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Beginner questions- mixing kibble and RAW
I just adopted a male pointer dog who they estimate being 2 years old. He is an amazing dog and we are crazy about him. I was given a bag Purina dog chow which I know is not the best option at all for him at all. I want what is best for his and I read about making his food in a book and really loved the idea.
The book I read mentioned that you can do both raw food and kibble mix. I would buy a much higher quality kibble of course but I want to make sure that mixing the two is an option. I also read that you can do a mix of grain (brown rice or oatmeal), veggies (such as shredded carrots), and of course meat. Is this right or should I focus on the meat and leave out the veggies and grain. I read somewhere else it should be meat only though. Tips? I also read tha scramble eggs are a good choice? This is so new to me. And last question how do I safely transfer him from the current kibble to a more nutrient filled diet? |
#2
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For the last part- - the transition we have an article on switching dog foods safely and it usually takes a week of gradually mixing the new food with the old.
hopefully others an help you with the rest. - Good luck!
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#3
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I was hoping more people would respond here because I would like to mix my next pup's food with raw also. I was of the understanding (and I could be wrong) that you can give raw in one meal and kibble in another, but that it's not recommended to mix the raw and kibble. Apparently they have different digestion rates and it can cause tummy trouble. So that said, a raw chicken back/neck for breakfast and kibble for dinner would likely satisfy and meet your dogs nutritional needs.
Just guessing though, hopefully with this bump somebody will answer who has actual experience with this. |
#4
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I feed raw, but have never mixed raw with kibble. I just wonder why one wouldn't go with raw completely if you were willing to do it half way?
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#5
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But after what i have done this week I am beginning to think you are right, I am making it to hard and should just do it all raw. He has been so happy and healthy acting this week so it is obviously doing wonders with him! |
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#7
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We switched to raw about 6 weeks ago and the research and people we spoke to did say not to mix the 2 together at the same time - it will mess up their digestion.
It is very nerve wracking, so to start with I'm using Mountain Dog food so I don't have to think about it or worry about where the meat is coming from, and if my boys are getting enough nutrients, etc. In time I'm sure we'll start doing more ourselves, but for the price and peace of mind, this was the easiest way for us to do it. |
#8
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There are several good reasons not to mix kibble with raw.
Firstly, you don't have to switch gradually. That's an old wives tale. Today you start feeding raw.. and that's that. Why dogs often have a problem adjusting is because they lack the appropriate enzymes to digest raw food. They never needed t hem in the past... so the work-around is to introduce new food items OUTSIDE of their regular meal time, so that their stomachs aren't flooded with old enzymes that are anticipating their kibble type dinner. Secondly, to make kibble highly palatable, it is generally covered in rendered fat. This fat is highly susceptible to bacteria growth at room temperature when exposed to moisture, so that is a good reason not to mix the two. Thridly, it's just poor culinary practice. That would be like you trying to eat a nice plate of fresh vegetables and fruit, then chase it all down with a hambuger from Macdonalds. So don't worry about introducing raw over a period of time. Every single dog that comes to our rescue is placed on raw immediately. We don't wean them onto raw, and they do just fine... there is only wellness.
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www.MerlinsHope.com |
#9
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It's a myth that you can't mix raw and kibble. Digestion rates are different but it's not like the two got numbers, as in the old fashioned butcher shop, and raw got numer 2 and has to wait for number 1 to pass through. All foods digest at different rates and whatever is digested first passes through first.
If you have a dog that like to nibble at it's food throughout the day, instead of gobbling it all up in seconds (Lab here ) then there may be some concern as expressed above. Especially in hot weather. Which book do you have? I like Dr. Pitcairns second edition. In the first he uses grapes. http://molosserdogs.com/m/articles/v...Raw-and-Kibble |
#10
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When I got my first pup, I was feeding him kibble as well as some home made foods that he likes - like eggs, some rice, beans, he loves veggies too! then I learned more about raw foods and all their benefits and decided to switch him, he is a very picky eater but as soon as I put it on his dish he just love it, and I have seen the benefits in just a few months.
I use PRIMAL Raw and dry freeze formulas, they work great for me as they come in little nuggets and with small dogs is great not having to figure out the amounts. As soon as I brought the second pup home, I started him on the same foods as my oldest and had absolutely no problems. Now I just cook for them and use raw foods all the time. |
#11
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I was told at natural pet store oatmeal is best for dogs that needs to gain weight. I was feeding my small dog oatmeal and he gain more weight than he needed to. The dog bowl should be washed every day so bacteria can not grow on it if you plan on feeding him raw meat. I feed my dog cooked oatmeal , I was concerned that uncooked oat meal could swell up in Marty when he drink water.
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#12
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I think if you canvas the learned "raw" community at large and mention the name Pitcarin you need to be ready to run out of the room. He's been debuked even by other raw vets now for years and years. His information is passe - and there are many other better resources available to learn about the diet. The fact that both foods may come out of your dog at the same time, doesn't mean the kibbled offered any quality bio-availablility to the dog. It didn't - because it wasn't able to remain in the digestive tract long enough . It was simply pushed out. So while there may be no direct danger mixing the two , you are robbing your own dog of nutrition. You may as well donate your kibble to some needy source. And I'm not at all trying to be cynical. The objectivity of the "RAW" movement is to put your dog on a species appropriate, natural diet. That's the focus of the diet... Eating commercially prepared raw meat is no different than giving your dog meat out of a can. It's processed food. It may be raw, but it's processed. Raw food is a simple ideal of raw meat WITHOUT additives or tampering, and commercial raw does not fall into that category at all. To the person feeding oatmeal: If your dog is healthy, then why not just feed it normally so that weight gain is a natural process? If a dog isn't gaining weight, then you have to look towards a possible medical problem. Forcing weight onto a dog is never a good idea because it is possible that the internal organ system can't handle that extra weight.
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www.MerlinsHope.com Last edited by MerlinsHope; January 18th, 2013 at 07:14 AM. |
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