I haven't read through every post yet so forgive me if this has been addressed already. :) Heart is considered a muscle meat for animals. I feed beef heart almost every day for my 5 dogs. Trust me, it it were organ meat, we would be spending each day, all day outside with runny poop! :cool: They love it! Well, one of the Yorkies is still acquiring a taste for it. :D

My Dane boy that I adopted at 2-1/2 was raised on awful food. :( I started him on raw the day I brought him home. He didn't want to eat so I just kept giving the food to him but he really didn't know what to do with it.

After time passed, I finally gave him some ground meat (raw). He snarfed it down. He ate that for a couple of days and then I put some meat bones in with it. He had no problem eating it then. :) I think he just had to get the "taste" of raw in his mouth to realize how good it was. He also had to learn how to chew the bones and meat. He seriously did not know how to chew something that wasn't a little, crunchy thing. :cool:

I know some people are more of the hard knock view and say to keep giving the same piece of meat over and over. Well, I think all dogs are not the very same and have different needs at different times. I think whatever it takes to get them eating raw is great - just so they do eventually move to the prey diet. :)

I was reading some posts here on the cost of feeding the prey model. LOL. If I only had my four small ones to feed - it would be hardly any money at all. BUT! I have a 150 lb. Great Dane who eats 90 lbs. a month. He was eating more cause he was way underweight when I got him. He has now filled out - you can't see and feel his bones anymore - and he is beautiful!! So, right around 90 lbs a month will be his "normal" amount. :rolleyes:

thank you for responding. I was really discouraged! BUT I had decided I would come home today and pretty much force feed him. (Bad Mama) Well, lo and behold it worked! This time anyway! After I pretty much made he swallow a small piece, that was it. He kept coming back for more. He ended up eating a whole thigh (in little pieces had fed) but he ate and wanted more. I did not want to over do it and quit after the thigh was gone. He took the bone outside, I just found it! I thought I had thrown away the bone, b/c he would not take it by hand. I was glad to see he had the bone. For now he is just trying to hide it outside. I hope this is an improvement and just the first step. I will chop up the meat in bite size pieces until I see he will try to eat on his own. I hope this continues. I will let everyone know tomorrow. Thanks for the support!!!:animal36

That's great! Sounds like you are on your way. :thumbup::thumbup:

Well, no luck this morning. Nolee totally refused to eat. I couldn't even force him to eat it. He would spit it out. I decided to try again this evening. OK I tried the chicken again and he still would not eat it. I finally got a small piece in his mouth and he gaged it up. I gave up and threw the chicken in the garbage. I decided to try the ground meat as suggested. So off the the market I went and purchased ground meat. He loved it. I didn't have to force him at all. As soon as I put in down he was eating it. What do I do from here. Continue with ground beef for a while and then move on to what?? :animal36

I would continue with the ground but add pieces of chicken too. Start with very small pieces and as he gets used to it, make them larger, with less ground. If it is the chicken he doesn't like, maybe you could try a different kind of meat - some beef or turkey or game hen, even pork.

One of my dogs doesn't particularly like beef heart, but it is a staple here. :cool: If I put just a tiny bit of another meat in with the heart or splash some fish oil on it, he gobbles it up. :D

Let us know how it's going!!!

Another great option is fresh green tripe. You may have to order it online, but some dog feed suppliers that sell raw have it in their freezers. It ignites the 'instinct' and stimulates appetite.

Also bear in mind a dog wont starve himself. Don't let your family guilt you! Dogs can go up to a week without eating according to my vet (even though thats not ideal!) just be patient! let him get hungry. Train him - don't let him train you!

I really think its the chicken he doesn't like. He really stopped eating his canned chicken and kibble a good 2-3 months ago. I will try adding some chicken and see what happens. If this doens't work I will try to add some other meat. What beef with bone is reasonably priced? Im not sure what to look for. Same for the pork. I am worried that the ground beef is a little to fat. Well, this morning he ate at least 2oz of ground beef in no time. Is this enough for one feeding. I feed him twice a day. This evening I will try adding some chicken and see what happens. I may be returning to the market in the a.m. once again. Where can I get green tripe? No sure where to start. Thank you both. I really need the support right now. I do so love my little one and want what is best! Thanks again!:animal36

There really aren't any beef bones that are suitable for eating -especially for small dogs. A lot of the beef bones are weight bearing and are very dense and many times have cracked/broken teeth. Someone tell me if you know of beef bones that won't cause damage.

