!Raw Should Be Fun For Everyone!

     Before I started Voda on Raw, feeding time was a very mechanical occurrence in our  home. Scoop, measure, pour, wait 15 minutes, and put up whatever didn't get eaten. This happened three times a day at the Rennicker house. Very boring, very mundane. And you could tell that it was just as boring for my girl. She would go days with out eating. Think about it, would you want to eat chicken everyday? Of course not! You may love chicken, but 365 days of chicken is just too much same ol' same ol'.

Frozen sardines and salmon!

     Thanks to the wonderful world of Raw, the whole process of feeding is so much fun!  The "hunting" for the meat, the creative preparation of the meat, and of course watching your dog feed and enjoy themselves. There is no limit to the crazy things you can do to your dog's food, aside from adding veggies(that is not accepted here). It could be something as simple as cutting a chicken into daily feeding portions or as elaborate as making a cake of raw meat for your pup's birthday. The only thing limiting you to what you can creatively do to your dog's food **to make it more interactive** is you imagination. One of my personal favorites is to freeze Voda's food into weird shapes so that she has to work extra hard to eat. This can sound mean if you aren't into mental stimulation for your furkid; however, in making your dog's food harder to consume, you are killing two birds with one stone. Your dog gets the jaw action he or she needs and the mental exercise during the time he or she is trying to figure out the most optimum way to hold and chew the meat. 

This is Roast Chicken or a roast in a cornish hen

     Aside from the fun you have preparing you dog's food, the joy Raw feeding brings to your companion is indescribable. Dog's love raw meat compared to the crap that comes out of bag. Who wouldn't love the variety that Raw offers? Steak one night, lamb the next, the occasional salmon.... If you look at it that way, our dog's eat better than we do! My girl LOVES supper time. She used to come into the kitchen with the expression like, "Oh it's that time again. What's for supper tonight? Lamb and rice again...yay, I can't wait." Now that she eats raw, everyone in our neighborhood knows when it's supper time. She barks, runs around in circles, drooling, and looks at me like, "Put the plate down, put it down, put it down, PUT IT DOWN!!! It's time to eat, YES!!!!" Even if she's being a little too loud for base housing, it makes me smile knowing she is that excited about eating.

    

Patience is Key

     We are now a month into raw and Voda is thriving! All of her sores are healed and her joints don't crack like they used to when she would stand up. She loves feeding time so much that it's a treat for myself to feed her every day. I think I get just as excited as she does when I open up the refrigerator!
   

Chicken and beef meal--any more beef than this and you better have your gas mask at hand!

     I have been trying to introduce a new meat(beef) into her diet for the past two weeks. But so far all that I am achieving are farts that CAN and WILL clear and room and runny poops. Not exactly what I had in mind. So it's back to the drawing board. **Lot's of chicken and just a hint of beef** This, in my opinion, is where some new to raw owners would throw in the towel. It can be very hard to figure out what your dog needs. Some dogs need more bone than others. Others may have more of a sensitive stomach. Please people do not give up on your furry buddies. They are only with us for a short while and deserve the best out of life while they are with us.
     Whenever your pup starts showing signs that something is off, i.e. runny poo, cannon butt, low energy....( anything out the the norm)...The best advice I can give you is to start over. This is what baselines are for; start with something simple and that grow from that point.

****If you pup is showing signs of distress please take them to your regular vet or animal clinic. And remember the 4B's for feeding: Beige, Bland, Boneless, Boring. In Layman's terms chicken or fish filets****

Let's Get Dirrrty!

     Today was meal packaging day at the Rennicker house. Voda received a lot of meat this week from people who were gracious enough to give her meat they were going to throw away while cleaning their refrigerators out. We had also been thawing a box of chicken leg quarters. So I got to play in chicken, lamb, and beef parts for an hour or so today. It's not hard work just a bit time consuming. But once you get the hang of weighing and measuring it goes by rather quickly. This was only my second time packaging and it lasted no where near as long as the first time. I should mention that I was a bit overwhelmed the first time and was worrying WAY TOO MUCH about whether or not I was adding the right meat, organs, etc. to each bag. This go round was smooth sailing: weigh, bag, label, freeze!

     There are different ways to package food for your dog. It all just depends on your personal preference. I choose to bag individual meals mostly. Occasionally I stray and feed whole prey, like the turkey Voda is working on at the moment. Just keep in mind, THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO PACKAGE THEIR MEALS. What is important is the overall percentage of meat(80%), bone(10%), and organs(10%) that you are feeding your dog. The packaging is just for your convenience and pleasure.

