# Raw diet for LGDs any opinions?



## Skiesblue (May 8, 2018)

I have a pyr with skin problems, she’s really oily along her back. I’ve been told there’s nothing to do for it but I’m thinking diet. Has anyone fed raw?


----------



## ldawntaylor (May 8, 2018)

I'm afraid I really don't know, but perhaps @Southernbychoice can help.


----------



## Baymule (May 8, 2018)

I feed Victor dog food. They also get eggs, kitchen scraps, I make "dog gravy" from meat drippings. I can chicken backs and necks for them, also liver, heart and kidneys. They get meat, but it is cooked. 

I would be afraid of parasites from raw meat. If you want to make the commitment, perhaps contact a slaughter house for offal, but I would cook it.


----------



## Skiesblue (May 8, 2018)

Me too about bacteria. When we butcher I try to get them offal but I always cook it.


----------



## Simpleterrier (May 9, 2018)

Best looking dogs I have seen eat raw chicken backs


----------



## Skiesblue (May 9, 2018)

I’ve seen people feed larger dogs whole chickens raw, plucked and gutted. I don’t have the chickens for that but I know a couple of guinea fowl that could go on the menu


----------



## BoboFarm (May 9, 2018)

I feed a raw diet to my rotties. I've also raised litters on strictly raw diets. What would you like to know?


----------



## Southern by choice (May 9, 2018)

Skiesblue said:


> I have a pyr with skin problems, she’s really oily along her back. I’ve been told there’s nothing to do for it but I’m thinking diet. Has anyone fed raw?



Has her thyroid been checked?

Also there are a lot of groups that are dedicated to raw feeding. Of course they war against each other so beware.

We did a great deal of raw mixed with commercial as we no longer have our poultry farm and depending on what we get in deer season it isn't really feasible now.

There are a few things to be aware of, chicken necks is where the thyroid is on the chicken, feeding the necks over and over will affect the dog. This is studdied researched and proven so don't worry about the naysayers, Also raw eggs minimally are ok but in abundance (like daily).
Raw eggs have an enzyme called avidin. Avidin affects Biotin, which is a B vitamin, and also Trypsin is interfered with in the intestines causing deficiency as well as mal-absorption.

@BoboFarm  hopefully can be more help. 
We use to have a person on here years ago that taught a great deal on this, you may be able to use the search feature and find some of what was written, I think she provided some good links. If memory serves me it was Pendergrass Farms... but my memory isn't great. LOL


----------



## BoboFarm (May 9, 2018)

I feed chicken leg quarters in the morning, a chunk of muscle meat in the evening (beef heart or pork) and offal twice a week. I get 5lb chubs from the butcher that have pancreas, kidney and spleen ground with heart. They also get probios daily and a small squirt of salmon oil three times a week. My dogs are high energy and are worked daily so they eat about 3% of their body weight daily, which is the high end of the recommended 2-3%. I do not weight food though. I look at body condition and add or remove food/meals as needed.


----------



## Skiesblue (May 11, 2018)

For @BoboFarm do you have trouble with dogs eating chicken bones raw? How about spoilage?


----------



## BoboFarm (May 11, 2018)

My dogs don't have a problem with most bones. I do not allow them to consume weight-bearing bones because they are too hard and can crack teeth. Sometimes I allow a beef knuckle bone if they have tartar buildup but I only let them have those for half an hour or so. My dogs can eat a knuckle bone if given enough time. You have to consider the abilities of your dogs. Rotties can and will eat anything. If you feed too much bone they can regurgitate it. Chicken leg quarters can be a bit much for a new dog. Bone-in chicken breasts are best to start with. Rib bones are also a good start but you do have to watch poops. White, crumbly poop means too much bone. Black poop usually means they were fed a meal heavy with blood like heart and liver. You will be a poop expert  

As far as spoilage, the smellier the better to my dogs. I try not to leave food out long enough to get smelly but it happens. I just fed a beef heart that turned my stomach. My dogs were drooling 

I'll try to post pictures and have a bit more detail shortly.


----------



## Baymule (May 12, 2018)

Well, let me walk back my earlier statement. We butchered chickens and the dogs eagerly await me tossing the guts to them. I keep the gizzards and livers for us, we love them fried. But the dogs get the rest. Then as I cut up the chicken and package it, there is more skin and trimmings, which they enjoy. We did 4 last week and 10 a few days ago, still have a bag of chicken goodies in the refrigerator which they ought to finish up today.