Normally at the morning meal I give meat and organs or eggs, etc... The evening meal is when I give the meaty bones. I have given some large rib bones to the little ones and they eat the meat off and chew on the bone a bit and then I take it away. They love the pork riblets. too - the bone is much smaller on those.

I guess for us, beef heart and chicken are fed the most often. Then pork and turkey and game hen and ground lamb with the bone. Sometimes the brisket bones. I have also bought a picnic ham - not cured - and they love that. I watch to see what is cheap - on sale or mark downs. I have bought steak for then on occasion when it was on sale. I also feed canned salmon. No, it's not raw, but it does have the bones in it. I can't afford fresh salmon for 5 dogs, but they LOVE the canned. You could also try other kinds of fish, too.

You will just have to experiment and see what works best for your guy. Remember that it is mostly meat and then organs and bone.

I can get tripe through a group I belong to here but I never have. First because it is very expensive and second, I have an extremely sensitive nose and I think I would literally throw up!! :rolleyes: It is supposed to be very good for our pups and a lot of people love to feed it, but others have fed raw for years and never touched tripe.

When I got my Dane, I was advised to let him go hungry till he ate and I wish I had listened to my own instincts. He went 5 days without eating. :( He was underweight when I got him and he lost more. I know every dog and every situation is different so you have to do what is best for YOU and YOUR dog! :) If he needs to eat ground for bit - what is that going to hurt? It is WAY better than going back to dry food.

Now if you have had a dog on raw for awhile and he stops eating just to be fussy - if there are no other health issues going on - then the plan of action may be different.

I hope things go well. Keep us up to date!
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I bet you it was the chicken...As TJ wouldn't eat raw chicken either - BUT Beef, Vension, Rabit, Lamb - LOVED IT ;)

Hi Lady's
I started something new. I stopped the baking soda every other day to about once a week. The skin doesnt seem so dry. I also stopped the vinegar spray to about once a week and now bathing every few days. What I have added is a hot spot treatment that can be purchased any where, like wal-mart, called sulphedene. I decided to use it for the sulphur in it and in the week and a half I have been using it the grayish area on his back is getting lighter in color. Sulphedene is a little oily so it coats the skin. The sores are even less also and the scratching is even less. He has been playing with the other dogs and thats something he hasnt done in a while. He seems alot better. I finally noticed the black poo. it was all over his back side and had to clean him up. So, maybe thats one of the reasons he is feeling better to. All the junk is leaving his system finally.

I have a new puppy! Not really, lol. Chewy is like a whole new person ( to me he is human, he has such attitude).
He has such energy lately and is running around chasing the other dogs and giving them hell. Which is something I havent seen him do in a long time. I am so happy, He doesnt spend his days scratching and eating himself any more. I cant thank you guys enough. I do have a question.... I have noticed on the skin where it has changed colors like from scaring where he scratches alot the hair is turning red. Any one else seen this? Its mainly on one side, his left side above his shoulder in about three patches. its odd. But he is so happy, so I cant complain if he has splotches of red hair, I can say he has natural highlights when his hair grows out. lol. Oh, How long do I have to keep him shaved down? Other than the occasional scrathes he does he doesnt have sores any more from the yeast. I assume it would be ok to let it grow and if we run into trouble just shave it down again.

Awesome!
 

I'm very happy to hear the good news about your Chewy! As previously discussed, Systemic Yeast is a long battle and flare-ups do and can happen! Because of this, I keep my own dog in a very short puppy cut so I can monitor his skin better but if you'd like to regrow Chewy's hair now, I guess that'd be fine.
The red hair you described happened to us also. The texture of the hair was different as well. This is a side effect of the baking soda and/or vinegar. So while the hair coat suffered a bit through treatment, it is a necessary evil to kill off the yeast toxins emerging through the skin! I guess the really vain dogs could use the black on black shampoo from Chris Christensen, lol. :rolleyes: ;) :p
All joking aside, Chewy's hair may need to be re-shaved a couple of times after treatment has ended before the coat will go back to normal. Keep a close eye out for new outbreaks of sores. How's the feeding going?


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The feeding is going great. He has no problems. Except I gave him cheek meat and at first he didnt like it. I think I was feeding him to much becasue he gained a pound in a week and feels like he is full of bricks when I picked him up and I cant even feel his ribs any more. So I have cut down on food. I may give him a drumlett and a gizard in the morning and a hunk of beef heart and a small chunk of liver in the eveining. He knows when its feeding time. I keep the portions in little bags in the freezer and put them in hot water in the sink for a second to thaw. He runs around the kitchen like "hurry up I'm hungry". Its so cute to watch him latley, He hasnt act like this since he was about 6 months old and its so cool.