Finishing up the weighing and separating!

When I am packaging Voda's food:

I measure out 1.4lbs of RMB *raw meaty bones*, one ounce liver, and then fill the rest up with boneless meat or organs. 

THIS WILL CHANGE ONCE SHE IS ACCUSTOMED TO RAW. I WILL TRY ADDING MORE MEAT TO HER DIET AND LESS BONE. 

At the moment she needs the extra bone for poop control. More bone = less watery stools

My goal is to be able to feed her boneless meals on certain days and bone-in meals on others. *Only time will tell, Voda will let me know what's right for her once to opportunity presents itself*

Left- lamb chop, chicken gizzards, hearts, & liver; Right- chicken leg, gizzards, & heart

I label all her meals so that I can make sure I am not introducing too many meats at one time!

I buy meats from the bargain bins at the grocery store; therefore, I do not have much control over what kind of meat I buy. This is way I label Voda's meals so I don't feed her beef when I'm introducing pork into her diet. *This is just a simple fix for me, but may not work for you.*

Turkey for Everyone this Thanksgiving

     Well Voda is on day 12 of her Raw Diet. She's done very well so far. We had some potty issues the first few days which was to be expected.  But since then it's been smooth sailing *Thus far*. She loves loves LOVES supper time now. I believe she feels that it's her duty to let everyone in Hale Na Koa Village that it is time to eat. Such a diva, always having to bring the attention to her.

     One of the many things that has me singing my praises is the less time I have to spend picking up dog bombs. It really does take some getting use to not seeing your dog poop every day! It silently speak tons about how much crap is in kibble. My back yard used to look like a land mine with the amount of doggy mud pies there was out there, but now I literally have to hunt for them when I'm out wielding my pooper scooper.

Turkey Time

     So after a week and a half of eating chicken leg quarters, gizzards, and liver, I have decided to try Voda out on Turkey. I bought an 8.6lb turkey and just let her have her way with it. I did; however, take the bird away when I felt like she had consumed around about the 1.4lbs of meat she should be taking in each day. According to my math, this turkey should last her about six days. 8.6 / 1.4 = 6.14  I enjoyed watching her try to figure out how to sink her teeth into the turkey without using her paws. It's hilarious, I have such a nicey nasty puppy. She refuses to touch the raw meat with her feet. That's like trying to get ribs without using your hands, it's ain't pretty!

~Things to remember with introducing a different meat source~

• There are two ways of introducing new meats. (A.) You can strictly feed that one meat source until your pup's stomach can handle the new meat. (B.) You can slowing transition to the new meat by adding chunks of new meat to the existing meals that you were feeding prior to the new meat source. 
• Expect upset tummies, it's just like switching to a new dog food. Your dog's system has to become accustomed with the new meat. 
• Go slow. 
• Don't get aggravated 
• If one way of introducing new foods doesn't work, use another method. 
• When all else fails. Start over at the beginning and work slower toward your destination. 

Trying Something New

Hey everyone! It's been a very long time since my last post. Ugh life can get so hectic sometimes, what I would not give for a few more hours in a day.

Anyway, I am going to start something new for awhile. I am going to be posting about feeding your dog a raw diet and y'all are going to be able to follow Voda and I through the process of learning the tricks of the trade! I have a few friends who are curious about this kind of diet and I would like to help in any way possible. So consider this Voda's way of giving back by allowing y'all to take the journey along with her! Are you excited maybe a little nervous? Well I know I definitely am!

