# 7 dogs doing WONDERFUL on raw



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

It's been brought to my attention, that apparently all the raw section has is problem after problem, after problem.
It's true, people come here for help, support, advice, and tips on raw feeding. We generally don't take the time to post just because all is smooth and well. 
SO, I thought I would. 

I have seven dogs. 
Every. Single. One. is thriving on raw. Maintaining perfect weight. Glossy coats. Perfect teeth. Excellent vet checks. 
Mousse was super skinny BEFORE, and now he is a handsome studmuffin. 
I also wanted to say that with the exception of Annie, and Annie only, the other SIX have all transitioned to raw without a single hitch. Perhaps one or two cases of less-than-ideal stools, but no true diarrhea.


Just thought I'd let you all know. :biggrin1::heh:


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I would like to see pictures, for proof!


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## RaisingWolves (Mar 19, 2011)

I have been feeding raw for 9 years, transitioned 4 dogs with no problems. Occasional loose stool from too much organ or salmon oil, but no biggie...just bone up the next meal and stools are back to normal! In nine years of raw my dogs have never had parasites or bacteria poisoning.

Their teeth are tarter free, coats shine and are soft as velvet, no anal gland problems, my senior boxer has a slim waistline, and the best part....my dogs are the most sweet smelling dogs ever!:biggrin1: I've been told by guest visiting my home that my dogs do not smell like dogs. People swear I bathe my dogs daily.:biggrin:


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## lucky (Jan 8, 2011)

Raw is just great :tongue: best thing I could ever have done for lucky, she is as healthy as can be too ... Another great thing about it is that I can have fun buying her food, I am always on the lookout for different cuts of meat :thumb:


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## tansox (Jun 22, 2011)

I love to watch my dogs eating their food, I love buying their food, my butcher is my best friend and he saves me lots of odd bits too, we frequently come out of his shop and have to back the car up to his door because of the dogs' food and we just cannot carry it.... and we have a couple of chops for us too!

I love hearing my boys crunching on meaty bones, sounds like they're in the Serengeti !!! Love it. 

I love everything about raw feeding - so do my dogs. It's THE best thing I can do for them I think.


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

i transitioned my Great Dane Riley to raw a few months ago and it went off without a hitch! apart from maybe three incidences of bile pukes in the beginning (user error - i was feeding her too much bone) she has had zero problems transitioning. she has had perfect poop every step of the way, no digestive upset, no parasites, no illness, no choking scares, no broken teeth, none of the horror stories or freak accidents that you hear about. i think people do post most often when they have a problem and need advice, so the number of problems posted on the forum do not in any way represent the true percentage or frequency of diet problems for the vast majority.

as for Riley - she loves every meal, her coat is smooth and shiny (and even a richer color now!), her teeth are pearly white with almost every last bit of her kibble tartar gone, her poops are small and firm and less frequent _and_ less smelly, her itchy swollen red armpits are completely healed, and her body condition is wonderful! i could not have asked for more from the raw diet.


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

My dogs are both doing great on raw. Sure, they vomit or get diarrhea once in a while, but this is just from them being dogs. They are not above munching on chicken poo and other disgusting dog delicacies every now and then. Quinn did go through a very skinny spell but I have a feeling it would have been even worse if he was on kibble. I switched my cats to raw more recently and can honestly say it saved 2 of their lives. My two oldest have been battling health issues. Cougar has (had?) severe IBD. He was wasting away and often had bouts where he was so painful he couldn't even get up. Midnight had chronic pancreatitis which lead to triaditis and a poor quality of life. Both got to the point where I told myself if they don't show vast improvement in x amount of days I will have to put them down. They are different cats since the switch.I just feel bad that they had to suffer before hand.


