# Combo Diet or Full Raw?



## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

Hi. Trying to decide on the best diet for Mist and wondering if anyone can help? I'd like to feed a full raw diet, I think it's the best really. I've tried it with my older dog,b ut I don't have a lot of meat variety and htis concerns me. Mostly I've got beef, pork, a little turkey, and a very very little amount of lamb, even less chicken as my older girl doesn't like it. I've been wondering if this is enough variety, about the only organ I can get is liver, and sometimes beef kidney. Should I go a head and do full raw, or should I use a grain free good kibble, or canned, to make it more balanced? Must be grain free, though. I'd love to hear from others; what you feed, and why you think what you feed is good; i.e. the rathonale behind the food or combo of foods you are feeding. Also I'm concerned she doesn't eat much; maybe I'm ust used to feeding a 60 lb girl. Mist is only 6.5 lbs at a little over 3 m.o. Thanks so much!


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

I feed a blend of everything healthy and for the same reasons you mentioned. Raw chicken wings, gizzards, hearts, livers, beef liver, ground beef, Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw, and high quality grain free kibble. 

I just bought some green tripe today for the first time.


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## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

Which kibble do you use? And how do I keep her from wanting all kibble or canned, I'd prefer the bulk of the diet to be raw, better for her teeth? Just don't want her spoiled. Grr, my store can't even get Honest Kitchen in; they have grandma lucy's, ver very potato/garlic heavy, makes my older girl very violently sick, so can't use that. Green tripe is hard to find, but if you can find it, the dogs and cats will love it. How's your baby's weight//condition on a blended diet, and do you feed it separate or all mixed up in one bowl..have you noticed any tummy issues, I've always heard it was one diet or another, so I'm interested in how this works. Thanks for answering my questions.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

If you are going to feed raw, might as well go cold turkey and dump the krapple.


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## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

I'd prefer to, but worried about balance? I've pretty much described what's available, and I"m on the world's most ltd. budget is that diet balanced enough? Oh, she hates veggies btw, won't eat anything with veggies/fruits mixed into it. Nature's Variety and Bravo are available premade raw foods here. Help me balance it, if it's not, please? And again, need something for travel, as she'll be a service dog, and carrying a cooler isn't always possible or practical. Right mnow she eats multiple times a day toavoid hypoglecemia, I think I spelled that right. I hate using Nutrical unless I have to.


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

I usually put some kibble down while prepping the raw. He usually nibbles a bit, then domes and lays down to watch me prep the good stuff. Then I give him a chicken wing. After that is finished I put down a bowl of the HK raw and whatever other boneless meat and organs he gets (he has never left anything in the bowl). If he's still hungry, he can eat some more kibble. 

As for weight, Raleigh is only 5 mos old so it's not an issue. I did have a dog get a little chunky after he was neutered at a year old. He had a long coat at the time and I didn't notice. I feed a variey of high quality grain free kibbles such as Fromms Surf and Turf, Orijen, Taste of the Wild...


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## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

Hmm, courses, like we'd eat a meal. Good idea, I never thought of that. I might try it, as my girls waste quite a bit of food. Thanks.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Fuzzmom said:


> Mostly I've got beef, pork, a little turkey, and a very very little amount of lamb, even less chicken as my older girl doesn't like it. I've been wondering if this is enough variety, about the only organ I can get is liver, and sometimes beef kidney.


Beef, Pork, Turkey, some lamb, tiny bit of chicken sounds good to me. That is decent variety with at least 2 different types of red meat (beef, pork and some lamb). I try to make red meat the bulk of all of the boneless meat I feed. I only feed chicken for bone content (but that is not the only bone I feed because I find pork and lamb ribs as well as turkey necks to be harder and provide better teeth cleaning.)

It is very important that you feed enough organ. If you can get liver and beef kidney that would be great. Where do you live? I get organ from mypetcarnivore.com They deliver in my area once monthly, and many other midwest cities. Haretoday is another place where you can order organ blends.

I feed beef heart, boneless beef, pork heart, whole whitefish, ground venison as the bulk of the meat I feed. I feed pork and lamb ribs, chicken quarters, backs and drumsticks as well as turkey necks for bone.

Organ I feed 5% liver and 5% kidney (sometimes spleen or pancreas)


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

Exactly! Leftover kibble gets covered up and served at the next meal. Leftover raw could go in the refrigerator but there's never any left! I try to adjust the quantities so that the majority of his diet is raw. Mostly the kibble is an appetizer/dessert or training treat.

When I'm training, I mix kibble in a bag with higher value treats like Zukes and liver treats.


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

Exactly! Leftover kibble gets covered up and served at the next meal. Leftover raw could go in the refrigerator but there's never any left! I try to adjust the quantities so that the majority of his diet is raw. Mostly the kibble is an appetizer/dessert or training treat.

