# Thinking about going RAW....



## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

I have been reading up a lot on the subject most recently and am seriously considering going raw. I want to start out with one dog at a time so I myself can get into a routine slowly. I am planning on starting with Ninja as his breath is rancid LOL and his teeth are yellow  He hates brushing his teeth too. He also gulps his food I literally put in in his bowl and it's gone in one gulp!

I still have lots to read up on but all the threads have been so helpful! I hope to get started within the next couple of weeks  I will def. update on how it goes. Just wanted to state how grateful I am for everyone's time in posting all the info and links!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Yippeeeee!!!! Just let us know what questions you have and we will help you.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Awesome! I know you will be pleased with the results! I know I am!


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Oh fantastic if he's a gulper you'll want to hold his food for a bit so he really works those teeth and doesn't inhale


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

The part that scares me about raw is the bones.
Ive heard so many bad things about chicken bones and bone obstructions.
How much of a risk is it really??
I was reading Zoeys raw blog a minute ago and thought Id ask.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Dahlia`s MaMa said:


> The part that scares me about raw is the bones.
> Ive heard so many bad things about chicken bones and bone obstructions.
> How much of a risk is it really??
> I was reading Zoeys raw blog a minute ago and thought Id ask.


The risk is in cooked bones. Raw bones are safe. We use cornish hens almost exclusively for our 10% bone because they are soft. 

The bone obstructions you have heard about are from cooked bones. Like if a dog raids the trash can and eats a bunch of leftover chicken bones. Cooking changes the bones and makes them rock hard and brittle. 

This goes for the pet bones you find in the pet stores. Those big smoked bones are very dangerous for dogs. Not only can they break teeth, but they can also cause an obstruction or a perforation. I can't believe they can sell those, they are so dangerous. Never feed a cooked or smoked bone from a pet store.

Only raw bones. 

You can go to youtube and put in raw fed dog or similar search and you will find a million videos on dogs eating raw and powering through the bones. It helped me when I was first starting out to see what raw eating looked like and how they handled the bones.

Also remember that a prey model diet is only 10% bone. That isn't very much at all! The diet is mostly meat with some organs.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I also posted a video of daisy eating a pork rib she's 9 months old has been on raw since 9 weeks and she gets through those bones fast it's nothing to worry about


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

Thanks everyone for that info.
Is there any issues with feeding too much beef as in humans?
Should it be a mix/balance of different meats to prevent
cholesterol build-up or dont dogs have those issues??
Do they include dairy products and cheese in that food group?
Guess I have some studying to do on it.
Im not trolling here just interested in learning.


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Brodysmom said:


> Those big smoked bones are very dangerous for dogs. Not only can they break teeth, but they can also cause an obstruction or a perforation. I can't believe they can sell those, they are so dangerous. Never feed a cooked or smoked bone from a pet store.
> 
> .



I totally agree with this had the WORST experience ever about 6 years ago! I got 2 of the big smoked dino bones from a bakery and on the way home we (me and my mom) got in a car accident pulling out of the parking lot a van in front of us backed up at high speed and smashed into us. My mom went to the hospital and I got the car towed home. The next day they were given the bones while me and my mom had to go to the doctors office to get checked out and when we got back both the dogs had salmonella poisoning their was diarrhea literally from ceiling to floor it was EVERYWHERE! It was BRUTAL! I have never bought another smoked dog product again! Never will!


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Daisydoo said:


> Oh fantastic if he's a gulper you'll want to hold his food for a bit so he really works those teeth and doesn't inhale


I am hoping that he will spend time actually gnawing on the chicken and bone. This is another one of the main reasons why I am considering this I don't see how he eats being healthy at all! I am going to take a video of him eating (the kibble) and post it you will be amazed he doesn't chew any of it!


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Dahlia`s MaMa said:


> The part that scares me about raw is the bones.
> Ive heard so many bad things about chicken bones and bone obstructions.
> How much of a risk is it really??
> I was reading Zoeys raw blog a minute ago and thought Id ask.


I agree with this also this was scaring me too I eveen took my mastiff to the dentist and he said do not feed any bones at all it can fracture teeth but I didn't mention Raw bones so he may have been thinking of the bones fromt he pet shop he did mention that cows hoofs are really bad for teeth! 

