Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)?

by **Sazzle** Fri Aug 23 2013, 21:41

I've been meaning to change Daisy's food for a while now and have finally gotten round to looking into it properly! She is currently on Harringtons complete which is high in maize and low in meat, although I do supplement it with wet JWB, tinned fish, cooked mince and eggs, but still, I'm not 100% happy that I'm doing my best by her. As some of you will know she has had various health problems and while she is doing well now her ears, eyes and a spot on her mouth still flair up from time to time, so I think it's worth trying a hypoallergenic, grain free diet? It may or may not make a difference but it's got to be worth a try? I think I've been too focused on supplements to boost her immune system (for the demodex) when actually her diet could make a big difference? Was just thinking kibble but have come across this on the 'whichdogfood' website.

http://www.nutriment.co/adult/

I really like the idea of a raw diet, it makes sense to me that it's a more natural diet for a dog, but don't think I could do full on raw! This however, would work well for us if Daisy takes to it. What do you think? Does anyone else feed complete frozen raw?

by Guest Fri Aug 23 2013, 22:01

I've not heard of it saz, but I'll be interested to learn about it, I often think about darcys diet & I like you add sardines, raw egg, cooked mince etc, with her kibble. She's on Simpsons premium which is grain free. But she still suffers some skin issues.

by **Sazzle** Fri Aug 23 2013, 22:06

I didn't realize you could get stuff like this. It sounds fab, it has all the meat, organs etc that they need apparently! For various reasons I don't think full on raw would work for us.

I've spoken to Daisy about it and she has agreed to give it a try! Laughing

by Guest Fri Aug 23 2013, 22:17

Sazzle wrote:I didn't realize you could get stuff like this. It sounds fab, it has all the meat, organs etc that they need apparently! For various reasons I don't think full on raw would work for us.

I've spoken to Daisy about it and she has agreed to give it a try!

I've just told darcy & she says she'll see how daisy likes it and then make a decision Laughing

by **Sazzle** Fri Aug 23 2013, 22:25

Sensible girl!

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 07:41

What's Auntie Ella have to say about it Smile

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 08:27

Dave wrote:What's Auntie Ella have to say about it

I've been waiting for aunty Ella to wake up from her bo-bo's so she can tell us Big Grin

with darcy's skin probs I wonder if I should just try feeding raw, but tbh I find it a little daunting, getting the right ratios etc Smile

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 08:29

Darcy-may wrote:
Dave wrote:What's Auntie Ella have to say about it
I've been waiting for aunty Ella to wake up from her bo-bo's so she can tell us :Dwith darcy's skin probs I wonder if I should just try feeding raw, but tbh I find it a little daunting, getting the right ratios etc

Well I think if you want to try it you can't do any harm , but if you want some good guidance you can't go wrong with Aunty Ella , just make sure she doesn't convert you to frozen heads and frozen hairy legs etc Rolling Eyes

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 08:32

What scares me most is I'd probably become her stalker, with the amount of questions I'd ask Laughing

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 08:33

Darcy-may wrote:What scares me most is I'd probably become her stalker, with the amount of questions I'd ask

Don't think you'd stalk her for long , execution Ella style Rolling Eyes

Are you not sleeping very well , seen you were posting at 4 this morning dry food recomendations - Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)? 3198918699

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 08:47

yep your right Ella would just tell me to F off Laughing

No sleep eludes me at the moment Rolling Eyes

think me sandman has forgot to bring me a dream Wink

by BIG SBT Sat Aug 24 2013, 11:24

This looks good, seems a lot cheaper than most 'pre-made' meals too!! usally they only weigh like 300g which leaves it awkward because its one and a bit, they are 500g! if you are going to try it let us know how it goes Smile

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 11:31

Yea it does come up cheaper than the others on which food website and with a higher rating Big Grin

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 16:45

Haha Hayley as if i'd tell anyone to f off no talking

I have seen this complete raw before, heard very good things over their customer services which is a bonus.

The food is good quality but i wouldn't feed it due to the amount of fruit/veg/grain in it, it does have some goodies in it like salmon oil and coconut oil.

