Post by sibemom on Jul 15, 2004 6:08:08 GMT -5
Well since we are getting the word out and some of you are doing the best for your dogs by switching to raw I must comend you I also have to confess something that maybe will hit home with some of you who had reservations about starting the raw diet. When I made the switch with Blade, I saw the most wonderful change in him I switched to raw because he scratched himself senseless on a daily basis. I tried all diffrent types of kibble with no luck so I slowley introduced the raw, untill Loey asked me why Ijust did not go cold turkey, and then I did. When I decided to add another dog to our home I got kind of freeked because I thought "How am I going to afford feeding two the raw diet" meat prices were getting out of controll, I felt guilty because I could not provide the variety that I thought I needed, and I will admit, I was a little scared to try the raw diet on a pup. I switched Blade to Cainadae, no problems UNTILL and we all know what happened there. So I fed him the salmon formula Purina ONE untill I just could not take it anymore. I saw with my own eyes the diffrence it made in my dog. Yes he looked healthy and he was kind of content with the kibble but there was just something about him that was diffrent. I did more research to see if just feeding the poultry with occasional canned fish, pork, and some beef was enough of a variety, and to my surprise I found that the plan I had been on before was just fine. Now I was a little scared to put Willow on raw knowing that some dogs have issues in the beggining, like very loose stool, puke, hacking etc... and still that old way of thinking about "OH MY GOD THEY COULD CHOKE ON A BONE" It took alot of thinking and then I just did it. I did not like the way Willow was looking on kibble, even though she had a nice shiney coat, bright eyes she looked way to thin. I was feeding her 6 to 8 cups of puppy food a day, and that is INSANE. I started with chicken legs, and ground turkey, and now have progressed to leg quarters and ground turkey. We have had not problems with loose stool, puking NOTHING. She looks so much better. Pup's should be lean but not skinny, and now she has a much better frame on her. I am the type of person who will analyize something to death (bet ya did'nt know that ) I will never be sorry that we are back on a raw diet NEVER. I always want to do what is best for my family and my dogs, with in the context of my finances, and when I costed it out the only way a raw diet is more expensive then kibble is if you are only feeding the very low grade dog food like OLD ROY, PEDIGREE etc.. ounce for ounce raw if still cheaper and better. So all of you new raw feeders don't get disscouraged, I was there and I understand the frustration, but in the end you will love the way you dog's look and when you go to the vet and he says to you "WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR DOG HE IS IN GREAT SHAPE" you can either give him a smart response like "FOOD" or you can tell him "I feed raw" and be proud of that no matter what kind of lecture they try and give you. I was surprised because even when Blade was sick the vet could not believe that a raw fed dog was in as good of shape as he was and is again. So stick with it, be patient and I gaurentee the results will be worth the time and effort you put into it