8 Steps to Switching from Kibble to Raw Feeding for Dogs

When switching a kibble fed dog over to Raw, this is our general protocol. This is for an adult dog with no life threatening medical conditions. If your dog has a severe medical condition, you CAN still switch you will just need to modify some things and be more careful. Consulting a Naturopath, Carnivore Nutrition Consultant/Coach or other RAW TRAINED Veterinary Professional is advisable in those situations. Switching a puppy is also a little different, so please watch for the "Switching a puppy" tips included if you have a puppy or a tiny toy breed.  

1. Educate yourself on raw feeding, the healing crisis, your pets medical conditions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

here are 2 articles about the healing crisis / Detox. http://www.thewholedog.org/artdetox.html

http://www.thewholedog.org/artHealingCrisis.html

2. Fast for 24 hours minimum. Up to 48 hours is ideal(aka skipping one whole day of feeding). This gives the old stuff time to get out and starts the digestive juices producing more enzymes for proper digestion.  Make the switch cold turkey, do not mix kibble/canned/cooked food with raw food. One day you feed kibble, skip a day or at least 24 hours, and then feed a whole meal of raw. It is fine for a healthy adult dog to miss a whole day’s food. It will not hurt them, it may make YOU feel bad, but they will be fine.
Fasting will also ensure your  dog is truly hungry, so they will be more likely to dig right in to the raw. Just because your dog is a voracious kibble eater, does NOT mean he will take to raw right away, likewise, just because your pet is a  super picky eater, doesn’t mean she will automatically turn her nose up a  meaty chicken leg!
*PUPPY TIP* Do not fast a puppy or tiny toy breed. they are at a higher risk of hypoglycemia. Just feed them raw at the next meal when you decide to start them.  

3. Pick a meat/protein (beef, chicken, deer) Your next thing to do is pick what protein you are going to start with. Many people start with chicken, because it is usually easier to get, has edible bone included and it is relatively bland, so easy on the tummy.
If your dog has a chicken allergy it would be worth trying organic, free range chicken at some point, because most “allergies” are to the processed, denatured chicken or chicken meal used in most kibble, not to mention the unhealthy state of most factory farmed chickens that are used in pet food production! 

I think Kim prefers starting with Beef, which is fine, it does need to be balanced with edible bone. 

I prefer to start off with green/raw tripe. It has all your enzymes and probiotic included to get your pet off to a great start and is perfectly balanced with the correct calcium/phosphorus ratio so no bone need be added. http://greentripe.com/description.htm  

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-stink-on-tripe/

Deer/Venison is also a good alternative, same as beef, it must be properly balanced, Ca/Phos ratio with edible bone. 

4. Have a good probiotic & digestive enzyme supplement to give daily for about the first month or so or start off with grass fed organic tripe as your first protein. 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/searching-for-a-good-probiotic-and-dietary-enzyme-product/

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

http://thewholedog.org/id22.html

 plant base Digestive Enzymes

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-15-strain-probiotic-fos-60-veg-caps

http://www.prozymeproducts.com/  

http://shop.mercola.com/product/healthy-pets-digestive-enzymes,271,90.htm

Soil based organisms http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-soil-based-organisms-90-caps

PROBIOTICS

http://thewholedog.org/id24.html
http://shop.mercola.com/product/complete-probiotics-powder-for-pets-90g-per-bottle,266,91.htm
http://thewholedog.org/enzymespro.html

5. What do I feed? RATIOS
Prey Model Raw is based on the 80/10/10 ratio. (I say 80/10/5/5)
80 % muscle meat- any muscle in the body, including stomach, heart & lungs
10% EDIBLE bone depending on your dog's size, this will vary, for example- from quail (small chicken-like fowl) for toy dogs, to deer legs, beef ribs and such for extra large dogs. Also some dogs need more bone and some less so this amount can be tweaked as well.
5% LIVER the liver is a filter organ (along with the kidneys) so toxins can build up in feed stock that are exposed to toxins & chemicals, so it is better to spend a little extra in this area and get organic or free range/grass fed liver.
5% OTHER SECRETING ORGANS this includes: kidney, brain, reproductive, spleen, eyeball, pancreas, etc.

*PUPPY TIP* all dogs need the same proportions whether they are weaning or prime of life or elderly (unless a medical condition exists) and regardless of their size or breed.


