# Should I feed my poodle raw, wet or dry food?



## FloofyPoodle (May 12, 2020)

Before you consider raw, can you answer yes to the following questions?

Do you have access to a canine nutritionist that can balance your dog's diet?
Is there somebody that the dog can be left with if you decide to go on a vacation, as most boarding places will not feed raw to your dog?
Do you have nobody in the home who is immunocompromised, and therefore, will not be at risk if they catch salmonella and other bacteria from the dog licking them (YES, dried dog food can have trace amounts of salmonella and other bacteria, but not at the rate that raw food, especially pre-made raw, which is what you would feed a puppy, can).
Do you have adequate time to make, feed, and plan out raw food?
Are you prepared to have a considerable chunk of your fridge/freezer taken up by the dog's food?
Are you prepared to have your veterinarian question every aspect of the diet to ensure that the dog is receiving balanced nutrition (something that they should do anyways, but eh, such is life)?
In addition, are you fine with the vet not fully accepting that you feed raw?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then I would consider proceeding forwards with raw, getting as much information as I could about the subject. I would talk to the aforementioned nutritionist to see what is the best plan for your dog. In addition, it is generally recommended that you feed pre-made raw to puppies, as it is difficult to get a correct balance. I would also ignore Youtube "experts" on this topic, as I have said before, it is difficult to get a good balance, and, if I can be honest, they don't always know what they're doing.

As for what makes a good dog kibble, typically you would look to see if the dog food has a high amount of animal protein, ideally with whole ingredients. For example, Puppy Farmina is a good brand, but Royal Canin is not, as Royal Canin contains large amounts of corn as the base ingredient, whereas Farmina contains animal proteins as the base. If you have a particular kibble you want to go through, I'd love to pick it apart for you! 😄


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Yes I feed raw, using the PMR model. I would warn that for a standard it would be very expensive. The guides I use are off of rawfeedingadviceandsupport.com

I would say to feed raw you have to be very committed to it. It is more expensive and takes more time.


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## caradiamond (Oct 14, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> Yes I feed raw, using the PMR model. I would warn that for a standard it would be very expensive. The guides I use are off of rawfeedingadviceandsupport.com
> 
> I would say to feed raw you have to be very committed to it. It is more expensive and takes more time.


When did you start feeding raw? Is it better to feed dry food to a puppy then switch to raw as they get older?


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## caradiamond (Oct 14, 2020)

FloofyPoodle said:


> Before you consider raw, can you answer yes to the following questions?
> 
> Do you have access to a canine nutritionist that can balance your dog's diet?
> Is there somebody that the dog can be left with if you decide to go on a vacation, as most boarding places will not feed raw to your dog?
> ...


If I do go with kibble, can I use the same brand for my poodle when she comes home and just feed him small portions? Or is there a specific brand I should buy for poodle pups, then change it as he grows


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## caradiamond (Oct 14, 2020)

FloofyPoodle said:


> Before you consider raw, can you answer yes to the following questions?
> 
> Do you have access to a canine nutritionist that can balance your dog's diet?
> Is there somebody that the dog can be left with if you decide to go on a vacation, as most boarding places will not feed raw to your dog?
> ...


What about canned food? Is that something that should be fed occasionally, or can it make up the bulk of my pups diet?


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

I fed Zephyr (standard poodle) raw for his first two years, then switched to kibble because we were planning on spending a month in the Florida Keys and I didn't want to have to deal with raw on the road. Many places have businesses that offer premixed raw diets that they deliver frozen, some are not all that pricey. I keep considering switching back to raw, just haven't done it yet.


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## Miss Sophie (Sep 26, 2020)

Dry food


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## dogsavvy (Mar 6, 2015)

I have been feeding raw for over 15 years (probably closer to 20 my husband told me). My Giant Schnauzer is out of several generations of raw fed dogs. She wouldn't know what to do with a kibble if she had it. My other 4 came to me on kibble & were switched slowly over to raw. My Collie was very food aggressive until we got her switched to raw & got her balanced out (a little training along with getting her off of bad kibble). The problem wasn't an aggression issue, the problem was a very hungry puppy who wasn't getting enough out of her food. My Standard Poodle, Mr. Layne, came to us on a combo of kibble & canned food. My husband freaked out the first time he saw the pup poo. He came & got me to take a look. That pup probably pooped 3 pounds worth, no exaggeration. I reminded him that dogs who eat kibble have bigger more foul smelling poops. He shook his head & said, "How long til we get him switched over to raw?" 

