# here's hoping I made a difference......



## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

So I was at my normal raw food and helth food place. Talking to the meat guys picking up my stuff. They had just got in the chicken necks (for my kitties) and hadn't seperated any off the 50lb order yet. Don (the most awesome meat dept manager in the world by the way) said he would pull off whatever I needed but he was just about to cut down some turkey necks for another raw feeder. I told him take his time I am in no rush. Well I asked the guy standing at the counter if they were for him and struck up a conversation with this other raw feeder. 

However, alarm bells started ringing when I asked if he fed his dog a barf diet, or a prey model diet or what style he fed. He said he had no idea what I was talking about. Hmmm... ok, odd, maybe he got the diet from the breeder and never looked beyond that. Nope, he had a rescue chi and he fed her NOTHING BUT TURKEY NECKS cut into three inch sections or so. I asked if he ever fed her anythig else and he stated he also gave her some carrots on occassion.

OMG, I guess I can see why some vets freak out about raw, nothing but turkey necks and carrots is NOT balanced or well rounded. That would be like me eating chicken breast and carrots the rest of my life and nothing else. So I did my best to explain the logic and proportions and WHY he shoudl feed more then just that. He was wary because he said she finally is allergy free and I said she will stay that way with some variety thrown in. He left with some chicken hearts to use as treats. I advised him to just get some heart and liver and give them to her frozen as little treats, not even a meal, like little bite size peices one or two max a day for ahwile and branch out from there. 

Here is hoping I made some kind of difference because otherwise I see deficiencies and problems in this three year old chi's future if she eats nothing but turkey necks and carrots for the next year.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I often wonder where people who decide to feed a raw diet get their info? Do they not finish reading....?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> I often wonder where people who decide to feed a raw diet get their info? Do they not finish reading....?


apparently not. 

we should have some cards printed up for this forum and give them out when needed.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Reminds me of this guy my friend met. He has a 10 year old pug that has never been fed anything but cooked chicken breast its whole life. The dog is heartily overweight and very unhealthy looking, but still alive against all the odds. I can't figure it out.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

Youdid good, that is all youcan do. the rest is on him. I hope he has internet so he can research a few things and get back on track with his pup.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Wow, I hope he listened to you! People are just nuts!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes, after reading stuff like this I am beginning to understand why alot of vets try to scare people away from raw feeding. 

They think we are idiots and fools, and may not be far off.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

That's quite scary. Poor dog having no variety either. I would never feed my dog chicken breast - far too expensive here.
Well done for the little bit of knowledge you gave him.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

If I am ever asked what I feed but don't have the time to explain it I explain what I feed then warn about how much research is required before making the plunge due to certain bones cracking teeth and nutrition deficiencies. I explain that, if the proper research is not done, there is a huge risk of doing it wrong, but that, when done right, it can be very rewarding and well worth the effort. 

Honestly, I would rather turn people away from raw if I don't have the time to explain it properly and recommend a good kibble or two than have someone just make up a raw diet and end up feeding (for example) just turkey necks and carrots or chicken breast.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I made the mistake of telling a friend raw was actually cheaper for me and now the poor dogs are on half kibble and chicken backs with a bit of canned sardine. They are ok but not exceptionally well. Way too much bone, not enough variety and all some people see is cheap. I have talked myself blue in the face about this to them.


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## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

"all some people see is cheap"

Yeah unfortunately. This guys heart seemed like it was in the right place because he was so happy about curing her allergies. I guess it is like kibble, some people research and some people don't. He probably heard raw was good for allergies and turkey necks were the first thing he got and never researched beyond that. I am a research nut, I never do anything big without learning about it first, not just my pets, but my health, physical, financial, etc. It is the blind faith it's all the same mentality that people who think all kibble is the same have. Food is food you know?

Um.... no :tsk:


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Yeah.. I research EVERYTHING lol.. especially something as important as diet.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I researched and set myself up for two years before finally switching to raw all the while trying to upgrade what we feed. I just had to be 100% sure I could do it right financially, variety wise and had the appropriate freezer space before switching 5-7 dogs over plus and litters we breed. I am so ecstatic to do it and yes after all the hard work it is cheaper for me but it took a while to set it up properly and I go without if need be to be sure they get what they need.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Not me. I found out about raw one day and started it within just a few days (maybe one or two when I found out all I needed was a chicken to start), and then started researching. 

When I found this site, I was determined to make a change - I thought to cooked food. My dogs were in horrible shape, both of them. I was desperate.

So when I read about raw a big lightbulb went off, and I got them off their old food as fast as possible. 

But I read the whole prey model website and the myths about raw feeding, and I got Lonsdale's book very shortly thereafter.

I feel like I am still a total novice at this - there is so much to learn.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

xellil said:


> Not me. I found out about raw one day and started it within just a few days (maybe one or two when I found out all I needed was a chicken to start), and then started researching.
> 
> When I found this site, I was determined to make a change - I thought to cooked food. My dogs were in horrible shape, both of them. I was desperate.
> 
> ...


I would have been the same way if I were in your position. You were desperate. I wasn't. Dude has always been very healthy and, frankly, I was just bored with his food. That's when I started researching foods and found out how bad Pedigree is. I had been looking into raw for several years but was unable to make the change since my parents were the ones paying for his food and they never would have allowed me to feed him just raw meat and they certainly wouldn't have been ok with anyone buying meat just for the dogs, even if it was coming out of my own pocket (I have a VERY controlling mother). 

