dog going raw?

[cemayrho]

I have a 5 year old boxer mix whom I've had since he was a pup. He's had recent issues with his joints and hips. I just got back from my new vet [practices holistic medicine] and she's suggesting a raw food diet on top of some other things [supplements mostly].
However, all the recipes however include chicken or organ meats.
I'm vegetarian and told her I am uncomfortable cooking meat even if it is for my dog. But like most people she didn't get it and still suggested buying it for the raw meal.
So.....
Does anyone have any solutions to the raw meal? Anything that doesn't involve me buying meat? Crockpot recipes?

Thanks!

Christina

[michigan roman]

my friends sheppard likes my banana chips .
and i read that panthers in south america eat avacados .

its like take whatever theyre making the dry dog food
cereal base out of , is it wheat ? , soak it to soften like 36 hours .
then start adding stuff like avacado etc .

[Ilse W.]

A raw food diet for a dog means: RAW MEAT! Not cooked, not mixed with anything else. JUST PLAIN RAW MEAT. A dog is a carnivore. I understand that there are people who do not want to harm animals and therefore become vegans. Those people should NOT have pets. In fact, I don't think people who are vegan for ideological reasons should have pets at all. That would be extremely hypocritical, since a "pet" is a highly unnatural being.
Anyway, the ONLY healthy diet for a dog is a completely raw meat diet, to include every part of the animal. I feed Max (my gold retriever) mostly chicken. I buy whole chickens and cut them apart. He is a 95 lb. dog and I feed him 14 oz. of chicken including bone and organs twice a day. I was quite squeemish about it at first, but I have totally gotten used to it. (I would probably feel worse, if I had to actually kill the chickens, yikes.) I've been doing this now since I went raw myself, about 6 months ago, and I can sure tell the difference. He is very calm, has a beautiful coat (when I got him, his coat had been cut to bits at the shelter, because he had horrible skin problems), his poop is small and has practically no smell at all. That's how it should be. It also disappeares into the ground within a few days. I cannot emphasize it enough: IF YOU CHOSE TO HAVE A PET, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PET, EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST YOUR OWN BELIEVES. If you don't want to do that, do your dog a favor and give him to somebody who cares about him!

[michigan roman]

no disrespect emma , but i disagree with the finality of the dog as soley carnivore statement . i believe that there must be a way for a dog to adjust to herbivorism , after all the critters it eats are made of plants . its just that no ones found the diet yet . to me itll most likely be very fatty / protein rich things , say ground flax seed / avacado / sprouted wheat .

[EternityRider]

Mystic Monk says:

In the beginning..

For those who believe the Genesis record,
All creatures were vegetarian.

This changed later in history.
For those of another view,
Let love flow freely among us - all the same :) ..

.. Lest we all become inwardly carnivorous one toward another in our holier-than-thou, pharisaical, outward adherence to the tenets of veganism.

Love Rules. :cool:

[Ilse W.]

Yes, MR, it is as healthful for a dog to adjust to herbivorism as it is healthful and easy for you to adjust to eating roadkill.

[Soka]

EmmaT: I take offense to you saying that vegans should not have pets. I am a vegan and I have pets that range from cats, dogs, snakes, lizards, birds, ferrets, and fish. All of these animals are treated as my children and eat better than I do. I aim to feed my carnivorous animals (dog, cats, ferrets) a 100% raw diet soon. The ferrets are already there. I have my own beliefs about my own diet and lifestyle but my animals must be the exception. It wouldn't be right of me to share my home with them and force my beliefs on them. It is not hypocritical for me to have pets. I like sharing my life with animals and my animals are happy and healthy.

Also, dogs are not herbivores. While they can SURVIVE on a plant based diet, they do not thrive on one. Their bodies are designed to process and utilize meat based proteins. While some dogs like eating vegetation, that is probably because in the wild, the dogs would also eat the stomach contents of their kills. They are opportunistic animals. Wolves have to survive harsh climates and any food they can find is of use to them, but they are DESIGNED to eat meat.