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## FL Cracker (May 4, 2011)

Well... CoCo is my first raw fed dog...and I don't see going back to kibble...ever. Her coat is like velvet...no bad breath...teeth are gleaming white... no more anal gland issue...no more flea problems..much more even temperament....she loves her dinner's...barely any poop... much more stamina...and I believe in the long run...better physical dynamics due to providing the essential nutrient building blocks during early and ongoing development.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i screwed up raw. to hear me talk, you'd think my two dogs, one older, one younger, were dying.

had i kept it up and had i not found some answers, maybe they would have gotten pretty darn sick.

as it was, i had intervention and not from a vet.

and, now, i have an almost twelve year old dog who is shiny and healthy and a younger four year old pug who is shiny and healthy and all muscle. 

raw has been berry berry good to us.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I converted my two Goldens and a Great Dane 9 years ago. The only problem I had was diarrhea the next day after each veggie slop meal. After 3 months I eliminated the veggie slop and no more diarrhea. A Great Dane puppy came to live with us 6 years ago and had no problems switching him. I can only remember one case of diarrhea in 9 years after I stopped the veggie slop and don't remember any vomiting that wasn't immediately re-eaten.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

I agree with meggels, photos please! ;P


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

I switched my dogs to raw early this year and am SO glad. People comment on their teeth and shiny coats all the time. No more dry/itchy skin or biting/licking at paws. They all have good breath. My little guy, Buddy, is 5. He had really bad anal gland issues since we adopted him 4+ years ago. Certain ingredients in some dog foods made it MUCH worse (probably veggies, fruits, herbs, etc.), and seemed to make all 3 dogs get smelly. Well, the 2 lab mixes, Rodney & Reagan, don't have that problem AT ALL anymore, and Buddy has REALLY improved. I occasionally have to express his glands, but overall--it's just night and day...and boy are we thankful for that because it was pretty bad (and gross) at times! Rodney had loose stools often--even right after we adopted him last year. It didn't matter what food we put him on---he rarely had formed stools, but now he does. When he has beef or organ meat, I know that he needs more bone than the other 2 dogs though. 

We walk the dogs everyday, and they've been to several parks, rest areas and campgrounds in other cities/states this summer. We didn't use any chemicals on them, and we haven't seen a single flea or tick on any of them yet. 

For the different issues each of my dogs had, raw has solved a lot of problems. They look healthier, they act healthier---it was the best thing I ever did for them. This forum and many of you convinced me of that---thanks!


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Millie and Henry have been on raw for nearly 10 months. They haven't had diarrhea in nearly 10 months. Neither dog has vomited in nearly 10 months either. A few regurgitations and bile spit ups, but no vomiting with massive amounts of yuck like they occasionally did on kibble. They enjoy their meals more than they did on kibble, they have great muscle tone, lots of energy and my vet has told me that I am doing everything right.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Lily was having poo issues on kibble so then I tried dehydrated food, which helped the poo but made her lose muscle, gain fat, and get a greasy coat. One day I was just said to myself, wtf am I doing?! She wouldn't go graze alfalfa in the pasture, but she'd sure catch mice... so why the hell am I feeding her this crap? Transition was EASY. I introduced boneless that first week with no issues and started organs the next week with zero issues. She's gained beautiful muscle and detoxed so blatently that it would be enough to turn anyone away from commercial foods forever! She's a compulsive eater because her previous owner dumped her before I adopted her from the shelter at 1 year old... she's always been soft, but now she's soft we had someone comment that she must still be a puppy. She's 4.5. :smile:
The vet raved at her yearly physical and was blown away by her perfect body condition and perfect teeth, if that says anything about how common overweight dogs with dirty teeth are... This is what she was meant to eat and I can't see any good reason to ever turn back. She's much more satisfied after eating real food and its easier to manage her eating disorder now (she would sneak off to find stuff to binge on if she could). She doesn't look much different than when she was on kibble, but its still worth it. She injured herself by wiping out on the ice in the pasture while running this winter (was eating THK at the time) and I've noticed that pmr has seemed to keep it from getting any worse and its not even noticable if I feed her stuff with lots of connective tissue with natural joint support. She also had a slightly swollen lymph node last year from a tiny scratch she got from a friend below her eye, I did not go to the vet because I figured her system would smack it down given the time to do it naturally.... well it stayed until I transitioned her to pmr and has been shrinking down to normal size steadily. This shows me how pmr supports immune system health.
Here's Lily the totally abused raw fed GSD/Sibe mix sled dog:









