food.


I agree with you. Lucky doesnt stick his nose up at it, although to get him to try at first, used as a treat when walking outsde. He is always picking up stuff off blacktop road and it is a good trade off.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

Please be careful. I fed a new small dog I got many years ago raw dog food and I'm not sure if it was not properly stored or she was already ill but she did not make it...


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

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Luckymommy said:


> I agree with you. Lucky doesnt stick his nose up at it, although to get him to try at first, used as a treat when walking outsde. He is always picking up stuff off blacktop road and it is a good trade off.


Only giving freeze dried raw as a treat. Lucky did not ever only eat the raw. I tried but he really had not found what he wanted besides people food. In the last couple of days, I have changed to Purina One smartblend and he is eating dog food finally. He also gets chicken cooked and shredded with it but on a separate plate. It may not be the best food on the market, but it is dry food, he eats it (actually loves it) so for now I am so relieved he is eating. I mix with Nutrisource which he has been on but only eats out of the kong.



starry said:


> Please be careful. I fed a new small dog I got many years ago raw dog food and I'm not sure if it was not properly stored or she was already ill but she did not make it...


ged


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

starry said:


> Please be careful. I fed a new small dog I got many years ago raw dog food and I'm not sure if it was not properly stored or she was already ill but she did not make it...


Commercial raw like Answers or S&C tends to be very high in fat and protein. If your dog has a tendency towards pancreatitis, it can make things worse. Regardless of whether it's raw, freeze dried, or wet food, read the labels. And avoid kibble it you can - it's too difficult for small dogs to process because it doesn't contain enough moisture and they don't drink enough water to handle it.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

The dog food industry is huge. Get so sick of the ads on instagram and everywhere else. We do the best we can.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

Luckymommy said:


> oi
> I agree. Where do we go. Who knows what is best? We need to be able to get sample sizes of the different foods of choice. And then, grain or grain free. Most of us dont have time to research and still come out with no answer. I do not want to go to wet food and I have donated many bags of food my Lucky will not eat. It is easy to say, just put it down and leave it, he will eat.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

jsbrook said:


> Thanks for the input, all. Very helpful. Our current puppy also loves Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw. We've started breaking little pieces off and using for training rewards for commands and behaviors. I feel like this brand could work well for a Maltese as primary food.


My year and a half, Lucky loves Stella and Chewy's freeze dried chicken but not the patties. However he wont eat it from a dish or plate. Wants it outside on the pavement, or inside on carpet. Trying to brake him but it will sit there. Tried adding baked chicken cut up and he eats the chicken. Dont have a problem so much as when he is going to the sitter for 3 days. Guess he will have to eat whatever way she gives it to him. Stubborn, spoiled brat.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

Luckymommy said:


> l
> Only giving freeze dried raw as a treat. Lucky did not ever only eat the raw. I tried but he really had not found what he wanted besides people food. In the last couple of days, I have changed to Purina One smartblend and he is eating dog food finally. He also gets chicken cooked and shredded with it but on a separate plate. It may not be the best food on the market, but it is dry food, he eats it (actually loves it) so for now I am so relieved he is eating. I mix with Nutrisource which he has been on but only eats out of the kong.
> 
> 
> ...


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## jsbrook (Jul 4, 2020)

maggieh said:


> Commercial raw like Answers or S&C tends to be very high in fat and protein. If your dog has a tendency towards pancreatitis, it can make things worse. Regardless of whether it's raw, freeze dried, or wet food, read the labels. And avoid kibble it you can - it's too difficult for small dogs to process because it doesn't contain enough moisture and they don't drink enough water to handle it.


Raw fad doesn't really preferentially increase the risk of pancreatitis. Too much cooked fat can, especially paired with a carb heavy and pro-inflammatory diet.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

jsbrook said:


> Raw fad doesn't really preferentially increase the risk of pancreatitis. Too much cooked fat can, especially paired with a carb heavy and pro-inflammatory diet.


Fat in any form can trigger pancreatitis - I am speaking from 13 years of experience with a small dog who has had multiple episodes of pancreatitis, all triggered by the fat content in food regardless of whether it's raw, home cooked, or more processed. I am also reflecting the advice from my holistic veterinarian. Are you a veterinary nutritionist?


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## jsbrook (Jul 4, 2020)

maggieh said:


> Fat in any form can trigger pancreatitis - I am speaking from 13 years of experience with a small dog who has had multiple episodes of pancreatitis, all triggered by the fat content in food regardless of whether it's raw, home cooked, or more processed. I am also reflecting the advice from my holistic veterinarian. Are you a veterinary nutritionist?


I'm not really interested in an argument. I've had these discusses with my own veterinarian and veterinary nutritionists. If that's what yours have told you and you feel more comfortable with less fat, even on a raw and low carb, anti-inflammatory diet, that's entirely fine.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

jsbrook said:


> I'm not really interested in an argument. I've had these discusses with my own veterinarian and veterinary nutritionists. If that's what yours have told you and you feel more comfortable with less fat, even on a raw and low carb, anti-inflammatory diet, that's entirely fine.


I don’t believe Maggie was trying to start an argument. She has a lot of experience with maltese and GI disease and just expressing her thoughts.

I for one, have learned that most vets, including nutritionist know very little about this breed in specific. Their GI systems are not like your large breed dogs, which needs to be considered when adopting one.
I have one girl who was strictly raw fed when she got chronic pancreatitis. I thought that even though a raw food diet had fat, it was the healthy kind, so I didn’t need to worry.
Not so. On the raw diet, she developed pancreatits, colitis, sibo and was also cobalamin deficient. Granted every dog is different, as well as every breed but from my own experience, this breed does not do well with a raw diet and with a fat content on a DMB higher than 12-15 % no matter where it comes from. Anything much higher can cause issues. I personally keep my girls on a diet with a DMB under 10-11%. They are more energetic and not sluggish at all.


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## jsbrook (Jul 4, 2020)

maddysmom said:


> I don’t believe Maggie was trying to start an argument. She has a lot of experience with maltese and GI disease and just expressing her thoughts.
> 
> I for one, have learned that most vets, including nutritionist know very little about this breed in specific. Their GI systems are not like your large breed dogs, which needs to be considered when adopting one.
> I have one girl who was strictly raw fed when she got chronic pancreatitis. I thought that even though a raw food diet had fat, it was the healthy kind, so I didn’t need to worry.
> Not so. On the raw diet, she developed pancreatits, colitis, sibo and was also cobalamin deficien. Granted every dog is different, as well as every breed but from my own experience, this breed does not do well with a raw diet and with a fat content on a DMB of 12-15 %. Anything much higher can cause issues. I personally keep my girls on a diet with a DMB under 10-11%. They are more energetic and not sluggish at all.


Fair enough. There's definitely no one size fits all that works for every breed. Or every dog.


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