# 2 weeks Raw and issues



## Cjmallon (Feb 16, 2015)

I will try to be precise and to the point but I'm 2 weeks into raw feeding and I'm having issues with both of my dogs. They are very different so I'll address each one separately:

Jax is 11 and my main reason for going down this path. He has had allergies/immune system issues for 10 years. Hot spots, ear infections, holes in stomach lining from prolonged prednisone, etc. His skin is erupting with hot spots which isn't abnormal and only 2 weeks in, I'm keeping a watchful eye but we could say it's detox and also too soon to say. Please do not say its seasonal allergies. He's like this year round. Another issue is that he broke a canine a few years back and had it capped. So I am grinding his food. The weird part is that he suddenly started eating poop. He had never done this before. 

My other dog is Finn and he's a 5 year old husky. He's been healthy his entire life. 2 weeks into the raw diet and he is packing on pounds and itching like he has fleas. He also strains to poop and mostly it doesn't happen. Oddly, he has peed on his bed during the night 3 times. This dog does not go in the house. Ever. I added a stool softener from petco and I saw him poop today so that was good. He also stinks and he has always smelled very clean like a husky. 

So here's the deal: I started them on a BARF diet back in October and then completely raw 2 weeks ago. They were eating raw turkey, beef, and fish with no problems. They were also getting brown rice and vitamin supplements. Jax's hot spots were not improving so I bought a grinder and started them on chicken quarters 2 weeks ago. They seem to love it and they both are perky. My house smells like the circus though. Like elephant poop. And jax is suddenly rating poop. This is my last idea to help my poor dog. I've tried it all: solid gold, sea meal, wellness, blue buffalo, precise holistic, pet nzymes, etc. I'm not giving up but I need some advice and hopefully some assurance I'm on the right path. Because we are off to a rocky start. I'll take any advice I can get but my question is should I keep them on chicken or progress to another protein? I'm optimistic for this diet but getting more concerned by the day.


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## Gally (Jan 28, 2012)

Since they were already on BARF I would think you could progress with PMR relatively quickly. I would be moving onto a boneless cut since it sounds like they are getting way too much bone. You could introduce turkey next or I think in your case pork or beef might be okay. I would also get fish back in their diet within the next couple weeks which will help with the itching. Make sure it is an oily fish such as sardines or it wont really help.


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## Cjmallon (Feb 16, 2015)

I was thinking about moving on to another protein since they were eating some raw food before starting the chicken quarters. But regarding my allergic dog, do you guys think it's best to go through the normal protein cycle or to stick with chicken quarters and hope that things calm down? I'm also baffled by their constipation with chicken quarters as I was thinking that quarters contain more meat than chicken backs and it shouldn't be an issue. I did start switching up my husky's meals last night since he wasn't pooping. I threw in some sardines and an egg instead of the chicken. He had a bowel movement this morning so that was sound advice. They love the raw chicken and have a level of enthusiasm I haven't seen before. That part is encouraging. I'm also seeing the shedding and eye discharge that seems like it all could be part of the transition. The older, allergic dog is my main concern though. He is showing more energy. He goes nuts and gets vocal when I come home from work. His coat feels great where there are no hot spots but he is flaring up. So again, my main question is should I introduce turkey, pork, or even liver or keep feeding chicken quarters until everything calms down? They've had liver previously with no issues and they'll eat anything, no picky eaters here.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

If they have previously eaten different proteins and organs without any issues, I'd start them on new proteins straight away. Especially if you Husky can eat sardines and an egg in one meal and not have any issues, then he should be absolutely fine. It does sound like they are getting too much bone, remember, every dog is different. You can start altering each meal, going by the poop, too hard, the next meal add more meat and vice versa. It's going to be experimental trying to work out the hotspot issue, my dog tends to get them, but not nearly as much now that I've started adding a touch of coconut oil to her diet a few times a week. Her's are more environmental though, living in FL with the heat and swimming and all. Are they getting enough fat in their diet do you think? All skin is still on the chicken? What you can do too, seeing they seem to really enjoy the chicken is say give them a chicken thigh and the rest of the meal a boneless portion of some other type of meat. Maybe a 1/2 sardine or egg and a fingernail sized bit of liver as well. (Increase the liver portion over time, depending on how they handle it). I think it will just be trial and error for a little bit, but hang in there, it's all a learning process. Come back with any questions you may have, nothing is too stupid, we've all been there and asked those same questions before.
One thing, the meat, does it have any sodium content?


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## Cjmallon (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks for the advice. I am leaving the skin on the quarters. And while in Kroger today, I was buying a whole chicken for myself. Comparing the different brands I read where one was enhanced with 15% solution. So out of curiosity I checked the bag of quarters I've been buying. It only says it may retain 5% water or something like that. I've read conflicting information on enhanced chicken. What is the consensus here?


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

General consensus is under 100mg sodium per 4oz meat. Some people reckon under 85mg per 4oz meat.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

As far as the eye discharge goes, my dogs seem to experience it the more they eat chicken. I am finding they do better on red meat. I buy my chicken, beef, pork at the grocery store and stick with the ones that say 5% retained water. The sodium is usually 80 mg per 4 oz serving. Stay away from the ones with enhanced solution. When I buy myself a whole chicken I do keep the innards for the dogs


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I agree there is probably too much bone. That could be cut back on for some time I think. 

As far as poop eating all of a sudden, that could be from missing something in the diet. What all has Jax been eating?


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## Cjmallon (Feb 16, 2015)

I was trying to be clinical and feed a single protein until Jax's hotspots subside so he's been on chicken quarters and an occasional egg for 2 1/2 weeks. The hotspots are improving and have scabbed over and are starting to release. There's still some greasy flaking going on but his coat looks great away from these areas. His breath, has a bad smell and his breath has never he had an odor. Even for a big dog that's always in your face. But again, he has been enjoying "2nd harvest". He didn't eat any poop yesterday but it did rain most of the day. So based on what I've heard here, it sounds like it's time to progress to other foods and give him some variety and hope the rest takes care of itself.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Check his mouth too, make sure there isnt anything caught between his teeth.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Do check his mouth too, like MollyWoppy said. Stuff can get caught in the teeth on occasion and cause some rank breath.


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