Dogsey

Something else I find interesting re raw feeding - of course, just like us, our dogs would much prefer to have a nice COOKED bowl of meat - it is much easier to eat, and far more tasty. It takes a long time sometimes to get them to eat raw meat, when they are used to a nice tasty tin of Chappie, or some nice tasty meaty biscuits. I am sure that a lot of dog owners who say "Fido refused to eat raw food" are just not being persistent enough. It took a week of near starvation to get Hal to eat raw, during which time he lived off his body fat. Eventually of course he tucked into his delicious bowl of raw goodies, and never looked back.

Well said. Why do those who advocate raw feeding have to come across as so aggressive and dismissive of any other POVs? If others are saying they've fed dogs to a happy healthy long life without ever feeding raw - are you calling them liars?

Is every wholly raw fed dog a dog who has never developed any health problems whatsoever?

I really don't like this 'bashing over the head with it' as I've said before. If it works for you and your dogs and you are happy with it - well and good. Don't sneer at people who think differently. Or make it seem as if they don't care about the health of their dogs.

I thought this article was quite well balanced and informative on the pros and cons (chosen from many out there) and the comments are interesting too. Some comments I'd agree with (since joining Dogsey) are

http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/raw-debate/756

I raw feed but if my dogs had refused to eat it, I wouldn't have persisted tbh. I just started off by tossing some tripe in with their kibble which they scoffed, I progressed to adding a chicken wing to their kibble and once it was obvious they were more than happy I switched completely. It hasn't been without incident though, Tucson my Pug has keeled over three times due to getting chicken skin lodged across the back of her throat, which would no doubt have put many people off entirely, I just make sure she doesn't get any chicken skin. Phoenix my black Pug also had an incident with choking on a bit of bone, she however clamped her jaws shut making it impossible for me to try and fish it out so I had to swing her up by her back legs. Thankfully they seem to have now settled in to chewing it properly as there's only so much drama I can take lol but I can see why people may not be happy to try it or persevere if they have problems.

Here's another very recent article discussing the programme in question that raises some pertinent points.
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/...-best-for-Fido


(that's something I learned when an auditor in the food industry - the reason chicken is such high risk food these days compared with yesteryear is because of the way it is farmed these days)

Wow I've just come back on to take a look at this thread and yes Gnasher, you do come across as being incredibly condescending and dismissive of anyone who doesn't feed their dog the way you feed yours You are not a vet or a canine nutritionist
My vet was not claiming to be a specialist on nutrition just stated a FACT that they get dogs in who have damaged stomachs and gullets from RAW bone splinters.

One of my dogs has intolerances to chicken, beef, grain and pork. He is now on Orijen 6 Fish and from the moment I got him on that he too has looked fantastic. He's managed to keep weight on, has a glossy coat, normal poos and gleaming teeth. If I started giving him raw bones, mince etc his health would spiral downhill again. It was my vet who did the tests and he who suggested the food. He gets no commission from Orijen for recommending that food and its is a whole prey good ..... bones and all.

So folks if your dog is doing well on the food that you are feeding them I suggest you stick to it whether it be raw or dried.

WTF is that all about Did you not take the hint that perhaps your dog really didn't want to eat it.

Completely agree with you jenny.

Well shoot me now for feeding kibble, I do it because is suits ME... What a terrible owner I must be.

Quote:
Yet again Nikki you amaze me, you starved your dog for a week just because you wanted him to eat raw....

And yes Nikki, you do come across as " it's your way or the highway " I can't think of many owners who would be prepared to starve their dogs for a week in pursuit of a change of diet

Gnasher, I'd think that if you starved any dog he'd eventually eat the food that was given to him. Regardless of what it was. My previous dog wouldn't touch kibble at all. But I think if I had starved him that he'd eventually have eaten it due to extreme hunger.

NO, he'd not have found it delicious, but he'd have learned that he would not have been given anything else and would eat it as if it was delicious.

He got very picky and he eventually ate mostly Pedigree Chicken flavor canned food. I could get him to eat little else. He was naturally a skinny dog (no body fat at all) and I think that if I had done what you did, he'd have come to serious harm.

I don't think it's right to "make" a dog eat food he doesn't like. I also don't think that if nature truly speaks, as you claimed that dogs wouldn't like a can of dog food loaded with soy and corn better than fresh raw meat. If nature is speaking, why did you need to force him?

Gnasher, I can see that you strongly believe in raw feeding... but you HAVE to realize that feeding a dog raw food isn't ALWAYS the best choice. Surely you realize that?

I think raw food is best for most dogs - but not all! It doesn't work for my dogs unfortunately. Though at this point, even if it did... I most likely couldn't afford it anyway.

YES it's good for YOUR dogs, but not everyone can feed their dogs raw food. I have had mostly healthy dogs that could tolerate anything, but if they won't eat it then they won't eat it.

STARVING my dogs (or allowing hunger) never even once entered my mind. If all they would eat was Alpo (known as Bakers in the UK) then THAT is what they'd get. I'd not let them go hungry.

Jenny, language, language please. I'd not want a moderator to attack you over something ridiculous. You dogs do well on a very high quality and expensive dog food.

I think all she wants is the best diet for her dog, too. She firmly believes that a raw diet is best for any dog. You can understand why she'd not accept anything but the best for her dogs, right? You are the same way, correct?

I agree that letting the dog go hungry for a week just to get him to eat the food SHE wanted for him was overkill... but it was done with the best intentions - which was giving her dog what she feels is best because she loves him.

Please, lighten up and take it easy on her. If you look at it from her POV, feeding anything other than raw is unacceptable. Though I'd have mixed in something he'd eat along with the raw etc. slowly in an attempt to get him to eat it... not just made him go hungry.