And not all animals are meant to be vegetarian. That is just not biologically possible. If every animal in the world was vegetarian, then we would strip this world of all her resources and all die from starvation. Carnivores have a purpose and that is to keep the herbivores in check. It is nature, deal with it.

My dog, cats, and ferrets are all on their way to eating a 100% raw meat diet. The ferrets are already on one and are doing great. Their health has improved soooo much since switching them to an all meat diet. NEVER feed strict carnivores such as ferrets and cats, plant matter. The occasional piece is fine ( like once in a blue moon, and yes cats like eating grass on occasion) but other then that, do not feed them plants.

If you want to do what is best for your dog, feed them a raw meat diet. It will greatly improve their health and activity levels. You are giving them something nature intended them to eat.

[jacsam]

You've got to check out Ani Phyo's book.....in the back she has a chapter about her dog Kanga. She got him from a shelter and nursed him back to health. He's the most beautiful, healthy looking dog and he's totally raw, vegan.

[Soka]

As I've said. Dogs can survive on a vegan diet, but this is not always what is best for them. Some dogs do better than others. I don't think my dog would do well on a vegan diet. I have been increasing his intake of raw meat and I'm seeing a change in him already. He's more active (9 months old), his coat is getting shiny and he just looks better. Not to mention, he loves it.

[kyri]

i get we all have our own opinions.. but does rudeness help communication in some way?

IF YOU CHOSE TO HAVE A PET, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PET, EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST YOUR OWN BELIEVES. If you don't want to do that, do your dog a favor and give him to somebody who cares about him![/QUOTE]

[glamazon]

I have a 15 yr old toy Pom [Boogadie FuFu LaRue] and she has the typical health issues that often arise with this breed. [When she was less than a year old she had cancer and I went to the most awesome Holistic vet in Vegas...she removed the lump and made a serum from a reverse image of the cancer cells...long story short it's never been an issue after]. I WISH I could find a good holistic vet here!!! I am in a type of hospice situation and vets don't get that. They are so quick to say put them down, they have no quality of life, blah blah. How do they KNOW a dog's quality of life by seeing them in an office wher they are freaked out to be there and possibly having a emergency moment. Makes me so mad!

Currently Boog has stage 4 heart murmur for almost 2 yrs now! Basically her heart is very enlarged and the mitral valve is thicker and does not allow for fully pumping all the blood out of the ventricle. Couple that with a collapsing trachea...it's a difficult situation. I had another Pom [Kykki Doodle-the beat of my heart LOVE that little girl] prior...she was diagnosed with SLIGHT murmur and was gone in 6 months!! Totally shocked me I was broken hearted and so was Boog but that's another long story. Anyway, when I found out about Boog's stage 4 murmur I decided to try some different tactics. I do have her on a few meds to help regulate blood flow. I know that she doesn't get ALL the necessary oxygen and some days are tougher than others. I decided to start giving her juices. I do greens, carrots, beets even apples. I really think it has kept her going. She is still spunky and runs around like a lunatic when she gets happy to see me which in turn causes her to have a hack attack--the trach thing. IMHO, I believe the juices have helped get more oxygen to her cells and have attributed to her living as long as she has. I know she is coming to the end of her journey and I want the transition to be as easy as possible for her.

Due to teeth sensitivty [from not being able to have proper dental cleaning] she doesn't like her dry food anymore so I have been giving her canned foods and adding sweet potato, oats [and sometimes a little barley grass] to it. I don't know that I trust RAW meat from regular grocery stores but I would be interested to see if she felt better eating raw meat. Anyone have a reputable SAFE place to get RAW meat for her?? And I guess it would need to be ground as she has the teeth thing going on.