6. What do I feed ? Protein sources.  Variety is key to successfully feeding PMR. If you provide your dog the correct ratios of meats from a variety of quality sources you will not need to supplement a healthy dog for anything.
Here is a list of suggestions of meats you can feed, but it is incomplete, because Im sure I will leave out some! basically any non-meat eating animal that is not full of toxins. Wild game(hunted or road killed) is fine as long as it is frozen for 2 weeks to kill parasites and is not rancid.
Beef(cow/ox), sheep/lamb, goat, venison/deer, horse, antelope, moose, bison, llama, ostrich, alpaca, pig, kangaroo, turkey, chicken, duck, wild fowl, rabbit, guinea pigs, mice/rat, squirrel, groundhog, beaver, fish-freshwater trout, bass, etc & sea fish-salmon, herring, sardines, whitefish, eggs etc.

7.HOW MUCH?
As a general GUIDELINE, you feed 2-3 percent of your dogs IDEAL ADULT Weight (IAW) you will have to adjust this higher or lower depending on your dog's metabolism, exersize and lifestyle.
*Please remember that the majority of dogs are overweight, this is very hard on their joints as well as their heart and other systems. People tend to want to not see the ribs but in many breeds, SLIGHTLY seeing the rib or at least being able to easily feel them! Ask your breeder or vet what is ideal for your dog.

For a FIT dog, start with 2.5%. If he gets chunky looking, gradually decrease the amount (over 1-4 weeks time) to 2% or lower if needed, same if he gets TOO thin, increase the amount gradually. This is something that may change throughout your dogs life, depending on health and circumstances. 

You will need to adjust this if your dog is overweight (start at 2%)  or underweight (start at 3-4 %).

*Remember these are guidelines and you should feed to BODY CONDITION rather than weight only.
As example: a 50 pound dog @ 2.5%
50 X 0.025 = 1.25 pound (per day) DAILY TOTAL
you can break that down to ounces  1.25 X 16(ounces) = 20 ounces per day
20 ounces X .01(bone) = 2 Ounces of that
20 X .05(organ/liver) = 1 Ounce  of that
so a days meal would consist of 17 ounces muscle meat, 2 ounces bone, and 1 ounce liver and 1 ounce other organ.

You can also figure that per week  just multiply each value by 7 or multiply the Daily total by 7 then do the calculations for the percentages. and the liver, bone & other organ can be fed daily or just on a few days per week as long as the amount is correct for the week.

*PUPPY TIP* puppies only ! they need 2-3 % of their Expected Adult Weight(EAW) or 5-10% of their Current Weight. They need to eat 3-6 times a day depending on age, so that amount would be divided by how many meals you will be feeding them.  Figure that with the same formulas you would use for an adult. As with adults, this is only a guideline. You will have to keep an eye on your pup and watch their body shape, also a puppy will tell you they are hungry!!
I let my puppies eat until they are full,  and they are perfect at self regulating, I have never had an overweight puppy. Also that sets up good habits for when they are adults. Of course you will have puppies from different situations and those few that will never stop eating, so if they are eating almost their whole day's amount at breakfast, then you know you will have to control their intake a little more strictly.

8.  Just do it. Once you make the decision, and are prepared with some raw meat for your dog, go for it!
Don’t put it off, don’t make excuses, the animal shelter or local rescue will be happy to take your donation of kibble, we are here for you if you have questions or an unexpected situation.
 Just don’t forget to keep us updated and take before & after pictures, so you can tell your friends in a few weeks how AWESOME raw feeding is!!!! 

When The Raw Diet Goes Bad

 

I wanted to take a moment to discuss something that is a pet peeve of mine. That is people that feed raw incorrectly and not in a balanced way that results in their dogs becoming ill and then blaming it on raw feeding. They say "Feeding raw is Bad" or "Raw food makes dogs Sick". I have read comments and stories from and about people that feed raw inappropriately in so many different ways. I will address some of the worst.

1. Feeding only one type meat.

I have heard about farmers that feed their dogs only chicken carcass scraps or beef scraps, or hunters that feed only deer meat. Also pet owners that feed a commercially bought product in only one "flavor" such as chicken. 

An example from a friend of mine: "I just currently had a friend that feeding raw long before me so we never really talked much about what she was feeding... a good friend but don't chat often, and she calls me one day, her dog is brutally sick. First thing I ask what exactly is she eating.. "mainly chicken backs".. !?what?? I asked if she was feeding organs.. "not really".. !!what?!! I know that this poor dogs body finally was so malnourished, nutritionally deficient that this was her entire problem! She was having multiple organ failure and even ended up having a stroke !! She's still here but barely.. I was so mad that I never discussed food with her and just assumed she knew what she was doing!!"- Kim 

When feeding a raw diet, you need to provide as much variety as possible. Feeding only one meat can lead to nutritional deficiencies in specific vitamins or minerals. One meat may be plentiful in certain nutrients and low in others. Here is a link to the different nutrients levels in different meats-  Nutrients in Meats . My following suggestions are not scientific, because there is no way to know for sure exactly what the level of nutrition a specific food is providing without doing analysis on it. Due to local differences in nutrition and different farming practices, and different levels of nutrition available in different meats. I recommend trying to feed at least 2-4 different meats per month and at minimum 5+ different meats per year. The more variety the better.  