I personally think it should be used as a stepping stone to full raw (although can be fed permanently) as it does nothing for their dental benefits, plus dogs gets a huge mental workout when they sit an chew bones.

Also full raw would work out a lot cheaper if you have the room for a freezer.

Having said that it is what i would consider a lot better then kibble.

All just my opinion of course Wink

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 18:28

Thanks Ella Smile

Daisy does have a raw bone from time to time so I could give them to her more often to help with the teeth. I'm not sure full raw would work for us, but you never know, if this works I can always give it a try Smile

I'm a bit squeamish with all the weird stuff (being veggie) although I'd put my feelings aside if it helped Daisy, the main issue is that she spends time at my mums and eats there a couple of times a week.

Think I will have a go with this, can always go back to kibble! Just have to eat some of the food in my freezer before I order some to make space!

Obviously you can't change gradually like you have to with kibble so when changing from kibble to raw do you just do a straight changeover? or would you do say breakfront kibble, tea raw for a few days?

Thanks again Big Grin

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 18:50

IMO i think you should give this a go and maybe think about full raw later on. Even with her going to your mums, you could feed full raw at home and send her to your mums with one of these to make it easier for her Smile

I always recommend a straight swap onto raw, it's the easiest on the stomach and tends to cause less problems.

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 19:00

Oh yeah never thought, of course I could do that Smile

Right you are, will let you know how we get on Smile

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 19:17

It's up to you of course, but am thinking if raw helps Daisy it could be an option for you Smile

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 19:39

Yes it can't hurt to try Smile

Once I get her settled on this suppose I can start gradually introducing more different things and see how she takes to it. Do you remember the performance when I first gave her a raw bone?! Laughing

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 19:41

i do remember now you've reminded me!

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 19:58

Oh I can't wait to see how daisy gets on with this, darcy suffer quite a bit I wonder if it would help her too Smile

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 20:55

I'll keep you posted, might be a couple of weeks till can order any though because my freezer is full! Can't believe I started looking for a new kibble yesterday and now I'm going raw eeeek!

by Guest Sat Aug 24 2013, 21:11

That's 'cos raw is awesome Wink

by LKH Sat Aug 24 2013, 21:41

I used something called natural instincts, very similar I think. This was while I was introducing raw, Hugo who I thought was red meat intolerant is now loving his diet, chicken, turkey, duck, fish, tripe, lamb and pork, plus offal, now just got to introduce a small bit of beef and my mission of raw is complete Big Grin

Ella gave me some good advice and I've since read a lot more into it and Hugo seems a very happy boy x

by **Sazzle** Sat Aug 24 2013, 21:46

Good to hear a success story thumbs up

Ella is indeed the queen of raw!!

by LKH Sat Aug 24 2013, 22:07

I've done it really slowly with the red meat but its defo paying off, I don't think you have anything to loose. I know exactly what Hugo is getting now and he's getting a much wider variety than just dried food xx

by Guest Sun Aug 25 2013, 05:19

Sazzle wrote:Good to hear a success story

Ella is indeed the queen of raw!!

by **Sazzle** Sun Aug 25 2013, 11:33

It's true! Big Grin

Little update of Daisy with raw bones, breakfast this morning! It still takes her a while to get into it but no upset anymore!

dry food recomendations - Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)? Th_IMG_2811_zpse113710c

dry food recomendations - Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)? Th_IMG_2811_zpse113710c

dry food recomendations - Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)? Th_IMG_2808_zpsa08c16f2

by paul l Sun Aug 25 2013, 17:12

When we got our dog he was on raw food but we changed over to this http://uk.edenpetfoods.com/index.asp and he loves it. We still give him a bit of raw about once a week but he looks super healthy on this and everyone comments on him and how shiny his coat is. Also its unbelievable how little of this you have to feed. I did research it before I bought it and thought it looked about one of the best complete dry foods. On their site it give testimonials from other owners and seems to have helped some dogs with skin conditions.

Paul

by Guest Sun Aug 25 2013, 17:48

Sazzle wrote:It's true!

Little update of Daisy with raw bones, breakfast this morning! It still takes her a while to get into it but no upset anymore!

