HOW TO FEED A CARNIVORE...

 How do you feed a carnivore?

Take a large hunk of meat and place on plastic mat!
(no plates or bowls required)
Enjoy watching them eat!

If there are any left overs, pick it up and put it back in the freezer (or fridge - but you should leave it uncovered contrary to popular belief), and serve again at the next meal!

RAW DIET V PRESCRIPTION DIET?

So my Brownie has just been diagnosed with early stages of renal failure, and of course the vets have insisted that I switch her to a presciption diet with immediate effect.

I tried to argue as to why I won't do it but pretty much got told that a raw diet was bad for her and would make matters worse blah blah blah; cause a raw diet has very high protein content and with renal failure Brownie will not be able to cope with such a high protein content.

I then asked what was an acceptable level of protein for a dog that had renal disease and was told that it should be approximately 20% MEAT or protein of their total diet. I had to hold my tongue because a raw diet generally has only about 20% protein, and what people don't seem to understand is that high meat content does not necessarily equal high protein content. The main difference, however, between a raw diet and crapple (kibble), is the quality of the protein, particularly the quality of protein that goes into prescription diets.

I also asked then what should the rest of her diet consist of if only 20% of it should be meat. I was told that the remaining 80% of her diet should consist of carbs from vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, barley and grains. Again I had to hold my tongue cause these foods are not even appropriate for a healthy dog as it it very difficult for dogs to digest vegetables and grains, much less a dog that has compromised kidney functions.

Anyway, the objective of this post it to just highlight a few things. The first being that if your vet ever tells you to feed a prescription diet to your sick dog, just take a step back and think for a minute:

Why is it that when humans get diagnosed with some sort of disease, the doctors would almost always tell us to change our diet to a more nutritious, natural and wholesome diet and to go organic if possible; but when our fur kids are diagnosed with the same disease, the vets try to shove highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and preservatives with almost zero nutrition down our kiddos' throats?

Secondly, let's take a look at the prescription diet that will be recommended by all vets for our furkids that have been diagnosed with renal failure: which according to the manufacturer is a complete and balanced food that provides all the nutrition dogs need.

According to the manufacturers: the diet is formulated with the following benefits:

• Reduced phosphorus to help maintain healthy kidney function
• Reduced levels of protein to help reduce kidney workload
• Reduced sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure
• Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids to help blood flow to the kidneys
• Increased levels of B-complex vitamins to compensate for vitamin losses in the urine
• Added antioxidants to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system

So great, this food has  a reduced phosphorus level. I guess this would be in comparison to other normal non-prescription kibble. The phosphorus level in this prescription diet is stated at 0.2%. But did you know that the phosphorus level of raw chicken is only 0.15%?

It apparently also has reduced sodium at 0.23% compared to 0.084% in raw chicken.

The level of protein in this particular kibble is listed as 14.3% while raw chicken is at about 16.3% and pork at about 20%.  But what you need to really consider is that raw chicken and pork is generally free from all sorts of ridiculous chemicals and preservatives that are required to make the kibble and to keep it fresh. So yes while the protein level is lower, you are also feeding your dog a whole lot of nonsense which will stress their already dysfunctional system even more.

In terms of the added supplements, well most of the nutrients are available in raw meat and you can always supplement your dog with better human grade vitamins. 

Additionally the type of protein that is used in kibble is far from appropriate for our fur-kids. If you take a look at the ingredients list you will find the following:

Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Beet Pulp, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Sulfate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, Magnesium Oxide, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

It is important to note that all dog foods and cat foods must list the ingredients of their food in order of weight. Therefore, the first ingredient listed is the most important because there is more of that ingredient than any other.

Now, we know that dogs are carnivores and are not meant to eat grains as they simply cannot digest it! And the main ingredient in this food is Brewers rice! (To find out how to properly read dog food labels, check out The Dog Food Project.)

