# Singing praises of raw...



## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

A few weeks ago, we finally began adding raw to the boys' diet. We didn't switch to THK like I had planned. Instead, we still feed Fromm, but I substitute about 1/3 of the calories with Nature's Variety freeze-dried. I've had training on most of the foods we carry, spoken with our breeder, and gotten some brief advice from a local nutritionist. We rehydrate it then mix it up with their food (otherwise they would pick the raw bits out). This way, they get the advantages of raw without it burning a hole in my pocket. Let me tell you guys, I couldn't be happier with the results.

First of all, they eat it right up immediately. Mario has been free fed his entire life, but adding Nino made it difficult to do so while monitoring how much each ate. While Nino loves the food they are getting, I have seen the biggest changes in Mario. He is like a puppy again. His eyes are brighter, he is more alert, his coat is softer, his teeth are cleaner and his breath better, and he is slimming down again. Both poop less, and they never beg for human food between meals. I had my doubts about adding raw into their diet, but I've seen drastic changes with my own eyes and will forever be a proponent of a raw or semi-raw diet. I can only imagine how significant the improvement would be if we did full raw.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yep >


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Wow that's great. How much do feed them per day? Rudy is on Fromm and I would like to add the Freeze dried to Rudy's diet. Right now he gets 1/4 cup of Fromm in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening. I'm not sure how to adjust it.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I use Natures Variety Limited Ingredient kibble mixed with the freeze dried raw. I add water to it and Molly loves it. She has never eaten better and all of her GI issues have resolved. She gets a daily probiotic also. For hot summer days I have been switching out the freeze dried for frozen raw bits. She has been loving that too!


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

How much of each do you give and how often is she fed per day (2 meals per day?)


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly eats twice a day. For each meal she gets 1/4 cup of kibble and 1/8 cup of freeze dried raw. She is about 7 lbs. full grown.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Natures Variety has a feeding guide on their website where you enter your dogs weight and what percentage you want to feed of each type of food. Then they ask whether you want to maintain weight or other questions like that. It will then give you a guide as to amounts you should be feeding.


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## CindyLou (Mar 9, 2016)

We have had very good luck with Nature's Variety Freeze Dried raw. We have also used the kibble with the raw boost. I was worried about him just picking the freeze-dried nuggets out, but he always ate the kibble with it.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Lisa T. said:


> Wow that's great. How much do feed them per day? Rudy is on Fromm and I would like to add the Freeze dried to Rudy's diet. Right now he gets 1/4 cup of Fromm in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening. I'm not sure how to adjust it.


I just crunched some numbers for you. The Fromm we currently have is the grain free lamb and lentil. That's 408 kcal/cup, so Rudy is getting around 200 calories a day. If you were to do 75% kibble and 25% raw, you would want 150 calories from kibble and 50 from the raw (give or take), which would be a little over 1/3 cup of kibble per day with around 30 raw bits per day (we are using Raw Boost Mixers from Nature's Variety in beef. The 6 oz bags retail for around $13 and last around 24 days on that serving, so it's a really nice way to get raw into the diet without breaking the bank.

We try to stay around 1/3 raw, so they do get a bit more than that, but not by much. I've also found that the stuff we are using hasn't spoiled plain kibble for them, so if we are pressed for time in the morning, they don't fuss if we just give them a normal serving of Fromm (though they aren't as excited about it  ).


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

CindyLou said:


> We have had very good luck with Nature's Variety Freeze Dried raw. We have also used the kibble with the raw boost. I was worried about him just picking the freeze-dried nuggets out, but he always ate the kibble with it.


Mario is notorious for picking the yummy stuff out of his kibble, right down to his preferred formula if we are mixing two. Nino probably wouldn't discriminate, but we would never be able to pull the wool over our choosy guy's eyes heh.


