[Jzchi]

Hi all
couple things have come up and I was interested in your thoughts. We are 5 months or so on raw and through the proteins and organs. I use ice cube trays and make ~1 oz portions which i give to my 4 and 5.5 pounders frozen. I like that it adds an additional challenge to eat and get through. I have noticed a few times my smaller guy will shiver after he eats as if to be cold from the frozen food but otherwise is alert and happy. It stops shortly there after. My 5.5 pounder was doing the shiver thing today after he ate and it made me think. Being they are so small is this something anyone would think is an issue? That their body temp is being messed up by the frozen cubes that it makes them shiver? they are not shakers so its not that nervous shaking thing that some of them do. Just curious on what you guys think.

Second question is my blonde Chi used to have eye stain issues and i was using angel eyes when he was eating kibble. It worked great but raw worked even better in that the stains went away without my needing to use angel eyes. I dont like that it messes up their ph balance. Any ideas as to why it would have come back? The timing of it doesnt point to anything in particular in the diet.

last question is my blonde guy 5.5 pounds, has seemed a bit meloncoly lately and everyone around me wants to blame it on the raw but they have no idea of how it works so its not from people who have any place to make statements. I was going to go and get some blood work to get a baseline and i was wondering if anyone has info on what I should keep an eye out for in terms of highs or lows of any of the blood tests. In other words if any of you have had issues with things lacking or being overabundent with blood...

in the back of my head Im always concerned Im not getting them all they need via the diet I feed but i know Im just being a nervous nelly as they get the right stuff and in the right amounts. 3 proteins, liver, heart, uterus, kidney...

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[woodard2009]

I would take the raw out of the freezer 1-2 days before feeding it to them & let it thaw out a bit. Are you feeding it to them right out of the freezer? I guess that would be o.k. on hot summer days, but not in the colder months or on a daily basis. I don't think it hurts them to feed it frozen, but knowing that these little guys are usually cold-natured critters, I would give it to them thawed out. I keep mine in the freezer & take it out a night or 2 before feeding it.

Tear staining is caused by several different things, mostly allergies & pollen in the air & dust mites. If you don't want to use angel eyes all the time, invest in non-scented baby wipes.

As far as what you're feeding, Tracy is the expert on raw. Are you feeding strictly raw or combing meals with other types of food? One thing about raw is to make sure it is human grade raw.

 

[Brodysmom]

I would thaw it out. I know some big dog people feed frozen to slow down gulpers, but it sounds like with the shivering that thawed would be more comfortable for them. You can do raw meaty bones a couple times a week for dental health and recreation.

Not sure on the tear stains. I know it can be a problem across for the board for most chi's. If food hasn't changed, I would tend to think it might be environmental? Pollen or something which is causing the eyes to water more than usual? Some people have had success with adding just a bit of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) to the water dish.

Baseline blood work would be fine. I have blood drawn once a year when I do a heartworm test, just to keep a close eye and catch any changes. Tell them you want a CBC (complete blood panel) with electrolytes and thyroid. That should catch anything going on. Some vets call it pre-op bloodwork but you want the more extensive test, not just liver and kidney function.

BUN can sometimes be elevated in raw fed dogs. All the bloodwork lab values have been developed off of kibble fed dogs, so there may be slight differences. Here's an article you can read and print off for your vet if anything comes back abnormal ...

http://www.mountaindogfood.com/RawHelp/Raw_Food_Study.pdf

Anytime I've had a dog start acting "off" it has been due to pain. Either a disc problem or some sort of soreness. Dogs are great at hiding pain, but they may act 'sad or depressed' and so that angle should be thoroughly looked at by your vet.

 

[Jzchi]

thanks ladies
I really appreciate the comments

 

[Lindsayj]

I don't know anything about raw, but from being a nurse the first thing I thought about when you said he has been acting down was that it might be his thyroid. It's worth checking at least just in case.