What exactly is brewers rice? Have any of you thought about what it really is? According to The Dog Food Project, brewers rice is a processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice. Contrary to what many pet food companies want to make you believe, this is not a high quality ingredient, just much cheaper than whole grain rice.

Then the second ingredient listed is Pork Fat. It is important to note that any animal fat listed on a dog food is not required to originate from "slaughtered" animals. The rendered animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), roadkill, animals euthanized, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

Corn gluten meal is also high up on the ingredients list and what it really is, is an inexpensive by-product of human food processing which contains some protein but serves mainly to bind food together. It is not a harmful ingredient but should not rank high in the ingredient list of a quality product.

And then there is Chicken Liver Flavour...Anything that has the word flavour is something you need to be careful about. The manufacturer may or may not give more detailed information about what is used for flavoring and whether it is made from a natural or chemical substance.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture now. 

Basically, I just cannot see how a bag of highly processed food can be deemed as a complete and balanced died versus whole, natural and unprocessed meat. It just doesn't make sense. A sick dog needs to get high quality nutrients from reliable and clean sources without any added chemicals and preservatives. Quite frankly, if you fed your dog table scraps, that could potentially be better than that expensive bag of prescription kibble!

At the end of it all, I'd like to quote Jamie Oliver "If you can't understand what's on the label, don't buy it".

Related reading:
Should You Feed Your Dog High Performance Kibble?
Why I will Never Feed My Kids Kibble Again?
We are Carnivores
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients Part 2
Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats

Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

WE ARE CARNIVORES! Part II

 

Many pet owners want the best for their pets, and are willing to spend tons of money getting their beloved companions the best of everything - the prettiest collars, the coolest t-shirts and premium or even ultra premium pet food. 

In the past, I used to feed my dogs and cat the best kibble there was on the market. Why? Simply because I did not know any better. And surely if my vet thinks that I should feed my pets kibble, who am I to disagree? 

I was one of those who thought I was doing the best for my furry companions by buying them the "best" and "most expensive" kibble there was in the market. But little did I know that I was actually slowly but surely "poisoning" my kids. 

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So, Should You Feed Your Dog High Performance Kibble? 

Click on the following link to find out  

Why I will Never Feed My Kids Kibble Again?

 

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And then of course, there are those pet owners who will go to great lengths to prepare home-made meals for their canine or feline companions in order to ensure that their beloved pets get a balanced diet. Very often however, these home-made meals include fruit and vegetables. And some even go so far as to advocate a vegetarian diet for their pets which is completely inappropriate.

The ideology that including fruits, vegetables and grains in your pet's diet will make it a wholesome and balanced diet is completely and utterly wrong. Your canine and feline companions do not need these types of food and by feeding them these foods, you are actually putting unnecessary stress on their internal organs. 

When I first started raw feeding I was sort of following the BARF method which included a small amount of pureed fruit and veges. Why? Well, it was because the few raw feeder friends that I had included fruit and veges as part of their dogs and cats diets, and because I was desperate to try anything that would improve Cleo's health. 

*Yes, I only made the switch to raw feeding after Cleo was diagnosed with a severely enlarged heart and her condition deteriorated so rapidly and there was nothing the vets could do except give her medication to alleviate the symptoms.Thankfully, two years down the line, Cleo is doing really well on her prey-model raw diet which does not include any grains, fruits or vegetables.

Anyway, since we first started raw feeding almost two years ago now, I have been doing extensive and continued reading, and I have learnt that dogs and especially cats have no use for fruits or veges. (I should have realised this on my own after the first month of raw feeding. In the first few meals, yes they would eat the pureed fruit and veges, but then later on they would just go for the meat and bones only!).