2. Feeding only boneless meat. I have heard of those pet owners that also only feed boneless meat, this may be because they are afraid to feed bones. They do not do enough research, and do not understand that the phosphorus in raw meat must be balanced with the proper amount of Calcium. 

10 % of a raw fed dog's diet should be edible bone. Here is an article about balancing the calcium/phosphorus ratio. Bones help your pet clean their teeth as well as providing roughage & firmness that helps clean gunk from the intestines and express anal glands. However some dogs cannot eat bone or you may have a lot of boneless meat and not enough bone on hand to go with it. So here is another about substituting ground eggshells for bone How to make Ground EggShell Supplement.

3. Neglecting to feed organ meat. I think many people leave organs out of their dog's diet because they think the organs are not truly needed. This is not true. I think the other reason is that people cannot easily find a variety of organs locally so they do not pursue finding them elsewhere. Organ meat should be 10% of the dog's total diet. Half of that, 5%, should be liver (any meat source) and the other half, 5%, should be other organs like kidney, brain, or pancreas. If you can not readily find organs at your usual places, then try an ethnic market or a farmer's market. Another source would be ordering them online. I have several different reputable companies listed on my links page under FOOD. Organs are very important to your dog's health. Here is an article about Why Organ Meat Is Important For a Raw Fed Dog

4. Feeding Kibble and Raw together. I hear so many people saying they do this. Then I also hear of people saying "I tried to feed my dog raw and he kept getting sick" or "he kept having diarrhea" or "he got salmonella poisoning". Upon digging a little deeper I find that the pet owner was feeding raw along with a couple of cups of kibble, just in case.Or the owner was feeding half kibble and half raw or kibble with a little portion of raw. Whatever the proportion I believe this can cause BIG problems! It is a fact that kibble digests at about half the rate that raw food does in a dog's digestive system. One of the reasons that fully-raw fed dogs do not get bacteria infections is the raw is digested rather rapidly and it does not sit in the gut fermenting and being broken down, it is broken down by the strong acids and powerful enzymes specially made to break down raw meat and bone. If that slow moving kibble-goo (you have all seen how that stuff comes out...) gets in front of the raw food that needs to move on through quickly, then the meat will sit there behind the kibble and any bacteria that are present will have time to grow and multiply. This could become a big problem, more "bad" bacteria growing in the gut, as well as slower digestion, and eventually you are going to have a bacteria overgrowth that will result in a very sick pooch. There are a myriad of other problems that feeding kibble and raw together that I am not covering here, as this should be enough to explain why doing this in NOT a good idea for your pet.

These pitfalls are easily avoided and the raw diet can be safely fed to your pet dogs and cats. By feeding only a raw diet in a wide variety of meats and following the basic proportions of 80/10/10,  80% muscle meat, 10 % edible bone, and 10% organ meat - (5% liver and 5% other secreting organs)your dog can thrive and be healthy and happy too!  

Takoda's Parvo Survival Story

This is Takoda. He is one of Daisy & Cooter's Naturally Reared pups from 2011. He is a UKC registered Carolina Dog. He lives with Lauri in Georgia. Lauri and I decided to tell his story here in the hopes that it may help others. This post is our combined effort, but any errors in dates, etc are mine. Thanks for sharing Lauri!  

Takoda was born in my home on August 26, 2011. He was from my raw fed, Naturally Reared very healthy pair of Carolina Dogs. He was healthy and was the largest puppy in the litter. At about 3 weeks the litter was introduced to raw meat and weaning was began naturally according to their mother, Daisy. Everything about his upbringing was normal and healthy. He was not vaccinated and was checked by a holistic vet at 7.5 weeks and at 8 weeks went to live with his new family(Lauri). Where he was continued on the Natural rearing protocols of raw feeding, no vaccines, and no chemicals or drugs. He was healthy and accompanied Lauri on a few trips to the pet store to pick out new toys and stylish new collar & leash sets. Lauri provided him with the best of foods; grass fed beef, free range whole chicken and other meats from an Organic farm she found nearby to her, as well as other high quality sources of raw meat for dogs.


In order to comply with Georgia law at the urging of the vets in her area, Lauri took Takoda for his rabies vaccine on 3-12-12, when he was about 7 months old. A couple of weeks afterwards, Lauri had to go out of town on business. Takoda stayed at home with her husband Randy. 