Aww Daisy bum Love Struck

by _Jason_ Sun Aug 25 2013, 21:00

paul l wrote:When we got our dog he was on raw food but we changed over to this http://uk.edenpetfoods.com/index.asp and he loves it. We still give him a bit of raw about once a week but he looks super healthy on this and everyone comments on him and how shiny his coat is. Also its unbelievable how little of this you have to feed. I did research it before I bought it and thought it looked about one of the best complete dry foods. On their site it give testimonials from other owners and seems to have helped some dogs with skin conditions.

Paul

It does look like you varnish your dog Laughing

super shiny Surprised

by Guest Sun Aug 25 2013, 21:04

Broxi wrote:
paul l wrote:When we got our dog he was on raw food but we changed over to this http://uk.edenpetfoods.com/index.asp and he loves it. We still give him a bit of raw about once a week but he looks super healthy on this and everyone comments on him and how shiny his coat is. Also its unbelievable how little of this you have to feed. I did research it before I bought it and thought it looked about one of the best complete dry foods. On their site it give testimonials from other owners and seems to have helped some dogs with skin conditions.

Paul
It does look like you varnish your dog super shiny

That's black dogs for you! Laughing

by paul l Mon Aug 26 2013, 10:29

Broxi wrote:It does look like you varnish your dog

Paul

by BIG SBT Thu Sep 12 2013, 12:55

Still feeding this raw saz? hows it working out? Smile

by Guest Thu Sep 12 2013, 13:16

BIG SBT wrote:Still feeding this raw saz? hows it working out?

Not sure if saz has started this yet Luke, I'm thinking of starting it too. Just taking the step is scary Smile

by **Sazzle** Thu Sep 12 2013, 14:45

No not started yet, having to eat all the food in my freezer first!! Should be placing an order in the next couple of weeks, will update you all once I start :-)

by Hakuna Thu Sep 12 2013, 17:22

If you are seriously considering a raw feeding programme (which is hands down the best way to feed your dog IMO.. real food!) I would recommend that you do some “background” reading first. I feel that it is important to have a basic understanding of the principles of raw feeding. Aussie vet Tom Lonsdale’s books are brilliant and will give you a real understanding of how to feed raw meaty bones (RMB’s) which in my humble opinion should always be the bulk and at the forefront of any raw feeding regime; the whole gingival massage and tooth scraping action that RMB’s provide is a huge LIFE-SAVING benefit for dogs. Another Aussie vet Ian Billinghurst wrote a series of books on the concept of the ‘BARF’ diet all of which is well worth a read. Beg, borrow or steal at least a couple of these books (and read!) and take the best bits from each and do your own thing. Create your own raw homemade diet based on raw meaty bones is what I would say.

Remember Raw feeding menus can be extremely varied and there are various ways of doing things – some people include mushed or pulped fruit and veggies, occasional grains and table/kitchen scraps; others don’t. Others follow more of a “prey model” style of feeding where only meat, bones and organs are given. Personally I feel the vitamins and minerals found in fruit and veg can only benefit your staffy, they are a powerhouse of goodness and until I’m proved wrong (Scientifically) I will continue to feed these (although admittedly there doesn’t need to be a preponderance of fruit and veggies in your dogs diet; a cup full blended once or twice a week is a good quality top-up supplement). The bulk of my dogs diet consists of nice Raw meaty bones (all parts and whole are fed from chicken, duck, fish, rabbit, pork and lamb - 60-70% of the overall diet I feed) - the rest consists of other meat (hearts, tongue, breast etc off the bone), organs (liver is very important), table scraps (including but not limited to pasta, cous-cous, brown rice and other nutritious leftovers), tinned sardines and pulped veggies/fruits etc again usually just the cooked leftovers that I feed to my family (broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, kale, spinach, bananas, apples, kiwis etc are all popular in our house, the majority comes free from my dads allotment lol)

There is no “right or wrong” way with raw feeding, although opinions will differ somewhat! ..there can at times be some rather pompous and stiff-necked opinions to say the least! – But do your homework have a play around, keep an open mind and do what works best for YOU! It’s quite a personal thing is the raw feeding journey (and will always continue to be) a learning experience for me.