Picture from www.vetmed.wsu.edu

Picture from www.vetmed.wsu.edu

Now let's take a look at the teeth of our furry companions. Note that both dogs and cats have no flat molars which are required for chewing and grinding veges, fruits and grains. They only have sharp incissors, canines and molars which are meant to cut and rip meat off bone as well as to crush non-weight bearing bones. If you observe your dog carefully, they do not chew... they merely crush  their food a couple of times (if it's a big piece) and then swallow. Dogs and especially cats, are unable to move their jaws from side to side to provide the grinding movement required to chew. This is also another reason why many dogs choke on kibble or other "small" pieces of inappropriate food - because they are unable to chew and therefore will inhale or swallow small pieces of food.

Additionally, dogs and cats do not produce the enzyme amylase in their mouths like humans (and herbivores and omnivores) which is very important for breaking down starch and carbohydrates before they enter the stomache.

Their digestive systems are that of true carnivores, i.e.a they have a very short digestive track which means that it cannot digest plant matter which requires a much longer time to be broken down. How many of you have noticed that if your dog ate some grass, it would come out the other end completely undigested?

This means that if you feed your dog or cat grains and carbohydrates, you are stressing your pets digestive system and you may cause excessive strain on your dog's or cat's pancreas.   

For a more detailed analysis on whether or not your dog or cat requires fruits, grains and veges, check out the following links:

The Great Debate: Do Dogs Need Fruits and Vegetables?
Myth: Dogs are Omnivores 
What is Wrong with Dog Food?
Canine Evolution and Anatomy

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Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

WE ARE CARNIVORES!!!

 

 Folks, I have been completely swamped with work, rescued ones and fostering and have not had the time to post anything at all... So I do apologise for the silence.

However, this is just a gentle reminder to everyone that our cats and dogs are CARNIVORES!!! 

So just because you might be vegetarian, your cat and dog should NOT BE VEGETARIAN!!! 

Ideally they should be fed a PREY MODEL RAW DIET! This consists of plenty of fresh, raw meat and bones and organs!!! Not veges and fruits and other nonsense like grains!!!

Sorry, for shouting there, but had a phone call from someone who wanted advice on what to feed her over-weight basset hound that seems to have a million allergies. But whatever I tried to tell her, she had an excuse for not doing that, and then ends the call by telling me that a vegetarian kibble diet is what her basset hound needs! 

Argh... have no idea why she even called me when she did not want to listen to or even consider anything I had to say...

VERDICT ON THE AUSTRALIAN LAMB SHOULDER: PASSED!

Just a few pics of Cleo and Lucky eating their Australian lamb shoulder from Giant!

They enjoyed it thoroughly... (didn't manage to get pics of Rascal and Belle eating their portions as they wouldn't stay still long enough!). 
 

The quality of lamb was actually quite good! And the kids didn't turn their noses up on it, so that was a relief! Yes, my lot are quite picky! If they don't like it or they think it's not good, they won't eat it!

Also, for RM17/kg from a supermarket, it's a good price! I just saw the exact same thing at Cold Storage, Great Eastern Mall this evening for RM24/kg.

So I reckon I shall be making trips to Giant from now on, eventhough I don't actually like shopping in Giant as I find it so messy and disorganised that it usually gives me a headache!

FISH BODY OIL SUPPLEMENTS FOR A RAW FED DOG?

So you're thinking, is there a need to give your dog supplements if she is fed raw?

Well as a general rule, there is no real need to supplement your dog if she's healthy, (i.e. not suffering from any problems or diease etc), and if you're feeding your dog a good variety of meats, bone and organ in the appropriate ratio of 80:10:10 over time. So she should be getting all the nutrition that she needs.

However, the other exception to the rule would be where the majority of the meats that are being fed to your dog are your regular grocery store variety, i.e. not organic/free range, whereby the Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio is completely out of balance.

100mg Salmon Oil & 100mg Fish Body Oils

If you have a healthy dog and you're concerned that your dog may need some supplements to her raw diet, then consider getting a good quality Fish Body Oil or Wild Salmon Oil (both referred to as Fish Oil hereafter). Please note that this is quite different from cod liver oil.

Fish Oil is used to supplement or balance Omega 3 fatty acids which are usually lacking in commercially produced meats.