In mid-April, Lauri had just flown back into town. She was still at the airport and so she called her husband to see how Takoda was and let him know she was to be home soon. 
Lauri said, "Randy told me he was going to take Takoda to ER and  I said: "no, why?" "  Randy said that Takoda was not feeling too good and threw up once and kind of mopey since Lauri had been gone. 

Lauri immediately called me (the breeder & her mentor). I asked Lauri to have Randy call me so I could hear directly what was going on.  Randy reported that Takoda had only thrown up once and he had not observed him having any diarrhea. But he had watched him chase the cats in the yard just that day.   Based on what Randy told me, we decided to wait until Lauri got home and could assess Takoda herself. We were thinking he was just missing his Special Person.

Lauri got home very late at night and Takoda greeted her, but she could tell he was not quite up to par, so the next morning she called the holistic vet, J. Partin DVM that had given him the Rabies vaccine. Dr Partin was an hour away and told Lauri she needed to bring him in for testing. They did the Parvo test first and it was an immediate high level Parvovirus result. They retested again and quickly got the same result. The vet did state that Takoda was having diarrhea although nobody had seen him have any at home.  
Dr Partin started him on an IV with fluids. He also received the following meds: 
B-12 injection
Cephalothin injection (antibiotic)
Cerenia Injection( anti-vomiting med)
Vitamin B-complex injection
electrolytes Lactated Ringer's Solution
That vet had a very small practice and wasn't set up as a hospital, so Lauri loaded Takoda up and too him to Dr Carpenter at the local allopathic Veterinary Hospital that was near her home. They decided to continue on with the course of treatment started by Dr Partin, although Dr Carpenter(Lauri's previous vet for past dogs) wasn't very happy about treating him with a more Holistic approach, limited medicines and simply keeping him on IV fluids overnight. He did not give Lauri much hope of Takoda surviving the night let alone making a quick recovery.
The next day Lauri called first thing in the morning to see how Takoda was doing and the Vet Tech said he did good all night and if he will eat he can go home! Lauri took him some lightly boiled chicken because the hospital staff was trying to give him kibble(against Lauri's wishes). We were uncertain if they would actually give him the chicken , but they later reported to Lauri that he turned his nose up at the kibble but happily ate the chicken! 

That afternoon, after a grand total of only 1 day and a half at the vet, Takoda was eating and was allowed to go home! Lauri says "We came home, he ate his raw chicken with bone and went outside and chased squirrels and cats as if nothing ever happened and he has been well every since!"
The Holistic Vet Dr Partin said: "I'm just going to tell you the reason Takoda pulled out like he did is because he is fed raw and no vaccines, he has built his immune system." 

Lauri and I are very proud of how quickly Takoda recovered and how much he amazed all the "professionals".

We are not ever going to be sure of exactly where Takoda got infected with the Parvovirus, but we suspect that he picked it up at the Vet's office in March, when he went for his Rabies shot. Veterinarian's offices are typically one of the easiest places for any dog to 'catch something". In my opinion another factor was the Rabies vaccination and it's suppressive effect on his immune system. Many dogs are not so fortunate to be Naturally Reared, or survive parvo, many die or are sick for many weeks. We believe that kibble, chemicals and most of all vaccines contribute to the high death rate in otherwise healthy puppies that contract this man-made virus. Lauri and I have learned a lot along our respective Natural Rearing journeys, most of all we learned that Natural Rearing IS the way to go and we both now feel stronger and better prepared to face health challenges in the future.  

We would like to encourage everyone to learn more about natural rearing and to not be scared by all the fear mongering that is thrown at you by the Veterinary community, drug companies, and kibble companies. Raising your dog as nature intended is healthy and safe when done responsibly and in accordance with nature's laws. .

Easy Directions to Make your Own Ground Eggshell Powder

Ground Egg Shells — How To Make Your Own Ground Egg Shell Supplement and How Much To Give