I had mentors who taught me how they've been feeding wrong. One has done it for 35 years, the other has been a breeder longer. I follow what they taught me: no pork or bear. Other meat sources: chicken, turkey, duck, beef, sheep, goat, deer, bison, elk, moose. Raw eggs (on dogs 30 pounds or larger. My Grandma's vet said no to small dogs due to it causing anal sac issues). I have a meat grinder that's designed to grind soft bones (rabbit, chicken, duck). So I make a grind mix with muscle meat, bones, organs, fruit, veggies. Every morning the dogs get a piece of bone in meat. At night they get the grind mix. We are hunters at my house & there is very little that goes to the coyotes when we process our meat. The green tripe (beef) or deer stomach is chok full of enzymes & it's so healthy for dogs.

For us, because we put the time in to shop for big bargains, utilize the ethnic food grocers, & such our raw is quite a bit cheaper than buying kibble. Our vet bills have gone down. Our vets only see our dogs for annual visits. I have had large breeds live into their teens. My old Shih Tzu lived to be just a few months short of 18 years.

I do use some supplements. I also use food as medicine. Apples & MSM is good for allergies in dogs. Carrots cooked provide one set of nutrients, raw provide others. So mine get both. I use kelp powder which boost my old Schnauzer's thyroid. She doesn't need meds just once in awhile her coat will get thin. So long as I have her on kelp on a light dose, she does not. I also feed (especially in winter) horse grass hay pellets (alfalfa/timothy mix) by Standlee for horses. I've put in a lot of hours with that company & have used their products for years now. My dogs would fight for those grass pellets  I feed 1/8-1/4 cup daily during fall & winter. Then the rest of the year if I catch them grazing on grass, I'll go back to the pellets.

All of this sounds long & complicated but I don't find it to be. My husband & I work together & it takes a couple of hours & then we have the ground meat to supply 5 dogs for 2 months. I've never had a dog get sick from it. 

If you want more info, PM me. I'd be happy to help.


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## Jbean (Feb 18, 2019)

I had a new patient once who started to cry as soon as I met her. Her dog had died. An earlier dog, a Great Dane, had died of cancer at an early age. The breeder told her that her dog got cancer because she fed the dog kibble. She was devastated to learn that she had caused the dog's death, so she fed her new puppy (from the same breeder) a raw diet right from the start. It was difficult and expensive but she was determined to do the right thing for her dog. Of course, after a few years, the second dog was diagnosed with cancer at an even earlier age. The truth is that her Danes got cancer because Danes are short-lived dogs with a high genetic tendency for cancer, not because of their diets.

There's absolutely no evidence that dogs do better with a raw diet. There's also quite a bit of evidence that dogs have evolved away from their wolf ancestors to eat a much larger quantity of carbohydrate (they make more amylase) and have no trouble digesting grain. If you want to feed raw and it's something that you can handle and you're willing to risk salmonella, then feed raw, but your dog will do just fine on kibble as well.

Although this was never covered in medical school, I suggested to the patient that she get a breed other than a Dane. She did. Her next dog lived to a healthy old age.









Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards - PubMed


There is a recent trend to feed pet dogs and cats in Britain and other developed countries on raw meat and animal by-products using either commercial preparations or home recipes. This shift from heat-treated processed food has been driven by perceived health benefits to pets and a suspicion of...




pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov












Raw food diets for pets







www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov












Raw food diets in companion animals: A critical review


Feeding of raw meat-based diets to pets has become an increasingly popular trend amongst pet owners. Owners, who desire to provide the best for their pets, seek veterinary opinions about food options. This paper reviews and applies standards of evidence-based ...




www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov












An ethicist's commentary on the “Raw Diet”







www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


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## Pytheis (Sep 17, 2019)

I know quite a few people that feed raw. My GSD was weaned onto a mix of raw and kibble, and his breeder exclusively feeds raw. A lot of her “customers” also feed raw. I work at a pet supplies store with 7 different brands of raw food, so I come into contact with loads of people that feed raw and others that feed kibble. Of all those people, three have dogs that got salmonella. Guess what? All three fed kibble. It happens, and IME (which is quite a bit), kibble has actually caused salmonella more often than raw.


