Do you use raw food - or have you found it too much hassle?

[loveyouradvice]

Hmm... I've realised that his Lily's kitchen is NOT giving him the best diet and have been reading up on Allaboutdogfood. (Great website!)

Although I love the idea of having all the benefits of raw food, I am a bit concerned it might be quite a hassle

What's your experience?
How have you made your life easier doing it?
What's your least favourite thing about it?

And what do you do when travelling ... my wee fella is a brilliant traveller but would love to take easy food with us - can he switch to freeze dried or something else for a few days?

I started feeding my dog raw recently (he was on butternut box before) and have noticed some great results. I started Bella & Duke as it a novice and I like their support system they offer with great podcasts and also a Facebook group specifically for B&D.. I felt really apprehensive about starting raw, and also quite anxious. Mostly the bacteria aspect, as my vet told me she thinks that the dog can shed salmonella from his fur... When I told her I wanted to start feeding raw she told me I was an irresponsible pet owner and I came from the practice almost in tears. I took the plunge anyway because I was willing to try anything and I just want my boy to be as healthy as possible. The reason I started raw was because my dog was really itchy, and he also suffered with his anal glands too. I understood that raw may not be an easy fix. But since starting it, both of those problems are gone. I was spending a fortune at the vets on his skin, swapping and changing foods and having his glands expressed. Also if he needed antibiotics that was more money on top. This thread has made me anxious again, even though I see the benefits. I may not be making much sense but I often second guess myself, and this forum is usually amazing for support and advice.

Omg just read the full thread......look everyone feed your dogs whats right for you, and them, there's no need to be arse***! Its such an emotive topic, I raw feed and sometimes give them non raw grain free food if I'm away with them camping ect.....no need for arguments! Personally I feed raw as health wise my dogs are in amazing condition no fatty lumps ect, which I believe are reduced using grain free foods I'm happy with mixing and no issues if you do otherwise.......enjoy your fur babies

Yup I ve just joined BARF and there is a great video and a couple of articles on there debunking the whole it is raw or kibble not both.

No problem feeding both - dogs stomachs normal acidity is 2 when kibble fed .... so mix away... just be cautious when introducing new foods until they're used to it

Im feeling so much more relaxed now and am as hecky says just going to enjoy, experiment, trial raw for a while and have back up good quality dry food for when I need it....

And yes like others I AM SHOCKED that Vets promote Canin, etc for healthy dogs... two of my three vets have when Ive asked what I should feed them, implying they were much better for my dog than other stuff and yes, much more expensive... my third vet I havent even asked as I realise I have much more understanding of nutrition than he does... and I'd rather consult my osteopath who has gorgeous dogs, and really understands different approaches without pushing any

So YES I think it is scandalous that Hills and Royal Canin are promoted by Vets rather than just for special diets when needed... their rating is SO low and all that cereal for a health dog cannot be good

@PollyRoulson

@ Veterani Please do - it saves me the job of searching if you have the evidence to hand - thanks

You did ask!

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@PollyRoulson Do you have the references to support your previous post? Rather than an uncurated reading list of totally irrelevant articles that bear no relevance to the claims you made, or even this thread in a broad context? Thanks

@loveyouradvice

And yes like others I AM SHOCKED that Vets promote Canin, etc for healthy dogs... two of my three vets have when Ive asked what I should feed them, implying they were much better for my dog than other stuff and yes, much more expensive... my third vet I havent even asked as I realise I have much more understanding of nutrition than he does... and I'd rather consult my osteopath who has gorgeous dogs, and really understands different approaches without pushing any

So YES I think it is scandalous that Hills and Royal Canin are promoted by Vets rather than just for special diets when needed... their rating is SO low and all that cereal for a health dog cannot be good

Someone pass them smelling salts.

Yes it's crazy isn't it - vets support evidence-based science rather than take their expertise from websites run by unqualified folk who don't understand the difference between Ingredients and nutrients.

@Cripesalive

Another that feeds nutriment. Her digestive issues have completely cleared up, coat is shiny and most importantly she absolutely loves it. It’s really not not inconvenient or particularly messy (I feed her on a lickimat to slow her down). I use forthglade when travelling and when she’s eating at daycare as I get nervous about the raw food not being refrigerated for hours on end. I’ve not had any issues mixing that with the raw.

Hi I am currently researching raw for my poor itchy boy. Will be starting after his current Butternut Box order runs out. What I have found is that they should have at least 4 different proteins to keep it balanced (the more they can have the better), also when stating out you should give single protein sources at a time for around 1 week per protein in case of reactions. If feeding single protein you will know which is causing the problem. Once you know what they can eat then you can mix it up. I will be giving complete minces 80/10/10 as I'm not confident enough to DIY. Also my dog won't be having anything added in the way of fruit & veg as when it breaks down it can cause more yeast therefore make him more itchy. As far as I'm concerned this was the best way to go for my dog as he already can't eat grain/lactose/fish/chicken or turkey. Ran it past our vets and he just said he can't recommend a raw diet, due to a slight risk to humans health, with the salmonella etc. But he knows we will have researched it and to do what we think is best for our dog, as he is ours affter all

sorry I quoted wrong person in this reply