Raw Diet Questions
 

I am considering switching to raw for Wookie :aimeeyork. He has been on a combination of Innova EVO (which we love!) and a homemade patty that I make with a mixture of things (lean beef, chicken, veggies, olive oil, apple pulp, herbs and about half long grain brown rice). Since he has been having problems with his pH being so alkaline I am thinking that I am not doing the best for him with my patties I make, although I have been told that what I am doing is good for him. (Even by my hollistic vet) That maybe things aren't balanced correctly in them. I am assuming if you buy pre made patties they will be correctly balanced and all that. The place that I buy from carries the Natures Variety raw medallions, which seems to be a very popular one, so I am thinking about it. But I have some questions I hope you guys can help me with (bare with me, there are several)

1- Is it ok to still feed the Innova? Like I do now, kibble in the morning and a patty in the evening? I really like this routine.

2- So are they really RAW? When I made his patties before, I would poach them in boiling water before I gave them to him. There is just something about 'raw' that scares me. :confused: Could I do this with the raw patties too?

3- Does he need to be on any type of supplement? My hollistic vet recommends always having a supplement. He suggests Vim and Vigor.

4- Which one should I buy? Chicken, beef, venison, rabbit, so many choices!!! :eek:

5- Is this something I should make a gradual switch to, like any other time you switch foods? How would I go about that?

Sorry to throw so many out there, I just want to be informed. There is soooo much info online that it is really confusing and you can get so many different opinions (which I am sure I will here too). Any other info you guys can offer is appreciated too! Thanks guys!!!!:animal-pa

After I posted this, I was found a lot of info on the Rotation Diet. I really like this idea. Is there anyone who does this? Wookie has NEVER eaten canned when I tried to give it to him, so I may rotate between the kibble and raw medallions. So that brings me to another question. Would it be ok to keep him on the Innova EVO for the kibble and use the Natures Variety raw medallions? Or should I stick to the same brand for both?

1- Is it ok to still feed the Innova? Like I do now, kibble in the morning and a patty in the evening? I really like this routine.

Yep, that routine is just fine!

2- So are they really RAW? When I made his patties before, I would poach them in boiling water before I gave them to him. There is just something about 'raw' that scares me. Could I do this with the raw patties too?

They are raw. I would not cook them, bc then you're killing all enzymes and other things that are the benefits of raw meat. If raw gives you the willies, then I'd recommend just feeding a good canned or a "meat roll" or something. Those are balanced for canines too.

3- Does he need to be on any type of supplement? My hollistic vet recommends always having a supplement. He suggests Vim and Vigor.

Doesn't need to be, but many still give supps. Nothing wrong w/ it as long as you're not giving too much calcium or phosphorous, most importantly. I like Dogzymes Ultimate from Nature's Farmacy bc it is self-limiting, meaning the dog's body only draws what it is lacking from the supplement. I also give EFAs right now bc Marcel has some atopy going on.

4- Which one should I buy? Chicken, beef, venison, rabbit, so many choices!!!

Don't get rabbit - they get it from China, which is terrible. The other ones are still sourced acceptably, relatively speaking. The organic chicken is often THE favorite of dogs. Lamb and venison is nice.

5- Is this something I should make a gradual switch to, like any other time you switch foods? How would I go about that?

With raw, you should just "start 'er up" - if it were me, I'd just start that evening meal and go for it. Rarely, you will see stool issues - they shouldn't last more than a 2-4 days, if at all. You should not see vomiting.

Hope that helps! :)

I don't rotate - I stick w/ raw. :)

A-okay to feed EVO if he's doing well on it! :D

So, did you always feed raw, or did you switch to it from something else? If you did switch, what changes (if any) did you notice in your dog(s)?

Thanks so much for all your answers!!!:thumbup:

I fed kibble, then homecooked, then switched to raw.

Wylie, my older guy, showed amazing improvement in his teeth (bc the meat still contains enzymes) - his teeth were never terrible, but they got really quite gunky during the homecooking stage. Marcel only had kibble the 1st four months of his life, so his teeth are really great.

You'll also see much tinier poos, non-smelly poo (bc things are being absorbed, rather than undigested), great breath. Many people see much more energy, less skin issues, better coats etcetera. But it all depends on the dog.