A lack of calcium, or the inability to properly assimilate calcium has been known to cause dental facial problems as an example. Reports, photographs and x-rays made during Dr. Pottenger's 10 year cat study clearly illustrates this fact.
Many of the cats eating a deficient diet as deemed by Dr. Pottenger had dental facial problems such as an underbite, cramping of the teeth, and in general, under-developed faces.
Although, these problems are irreversible once they have occurred, with puppies and kittens it is important to try and prevent these problems with good wholesome foods and a quality calcium supplement. With mature dogs and cats, good food and a good quality calcium supplement simply help to provide the calcium needed for living.
There are many other functions and benefits beyond the obvious of minerals like calcium. Calcium not only is important for strong bones, but it also is said to help with blood clotting, activating enzyme action, and helps normalize the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles.
Don't underestimate minerals. They are the spark plugs of life.
As mentioned earlier, calcium is the single most important supplement
you can provide your pets with. An excellent source of calcium for your pets is finely ground egg shells.
The goal that we want to achieve when providing a calcium supplement is to help provide our pets with twice as much calcium as phosphorus. Our pets require a 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus. This is the ratio I personally follow but others suggest lower ratios, anywhere from 1:1 and everything in between up to 2:1. One reason why I provide or follow the 2:1 ratio is because ultimately it is better to have more calcium than less calcium. If you follow the 1:1 ratio, then your room for error is non-existent. At the same time, the nutritional content of foods naturally fluctuates. So sometimes the food we feed will be naturally lower in calcium and on other days, higher. I also follow the 2:1 ratio as this is what veterinarians such as Dr. Pitcairn and others have suggested.
While it's impossible to purrrfectly obtain this ratio (or any ratio) we can, at the very least, get close to creating this ideal ratio for our pets by using finely ground egg shells as a calcium supplement.
When the body is getting the proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus, then this will help prevent a calcium deficiency, will further help prevent calcium related health problems and will also help prevent problems that are indirectly caused by an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Suggested Doses of Ground Egg Shells

Ground egg shells are extremely high in calcium and contain virtually no phosphorus.
1 teaspoon of ground egg shells contains approximately 1900 mg of calcium. This is a whopping amount of calcium!
Different meats contain different amounts of calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, ideally I would like to provide a specific amount of calcium based on the meat being fed to help create the 2:1 ratio. However, since ground egg shells are so concentrated and the difference in the amount of phosphorus in meats is relatively speaking minute, it would be difficult to successfully make serving amounts for ground egg shells that could easily be given for each meat. So for simplicity's sake, I have created 1 chart for all meats.
Based on my evaluation of the nutritional analysis of various meats, the amount suggested is quite close to creating the ideal 2:1 ratio.
Now wait, I know what some of you are thinking! You are thinking... how do I know how much meat I am going to be feeding anyway?
Well, not to worry — Part 3 of my book explains how to make and feed. You can also read the page earlier about feeding.
So add the following amount of ground egg shells using the table below:

Weight of Meat 	                Ground Egg Shells



100 grams                       1/4 tsp
200 grams                       1/2 tsp
300 grams                       2/3 tsp
400 grams                       3/4 tsp




1/4 pound                       1/4 tsp
1/2 pound                       1/2 tsp
3/4 pound                       3/4 tsp
1 pound                         1 tsp



1 Jumbo Egg or 1 Large Egg      1/8 tsp
2 Jumbo Eggs or 2 Large Eggs    1/4 tsp
4 Jumbo Eggs of 4 Large Eggs    1/2 tsp
6 Jumbo Eggs of 6 Large Eggs    3/4 tsp
8 Jumbo Eggs of 8 Large Eggs    1 tsp

How To Make Ground Egg Shell Powder

If you have access to enough egg shells and if you have the inclination, you can make your own finely ground egg shell powder.
Remember, even if you don't have enough egg shells, you can always ask friends, neighbors, relatives and others to save their egg shells for you.
Choose the direction based on the type of eggs you are using...
Free Range Eggs:

1. Simply collect egg shells.
2. Wash egg shells (optional). If you do wash the egg shells, it's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding.
5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most likely it will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.

Non Free Range Eggs:

1. Simply collect egg shells.
2. Wash the egg shells. It's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding. In addition, this helps to get rid of the mineral oils that have been applied to the egg shells to keep them from drying out in the store.
5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most it likely will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.

Editor's Paw Note

If you are unable or don't have the time to make your own ground egg shell supplement, then you can order a ground egg shell supplement which is found in my online store.

Well, That Was Eggshellent Information

I know that was eggshellent information but there is more to come. Keep reading:

• Why Feed Natural Homemade Pet Food?
• Let's Take A Closer Look A Natural Homemade Pet Food
• An Early Conclusion About Natural Homemade Pet Food
• Feeding — How Much To Feed Dogs and Cats
• Water — Pets Drink Water While Eating
• The Importance of Calcium
• How To Make Your Own Calcium Supplement
• Pet Supplements — A Quick Introduction
• The Benefits of Enzymes
• Nutritive Herbs

Source: Pets Need Wholesome Food Also @ pet-grub.com
Copyright 2012 by pet-grub.com. Used with permission.

the Power of Pawsitive Thinking

I have been thinking about the power of the mind, in relation to training your dog or feeding a new protein source or just determining who gets that choice spot on the sofa, all of these can become issues with your raw fed dog or your Carolina Dog, well, any dog for that matter!  If you are uncertain or wishy-washy in your mind, dogs can tell!

