Question for Pet Owners - Raw Food Diet for Pets?
- Thread starter LoneRanger
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Here's what I buy Kiki.
Going to wet canned food did wonders. Dry food makes my cats consume tons of water and have urinary tract infections. I dont believe in letting cats eat at will. You need to get them on a diet. Most dry food is garbage..corn carbs and filler. Either buy cheap canned wet food or go with a grain free dry option and measure out portions each day. You could probably get your cat on 2 cans per day and your cat will lose alot of weight over a few months. Cats need meat/protein. I have 2 cats and feed them tins of wet food.
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We switched our last cat to wet food at age 10. She lost her paunch and gained back a lot of energy. Our vet said dry cat food has too many carbs for most cats as they get older. Not to mention less cleanup in the litter box.
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
30-pound...? That's huge for a cat. My guess is just changing the cat's diet to something more 'lean' will do wonders. If you don't mind my asking, what do you feed the cat now, and how much of it?
Also, how old is the cat?
More lean will make it worse. It needs more oil in its diet, or better still, some salmon (cooked not raw). More specifically it's the fatty acids that need increased (unless it's an allergy). In the wild, cats get practically all their nutrients from muscle, organ, and blood of their prey, not rice, corn, potatoes (lol imagine a cat digging for potatoes!) etc. They need a low carb diet. If you can get it to eat chicken livers and gizzards, so much the better but not too much of the liver.
I am not suggesting these as a replacement for a balanced cat food, just as a supplement replacing part of it and considering restricted calories to manage weight.
30-pound...? That's huge for a cat. My guess is just changing the cat's diet to something more 'lean' will do wonders. If you don't mind my asking, what do you feed the cat now, and how much of it?
Also, how old is the cat?
More lean will make it worse. It needs more oil in its diet, or better still, some salmon (cooked not raw). More specifically it's the fatty acids that need increased (unless it's an allergy). In the wild, cats get practically all their nutrients from muscle, organ, and blood of their prey, not rice, corn, potatoes (lol imagine a cat digging for potatoes!) etc. They need a low carb diet. If you can get it to eat chicken livers and gizzards, so much the better but not too much of the liver.
I am not suggesting these as a replacement for a balanced cat food, just as a supplement replacing part of it and considering restricted calories to manage weight.
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I buy her Rachel Ray Nutrish wet cat food as a treat every weekend. She inhales that stuff!!
Originally Posted By: CT8
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
Well most of them eat piles of other animals poop and also several day old carrion in the wild.
What exactly are you suggesting ?
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
Well most of them eat piles of other animals poop and also several day old carrion in the wild.
What exactly are you suggesting ?
After years of trial and error, I've found the best solution for me and my pets....is to feed raw.
I've went from average store dog food (dry and wet)....to expensive natural and no-grain food. While the higher end dog foods improved my pets overall health when compared to the cheap ones, the biggest and most noticable improvement came when I started feeding a raw diet. My dogs digestion issues, energy, appetite, skin, and overall health improved markedly. Not even the best packaged dog food can compare to a properly formulated raw diet. It's like night and day. I even purchased an electric meat grinder to help me prepare and then freeze my dogs food. They get a huge variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, organs, and game), whole raw egg with shell, a small amount of blueberries, and kale or spinach. The chicken is WHOLE....bones and all.
I would say that any cat or dog would benefit greatly from such a diet. Just be sure to do a lot of research about the specific needs of your pets and follow a raw diet formulation that is recommended per reputable websites dedicated to these diets.
I've went from average store dog food (dry and wet)....to expensive natural and no-grain food. While the higher end dog foods improved my pets overall health when compared to the cheap ones, the biggest and most noticable improvement came when I started feeding a raw diet. My dogs digestion issues, energy, appetite, skin, and overall health improved markedly. Not even the best packaged dog food can compare to a properly formulated raw diet. It's like night and day. I even purchased an electric meat grinder to help me prepare and then freeze my dogs food. They get a huge variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, organs, and game), whole raw egg with shell, a small amount of blueberries, and kale or spinach. The chicken is WHOLE....bones and all.
I would say that any cat or dog would benefit greatly from such a diet. Just be sure to do a lot of research about the specific needs of your pets and follow a raw diet formulation that is recommended per reputable websites dedicated to these diets.
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When people here are saying "raw" diets,do they mean uncooked meats?
For me it means human grade, uncooked, unprocessed meats.
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Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
Originally Posted By: CT8
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
I don't know what the wild canines in your area are or eat, but the coyotes in our area definitely eat corn. In fact, not only do they eat the fresh stuff out of fields and gardens but they also eat the dried corn people set out for deer. They aren't carnivores like felines, every canine I've ever seen is firmly an omnivore and will eat pretty much anything they can find.
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
I don't know what the wild canines in your area are or eat, but the coyotes in our area definitely eat corn. In fact, not only do they eat the fresh stuff out of fields and gardens but they also eat the dried corn people set out for deer. They aren't carnivores like felines, every canine I've ever seen is firmly an omnivore and will eat pretty much anything they can find.