It will be interesting to see how soft the bones actually are.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Definitely agree that if you have a gulper to start with a BIG piece of bone/meat and hold it when it gets down to a small piece. I'll never forget the heart attack I nearly had when I fed my Chi's their first chicken neck meal. Matilda swallowed the entire thing whole. I swear I looked away for 5 seconds when it happened. I was sure she'd die from an obstruction. LOL She was perfectly fine obviously...her tummy digested that bone w/o a hitch!

Still some bones can be dangerous if swallowed. Chicken thigh bones have a large smooth, circular part that *could* get caught in the throat. Maya once swallowed one whole when she thought I was reaching for her (she totally inhales when I reach for food she's eating - we're working on that for sure). She was fine thank goodness but it did scare me. The real dangers lies in the swallowing part...not digesting or getting an obstruction. If they go down 99.99% they'll digest just fine. But Marley has always been a horrible chewer & he tries to swallow bones that shouldn't be swallowed. We've had a few "close calls" with him when he's gotten pieces stuck. I don't want to scare anyone but to say it doesn't happen wouldn't be accurate. It depends on the dog and how well they chew. Usually what happens is they gag & "hork" it back up to chew some more if they get a little impatient. That is what happens with most of my dogs. Maxie has also had a hard time swallowing some pieces when he's gotten a little over excited about them but Marley is the one I had to worry about & hold his food when it got down to the last bit because he's very very slow at chewing & impatient. 

Anyway, if Ninja is an inhaler just hand feed him in the beginning until he realizes the "good" stuff is there to stay. Also when you try him alone start with a big piece like a half of a split chicken breast that way he gets filled up a bit before tackling the bone so he isn't as tempted to gulp the bone. I'm sure your pups will do fantastically though and I'm sure you'll be SUPER happy with your decision to switch!


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

MChis said:


> Definitely agree that if you have a gulper to start with a BIG piece of bone/meat and hold it when it gets down to a small piece. I'll never forget the heart attack I nearly had when I fed my Chi's their first chicken neck meal. Matilda swallowed the entire thing whole. I swear I looked away for 5 seconds when it happened. I was sure she'd die from an obstruction. LOL She was perfectly fine obviously...her tummy digested that bone w/o a hitch!
> 
> Still some bones can be dangerous if swallowed. Chicken thigh bones have a large smooth, circular part that *could* get caught in the throat. Maya once swallowed one whole when she thought I was reaching for her (she totally inhales when I reach for food she's eating - we're working on that for sure). She was fine thank goodness but it did scare me. The real dangers lies in the swallowing part...not digesting or getting an obstruction. If they go down 99.99% they'll digest just fine. But Marley has always been a horrible chewer & he tries to swallow bones that shouldn't be swallowed. We've had a few "close calls" with him when he's gotten pieces stuck. I don't want to scare anyone but to say it doesn't happen wouldn't be accurate. It depends on the dog and how well they chew. Usually what happens is they gag & "hork" it back up to chew some more if they get a little impatient. That is what happens with most of my dogs. Maxie has also had a hard time swallowing some pieces when he's gotten a little over excited about them but Marley is the one I had to worry about & hold his food when it got down to the last bit because he's very very slow at chewing & impatient.
> 
> Anyway, if Ninja is an inhaler just hand feed him in the beginning until he realizes the "good" stuff is there to stay. Also when you try him alone start with a big piece like a half of a split chicken breast that way he gets filled up a bit before tackling the bone so he isn't as tempted to gulp the bone. I'm sure your pups will do fantastically though and I'm sure you'll be SUPER happy with your decision to switch!



Thanks for the tip! I planned on holding it at first too I was reading somewhere online that if you have a gulper you should hold it or break small pieces off so they can taste it since raw chicken doesn't have a flavorful smell! 

All of my dogs are overweight and I am hoping this is going to be better for them in the end! I can't wait to get kisses from a dog with clean teeth and a non smelly breath haha!