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## FloofyPoodle (May 12, 2020)

caradiamond said:


> If I do go with kibble, can I use the same brand for my poodle when she comes home and just feed him small portions? Or is there a specific brand I should buy for poodle pups, then change it as he grows


I would stick with the same brand when you bring him home, just to avoid stomach upset unless he is doing very, very poorly on it, in which case I'd recommend that you do a reset using cooked chicken and rice for a few days before introducing the new food. If the breeder is feeding a less than stellar brand, then I would switch eventually, however. Typically there are instructions on dog food detailing how to do it.
There isn't really a specific brand of dog food that you can buy for poodles, other than Royal Canin, which is pretty close to a scam, since as I've said before, it's mostly made of corn. It's incomplete, and I really need to get my rear into action and start working on it again, but if you like, you can see some conclusions I've made on proteins and such in dog food based on research here. You can also look on DogFoodAdvisor for specific foods, as most of their 4 star and up dog foods I would recommend. There is also the Global Nutrition Guidelines.


caradiamond said:


> What about canned food? Is that something that should be fed occasionally, or can it make up the bulk of my pups diet?


I wouldn't feed canned food to a Spoo for the sole reason that it is expensive and not really worth it to feed over kibble or even homemade in my opinion, since it's pretty much the same thing only wet (case in point--if you were to feed solely Blue Buffalo Wilderness Beef & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Dog Food at roughly $2.00 a can, you'd be feeding, according to the guidelines, which say about 4 1/2 to 5 cans a day for a full-grown Spoo, about $10 a day! That ends up being $70 a week, and at that price you might as well go all the way and feed him powdered gold on top while you're at it!). It does have its uses, however, and I would feed it as a topper or to a dog that might be dehydrated.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

As far as salmonella goes, studies I've read indicate that while the risk of salmonella in feces may be a bit higher for raw fed dogs, the risk for other bad bacteria is generally higher in kibble. I have seen no evidence that one is truly safer over the other. I have never heard of any raw feeder having salmonella issues. Dogs are gross. They eat animal poop. Nothing you do about your dog's diet will make them very clean. I think the salmonella issue is just a scare tactic put out by vets who know very little about nutrition.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'm not a raw feeder. I've fed dry food/kibble almost exclusively thru the years to every one of my miniature poodles, with some exceptions when ill, and with the addition of a small amount of homecooked (ok, last bites of our dinner protein and poodle friendly veggies) as a topper on meals. 

The dry food/kibble is from a (large name brand) company which has veterinary nutritionists on staff to develop their formulations. The Guidelines that Floofyp linked to is a very useful site.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have fed raw, and then home-cooked as a safer alternative. Any home made diet requires research, and plenty of freezer space - I bought a small chest freezer just for two toy dogs and two cats - and it is definitely more time consuming and less convenient than kibble. These days, with the cats needing a renal diet and Poppy on hepatic canned plus chicken, only Sophy is eating just home cooked. Dogs will thrive on a wide range of foods and diets - I would follow the advice above and continue with what your new puppy is used to if possible, perhaps using the first months to research and plan if any changes are needed.


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## caradiamond (Oct 14, 2020)

For those of you who do feed wet/raw food, are you using one of those pet food subscriptions services where they create a meal plan for your poodle and deliver it to you?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Looked at them, compared the price and flexibility with doing it myself, and decided against them. One big advantage of home made is that you can adjust it to each dog's needs. Sophy can't tolerate turkey; Poppy needed lower fat than the average; both did better on slightly lower amounts of bone. I was also not entirely convinced of the qualifications of the people designing the diets - qualified veterinary nutritionists are very thin on the ground here in the UK and most are employed by the big pet food companies.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I feed raw. Like any new habit, it took a few months to figure out and settle into a routine. I never used a service or consulted a nutritionist. The cost averages about $2/lb of meat, or about $2/day (more when younger, less as they age). The dogs love it and their bloodwork is normal. I'm not dogmatic nor do I proselytize, but it has worked for us. When boarding, I use a commercial raw, and if that's still an issue, I provide a high quality food like Ziwi Peak. When the dogs have some tummy upset or constipation, I boil rice and ground beef for them. They have no food allergies and eat a variety of treats.


