register for free
View our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
300roses
Dogsey Junior
300roses is offline  
Location: Singapore
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 20
Female 
 
13-10-2010, 06:49 AM
For over a year, My gal had demodectic mange, which caused the hair loss on her body and left a big bald patch there. I have given her kibbles, raw dehydrated and homecooked. None helped her in regrowing her hair.

Finally, I started her on raw. Slightly over 2 months,the hair on her bald patch started growing back. I was amazed at the results raw had on her.

Well, perhaps different dogs have different nutritional requirements. My gal is a toy breed / small dog and she does great on raw. It has done wonders for her skin. I will definitely continue giving her raw.
Reply With Quote
krlyr
Dogsey Veteran
krlyr is offline  
Location: Surrey
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,420
Female 
 
13-10-2010, 08:31 AM
Originally Posted by 300roses View Post
Well, perhaps different dogs have different nutritional requirements. My gal is a toy breed / small dog and she does great on raw. It has done wonders for her skin. I will definitely continue giving her raw.
Not necessarily nutritional requirements (though activity levels, metabolism, etc will affect this slightly from dog to dog) but humans have different intolerances and allergies so why not dogs?
IMO raw is a fantastic diet but it won't suit every dog, because dogs are just as capable as having an allergy/intolerance to certain meats or other components of raw as they are to having a grain allergy/intolerance. If a dog is intolerant of chicken, then raw or not, it's going to have problems, and it may require a chicken-free diet - this could be difficult to achieve with raw, if lots of the meat and bones available are chicken, so something like a 100% fish based kibble (e.g. Fish4Dogs) may be better for that particular dog.
I think it's sensible for people to realise that raw isn't the ultimate fix to every problem but it can be a big help. It's a bit like in humans, often humans with IBS or other digestive problems are told to try gluten-free diets, or something like that. Raw feeding is a lot more controllable than kibbles the majority of the time - e.g. if you suspect an intolerance of grains, you just feed meat, bones and offal, and you'll soon see an improvement. You suspect your dog doesn't do well with lamb/beef/rabbit/etc? Try a chicken-only raw diet and introduce new meats gradually. The problem with kibbles is that often there are lots of ingredients, so it's difficult to pinpoint and exclude something in particular. Suspect that lamb intolerance? OK, you could find a chicken-based kibble but you have to be aware that lots of kibbles have "meat derivatives" or "animal fats", etc. that don't specify a species. Lots will state they contain "cereals" or "grains"but not say which one - so what if your dog is OK with maize but not oats?
You can't expect raw feeding to fix a meat intolerance if you're feeding that meat, but it does mean you know exactly what you're feeding and can help narrow down what your dog can and can't eat. As long as people are aware of that and willing to accept that raw might not suit their dog, I don't see the harm in trying it - it's just another diet to try, like trying a new kibble (obviously I'd recommend people do their research before giving it a try though)
Reply With Quote
JazzMan
Dogsey Junior
JazzMan is offline  
Location: LaLa Land
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 54
Male 
 
13-10-2010, 09:04 AM
Although there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that dogs are purely carnivorous they are first and foremost natural scavengers. This means that while they are designed to eat meat they can also adapt to eat just about anything. When I was researching raw feeding I remember reading that a dogs stomach acid is about four times as powerful as a humans so that it can process the ingested meat more efficiently, however, having adapted to eat the lower quantities of meat found in commercial dog foods, this stomach acid becomes less powerful because it is just not required. When changing the dog back to a pure meat diet it can take a few days to a week for this acid to build back up again before the dog starts to process the food properly again.

I think if your dog has intolerances/sensitivities then raw is by far the easiest way to identify and control the problem, certainly a lot easier than spending 3-6 months working through a very specific exclusion diet, but most importantly, like any change in diet, it can take a while for the dog to get used to.

With raw, that is not just down to how the dog digests and utilises the nutrition either, but also down to how they actually eat it. Many dogs that have been fed on kibble for their entire lives wouldn't even know what to do with a chicken leg, they know it smells nice and they know it tastes nice when they lick at it, but it usually takes them a little time to work out how to physically eat it. Once they do of course there is no stopping them.
Reply With Quote
300roses
Dogsey Junior
300roses is offline  
Location: Singapore
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 20
Female 
 
13-10-2010, 01:30 PM
Originally Posted by krlyr View Post
Not necessarily nutritional requirements (though activity levels, metabolism, etc will affect this slightly from dog to dog) but humans have different intolerances and allergies so why not dogs?
Yes, I agree. Like us, dogs can have different tolerances and allergies too.
I think it's sensible for people to realise that raw isn't the ultimate fix to every problem but it can be a big help.?
To me, raw is the optimal diet for my dog. I do not see it as an ultimate fix to every problem or a miracle diet for that matter. I do not believe raw should be viewed in this manner as well. People should be sensible enough to know what's best for their dogs.

I decided to put my dog on a raw diet on the advice of my vet, who had been treating her Demodectic Mange. My dog’s mange was so bad that my vet actually told me that he did not think hair will grow back on her bald patch. Then during my last visit to him, he suggested I put her on raw, it might help her. That was when I decided to put her on raw.

I have definitely done my research before starting the raw diet. Till now, I am still reading up and learning how I can further improve her diet. I also believe it is important to do research before embarking on a brand new diet.

The purpose of my post here is just to share how raw has benefitted my dog. In no way am I trying to imply that raw will work for all or can solve all sorts of problems. What works for one might not necessarily work for another.

Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the owners in deciding the type of diet that works best for their dogs and tailor the diet to their dogs’ needs.
Reply With Quote
Fivedogpam
Dogsey Veteran
Fivedogpam is offline  
Location: Worcester, United Kingdom
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,899
Female 
 
13-10-2010, 01:51 PM
Originally Posted by JazzMan View Post
Many dogs that have been fed on kibble for their entire lives wouldn't even know what to do with a chicken leg, they know it smells nice and they know it tastes nice when they lick at it, but it usually takes them a little time to work out how to physically eat it. Once they do of course there is no stopping them.
I found that when I started to introduce chicken wings! My dogs are fed mainly kibble but I was struggling to keep their teeth clean so decided to try the chicken wings. My oldest dog (a bitch who started life out on tinned food and biscuit meal) just grabbed them and munched them down. My next oldest (a dog) soon cottoned on and did the same. The next two, both boys, just licked them and walked off! It did take a couple of sessions before they were confidently crunching them up. The pup (a girl) had no such qualms although I think at that age they tend to do what the others do anyway! Their teeth are much better now too.
Reply With Quote
krlyr
Dogsey Veteran
krlyr is offline  
Location: Surrey
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,420
Female 
 
13-10-2010, 02:52 PM
Originally Posted by 300roses View Post
The purpose of my post here is just to share how raw has benefitted my dog. In no way am I trying to imply that raw will work for all or can solve all sorts of problems. What works for one might not necessarily work for another.
Sorry, the end of my post wasn't really aimed at you, should've said!
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 3 of 3 < 1 2 3


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


© Copyright 2016, Dogsey   Contact Us - Dogsey - Top Contact us | Archive | Privacy | Terms of use | Top