I appreciate hearing from everyone. I haven't been able to sell my husband on a total raw diet but I am switching to a 1/2 kibble 1/2 raw. I used to be a vet tech as well and I think that's why the "old school" no bones or people food is hard ro get over. we were an emergency clinic so we didn't sell the food. Looking back though, I think all the stuck bones, perforated bowel and such came from cooked bones. I can't remember a one that came from raw. We have been feeding nutromax Natural for large puppies and my girl has been losing weight and interest in her food. She loves the knuckle bones. I can't say that I blame her for not wanting the same kibble 24/7. I will try adding the raw egg and shell to the kibble in the am and go raw in the pm. Should take a few weeks to make the switch. I was reading about the kelp and other suppliments. Have to go shopping for some. i am sure Ruth ( the dog) will be very thankful we talked. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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.....I am switching to a 1/2 kibble 1/2 raw. I used to be a vet tech......

Just a friendly reminder (more for others reading the thread who might be considering a mixed diet, since you have vet background): Don't mix kibble and raw in the same meal.

Kibble takes *much* longer for the dog to digest, and forces the raw that's mixed in to maintain unnaturally long contact with the digestive system, losing most of the canine advantage over humans when it comes to raw food: the short trip from one end to the other. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I appreciate the reminder...I was going to ask too...Since she has been on only kibble...do I need to add anything to help her develop the normal gut flora she would have had if raised on raw?

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I appreciate the reminder...I was going to ask too...Since she has been on only kibble...do I need to add anything to help her develop the normal gut flora she would have had if raised on raw?

I have read here and elsewhere that many people recommend probiotics and digestive enzymes at the beginning of a raw program to jump-start the gut that's been used to dried cooked food.

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm#enzymes

It makes sense to me; I just haven't switched a dog from kibble to raw since I heard about digestive enzyme products.

I do use yogurt with live cultures, though.

I've found that even dogs who don't tolerate milk well (in my experience) do tolerate yogurt and other "processed"-type dairy quite well.

I'm not a health professional..... just done a lot of reading and had a good amount of experience with raw.

BTW, have you considered The Honest Kitchen? That's a commercial food that you can add raw to; in fact, that's built into the "design." It's raw, dehydrated at low temps instead of baked/dried/extruded.

I keep it on hand all the time now for bare-freezer syndrome, and I know people who feed it exclusively, with and without add-ins, and love it. There are two grain-free formulae. I learned about it here, and I'm very happy to have that backup to raw.

http://www.leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm

Cindy Easton Rhodes (here) got me interested in it, and it have proven to be all it's cracked up to be (for me).