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

I join you in your praise of raw. I eased Chi Chi onto it (Stella and Chewy's freeze dried Surf and Turf) because forum members suggested it for travel with the plan to ease her off of it and back to Fresh Pet when we returned. But the changes were so dramatic that we kept her on it. With only one dog we are able to take the hit to our food budget.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

How is the best way to make this switch over from another brand of kibble to a kibble and raw diet? I have done a kibble switch but throwing in the raw is another element.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

I have the same question. Should I add the freeze dried topper gradually to the Fromm kibble?


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

I have switched Leo and Rex to a full raw diet. I tried switching slowly by putting a little raw on the kibble but Rex didn't handle it well and threw up his morning meals. I went cold turkey and eliminated the kibble and there hasn't been anymore throwing up. I started off feeding the recommended portion size but both dogs lost weight they didn't need to lose. I adjusted upward the amount I feed and both are now maintaining their weight. I feed Darwin's - Leo gets 4 oz at each meal and Rex gets 41/2 oz at each meal. They don't get much in the way treats during the day. Just a couple little bits of dehydrated sweet potato. I add a small amount of pumpkin to the raw meals a few meals each week just for fiber.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

@ Lisa and Tucker's parents:

We have fed freeze dried raw treats frequently, so the boys were really used to the richness. I would give the bits as rewards or snacks every now and then, make sure they settle well with your pooches, and then begin adding it to the kibble, starting small and eventually getting where you want to be. We transitioned pretty quickly and had no tummy issues, it can just be a bit rich for a dog that isn't used to raw.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

KarMar said:


> @ Lisa and Tucker's parents:
> 
> We have fed freeze dried raw treats frequently, so the boys were really used to the richness. I would give the bits as rewards or snacks every now and then, make sure they settle well with your pooches, and then begin adding it to the kibble, starting small and eventually getting where you want to be. We transitioned pretty quickly and had no tummy issues, it can just be a bit rich for a dog that isn't used to raw.


Thank you for the info!!! Much appreciated...:smile2: He loves the Blue Buffalo Holistic he is on now. Food is sooooo nuts with this and that in it. This is good but this is bad and its in the same bag. :frown2: Well the little bugger has never been a picky eater anyway and transitioned well from the food his breeder had to what he is on now. My location makes it tough to pop in and buy from specialty stores as there are not many close to me and are closed by the time I would get there. Online may be the best option but I would like something I can pop in and get if needed in an emergency.


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

I started Tux on Primal immediately after bringing him home at 9 weeks of age. His breeder had him on kibble and he just picked at it. The Primal I feed is raw frozen (thaw his 3 meals overnight). It has all the ingredients necessary for health and growth in puppies and adults. It is quite expensive, but after enduring a lifelong battle with my first Havi over allergies, with foot licking, staph skin infections, ear issues, I decided that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I know of a boxer that lived to be 25 years old. The secret was the owners raised their own meat and vegetables on their farm, and the dog ate everything they did. I am convinced that diet and heredity is most of a dog's proclivity toward ailments. Nancy


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

M&J said:


> Thank you for the info!!! Much appreciated...:smile2: He loves the Blue Buffalo Holistic he is on now. Food is sooooo nuts with this and that in it. This is good but this is bad and its in the same bag. :frown2: Well the little bugger has never been a picky eater anyway and transitioned well from the food his breeder had to what he is on now. My location makes it tough to pop in and buy from specialty stores as there are not many close to me and are closed by the time I would get there. Online may be the best option but I would like something I can pop in and get if needed in an emergency.


