Raw food question - HELP - YorkieTalk.com Forums

princessbunbun · 08-15-2010, 03:10 PM

I just adopted a re-homed/rescued Yorkie and I want to feed her the absolute best. "Princess Bun Bun" (my 5 year old son named her) was kept in a cage for 2 years and used as a breeding dog.

I love her and I know it's going to be a long time before I train her to be a "pet" with manners, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

Anyway, she's going nuts for a raw chicken dog food formula that my vet makes and sells. She devours it. I hope her love for it lasts, as I've heard some dogs lose their taste for it after a little while. My question is how much do I feed her and is the meat supposed to turn a little black-ish once it's been oxidized with air?

I was scraping off the brown/black parts but it seems very wasteful. I hope it's ok to serve it to her. The food is only taken out of the freezer and in the fridge for a day before I serve it to her, so it's not in the fridge for a very long time... it seems to "turn" within an hour or so...

Does anyone have any experience with raw food and is the discoloration a normal occurrence?

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

Little mama · 08-15-2010, 03:21 PM

I started Allie about a month and a half ago. I went on the web site for natures variety for feeding guidelines, She gets 2 medalion size nuggets twice a day. it doesnt seem like its enough but it is. I put the food down and if she does not eat it right away it goes back in the fridge and is offered later. I have a little phobia about raw meat I dont mind handling it but would not want to cross comtaminate anything nor leave it out too long , It's not good to leave it out if they don't eat it right away for more than 10-15 min. I'm kitchen manager at a school so we always hear of food temps and preperations. so I always make sure that everything is washed and sanitzed.
I go back to work tomorrow (after being off all summer )so she is going to HAVE to eat when I put it out or she will have to wait for me to come home

That stresses me out!!!

ldvpool7 · 08-15-2010, 03:36 PM

I have a Yorkie and a Yorkie Poo that have been on Natures Variety raw since November of 2009. I truly believe the raw diet did save Rocky's life. He was diagnosed with PLE, and was to only live 3-6 months. My problem now is that Carlie the Yorkie now weighs 6.3lbs, and the vet tells me she needs to lose weight. Both dogs get 2 medallions a day, and sweet potatoes or green beans. Very little snacks baby carrots or a "duck" biscuit. I dont know if I should cut back on the medallions or the veggies.

keokis mom · 08-15-2010, 03:39 PM

It should not be turning blackish at all- I would look into another raw food like Primal or Natures Variety, Stella and Chewys- I have been raw feeding for almost 3 years and have neve seen that- it doesn't seem right- I put Keokis food in the fridge and it never turns if I were you I would try a different brand- they all have an expiration date

PrincessDiana · 08-15-2010, 06:43 PM

Any raw meat will oxidize and turn a slight greyish color after exposure to air. This is normal. In fact, Nature's Variety (and some other pre-made raw brands, I'm sure) use a denaturant which is a charcoal additive that discolors the food so humans know not to eat it. However, it should not be BLACK. Black is definitely not normal.

I don't know if you mentioned this but what brand are you using?

princessbunbun · 08-16-2010, 03:34 PM

OK - thanks friends. I'm really liking the raw - it's called "Nature's Intent" chicken. It's better than the "Puppy Chow" they were feeding her (seriously!). Do companies like Petco carry those 2 other brands?

How would you describe a "medallion" size? An 1/8th of a cup? How many tablespoons? She is 10 pounds but the vet said she's overweight due to a lack of exercise.

Thanks for your help!

Poochieheaven · 08-16-2010, 04:02 PM

You should feed 2-3% of her weight. 2% if you want her to lose weight, and 3% if she needs to gain.