Cod liver oil, on the other hand, contains a high amount of Vitamin A & D (which your dog should get from the 10% organ meat esp liver in her raw diet) which your healthy dog does not really need; and usually has a much lower EPA + DHA content per gel cap. So you will need to give a lot more cod liver oil gel caps to achieve the required EPA +DHA content, but it will also mean that you will be giving your dog way too much Vitamin A & D.

Please check the EPA + DHA values and not just the dosage of the fish oil!

For fish oil, a maintenance dose (to balance the Omega 3:Omega 6 ratios if you're feeding commercial meat) is 100mg of DHA+EPA per 10lb of dog. Most gelcaps contain 300mg DHA+EPA. 

You need to make sure that you refer to the information/supplement facts on the back of the bottle. This is quite different from the dosage of the oil as indicated on the front label of the bottle. 

Also, please ensure that the Fish Oil or Salmon Oil that you get is free from unnecessary additives such as soy, corn, sugar, colours etc.

Another important thing to look out for is Vitamin E or Tocopherols in the Fish Oil that you have purchased. These are almost always derived from soy. So if the Fish Oil that you have purchased contains either of these, do not feed it to your dog because we know our dogs are carnivores and cannot digest grains. 

 
So for example, if Cleo (who is about 66 lbs) was perfectly healthy, she would get about 600mg of DHA + EPA daily, which means about 2 capsules per day based on the 1000mg Fish Oil that we have from GNC.
 
Dogs who are suffering from certain diseases or is recovering from illness should take a therapeutic dose instead. For example, heart problems, skin problems, ear problems etc. A therapeutic dose would usually be three times the normal dose. So my Cleo used to take about 6 capsules a day to get her 1800mg of DHA + EPA as she has a severely enlarged heart and a few other problems. (Update: She is now back to 2 capsules a day as her condition has improved significantly since. She also takes CoQ10, Hawthorne, Coconut Oil, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B12 for her heart condition).

*Note: You will need to monitor the bowel tolerance of your dog when giving high doses of fish oil. If you find that it causes your dog to have diarrhea, reduce the dosage gradually till her tolerance level. Then after a few days or a week at the level, try to increase the dosage to the recommended therapeutic dose. 

I will write a separate post later on about other supplements that you may want to consider for your dog if she has health issues. 



**Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on supplements for your dogs.

CLEO...

Another benefit of feeding raw is that Cleo seems to have peeled back the years and is behaving like the puppy she was 8 years ago! She is now alot more active than she was before we started raw (although we will have to admit she's not as fit due to her heart condition) and is always playing with her toys or clowning around.

NATURAL ODOUR REMOVER & SURFACE DISINFECTANT

 
Ever since Cleo was diagnosed with her heart problem etc, we have been trying to find natural alternatives as cleaning products in a bid to minimise any impact that the harsh chemicals cleaning products might have on her.

Earth Choice & Orange Power cleaning solutions and laundry liquids

We have been using Earth Choice (by Natures Organics) & Orange Power (by Planet Ark) for a while now as they are cruelty free, eco-friendly; and both companies try to use as many natural ingredients as possible in their products.

What we like most about these products is that that you only use a very small amount of these solutions and they actually work!; while being really mild on your hands etc, and also the environment.

These products are quite hard to come by and is perhaps slightly more expensive than ordinary cleaning solutions, but then again they last longer cause you don't use quite so much of it... so I guess it's possibly cheaper in the long run.

We have also discovered recently that you can also make your own concoction of rather effective cleaning solutions using 2 basic components: i.e. vinegar & water! You can then add a number of other things like dishwashing liquid or perhaps some essential oil to turn this basic solution into a floor or surface cleaner, surface disinfectant or air-disinfectant.

Most of you may already know of this, but this discovery has just blown us away. And our favourite thing is our own blend of odour removing cleaner!