That's a problem for lots of people. We are incredibly lucky to have a small chain premium food outlet based just 30 minutes from us. We are rarely more than 20 minutes away from one of them. People I know from more rural towns further north feed their dogs the garbage you can find in any convenience store because it's the only place to buy for over an hour. I do wish there were more companies like the one we have in our area.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

goldanimals said:


> I started Tux on Primal immediately after bringing him home at 9 weeks of age. His breeder had him on kibble and he just picked at it. The Primal I feed is raw frozen (thaw his 3 meals overnight). It has all the ingredients necessary for health and growth in puppies and adults. It is quite expensive, but after enduring a lifelong battle with my first Havi over allergies, with foot licking, staph skin infections, ear issues, I decided that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I know of a boxer that lived to be 25 years old. The secret was the owners raised their own meat and vegetables on their farm, and the dog ate everything they did. I am convinced that diet and heredity is most of a dog's proclivity toward ailments. Nancy


Humans and dogs are very similar in that sense. I would much rather feed something a bit pricier than load the boys up with pills when they are older. There seems to be a dietary fix for most ailments (if not a fix, a big time correction/assistance). This is why it upsets me that veterinarians get such an insignificant amount of nutrition education when it can literally change lives. I see the majority selling "prescription diets" because Hills told them it works and they get paid to do so :/

It has been heartbreaking to see Mario slow down so much this past year, but day by day I see that turning around and I am certain it has to do with the change in diet.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Instinct Raw Boost for Dogs | Instinct Pet Food

Which one would use for treats to start out with?


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Thank you so much for all your advice. I plan on trying the freeze dried raw boost. Hopefully it will go smoothly.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Lisa T. said:


> Instinct Raw Boost for Dogs | Instinct Pet Food
> 
> Which one would use for treats to start out with?


We use the mixers for both mixing and treating (we also use a couple other brands for treats). I just took a look at the Raw Boost Munchies on their website, and it looks like the only difference is the size (guaranteed analysis and ingredients are all the exact same, at least on the beef formulas). With that in mind, each mixer has 1.5 kcal whereas each munchie has 4, so they are almost 3 times as big. Since we have a small breed, I would go with the mixers


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Lisa T. said:


> Thank you so much for all your advice. I plan on trying the freeze dried raw boost. Hopefully it will go smoothly.


Our transition went as smoothly as it could have possibly gone, and Mario has always been incredibly sensitive when it comes to new foods or treats being added. Best of luck!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

We also use the Natures Variety raw boost mixers. I like the freeze dried best because I can use it for treats as well as a kibble topper. I recently bought a bag of the frozen mixers for the first time. I was surprised to see that it was about half the price as the freeze dried for the same size bag. It would be quite a cost savings if you were going to feed this on a regular basis.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I've been using a combo of Fromm's and Stella & Chewy's. Watson had been eating only Stella & Chewy's for a couple years, but with Lola coming into the picture, I was spending over $80 a week with them both on it only, and just couldn't swing it anymore. I tried all kinds of combos, and different commercial raws and kibbles, but my picky eaters would have none of it, or reacted badly (boy has sensitive stomach) until this. They love it, do well on it, but I need to adjust. I've been feeding Lola the same amount for the last few months. She weighed between 13.2 and 13.8 between 7 and 12 months when I had her spayed. She blew up to 16 pounds according to the vet scale yesterday, and i could definitely tell a difference, which is why I had her weighed. Also harder to feel her ribs. I've cut back and she's NOT happy. Poor baby. I know what it's like to be on a diet.


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## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

Oh yes


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Pucks104 said:


> I have switched Leo and Rex to a full raw diet. I tried switching slowly by putting a little raw on the kibble but Rex didn't handle it well and threw up his morning meals. I went cold turkey and eliminated the kibble and there hasn't been anymore throwing up. I started off feeding the recommended portion size but both dogs lost weight they didn't need to lose. I adjusted upward the amount I feed and both are now maintaining their weight. I feed Darwin's - Leo gets 4 oz at each meal and Rex gets 41/2 oz at each meal. They don't get much in the way treats during the day. Just a couple little bits of dehydrated sweet potato. I add a small amount of pumpkin to the raw meals a few meals each week just for fiber.


Why does Rex get more?


