My pup gets a freeze-dried raw food made by Stella & Chewy's. They unfortunately keep raising the price. Maybe the Inflation Reduction Act will force the price back down! Or maybe it won't and I'll be eating the same diet in another year...

If my cats or dog want meat, they have to go find it on their own.

No, I don't eat the type of meat that they eat.

I dont buy dog or cat meat. Sounds terrible.

Unrelated to my original post but I just took my dog and cat to the vet this morning for their "check up" and shots. She said they both look great and gave me the bill for $228.
They finished the last of their two chicken thighs last night so I took 3 pork chops out of the freezer which I'll cook medium for them tonight. They should last them 4 days or so.

We have fed our GSD Fromm grain free for years, and she does well on it. I will admit to bring intrigued by a couple of the posts about raw meat diets and the positive results realized by it. Interestingly, we trained our dog at a breeder and trainer for personal protection dogs (Mals, Dutchies, and GSDs). They primarily fed a dry, commercial dog food, but would supplement from time-to-time with a whole chicken—feathers and all! The dogs would eat everything, and they claimed the feathers were a positive thing in the dog’s system. Pointing to their wild relatives, they pointed out that fur and feathers aren’t removed from the food they eat.

quote:

I don't know of anything wrong with at least supplementing a pet's diet with, say, a boiled chicken.

If it’s boneless, I guess not

We are going to start adding daily fish oil and a doggy vitamin to our dog's food. Have the fish oil, but going to research and find the best doggy vitamin.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old dino,

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
whole chicken—feathers and all! The dogs would eat everything, and they claimed the feathers were a positive thing in the dog’s system. Pointing to their wild relatives, they pointed out that fur and feathers aren’t removed from the food they eat.

That's similar to the "whole pray" raw diet model, if feeding that exclusively it can be very hard to have a balanced diet especially in the right amounts.

quote:

I don't know of anything wrong with at least supplementing a pet's diet with, say, a boiled chicken.

If it’s boneless, I guess not

Yes, quite fine as long as there are no cooked bones.

Cooked bones are bad, especially chicken bones. Raw bone are just fine.

Also, no salt. But some herbs and spices are of a benefit in the right quantities.


ARman

quote:

Originally posted by ARman:

Yes, quite fine as long as there are no cooked bones.

Cooked bones are bad, especially chicken bones. Raw bone are just fine.

ARman

So they can't have the cooked pork chop bones?

Cooked bones bad. Cooked bones can splinter into shards. They turn hard and can damage teeth. Also the cooking process removes and destroys and nutrition in the bones.

ARman

Bones are good for them though, should I give them uncooked pork with uncooked bones? Or cooked pork, no bones, and only raw beef bones?

Raw meaty bones from pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb/mutten, and so on are fine.

Pork is fine raw, if it's commercial inspected for humans consumption. Stay away from raw wild hogs. To much of a chance of contamination. Cooked to about 165°F fine, but not raw.

Bear or any predator meat should be avoided raw.

1-3% heart, 10% unwashed fatty tripe, 3% liver, 6% ground bone, 78-80% beef. Is a good starting point.

A good raw diet should have two secreting organs, think kidney or spleen.

Oily fish is good for omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Oyster and mussels iodine. Shrimp, seaweed, eggs. oily fish also good for iodine

Raw duck, goose, turkey and chicken eggs are super foods. 2 to 5 times a week, depending upon size of dog and amount of food daily required.

On a raw diet, the amount of food required is
2% to 4% of their bodyweight, smaller breeds will need a higher side, larger small side. So a Maltese will eat 4% and German Shepherd 2%. Then adjust to maintain the correct weight. So weigh when you start a raw diet and adjust the amount of food up or down to maintain the correct weight.

If a picky eater slowy add new raw foods. My pup isn't picky at all, but funny thing is there are certain brands of sardines she will not eat. Walmart Great Value is the top choice!

Chicken Paws are great in they offer alot of nutrition, and are fairly easy to chew, and are cheap. They are great for joint health, and good at cleaning the teeth.

Ahyoka loves her chicken Paws! A chicken Paws or two, topped with a raw egg and a couple of sardines in her dinner is a great treat.

ARman

Yep. My dogs get lots of eggs, lunch meats and once a week I make them a tri-tip in the slow cooker.

Things you should not feed your dog, in a raw diet. Stay away from meat from predators, especially organ meat. Shark, swordfish, tilefish, and tuna. Well tuna can be fed once a month, in smaller quantities. As with land predators, ocean predators, especially top predators should be avoided, mercury is a concern, and other environmental contamination.

The larger the predators are and longer they live, the higher the dangers.

Processed meats, are a no no, except for a treat here and there. If it’s not healthy for you, it's even less so for them!

Again, a very good source is a channel on YouTube called Paws of Pray. She has lots of good ideas and information and you can get other resources.

ARman

They often share our breakfast and take home food from the restaurants. But they need to finish their dog food first which sometimes can take a day or two. I let them go hungry until they finish their own dog food.

If I'm feeling generous, they get a rib with the meat on it. Usually, they just get the bone. My wife makes a point of feeding them cooked carrots and peas. She says it's good for them.

only top brand dry dog food (pro plan lamb and rice) for our boy. He gets some toppers like green beans and salmon oil. Breakfast my wife gives a tiny bit of banana and blue berries which help with his eye tearing. So far healthy, happy and full of energy.

We used to feed chicken and rice when our dogs were ill.

After our last pup got lymphoma, we got in the habit of using the Instant Pot to cook chicken and shred for her during her treatment weeks. Now we use it to supplement and add moisture and taste to their kibble.

Good treat for them is raw cow knuckles, we freeze them and let her chew for about a .5 hr then bag and refreeze. She loves them

Not regularly, but when tummy issues hit, we make chicken and rice - enough for several days for her. When we do, she’s waiting at the fridge for us.

Allergic reactions to chicken is very common in dogs, especially the smaller breads. Some do quite well on chicken others can't digest it and develop stomach issues and constant diarrhea. When changing dog food, vets recommend easing them in a little at a time. Something to keep in mind if you've never fed chicken and want to introduce it.