Food and Health Q&As

May 24, 2011

I noticed that you feed canned Mackeral and canned Salmon. Is there too much salt in the two of these or will it be fine?

Hi Cindy, I noticed that you feed canned Mackeral and canned Salmon. My question is, is there to much salt in the two of these or will it be fine? Thanks! ........Tim
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May 24, 2011

Do you recommend warming up the meat portion of a dog’s food when feeding raw?

Hello Cindy, Thanks to you and the information I have attained from your web site and the books you recommend, my two female G.S.D.s have never been happier or healthier. We are all very happy. I wanted to know if and or how you would recommend warming up the meat portions of their food. I don't freeze much so it is mostly just out of the fridge. I have been soaking the chicken quarters etc. in a ziplock bag in warm water and then I hear about plastics leeching out. We could go crazy. Any ...
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May 24, 2011

You stress the vitamin E is very critical in the raw diet, but I can’t seem to find the reason for that and am interested in knowing. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Hi Cindy, Two weeks ago we started our one year old dachshund/terrier male on a raw diet. We adopted him in October and he was very underweight and had dry flaky skin as well as a mild case of demodedic mange. He is eating chicken necks in the am and Oma's Pride raw mix at night ( we live very close to Miller Foods in Ct where Oma's Pride is made). We are supplementing with sardines, eggs, cod liver oil, olive oil and O'Paws fundamental vitality, which is a powder supplement of vitamins ...
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May 24, 2011

My dog has been on a raw diet for 3 months and she is constipated, what can I do?

Hi Cindy, I've written before you've given great advice. I have a 14 month old female bulldog. I've had her on a raw diet for about 3 months now. I'm feeding her chicken, hamburger, etc. mixed with natures varieties natural frozen raw diet venison/ rabbit, chicken. She's having problems with going pottie. She has to push real hard & it takes a while. Some times by parts maybe 2-3 pieces come out she walks away & the process repeats its self and sometimes takes her a good 15 minutes to go. ...
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May 24, 2011

Our dog was recently switched to a raw diet. She did fine for a couple of weeks and then started to vomit yellow bile and even vomited right after she ate a couple of times. I know there are a couple of books you recommend, will they help us with this?

Hi Cindy, Recently we switched our 7 year old dog named Molly (she resembles an australian shepherd) from kibble to raw feeding. I switched her cold turkey and it seemed to work well the first 2 weeks then she started to throw up yellow bile and even vomited right after she ate a couple of times. I started with chicken necks then chicken quarters. My wife definitely is happy we switched but the bones are a concern for her but not for me. (I love hearing the cracking and crunching!) Then wh...
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May 24, 2011

I have 2 chihuahuas and have switched them to a raw diet but I’m terrified. They choke on their chicken drumsticks and act like they are choking to death. Can you help me?

Hi Cindy, I love your website and have been devouring it... how cool are all of you!!!... but no one ever talks about raw feeding toy breeds... I have 2 eight pound chihuahuas... I have been raw feeding since december but I have to tell you... it is terrifying and I dread every meal... I have only used chicken so far... they say to use the size of their head without the snout... I am not visual so that alone is hard!...so for example, every night I get out 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 thighs, ...
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May 24, 2011

My vet said eating raw chicken is unsafe for humans and why would you risk your dogs health by feeding them raw chicken?

Hello, I took my dog in for a check up and talked to my veterinarian about the raw food diet you push and she said; bad idea. She said dogs will contract Campylobacter and salmonella from raw chicken just like humans. She said eating raw chicken is unsafe for humans and why would you risk your dogs health by feeding them raw chicken? I've been making my own dog food; cooked with a protein source such as elk; oryx; deer; chicken; pork or beef mixed with brown rice; cooked vegetable; egg...
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May 24, 2011

Did I start my dog on too many different meats too fast?

My dog is on a raw diet. He's a 7 month old 40lb boxer/pit named Tyson. At first I started with a wide variety of meats (chicken backs/neck/liver, ground chuck, tripe, egg, etc.) and I'm afraid I've moved to fast. I was also mixing it with wet food or dry kibble. He has had bad diarrhea since the change and I'm wondering if it's his system getting used to the raw or if it's or the different variety of raw meat being introduced to quickly. If so, and I'm to start him slow and work towards a co...
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May 24, 2011

My dog has excessive thirst, excessive drooling, heavy breathing, lethargic and loose stool. Could this be diet related?

Hi Cindy, I have a 2 year old GSD - He is being tested for pancreatitis and other Digestive ailments (result are not in yet). His symptoms are excessive thirst, excessive drooling, heavy breathing, lethargic and loose stool. They started 2-3 weeks ago and have gradually gotten worse. (He also has severe skin allergies in the winter.) The emergency vet tested him and said it is nothing life threatening. My vet is doing additional test and has put him on a prescription ID dog food and withi...
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May 24, 2011

My dog is too thin and I'm feeding a raw diet, how do I put weight on him?