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Molly120213 said:


> We also use the Natures Variety raw boost mixers. I like the freeze dried best because I can use it for treats as well as a kibble topper. I recently bought a bag of the frozen mixers for the first time. I was surprised to see that it was about half the price as the freeze dried for the same size bag. It would be quite a cost savings if you were going to feed this on a regular basis.


Was is the ratio of kibble and raw freeze dried do you give Molly?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Lisa T. said:


> Was is the ratio of kibble and raw freeze dried do you give Molly?


I am probably giving about 75% kibble and 25% raw.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

Lisa T. said:


> Pucks104 said:
> 
> 
> > I have switched Leo and Rex to a full raw diet. I tried switching slowly by putting a little raw on the kibble but Rex didn't handle it well and threw up his morning meals. I went cold turkey and eliminated the kibble and there hasn't been anymore throwing up. I started off feeding the recommended portion size but both dogs lost weight they didn't need to lose. I adjusted upward the amount I feed and both are now maintaining their weight. I feed Darwin's - Leo gets 4 oz at each meal and Rex gets 41/2 oz at each meal. They don't get much in the way treats during the day. Just a couple little bits of dehydrated sweet potato. I add a small amount of pumpkin to the raw meals a few meals each week just for fiber.
> ...


Rexy is 10 months old and not yet neutered so I think his metabolism runs hotter which takes more food to maintain his weight. I assume that once he is neutered and gets older he will eat less than Leo.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

We have a heat index of about 110 here, so I bit the bullet and bought the frozen Stella and Chewy's beginner bag (8.5 oz) in Duck Duck Goose to cool the boys down a bit. Only $3.99 compared to $12.99 for 9 oz of freeze dried, but that's without taking into account the fact that the frozen contains water and the freeze dried doesn't. Very successful so far, but definitely a bit more icky to handle than the freeze-fried stuff


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Are you using this as treats of in place of the freeze dried? Also I noticed Mario is lighter. Does he have tear staining? Rudy us a very light chocolate and I'm hoping his tear staining will stop.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Lisa T. said:


> Are you using this as treats of in place of the freeze dried? Also I noticed Mario is lighter. Does he have tear staining? Rudy us a very light chocolate and I'm hoping his tear staining will stop.


I'm kind of bouncing between the two. They get some frozen as treats, but I'm sticking mostly to the freeze dried for mixing in with kibble just because it has broken down a bit more nicely and doesn't leave their dishes as dirty.

Mario has never had a tear staining issue, but Nino does. I _think_ his are starting to clear up, but that may be something that has come with age and the end of teething.


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## Marbel (May 20, 2014)

Chloe is also on Nature's Variety kibble and I buy the separate bag of Raw Boost Mixers - of course she eats the freeze dried before the kibble and sometimes only eat that and leave the kibble all together. She has gone a full days without eating the kibble. I have never tried the frozen, but I think I might buy a sample bag.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

KarMar said:


> I just crunched some numbers for you. The Fromm we currently have is the grain free lamb and lentil. That's 408 kcal/cup, so Rudy is getting around 200 calories a day. If you were to do 75% kibble and 25% raw, you would want 150 calories from kibble and 50 from the raw (give or take), which would be a little over 1/3 cup of kibble per day with around 30 raw bits per day (we are using Raw Boost Mixers from Nature's Variety in beef. The 6 oz bags retail for around $13 and last around 24 days on that serving, so it's a really nice way to get raw into the diet without breaking the bank.
> 
> We try to stay around 1/3 raw, so they do get a bit more than that, but not by much. I've also found that the stuff we are using hasn't spoiled plain kibble for them, so if we are pressed for time in the morning, they don't fuss if we just give them a normal serving of Fromm (though they aren't as excited about it  ).


Hi......just wanted to do an update. Rudy had been on the Raw Boost Mixers from Natures Variety from the past few weeks and is doing great. I'm giving him 1/3 cup of Fromm Gold Adult and 30 raw mixer bits per day. I give him half for breakfast and half for dinner. He loves it.


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