The Benefits Of A Prey Model Diet

[RawfedYorkieLuv]

If you have a slaughterhouse in your city, then you can probably get all of those "hard to find items". Even your local butcher might be of some help there! I get mine from this place;
GreenTripe.Com Main Index
as I order my green tripe from them anyways, I also get trachea and gullet. I often also order their xcalibur. See the products section.
Here's another place to order exotics and hard to find items from although I haven't ordered from them yet, I plan on it if they're shipping $ is reasonable;
Beef Cartilage

My senior baby has a bad hip joint and I'd rather not feed artificial Glucosamine so I feed gullets and tracheas, in any form that I can get it raw. Whole or ground!

Originally Posted by tjdmom

Where are you able to find the trachea and the gullet? I'm just wondering and hoping that might help my older collie. Her back hips bother her but I'm hopeful as this a.m. was the first time she's been able to come down the stairs on her own in a month. I'm hoping it wasn't just a good day but that her new diet is the reason.

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[YorkieChick1]

Well, I jumped in and tried it for the first time...I fed all 5 of my dogs chicken legs and wing drumettes tonight. I have 3 yorkies and 2 chis. My larger yorkie male, Booboo got it right away!! He took his piece and started crunching right away!! He finished the whole drumstick and then came back for more!! My tiny chi girl growled at him when he came over and she was still chewing on her bone!! All of them did well, the only one that didn't do so well was my older female yorkie who is missing all her front teeth. I was kind of pulling the meat off of the bone so she could get started. She ate about half of the leg meat but got lazy and walked away. I figured she will be hungrier tomorrow and will take more time to eat her leg!! I fed them out in the yard on the grass but I need to come up with a better plan. They don't have crates and I like to feed them all at once because it takes forever otherwise. Plus they seem to eat better when there is some competition, otherwise they don't want to eat. My kitchen floor is tile, so I am worried about the grout absorbing the juices. I might just put down a vinyl tablecloth with a sheet over it and teach them all to eat on the sheet. Thanks for all the info. I am still alittle concerned with Brooke because she is currently still on a chemo treatment and is immune deficient. She has a brain disease, but will be done with treatment in July. Thanks for all the info and links! Can you give us some inside info on meat sourcing?

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by RawfedYorkieLuv

My senior baby has a bad hip joint and I'd rather not feed artificial Glucosamine so I feed gullets and tracheas, in any form that I can get it raw. Whole or ground!

Chicken feet: natural source of glucosamine and chondriotin.

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by YorkieChick1

He finished the whole drumstick and then came back for more!! My tiny chi girl growled at him when he came over and she was still chewing on her bone!! All of them did well,

This is normal, at first, as they probably think they're dreaming! Once they realize this is not a treat, and will be the daily offering, they will settle down and regulate.

Plus they seem to eat better when there is some competition, otherwise they don't want to eat.

You may fine this is anoher 'plus' of PMR. Once they are busy with real food, and their systems are beginning to benefit from the nourishment, they might not show this need for competition. They probably needed that push to eat the nutrient-lacking k*bble.

My kitchen floor is tile, so I am worried about the grout absorbing the juices. I might just put down a vinyl tablecloth with a sheet over it and teach them all to eat on the sheet.

The vinyl sounds like a plan. Some, who have multiple dogs, use an old shower curtain, with feeding towels. Many of us use feeding towels - myself, included. The towels can be laundered, and they learn that the texture actually helps them with traction for holding of RMBs.

Thanks for all the info. I am still alittle concerned with Brooke because she is currently still on a chemo treatment and is immune deficient. She has a brain disease, but will be done with treatment in July. Thanks for all the info and links! Can you give us some inside info on meat sourcing?

I am so sorry about your Brooke. Prayers for her. What is she eating, now? Actually, the species-appropriate diet is the most easily digested for any of our furfriends; but, is a particular benefit for those with digestive problems. I'm sure the chemo is affecting her that way, too. I recomment joining RAW Chat. Talk to this group about your concerns re Brooke, and you may also be able to do some networking for a meat coop in your area. Many people are doing that, now, to order in bulk or exchange sources.

Also, check out surrounding asian markets for more exotic items.

[RawfedYorkieLuv]

"Traction"; ROFL!

I tried the towel thing in the beginning but instead of eating, all they did was roll around on those towels as they do after bath time! My dogs are crazy! So I'm using an old cotton sheet. They spend about 5 minutes moving their RMB's from one side to the other inside their xpen until everybody has settled into a spot that suits them, lol. Plus there's the coveting of things! "Even though his bone looks exactly like mine, maybe his tastes better!" I have watched them "exchange" their pieces between each other without any aggression at all but actually with a lot of love and respect. Have you heard of this? My 1 year old female even appeared to be showing the new female puppy how to do this chewing thing and kept bringing the chicken wing to her the first couple of times when I first switched her diet!
Yeah, well, I guess another myth is that pack behavior is savage!
Btw. thanks for mentioning the chicken feet, I totally forgot about those! Past Halloween, I colored the nails on the chicken feet with KoolAid because my dear friend from Seattle was visiting and I wanted to freak her out as she's totally squeamish about prey model and feeding time! ROFL

Originally Posted by abbie's mom

. The vinyl sounds like a plan. Some, who have multiple dogs, use an old shower curtain, with feeding towels. Many of us use feeding towels - myself, included. The towels can be laundered, and they learn that the texture actually helps them with traction for holding of RMBs..

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by RawfedYorkieLuv

"Traction"; ROFL!

I tried the towel thing in the beginning but instead of eating, all they did was roll around on those towels as they do after bath time!

