Going Raw ~ Questions
 

I've bounced around the idea of home cooking, but realized that it would not be the right choice for me ~ with the cooking, making sure it's completely balanced, etc. Plus, it seems that it will be an expensive option, and I am afraid of overdosing them with some vitamins. Someone suggested that going raw is actually the best thing to do. All the benefits that I found with going raw are all positive and I am now considering this option. Few questions though ~

1. When Ariel came to us, she was on Eukanuba Puppy. We switched her diet a couple weeks later to Canidae All Life Stages. She's been on Canidae for about 2-3 months now. Will changing her diet again so soon be harmful?

2. She's getting spayed in a couple days. Is changing her diet a couple days before her spay something I shouldn't do? Would this even affect it at all?

3. When she was Eukanuba, she scratched herself a lot. Switching her to Canidae seemed to lessen the scratching, but she still does it every so often. Would going raw stop the scratching, or escalate it?

4. Out of all the NV options, I read that Venison would be the best to start off with first because it's "cleaner" than the other meats. Which meat would be second best?

5. My non-yorkie is 15 lbs, and is moderately active. According to the NV feeding calculator, I should feed her 4.9 oz of raw each day (approx. 5 medallions). However, others have posted that they feed their dog 4 medallions each day, but they're 6-8 lbs [almost half of my Belle's weight]. Is 5 a day really enough to sustain her appetite?

6. Do I need to add any supplements?

7. By switching to raw, do I have to change the treats I usually give them as well?

Thanks!

:D :D

1. When Ariel came to us, she was on Eukanuba Puppy. We switched her diet a couple weeks later to Canidae All Life Stages. She's been on Canidae for about 2-3 months now. Will changing her diet again so soon be harmful?
No, it should be fine.

2. She's getting spayed in a couple days. Is changing her diet a couple days before her spay something I shouldn't do? Would this even affect it at all?
I def. would not change a thing until she is recovered from the surgery. :D

3. When she was Eukanuba, she scratched herself a lot. Switching her to Canidae seemed to lessen the scratching, but she still does it every so often. Would going raw stop the scratching, or escalate it?
It could absolutely stop the itching IF the allergen is eliminated. If it were me, I would feed NV's venison to start - wait a month or so, check itching, then add in lamb, rabbit and see how she does.

4. Out of all the NV options, I read that Venison would be the best to start off with first because it's "cleaner" than the other meats. Which meat would be second best?
Venison, lamb, and rabbit are less likely to be allergenic than beef or chicken.

5. My non-yorkie is 15 lbs, and is moderately active. According to the NV feeding calculator, I should feed her 4.9 oz of raw each day (approx. 5 medallions). However, others have posted that they feed their dog 4 medallions each day, but they're 6-8 lbs [almost half of my Belle's weight]. Is 5 a day really enough to sustain her appetite?
Each dog is diff. but yes, it could def. be enough depending on desired weight and activity level. I follow NV's recommendations and then watch their wt. and feel their ribs, and feed accordingly.

6. Do I need to add any supplements?
You don't have to, but I like to supplement w/ fish oil and vit E (need to give vit E if giving fish oil); I use Eicosaderm from Vet America.

7. By switching to raw, do I have to change the treats I usually give them as well?
Well, not really. I still give dentabones, bully stix, RMBs on occasion. You may not want to give a "kibble-y" type treat close to when you feed raw - some dogs have a harder time digesting the 2 together.

Good luck! I just love NV and my guys are positively thriving! :D

Thank you!

She hasn't been spayed yet (5 more days), so will it be OK to switch her now (today), or should I switch her after she's been spayed & recovered?

If it were me, I would wait. Even as a nurse, I would never recommend humans make any major changes prior to a surgery unless the surgery depends on it (ie, they must lose weight in order to have a surgery). I really would wait, get her through and recovered - and then change. Bc, what if for some reason she had major diarrhea in 3 days (not that she would but...) - you'd have to cancel the surgery for SURE. :D

Since you aren't supposed to mix regular kibble with raw (for digestion reasons) how would you make the transition? Whenever I changed foods I always just mixed the two for a while with a little more of the new food each day, so I wondered.

I was contemplating about changing her diet a couple days before her surgery (we just ran out of food) ... I'm glad I asked. Thank you! :D

Several people on the board said to do it cold turkey. That's what I'm planning to do.

Thanks, I just wondered. :)

1. Will changing her diet again so soon be harmful? No, it should be fine. Everything I read told me to switch cold turkey. Most dogs do fine switching cold turkey to raw. If your dog has a sensitive tummy, she could have an upset stomach at first but it should work itself out. Keep some canned pumpkin on hand just in case. It's a regulator and helps with diarrhea and constipation.

2. She's getting spayed in a couple days. Is changing her diet a couple days before her spay something I shouldn't do? Would this even affect it at all? I would wait until she's recovered from her surgery. I don't really know if it would affect anything, but just to be safe - I would wait until a week or so after her surgery

3. When she was Eukanuba, she scratched herself a lot. Switching her to Canidae seemed to lessen the scratching, but she still does it every so often. Would going raw stop the scratching, or escalate it? What was in the Eukanuba that is not in the Canidae? Does Canidae use a different protein source? Or is the grain different? If you suspect grains (ie. corn, wheat, rice) to be the allergin then raw will considerably help as there are no grains at all in raw. If it's the protein source that is causing the allergies then you need to try something new. I would go with venison or rabbit...or even lamb. Chicken, turkey, and beef have a higher chance of being allergins in dogs.

4. Out of all the NV options, I read that Venison would be the best to start off with first because it's "cleaner" than the other meats. Which meat would be second best? I've seen a lot of sites recommend starting with chicken first. But I've also seen Wylie's mom recommend venison. I'd start with one of those. Beef, lamb and rabbit are richer meats...they have a higher risk of upsetting tummies at first.

5. My non-yorkie is 15 lbs, and is moderately active. According to the NV feeding calculator, I should feed her 4.9 oz of raw each day (approx. 5 medallions). However, others have posted that they feed their dog 4 medallions each day, but they're 6-8 lbs [almost half of my Belle's weight]. Is 5 a day really enough to sustain her appetite? Lacy is 7.5lbs and eats 4 a day. She's active according to the feeding chart. At first I put moderately active and was only feeding her like 2 medallions a day. She started getting skinny so I increased it. It took me a couple weeks to realize that 4 was perfect for her. She's been eating 4 for a year and a half now and is a perfect weight for her frame. Finding the amount to feed is a little trial and error. You can start with 5 and see how she does. If she starts to feel skinny than increase the amount. It does say 5 for a moderately active 15lb dog and it says 7 for an active 15lb dog...so what you'll end up feeding will probably fall in between there. Just start with 5 or 6 and see how she does on it.

6. Do I need to add any supplements? No you don't really need to. I've always had trouble getting Lacy's hair to grow so I started giving her a fish oil/vit. E supplement a couple months ago. She's done really well on it. I also do give her another supplement called Juice Plus for Dogs. I don't think it's necessary but I figured it couldn't hurt.

7. By switching to raw, do I have to change the treats I usually give them as well? I try to avoid treats with grains in them. I buy grain-free treats like Wellness Pure Rewards. Occasionally she might get a cookie treat but it's on a rare occasion.

Thank you! As far as her allergies go, I have a good feeling that it could be due to corn or chicken, maybe both. Eukanbuba's main grain was corn, and when we changed her food to Canidae, the scratching decreased significantly. But, she still does it every so often, and a main common ingredient in both is chicken & chicken fat. When she does go raw, I'm going to stay away from the chicken.