Our Cleo & Lucky, who live indoors, are (thankfully) fully potty trained. We built them an indoor bathroom which they use religiously, but this also means that this bathroom requires some serious cleaning on a daily basis. Otherwise the smell will just permeate through the entire house!

So what we have done to ensure that their bathroom is always clean, is channel the water from the washing machine into their bathroom. So it means that every time the washing machine is turned on, their bathroom gets a wash too... And this way we don't see the used water from the washing machine just going down the drain before serving a second purpose.

Additionally, we have been purchasing Hartz Stain & Odour Remover for years and while it does the job nicely, it is very expensive! RM45 per bottle which lasts about a month!

Nowadays, what we do is make a solution of white vinegar and water with some dishwashing liquid.

White vinegar & dish washing liquid for home-made cleaning solutions

To make 1litre of solution, use 450mls white vinegar, 450mls water and 100mls dishwashing liquid. (This costs me about RM5 in comparison to RM45!!!)

This solution cleans the bathroom tiles really, really well and there is no smell at afterwards. It keeps their bathroom quite fresh eventhough I only wash it once a day with the solution, while the rest of the times we just use water to hose down the pee. (Previously, we had to use the Hartz spray everytime we washed their pee away). So perhaps this is something you might want to try?

You can also use this solution (9 parts water, 1 part vinegar and a drop of dishwashing liquid) to mop your floors and it will leave your floors squeaky clean. It is however not suitable for all floors, so please test a small area of your floor before trying it. Apparently it's not very good for marble floors, so we unfortunately don't use it to mop our floors. We use a very small amount of Earth Choice's floor and surface cleaner instead.

The other thing that we now use religiously is our all natural surface disinfectant - which is just a 50:50 solution of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. So now anytime the kids slobber on the floor or make a mess eating their raw meat, we just spray this and wipe off. And we don't have to worry about them licking the floor afterwards and getting a whole load of chemicals into their systems. We also use this to wipe down our kitchen counters and table tops etc. It can also be used as a glass & window cleaner

You can use the same solution and add a few drops of essential oils such as lemon or tea tree in a spray bottle and use it as an air freshener too.

Just thought we would share this with all of you as we have just made a new batch of solutions for the house.

For more tips on how to use vinegar, check out Vinegar Tips

CHOW TIME

Just thought I'd share some pictures of Cleo & Lucky enjoying their large hunks of pork!

If you still think that feeding kibble to your dog is better, please read my previous post "Why I will never feed my kids kibble ever again". I think it will really change your mind about kibble...
 

 

CANINE ACUPUNCTURE

Cleo waiting patiently for her acupuncture appointment

We have been taking Cleo to Dr Susanna for acupuncture and Chinese medicine for about 9 months now... The initial treatments were a week apart, and then it stretched to 2 weeks and now we visit Dr Susanna once every 3-4 weeks for maintenance treatments.

So has acupuncture and Chinese medicine helped Cleo? Well, we certainly think so... While we feel that acupuncture is not the only thing that has helped improve Cleo's condition, it certainly is a factor; and the the herbs that are prescribed by Dr Susanna also seem to help Cleo's condition in addition to the raw diet and supplements that we give her.

What was most interesting was that from the first or second visit to Dr Susanna last year, she pointed out that Cleo had an issue with her spleen. Dr Susanna was not happy with Cleo's spleen and always treated Cleo for her spleen in addition to her heart and kidneys etc.

Then in December, after Cleo gave us another scare by urinating blood, we took Cleo to Dr Prem for an ultrasound of her bladder and kidneys, as well as a repeat ultrasound of her heart. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Dr Prem discovered some irregularities with her bladder (which we suspected since she had urinated blood), but he also discovered that her spleen was slightly enlarged and had some irregularities as well.

This is another reason why we believe that acupuncture is not  a load of hog wash and actually works.

So if any of you have pets that are ill and are not convinced that modern medicine can help your pet recover, perhaps you should consider taking your pet for acupuncture with Dr Susanna. Please visit Asia Paws for more information.