If you don't have a better brand of raw food around, you can also feed a prey model raw diet (basically meat, organs, etc- not a pre made diet)

Sweet Apple · 08-16-2010, 04:05 PM

most medallions are 1 oz...you usually feed 2 oz. per 5 lbs. a day, or 4 or 5 medallions for a 10 lb. dog...See if you can find Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewies, Bravo, or, what I feed Primal...My girl gets 1 1/4 medallions twice a day, and she's 6 lbs...My little guy gets 1 1/2 twice a day and he's 6 lbs...My rescue is 4 lbs. and gets 3/4 medallion twice a day, although I'm giving her some kibble, because she was a skeleton, when I got her...My boy is bigger boned than her, and not nutered, and she is spayed, so she probably has a slower metabolism...

Little mama · 08-16-2010, 04:07 PM

I believe the medallions r 1 ounce each. I buy mine through a dog speciality store. They didn't have the medallions last time so i had to buy these huge frozen patties that I divide over the corset of 2-3 days. My little stinker who devoured her meals started last week turning her nose to it so now she gets a Stella & chewy beef treat mixed with hers cause she is so picky.

princessizzy · 08-16-2010, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princessbunbun

I just adopted a re-homed/rescued Yorkie and I want to feed her the absolute best. "Princess Bun Bun" (my 5 year old son named her) was kept in a cage for 2 years and used as a breeding dog.

I love her and I know it's going to be a long time before I train her to be a "pet" with manners, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

Anyway, she's going nuts for a raw chicken dog food formula that my vet makes and sells. She devours it. I hope her love for it lasts, as I've heard some dogs lose their taste for it after a little while. My question is how much do I feed her and is the meat supposed to turn a little black-ish once it's been oxidized with air?

I was scraping off the brown/black parts but it seems very wasteful. I hope it's ok to serve it to her. The food is only taken out of the freezer and in the fridge for a day before I serve it to her, so it's not in the fridge for a very long time... it seems to "turn" within an hour or so...

Does anyone have any experience with raw food and is the discoloration a normal occurrence?

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

It should NOT be turning color

... you need to find a different Raw food... Izzy eat Natures Variety.. She loves it... They have alot of Different flavors... Right to we rotate between Chicken, bison, and Venison...then she gets the kibble through out the day... We Love it.. and it has never turned any color.. She eats it right away so it never sits out...

princessbunbun · 08-18-2010, 06:29 PM

Does anyone use "Country Pet"? They sell it at Whole Foods - it's not raw, per se, but it's slow cooked at 120 degrees then flash frozen... it looks interesting. Might be an option for us.

ally173 · 08-21-2010, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princessbunbun

Does anyone use "Country Pet"? They sell it at Whole Foods - it's not raw, per se, but it's slow cooked at 120 degrees then flash frozen... it looks interesting. Might be an option for us.

i would keep her on raw as it's best to get nutrients from food instead of synthetic ones.
check out aunt jeni's raw food; it's great
Recipe Listings

08-15-2010, 03:10 PM	#1
princessbunbun Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 40	Raw food question - HELP I just adopted a re-homed/rescued Yorkie and I want to feed her the absolute best. "Princess Bun Bun" (my 5 year old son named her) was kept in a cage for 2 years and used as a breeding dog. I love her and I know it's going to be a long time before I train her to be a "pet" with manners, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Anyway, she's going nuts for a raw chicken dog food formula that my vet makes and sells. She devours it. I hope her love for it lasts, as I've heard some dogs lose their taste for it after a little while. My question is how much do I feed her and is the meat supposed to turn a little black-ish once it's been oxidized with air? I was scraping off the brown/black parts but it seems very wasteful. I hope it's ok to serve it to her. The food is only taken out of the freezer and in the fridge for a day before I serve it to her, so it's not in the fridge for a very long time... it seems to "turn" within an hour or so... Does anyone have any experience with raw food and is the discoloration a normal occurrence? Thanks for your help! Lisa

08-15-2010, 03:36 PM	#3
ldvpool7 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Indianola Iowa Posts: 232	Raw food I have a Yorkie and a Yorkie Poo that have been on Natures Variety raw since November of 2009. I truly believe the raw diet did save Rocky's life. He was diagnosed with PLE, and was to only live 3-6 months. My problem now is that Carlie the Yorkie now weighs 6.3lbs, and the vet tells me she needs to lose weight. Both dogs get 2 medallions a day, and sweet potatoes or green beans. Very little snacks baby carrots or a "duck" biscuit. I dont know if I should cut back on the medallions or the veggies. __________________ Mom to Carlie Rocky

