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How many of us feed raw?

4K views 22 replies 22 participants last post by  Cream Chi's 
#1 ·
just wondering who all feeds fresh raw and or a combonation of fresh raw and a food like ziwipeak? tell us how long you have been a raw feeder and how the dogs are doing on it.
 
#4 ·
Brody has been raw fed for nearly 4 years now. I started him as a puppy. :) Mainly because he was a terrible horrible eater and I was desperate. lol. I'm sure glad I found out about raw feeding or he probably would have starved. ;)

He has never looked better. Has sparkling clean teeth. NO body odor. Small tiny poops once a day. Perfect bloodwork as checked at the vet once a year. Can't ask for more than that.

To be completely honest, he eats about 80% fresh raw foods which is the prey model diet. I do occasionally use a pre-made raw product such as primal, bravo, natures variety and occasionally ZiwiPeak. They just are so easy and convenient and we have been traveling quite a bit so they make things easier. But when we are home and in a regular routine, it is always raw.
 
#6 ·
All EIGHT of my dogs are fed Prey Model Raw! Started almost 2 years ago and haven't looked back since. Every dog I've ever put on it, including fosters, have bloomed thanks to raw diet and I love educating folks about it! I even have a 2 page insert I send out with dogs I adopt out that give a meal plan and basic information. I am a huge advocate for raw; and thanks to Tracy ages ago it was a smooth transition! =D
 
#7 · (Edited)
I feed Primal raw, Ziwipeak, and fresh "real" raw. I use the Primal so they have something balanced to eat, plus I love the protein variety. I can't do full DIY raw due to lack of organs and edible bones where I live. I use the Ziwipeak simply because Onyx LOVES it.

She has been on raw since December 2011. She was on kibble for four years (her whole life) until I decided to go raw. Major difference in things like her coat. She used to shed CONSTANTLY. I used to be able to just grab chunks of fur off her. Not any more. She no longer has dandruff problems either and dandruff shows up badly on her since she's black, so that bugged me. I also love that her poop is always tiny and firm too and she only goes once a day, sometimes less. My last major benefit is her weight loss. I struggled to get her to lose weight for a year on various kibbles. Eventually she hit 11lbs when her ideal weight is 7.5 pounds. I finally recently stopped any and all kibble and she is down to 8.8 pounds within 2 months!!

I recently took in a stray kitten that's about 6 weeks old and plan to start it on Primal raw and fresh raw and can't wait to see the benefits. It's coat is horrible because she was coated in fleas and has some other skin issues so now I got to try to get a soft fluffy coat in :) Can't wait to see the difference in this little kitty.
 
#8 ·
Z/Peak in the morning & raw meat at night here. Would never consider anything else after seeing the benefits.

Occasionally I'll add in sardines, egg, tuna (canned in spring water) - my Chi's aren't big on any of that at all, in fact no food whatsoever impresses them, but the big dogs jump through flaming hoops for it.

I also try to sneak in probiotics, kelp juice, spirulina, pinch garlic powder & Omega Oil but when I do they turn their nose up in disgust the little tikes.
 
#12 ·
Yes, completely raw lol. Not just meat though, it is essential they have bones and organs too for a balanced diet.

Mine have been on raw for about a year. The only cooked thing they get is the odd tin of oily fish, as Bambi won't eat raw fish. Mostly DIY, but I do use Natural Instinct when I have the freezer space.
Bambi is a great advertisement for the diet, she looks amazing. Harley has allergies, so his coat looks a bit tatty and sometimes his skin gets sore, but I dread to think what he would be like on a lower quality diet. He is no longer skinny, (yay!) although he does need to eat a lot to maintain his weight.
Teeth are great, poos are great, and best of all they love it.
 
#10 ·
Both of my dogs have been on a raw/pre-made raw diet for about a year. They eat a frozen raw food in the morning (I rotate between NV, S&C and Primal) and ZiwiPeak at night. I will eventually add in some fresh raw meat back into their diet once I no longer live with my grandma :)
 
#11 ·
Raw feeder for as long as I had dogs, so around 18 years. Back when and where
I was growing up in Russia there was no kibble. Most folks fed a mixture of meat
and oatmeal to their dogs. We fed raw meat. Once kibble came around we fed
both raw and kibble. For the past four years my dogs have been on strictly raw.
They are the picture perfect of health. Mind you they have some issues, they
are puppy mill dogs afterall, BUT the raw diet does wonders for them, and has
helped their issues be more manageable, instead of making them worse. Raw is
ideal imo, but you must do it properly, a balance of nutrients and quantity.
Otherwise Ziwipeak is a great option, and if that is out of the question then a
high quality grain free kibble is the way to go. But no matter what you feed you
must keep in mind that great nutrition is only the beginning to a healthy dog,
exercise is crucial and must be included as well.
 
