Roscoe will he ever be "Regular"

Roscoe's my boy · 09-28-2008, 10:00 AM

well we are at it once again Roscoe has horrible Loosey gooseys and for the last week and a half he has been miserable. the vet put him again on Flagyl and K pec but its not doing any thing. I had a can of "W/D and a can if I/D" left from the last time he was sick I gave him the I/D first and he was a little better gave him the can of W/D (which is really a weight control Rx dog food high in fiber) and boom he is playful and has that sparkle in his eyes and is just a 95% change so we are just gonna have to keep him on this W/D stuff he is just so much better. Not sure why though any ideas?

KeeperBoy · 09-28-2008, 10:57 AM

Have you thought about raw feeding? It has done wonders for Keepers. We are currently working some amount of kibble into his diet, but he will always need raw as his primary food. He had never had a solid poop and within 36 hours of his first raw meal he had a great poop. Keepers nearly stopped shedding on raw and really became a different dog with so much energy. The Rx diets are full of junk the dog can't digest, and that is what firms up the poop. It's also pretty costly for a low quality food. Roscoe is still so young, it makes me sad to think he could spend his whole life eating less than stellar food.

Raw does take a bit more time than kibble because you have to defrost it and make sure to always wash bowls out and such, but it is totally safe and really a miracle for a lot of dogs.

Roscoe's my boy · 09-28-2008, 03:29 PM

i will have to look in to it thanks!!!

KeeperBoy · 09-28-2008, 07:51 PM

Also, I wouldn't look to a vet for any advice on feeding. A HUGE % of the money to fund vet schools and research is from crummy dog food companies. Many vets don't even understand raw feeding and some even think it could be a bad thing. It makes me really sad to see the foods vets sell and support because many are terrible for dogs. When we looked into the Rx diet our old vet wanted Keepers on one of the first ingredients was corn, I am very much against ever feeding corn to my dogs, let alone as such a big part of their diet.

There are tons of great sites on the internet about raw feeding that are helpful. We use a prepared raw that meets AAFCO standards. If you make it at home you have to make sure to get meat/bone/organ ratios right and that can be a pain. I just can't express how much this food has changed Keepers life. He doesn't have anal gland problems anymore, hardly sheds, has too much energy, and actually likes to eat. One nice thing about raw is that you can switch protein sources all the time without upset, something you can't really do on kibble. It makes eating more interesting for the animal.

Roscoe's my boy · 09-29-2008, 05:39 AM

I have been reading about the Raw diet and now I'm just freaked about all the freakin W/D food I just bought!!! I AM gonna try the raw I know my dear Hubby will give me a hard time but I think I'm gonna try it. what do u think of the poss infection to my kids if I feed him raw chicken? He and the kids are sooo close he sleeps in my son's bed and he is always licking my daughter's face

KeeperBoy · 09-29-2008, 06:22 AM

We have a no kissing rule after meals... we usually wait a few hours. Other than face licking I wouldn't be too worried about infection. We feed on in our kitchen and if for some reason Keepers drops a piece on the floor before he eats it we lysol the floor afterwards. You could also feed him outside if he is too messy. Keepers does prefer the chicken/turkey Nature's Variety but you could also try lamb, beef or venison.

David thought I was nuts when we started the raw... now you should hear him go on and on about it! He got mad at me for trying to work a little kibble into Keepers' diet!

KeeperBoy · 10-15-2008, 08:33 AM

Have you made any decisions about food? We just started feeding The Honest Kitchen to Keepers and he LOVES it. He had a perfect poop this morning with no transition. It is a dehydrated raw food so it saves you the hassle of defrosting and seems less gross than frozen raw. It is also slightly more affordable than raw I believe. I thought of you when I was reading their blog and saw several boxers with tummy issues writing in that they love the food.