Scout never did that great on any kibble, she always had loose stools. And the nasty brown teeth were just awful! So stinky I could not stand it when she panted in the car!
First I did half and half pmr & kibble with her because she's supposed to be just a foster and we know the odds... finally I just said why am I doing this to us and switched her to full pmr. I had to switch her slower and she had some troubles adjusting to pork because I went to fast for her system, BUT her tummy is so happy now. Her muscle tone is better, she maintains on a more normal amount of food, she's less anxious overall, and most of all her teeth have cleaned up beautifully. I think that is by far my favorite benefit! I don't mind if she gives me kisses now. Her coat was shiny on high end kibble, but now just glows even more and thicker and softer. Maybe I'm crazy but it seems like it doesn't tangle as badly either. Again she looks fairly similar to when she was on high end kibble, but the differences are there and you can just tell she feels good and loves eating her food. Its by far the one thing she does well on. Big surprise? Not really!


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## Jynical (Jun 22, 2011)

Roscoe has been on raw for... erm... a month now? I think that's right. Anyway... she's doing great. Her breath doesn't stink, she still has a bit of tartar on her teeth, but it has improved from what it was on the other stuff. Her coat gleams and she seems like she genuinely enjoys mealtime. I look forward to trying other foods with her. She has put on a bit of weight, but I think as we learn what we're doing, she'll even out.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Oh yes, the teeth. I forgot about that. Millie's teeth at 18 months of age and Henry's teeth at 3 years of age. Nearly 10 months on raw.


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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Our three Cockers are doing great on raw. 

Sophie has always had various food sensitivities and allergies plus anal gland problems and soft stools. She used to vomit on a regular basis...and this was on the food she "did well on" (I think I was blinded by the fact she had done so much worse on every other food). She no longer vomits, her anal gland issue disappeared, and of course the raw food doesn't set off her allergies. She lost a bit of weight but gained it back in muscle--she looks great! Her coat is soft and even just the way she walks is different. Her gait reminds me of a hunting dog or something. Oh, and she has perfect stools now, it's crazy. Even on "good" days they used to be a bit soft but not anymore.

Bambi didn't have any health problems on kibble BUT she didn't like it. It used to be a struggle to get her to eat her food and she'd sometimes not eat at all. Even rotating kibbles didn't work (my mom was doing that for a little while to see if it helped). She loves raw food and actually gets excited in the morning for her breakfast . She shed shortly after switching and her new coat is softer and shinier.

Gracie is our newest addition, a 12 year old rescue with chronic ear infections (both bacterial and yeast). The raw helped a TON and I believe the diet switch is what beat the yeast infections. She had been on a good grain-free food before I got her but it did have potatoes. I think what she had needed this whole time was a carb-free diet. Also, she immediately shed her coat and gained back a softer one. She was already in decent shape as far as weight goes but she has more muscle mass now.

I could go on about what raw has done for fosters (also positive) but you guys get the point!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I LOVE this kind of thread!:happy:


All 3 of my boys, and our princess kitten are doing GREAT on raw as well!:happy:


and I and they have all ya'll to thank for that!:happy


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I am so glad you started this thread. We have been feeding raw a bit over a year. I feel silly for having waiting this long but also glad in a way because I had done my research and felt pretty comfortable. FInding this group has been invaluable. My dogs can be pretty sensitive but I have learned that numbers are just a guidline. My dogs don't smell, their coats are luscious, teeth are pearly white, no doggy breath, their muscle tone is something I lust after for myself though I can't even stomach sushi so raw is out for me personally (LOL), energy is perfect, they are happy but not hyper. We have raise two litters onto raw who look fabulous and act lovely, calm and have no chewing issues. My personal dogs changed to raw are 3, 5, 7 and 11 as well as the pup I kept from a litter who has never eaten kibble and is just stunning. I wish I had learned about raw before and that I had the courage to start earlier. I don't know if my eleven year old will have a longer life but he will have a better, happier life. There are no regrets and I cannot forsee ever going back to kibble.