08-15-2010, 06:43 PM	#5
PrincessDiana I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,068	Any raw meat will oxidize and turn a slight greyish color after exposure to air. This is normal. In fact, Nature's Variety (and some other pre-made raw brands, I'm sure) use a denaturant which is a charcoal additive that discolors the food so humans know not to eat it. However, it should not be BLACK. Black is definitely not normal. I don't know if you mentioned this but what brand are you using? __________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper

08-16-2010, 03:34 PM	#6
princessbunbun Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 40	OK - thanks friends. I'm really liking the raw - it's called "Nature's Intent" chicken. It's better than the "Puppy Chow" they were feeding her (seriously!). Do companies like Petco carry those 2 other brands? How would you describe a "medallion" size? An 1/8th of a cup? How many tablespoons? She is 10 pounds but the vet said she's overweight due to a lack of exercise. Thanks for your help! Last edited by princessbunbun; 08-16-2010 at 03:38 PM. Reason: addition

08-15-2010, 03:21 PM	#2
Little mama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ft myers,fl usa Posts: 169	I started Allie about a month and a half ago. I went on the web site for natures variety for feeding guidelines, She gets 2 medalion size nuggets twice a day. it doesnt seem like its enough but it is. I put the food down and if she does not eat it right away it goes back in the fridge and is offered later. I have a little phobia about raw meat I dont mind handling it but would not want to cross comtaminate anything nor leave it out too long , It's not good to leave it out if they don't eat it right away for more than 10-15 min. I'm kitchen manager at a school so we always hear of food temps and preperations. so I always make sure that everything is washed and sanitzed. I go back to work tomorrow (after being off all summer )so she is going to HAVE to eat when I put it out or she will have to wait for me to come home That stresses me out!!!

08-15-2010, 03:39 PM	#4
keokis mom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New York City Posts: 503	It should not be turning blackish at all- I would look into another raw food like Primal or Natures Variety, Stella and Chewys- I have been raw feeding for almost 3 years and have neve seen that- it doesn't seem right- I put Keokis food in the fridge and it never turns if I were you I would try a different brand- they all have an expiration date

08-16-2010, 04:02 PM	#7
Poochieheaven Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: River Falls, WI Posts: 677	You should feed 2-3% of her weight. 2% if you want her to lose weight, and 3% if she needs to gain. If you don't have a better brand of raw food around, you can also feed a prey model raw diet (basically meat, organs, etc- not a pre made diet)

08-16-2010, 04:05 PM	#8
Sweet Apple Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, Texas USA Posts: 2,473	most medallions are 1 oz...you usually feed 2 oz. per 5 lbs. a day, or 4 or 5 medallions for a 10 lb. dog...See if you can find Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewies, Bravo, or, what I feed Primal...My girl gets 1 1/4 medallions twice a day, and she's 6 lbs...My little guy gets 1 1/2 twice a day and he's 6 lbs...My rescue is 4 lbs. and gets 3/4 medallion twice a day, although I'm giving her some kibble, because she was a skeleton, when I got her...My boy is bigger boned than her, and not nutered, and she is spayed, so she probably has a slower metabolism...

08-16-2010, 04:07 PM	#9
Little mama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ft myers,fl usa Posts: 169	I believe the medallions r 1 ounce each. I buy mine through a dog speciality store. They didn't have the medallions last time so i had to buy these huge frozen patties that I divide over the corset of 2-3 days. My little stinker who devoured her meals started last week turning her nose to it so now she gets a Stella & chewy beef treat mixed with hers cause she is so picky.

08-18-2010, 06:29 PM	#11
princessbunbun Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 40	Does anyone use "Country Pet"? They sell it at Whole Foods - it's not raw, per se, but it's slow cooked at 120 degrees then flash frozen... it looks interesting. Might be an option for us.