Well, Turbo is now officially a "Raw-Dog". http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r319/jmwise80/DSCF0957.jpg My wife really would like me to get the old dalmatian on raw. If you read any of my other raw post you know I kinda overthought Turbo's. Domino(dalmatian) is almost 12 and that brings up a whole new set of ?'s and worries that I could be overthinking, but want to be safe and ask.
Brief history: When she was about a year old she came down with a mystery illness that almost killed her. I can't remember what organ functions it was affecting, I was 15, but know it had something (kidney, liver, pancreas) pretty messed up. She doesn't tolerate new food well so she has gotton by on what seemed to work. I hate to say it....Purina Dog Chow .
I got a full blood panel on Turbo when I started and will definately be doing that with her. I've got Shultz, Billinghurst's 3rd, and MacDonald's book. If anyone has anything to add to those it would be greatly appreciated.
Try feeding twice a day. Give 1/2 cup ground turkey or chicken and 2 tablespoons of yogurt for one meal and a decreased amount of kibble at another meal. Could even go ahead and add 1-2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin. If there are no problems after a few days add one chicken neck or wing to the raw meal. If there are no problems with that gradually make the switch to total raw. May take up to a month.
As Eva said there are some red flags but I think it would be worth the effort. The vet check before starting is a good idea.
I agree, you know she is 12 has had kidney problems and others (dalmatian are knows for those probs), but at this point if she is doing good with what she gets now, I wouldn't switch.I am all for Raw Diet so (others) don't get me wrong
But I think with a dog that old that has had problems to the point of almost dying.Humm just stick with your little guy on raw .Just my opinion
Thanks for the advice. She really is doing good for her age. I would hate to kill her after all these years. In the hands of a more experienced person I'm sure they could put something together for her, but to be honest the thought of messing with her diet really freaked me out. Kinda like sending a handyman to build the Taj Mahal. Turbo is much younger and stronger and his health will be a lot more forgiving as I adjust to this new "old" way of feeding. I appreciate your honesty and concern for my dog.
With her age and past problems, why not try The Honest Kitchen? That way, it's like raw, but w/out the risk of bacteria inherent in raw food (which is generally not an issue for a healthy dog). I've had good luck switching older (9, 12) dogs using this method. If you keep portions small, you should be ok. How about Force-their grain-free chicken-based formula? Embark is great, but if you don't know the problem w/her organs, the higher protein might be a strain on her system...especially if she's eating Pukina...sorry, had to throw that in .
If the "mystery illness" happened when she was 1yr old and she is now 12yrs old she must be doing okay. Have her blood panels down through the years indicated damage to any of her organs?
As Jenni suggested THK is a wonderful food. If her health is an issue you can always add slightly cooked meats. As I'm sure you know, no cooked bones.
As per my vet, a recent study has indicated that much of the same bacteria in raw food has also been found in dog food.
Well Micheal, are you totally confused again! Nothing like varying opinions.....and you know the old saying about opinions I'm sure.LOL
Jenni, I have the Embark that the young dog gets 1 or 2 times a week. I haven't tried it with the old dog for the same reasons that you said, the high protein. I didn't even think about Force. If she didn't do good on it, I could feed it to the little guy. My wife thinks it was mainly her liver that was affected, but we were very young at the time and were just caught up with the sick pup and didn't really pay attention to the details.
Debbie, I don't know about the past blood panels. Until the past year and a half my wife's parents have done all the vet stuff. We just got married a year and a half ago. Ever since that horrible episode at 1yr she hasn't really had any problems except for some skin problems. They fixed themselves when we moved to our new house. I don't want to sound like a bad owner, but I really didn't get THIS involved with dogs until about the time I joined this forum. Best thing that ever happened to me! And yes, maybe a little confused, but so grateful for all the knowledge at my fingertips.
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