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## gorge77 (May 13, 2011)

my poor dogs had been on many types of foods before they switched to raw. From kibbles / canned food (they have tried at least 6 - 8 brands), to home cooked foods to commercial barf. they had many issues previously : loads of skin problems, body odour, massive poops, frequent bouts of diarrhea & vomiting & compromised immunity. and the vets were NOT helping. And there were many times they turned their noses away the moment the foods were placed in front of them.

my dogs decided for themselves that raw is the way to go. they never looked back since.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Yay for raw! I agree, we need to get more threads like this going :thumb:

All six of my girls couldn't be doing better on raw. Gorgeous coats, fantastic muscle tone, pearly white teeth...just like their meant to be. 

Shiloh










Akasha










Bailey










Emmy


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

natalie, what is bailey eating?

one of the best things about these threads...especially with pics...is i get to see dogs eating cuts of whatever....and not even knowing what they are...

that shot with emmy eating a leg with a foot attached is priceless.


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## lucky (Jan 8, 2011)

Great photos ... what animal is the black and white foot from ... sorry if thats a dumb question, I just can't make it out :redface:


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## lucky (Jan 8, 2011)

Here are 2 photos of lucky's great body condition :biggrin1: isn't she in good condition :thumb:


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

ALL of your dogs are SOOO beautiful.............fingers crossed my Minnie gets to that point too!  When do you think we can expect some weight gain? Will she be able to gain on chicken once we (SLOWLY) get to her recommended daily amount -- or is it other meats that will really put the weight on?


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

I, for one, have had problems on raw and I'm going to tell everyone about them because I think everyone should know this before they start feeding raw:

1)  It has caused me sight problems.

My hoodlums' coats are black. When feeding raw, you hear about dogs getting shiny coats. This is most prevalent in black dogs. Their coats are so shiny that when we are out in the sunshine, I have to wear sunglasses to keep me from going blind. When we are in the house and I'm petting them, sometimes I have to do a double take because I think, "What? How did you get a spot of white fur?!?!" only to realize it's just the light reflecting off of their shiny coats.

2) Poo detail is a major issue.

Because of feeding raw, the hoodlums' poo is small, hard and dark. Did I mention 'small'? Yah, it's small. Now, my neighbors Golden craps in the yard about 3-4 times a day...I know this because I'm the one who has to pick it up so that my boy doesn't eat it and I don't step in it. Every single day, I pick up 3-4 piles because the neighbors are too lazy, despite repeated requests, to do so, themselves. Those piles, despite the neighbors protests, are easy to find. I can spot and smell them up to 10 yards away in high grass.

But my hoodlums? I can be standing RIGHT NEXT to them when they are assuming the position and when they are done, I will look down to examine how the diet is going as well as locating so I can clean up. And I have stood there, for minutes sometimes, trying to find what the hell they just left. Sometimes it's so damn small, I can not. find. it. In a few days it doesn't matter anyway but it's a little difficult to get on the neighbors about picking up their dog's Mt. Everest size piles of crap if I don't pick up all of mine. 

3) I have hoodlum envy.

Yes. I do. They get to eat meat; chicken, pork, beef, etc while I, sometimes, have to eat a Cup O' Noodles. They thoroughly enjoy their meals. They enjoy them so much that I sometimes stand and watch them eat, fascinated by it all, wondering what it would be like to enjoy my meal that much. I watch them as I bring their food to them, doing every last thing I've ever asked them to do; sitting promptly and perfectly, lying down over here or there while I move around to get things prepared, flying in to and then slamming in to their crates with eagerness, on high alert, looking at me and the meat as if we are both the most wonderful objects ever to happen to planet Earth. I watch and listen as they chomp away at their bones and the sheer delight they take in cracking them apart. And I start to envy. I start to think how damn lucky they are. I start to wish I was them. 

4) They look better than me.

In addition to their shiny fur, they have gorgeous clean white teeth. Their muscles ripple as they race around the yard. They have endless amounts of energy. I can barely make it down the stairs without feeling exhausted. They are young, vibrant, gorgeous and I pale in comparison to their beauty when I walk them down the road. I feel judged...cars passing by, "Oh wow! Look at those beautiful dogs! Oooh, is that their owner? What happened? How can it be? That doesn't match!" 