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Oh & it's basically the weight bearing or beef bones in general that are hard. But ribs & such are great for scraping those teeth clean. Chicken bones (most of them) are very soft & easy to crunch. Bone in chicken is by far my pups favorite raw meal.  We also loved the whole ground (meat, organ & bone) mixes from hare-today. It gives a bit of variety in whole carcus (and is convinient to feed) but of course is a bit more pricey because you have to pay the shipping cost.

OMG speaking of the bones they have at the pet store...my daughter picked up a huge smoked bone the other day while I was grabbing some canned ZP. I looked at the label & it was a beef femur bone.  Geeeeeeeeeez I could hear some poor dogs teeth cracking just looking at it.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Chihuahuasloveme said:


> Thanks for the tip! I planned on holding it at first too I was reading somewhere online that if you have a gulper you should hold it or break small pieces off so they can taste it since raw chicken doesn't have a flavorful smell!
> 
> All of my dogs are overweight and I am hoping this is going to be better for them in the end! I can't wait to get kisses from a dog with clean teeth and a non smelly breath haha!


Ahhh it totally will be better for them! Milo lost 2 1/2lbs on raw. It was the only thing that helped the lbs come off. I reduced his kibble to under 1/4c a day & he still was tubby. I fed him the same amount of raw food as our 3 smallest Chi's (they all at the same amount of kibble) & the weight came right off. He's a slim 8 1/2lbs now.  Maxie, Matilda & Mari also lost close to a pound. I never realized they were over weight...I guess they weren't really but they loose the fat & it's replaced by lean muscle. Really makes a difference!


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/showthread.php?t=54226

Here's the video of daisy she's still a puppy and gets through pork ribs no problem I hold sometimes because she runs and eats really fast if I go near!!

I really recommend it and if your just putting ninja on raw first you can still give the others the odd bone for their teeth too. 

They are likely to lose weight too just give th the percentage of their recommended weight!!!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Dahlia`s MaMa said:


> Thanks everyone for that info.
> Is there any issues with feeding too much beef as in humans?
> Should it be a mix/balance of different meats to prevent
> cholesterol build-up or dont dogs have those issues??
> ...


I've never heard of feeding too much beef. It's good to feed a variety, and beef is great. Especially beef heart. It's just full of nutrients! That's for later on the diet though, not a beginner dog.  I aim for about 70% red meats and 30% fish/chicken/rabbit which are lean white meats.

Dogs don't get cholesterol build up like people do. Their energy comes from fat. They don't do well on a low fat diet. They NEED the fat that comes in meat.

No dairy. No cheese. No veggies. No fruits. Just 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs with 5% of that being liver. That is the basis of the prey model diet. I'm not saying you can't give a lick of yogurt once in awhile or a green bean, or a bite of your banana. But it is an extra or a treat and not part of the make up of the diet.


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

Thank-You everyone for a crash course in RAW!!
Very Informative!


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

MChis said:


> Ahhh it totally will be better for them! Milo lost 2 1/2lbs on raw. It was the only thing that helped the lbs come off. I reduced his kibble to under 1/4c a day & he still was tubby. I fed him the same amount of raw food as our 3 smallest Chi's (they all at the same amount of kibble) & the weight came right off. He's a slim 8 1/2lbs now.  Maxie, Matilda & Mari also lost close to a pound. I never realized they were over weight...I guess they weren't really but they loose the fat & it's replaced by lean muscle. Really makes a difference!


I have mentioned this in other posts but in case it was missed when Ninja came back home to live with me he was 10.8lbs! I switched from Eukanuba to Blue Buffalo and now on Evo. Ninja is now 7.4lbs. He looks A LOT better but he still could lose at least 1 lb. I still can't see his back rib. He literally gets 12 pieces of kibble twice a day and he hasn't been losing anymore and I don't wanna cut back more than that I feel like I am starving him already. 

I can't wait to see the difference! I think I may start off slow and just give him a chicken wing a couple times a week. I have a MAJOR 8 hour exam coming up in 3 weeks and I need to concentrate on being more prepared for that. I want to get right into the raw after that though when I will have some spare time.


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Daisydoo said:


> http://www.chihuahua-people.com/showthread.php?t=54226
> 
> Here's the video of daisy she's still a puppy and gets through pork ribs no problem I hold sometimes because she runs and eats really fast if I go near!!
> 
> ...


hahahah i love ur videos they're so funny


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