14 replies to this topic

[BoxerMum]

Hello! OK so it's been too long since I've been here, and I'm still smacking myself for straying. OK so to make a very long story short... I started duke on a PMR diet last year, he did fantastic on it.. his digestive system was on track, and that was our main problem with Duke, he has IBD... anyhow about 6 months ago I made a big mistake, and found myself getting too busy with life, and found myself scrambling around to make dukes meals for the month... poor excuse I know, I put him back on a high quality kibble, and have regretted my choice..his stomach went back to being a mess.., switched kibble after kibble, vet trip after vet trip ..and $$$ three weeks ago I started back into research mode and found a company here in Ontario called big country raw... we have been two weeks on their chicken formula... one day after feeding duke this premade raw his poops went from cow pies to these amazing little turds! I'm so happy... I know PMR is a better choice, but I can't help but think this is my best option.. it's been a treat to just scoop in his bowl and be done with it, and knowing that I'm doing it somewhat right, I mean last year I felt like I didn't add enough organ meat, didn't have the right bone content or enough meat, I look at the straight forward ingredients and I think it's all there no second guessing.. so here are my questions... will a premade raw diet be effective for long term, is it sustainable? Big country has many different formulas, and proteins. Has anyone heard good things about said company? Their staff seem helpful and prices aren't so bad..also Duke needs to put on weight, he is a rather skinny dog...is there anything I should be adding to his diet? Sorry for the novel... I hope I'm not doing the wrong thing by going down this path... need some insights

[TRDmom]

I just looked at their website. The ingredients appeared ok. I didn't see the ratios though. The only one i'd stay away from was the super food veggie blend. If "big country raw" works for you, then go for it.

One more thing, raw meaty bones help keep teeth clean. You may want to add them when possible to promote good oral health.

[Spy Car]

I just looked at their website too. I am deeply concerned that the Calcium/Phosphorus ratios (which should be at 1.2:1) are all over the map.

 

One would very carefully need to calculate and counter-balance the individual offerings to avoid a very serious nutritional imbalance.

 

It makes me very skeptical to be frank.

 

Bill 

[BoxerMum]

Oh yes I don't plan to cut raw meaty bones, in fact he has a lamb trotter for a chew tonight.


Bill, are all the formulas out of wack? Not sure what I'd be looking for

[BoxerMum]

The owner seems to think her product is fine but yet another customer had the same information as bill, not sure what to think...  Screenshot_2016-07-14-15-11-24.png   378.92KB   0 downloads is there health concerns I need to be aware of?

[Spy Car]

Oh yes I don't plan to cut raw meaty bones, in fact he has a lamb trotter for a chew tonight.


Bill, are all the formulas out of wack? Not sure what I'd be looking for

 

Their website is a little confusing. I looked at the products they call Grab and Go. Their CA:K ratios were all over the map. When I just went back I got different products, but they did not include CA:K ratios when I clicked on nutritional information.

 

Calcium and Phosphorus should be in the 1.2:1 (CA:K) ratio. Even very poor quality kibbles are formulated to this ratio. Maybe they are meeting this with a different line of product? It would be odd if they didn't. I'd confirm the formulations.

 

Bill

[BoxerMum]

Thanks Bill.. will look into this more.

[TRDmom]

I was looking at the nutritional analysis and it looks like they're doing 65% meat, 10% organ and 25% bone. That's obviously different than PMR (80/10/10). They said their food is made to industry standards, but Bill just pointed out that it isn't--now that is confusing!

It looked like the breeder blend chicken had better (but not perfect) calcium-phosphorous ratios.

On one page it DID say to feed raw meaty bones 2-3 times per week. Is this where the extra calcium comes from??

[Caniches]

I'm of the opinion that if the poops are ok - not too white, no straining - then it's probably ok. The Ca:K (btw this is calcium to potassium, not phosphorous) ratio doesn't concern me because you don't have a puppy. If it's working for you, don't mess with it.

[BoxerMum]

Caniches, that makes me feel better hearing that.. his poops are really good.. I've been so happy I could cry.. I just hope I'm doing good for him, I feel badly that I'm not providing the best of the best.. just hoping this is OK until life becomes not as busy, his poops change white a few hours later out in the sun, is that normal, I thought it was, and when I say a few hours like maybe 5 hours after going they change to white, by the morning they're white for sure.

This is the first time in I'd say months we've been able to pick up his poops without scraping it up off the grass, kibble is just horrid stuff on this guy, he would be fine for a week, and than straight puddles, did several samples to the vet, all came back negative.. vets wanted to put him on a hydrolyzed diet... not sure how good that would have been, so I went down this road..

I do have a question if anyone sees this post..

When is tripe added in? How often? Is it something I need to hold off on, should I avoid it? I have a container of pure tripe in my freezer.

[naturalfeddogs]

Yes it's normal for the pops to turn white after they dry out. If they come out of the chute white, that's too much bone.

 

If his poops are ok, you can add some tripe. Its good for digestion, but as with everything else, intro it slow. Also be sure the tripe you are feeding is raw green tripe, not the bleached white tripe you find in the grocery. That tripe is stripped of all nutrition.

[Caniches]

Agree with NaturalFedDogs. His poop sounds perfect. Tripe is great stuff. White/bleached tripe is just the stomach lining, prepped for human consumption. You want green tripe, which is the undigested stuff inside the stomach and smells like something died in a vat of diarrhea and was left out in the sun to bake. Just so you know when you have the right stuff.

[BoxerMum]

Oh goody can't wait to get a wif of that lol I'll let my husband feed that in the morning..

[Spy Car]

I'm of the opinion that if the poops are ok - not too white, no straining - then it's probably ok. The Ca:K (btw this is calcium to potassium, not phosphorous) ratio doesn't concern me because you don't have a puppy. If it's working for you, don't mess with it.

 

Yes, I should have written Ca:P (not Ca:K). But the proper Calcium to Phosphorus of 1.2:1 is an all life-stage issue, not a formula that is limited to puppyhood.

 

Bill

[TRDmom]

Best Answer

Just like with humans, phosphorous will "eat" calcium and cause bone degradation over time if left unchecked.

On the company's web site, it said to feed raw meaty bones 2-3 times per week. So I believe they're counting on that to provide more calcium.