5) I don't get to "be" sick.

If I'm sick, I never get to relax. My hoodlums do not understand. I don't get to lie in bed and feel sorry for myself all day long. I don't get to sleep for hours and hours in the morning, afternoon and evening. I don't get to plod around the house looking as pathetic as I can to garner sympathy from unsympathetic animals. And that is because they never get sick. Ever. They never have colds, they never feel 'under the weather', they never have upset stomachs..nothing. NOTHING! So when I'm sick, I still have to get up and take them out and play and train and watch them as they have their endless time of boundless joy, rubbing it in my face how they are so very much NOT sick, ha ha ha ha ha. I never get to rest because they never rest because they don't need to.

So, before anyone reading this who has not started raw, gets started, I think it's only fair to point out what can happen by feeding a raw diet. These are things that people don't tell you. These are things that people should know, be aware of. These are things to keep in mind; the hidden dangers of raw feeding. You've been warned!


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

The feeling of my working dog's ripped abdominal muscles flexing under my hand as we're doing a car scenario in PP training... exquisite!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

hoodlum envy LOL


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

SerenityFL said:


> I, for one, have had problems on raw and I'm going to tell everyone about them because I think everyone should know this before they start feeding raw:
> 
> 1)  It has caused me sight problems.
> 
> ...


you surely need to write a book


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## FL Cracker (May 4, 2011)

The Coat...shiny...barely sheds...pearly whites...and no bad breath. CoCo does have a black "birthmark" on her tongue...been there since she was a pup.









The "wet ink" coat that Serenity speaks about with her "Hoodlums"...I'm sure her's really shine from the longer coat's. As you can see...the vicious nature of raw fed dog's...fortunately...I managed to get the wife to safety before she got "mauled" any further.








This was CoCo's first raw meal...the neighbor walked over...and watched me feed her the chicken...he thought I was nut's. We don't eat outside anymore...or on a lead...it was entertaining nonetheless.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

I meant to comment on this thread when if first came up but obviously got sidetracked. (Was probably butchering a small helpless animal in the back room and forgot...:becky Anyhow, all 9 of my wee ones are doing FANTASTIC on raw. Man, I wish I'd done this sooner. It really makes me wonder if I would've been able to keep my precious Tommy with me longer or if Toby would've had a "leg up" so to speak with his health issues. Not that raw hasn't been like a miracle for him but to have started earlier in his disease process... Who knows. 
I have a Dachshund that is 17 and of course she just started on raw a few months ago too. She is pretty healthy for an old gal but what could she be like if only I'd done this years earlier?
I was sitting on the back porch today smooching on my Min Pin Bailey (who I marvel at on a daily basis) and felt an sense of guilt that I have waited until she was 10 to discover this perfect way of feeding. I asked her if she liked her "new" diet and she started making what I call her monkey sound. I laughed because that's what she does when she either wants something or is happy. I think she was saying "YES!" So to sum it up I think I can speak for my dogs as well as myself when I say, "We. Love. Raw." :smile:


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## FL Cracker (May 4, 2011)

Donna Little said:


> Man, I wish I'd done this sooner. It really makes me wonder if I would've been able to keep my precious Tommy with me longer or if Toby would've had a "leg up" so to speak with his health issues. Not that raw hasn't been like a miracle for him but to have started earlier in his disease process... Who knows.


