[sabs08]

Hey guys,

Controversial topic I’m sure, but I’ve been looking into raw diets for my 9 month old golden and came across tons of videos of owners feeding half kibble half raw with supplements such as quail eggs, fish oil, goat milk, etc.

Currently she’s on PPP SS salmon and rice with no issues, sometimes I’ll add a few berries and pumpkin. Where I live it’s possible to order raw food in bulk from local suppliers. For those of you that do - do you find your dogs do better on a certain protein? I was thinking of adding either beef or turkey. And for those that do half and half - how do you usually portion their food?

 

[Oceanside]

Hey guys,

Controversial topic I’m sure, but I’ve been looking into raw diets for my 9 month old golden and came across tons of videos of owners feeding half kibble half raw with supplements such as quail eggs, fish oil, goat milk, etc.

Currently she’s on PPP SS salmon and rice with no issues, sometimes I’ll add a few berries and pumpkin. Where I live it’s possible to order raw food in bulk from local suppliers. For those of you that do - do you find your dogs do better on a certain protein? I was thinking of adding either beef or turkey. And for those that do half and half - how do you usually portion their food?

As you know, you’re going to get a bunch of people saying not to, especially since all is going well currently. But to answer your questions:

Healthy dogs should do well on pretty much any protein. I feed a wide variety personally, so I would suggest rotating.

For portioning, you’d need to calculate the amount of calories you’re feeding now, then calculate how much raw equals half that many calories if you want to go 50/50.

ETA: You’ll see a lot of people doing a lot of things. Sometimes because they have no idea and are following a trend, and other times you’ll see people who know exactly what they are doing. Things like quail eggs, fish oil, goats milk are often used as toppers, but they could also be part of a strategically balanced meal. So if you’re going to be changing half of the meal to raw, you should use either a pre-balanced formulation, or you’ll need to do a lot of research on balancing.

 

[SRW]

Currently she’s on PPP SS salmon and rice with no issues

Other than a huge increase in cost, what do you hope to gain?

 

[pawsnpaca]

I second what Matt said. I’ve generally fed a primarily raw diet (one of the Primal balanced patties) but used kibble for training treats and food dispensing toys. Now that I have three dogs, feeding all raw was becoming cost prohibitive, so one of my adult dogs gets raw for breakfast and kibble for dinner, and the puppy is getting raw for breakfast and dinner, and a light kibble lunch. I know some feel that raw and kibble digest at different rates so I try to avoid feeding a combined meal.

I feed my dogs the Turkey and Sardine variety of Primal, because that’s what my holistic vet felt my particular dogs would do best on. However, my kibble is fish-based and I sometimes sub in a bag of lamb, beef or pork just for variety.

My breeder recommended adding in a raw egg a few times a week, though we rarely have enough eggs! I do let the dogs lick the bowl when I make them for myself. If you are feeding a balanced raw product you shouldn’t really have a need to add on anything else, especially if your dog seems to be healthy and thriving on that diet.

 

[Bellbird]

I have recently started feeding 4yo Gemma a 50/50 raw/ kibble diet. She has half a patty of "Big Dog" raw (combo protein) and half a cup of kibble for breakfast and dinner. She also has Greek yoghurt at dinner. I made the change from all kibble because of the size of her poos compared to my daughter's lab who is 100% raw, but I didn't want to go 100% because she will have kibble when she goes into boarding a couple of times each year. The transition over 3 days was seamless. Her poos have decreased in size, her coat is great, she's maintaining a good weight and she loves her food.

Here's a link for those concerned about mixing raw and kibble.

Raw Feeding Myths: Can You Mix With Kibble and Raw? (canine.care)

 

[pawsnpaca]

.
Raw Feeding Myths: Can You Mix With Kibble and Raw? (canine.care)

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing! I’ll worry less now about combining kibble and raw. 🙂

 

[laurab18293]

I have recently started feeding 4yo Gemma a 50/50 raw/ kibble diet. She has half a patty of "Big Dog" raw (combo protein) and half a cup of kibble for breakfast and dinner. She also has Greek yoghurt at dinner. I made the change from all kibble because of the size of her poos compared to my daughter's lab who is 100% raw, but I didn't want to go 100% because she will have kibble when she goes into boarding a couple of times each year. The transition over 3 days was seamless. Her poos have decreased in size, her coat is great, she's maintaining a good weight and she loves her food.

