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My 5 year old Siberian Husky, Sydney, and 1 year old Papillon, Louie are extremely light eaters. We feed Sydney on a schedule now, but when we used to leave her food out, she would only eat once a day anyway- same with Louie. Neither eats more than he or she needs.

I've read that dogs don't tend to eat as much when they're fed raw diets because they benefit from the nutrition so much more than they do on commercial food. However, since my dogs eat so little in the first place, would they actually eat even less? I want them to be in the best of health, so I'll do whatever is necessary for them to be happy and healthy.

2007-11-20 03:18:27 · 8 answers · asked by Boss 6 in Pets Dogs

Sorry, I forgot to mention I feed them Canidae ALS right now.

2007-11-20 03:24:08 · update #1

It's not that they don't like the taste of their food- they've been on several different types of foods. Huskies are known to be very light eaters for their size.

2007-11-20 04:03:11 · update #2

8 answers

Well first, you have to be well educated about raw food diets before you begin one. You have to add vitamin, mineral and enzyme supplements if you are buying non supplemented meat (you can buy raw meat already supplemented and frozen at holistic pet stores but its expensive not sure if its more expensive than doing it on your own).

I heard this about kibble, that the better quality, the less you feed. With raw food though, they're getting more of it because its more water than nutrients/protein. Just like canned food would be compared to dry kibble. So theyd need more raw food just like theyd need more canned than dry.

One holistic vet store gave me an estimated that it would cost about $4 a day to feed my medium sized dog. I didnt compare prices though at other places, and it was a pretty expensive area.

You can try EVO temporarily to see how your dogs do on that before you make the switch. It's an dry kibble alternative to raw diet.

BTW, my dogs and cats didnt like the taste of canidae or felidea either (i didnt try canidae canned but my cat didnt like the dry or canned. Maybe your dogs just dont like the taste too much either?

Edit to animal_artwork: Never heard of that type (Frankenprey model) I havent researched raw diet too much just from one dog book and that one holsitc pet nutritonist. i guess i'd be too afraid to not supplement though if i was doing it. Like I know vitamins are good for human kids, but then again too much can be bad..thanks though im going to look up the Frankenprey model.

2007-11-20 03:26:44 · answer #1 · answered by natalie l 3 · 0 0

1. what was the deciding factor to switch to or start a raw food diet well my ferals eat rodents and hardly touch the food I set out, I Noticed they were healthier than my indoor pets and the only real difference was diet. 2. did a raw food diet satisfy the reason you decided to switch/start Sure did 3. did you have any cons about feeding raw, if so what Lack of convenience. Plus when I'm fostering or pet sitting I have to hid all of the kibble or mine will find away into it. 4. since feeding raw, do you still feel the same about #3 cons Well yeah LOL It's not that big of a deal though 5. if you had to for whatever reason, what dog food would you feed (non raw) Ummm natural balance is what I was feeding, I'd have to look at their ingredients again but we'd probably go back to that. 6. do you think there is ever a time a healthy dog would do better on kibble vs. raw, and why Probably not. 7. do you think there is ever a time a sick dog would do better on kibble than raw, and why, for what illness Again probably not. 8. and for fun, what's the most unusual or exotic thing you fed your dog Well I haven't fed it yet, but I got some bison for them =) Besides that probably deer. Or if you count the cats- mice. Holly won't touch mice but the cats love them lol

2016-04-05 00:11:17 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

What I found when I switched from kibble to feeding primarily raw was that the dogs ate more... of course I do my own construction of their diet so they are getting a pretty varied selection (I have 2 girls who DON'T like turkey... poor them during THIS season!!).

I use a variety of premium kibbles as treats/training aids and they LOVE that. (they probably eat on average a cup a day of kibble).

I tend to believe most people obsess over how much their dogs are eating... thin is better than fat.. and as long as the dog is healthy *I* personally don't see an issue with a lean dog (of course I also used to sled my Samoyeds... they work a LOT better and they are happier doing it when they are lean).

One thing I do is a twice a month fast.. strangely enough I believe it increases interest in their food as they're not sure when they'll next be fed. (although they still get their kibble treats)

Edit: Natalie: Not everyone believes in adding supplements to a raw food diet. I don't. I feed on a modified Frankenprey model.

Edit: I believe the "light eater" was bred into the Siberians due to a limited food supply. Siberians, I believe, were not often allowed to roam and hunt. Whereas the Samoyeds were encouraged to hunt and really just weren't fed during the summer and learned to scavenge... this made them VERY food oriented. (Although they really don't need much food for their size.. I had a 48 lb b*tch who was fed daily either 2/3 of a cup of kibble OR 1 chicken wing OR one chicken thigh... any more and she would become obese). It was a big adjustment for me when I started with Bernese... and the ones I've dealt with are kinda take it or leave it about food... they are why I started fasting and it seems to have helped.

2007-11-20 03:36:08 · answer #3 · answered by animal_artwork 7 · 1 1

I am still considering raw for my mastiff puppy, but the few things he has had, he didn't seem to eat any better than his kibble- I honestly don't know how he is growing, because 3 times out of 5, he walks away from his food after a couple of bites. He does like chicken necks, but I gave him a very meaty beef bone the other day, and he chewed at it for about 2 minutes and dropped it on the patio. At this point, I don't think I know enough to do the raw diet properly, so I think we will stay on our Canidae, with some marrow bones now and then to keep the teeth clean, and a bit of yogurt or an egg mixed in from time to time.

2007-11-20 07:43:30 · answer #4 · answered by Rachal961 4 · 0 0

Try the bil-jack food, I've heard great responses about it. It has a great amount of protein and should keep them healthy. I have a friend who feeds a raw diet, and it can be good for some dogs but others can't stomach it after eating commercial food. If your dogs are picky eaters they think raw is bland. Whatever you decide, dogs usually love garlic on their food and it helps repel fleas! (Just don't overdue the garlic)

2007-11-20 03:30:07 · answer #5 · answered by gab 2 · 0 1

120 Raw Diet Food Recipes - http://Go.StayEatingRaw.com/?kayw

2016-03-28 05:42:34 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0 0

Actually they would most likely remain the same. My dog is a "snacker" when he has the option, he'll hit a couple pieces here or there. Since I switched him he eats one meal and one "snack" a day and loves it.

2007-11-20 04:13:26 · answer #7 · answered by Scelestus Unus 5 · 0 0

what do you feed them now?

2007-11-20 03:23:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

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