I think the same thing about my prior Rottie, Dakota....now he did make it to 12 so I shouldn't complain too much...and he lived a healthy life up until his last 4 months when he got cancer...still...in the back of my mind...wondered if he could have made it to 13-14 if he was on a better (raw) diet. I know that beating myself up about it is for not....I do know that question will not be part of the equation from here on out.:becky:


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

FL Cracker said:


> I think the same thing about my prior Rottie, Dakota....now he did make it to 12 so I shouldn't complain too much...and he lived a healthy life up until his last 4 months when he got cancer...still...in the back of my mind...wondered if he could have made it to 13-14 if he was on a better (raw) diet. I know that beating myself up about it is for not....I do know that question will not be part of the equation from here on out.:becky:


i think the same thing about my shih tzus.....they did all make it to 13 or so, but shih tzus can live lots longer....you and i are on the same page. it's no longer part of the equation, what to feed my dogs....

my malia wasn't doing so well at almost ten.....and now she is almost twelve and doing so much better..no matter how long she lives or how short she lives, i now know that i gave her two years or more that she might not have had. 

and life is good


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Donna Little said:


> I have a Dachshund that is 17 and of course she just started on raw a few months ago too. She is pretty healthy for an old gal but what could she be like if only I'd done this years earlier?


My goodness. Gives me hope for my old gal to be around a few years longer.


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## BoxerPaws (Jul 19, 2011)

While our 2 1/2 month raw period has certainly had its speedbumps, potholes, and STOP signs, I've got to say that it's a wonderful thing.

Zoey probably ate kibble for less than 2 whole months of her life. The breeder started weaning her litter around 4 weeks because there were so many of them (11 puppies!), and so she ate kibble at the breeder's for a month, and then at home with us for another month. At 12 weeks old, to the day, Zoey got her first chicken back.

Her poop had been very soft/mushy from the day we brought her home. I could never get it all picked up on walks, because it smeared. Ew. After our "user errors" leading us to totally reset after a month of raw, Zoey's finally had normal, firm, littly poops for over a month. Consistency I NEVER saw while she ate kibble (and she didn't get total crap, either; she was eating Canidae/Chicken Soup).

Zoey also LOVES mealtimes now. I cannot weigh that word enough to truly convey her absolute adoration and excitement for her food. The month we had her home eating kibble, she was hardly interested. I'd put her bowl down, and she'd hardly touch it. She treated it more like a toy, bouncing forward and backward at the bowl, barking at it, and snatching a piece or two before running away. I think she willingly polished her bowl clean once, and that's because I'd added boiled chicken liver and a couple of spoonfuls of the water I'd used to boil it. 

I would go through user trial after user trial of feeding raw, just for the fact of knowing how much she enjoys her food now. And that she CAN have firm little nugget poops! And that her adult teeth will always be beautiful!! (A 12-week puppy won't really have any nastiness on her teeth, and she's now starting to lose her baby teeth, so we'll see the dental benefits with the adult set.)


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

I am not able to contribute much to the praise of raw at this time. We are only on our second week but can attest the following:

Yogi has never enjoyed eating or looked forward to dinner time as my dogs have in the past. It was almost like a dreaded chore to him. We tried numerous foods and even homemade dog food. What has made him truly look forward to his meals and is patiently waiting now an hour before...is *RAW*. It pleases us to finally see him enjoy the pleasures of eating. We are looking forward to seeing the benefits and introducing new meat varieties into his diet.

Also, I want to add, it has been a *VERY* smooth transition and so far no problems.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

frogdog said:


> I am not able to contribute much to the praise of raw at this time. We are only on our second week but can attest the following:
> 
> Yogi has never enjoyed eating or looked forward to dinner time as my dogs have in the past. It was almost like a dreaded chore to him. We tried numerous foods and even homemade dog food. What has made him truly look forward to his meals and is patiently waiting now an hour before...is RAW. It pleases us to finally see him enjoy the pleasures of eating. We are looking forward to seeing the benefits and introducing new meat varieties into his diet.


I have to be careful how I carry food, because my ancient arthritic dachshund loses her senses - she will jump sideways off her ramp, off the porch, or off the ground to fly through the air and try to grab raw meat out of my hand.

