RAW feedback needed

[lisa_j]

I have been giving my guys a raw chicken wing every 2-3 days the last week or more for dental reasons. I am now concerned after reading more about pancreatitis and yorkies. I do not take the fat off of the wing. Poos are a bit softer but I chalked it up to the change of food. Am I doing more harm than good by giving a bit of raw here and there? I do not want to cause an illness, just trying to promote heath!
Thanks!

[PrincessDiana]

There are many people here who can vouch for the amazing results that raw feeding has had on the health of their dog. There are also many people who will tell you raw feeding is dangerous and not worth the risk. I personally feed prey-model raw and love it. My vet loves it, and Franklin and Maggie have never been healthier. It's just kind of a "do what you're comfortable with" subject.

[FlDebra]

I know you will get lots of support from the raw feeders. But I can't see it. I hear, "Dogs are meat eaters and they ate whole birds back in the day just like wolves do today." Well, sorry but back in the day when they were eating whole birds, there were no yorkies. We bred these dogs to be tiny little semi-meat eaters. So, I won't risk bones and raw meat.

I know most dogs are supposed to have much stronger digestive systems to get past all the nasty things that grow in raw chicken, but I am not so sure mine do. They have bad stomach issues when they are fed one slice of an all beef hot dog, they have bad digestive issues when they get too many treats. So I really cannot see them eating raw chicken. But this is just my own personal bias and has no logic when you look at science. So, if you feel like tossing them a couple of raw chicken wings a week, I am sure you will find more than enough support to do it. I am just weird about it.

[Poochieheaven]

I see no harm in giving your dog raw everyonce in a while.

The only thing I've ever read is to not give raw and kibble at the same time due to differences in digestion rates.

[lisa_j]

Originally Posted by Poochieheaven

I see no harm in giving your dog raw everyonce in a while.

The only thing I've ever read is to not give raw and kibble at the same time due to differences in digestion rates.

I have read the same.

[lisa_j]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

I know you will get lots of support from the raw feeders. But I can't see it. I hear, "Dogs are meat eaters and they ate whole birds back in the day just like wolves do today." Well, sorry but back in the day when they were eating whole birds, there were no yorkies. We bred these dogs to be tiny little semi-meat eaters. So, I won't risk bones and raw meat.

I know most dogs are supposed to have much stronger digestive systems to get past all the nasty things that grow in raw chicken, but I am not so sure mine do. They have bad stomach issues when they are fed one slice of an all beef hot dog, they have bad digestive issues when they get too many treats. So I really cannot see them eating raw chicken. But this is just my own personal bias and has no logic when you look at science. So, if you feel like tossing them a couple of raw chicken wings a week, I am sure you will find more than enough support to do it. I am just weird about it.

I respect your opinion. Thanks!

[yorkieusa]

A big concern is e-coli and salmonella.

[OwnedByJezebel]

The way I read your question, you are not asking about pathogens, you are more worried about the percentage of fat and how it might affect the pancreas.

I think your question is really good. If you are talking about chicken wings, there is very little meat to offset the amount of high-fat skin. With breasts, there would be a higher ratio of flesh to skin (fat), but a Yorkie can't eat a whole chicken breast. I have no idea how the bones would figure into that.

I just buy commercially prepared, I do it the lazy way so I don't have these issues. Hopefully someone with some experience in this area can chime in.

[PrincessDiana]

Originally Posted by OwnedByJezebel

The way I read your question, you are not asking about pathogens, you are more worried about the percentage of fat and how it might affect the pancreas.

I think your question is really good. If you are talking about chicken wings, there is very little meat to offset the amount of high-fat skin. With breasts, there would be a higher ratio of flesh to skin (fat), but a Yorkie can't eat a whole chicken breast. I have no idea how the bones would figure into that.

I just buy commercially prepared, I do it the lazy way so I don't have these issues. Hopefully someone with some experience in this area can chime in.

I have always given everything as-is -- skin and fat and all! Both of these are an important part in every diet. However, I understand that some dogs are more sensitive to fat than others so if it's a concern, there is no reason you can't remove the skin/fat. You can either slowly add it back in or omit it completely.

I don't know how small your dogs are but Franklin and Maggie (8 and 11lbs) swallow wings whole so I don't give them very often. We usually opt for bone-in chicken breast as it has a better meat/bone ratio. If that is too big you could always give a cornish game hen cut up into pieces. Hope this helps!

[Hobofan]

I feed a chicken thigh or breast to my 6 pounder about once a week, but I do have to remove the fat as it causes diarrhea if I don't.

My pup is 11 months old and I fed prey model raw from the time I got her at 8 weeks until last month when I switched to Orijen kibble in the morning and prey model in the evenings (raw chicken, pork, venison, etc.). I wanted to do total raw until her baby teeth fell out and her new teeth came in. RAW is better for her, but it does take more time so this compromise works well for me.

