I know many people use various forms of raw diets. Can you tell me the pro/con of these diets. My vet is totally against it, possibly because she sells expensive dry food. If you have had great results, what are you feeding and how much?

Hi Debra. There are almost as many types of raw diets out there as there are commercial kibble. Check out some of the raw dog food forums for lots and LOTS of info to help you make a decision. We fed raw for a number of years and loved it. However, when I was away, my BH wasn't so thrilled about feeding it and when the quality deterioriated, we decided to go back to kibble. JMO - not all vets are against it but there are quite a few who simply write it off without knowing the whole picture. We're very lucky with our vets in that they DO research before tossing an idea out and not just related to types of food thankfully.

HI,
I have fed Bravo raw for years. My girls do very well on it even nursing moms. The only grains they get are from the treats (o:
I preferr Bravo out of the others because it's basic, if I want to add more to it ie: fruits, grains, veggies I can.
I bought anouther brand that had so much stuff in it that it didn't even smell like meat.

I have been feeding raw for over six years now and love it. I mostly feed meat with bone. Lots of chicken backs. Rest is ground with bone in it. They also get tripe everyday. I don't use a lot of the commerical mixes cause I don't personally do a lot with veggies. They say that you should feed 1-3% of the body weight but with a lot of Labs you feed closer to the 1%. I use some of the Bravo but only what is meat and bone cause if I do feed veggies I want to control how much. Use more Primal and a local company.

The main con I have with it is that it can be a pain to travel with. But, I have adjusted and now it's as simple as traveling with kibble. The breath is better. Stool is smaller and firmer and does not smell as much. I do feed a high end kibble that is grain free when we go to HHI over the holidays and I cannot wait to get home and back to raw--the stool smells soooooooooooo bad. I cannot get over the difference. A friend of mine started feeding raw right before they went on vacation and she noticed a huge difference, too. My puppy is third generation weaned to raw and is doing wonderful. I don't have the ear problems either. Don't have a problem with hot spots.

Debra, I do believe you were at Winnebago--I met you on my way out with my cooler and we talked briefly.

Yes, we did, and I got your card. It sparked an interest in me as you were traveling with your food, as I have since seen others do. I am interested in finding out about this, as I do not think my vet's HIGH prices food is all that good. Thanks

Anytime you want to actually talk to someone, let me know. It's so hard when I come down to HHI to not have my boys on raw. We cannot imagine not feeding raw anymore. We can see such a difference. Was at a couple of shows and saw some other blacks and their coats were so dull compared to Micah's. Until then I thought they looked normal. Dana Scott has a lot of information on her site, too--Fallriver Labradors. Tom Londsdorf (I think that is how you spell his name) has a couple of really good books on it, too.

Here are a couple of other sites that have some good information on them:

http://www.usrmb.net/basics%20raw%20feeding.html

http://www.hare-today.com/

The one is a supplier but there is good information on their site.

Hey D --

I have a supplier here in Virginia . . . visit his website at
http://www.eaglecrest2000.com/Diet.html

I'm sure he can help you find someone local to save on shipping and help you come up with a diet plan.

I did receive an email this week . . . Bliss says she prefers filet mignon!

I fed raw for about 7 years. We purchased our own chicken necks and backs and added veggies and fruit along with Vitamin E, C, fish oil, alfalfa. My dogs did very well on it (small hard almost odorless stools, clean teeth and good breath). I was having a problem getting a bitch to retain puppies and my vet suggested I try taking her off the raw and feeding a good quality kibble. We did this along with antibiotics, continuous progesterone testing throughout the pregnancy. She had a litter of nine. Was it the raw food that caused the problem? I don't think so but it could have been just the luck of the draw. I have continued to feed kibble but am seriously thinking of going back to raw because of the above reasons.

I wanted a diet better than kibble but did not want to feed "raw" foods. I have been using honest kitchen which is a dehydrated raw, just add warm water and feed. For me it is easy and the dogs do very well on it-I use the "Thrive" formula.

Laurie,
8 years ago I was completely raw almost the same set up you were on.
I love the way the dogs looked and they were very healthy BUT I stated having reproductive issues. missed breedings ( or resorption) and small litters.
I knew it had to be missing something important but I finally had to switch back to kibble and with in a year I was back on tract. This was not with just one bitch but 5-6 over a two year period.

I still feed older dogs or rescues with issues raw and would love to get everyone back on it someday.