Hi Cindy, I have a 2 year old GSD - He is being tested for pancreatitis and other Digestive ailments (result are not in yet). His symptoms are excessive thirst, excessive drooling, heavy breathing, lethargic and loose stool. They started 2-3 weeks ago and have gradually gotten worse. (He also has severe skin allergies in the winter.) The emergency vet tested him and said it is nothing life threatening. My vet is doing additional test and has put him on a prescription ID dog food and withi...
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May 24, 2011

My dog has diabetes and cushings, can you recommend a raw diet for him?

I need some help with my cairn terrier who is 7 and has cushings and diabetes, we have already had the eye surgery so he will not go blind. I need an easy turkey or chicken raw diet for him to be recommended to me ASAP for HIS sake and mine. Thanks.
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May 24, 2011

Are rawhide chews OK to give to a dog on a raw diet?

I have a quick question for you. I will be switching to a RAW/BARF diet very soon and was wondering about rawhide chews. Currently they can keep my Vizsla very occupied and that can be very convenient with an inside dog. Are rawhide chews considered "ok" on a RAW/BARF diet? Thanks, Michael
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May 24, 2011

My vet recommended that my lab lose some weight. Am I doing this the right way? What do you think?

Hi Cindy, Jake is an 84# lab. He is all muscle. Ever since one of our vets suggested that he lose a little weight, I have been focused (probably too focused) on his weight. (The joke is...the vet is fat!!!) As a lab, and an active one, Jake likes to eat. I give very few snacks, and even then, a snack is raw ...a bone with a little meat on it, sometimes a chicken foot. I feed according to your guide (your vitamins and all), and even then, he licks his bowl clean and continues licking to ...
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May 24, 2011

Can I feed my pup RAW food about 3 times a week and then all natural dry KIBBLE for the rest of the week? Will this schedule mess-up my dog's stomach, or will my pup get used to this?

Hello Cindy! How are you? My question is: Can I feed my pup RAW food about 3 times a week and then all natural dry KIBBLE for the rest of the week? I am planning to do RAW food about every 3 days. Will this schedule of dry kibble for about 2 days and then raw food for a day mess-up my dog's stomach, or will my pup get used to this? I do not have time to feed raw food all the time but I still would like to feed raw food as much as I can. I am planning to feed INNOVA because you guys have it...
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May 24, 2011

My dog chews the legs for about a minute or two, but then swallows the leg bone whole without breaking it up. Is this okay for her? Will she be able to digest the whole leg bone as it is?

I started my 3.5 month old GSD puppy on a raw diet this Saturday. I fasted her for a meal (so no breakfast) and she got raw chicken for dinner. I decided on a cold turkey approach. I haven't been able to find any chicken backs or necks at any stores nearby, but my grocery store had leg quarters on sale so I grabbed a couple packages of those. Her first two meal was the thigh part of the leg quarter, plus two spoonfuls of cottage cheese and yogurt. We've been giving her cottage cheese and y...
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May 24, 2011

I can't get my dog to eat the chicken with bones, what should I do?

I recently just started my 7 yr old Gordon Setter mix on the raw diet, haven't had any problems with runny stool, my trainer/boss introduced me to raw I had never heard of it before, she gave me a chicken back to try, told me not to feed him for 24 hrs to get the dry food out of his system and that would decrease the chances of diarrhea. well, I did that and then offered him the chicken back but he wouldn't eat it, tried it that night and the next morning. still nothing. so I wondered if ma...
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May 24, 2011

My dog takes his chicken pieces and buries them under the couch cushions!

My dog takes his chicken pieces and buries them under the couch cushions!
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May 24, 2011

I just made the switch to raw and my dog won’t eat! He sniffs the food and walks away. What should I do?

I just made the switch to raw and my dog won?t eat! He sniffs the food and walks away. What should I do?
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May 24, 2011

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May 24, 2011

We started our litter of pups off on a raw diet. Everything was going great, until they recently began scratching and some losing fur. What do you make of this and what do you suggest we do?

Dear Mr. Frawley, My husband and I are new to feeding a raw diet with our competition Rotties. Our trainers, Steve and Melanie, turned us onto your website for specific menus and supplements. So far, we have purchased Salmon oil, kelp, and alfalfa from you. We were feeding Canidae to our litter and didn't like the condition of their coats or their growth. However, once we switched them to raw their coats shown, their growth picked up, etc. However, in the last month their coats are growing...
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