Here's a link for those concerned about mixing raw and kibble.

Raw Feeding Myths: Can You Mix With Kibble and Raw? (canine.care)

Interesting read! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Taz Monkey]

All 4 of my dogs are 100% raw fed, and my golden has been since she was weaned. They eat every protein I can get my hands on-chicken, turkey, beef, duck, lamb, boar, elk, bison, kangaroo, muskrat, beaver, goat, venison, etc etc etc. Fresh farm eggs and whole mackerel, sardines, and herring. Leafy greens and berries. I love it. They love it. They're incredibly healthy dogs ranging in age from 4 to 13 and unless there's some medical reason I need to, I won't ever feed anything but raw ever again.

 

[GOAussies]

Hey guys,

Controversial topic I’m sure, but I’ve been looking into raw diets for my 9 month old golden and came across tons of videos of owners feeding half kibble half raw with supplements such as quail eggs, fish oil, goat milk, etc.

Currently she’s on PPP SS salmon and rice with no issues, sometimes I’ll add a few berries and pumpkin. Where I live it’s possible to order raw food in bulk from local suppliers. For those of you that do - do you find your dogs do better on a certain protein? I was thinking of adding either beef or turkey. And for those that do half and half - how do you usually portion their food?

While I don't have dogs that I can feed raw to myself, I've spent enough time around my cousin and her two Labradors to feel comfortable whole-heartedly promoting a raw diet. She feeds her dogs raw entirely. Kibble has no benefits for dogs except simply keeping them alive. Her dogs eat a 100% human-grade raw balanced diet and they are all the better for it. Here are two notable benefits: Labradors are generally "known" to shed a ton and carry a "doggy smell", but my cousin's two Labradors defy these two strikes against them. They never stink, even though they're not bathed often, and they don't shed much at all!

I've petted a lot of short-haired dogs in my lifetime, and usually I pet a short-haired dog and strands of fur loosen up and fly around, or I get clumps of fur in my hands. When I pet my cousin's dogs, fur doesn't fly everywhere, and I never get clumps of fur in my hands even when her dogs are soaking wet.

So, no condemnation if you can't do raw entirely, but if you can, I would highly recommend it!

 

[SRW]

Kibble has no benefits for dogs except simply keeping them alive.

Really?

 

[chelseah]

Kibble has no benefits for dogs except simply keeping them alive.

I find the peer reviewed research and feeding trials to be a benefit.

 

[SRW]

I find the peer reviewed research and feeding trials to be a benefit.

"RAW" is more than a diet, for some, it is a religion.

 

[Taz Monkey]

"RAW" is more than a diet, for some, it is a religion.

Ugh. No. If any human went to a doctor and that doctor said "eat this packaged food every day forever, do not eat any fresh real food for the rest of your life", people would think they were crazy. So why is it any different for dogs? Sure, kibble is convenient. Kibble is balanced, and will provide all a dog needs to live. But what's wrong with a pet owner wanting better? Fresh, real, whole food is better than prepackaged, processed food in a bag that is shelf stable for many months/years. This is true for both humans and animals. That isn't conjecture. That's actual fact. If kibble is what you want to do, fine. But if you want to strive to do better, also fine. I love feeding my dogs something different every day. I love making up their bowls and giving them variety. I love shopping for it, and researching it, and trying new things. My dogs love it too, and their health, both inward and outward, is apparent, especially since I have 3 dogs who were kibble fed for at least half their lives before going to raw and I have something to compare it to.

 

[SRW]

Kibble is balanced, and will provide all a dog needs to live.

From what I hear, just barely.

I love feeding

I love shopping

I love making

That's great.

I stand by my statement the feeding RAW is a religion for some people.

 

[Taz Monkey]

From what I hear, just barely.




That's great.

I stand by my statement the feeding RAW is a religion for some people.

Funny you did not quote the part where I said that if a human doctor said to eat processed food every day forever, we'd all be up in arms. Probably because you know it's true.