#13 ·
We have been raw fed around here for almost 3 years now! Kerri only 1- we started her when we got her as a puppy. At home I feed 1all home-made raw mostly sourced from local ranchers. When we travel I use a pre-made dog food (these days ziwipeak) but I would say they are 95% home-made raw. I made the switch because I thought home-made totally unprocessed food was best and I could support local farmers while I did it- so for me feeding a pre-made would totally defeat my purpose. I feed neither BARF nor prey model. I do 70% meat, 10% bone, 10% organ, 10% veggie and I don't grind. As far as I know I am the only one around here using that exact diet.

Both of my dogs are doing great on it and I would NEVER go back to kibble. The health change I have seen has been absolutely amazing. For Kerri it is not really a change, cause she started out on raw, but I notice the soft skin and clean teeth.
 
#14 ·
I do. But I no longer feed prey model. I have had to make changes due to the little one having elevated liver enzymes and post meal bile acid test. I tried switching her to some recommended High grain, home cooked liver diets which nearly killed her. :(. Long story I will post more on later when i am not so tired. But I came up with a compromise diet and she is thriving with the energy level of a puppy and the softest coat ever! She simply can't do grains. But she thrives on raw white meat, veggies, berries, seeds and BalanceIt supplement (since she can't and won't eat organs).
 
#15 ·
I feed mine ZP, NV chicken raw, beef and chicken. Maybe once or twice a week I give her Acana kibble for lunch just because I have to use it up.

Even with the Acana kibble and NV, her fur got so much softer and dandruff free within a week because she eating puppy chow at the breeders.
 
#16 ·
We do 100% raw here. We are traveling this week to my parents and even traveling I just packed biscuit a cooler for the road. Since being here I just trim some meat off if what we are cooking (he has had steak, goat, and lamb since Wednesday) and add a little chicken liver and wing throughout the day.
 
#17 ·
I've been feeding raw for a bit over three years, and I love the results and the wee, little poops. I do prey-model raw, and use ZiwiPeak when I'm traveling or if I have a new foster in who isn't sure about straight raw, yet. It's a great food to offer while transitioning.

I get my meat from some relatively local sources (a couple hrs away) and some further afield (Colorado) and try to buy from ranches that are free-range and grass-fed. I'm a vegan, so knowing the animals I feed my dogs had good quality of life and left a smaller ecological footprint is important to me.
 
#18 ·
Mylo is on ZP and fresh raw. He's a puppy so he gets two meals of ZP and one raw meal at night. He's been on it since I got him, more or less so I can't say about changes but he does have lovely white teeth and a soft coat. I'd love to feed full raw because Mylo absolutely loves it. You should see how excited he gets! But I feed Ziwipeak too because I don't have to worry about balancing it right and I just don't have the money and freezer space to feed raw. He took to it straight away. I gave him a raw chicken wing and he had no problem knowing what to do with it! On the huge plus side...we get peace and quiet for ages when we give him raw meat and NOTHING is better to him...not treats or the smell of our food or anything!
 
#20 ·
I feed Honey K9 Natural (freeze dried raw) in the morning and a raw meaty bone, chicken wing or mince at night. I've had a lot of trouble finding a food she would like, she refused everything near enough. I tried full time raw for a few months but she just wouldn't eat flesh on its own or organs! I finally decided she wasn't getting enough nutrients, so tried her with ZP - she hated it! Then K9 natural and she wolfed (see what I did there!) it down :) she has one poo a day and her coat is so shiny and smooth. And I know I'm doing the best I can by her, my happy, healthy, if a little snappy, princess x
 
#23 ·
I feed my crew raw - have done for about a year now, started as
My Kirby was so ill (pancreatitis)it has changed his life ..
He was constantly on medication (antibiotics & steroids)
He was seriously thin & poorly, we nearly lost him a few times
He was so ill we didn't thing he would make it. Now he is never ill and doesn't
Need any medication (natural food is his medication now)

I feed mainly WolfTucker & natural instincts ( and meats/fish/eggs etc
I get in the supermarket)
 
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