I've learned to carry meat over my head, so she knows she doesn't have a chance if she leaps for it.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

xellil said:


> I have to be careful how I carry food, because my ancient arthritic dachshund loses her senses - she will jump sideways off her ramp, off the porch, or off the ground to fly through the air and try to grab raw meat out of my hand.
> 
> I've learned to carry meat over my head, so she knows she doesn't have a chance if she leaps for it.


i got a visual of that....sorry. and laughed.....my pug would do the same thing and he's only four LOL


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

I have 6 dogs of different shapes and sizes thriving on raw. :]


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

Our puppy Aura has fallen off the back steps a few times, because she tries to stand on her back legs to see what I've got and then walk backwards in front of me - silly girl! She also had poop issues from the time we brought her home - always runny, and foul smelling even on a good quality kibble. 24hrs after being on raw, it cleared up and she has had small firm stools that barely smell. Both of our dogs are doing great on raw, and loving every second of it :smile: (and so am I!)


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

xellil said:


> I have to be careful how I carry food, because my ancient arthritic dachshund loses her senses - she will jump sideways off her ramp, off the porch, or off the ground to fly through the air and try to grab raw meat out of my hand.
> 
> I've learned to carry meat over my head, so she knows she doesn't have a chance if she leaps for it.


You could possibly lose a finger at my house if you're carrying dinner too low to the ground! I have a couple of real land sharks. 
Bailey literally starts "talking" to me at sunrise. She'll get up and down off the bed and gradually gets louder and louder because she needs her BREAKFAST! Get out of the bed and bring on the breakfast!! 
My Dachshund has always been a good eater so that was never a problem but now she's also crazy for her food. We've had her all her life and in 17 yrs we've heard her bark so few times that we don't recognize her voice. I can be anywhere in the house and hear one of my guys barking and know who it is immediately. Madison can bark and my husband and I will look at each other and say, "Who did that??" Well, now she'll bark to be fed and it's the funniest little old lady bark you've ever heard. Girlfriend loves her raw and is happy to tell me about it!


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

My 13yr old beagle has only been on raw for about 2months. She switched without ever missing a beat: never had runny poop, vomiting etc. She was healthy before, but I've noticed improvements even in this short time frame! Her teeth have almost no tarter on them now. And her coat, which was soft and shiny before, now has that "wet ink" look to it and is velvety smooth. Much less shedding too.  She takes her time with her meals, rather than inhaling everything like she did with her kibble. I love to just sit and watch her eat! 

I'm trying hard to convince my family members to do the same with their dogs! I wish I had gotten over myself and done it YEARS ago rather than spending a ton of money on high end kibble! Raw is sooo much cheaper and you can easily rotate not just protein sources, but PARTS of the protein as well.



xellil said:


> I have to be careful how I carry food, because my ancient arthritic dachshund loses her senses - she will jump sideways off her ramp, off the porch, or off the ground to fly through the air and try to grab raw meat out of my hand.
> 
> I've learned to carry meat over my head, so she knows she doesn't have a chance if she leaps for it.


The visual I got from this statement made me snort out loud haha I could see my girl doing the same!


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

FL Cracker said:


> I think the same thing about my prior Rottie, Dakota....now he did make it to 12 so I shouldn't complain too much...and he lived a healthy life up until his last 4 months when he got cancer...still...in the back of my mind...wondered if he could have made it to 13-14 if he was on a better (raw) diet. I know that beating myself up about it is for not....I do know that question will not be part of the equation from here on out.:becky:





magicre said:


> i think the same thing about my shih tzus.....they did all make it to 13 or so, but shih tzus can live lots longer....you and i are on the same page. it's no longer part of the equation, what to feed my dogs....



I've thought the same thing since switching Duke, and reading about so many "allergy" stories etc. Growing up we had a shitzu x bichon and he was a lovely little dog, very sweet, and he had MASSIVE allergies from about the age of 5 or so. He would lose the fur around his tail, and his fur was thinning all over, and he was constantly itchy. The poor guy really was suffering. Of course, we took him to the vet, and they said he likely had an allergy to some sort of grass or plant in our yard (which we were renting, so ripping it all up wasn't an option). The vet gave us antibiotics or steroids of some sort (not exactly sure what, I was only about 14 or so) and we would have him on them every day for a while, then take him off for a month or two (during which time the itching and fur loss would come back really bad) so basically he ended up on these drugs for years. Then one day he just died - my brother came home and found the poor dog dead in his kennel. No doubt the constant drugs caused a heart attack or kidney failure or something, but we always thought "well a shorter life was better than a miserable itchy life". But now I can't help but think if we fed him better food, he might've never had the problems to begin with (of course, a vet will never suggest that, instead they'll charge you $90 a month for drugs for your dog).




xellil said:


> I have to be careful how I carry food, because my ancient arthritic dachshund loses her senses - she will jump sideways off her ramp, off the porch, or off the ground to fly through the air and try to grab raw meat out of my hand.
> 
> I've learned to carry meat over my head, so she knows she doesn't have a chance if she leaps for it.


