Raw diet question (English Bulldog, stomach, bones, natural)

[cool rob]

I am currently feeding my two american bulldogs raw chicken (either thigh, breast, half or a whole cornish hen). SHould I stop feeding dry food? I have currently been alternating food days, for ex.

Monday: Half a chicken Raw
Tuesday: Dry kibble

I also had another question, at what point can I start experimenting with other raw foods such as beef, venicen, lamb, pork, etc?

They have been on the alternating raw chicken days for about a month now. Also is there anything else that I can give them to possibly supplement the dry food?

One last question, does it make a difference if the food is served frozen or fresh?

Thanks !

[MAK802]

I feed my English Bulldog ony raw, no kibble at all. We transitioned him overnight, with no problems at all. He eats lamb, duck, goose, chicken, and beef. The difference is, we buy the prepackaged Stella & Chewy's food, so it's easier to feed and very convenient because it includes all the vitamins/minerals/supplements that he needs. I would stay away from pork. That's the one meat that almost always contains toxins/parasites, and even none of the prepackaged raw food companies are willing to take that risk.

In addition to what's in there, we add salmon oil and K9 Liquid Health Fido Nutrients:

LIQUID HEALTHâ„¢

Kronch Salmon Oil for Dogs & Cats at Only Natural Pet Store

Be careful when buying salmon oil, since many of them are not good for dogs (or humans) because they contain tons of toxins. I researched for quite a while before using this one.

I defrost his food, because once I forgot to do it and he had to eat it partially frozen and did not seem interested in it. I know people do it both ways, but I defrost it. Good luck and good for you for realizing the benefits of raw vs. kibble that sits on store shelves for years!

[cool rob]

Thanks, a lot of great information there

[STT Resident]

Roughage is important and that probably is covered in the "Stella & Chewy's food" that MAK802 references. Carnivores in the wild naturally eat roughage as well as meat. Cheers!

[cool rob]

Originally Posted by STT Resident

Roughage is important and that probably is covered in the "Stella & Chewy's food" that MAK802 references. Carnivores in the wild naturally eat roughage as well as meat. Cheers!

Thanks, in general terms what foods would qualify as "roughage"?

[Woof Woof Woof!]

cool rob,

You want to make sure they get some organ meat, such as liver and heart. You can also give them some sweet potato and vegetables like spinach, broccoli. Many raw feeders swear by green tripe... which is the inside of a cow's stomach.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by cool rob

Thanks, in general terms what foods would qualify as "roughage"?

If it could conceiveably be in the stomach of a freshly killed ruminant, that's excellent roughage.

I used greenbeans, carrots, spinach, snow peas, brocolli, asparagus, string beans, whatever was available/leftover. If you have any wilted lettuce or really any vegetable that looks like its best days are in the recent past, that's perfect dog roughage.

A word about the green tripe: it is certainly excellent food for a dog but it is really stinky. Your dog will absolutely love it, but his breath will gag a maggot for about 12 hours.

[cool rob]

thanks everyone!

[steelstress]

First, cut the kibble NOW, completely. It's not good to mix it with raw, as raw will process through the dog's system much quicker than kibble will. The kibble can hold up the digestion of the raw and can make your dog sick because the bacteria in raw will be in the dog's system longer than it should be. Dump the kibble.

Start a new meat now, slowly. Give him a mix of say... 3/4 portion of chicken, 1/4 portion of beef. In addition to chicken, give your dog fish BODY oil for the Omega-3's. Not fish oil, fish BODY oil. No soy in it, check the label. Or, give your dog a sardine in place of the oil.

Make sure the diet includes 10% organ, of which half of that MUST be liver. Gizzards, hearts, etc are considered meat, by the way, don't count them as organ.

Don't be afraid of pork.. so long as you give your dog human grade pork, it won't be a problem. My dogs split a pork roast about once a week. occasionally get pork spare ribs.

I prefer to thaw the meat, as eating it cold can cause the dog to vomit it right up. Not a problem as the dog will most likely eat it again. Even thawed, I let it sit on my counter for at least a half hour to take the cold edge off. Here's a hint for feeding liver: Feed it semi-frozen. My dogs won't eat it thawed because of its slimy texture. I thaw it enough just so I can slice it and give it to them that way. It's firm with no slime.

[grannynancy]

Another problem with kibble vs raw is that the stomach acids adjust accordingly to the food and the raw takes a more acid condition to dissolve the bones. So kibble can impair this. If you give kibble, I would go low or no carb [such as Honest Kitchen] but what is the point?

I used to take my veggies and make a soup in the blender. Avoid some vegetables - onions are one, brocolli always made my dogs gassy and I don't think other plants in the cabbage family do as well.

I think the rougage argument about them eating the stomach first has been disputed . The first to be eaten are the rear leg muscles. A lot of folks have cut down on the amount of veggies in their BARF diets. It sure would not harm though.

I am feeding EVO now, only because I don't have a freezer for their meat and don't have the time and opportunity to shop for the bargains. Also in my state if meat is one day overdue they can't sell it at a discount.