Switched dogs to raw diet...WOW

[ORHunter]

Are you guys feeding your dogs all the silver skin etc when you butcher elk/deer etc? I think I'm going to start with a mix of raw/kibble and see how it goes.

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[KurtR]

If this is so much better than the top foods i wonder why people who have well over $70,000.00 in training their retrievers to get a FC are not all feeding this way. Money isnt the issue and they will take any edge to win. The average age of a dog to qualify for the nfc is 7 and alot of 10-11 year old labs running it. It would be interesting to see if some one did feed raw and compare performance over time. Having something with actual data.

 

[ianpadron]

If this is so much better than the top foods i wonder why people who have well over $70,000.00 in training their retrievers to get a FC are not all feeding this way. Money isnt the issue and they will take any edge to win. The average age of a dog to qualify for the nfc is 7 and alot of 10-11 year old labs running it. It would be interesting to see if some one did feed raw and compare performance over time. Having something with actual data.

sponsorships, ease, etc. I'm sure it's a mix of several things. Also note that our more athletic dog was just as athletic on kibble...so it's not like the short term results are that dramatic compared to a top-tier kibble. When it comes to long-term oxidative stress, inflammation, etc. the data is pretty clear on how mammals respond to refined carbohydrates vs protein/fat heavy diets. There's a reason PPP has the 30/20 mix for performance dogs compared to your average Wally world special...

I don't know any FC trainers or owners who only deal with one dog either. They have kennels full of them. The logistics of feeding a customized raw diet to an entire fleet of dogs would be quite the undertaking.

When we were starting the info gathering phase, almost universally on the gun dog forums, the top complaint was COST. Nothing else even came close. In fact, many folks acknowledged that they wanted to for the health benefits, but it was just easier to dump a couple scoops of kibble without any brain-work or prep time.

You should look up what Michael Phelps ate during his epic Olympic run...not all top athletes are as "healthy" as you'd think.

I do agree that a long-term longitudinal study of gun-dogs from the same litters being fed raw vs kibble would be excellent...not sure the main funding source of nutritional studies at vet schools (kibble producers) would sign that check though!

 

[ianpadron]

Are you guys feeding your dogs all the silver skin etc when you butcher elk/deer etc? I think I'm going to start with a mix of raw/kibble and see how it goes.

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Yup, they slurp up the parts of elk/deer that you wouldn't dream of eating. Lots of collagen in the connective tissue that normally gets wasted, great for their joints.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Yup, they slurp up the parts of elk/deer that you wouldn't dream of eating. Lots of collagen in the connective tissue that normally gets wasted, great for their joints.

Oh man, I don't do raw food (but want to) but my dogs have been enjoying deer and elk and hog trim forever. Almost nothing hits the trash bin from the big game. Those scraps and trim are gold. I even make a bone broth full of meaty scraps and freeze them into popsicles for summer time snacks. I'll simmer down the tougher stuff and pour it over kibble as well.

 

[Koda_]

Oh man, I don't do raw food (but want to) but my dogs have been enjoying deer and elk and hog trim forever.

One caveat to raw feeding wild game is I've heard to always cook wild hog and all apex predator meat, I've heard they have high risk of carrying tricinosys and psudorabies.

 

[ianpadron]

One caveat to raw feeding wild game is I've heard to always cook wild hog and all apex predator meat, I've heard they have high risk of carrying tricinosys and psudorabies.

Absolutely. We boil the bear scraps, everything else raw

 

[Gseith]

If this is so much better than the top foods i wonder why people who have well over $70,000.00 in training their retrievers to get a FC are not all feeding this way. Money isnt the issue and they will take any edge to win. The average age of a dog to qualify for the nfc is 7 and alot of 10-11 year old labs running it. It would be interesting to see if some one did feed raw and compare performance over time. Having something with actual data.

It’s definitely not a convenient thing. We have to have enough room in our freezer to store the food. We also make them eat outside in a kennel do to the mess.
It’s more of a hassle if someone is watching our dogs also.
So there is some negatives.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

One caveat to raw feeding wild game is I've heard to always cook wild hog and all apex predator meat, I've heard they have high risk of carrying tricinosys and psudorabies.

Yep definitely hog and bear.

 

[Cameron.25]

It’s definitely not a convenient thing. We have to have enough room in our freezer to store the food. We also make them eat outside in a kennel do to the mess.
It’s more of a hassle if someone is watching our dogs also.
So there is some negatives.

We have a dedicated freezer just for the dog food

 

[MallardSX2]

For an average lab sized dog how much are you feeding them and how many times a day?

Right now we’re on kibble morning and evening to total the daily recommended portion.

Feed our labs 2 cups of food in the morning and 1 cup of food in the evening.

Every other day they get 6 cooked eggs each in the morning in place of food (pending the laying hens' output).
In the peak of summer its 6 eggs each in the morning. If we don't feed them the eggs they just go to waste because we have so many of them.

 

[MTN BUM]

my terrier eats 100% human food but not raw...it is cooked and cold leftovers get heated up for him..

Someday after I die (soon rather than later based on my hobbies), I want to come back as this dog. Thats the life for a dog

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

A run a police K9 for a living and I’ve had him on raw beef and chicken (gifted from a local rancher) since he was a puppy, plus a couple supplements. He’s 9 years old now and healthy as an ox. He’s nowhere even close to retirement, and his health has been outstanding.

 

[Gseith]

We have a dedicated freezer just for the dog food

Someday I will have to buy another freezer. In the winter we stack cases of chicken up in the garage to keep our freezer clear.

We buy 25lb cases of chicken for $20 from a local butcher. 3 cases take up a lot of space, but it’s still cheaper than a lot of the premium dog foods out there now.

 

[ianpadron]

A run a police K9 for a living and I’ve had him on raw beef and chicken (gifted from a local rancher) since he was a puppy, plus a couple supplements. He’s 9 years old now and healthy as an ox. He’s nowhere even close to retirement, and his health has been outstanding.

Seems to be a pretty common theme! Nice work

 

[*zap*]

Someday after I die (soon rather than later based on my hobbies), I want to come back as this dog. Thats the life for a dog

Yup, my doggie deserves it.....

He is the mack daddy doggie..

 

[MThuntr]

Friend feeds her old dog a raw diet with some bruised veggies (pulled from the dumpster of the grocery)...all ground for her aging dog. Her dog is in what I think is great shape for being an old gray-faced mutt. Lots of energy and none of those "old dog" stiff wobbles. Of course, this is my limited exposure to a single dog so there may be more to it and of course her dog is still one of the dumbest pets I've met (bless her heart )

 

[TSAMP]

What if a guy just fed his dog cheap hot dogs? Does this count?

Asking for a friend.

 

[Drenalin]

What if a guy just fed his dog cheap hot dogs? Does this count?

Asking for a friend.

Not as raw, most hotdogs are fully cooked

 

[Koda_]

What if a guy just fed his dog cheap hot dogs? Does this count?

Asking for a friend.

Commercial dog food would be more nutritious than hot dogs.