I have heard of people who are having troubles "trying" to make the switch to raw feeding. Suddenly a dog is a food bully. Upon starting to feed raw food, one of their dogs becomes a resource guarder or even becomes aggressive with them. Behaviors that are not normal for the dogs and  inevitably get blamed on the "raw meat" myth that feeding raw makes dogs 'bloodthirsty". Utterly ridiculous, but it happens so often.

Also I hear of Carolina Dog adopters and even owners who have had their CDs since puppy hood say that their CD destroys furniture and personal items, bolts through the door and jumps on their neighbors. CDs are supposed to have a "pack" mentality in regards to their family and home and they are not usually destructive of anything in their "den" unless they are not given rules, boundaries and limitations.

How is a loving kind owner supposed to enforce those rules, boundaries, and limitations? What can be done? Maybe a better question is why do the animals suddenly act this way?

I learned this firsthand through my own experiences with my Carolina Dogs and Raw Feeding. Like him or hate him, Caesar Milan taught me this principle. I watched his shows for months prior to getting my first CD. Also the advice given by the breeder of my dogs, Jane Gunnell, meshed with this way of thinking.

Upon getting my first CD puppy I determined in my mind that no matter if I had never been able to potty train a dog or keep one from bolting through the door, I was going to have the mindset that I am in charge and I am the pack leader. I became totally sold out to the idea, after all, the many other methods I had used in the past had not worked for me.
I remember seeing an episode of the Dog Whisperer, where CM was explaining to the despairing dog owner that they needed to visualize the dog responding exactly the way they wanted, not visualizing how the dog could screw up. That made a major impact on me. I was determined to try it! (Upon proof-reading this, I realized that that last sentence was confusing. I was not going to try it, I was going to do it! )

In each training session and every interaction with my new puppy I did visualize him doing exactly the right thing. I saw  Cooter, in my mind, stopping when I asked him to wait at the door and not him bolting out past me to go after the cat. I saw Daisy dropping whatever object she had in her mouth as soon as I said "Drop It" And you know what? It worked! I didn't have to get physical or punish my dog in any way. It really is all about how we think!

How does it work? Well, when it comes to dealing with a Carolina Dog, we know that they are supremely intuitive. They can read our body language. CDs can tell if we are weak in our determination. Subconsciously, if we are thinking "failure" in our minds, then our body projects "failure" in our presence and posture. CDs can assuredly read that and WILL take advantage of it!

If you feel sorry for your CD and  what she went through in her past, she will sense your weakness and inability to be firm with her on a problem issue(chewing, bolting, resource guarding, etc). You will end up with a dog that develops bad habits, some of which could be dangerous. Worst case scenario- escape, illness, or surrender to a animal shelter could result.

For example, I am not meaning that you think in your mind: "I'm opening the door, I hope the dog does not dash out past me. I'm really scared he will and will get hit by a car. Oh crap please don't let that happen! Now Sweetie, you stay over there please while Mommy opens the door a crack and peeks out. No! Stay BAAACK! Arrgghh!" - You KNOW you have done this!!!! LOL
I am meaning the situation goes like this: You, with a strong calm presence back the dog away from the door and entry area until he has given you a good amount of space, so he is not crowding you or the door or entry. You put the dog in a down/stay and firmly say 'Wait' . You visualize Sweetie staying right in that spot until you release him. You turn and open the door and  greet your visitor and invite them in. Then you release Sweetie and praise him and allow him to calmly greet the visitor.

Does that whole scenario happen every time someone comes to our door? No. And that is my fault. My dogs can pick up on my weakness, inattention, nervousness, or agitation or even happiness and will show the same amount of 'excitement' that I am projecting. They will bark and "alert" me  that there is a stranger at the door. That is their "job" when we are home alone all day.  I do try to use each time somebody knocks on our door as a training exersize. Sometimes I don't get to play it out like I would like to, due to visitor urgency or whatever.  But I try to practice at least some parts of our ritual. I am confident that I can open the door and my dogs WILL respect me & 'my' doorway and will not bolt through. I know that I can ask them to back up and give me space at the door.

Another scenario that I commonly practice visualization is with feeding. Whether I am feeding a new food or feeding my dogs as a pack in the yard. I visualize them eating the food like it is their favorite. I also visualize and insist on them respecting each other's space and food.
Early on in my raw feeding journey I experienced my dogs refusing to eat something new. Thinking back I always had that worry in my mind; "I hope they will eat this turkey(or fish or whatever). What if they don't?  It was expensive, if they don't eat it  I will be out that money and they will have nothing to eat! "
When I realized what I was doing, I almost smacked myself in the head! Doh! They can tell I, their pack leader,  am worried about this new food. "It must be dangerous, or bad. Better not eat this!" They probably are reading from my body language!
When I next fed a new food, I made sure I was thinking happy thoughts, positive about them eating the new food, thinking how nutritious it would be for them, how yummy they would think it is. And yet again, It worked! They ate it with no problem!