WHY I WILL NEVER FEED MY KIDS KIBBLE EVER AGAIN!

Most readers of my blog would know that I currently feed my kids raw food. I made the switch almost a year ago now when Cleo was diagnosed with a severely enlarged heart. There didn't seem to be anything that I could do to improve her condition from a medical point of view. The only thing that kept cropping up when I was researching her condition was diet and supplements. And I am glad to report that a year on, she is doing really quite well.

One of the first things that I did when I made the decision to switch from kibble to raw was to actually give away the kibble that I still had. It was a newly opened super premium brand mind you. I gave it away so that I couldn't cave in and feed the kids kibble in the event that they decided not to eat the raw food. Now that was almost a year ago...

A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning out the little store room under my stair case when I saw two small, round pellets on the floor. I groaned rather loudly as I thought that I had rats or something in the house. But upon closer inspection I discovered that it was not rat droppings but kibble!!!

The two rogue pieces of kibble

I was quite horrified because the kibble looked "normal", i.e. as if it was just taken out of the bag... There was no sign of decomposition or degradation of any sort! This kibble was completely well preserved and it had been lying there on the floor for at least a year, if not more - depending on when that kibble actually fell out!

This really further impressed upon me that kibble is really just full of chemicals and preservatives, and we should really stop feeding our kids kibble!

I will try to write a more comprehensive post on the evil that is kibble later on. But I just hope that this will help those of you who are still feeding your kids kibble to ditch it asap! Even if you can't bring yourself to feed your kids raw, stop feeding them kibble or any processed food really!

After years of being brainwashed by everyone into thinking that kibble was the perfect food for my kids, I have come to realise that what my aged uncle was feeding his dogs - human food, i.e. whatever my uncle ate, his dogs ate - was a million times better than kibble. I know for certain now that I will never ever feed my kids kibble again!

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To further impress upon everyone the importance of ditching kibble, I am conducting a mini experiment: I have put the two pellets of kibble in a small, open, plastic container. I have dated it today (16/01/13) and put it back into the store room. I will check on it in 6 months time and let you know if they are still there...

UPDATE 07/12/13 The two pieces of kibble are still perfectly intact!

RAW FEEDING FOR HEALTHIER DOGS

2 days worth of chicken for the lot of them

The kids have been doing really well on BFFLO (Big Food Fed Less Often). They seem fuller and more contented. Basically for those of you who are wondering what on earth this means, it simply means that they get a much larger meal and only eat every other day or so.. Note that this does not equal fasting!

One giant meal for Cleo

What happens with my lot is that (after some tweaking etc) they eat on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. They essentially get a double meal at each meal time except Wednesdays (they get a single meal here). I have scheduled it such so that I remember when to feed them and how much. Otherwise I may forget if they need to eat... ;-)

We are now almost 10/11 months into raw food for the kids. And I must say I am so pleased that I made the switch early this year! I cannot imagine ever putting them back on kibble! They are generally doing very very well.

Cleo's health has improved although we still have issues every now and then. But she is doing so well compared to before we made the switch! No one believes that she is an 8 year old labrador with a heart problem!

Lucky and Belle's skin have cleared up completely! No more nasty hot spots and sores and stinky coat!

Rascal has put on weight and his coat is so shiny and glossy eventhough he hasn't had a bath in 3 months already now!!! Lucky also has a really nice coat and he hasn't had a bath in a few months as well. Cleo and Belle have just had a bath yesterday after 2 months - and that was just because I felt that they needed one before the new year as opposed to them actually needing the one. The boys refused to get bathed so I gave up...

But seriously feeding raw has made my life so much easier in terms of bathing them. It used to be once a a week and it took me a really long time to get all of them bathed. I would be exhausted by the time I finished with them. And the worst part was that their skin (esp Lucky and Belle) was still not great and they would stink towards the end of the week! I have no such problem now!