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## Kunuz (Sep 15, 2020)

caradiamond said:


> Hi everyone, I want to bring home a standard poodle puppy soon. Is there anyone who feeds their poodle raw? Any recommendations for good pet food in general?


Hi I am getting my new pup in 9 months lol I know super long, but I have been doing so much research is crazy. I decided to try making homemade meals for my pup and treats. I looked into ordering food, but lord have mercy are they expensive. If I go to the butchers I can spend 10x less a month, I am also going to get a dehydrator to make our own jerky. I looked into getting treats from a company online and for 6 bags of treats it came out to 100$, there is no way am paying for that when I can get all the ingredients and pay way less. For jerky am going to try liver, beef, lamb, chicken etc, I will also make my own cookies and frozen treats for him. The plus for me is I will know how what I am feeding him and I also have bookmarks on my laptop of great recipes that are natural and healthy. 


Goodluck


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I bred and raised standard poodles for years. I showed in conformation, obedience, and agility. My dogs have occasionally been sent to professional handlers to be shown. Like so many other people who show I have fed Purina kibble for many years. I add a tablespoon of canned meat just to indulge them. Most of my dogs have lived to be 12 to 15 years of age - small dogs longer (my chihuahua lived to 19), large dogs less long. And, yes, the beggers get a bit or two from human plates. The professional handlers I have used over the years all fed Purina products to most of their "clients".

I have never had a dog with a food allergy (or any other allergic condition).


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

caradiamond said:


> For those of you who do feed wet/raw food, are you using one of those pet food subscriptions services where they create a meal plan for your poodle and deliver it to you?


No, I do it myself. It's cheaper and I can have more variety that way. But I spend 1.5 hours every two weeks prepping meals. A sample day's meal might look like this:
Beef/chicken/pork/turkey
Duck wing/chicken neck
Beef or lamb tripe 
Pork heart
Gizzard
Organ mix with liver, kidney, pancreas, sweetbreads, brain
Quail egg
Fish (sardine, herring, or mackerel)
Green lipped mussel

So for me I have a small chest freezer to store everything. It takes a good deal of research and time to do it this way. Everything must be weighed out in correct proportions (though now I can eyeball most of it). It is important to offer variety and balance nutritional requirements. Pre-made subscriptions are simpler though I would be careful to make sure they are nutritionally balanced for a puppy.


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## Fwayiam (Jan 22, 2020)

I would do kibble or home cooked. My dog actually got sick from playing with another dog that ate raw food in our neighborhood. Their poop can be quite dangerous after eating raw meat. 

I feed my toy poodle farmina n&d lamb, blueberry and pumpkin kibble. I started her on Acana Small breed Puppy but it gave her tear stains. I think she definitely likes the farmina more than Acana.

I also buy her Tom and Sawyer dog food which is cooked. It's a company here in Toronto, Canada.


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## Sarah S (Dec 29, 2020)

Fwayiam said:


> I would do kibble or home cooked. My dog actually got sick from playing with another dog that ate raw food in our neighborhood. Their poop can be quite dangerous after eating raw meat.
> 
> I feed my toy poodle farmina n&d lamb, blueberry and pumpkin kibble. I started her on Acana Small breed Puppy but it gave her tear stains. I think she definitely likes the farmina more than Acana.
> 
> I also buy her Tom and Sawyer dog food which is cooked. It's a company here in Toronto, Canada.


 I will be getting a Spoo pup in spring (I hope). It will be 13 years since I got my last puppy so I am rethinking everything from food to training techniques before he arrives. I know my lifestyle is not compatible with raw/home cooked. Is there value to freeze dried over a high quality kibble? As supplement or full diet?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

The real answer is that we don't have good data on which foods are best for dogs. It's all supposition and anecdotal. For my human family, I strive to feed whole foods prepared from scratch, but it doesn't always happen. Packaged foods like frozen meals, chips, and candy have their place. Likewise for the animals: it makes a heck of a lot of sense that whole foods are best, but it isn't always possible, so you do the best you can.

A few companies offer frozen raw patties. It's more expensive than either dry or home-prepared, but you're theoretically getting some of the benefits of a raw diet with the convenience of packaging. Some people do both: either they free-feed kibble while offering commercial raw at meals, or they feed kibble for one meal and commercial raw at another.

Whatever you decide will be fine.


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