Atb,
Paul

by **Sazzle** Thu Sep 12 2013, 17:34

Thanks for your thoughts and sharing your experience Paul :-)

by Guest Thu Sep 12 2013, 18:03

I wish I had the storage space for raw. There is a local company to me called DAF who deliver but I havent got the room biggrin

by Guest Thu Sep 12 2013, 18:08

I'm umming and ahhing we could fit a small chest freezer in the shed, but read as I do I just can't get my head around the ratios Sad

I don't want to cause Darcy any harm.

by Guest Thu Sep 12 2013, 18:11

don't get caught up in the ratios they don't have to be exact and don't need to be fed everyday, i balance the boys diet over about 3 months

by Hakuna Thu Sep 12 2013, 20:14

I agree with Ella on this - balance can and will be achieved over time, not in one sitting Smile

My only 'no-no' with people feeding raw is feeding large amounts of ground or minced meat/ bone content. The main benefits of raw feeding is feeding of Raw meaty bones... the pulling, chewing, grinding and refreshing sound of teeth shearing bone - by doing this it keeps periodental (gum/mouth) diseases well at bay. If you deprive your dog of the teeth cleaning function that RMBs provide you take away a HUGE benefit of raw feeding.

Periodental disease doesn't often get mentioned, but it's a real killer and is brought on by feeding commercial kibble, soft, wet and pappy type foods (ie copious amounts of tinned dog meat). Believe it or not but it's a fact that by the age of 3 years 90% of commercial fed dogs and cats are suffering at some stage from this disease (many owners just simply aren't aware) - the reason it's so detrimental is that the mouth builds up poisons and toxins that affect the rest of the body, organs, skin etc. Not nice to learn, but very true. Sad

Atb,
Paul

by Guest Thu Sep 12 2013, 20:18

ella wrote:don't get caught up in the ratios they don't have to be exact and don't need to be fed everyday, i balance the boys diet over about 3 months

Thanks Ella dry food recomendations - Changing food - Complete Frozen (Raw)? 3198918699

Hakuna wrote:I agree with Ella on this - balance can and will be achieved over time, not in one sitting

My only 'no-no' with people feeding raw is feeding large amounts of ground or minced meat/ bone content. The main benefits of raw feeding is feeding of Raw meaty bones... the pulling, chewing, grinding and refreshing sound of teeth shearing bone - by doing this it keeps periodental (gum/mouth) diseases well at bay. If you deprive your dog of the teeth cleaning function that RMBs provide you take away a HUGE benefit of raw feeding.

Periodental disease doesn't often get mentioned, but it's a real killer and is brought on by feeding commercial kibble, soft, wet and pappy type foods (ie copious amounts of tinned dog meat). Believe it or not but it's a fact that by the age of 3 years 90% of commercial fed dogs and cats are suffering at some stage from this disease (many owners just simply aren't aware) - the reason it's so detrimental is that the mouth builds up poisons and toxins that affect the rest of the body, organs, skin etc. Not nice to learn, but very true.

Atb,
Paul

Thanks paul. Big Grin

by **Sazzle** Thu Oct 03 2013, 22:36

So I'm about ready to order this, should I just order one flavour or a mixture?

by Guest Fri Oct 04 2013, 00:43

I'd order one flavour first, as if she is intolerant to anything you won't know if you feed lots of flavours all at once

by Guest Fri Oct 04 2013, 07:22

Good luck saz Smile

by **Sazzle** Fri Oct 04 2013, 21:06

ella wrote:I'd order one flavour first, as if she is intolerant to anything you won't know if you feed lots of flavours all at once

Thanks Ella Smile

by Guest Sat Oct 05 2013, 19:11

s'ok

by **Sazzle** Sat Oct 05 2013, 20:14

Heard today that there is a place on Langsett Road that does frozen raw, called better for pets? Going to look into that as may be more convenient than ordering online, have you heard of it?

by Guest Sat Oct 05 2013, 20:19

yes i go to better for pets all the time, i've done a thread on them in the past Big Grin

but they don't do complete frozen raw like the one in this thread, it's proper DIY raw

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