When I'm training, I mix kibble in a bag with higher value treats like Zukes and liver treats.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

One thing I think you should consider since you are also concerned about a "balanced" diet.....my neighbor has a terrier mix. Yuki has been feeding Bou a mixture of raw, and cooked, homemade, etc. and the dog had some issues a month or so ago. He had a huge imbalance of his red blood cells and was admitted to ER and had blood transfusions for 3 days. Now, I don't know all they originally diagnosed, but it was an immune reaction, and they tested Bou for everything. I talked Yuki into taking Bou to a good vet with holistic training and training in nutrition (holistic best). I drove them there earlier this week....and they ran quite a few tests, an iron panel,etc., and they believe he has an iron deficiency for one thing. Apparently, although he thought he was feeding him good stuff, it was "human" good stuff and he was not getting the correct nutrition. We picked up some dehydrated raw and a good balanced kibble, grain free, etc., and he will get the tests back soon. I only mention this since Jake was on raw for 10 years and I read up tons about it, and my vet (holistic) was a proponent. HOWEVER, you need to be sure they are getting correct amounts of calcium, phosphorous, etc., and it can be tricky. If you are going to do your own raw, I'd get a good book ("Give your Dog a Bone" by Ian Billinghurst, or one of Kmythe Schulttz's books, OR buy premade raw if that is your preference. Also better to do raw or kibble since t the digestion is much different between the 2. Just my two cents...


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## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

No holistic proponents of raw near me for vets..bummer, but you're right balance is always a wory. This is why I asked, to try and give her the most balanced diet possible. What would you suggest for a balanced diet? As in a menu? Mist won't eat the premade if it has vegetables or fruit in it, are they necessary from a dog point of view? I've heard so much debate about them?


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

When I first switched Jake to raw, we started with the "I'll make it myself approach" and I gave him raw chicken wings......kale, supplements, and mixes, it was like a science lab. When I was thru with him, I opened a cup of yogurt for myself. That lasted about a month, and I switched to various premade frozen foods, and all in all, I felt the best were Aunt Jeni's, Stella & Chewys and Primal. As he got older, he had some tummy issues, so I switched him to a high quality grain free kibble. I do know different premades are different, in that some contain more fruits and vegetables, and others much less. I'd research to see which have what you are looking for. Whole Food Dog Journal always has good dog food reviews, raw, canned, kibble, etc., as well as others. Should be easy as long as you know what you want. Good luck.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Sorry, Whole Dog Journal (I have groceries on the mind).


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

I have also heard the idea that raw and kibble should be fed in separate meals. I was given the advice on this forum that it might not be a concern based on the fact that it all appears to have been digested. Seems to be a good point. I feed a mixture and the only thing that doesn't appear to be digested is vegetables. This is the case regardless if kibble was consumed at that meal.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I feed raw sporatically as treats and as a supplement a few times a week. I don't worry so much about balance because I have balanced kibble with grain free canned. I am not entirely consistent with the raw, but not concerned if I go a week without any. I give my dogs vegetables like broccoli, carrots and green beans. I have never seen it in their poop. I don't give corn and know that one is not digested.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

liljaker said:


> HOWEVER, you need to be sure they are getting correct amounts of calcium, phosphorous, etc., and it can be tricky. If you are going to do your own raw, I'd get a good book ("Give your Dog a Bone" by Ian Billinghurst, or one of Kmythe Schulttz's books, OR buy premade raw if that is your preference. Also better to do raw or kibble since t the digestion is much different between the 2. Just my two cents...


I have a hard time understanding how a dog raw fed would be low in iron and it would be due to the diet. Was the dog eating red meat? I would think that something else would have been the cause. Especially if the dog at that diet for 10 years.

Another thing to realize..if you are feeding a homemade raw diet with mostly ground meat, you will need to supplement Taurine. Taurine is lost in ground meat. Otherwise, heart is a great source of taurine. 

Kymythe Schultz is kind of outdated and less helpful than I'd like. I would recommend Lew Olson's book.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I first started feeding raw with the guidance of the Billinghurst and Schultze books. That was 15 years ago, so yeah, the prevailing ideas in raw have changed since then.

I'm of the casual, no stress, no fancy calculations school of raw, and I think the amount of variety you mention in the first post is fine. It's balance over time, after all. I buy a case of something at a time so my dogs tend to get a concentration of that protien for a while, interspersed with various organ meats and fish. 

If you can go totally raw, I would if I were you. It's the way to go.

--Q


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I was not clear in my post. My friend's dog was diagnosed with an iron deficiency........separately, he was being fed an assortment of homemeade foods, meats, etc., and the vet believes he needs to get him on a balanced nutrition plan, either raw or kibble. Yuki is from Japan, and he felt that he was feeding good and nutritious foods to the dog since they were good and nutritious foods for us, however, he was not providing appropriate nutrition and although tests are not back yet, there is a possibility his deficiency, and possible other immune issues may be from the diet. All I was trying to say was that it is important to be sure that the dog is getting a full range of nutrients needed and if unfamiliar with raw feeding, it may be better to go with a premade, balanced formula.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

And I still refer to Billinghurst's book -- I lent Schultz' out.


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## Fuzzmom (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks, tons of help. Good to know the variety is fine that I've got, all the books I've read do advocate big amounts of variety, and I just didn't feel that it was enough, esp. with the narrow variety of organs I can get. My vet is not raw supportive, so no help there, though that seems to be quite common.


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