abbies_mumma Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 I have finally switched Abbie to raw diet but i need to know if i need to add supplements. This is her diet:- Morning- chicken wing and a few chicken necks Night- About 200g meat chopped up. sometimes with bones. vegies (carrot, celery, broccoli, squash apple-watever we've got) minced up with some olive oil or cod liver oil. All of that is raw. Do i need to add supplements so she is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals? What do you guys feed with raw? Thanks in advance! A. & A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Congrats! I don't feed cod liver oil. Feed fish oil instead. I would have to look it up again, but I believe the omega-3 fatty acids are in much better proportions in the fish oil. Other than that, I would start adding some variety to her protein (instead of just chicken) *once she gets used to the diet* - but that is just me. I do feed chicken about 50% of the time (well I did before I came into 400lbs of beef) but I did like to add some variety whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Originally posted by abbies_mumma:I have finally switched Abbie to raw diet but i need to know if i need to add supplements. Do i need to add supplements so she is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals? What do you guys feed with raw? A. & A. Fish Body oil or Salmon oil supplement will provide Omega-3 EFA's (essential fatty acids). Cod Liver oil is bascially a vit A/D supplement (and stool softener). If you want to supplement an Omega-6, Evening Primrose oil or Borage oil, I believe. IMO, if you're feeding chicken, with skins, you are giving enough Omega-6. Some people use flax seed oil - and also EMU oil - you should be able to find that, I think. I'd make sure you are varying the protein source (if you are just feeding chicken) - and also give your dog plenty of chewing exercise with RMB's (raw meaty bones) not just food that can be gulped down. Not sure what meats are readily avaiable at a reasonable cost in Australia, but veal or pork necks, venison, kangaroo, beef are all good choices; as well as poultry - emu, turkey, duck, chicken. I stay away from "long bones" such as shins and "marrow bones" because they have little meat to them; and they are extremely hard and can break teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbies_mumma Posted July 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Thanks for the help. I have only been giving her a little bit of cod liver oil every few days because i read it was good in a dog magazine. I dont just feed her chicken. The 200g of meet is beef ( the off cuts that humans dont eat- cheap!) and i have found some mince stuff (kangaroo, beef) in the super market that has a few supplements in it. I give her a bit of that too. I dont give her many bones without meat because she just buries them but i try to give her some because they are good for her teeth. She does get RMBs though. What i really wanted to ask was to i HAVE to give her supplements for her to get a balance diet or do i just have to be careful to vary what i feed her? Also, just another little question, she has started getting really bad dog smell since i have been feeding her raw. The minced vegies smell really bad (they are fresh) and is that maybe why she is smelling? Or could she be a bit upset because i just suddenly started feeding her raw? I forgot to change her diet gradually but she seems fine. Thankyou soooooo much anyway for the help! A.& A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 The only supplement that most raw feeders agree the dogs should get is fish oil (not cod liver oil). I would definitely add that. Other than that, it is up to you and what you feel comfortable with. I know people who add so many supplements that my head spins just listening to them. I also know people who add a few like Vit E, B or C in addition to fish oil. The more varied the diet (including various organs) the more likely you will have a balanced diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 IMO- the "smell" associated with switching to raw is a detox reaction. Some dogs "detox" quite outwardly (including skin irritation, "doggy smell", massive shedding, intestinal upset) and some don't miss a beat and you never see any evidence of detox. Once she has been on raw for a while, I bet you won't notice any "doggy" smell to her. I'm assuming you are referring to her own odor and not the "poop smell" - which I find much less offensive than a kibble poop smell. Although, when first switching over, she may experience some yucky poop while her body is ridding itself of the kibble sludge buildup in the intestinal tract, and possibly some intestinal mucosa wiil also be shed. I don't feed much in the way of veggies - on a regular basis, but some folks do. I also don't supplement with anything but Salmon (or fish body) Oil - and one human size glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM for my hard working dogs as joint/soft tissue preventative maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Detox is definitely nasty - but well worth it! It usually happens at around 21 days for the skin stinky yucky stuff, but may be earlier for digestive blowouts. It's scary to see your dog look bad for a couple days (but they rarely actually feel bad), but then you wake up one morning and your dog is just blooming! I think they have something called "dog mince" in Australia? This I'm told is off cuts, bone, and organ meats, with or without tripe. Is this the mince you are feeding? All I would add to a diet of this, is fish, Vitamin E/Selenium, and different raw meaty bones for variety. Maybe a sprinkling of kelp and herbs and a Vitamin B complex - and a raw egg (whirl the whole egg, shell on, in the food processor until the shell pulverizes) every few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbies_mumma Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Thanks again for the help. Yes Laurie I am refering to the body odor not poop smell- I try to hold my breathe when picking it up! ) And Rebecca, yes i do give her some "dog mince" with her dinner. We also buy bags of off cuts and bones (not mince) cheaply from the butcher. Can i give her tinned fish ( without artificial flavourings)? We may be experiencing 'dog smell' for quite a while now because Abbie has to have kibble for 2 days as we are going on holidays and leaving her with friends. I cant wait until shes blooming!! She is cirtanly doing less poos now shes on raw! yay! A.& A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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