I was going to can the backs for them, but made chicken broth yesterday, then picked the meat off the bones. We had chicken mole' for supper and I have a container of cooked meat in the refrigerator. Too bad doggies. I was down to two jars of chicken broth and I needed to get stocked back up on broth! I got 17 jars.


----------



## BoboFarm (May 12, 2018)

Here's a picture of Anja working on a chicken leg quarter




I buy 40-60lb boxes of food from the butcher. I thaw it in a large, flat (fits under a bed) storage container. Then I cut up the beef heart and pork into approximately 1.5lb chunks. I put them in plastic food containers that I get from Walmart. The leg quarters usually fit in the small containers but sometimes I have to use larger food storage containers. Here's a picture of the containers with a leg quarter and pork


----------



## Baymule (May 12, 2018)

I guess the advantage to feeding raw is that the sheep/goats won't eat it. The sheep circle Paris and her feed bowl like a bunch of buzzards waiting for something to die. If she walks away, they dive in. They even like gravy! But raw meat/trimmings? Cooked meat? They sniff delicately, then snort, trying to get that awful odor out of their noses. LOL


----------



## Skiesblue (May 14, 2018)

Our two years ago.
I miss them. The male on the right was 9 or 10 when that was taken. The gal next to him was five. They both went to thirteen.


----------



## Skiesblue (May 14, 2018)

^ @Baymule, gravy?  I’m seeing a Farside cartoon with sheep at a Thanksgiving dinner table and a timid ram saying “Can you paaaass that?”


----------



## Baymule (May 15, 2018)

Skiesblue said:


> ^ @Baymule, gravy?  I’m seeing a Farside cartoon with sheep at a Thanksgiving dinner table and a timid ram saying “Can you paaaass that?”



When I fry meat, sausage etc, I make gravy from the pan drippings. WE don't need the fat and flour, but the dogs love it. My husband mixes it with their kibble and they scarf it up.

Those crazy sheep will eat the kibble, gravy and all. If the dogs have had all they want, the sheep get the rest. I find it funny when the dogs are hungry, ringed by a flock of sheep, who want their dog food. If they venture too close, the dogs snarl and run them off. Silly sheep.


----------



## BoboFarm (May 15, 2018)

One thing to be very careful of if you purchase meat from a grocery store or even the butcher is the sodium content. They can and often "plump" meat with a sodium solution to "enhance" flavor. This can make dogs very sick.


----------



## Baymule (May 15, 2018)

BoboFarm said:


> One thing to be very careful of if you purchase meat from a grocery store or even the butcher is the sodium content. They can and often "plump" meat with a sodium solution to "enhance" flavor. This can make dogs very sick.


We raise our lamb, chicken and pork. We bought half a grass fed steer. Our dog gravy is healthy!


----------



## BoboFarm (May 15, 2018)

I was speaking more generally for those feeding raw that purchase meats. The gravy sounds yummy


----------



## Baymule (May 15, 2018)

I don't season up dog gravy. They still like it, even though there is no garlic, rosemary, pepper, or seasoned salt.....LOL


----------



## Skiesblue (May 16, 2018)

BoboFarm said:


> One thing to be very careful of if you purchase meat from a grocery store or even the butcher is the sodium content. They can and often "plump" meat with a sodium solution to "enhance" flavor. This can make dogs very sick.


Yeah they nearly brine everything these days in wet packs. Moisture equals weight and that means money. Could that be offset by soaking in fresh water? Reverse osmosis?  My jr high science teacher is probably spinning in his grave.


----------



## BoboFarm (May 16, 2018)

You just have to look around for meat that's not enhanced. Not impossible but it can be annoying. A butcher is your best bet but some grocery stores have meat that's not enhanced as well.


----------



## Baymule (May 16, 2018)

Most people are conditioned to adulterated "enhanced" meat like Pavlov's dogs. They wouldn't know good meat if it slapped 'em in the face.


----------



## Skiesblue (May 16, 2018)

When I was a kid I grew up with good meat grocery store. Years went by and it was less good and more expensive. When I started raising my own I remembered.
I have a theory that some obesity in people may be related to appetite stimulants in feedlot chow for beef. It didn’t metabolize. I don’t know but I feel better eating meat and eggs I’ve raised. I wish I could share more food.


----------

