Postings by Charlie's Family

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Zelda Princess of- Hyrule     Barked: Tue Jun 18, '13 11:10am PST  Zelda adapted to her crate very quickly when we adopted her a few years back, and has since had no problems being crated. She's always seemed to enjoy her crate, and feels safe inside. This is fine and all, but I'm concerned because she's spent so much time in there lately. If she's not actively involved with her brother or going to get a drink, she's in the crate. Even when we go to bed, Charlie is snuggled up with us and Zelda is in her crate. Why in the world would she want to be in there all the time? Our bed seems so much more comfortable! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Fri Jun 14, '13 2:09pm PST  You shouldn't get a mutt if you're not prepared for uncertainties and surprises. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > Supplementing the meat?

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Wed Jun 12, '13 5:05pm PST  A lot of beef bones are too thick to crunch through, but larger breeds can handle ribs and oxtail without a problem. Making a deal with a slaughterhouse can be really awesome, and supply you with a lot of cheap stuff you wouldn't find elsewhere. I used to have a hook-up with a private beef processor who would just throw stuff in a box the day I came to pick-up.. random stuff, but all the freshest it could possibly be. I got a lot of spleen, whole oxtails (really big!), and tracheas. On one occasion he gave me a 40 pound box of scrap meat which was basically meat that had slimy fat or blood clots, so gross for people but the dogs adored it. If you tell them that you're open to things that are not human-grade, they may hook you up with yucky bits like that that are still fine for dogs. Sorry about the bug trouble, that sounds tough . Diatomaceous earth can definitely help your yard. Pet supply stores often carry essential oil (peppermint oil, etc) sprays also to hook up to a hose and treat your yard. Sadly, I don't have any other advice for that. Good luck! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > Supplementing the meat?

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Wed Jun 12, '13 11:31am PST  Ahh, thanks for clearing that up Dante . Tripe is, in my opinion, the best digestive aid you can find, even though it can cause a bit of loose stool if not introduced correctly. It's packed with good bacteria and helps regulate the gut just as a probiotic supplement does. For bugs, garlic can certainly help in the right dosage. The only downside I found to garlic was that sometimes it gave my dogs really stinky farts . We use a mixture of Neem Oil and Citronella in a spray bottle (made by Ark Naturals) to keep bugs at bay. Before each walk or a trip to the dog park, the dogs can sprayed down good. Any certain bug you're having problems with? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > Starting raw with a dog in kidney failure?

Charlie The world is my- food bowl!     Barked: Tue Jun 11, '13 1:11pm PST  I fed raw, among many other things, to a 19 year old cat in renal failure. He lived another year, but sadly he was too far damaged to make much of a recovery.. rather we did what we could to keep him happy and healthy. His appetite was not good, so we offered him anything he would eat: canned food (dozens of kinds), raw meat/fish, table scraps, tuna fish, etc. The moisture levels of raw make for a very helpful diet to dogs with renal problems, but sometimes it's necessary to give sub-cutaneous fluids as well. I really recommend you have your vet teach you how to do this, and give fluids a few times a week. Without the extra fluids, our cat's health would decrease dramatically and it was difficult to get him to eat and drink. Thankfully, raw foods are generally high value to dogs and cats, and it shouldn't be too tough to get your pup to eat. I do recommend starting the same way that everyone else does, and go slow because not doing your research could result in diarrhea, and the last thing a dog in renal failure needs is added dehydration. Edit: You can feed raw and kibble as a diet, but I suggest you separate them to maybe breakfast and dinner. Some dogs are more sensitive than others, and might experience a more difficult time getting their stools on track if you mix something else into the raw food. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Charlie The world is my- food bowl!     Barked: Tue Jun 11, '13 1:05pm PST  As with any bones, they should be surrounded by meat and in a cut that is sized properly to promote good chewing habits. I've fed whole salmon heads, salmon carcasses (spine/ribs with a thin layer of meat over top), and whole sardines, all without any problems with the bones. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > Supplementing the meat?

Charlie The world is my- food bowl!     Barked: Tue Jun 11, '13 6:24am PST  1-2lbs meat with 2-3 eggs, garlic, vinegar, yogurt and a squirt of honey. Eggs are good to give, and are necessary if you're not giving any other bone content, but everything else listed is optional and somewhat unnecessary. Garlic is a natural flea repellent, but offers no nutritional benefit. Vinegar.. I've never heard of adding before except maybe raw, undiluted apple cider vinegar which can sometimes help with digestion. Yogurt (preferably plain greek and sugar-free) can help as a snack or maybe aid with digestion. Honey is just sugar, and really isn't needed. Most everything listed is more of a situational supplement, not a necessary one. Fish oil is also situational, though I believe that most dogs eating raw off of mainly commercial sources should have fish oil added. This recipe is really unbalanced, and lacks the heavy nutrient content of organs and organ meats. The best way to make sure your dog is getting the right balance is to follow the 80/10/5/5 ratio, and also to switch up the proteins and types of meats now and then. I really enjoy making heart a part of my 80% meat content because it's not counted as a secreting organ, but it's very nutrient dense. I also include raw green tripe which helps a lot with keeping the digestive tract happy (moreso than yogurt for a dog). Edit: I'd also keep an eye on their stool because personally, I think they'll need more bone content than an egg shell, especially when you start adding in organs. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > Big Mouth

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Mon Jun 10, '13 9:02pm PST  I always recommend that raw (ESPECIALLY meals that include bone) be fed once a day rather than twice a day. If I fed my dogs raw meaty bones that weighed half of their daily intake, it would be a real choking hazard. I have two "gulpers" (dogs that eat very fast), and I always have to be cautious feeding raw. Any meal they get needs to either be so large that it forces them to chew-- or cut into small pieces to prevent choking, and boneless meals are not exempt from this. The scariest moment of my life was giving Charlie a 1-pound hunk of solid pork and watching him try to swallow it whole.. the next 30 seconds after he spiraled around the room gagging and then by some miracle he managed to hack it up. Since then, I have taken no chances with him. If your gut tells you that it's dangerous, don't feel bad about feeding by hand. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Raw Food Diet > How do your dogs feel about eating kibble?

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Sun Jun 9, '13 4:50pm PST  Honestly, they still love it. Both of my dogs were eating only raw over 2 years time, and when some aspects of my life changed, I switched them cold turkey to Acana and they gobbled it up. They've been on most all dry food for the past 8 months, and have eaten every meal without a fuss. Now that I'm planning to start raw, they get a little raw snack here and there, and they do seem to value it higher than kibble. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Charlie &- Zelda Love at first- sniff <3     Barked: Tue Jun 4, '13 2:20am PST  Raw bones are 100% digestible, so they cannot cause intestinal perforations. Raw bones sometimes maintain a bit of their structure (shards) when eaten, but they become soft and rubbery when in contact with digestive fluids. A cooked bone always maintains it's structure, and stays hard and rigid inside. As long as the raw bones are accompanied by meat, I have never once heard of a problem in the 3 years I've been on this forum. I've also got x-rays of my dog Charlie after he swallowed a large chicken wing whole, showing it moving with ease throughout his track. If you are still truly nervous about bones, there are bone meals are the market, but I can tell you from experience that not all dogs do well with them. I did meat grinding before and adding bone meal to adjust, and my dogs never digested it correctly (loose stool). my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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