Yeah....actually. Well, my Mozart is a pretty smart guy, and he learned the rule Keep the food on the towel, when I made him pick it up and "put it back" when he would drag it off onto the floor. In the beginning, if he left the room with his meal, it was taken, and he fasted that meal. No towel = no food. And, he has learned that it slips around less if he keeps it on the towel. I've watched him pick it up from the floor and return it to the towel and use it as a tool! Mine don't roll around on the towels; but, I do have to watch Ms. Abigail, as she'll just walk all over it if I don't pick it up right away.

They spend about 5 minutes moving their RMB's from one side to the other inside their xpen until everybody has settled into a spot that suits them, lol. Plus there's the coveting of things! "Even though his bone looks exactly like mine, maybe his tastes better!"

....LOL too funny, but True!

I have watched them "exchange" their pieces between each other without any aggression at all but actually with a lot of love and respect. Have you heard of this?

...No, but I'm not surprised, and how sweeeeeeet is this?! It makes sense, too; if nutritional needs of each member of the pack is being fulfilled, no need for food aggression. Well, unless one member is a little snot, like Abigail, and just throws her weight around. Mozart has always deferred to her. He could easily snap her neck with one bite; but, rather views her as a necessary annoyance. I've only heard him even growl at her once at mealtime, and that was recently. She was soooooooooo insulted! And, shocked , I might add.

My 1 year old female even appeared to be showing the new female puppy how to do this chewing thing and kept bringing the chicken wing to her the first couple of times when I first switched her diet!

....aawwwwww See...they WANT the pack to thrive!

Yeah, well, I guess another myth is that pack behavior is savage!

.....

Btw. thanks for mentioning the chicken feet, I totally forgot about those! Past Halloween, I colored the nails on the chicken feet with KoolAid because my dear friend from Seattle was visiting and I wanted to freak her out as she's totally squeamish about prey model and feeding time! ROFL

....heheheheh...you sound like my evil twin . About three years ago, my Red Hat chapter was hosting a 'Hen Party'. The object was to dress as any bird or fowl of your choice, and bring bird-related dishes, etc. Well, I put together a costume of sorts (a chicken); but could not attend, so I sent my representative. I sealed a chicken foot in a food saver bag, so it would be safe for handling; and left instructions that it should be passed around, and each member should share something about themselves when it was their turn. LOL They weren't at all surprised that I would do that.

[cococalypso]

How funny! I am feeding them once a day with a little kibble in the morning until tommorrow and then it's no more of that stuff! I am gonna get some organ meat for their "breakfast" I just have to put out something or Coco will scratch at the door all morning long cuz she's a piggy. I guess they will slow down soon. Thanks ya'll for the help.



I am so glad someone else is starting this and enjoying it too! Aren't they so cute when they are being vicious?

[tortoisekeeper]

My babies have had raw for there last 3 meals now. They are eating the chicken leg meat but won't eat the bone. Do you just keep giving them back the bone until they eat it?

Betty

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by cococalypso

I am feeding them once a day with a little kibble in the morning until tommorrow

I am glad it is "tomorrow", and hopefully you will rethink any K*bble at all. Real food, and K*bble digest at a different rate, and if you run into tummy upset, you're more likely to believe it's the PMR, instead of the K*bble, since K*bble is what you know, and the majority opinion is that it is "best". I encourage you to please, Read Here, about k*bble, and toss what you have left!

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by tortoisekeeper

My babies have had raw for there last 3 meals now. They are eating the chicken leg meat but won't eat the bone. Do you just keep giving them back the bone until they eat it?

Betty

Hi Betty ~ Yes, just continue to offer the bone. You might (depending on how small their mouths are) even crush the bone a little, or cut it with kitchen scissors, so the dogs can get a taste of the marrow. Right now, they don't know it's really food.

[tortoisekeeper]

Thanks Ada. I have cut into the bone guess they just need to give it a try. I won't give them another leg until they eat the bone too.

Betty

[AngelWorks]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

Where are you able to find the trachea and the gullet? I'm just wondering and hoping that might help my older collie. Her back hips bother her but I'm hopeful as this a.m. was the first time she's been able to come down the stairs on her own in a month. I'm hoping it wasn't just a good day but that her new diet is the reason.

My 14 yr old lab, Zack has experienced such a huge change in his stiffness.

His front left leg was the worst and he now leads with that leg again when running.

He looks graceful again when doing his ballerina twirls when we come home.

My son noticed he again leaps up from his bed first thing in the morning.

We are all just amazed at how this diet has changed his quality of life.

[AngelWorks]

Originally Posted by abbie's mom

Hi Betty ~ Yes, just continue to offer the bone. You might (depending on how small their mouths are) even crush the bone a little, or cut it with kitchen scissors, so the dogs can get a taste of the marrow. Right now, they don't know it's really food.

I had to do that with Milo---------I just offer the leftover at the next meal.

I have to do that with the cats too.

[YorkieChick1]

Last night was the second night with chicken and they were loving it. My small chi, 3 lbs, gorged a little too much and threw up some of her dinner. It came out the same as it went in!! She is just so excited for it that I think she tries to eat too fast! I've never seen her excited for food like that before! I also got a deal at Safeway yesterday, they have the Foster Farm's chicken breast, thighs and legs at $.99/lb!! How long can you keep the meat frozen? I bought a bunch and split it into baggies for their daily rations.

[YorkieChick1]

I forgot to post some photos:
#1 Brooke with her drumstick bone
#2 Another shot of Brooke
#3 Baby with his drumstick
#4 Bitsy trying to sweet talk Baby into giving her his bone!