A question about RAW with DRY

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gluesticks
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A question about RAW with DRY

Post by gluesticks »

So, Louie is... extremely picky.

We have been through nearly 5 different dog food brands (dry) and he seems to follow the same irritating pattern of liking to eat it no problem for approximately 3-4 weeks, wherein he decides cold turkey that he doesn't want to eat it anymore. One time he refused to eat it for 3 days straight...

Mixing in partial amounts of Wellness 95% turkey and mixing it in with the dry seems to do the trick in getting him to eat the dry, however... It is such a pain to have to wait until the can (from the fridge) warms up in enough time (perhaps before work) to feed to him (and give him his pain med, because we usually hide his pain med in his food).

So then we found this freeze dried raw formula, which is awesome! Mostly because of the ingredients and ease of use (just take out a little less than the recommended cube quantity (it recommends 10 in one sitting - we use 3 to mix), crumble, and wet!) and he just loves it! We started to mix it in with his dry food, and he eats the entire bowl!

But the other day someone told me that it is not a good idea to mix raw with dry, as it is digested differently. Dry being full of more carbs and more processed and having to digest longer, and the raw forced to linger in the GI tract as it takes the system longer to digest the dry. This produces gas and yes, I have noticed that Louie will often burp later after eating the combo.

So I have since been feeding the raw separate from the dry, and now have Louie on only raw in the morning and the dry/canned at night. Understandably, we cannot afford an all raw diet and are dissapointed to know that we may not be able to mix the raw with the dry.

BUT NOW, there is a new product on the market by Natures Variety Instincy which SELLS a raw/dry complete diet and recommends the option of MIXING their raw with dry kibble of your choice. http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw

NOW I AM SO CONFUSED.

Please help clarify my dilemma! I would love to keep mixing the raw with the dry, if only to get him to eat his dry, give his meds easier, and keep things affordable. Can I mix raw diets with dry diets?

-Glue

PS: sorry this was so long
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DrewBear
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Re: A question about RAW with DRY

Post by DrewBear »

Pure opinion. Burping is probably because he eats the tasty food faster than usual. People often belch after a meal. Is there a scientific reason why it's not good for dogs to belch after a meal? This is not the same thing as bloat, right? Just a little gas. Same question about different foods taking longer to digest. Wolves & wild dogs eat all sorts of stuff that take varying lengths of time to digest. Have domesticated dogs lost some capability to handle such variation?

Whether it's for people or dogs, I always look a little askance at these dietary theories. They're almost always debatable, often with valid theories on opposite sides. But there's also very little scientific data behind any side. Just because something sounds logical, doesn't make it true.

Sorry for the mini-rant. I personally would go back to the raw/dry mix he loved as long as it does not bother him in obvious ways (loose stool, violent flatulence, etc.). Maybe ask your vet if he knows of any research to back up the no-raw/dry-mix opinion?
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Re: A question about RAW with DRY

Post by Rory's Dad »

I agree with Drew. Bottom line here is that you want your dog eating the best quality food available. Whether that is based on your finances or food source is really not the issue.

He needs to eat, and if picky, then you need to find the balance (i know it's not easy and can be very frustrating). High quality food regardless of the type is what you want. If he has something that he likes then i would stay with that.

Different food products digest at different rates no matter what they are. And its the same story whether we are discussing humans or canines. If you have a protein sourced raw diet the poultry products (chicken/turkey) will digest differently than the red meat products (beef/bison). Vegetable resources are different as well. Most commercial grade kibbles will contain a portion of corn grain. This mostly a filler and does not provide a ton of nutritional value, and corn is difficult to digest. But if you fed your chow a diet of corn niblets fresh of the grill it would be similar.

In the real world though, your pup requires the vitamins and minerals found in different food groupings. Same as you do. I feed a very heavy protein diet to my dogs (about 80%). Some have questioned that, but my dogs are happy and healthy, so i stick with it. The proteins address muscle mass and bone structure. If you were more concerned with eye issues you might want to lean toward vitamin A rich foods for a caratine source. A dull coat or fur issues may stear you toward a dairy rich diet. Hopefully you dont have any of those specific concerns and can feed a balanced meal, but i would worry less about digestion time, and back off to the basics.

If he eats a good quality meal, then that should be your goal. You will know fairly quickly if the food is not agreeing with him. This can range from loose stool (doesnt agree with him) to undigested food (doesnt medically need that product).
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