Raw vs. Cooked...so confused

BodiesMom

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Ok, so I've really been considering switching Bodie to a raw or cooked diet, but I'm sooo confused on how, and what, and so on...
We know that Bodie is allergic to storage mites, I know that no matter how good or premium the kibble is, if its packaged, it's going to have storage mites. Someone here on EBN had mentioned to me that switching to raw would rectify the mite problem, then someone mentioned that by cooking his food it kills any mites. But if I'm buying "instinct raw" medallions, wouldn't they still contain mites since they are packaged? And when feeding raw, do we actually feed him raw meat? Or cook it? Or what? I really need as much info as possible on these different feeding options.
Bodie's skin is really really bad right now, I'd go as far as to say its the worst it's ever been:frowns: So we've got to make some changes.
Also, I've read in other forums here on EBN about a specific blood test that will show environmentals and any food allergies. Anyone have the specifics on that test?


BullyLove!!!
 

RiiSi

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You can read a lot of great info of all types of feeding from dogaware.com. If you're feedng raw it really means raw, not cooked and cause raw is stored freezed it doesn't have mites, freezing kills mites just as cooking. If he's really bad I would start him on elimination diet right away. Or a bland diet of rice(cooked) and hamburger with a multivitamin. Eliminate everything else from his diet and only when his symptoms start going away start introducing new ingredients in to his diet, by that time you've also figured out how you want to continue feeding him. Remember, one new thing at the time so you'll know what causes an allergic reaction.
 

2BullyMama

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I do not feed raw or home cook, but you will get great info from he members here that do!


as for the blood test, Bodie has to be free of steroids (if on them) for a full 30 days before the test can be done. Tell the vet you want a full allergy blood screen completed... They are not 100% accurate! but will give you a good base to see what to avoid.

best of luck and prayers being sent to you and Bodie
 

Marine91

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I am no help on the raw vs cooked discussion and I am just shooting from the hip here. Have you had a skin culture to done to rule out yeast, staph or other yucky stuff on his skin?
 

Manydogs

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In reference to Bodie being allergic to Storage mites---@RiiSi stated that freezing kills storage mites. Would keeping your dry dog food in the freezer also kill the storage mites that are in it? Just curious about that......some bugs come back to life after being frozen,do they not?
 
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BodiesMom

BodiesMom

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In reference to Bodie being allergic to Storage mites---@RiiSi stated that freezing kills storage mites. Would keeping your dry dog food in the freezer also kill the storage mites that are in it? Just curious about that......some bugs come back to life after being frozen,do they not?

I have NO idea about bugs coming back to life, or dying when frozen, etc...lol! I hadn't thought about freezing his food though, that's a really good question I'd like to know the answer to also! I just know that NOTHING over the last 3+ yrs has worked to clear him up for more than a couple weeks.


BullyLove!!!
 
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BodiesMom

BodiesMom

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I am no help on the raw vs cooked discussion and I am just shooting from the hip here. Have you had a skin culture to done to rule out yeast, staph or other yucky stuff on his skin?

Everytime we go to the vet for his skin issues we have skin scrapes, etc..done. The sores and scabs on his skin is a bacterial infection, however it is caused by an allergy. Whatever it is that keeps causing him to break out, which we can't seem to narrow down, even after 3+ years, is what causes him to get these bacterial infections. Then he goes onto antibiotics to clear the bacteria, but then yeast goes overactive! Bodie has a very large nose rope, along with a good size tail pocket and really tight spiral tail, so we're always fighting some amount of yeast especially in those areas, but when he goes on antibiotics, the yeast go "in party mode"!
So it all comes down to what allergy it is that's causing him to break out? We've done numerous food trials with no definitive end result, we've had the environmental allergy test done, results were, he's allergic to grass(all types), storage mites, and dust mites!