These are just some examples of the power of Pawsitive Thinking I have experienced. I hope you learned something that you can apply to your journey with your Raw Fed dog or Carolina Dog!



Remember Visualize Pawsitive thoughts!

Feeding Prey Model Raw

This is a great guide for anyone new to feeding raw and a wonderful refresher for an experienced raw feeder. 

Guide to Feeding Prey Model Raw

I read this whole e-book to evaluate it as a resource for my puppy families. I did not find one thing that I disagreed with! This book is not to long or to technical, it is easy to read for everyone.

 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Required Reading for puppy families! 

Natural Immunity By Pat McKay

This is a wonderful book about Natural Immunity, why vaccines don't work and how natural immunity does work and how to achieve it with your pets.
If this link stops working, please Google " Natural Immunity, Pat McKay" or Essentials4All, Pat McKay" to find the new link or places to purchase the book.

link to Natural Immunity by Pat McKay

AVMA Policy to Discourage Raw Feeding... Common Sense?

AVMA voted in a new policy that strongly discourages anyone from feeding their pets a RAW meat diet, based upon the possibility of Salmonella contamination.  
Please consider the following: 

1. "Pet owners have been feeding raw diets to their dogs and cats for decades, yet to date, not one documented case of raw pet food causing illness in humans has been reported. Not one." *Dr Becker Article 

2. "To date, there have been no published reports of salmonellosis occurring in dogs as a result of exposure to natural pet treats.”  *Dr Becker Article 

3. the MANY recent RECALLS of processed pet foods & treats, for SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION (as well as other reasons such as other pathogens, mold, toxic additives, etc) as recently as yesterday! see: Dog Food Recall- Salmonella 

4. There are board members of the AVMA that are also board members of big kibble companies... conflict of interest there? I think so! 

In light of this,  many vets are going to wonder why more & more people do not trust their recommendations and the AVMA's recommendations, as we pet owners use our common sense and start to realize what is happening here, as we begin to do our own research and choose more natural products and ways of caring for our pets!  

Thank you Dr Karen Becker for once again telling the truth clearly & concisely! Dr Becker Article

Is Our Pet's Health Mirroring Human Health Today?

Our pets seem to be mirroring the same increase in symptoms & diseases that humans are having today; obesity, diabetes, cancer, immune system disorders, intestinal/digestive problems, chronic skin problems/infections. The vast majority of these pets are fed commercial pet food- the human equivalent of pre-packaged fast food/junk food and are being vaccinated way more than many experts know is necessary. What does this tell us about our own health?  

 Could we learn something from this parallel about our own health? 

 Sadly, some dogs are beyond help and must be humanely euthanized(such as the example I wrote about recently- Jack's Story - vaccines can be deadly  or intensively managed to survive day to day, but the vast majority can be returned to more viable health by an immediate switch to healthy species appropriate raw foods, refraining from further unnecessary vaccinations(see this video for information ) and possibly detoxification help by an experienced Homeopath or Naturopath.  

 Of course you can help your pet to have a healthier life from the beginning by starting them out on a Natural diet as soon as you get them and refraining from use of toxins in/on/around your pets. One step further is thoughtfully choosing a pet that has been Naturally Reared and is from Naturally Reared parents. 

 Likewise we can positively affect our own health by choosing a healthier lifestyle; eat less processed foods, more whole foods, more organically grown foods, and decreasing our dependence on pharmaceutical medications & vaccinations to control illness symptoms in instances that we could heal ourselves via lifestyle & diet.

I'm pretty sure everyone has noticed that healthy living, use of organics,  natural or homeopathic remedies, whole foods and similar measures is on the rise. This is a slow process, getting the mainstream of society to increase their use of these healthy habits, just as it is a slow process getting the veterinary establishment to learn about, accept, and promote a healthier lifestyle: whole fresh raw foods, less chemicals and minimal (and safer) vaccinations, for our pets. There have been changes, there is a glimmer of light on the horizon, Integrative Veterinary Medicine is on the rise, the Rabies Challenge Fund(http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/ ) is working hard to raise awareness and prove that Duration of Immunity in core vaccines is much longer than what  has been "taught" in past years. 