 
Let me take a moment to explain the raw diet in my opinion and some info on what I have learned thus far. I'll start off with the dog's genealogy, dogs evolved from wolves. They share over 98% DNA. This leaves very little to be different. In my opinion this is where the domestic characteristics come into play; body and brain size, barking, coloring and marking differences, lop ears, etc... Most of these only being superficial. All the insides and their functions remain the same. Thus, allowing the dog to be able to eat like a wolf. Take a minute and look at your dog's teeth. What do you see?  I can guarantee those teeth do not look like like a cow's teeth, so that would rule out herbivore.  How about your teeth? Does you dog's teeth look anything remotely to human teeth? No? So that means dogs aren't omnivores. What a about a wolf's teeth or a tiger's? Do they look like multiple pairs of scissors interlocking with each other? YES, they do!! A dog's teeth were made to tear meat and meat alone. They are not for grinding grass, fruits, veggies, or kibble. Dog's are meat eaters. (I myself believe that wolves are opportunistic omnivores, but this in not an everyday practice among them. If prey is scarce wolves have been known to eat roots, berries, or fruits, but if you were starving I'm sure you wouldn't be too picky about what you ate either.) Why do you think dogs love to chew on sticks and anything else that they can sink their teeth into? It's because those jaws were made to break bones and to tear flesh. What part of a dog's anatomy benefits from kibble? Their jaws do not get a workout, which leads to boredom and frustration, and it also wears their teeth down from having to grind up "dog food" with teeth not built for grinding. And then you have to take in to consideration the allergic reactions that are becoming more and more prominent among kibble fed dogs. What is being put into the "dog food" that is making hundreds, if not thousands, of dogs sick? You will never know. Isn't that scary? This is what has caught my attention and caused me to make a change in what I feed my dog. I was feeding big name brand dog foods and spending a fortune just to have my dog vomit, have diarrhea, and have clumps of hair to fall out. If this was your child wouldn't you change what you are feeding them? In my case Voda is my fur child. And in my opinion feeding her a diet that is closer to her "roots" is best for her. Take same time and consider you dog's well-being, the amount of money you spend on their "food", and the possibility of changing to a more primal way of feeding.

Now on to same basic feeding rules and information that I am slowly becoming familiar with while learning how to feed raw.

#1. Take your dog's ideal adult weight...You want to feed 2-3% of that weight. This is just a guideline and may have to be adjusted according to your dog and it's activity level. The more energy burned equals the more food needing to be fed. Some dogs especially mothers can be feed up to 5% of their ideal body weight.
 
#2. The guideline is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organ**half of the organ should be liver, as it contains many essential vitamins**.

#3.  You usually want to start off with chicken because chicken is bland making it easy to digest and it's bones are very pliable. After your dogs has successfully adjusted to eating chicken slowly add new meats into their diets. Whether by adding chunks of new meat and subtracting the amount of chicken you are feeding or by introducing half of one day's meal as new meat and the other half as chicken, so as not to shock the body.

#4. Raw meals contain more water so do not be alarmed if your dog does not drink as much water as he/she did while eating kibble.

#5. Bowel movements will not be be as plentiful in number or size. ** A good rule of thumb to remember- Whitish or fossil-ish looking poos = too much bone, need to add more meat. Running poos = not enough bone/ too much meat.**

#6. Raw feeding is not expensive. There are so many different routes of getting meat cheaper than what you would expect. Go to butcher shops, meat processing plants, make friends with hunter, check out sales at the grocery store. I was spending $60-$80 for a 30lb bag of "dog food" now I pay maybe $1/lb.

There is plenty more to learn which means so much more that I will get to share with y'all. I hope you continue to read and follow along as Voda and I learn the ins and outs of Raw Feeding!

DAY 1 OF RAW EATING

On the menu: Chicken leg 1/4, chicken hearts, and chicken gizzards

Forever In Our Thoughts and Always In Our Hearts

 

For one of the greatest dogs in the world...

T          A          N          K

                  TUFF                    AS                     NAILS                     KID

You will be loved forever!

It's been awhile...

     Sorry for the lapse in time yall. I started classes to become a dog trainer and so school has consumed a lot of my free time. I haven't forgotten to write, but squeezing time to write between working, exercising, training Voda, cooking, and studying is kinda hard. But I'm here now!
     Voda is doing great! I have found that she loves canned chicken! So *haha* I have a secret weapon in helping socializing my baby girl. We are still having a issues, but I finally made a chink in the excitement issue. She has learned that if she "leaves it", aka the dog or stranger, she gets chicken and it's working beautifully! Some days are harder than others, but there are days that we just walk by a dog with no problem! What's that? Do I hear angels singing? Yes I do!
     I love my girl, but I breaks my heart to think of the life she had before she came to my house. Please people, do your homework before getting a dog. Make sure that the breed you are looking into getting fits your lifestyle. If you don't exercise and aren't welling to change do not get a working breed, such as shepherds, terriers, or herding dogs. If you can't be home much, don't get a dog that's dependent on their owner being home with them, like Italian Greyhounds or Chihuahuas. And most importantly, if you end up getting a dog that is too much for you to handle seek the advice and help needed. Go to an obedience trainer, get books, and enlist friends or dog walkers to help.
     I believe no family is whole without the love of a dog, but just like a family who is going to have a baby, you need to take the necessary steps to prepare for your dog and to gather info throughout you and your dog's life so that yall can live happily and harmoniously together.