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Manydogs

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FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.
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Mar 1, 2013
By: Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE

DVM_src_25_25.jpg
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They're well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis ("baker's lung").
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners' homes.[SUP]2[/SUP]
What's the best way to prevent storage mite occupation of dry pet foods?
Advise clients who have allergic animals to buy dry pet food in small bags, immediately empty the bags into sealed bags and place them in a freezer. Keep one bag out in an airtight container and feed the pet from that bag first. Take the food that is next to be fed to the animal out of the freezer and place it in an air-tight container to thaw.
Canned food or a cooked diet that doesn't contain grains or cereals may be fed to the animal. For example, cooked hamburger is OK but not the bun; cooked oatmeal instead of Cheerios; cottage cheese instead of sliced cheese (since it doesn't mold as easily).
Keep in mind that it's unknown if microwaving or freezing dry food is sufficient enough to kill storage mites. The reason for freezing unused new food is to prevent the food from being contaminated with storage mites in our homes.
How is an allergy to storage mites diagnosed?
This allergy should be suspected if the problem is nonseasonal, especially with facial involvement (e.g., pruritus, recurrent otitis, asthma or waxy otitis). A cooked diet with no cereals, grains or cheese can be given for four to six weeks to see if the patient improves.
Perform skin or serum testing for various storage mites, but advise the client that mites cross-react on skin testing, and some animals may test positive for both dust mites and storage mites. Some of these patients will be allergic to both, while others will be allergic only to one type of mite, and a false positive reaction may occur to the other mite.
What about treatment?
Immunotherapy, either sublingual or subcutaneous, may be used if the owner doesn't want to feed a nondry diet.
Summary
Unfortunately, it takes only a tiny amount of mite allergen to elicit an allergic reaction in our pets. Hopefully, with more knowledge of these mites and ways to eradicate them, we can make our allergic pets more comfortable.
Dr. Alice Jeromin is a pharmacist and veterinary dermatologist in private practice in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University's College of Medicine in Cleveland.
References
1. Colloff MJ. Dust mites. Collingwood, Australia: CSIRO; 2009.
2. Brazis P, Serra M, Sellés A, et al. Evaluation of storage mite contamination of commercial dry dog food. Vet Dermatol 2008;19(4):209-214.
Suggested Reading
1. Reedy LM, Miller WH Jr, Willemse T. Aeroallergens and aerobiology. Allergic skin diseases of dogs and cats. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders l997;59-61.
2. Bensignor E, Carlotti DN. Sensitivity patterns to house dust mites and forage mites in atopic dogs: 150 cases. Vet Dermatol 2002 Feb;13(1):37-42.






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BodiesMom

BodiesMom

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I do not feed raw or home cook, but you will get great info from he members here that do!


as for the blood test, Bodie has to be free of steroids (if on them) for a full 30 days before the test can be done. Tell the vet you want a full allergy blood screen completed... They are not 100% accurate! but will give you a good base to see what to avoid.

best of luck and prayers being sent to you and Bodie

Thanks! We're just at the point where something's gotta change! Our poor baby is suffering with his whole body being a big scabby sore and very itchy. We've tried switching to diff better foods, very premium foods, and he's still breaking out. So we figured we've gotta at least try the raw or cooked diet to see if its the storage mites that are doing it!


BullyLove!!!
 
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BodiesMom

BodiesMom

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You can read a lot of great info of all types of feeding from dogaware.com. If you're feedng raw it really means raw, not cooked and cause raw is stored freezed it doesn't have mites, freezing kills mites just as cooking. If he's really bad I would start him on elimination diet right away. Or a bland diet of rice(cooked) and hamburger with a multivitamin. Eliminate everything else from his diet and only when his symptoms start going away start introducing new ingredients in to his diet, by that time you've also figured out how you want to continue feeding him. Remember, one new thing at the time so you'll know what causes an allergic reaction.

