I just moved two weeks ago from FL to NJ, so I don't have a new vet yet. The throwing up lasted for two days, and stopped three days ago. Her stool had been fine up until last Monday when I started feeding her the Chicken Soup for Dog lovers. My process of thinking is has two ideas.
1) Either she has a problem with grains and this is causing the diarrhea.
2) I put too much in too fast.

As of rite no she is acting fine, not dehydrated, eating, and drinking. I am making sure she has plenty of room temp water and I plan on vasting her till tomorrow and then adding some raw back in. I have not fed her since 6am this morning.

She got a complete stool sample check done before she was spayed about one month ago and was free and clear. I am trying to make a decision about what to do food wise.

connie,
joe wrote:

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2) I have been slowly converting her to this other natural diet Chick soup for Dog lover’s soul,

and that is what i was responding to. i don't know what is in that food, but i presume it is a form of kibble. if i'm wrong about that, then sorry! but either way, a raw diet is the best thing for the dog.

we cross posted. if chicken soup has grains in it, why have you chosen this food? dogs do not have the right kind of digestive system for grains. the circumstantial evidence is pretty clear that the change of diet is the culprit. i'd still do the gi diet, and then switch her to an entirely raw diet.

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connie,
joe wrote:

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2) I have been slowly converting her to this other natural diet Chick soup for Dog lover’s soul,

and that is what i was responding to. i don't know what is in that food, but i presume it is a form of kibble. if i'm wrong about that, then sorry! but either way, a raw diet is the best thing for the dog.

CSFDLS is a form of kibble buts and all natural way for someone with a schedule like me. It’s on the leer burgh site along with many other form of natural dog food.
I was using the Force HK and like I said on my first post I was looking for something not so expensive because I was using a 10 pound bucket once a month, at 70 dollars a clip plus shipping that gets expensive.

I also was feeding raw on top of that, such as necks, backs, wings, chicken and turkey ground, liver, mixed veg, mackerel & gizzard, and I haven't stopped any of this, I was just seeking a different base vs. the HK. Once again, my schedule is a bit hectic and I am the only one too feed her. Let’s just say my other half doesn't like dealing with the raw food part of it.

Yesterday, I fed her some mackeral with mixed veggie’s and some chicken and her stool has beefed back up again, it’s still a little bit on the loose side, but at least it’s molded if that makes sense. Once again I appreciate all the help with the all natural way, I am still learning and also seeking some alternatives.

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..... Once again I appreciate all the help with the all natural way, I am still learning and also seeking some alternatives.

I did understand that the cost of THK was the problem, Joe.

Is there any chance that you could do raw if you prepared it on a weekend and froze a day's worth (or two) in each baggie? I do that; it takes some time, but it makes each weekday a breeze. Every other morning I take a baggie from the freezer and stick it in the 'fridge for the following day's meals.

Of course, there are some really excellent sources of raw meals that you can have shipped (frozen), but I think the cost would be at least equal to THK with add-ins.

Can I add that aside from THK, which is not extruded and baked, most kibble should not be fed with raw (in the same meal). Kibble takes 3+ times as long as raw to get from one end of the dog to the other. That means much of the dog's natural protection against pathogens in raw (speed in digesting; no prolonged contact between the meat and the gut) is lost.

Your dog has indicated that CS is not going to work out well, I think. So maybe you'll want to either try a different good quality low-grain commercial food, or try to do raw in batches so your wife doesn't have to actually handle the ingredients, or maybe increase the add-in part of the THK diet. If you were using a good RMB like poultry backs and necks plus a little muscle meat and organ meat (which you were, I believe), you could up it to equal the amount of dry THK you use. I'm not making this up -- <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> -- this is per THK.

Wouldn't that lower the cost, to increase the add-ins?

does your "other half" sometimes prepare chicken or turkey for the two of you to eat? or is she a vegetarian?

feeding raw is very cheap compared to premium kibble, and there is nothing to "prepare." just hand the dog a chicken. you could also feed once a day, to accommodate your schedule.

The reason I tried the food with grains in it because some dogs can tolerate it. Isn't rice a grain?

"does your "other half" sometimes prepare chicken or turkey for the two of you to eat? or is she a vegetarian? "

ha! She doesn't even like to look at raw chicken sitting in the fridge. She isn't a vegetarian just doesn't care of chicken because of the salmonella factor; she will eat it occasionally though. Me, I eat chicken every single day.

I looked at Cindy’s guide to feeding raw, I guess that’s my hardest problem with feeding completely raw is the portions to give out, of muscle, neck, fish, veggies, I feed her twice a day and she is a long lean 67 pounds, she probably look real good at 70.

As far as the rice, pumpkin and cooked chicken goes. What’s the ratio for that? Once again, thanks for all the help.

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The reason I tried the food with grains in it because some dogs can tolerate it. Isn't rice a grain? ........I looked at Cindy’s guide to feeding raw, I guess that’s my hardest problem with feeding completely raw is the portions to give out, of muscle, neck, fish, veggies, I feed her twice a day and she is a long lean 67 pounds, she probably look real good at 70....... As far as the rice, pumpkin and cooked chicken goes. What’s the ratio for that? Once again, thanks for all the help.

You’ve opened up several worm-cans here! :>

“Raw” ranges from prey model to b.a.r.f. with an unlimited spectrum in between.

I feed kind of a modified b.a.r.f.

I don’t believe that dogs are best nourished by just a chicken from the store; however, lots of equally well-read people believe that the prey animal is sufficient. It’s a never-ending discussion; we all have to make our own choices.

I think we all agree, though, that the bones and meat is the vital part of the diet. And we are trying (if handing a chicken or a rabbit to the dog doesn’t work out because of our dog’s size, say) to duplicate the ratio of bones to meat that the wild animal would consume, in ideal conditions.

We are also trying to add back in the Vitamin E and other nutrients we lose when we don't feed the brains, eyeballs, and digestive systems of the prey animal (for good reason).

Many web sites, such as
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
and
http://rawfed.com/myths/feedraw.html
(the first one b.a.r.f. and the second prey-model)
give proportions for what the authors conclude is that ratio.

I think most of us agree, too, that dogs did not evolve eating grains, and are not equipped to deal with grain-heavy diets. I also believe that grain-heavy diets can stress the dog’s pancreas with the requirement to produce unnatural amounts of amylase and other grain-digesting enzymes.

"Can tolerate" isn't the same as "thrives on," IMO.

Rice in the bland G.I.-upset diet is temporary.

For garden-variety diarrhea, I fast the dog for a day and then feed a gruel-like (well-cooked, mushy) rice, adding a tablespoon or two of plain cooked pumpkin. If that is tolerated, I slowly add in some white chicken (no fat) and see how that goes. I am very careful to keep the dog hydrated or to get the dog to the vet if I can’t. Alice's G.I.diet, earlier in this thread, is (IMO) perfect.

I would be taking the dog to the vet if the dog had diarrhea for as many days as yours seems to have had, if I tracked it right.

Many others on this forum (like Alice) are long-time raw feeders, and will (I hope) have more to add, both encouraging you to read up on raw and to consult with a vet about this G.I. problem. Good luck!

i don't have much to add to connie's post. except that people tend to make raw feeding sooooo complicated in the beginning. hey, i did, too.

but it isn't complicated. it is easy, and simple, and cheap. once you find your suppliers for your basics (the hardest part), and have read up on all the resources here and in good books like billinghurst's, it's just a matter of giving your dog a variety of whole foods and feeding less when you can't see her ribs, and more when you can see her spine/hipbones.

people go nuts with measurements and preparations, but you just drive yourself crazy and there is no added benefit to the dog.