You cited dental reasons for feeding the chicken wings and I can share my experience that my pup did not need any teeth pulled and I attribute that to raw feeding. Our vet was very impressed with her teeth at her last visit.

If you are worried about health issues from the fat, perhaps you could switch to a raw bone in chicken breast or raw chicken thigh- they would have more meat on them and still have the bone to clean the teeth (of course the meat helps to clean the teeth too).

This website was given to me to answer basic questions so maybe it will help with the pancreatic/fat questions you have:

http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Fo.../thread/431875

Good luck,
Rhonda

[Wylie's Mom]

I feed pre-made raw, and really like it....I've been feeding about 2+ years now...? My kiddos have never had a tummy issue from the raw.

Since you are giving the RMBs once in a while, I'd recommend taking off the fat. While fat is flavorful, he will likely still be just as attracted to the bone without the fat. And, it's true that yorkies do have a certain increased chance of pancreatitis.

With chicken, it is good to freeze the bones, then thaw them again - as this helps with pathogens. Also, it is fine to feed kibble and raw together - the stomach knows how to digest multiple food substances at the same time.

[dexterandalana]

i feed a prey model raw diet and LOVE it as does Dexter! taking the skin off would likely help with loose stool, but a chicken wing is a good option for teath cleaning as there is more bone than meat on it. not as good of a choice for an actual meal as they do require a bigger % of meat to bone for a meal. i feed chicken wings as daytime snacks to dexter and then maybe a thigh or leg for dinner (and yes my litle piggie eats it all! a chicken leg is like the same size as him! lol)

I actually find that Dexter stinks when we switch him to other foods (my sister is a vegan so when she babysits him she feeds him the raw medallions so she doesnt have to have raw meat sitting in her house whenever weget him back from her house, his eyes are all tearied and stink, and his poop really stinks! while he is on his PMR diet, his poo actually DOES NOT STINK! i didnt believe it was possible before we started feeding it, but he poops small, whitish poops that are pretty dry and dont stink. the reason for this is because there are no additives and chemicals in PMR diet. their bodies actually use ALL of the food going into their bodies and there is no by-produce fillers, which is what most dogs poop out!

I know you will get lots of support from the raw feeders. But I can't see it. I hear, "Dogs are meat eaters and they ate whole birds back in the day just like wolves do today." Well, sorry but back in the day when they were eating whole birds, there were no yorkies. We bred these dogs to be tiny little semi-meat eaters. So, I won't risk bones and raw meat.

yorkie were bread to be ratters. i have a feeling that they likely ate most of those rats when they killed them! kibble has only been used mainstream for about 50 - 60 years. it takes far far longer (thousands of years) for a dogs digestive system to "evolve" to be able to thrive on something than 50 years....they have 99.9% of the same DNA and digestive workings as a wolf! (sometimes i am sure dex thinks he is a wolf! haha)

I know most dogs are supposed to have much stronger digestive systems to get past all the nasty things that grow in raw chicken, but I am not so sure mine do. They have bad stomach issues when they are fed one slice of an all beef hot dog, they have bad digestive issues when they get too many treats.

the difference is that hot dogs (even "all beef" ones) have other chemicals and additives in them. as do most dog treats. so if they are getting too many treat that contain a lot of wheat, ash or chemicals, it can upset their tummies. its the same as with humans! we CAN eat mcdonalds, chocolate bars and boxed processed foods and live a full life, but we THRIVE on a natural diet and usually live much longer, healthier lives when we do.

but it all does come down to comfort level. I am not here to preach a PMR diet, but i think people should be able to get info on both sides of the story! again, if you remove the skin from the wings, it might help with the loose stool. and as others have said, dont feed kibble at the same time as the raw. they digest differently and that can upset their tummis.

[Poochieheaven]

Originally Posted by dexterandalana

while he is on his PMR diet, his poo actually DOES NOT STINK! i didnt believe it was possible before we started feeding it, but he poops small, whitish poops that are pretty dry and dont stink. the reason for this is because there are no additives and chemicals in PMR diet. their bodies actually use ALL of the food going into their bodies and there is no by-produce fillers, which is what most dogs poop out!

Besides it being healthier, this is probably my #2 reason for feeding raw.

I have a large GSD, when he was on kibble, even good kibble, he pooped a lot and it smelled, now while on walks and he poops, I can't even smell it in the bag. It truly is amazing.

I also have to pick it up faster in the backyard as it starts to deteriorate faster now!

I also noticed with my Biewer that the poop is smaller/less smelly.

[lisa_j]

I did take the fat off of Jaxs' chicken wing today. He has never had panreatitis but he is diabetic and I don't want to cause it. They all love the wings! I introduced ox tail to Trinity rather than a wing and she is enjoying it too.