Sorry that got long winded like meeeee :D

[pixie_333]

I have a 5 year old boxer mix whom I've had since he was a pup. He's had recent issues with his joints and hips. I just got back from my new vet [practices holistic medicine] and she's suggesting a raw food diet on top of some other things [supplements mostly].
However, all the recipes however include chicken or organ meats.
I'm vegetarian and told her I am uncomfortable cooking meat even if it is for my dog. But like most people she didn't get it and still suggested buying it for the raw meal.
So.....
Does anyone have any solutions to the raw meal? Anything that doesn't involve me buying meat? Crockpot recipes?

Thanks!

Christina

there's a reason i don't own reptiles. not just for the fact i don't like them.. but i couldn't buy insects ect and feed them what they need to live on nor could i feed a snake a living mouse ect.

my cat needs meat! even all the years i went vegetarian and vegan... i've never denied what she needs to have to be healthy and survive. i love her. and only because of my love for her am i able to buy chicken liver and bare the most digusting bloody sight to cut it into pieces for her. she's MY responsability... i choose to keep her and she choose me equely same to share her life with me. and if i know something is going to make her healthier.. hey she's worth it!
also... rather than cooking some meat for her .. i would go to mexican places and other places.. get my vegan food and have them cook her up some food without spices.

if it's realy all that too much for you to handle... there's places online and likely places localy that will make raw meals for your dog. i'm sure if you paid someone who eats meat they will do it for you. and also supporting organic and free range animals is much more acceptable and natural than factory animals.

i'm very against making dogs vegan. their teeth have fangs. they need greens and meat in my opnion to be healthy.
and little do people realise... it's from humans that dogs bodies have changed so much.
take a look at a shepard from over a hundred years ago... they look different today. same with all hunting dogs... if so many generations they havent hunted much, their tails change and ears ect... if in wild they will eat meat! they aren't deers.

if you make a cat vegan.. then all you're doing is murder.

[ruffsongraw]

hi,
i have to comment here. altho the LOOKS of dogs have changed GREATLY (b/c of man), their INSIDES (from chihuahua to Great Dane) are the same except in size. they are carnivores--descended from wolves--who are carnivores. yes they do eat the stomach contents and most dogs WILL eat veggies---but put a bowl of ground beef or chicken (raw) in frt of them next to a bowl of any veggie you have and see where they go....to the meat.
yes it is icky, but they would raid the chicken coop and catch and eat rabbits if left to their own opportunistic devices. those big ass teeth aren't there for looks--they want to rip & tear.
the dog that is beautiful on a vegan diet might not have as pretty of blood wk or insides--might be lacking certain things that only meat and bones (raw) can give him. dogs that are fed raw meaty bones will live longer and have white shiney teeth---wont need a dentistry ever. i speak from experience both working at an animal hosp and feedling working dogs for many yrs.
there are several companies trhat make raw meat "patties" to buy for dogs. they are from organic cows/chickens i think. they are pricey, but a good local pet supply store will have them (and i dont mean petsmart!). you can also buy it online. if crunching bones makes you icked-out, then go for the ground stuff.

goodluck.

[glamazon]

As I mentioned my little Pom has pretty bad teeth...alot of tarter build up...I use that CET dental rinse and try to use the metal pick thing to remove some but she gets all anyst which thus causes her to hack attack and I have to stop...to my point...should I still give her bones??? I want to do the best for her especially as I know she is coming to the end of her journey.

[rayofsunshine]

I have a 12 year old great dane that eats 1/3 cooked meat, 1/3 grains, and 1/3 vegetables(I prepare for her). Treats are veggies and fruit. A Dane's usual lifespan is 7-9 years. She is healthy with a shiny, soft coat. There are many ways to feed a dog and have them lead a long healthy life.

I do believe whole foods are best for our pets as they are for us.

[circle]

dogs have a different digestive system then humans do. they do not have expandable stomachs and their digestive tracts are much shorter. also, their teeth are different. they do not chew their food either, they just chomp chomp and rip. They don't have opposing thumbs.