The best part of raw feeding is that all of them have no ticks at all (even without regular baths) and we have stopped using Frontline for over a year now and they are not on any other tick or flea prevention remedies!

So if any of you out there are still sitting on the fence and contemplating whether or not to feed raw, I would say just do it! The benefits from raw feeding OUTWEIGHS the inconvenience of preparing the food by far...

In the mean time Happy New Year everyone!

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Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

A SEMI FUR-LESS CLEO

Cleo had to go for an ultrasound of the chest and abdomen last week which meant that she had to be shaved almost completely from her chest all the way down to her abdomen... She's not very pleased with her new look and neither am I.

The good news is that her heart is functioning great! So we are all quite relieved. I think the raw food must be doing her a whole lot of good... The not so good news is that she has some minor irregularities in her spleen and bladder.

Dr Prem doesn't think that we need to worry too much about it though. So hopefully she will be right as rain after a couple of weeks on cranberry concentrate tablets.

In the mean time, I really hope that her fur grows back soon... The last time she had her chest shaved, it took ages before all the fur grew back nicely...

CLEO & ACUPUNCTURE

Cleo waiting patiently for her appointment

Just a quick update on Cleo and her acupuncture sessions. Well, Cleo completed the first 8 sessions a couple of weeks ago, and she is now on maintenance therapy.

She seems to have improved quite a bit in that she is less tired and has not displayed any strange behaviours after the first few sessions. (We started acupuncture because she had trouble walking and would get exhausted easily, and would also at times start circling instead of walking in a straight line, and as you know she has a severely enlarged heart). 

Cleo chilling out at Asia Paws

Dr Susanna also thinks that Cleo's condition has improved, and that is why she has recommended that we move Cleo to just have maintenance sessions, i.e. once every 2 to 3 weeks or so... While this is good news, I am also worried that Cleo might start displaying those symptoms again...

Cleo being a good girl during her session

But anyway, Dr Susanna has reassured us that if we feel Cleo needs to have more frequent sessions, we can do it. So for now I will see how she progresses with only having to go in once every 3 weeks instead of once a week like we have been doing...

For anyone considering canine acupuncture, I would just like to say that it's worth trying it. But you need to find a practitioner that you are really comfortable with, and for us it's definitely Dr Susanna :)

GIANT MEALS

We have moved the kids to eating once a day now. And they seem to enjoy eating giant meals!  

Cleo is chomping happily through her meal in the picture above... She's chomping on about 600g worth of beef steak, and there's a chicken quarter which is about 300g and a pork rib of about 300g as well...

This is a 1.2 kg meal of pork meat and ribs

Basically, I have moved all the kids to eating once a day now, where they eat their whole 2% of meat (against their body weight) in one sitting. Cleo gets 600g, Lucky 500g, Rascal 400g and Belle 300g. They seem to eat better this way and their digestion seem to work even better... Their poop is now even less than it was before!

And then as previously, they have a massive meal on Saturday and rest (i.e. have no food on Sundays), and they seem to be quite content to do this too... Of course, now that they eat once a day, their meal on Saturday is really HUGE... i.e. Cleo gets 1.2kgs, Lucky 1kg, Rascal 800g and Belle 600g.

Interestingly enough, I have noticed that they actually seem less hungry with being fed once a day. I no longer have to feed them exactly at a specific time... Feeding times have varied by half an hour to an hour these days and they don't seem to mind it. Previously, (esp when they were still in kibble), I literally could not even be a minute late with their meals!

I am now thinking of going for the BFFLO (Big Food Fed Less Often) method of feeding. This method mimics how wolves would eat in the wild, where you give your doggies a really LARGE serving and let them eat as much as they want (with you knowing how much they have eaten of course so that you know how many days they have eaten for), and then skipping meals for a couple of days.

I will keep you guys posted if I decide to adopt the BFFLO method...

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Feeding Dogs a Raw Diet: Practical Answers to Practical Questions