My mum told me she was having to do this for Duke when he was staying with her, because he'd jump and try to steal the food from her. I told her she just has to let him know he can't get away with it, and I walked with him to where he eats with a ziplock bag full of chicken in my hand by my side - he sniffed it the whole way, but he KNEW he wasn't allowed to take food from me without being told to, so he didn't haha. Here she was, my short little mother, trying to hold dog food above her head so my massive lab wouldn't steal it from her haha it was a funny thing to see :lol:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

hmbutler said:


> My mum told me she was having to do this for Duke when he was staying with her, because he'd jump and try to steal the food from her. I told her she just has to let him know he can't get away with it, and I walked with him to where he eats with a ziplock bag full of chicken in my hand by my side - he sniffed it the whole way, but he KNEW he wasn't allowed to take food from me without being told to, so he didn't haha. Here she was, my short little mother, trying to hold dog food above her head so my massive lab wouldn't steal it from her haha it was a funny thing to see :lol:


Yep, I am not consistent with my dogs - my larger dog has alot of rules, my smaller dog doesn't have any at all - I just kind of work around her. If she wasn't very elderly when I got her, and if she wasn't almost perfect, I guess I'd have to try to train her a little bit.

So I am holding dog food above my head for a dachshund that stands about 5 inches off the floor. Me and your mom would understand each other.


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## hcdoxies (Sep 22, 2010)

Transitioned my pack of mini dachshunds in July 2009 -- and all of my puppies transition from mother's milk to raw. All do GREAT! I had several who were overweight and they dropped to a very health, slim weight in less than 6 months.

As a breeder, probably my biggest testament to the raw diet is puppy mortality rate. In the past, we lost about 10% of the puppies at birth (or within 24 hours) -- "failure to thrive". Every breeder experiences it... It's "just the way it is". Puppies didn't develop well enough in the womb.

Now? None in over two years. Puppies are bigger and stronger, and the despite the puppies being bigger, Moms can handle them without any issues. I bow down and worship PMR!


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

My first ever dog Harvey was always going to be fed PMR, i can't remember where i read it from but i knew it was what i was going to do. So when i got him at 8 weeks old i transitioned him over as the breeder was feeding kibble. He switched brilliantly never had a upsets or anything and is thriving on it 

Now we got our rescue boy Chance 4 days ago, who is 20 months old, fasted him the day we got him and straight on to chicken backs the next morning, he is also doing amazingly, again no upsets so far! he has quite bad teeth and very yellowy fur (should be white) and these have both improved in such a short amount of time especially his fur which feels alot softer and is slightly less yellow  He is so enthusiastic over food and has eaten what he's been given without thinking about it!


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

My dog is doing wonderful on raw... she hasnt really had any big issues since she started. She's a show dog and has been racking up the points on her way to her championship. She's lean, fast, gorgeous.... and most importantly.... healthy.


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

RAW is the bomb! I transitioned all 8 of mine 11/10. They have never looked better or been happier! :biggrin:

ETA- My litter of foster kitties went from bottle fed KMR directly to raw successfully!!!!


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## doggoblin (Jun 6, 2011)

We have 3 dogs, all on raw. Although we have had a couple of occasions where mistakes were made such as leaving liver in a bag in the sink and going out to find the dogs managed to get hold of it when we got back, forgetting to portion before freezing etc we wouldn't go back. The dogs are thriving. Teeth are cleaner and coats are far better. Pictures:


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

OMG, I love them...could kiss their faces!


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