Originally Posted By: andrewg
After years of trial and error, I've found the best solution for me and my pets....is to feed raw.
I've went from average store dog food (dry and wet)....to expensive natural and no-grain food. While the higher end dog foods improved my pets overall health when compared to the cheap ones, the biggest and most noticable improvement came when I started feeding a raw diet. My dogs digestion issues, energy, appetite, skin, and overall health improved markedly. Not even the best packaged dog food can compare to a properly formulated raw diet. It's like night and day. I even purchased an electric meat grinder to help me prepare and then freeze my dogs food. They get a huge variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, organs, and game), whole raw egg with shell, a small amount of blueberries, and kale or spinach. The chicken is WHOLE....bones and all.
I would say that any cat or dog would benefit greatly from such a diet. Just be sure to do a lot of research about the specific needs of your pets and follow a raw diet formulation that is recommended per reputable websites dedicated to these diets.
Wild critters don't typically eat the shell. How fine do you grind the chicken bones?
In all other regards your dog eats healthier than 99% of the people on the planet.
After years of trial and error, I've found the best solution for me and my pets....is to feed raw.
I've went from average store dog food (dry and wet)....to expensive natural and no-grain food. While the higher end dog foods improved my pets overall health when compared to the cheap ones, the biggest and most noticable improvement came when I started feeding a raw diet. My dogs digestion issues, energy, appetite, skin, and overall health improved markedly. Not even the best packaged dog food can compare to a properly formulated raw diet. It's like night and day. I even purchased an electric meat grinder to help me prepare and then freeze my dogs food. They get a huge variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, organs, and game), whole raw egg with shell, a small amount of blueberries, and kale or spinach. The chicken is WHOLE....bones and all.
I would say that any cat or dog would benefit greatly from such a diet. Just be sure to do a lot of research about the specific needs of your pets and follow a raw diet formulation that is recommended per reputable websites dedicated to these diets.
Wild critters don't typically eat the shell. How fine do you grind the chicken bones?
In all other regards your dog eats healthier than 99% of the people on the planet.
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: CT8
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
I don't know what the wild canines in your area are or eat, but the coyotes in our area definitely eat corn. In fact, not only do they eat the fresh stuff out of fields and gardens but they also eat the dried corn people set out for deer. They aren't carnivores like felines, every canine I've ever seen is firmly an omnivore and will eat pretty much anything they can find.
THIS^^^^^
Originally Posted By: CT8
What do canines eat in nature? Not corn or wheat .
I don't know what the wild canines in your area are or eat, but the coyotes in our area definitely eat corn. In fact, not only do they eat the fresh stuff out of fields and gardens but they also eat the dried corn people set out for deer. They aren't carnivores like felines, every canine I've ever seen is firmly an omnivore and will eat pretty much anything they can find.
THIS^^^^^
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
It would be best to introduce a small portion to begin with so that the correct baceterial flora have a chance to become established. A suggestion would be to mix it with the regular diet for the first weeks while slightly increasing the ratio.
This would be particularly important with an older dog.
I would not feed raw pork ever and I would avoid wild game unless cooked.
I would also avoid raw rabbit either domestic or wild.
But there is still much advantage to lightly cooked meats and less downside risk. Salmon is a great dog food.
Is your dog already on a de-wormer?
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
It would be best to introduce a small portion to begin with so that the correct baceterial flora have a chance to become established. A suggestion would be to mix it with the regular diet for the first weeks while slightly increasing the ratio.
This would be particularly important with an older dog.
I would not feed raw pork ever and I would avoid wild game unless cooked.
I would also avoid raw rabbit either domestic or wild.
But there is still much advantage to lightly cooked meats and less downside risk. Salmon is a great dog food.
Is your dog already on a de-wormer?
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Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
It would be best to introduce a small portion to begin with so that the correct baceterial flora have a chance to become established. A suggestion would be to mix it with the regular diet for the first weeks while slightly increasing the ratio.
This would be particularly important with an older dog.
I would not feed raw pork ever and I would avoid wild game unless cooked.
I would also avoid raw rabbit either domestic or wild.
But there is still much advantage to lightly cooked meats and less downside risk. Salmon is a great dog food.
Is your dog already on a de-wormer?
No dog,just my kitty cat
I do give her cooked chicken and fish all the time,and she goes crazy at the very first taste!!
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
It would be best to introduce a small portion to begin with so that the correct baceterial flora have a chance to become established. A suggestion would be to mix it with the regular diet for the first weeks while slightly increasing the ratio.
This would be particularly important with an older dog.
I would not feed raw pork ever and I would avoid wild game unless cooked.
I would also avoid raw rabbit either domestic or wild.
But there is still much advantage to lightly cooked meats and less downside risk. Salmon is a great dog food.
Is your dog already on a de-wormer?
No dog,just my kitty cat
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
When people here are saying "raw" diets,do they mean uncooked meats?
Per Billinghurst, author of "Give your dog a bone", and one of the BARF (bone and raw food advocates)...
