Hoshi's raw diet (some precautions)

manuel

manuel

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I've never mentioned before but be careful of constipation using a raw diet. Hoshi's stools can be pretty dry (almost powder sometimes). Make sure they drink plenty of water. Make sure they're pottied often and give them plenty of exercise.

I also cut the bone down to bite-sized pieces. I've only had one problem when I had a bone stuck in his throat. It was scary. Luckily he vomited and disloged it.
 
I'm glad Hoshi is okay. I gave Pumpkin a pig ear one time and a piece also got stuck in her throat. She was making a weird noise kind of like a cough. The piece of ear flew out. It was very scary. So I no longer buy her pig ears.
 
Usually making sure your bone to meat ratio is adjusted up or down when you see constipation will resolve that issue. For the cats the ratio is 25% bone to meat...which means less bone. It is completely normal to see dry crumbly stools...usually they are not this way when they have a bowel movement but do dry out rather quickly once expelled. This is also what limits the odor of the stools and the amount of stool seen. Adding Pumpkin as a treat can also help with constipation as well. Since I grind our raw, I don't have to deal with bone being too large...mine is usually a chunky sand like substance.
 
Thanks. It's good to talk with someone else using a raw diet. I would love finding a grinder for Hoshi.
 
Manuel, most raw feeders recommend not cutting to bite sizes. They're more inclined to choke on bite size pieces than large pieces that they have to really chew and work through.

Constipation is usually a sign that their diet needs to be tweeked a bit. Organ meats and above ground veggies tend to loosen stools. Below ground veggies tend to firm them up.

Grinding is definitely an option. I did it for years and years when I had multiple gulpers. For 1 dog, you can definitely get away with spending about $100 for a decent grinder that should last you several years.

I had a maverick that I'm pretty sure I ordered from here way back in the day http://www.pierceequipment.com/grinders.html I used it for 2-3 years without any real problems. the drawback is that for large quantities, its slow and the chute (the part where you put the meat) is a little small. backs had to be small or cut in 1/2. And turkey necks had to be trimmed down to fit. But it was cheap and lasted.

~13 years ago I upgraded to the 1hp monster below b/c I was grinding 120+ lbs of meat once a month. Made a big difference speedwise and in the kinds of meats I could do. I stopped grinding about 5 yrs ago b/c my current dogs chew nicely. Its SO much easier.
 
Thanks. Hoshi's had no real problems with constipation although I felt compelled mentioning it as a possibility. I worry about someone with a sedentary dog who given enough opportunity to potty.

I'm looking at grinders right now. I didn't think they were capable of grinding bone. The downside is cleaning it up everyday. http://amzn.com/B000SQH7DE
 
manuel said:
Thanks. Hoshi's had no real problems with constipation although I felt compelled mentioning it as a possibility. I worry about someone with a sedentary dog who given enough opportunity to potty.

I'm looking at grinders right now. I didn't think they were capable of grinding bone. The downside is cleaning it up everyday. http://amzn.com/B000SQH7DE
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Manuel I bet you could grind a weeks worth and freeze it in daily servings to defrost nightly
 
I think that that grinder is a bit of overkill for 1 dog ;) I personally could never grind on a daily basis. The meat can (and does splatter) So I empty the whole counter/sink area and then wipe everything down with bleach including cabinets and floors. IME the grinder parts need to be hand washed and dried completely (I put mine in a warm oven for a bit to prevent rust)

Once a week would probably be manageable. I prefer to to buy in bulk (which is cheaper) and grind once a month to every 6w.
 
Mine are on raw but it is commercial and they do have constipation. When they have issues I add a little pumpkin.
 
Mine are raw fed cat and the dogs. I buy a commercial brand, it's all ground and its balanced muscle, bones and organs. With feeding raw you have less stool and that's normal. I give raw and fresh veggies for extra fiber.
 
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