The whole raw idea had kind of faded until I got married and Dude became MY dog financially. That's when it really clicked that I could feed him however I want. I knew when I wanted to start (the day we brought Buck home) so between deciding and bringing Buck home, I dedicated myself to researching raw and this site helped me decide on PMR. 

Had one of my dogs been sick or struggling with their kibble, you can bet I would have done the same as you and switched asap. I just had the luxury of having a dog who has never even been allergic to anything he has eaten. No environmental allergies either. Nothing. Buck is the first dog I have discovered an allergy in and it was just from a certain brand of chicken he was eating is enhanced.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I just had the luxury of having a dog who has never even been allergic to anything he has eaten. No environmental allergies either. Nothing. Buck is the first dog I have discovered an allergy in and it was just from a certain brand of chicken he was eating is enhanced.


I think you are rare in that regard. If I hadn't had any problems with dry food, I would have never even considered changing. It's a testament to you that you did.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I have had 7 dogs and Xena, one of the dobermans, was the only unhealthy one. She had some kind of thyroid issue. I just got very lucky because my family doesn't give much thought to vet care or nutrition.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

my dogs did not have allergies....i just knew the kibble they were on helped shorten the lives of four shih tzus we had, so we went to home cooking, which really is not as hard as people think.

two years later on raw, i'm still researching, even my side trip down the BARF road. 

and, Liz? we also do without before the dogs do....excellent trait you have there.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

monkeys23 said:


> Wow, I hope he listened to you! People are just nuts!




there is no arguing with stupid. i think that counts with the ignorant, too.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> but was unable to make the change since my parents were the ones paying for his food and they never would have allowed me to feed him just raw meat and they certainly wouldn't have been ok with anyone buying meat just for the dogs, even if it was coming out of my own pocket.


When I first tried raw (with very bad guidence) It was cheaper than feeding 3 $60 30lb bags of tast of the wild a month to our four dogs. My dad was not enthused that we were eating spagetti and ramen noodles and the dogs were eating chicken, turkey and beef. lol

I think you did the right thing. I know alot of people that want to feed raw because they hear about how its cheaper and it helps with alot of problems, but they dont want to take the time to research for themselves and find out what the right way is. My friend fed her dogs nothing but chicken necks and backs for 9 months. It was just simply what someone she knows told her to do, because it was what they were doing. Her dogs still did alot better than they did on kibble, but i think they would have benifited from more meat and organs. She did add in eggs, yogurt, liver and turkey chunks after a while. 

I've heard of other people just feeding their dogs the bones from the meat they ate and thought that was raw, sadly they took no advice to research. I hope this guy looks into it and starts to give her more variety or atleast some meat/organ with the necks.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I had done ridiculous amounts of research years before switching. It took one of my dogs having problems for me to finally switch. I feel like the whole process has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, but then one of my majors was history... I'm kind of a research nerd. My dogs come first too! I figure they can't take care of themselves so its up to me to make sure they get fed well. 

I have been feeding my foster raw, but am honestly considering getting some Fromm Surf n' Turf for him for a variety of reasons. 1. maybe his adopters will keep him on the really good food if they get the leftovers when I hand him over... 2. it would be easier to just feed his meals during training that way instead of worrying if the training treats (just meat or hot dog, but still!) are going to have an effect and 3. its getting expensive to feed him because my girls mostly eat stuff we've raised or shot and since his several day jaunt to the service dog place for evaluation (whatever they fed him reaaaaaaaaly messed with his little system) I had to start back at square one with him and small dog sized chicken parts and grocery store pork add up fast... especially when said small dog eats almost as much per day as Lily does... I dunno, I feel dirty giving a dog kibble, but whoever adopts him sure ain't gonna keep him on raw.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Makovach said:


> When I first tried raw (with very bad guidence) It was cheaper than feeding 3 $60 30lb bags of tast of the wild a month to our four dogs. My dad was not enthused that we were eating spagetti and ramen noodles and the dogs were eating chicken, turkey and beef. lol
> 
> I think you did the right thing. I know alot of people that want to feed raw because they hear about how its cheaper and it helps with alot of problems, but they dont want to take the time to research for themselves and find out what the right way is. My friend fed her dogs nothing but chicken necks and backs for 9 months. It was just simply what someone she knows told her to do, because it was what they were doing. Her dogs still did alot better than they did on kibble, but i think they would have benifited from more meat and organs. She did add in eggs, yogurt, liver and turkey chunks after a while.
> 
> I've heard of other people just feeding their dogs the bones from the meat they ate and thought that was raw, sadly they took no advice to research. I hope this guy looks into it and starts to give her more variety or atleast some meat/organ with the necks.


Except we fed Pedigree... There was no cost issue for our dogs. They got a ton of food for cheap. My family isn't poor. They aren't wealthy, but they can afford to eat steaks once or twice a week with nice home cooked meals the rest of the week. It is a waste issue to my family. Especially my millionaire grandfather... He, at least, feeds Kirkland. Not the best but certainly better than Pedigree. But my family is of the thinking that feeding a steak to a dog is an utter waste of beef. Feeding ANY kind of human grade food is a waste. That's for people. Dogs should get kibble and scraps. I still don't think they know that we feed raw yet. I KNOW my grandfather doesn't and I am NOT looking forward to the conversation that he will INSIST on having. I do have Xena and her health on my side. He will insist on arguing this point to death. He will call me silly and wasteful and he will talk about how much money I could save by feeding kibble... But they are health nuts so maybe that will help my case too... Hmmm.


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