It's not "meat" per se, based around what they don in the wild...
chicken wings (broken with the back of a cleaver when the pup's on it's baby teeth) and chicken frames. Lamb shanks and meaty bones (encourages shoulder and neck development by pulling and tearing)...the occasional dinosaur bone cut so that the marrow is available.
Pureed raw vegetables, lots of greens every few days...bit of cooked brown rice mixed in.
They are realy only faeces eaters when trying to establish gut flora (look up human faecal transplants to get the idea)...yep they'll eat the nastiest smelliest carrion if they can get it, and it won't hurt them at all if they've got the gut bacteris set up right...a can food dog will get terribly ill.
watching the roadkill roos around here, the animals (wild dogs, foxes, crows, eagles), they usually start at the bunghole, chew out the innards and partly digested vegetable matter, and the meat component is last...
When people here are saying "raw" diets,do they mean uncooked meats?
Per Billinghurst, author of "Give your dog a bone", and one of the BARF (bone and raw food advocates)...
It's not "meat" per se, based around what they don in the wild...
chicken wings (broken with the back of a cleaver when the pup's on it's baby teeth) and chicken frames. Lamb shanks and meaty bones (encourages shoulder and neck development by pulling and tearing)...the occasional dinosaur bone cut so that the marrow is available.
Pureed raw vegetables, lots of greens every few days...bit of cooked brown rice mixed in.
They are realy only faeces eaters when trying to establish gut flora (look up human faecal transplants to get the idea)...yep they'll eat the nastiest smelliest carrion if they can get it, and it won't hurt them at all if they've got the gut bacteris set up right...a can food dog will get terribly ill.
watching the roadkill roos around here, the animals (wild dogs, foxes, crows, eagles), they usually start at the bunghole, chew out the innards and partly digested vegetable matter, and the meat component is last...
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
When people here are saying "raw" diets,do they mean uncooked meats?
Per Billinghurst, author of "Give your dog a bone", and one of the BARF (bone and raw food advocates)...
It's not "meat" per se, based around what they don in the wild...
chicken wings (broken with the back of a cleaver when the pup's on it's baby teeth) and chicken frames. Lamb shanks and meaty bones (encourages shoulder and neck development by pulling and tearing)...the occasional dinosaur bone cut so that the marrow is available.
Pureed raw vegetables, lots of greens every few days...bit of cooked brown rice mixed in.
They are realy only faeces eaters when trying to establish gut flora (look up human faecal transplants to get the idea)...yep they'll eat the nastiest smelliest carrion if they can get it, and it won't hurt them at all if they've got the gut bacteris set up right...a can food dog will get terribly ill.
watching the roadkill roos around here, the animals (wild dogs, foxes, crows, eagles), they usually start at the bunghole, chew out the innards and partly digested vegetable matter, and the meat component is last...
My experience is that they eat faeces at most times to reinforce existing gut bugs since their diet is always changing but you have described the idea.
I don't know if it will not hurt them at all, I think they will sometimes puke up some things.
As for the bunghole first thing...thats interesting. What the heck is in a roo's diet? Vultures start back there, do you think you are seeing the initial effects of a buzzard which is then re-visited by a 4-legged critter? Not really the SOP here in States with big cats, coyotes and bear from my experience. They will often go in at the soft belly but will prioritize the organs and guts for sure.
But I think it was the Lakota Sioux whose name for wild dogs meant, "the animal that eats buffalo pies".
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
When people here are saying "raw" diets,do they mean uncooked meats?
Per Billinghurst, author of "Give your dog a bone", and one of the BARF (bone and raw food advocates)...
It's not "meat" per se, based around what they don in the wild...
chicken wings (broken with the back of a cleaver when the pup's on it's baby teeth) and chicken frames. Lamb shanks and meaty bones (encourages shoulder and neck development by pulling and tearing)...the occasional dinosaur bone cut so that the marrow is available.
Pureed raw vegetables, lots of greens every few days...bit of cooked brown rice mixed in.
They are realy only faeces eaters when trying to establish gut flora (look up human faecal transplants to get the idea)...yep they'll eat the nastiest smelliest carrion if they can get it, and it won't hurt them at all if they've got the gut bacteris set up right...a can food dog will get terribly ill.
watching the roadkill roos around here, the animals (wild dogs, foxes, crows, eagles), they usually start at the bunghole, chew out the innards and partly digested vegetable matter, and the meat component is last...
My experience is that they eat faeces at most times to reinforce existing gut bugs since their diet is always changing but you have described the idea.
I don't know if it will not hurt them at all, I think they will sometimes puke up some things.
As for the bunghole first thing...thats interesting. What the heck is in a roo's diet? Vultures start back there, do you think you are seeing the initial effects of a buzzard which is then re-visited by a 4-legged critter? Not really the SOP here in States with big cats, coyotes and bear from my experience. They will often go in at the soft belly but will prioritize the organs and guts for sure.
But I think it was the Lakota Sioux whose name for wild dogs meant, "the animal that eats buffalo pies".
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
Short and most precise answer? No.
Would uncooked meats be dangerous to ingest?
Short and most precise answer? No.
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