We that HAVE experienced the transformation in our pets, from surviving to thriving, we must continue to educate others, we must keep challenging the current status-quo of yearly vaccinations and the pushing of toxins & kibble as the only way. We have to continue to support our Naturopaths and Holistic & Integrative Vets, those that are willing to step out on a limb and question the mainstream for our pets health, not their bottom line,  and we must continue to support organizations like the Rabies Challenge Fund. 

Maybe along the way, pet owners will also learn more healthy ways for themselves and their human families. It has happened to me! Through my journey of learning about healthier ways for my dogs, I have become aware of healthier choices for myself and my family....What about you? 

Raw Feeding Journal #3

Trout, Gizzards & Hearts

1/2 tsp. Organic Coconut Oil

Add 1 TBSP. Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Add 1/4 tsp Organic Garlic Powder

Add 1 tsp. ground eggshell

3 fresh eggs from our own chickens

Add egg, minus shells (to be saved, rinsed & dried for grinding later)

approx. 1 & 1/2 lb of chicken gizzards and hearts, semi-frozen 

Locally caught wild Trout (these have been gutted, but I take what I can get for free:))

slice trout (1 per dog, 9-10 inches each)

Add Trout 

Stir it all until trout, gizzards & hearts are coated with egg & supplements are mixed in well

All dogs must sit & wait calmly

Cooter gets his first... YUMMY!

All 3 dogs eating 

I think that means they liked it! 

Photo Journal of Raw Feeding #2

A meal in 2 parts


Part 1

 Step 1- Melt 1/2 tsp. Organic Coconut Oil.

 Step 2- Don't step on Jesse:)

 Step 3- Add Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (1 Tbsp.) and Organic ground Garlic (1/4 tsp.)

 3 large Farm Eggs. We use eggs from our own mixed flock of semi-free range chickens.
Our chickens are given no drugs, chemical wormers, are not exposed to pesticides, etc. They are kept in large pens and moved to new grass daily. Their food is supplemented with chicken feed & scratch grains. We are hatching our own chicks naturally(with a hen, not an incubator) now! The eggs are not pasteurized, heated or bleached. I rinse them & if necessary wash them off with vinegar & a towel.

 Step 4- add an Egg to each bowl.

 Step 5- mix ingredients

 Step 6- Everyone MUST sit.

 Step 7- Chow down!














Part 2

 This is about 1 & 3/4 pound of Pork rib meat and neck bones and my scale. I put the bowl on the scale, then turn it on, so that it zeroes with the bowl on it. I can then weigh the meat in order to evenly divide it among the 3 dogs & ensure I am feeding the correct amount.
This pork is from the grocery store. We do raise pigs ourselves, but supplement from the grocery store when necessary.

3 portions of pork meat & bones. The rib meat came cut into 3 thick pieces & the neck bones are pieces of varying size, different bones with varying amounts of meat attached.

 Daisy- Sit & wait.

Daisy eating. No other dogs are crowding her or trying to get her food. They know they must respect each others space.

 Cooter- Sit & Wait.
 Jesse is "helping" him :)

 Cooter eating. Notice that Jesse has moved out of his space.

 Jesse- Sit & Wait.

Jesse eating.

Photo Journal of Raw Feeding #1

Welcome to my Journal of Raw Feeding Series-  #1. I will be adding more journal posts to my blog every 3-7 days as a visual guide to how I prepare my dog's variety of meals. I hope this will show how easy  raw feeding can be! 

If you want more information on how to feed a raw diet see THIS PAGE.  and follow the links included for even more information! For info on how to switch your dog from a kibble diet to a healthy raw diet, CLICK HERE.

#1 A meat/veggie & fruit meal. 

Step 1- melting  1/2 tsp Organic Coconut Oil. This makes it easier to mix up. I simply put the solid oil in a bowl and place it in a sink full of hot water until it melts. 

Step 2- Add 1 Tbsp. of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth & 1/4 tsp Organic Garlic Powder.  

Step 3 (a)- Today I am feeding each dog a sample packet of Embark from The Honest Kitchen. This includes Turkey, Vegetables & Fruits. This packet makes about 1/2 cup of food when reconstituted. 

Step 3 (b) With the dehydrated Embark added to the bowl.

Step 4- Add 1/3 cup warm water as per directions on the packet. 

Step 5- Mix thoroughly & let stand for 5 minutes.

Step 6(a)- 1& 1/3 pound of chicken gizzards and hearts divided evenly in 3 portions (for each dog).   

Step 6(b)- mix in the chicken with the Embark & supplements.  

Step 7- All dogs must "sit" calmly and "wait" for their food. 

Step 8- Chow down! 

 *To balance the calcium/phosphorus ratio,  raw pork neck bones were given after they finished eating this meal.