The original reason that I started this blog was to document the hounds’ transition to a raw diet. I had some failures in doing that… Blogging is not for the faint of heart.
We are now 100% raw, save for the training treats. Darla’s seizures are controlled with the diet and a herbal supplement. Most of my friends think I have gone off the deep end. I am a medical person and I love pharmacology; however, I feel that D’s seizures were directly correlated with her food. Since beginning raw diet, she has had less than five events all but one could be attributed to a treat or bone that had been smoked. Thus I am being open-minded and continuing with her treatment plan as it is. My human specialty is neurology, so girlfriend is analyzed and then reanalyzed.
I have read a lot about dog nutrition and have came up with a nice well-balanced diet for them. Depending on their weight, they get about 1-1.5lbs of meat a day. On top of that they are supplemented with 1-2 cups of green veggies and fruit. I am also a huge believer in carbohydrates, my hounds will get ½ cup of rice or sweet potatoes daily. They also get supplemented with eggs, sardines, and kefir/coconut milk. I will increase/decrease the diet if someone looks too thin or I start to lose hip points. I constantly evaluate how they look and how they act. Dogs tell you so much with so few words!
An interesting point in this was transitioning the puppy to raw food. While he was living with his breeder and litter he was getting a very high-quality kibble. When I first offered him raw, he was not interested. I ended up having to add some tripe to really stimulate his taste buds. Now he is a pro and will eat whatever is in his bowl. I have fed him based on his predicted adult weight. However, as soon as he begins to get too skinny I increase, usually with carbs. I find that the additional carbs have been very helpful without adding to his growing pains.
Officially, we are a raw food only family. I would encourage anyone to try this diet. It is easy and the dogs really do thrive on it!