Thanks for the info! I do have a couple questions! I read that storage mites are in all grains, so the rice? I know it'll be cooked, but should it be a whole grain rice or regular white rice? This is all so confusing to me. And when feeding just rice and hamburger, how much? He usually eats 1 1/4 cups of kibble twice a day.
And the multivitamin? Can u suggest any brand/type? I know absolutely nothing about doggy vitamins!!!


BullyLove!!!
 

Bendy

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I've been home cooking for the past few months due to spike having allergies, like you I found it confusing until I found a fantastic book called 'home cooking for your dog by Christine filardi' it explains how to get started and what you'll need, how much to feed ect, it not only has home cooked it also explains how to start on a raw diet.
i did the switch over to cooked food over a 3-4 week period, I started by adding 1/4 meat to 3/4 dry food, and increased it to 1/2 meat and 1/2 dry food on week two and so on until he was fully on meat and then I started adding veggies. As well as a multi vitamin you will also need to add a calcium supplement if feeding cooked. I use ground egg shell for the calcium. I really recommend buying the book, it helped me get started.
 
B

Baxter Tiberius

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Ok, so I've really been considering switching Bodie to a raw or cooked diet, but I'm sooo confused on how, and what, and so on...
We know that Bodie is allergic to storage mites, I know that no matter how good or premium the kibble is, if its packaged, it's going to have storage mites. Someone here on EBN had mentioned to me that switching to raw would rectify the mite problem, then someone mentioned that by cooking his food it kills any mites. But if I'm buying "instinct raw" medallions, wouldn't they still contain mites since they are packaged? And when feeding raw, do we actually feed him raw meat? Or cook it? Or what? I really need as much info as possible on these different feeding options.
Bodie's skin is really really bad right now, I'd go as far as to say its the worst it's ever been:frowns: So we've got to make some changes.
Also, I've read in other forums here on EBN about a specific blood test that will show environmentals and any food allergies. Anyone have the specifics on that test?


BullyLove!!!

I gave up on the whole "doing it myself" thing and instead began a hunt for the highest quality pre-made cooked, whole-food option. There are several out there who will ship frozen to you. These guys really get their formulas right, and in the end you get all the benefits of the organic whole foods, without any of the pitfalls. I settled on Farm Fresh Pet foods http://www.farmfreshpet.com . They have both a line of raw, and a line of "low heat cooked" flavors. I went with the low heat cooked versions because Baxter did horribly on raw. I assume it was the bacterial overload. I wasn't interested in "forcing" him to get used to it by putting him through weeks/months of diarrheah and stomach upset. That's what a lot of raw people told me to do. "Get him used to it". And "Thats normal". No thanks. the cooked line of products they have is absolutely perfect, and he did not even need a 10 day "ramping up" phase. He went full steam on it the first night, large quantity, and had perfect poop the next morning, for the first time in months. Highly recommend.

-B-
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Thanks! We're just at the point where something's gotta change! Our poor baby is suffering with his whole body being a big scabby sore and very itchy. We've tried switching to diff better foods, very premium foods, and he's still breaking out. So we figured we've gotta at least try the raw or cooked diet to see if its the storage mites that are doing it!
BullyLove!!!

I gave up on the whole "doing it myself" thing and instead began a hunt for the highest quality pre-made cooked, whole-food option. There are several out there who will ship frozen to you. These guys really get their formulas right, and in the end you get all the benefits of the organic whole foods, without any of the pitfalls. I settled on Farm Fresh Pet foods http://www.farmfreshpet.com . They have both a line of raw, and a line of "low heat cooked" flavors. I went with the low heat cooked versions because Baxter did horribly on raw. I assume it was the bacterial overload. I wasn't interested in "forcing" him to get used to it by putting him through weeks/months of diarrheah and stomach upset. That's what a lot of raw people told me to do. "Get him used to it". And "Thats normal". No thanks. the cooked line of products they have is absolutely perfect, and he did not even need a 10 day "ramping up" phase. He went full steam on it the first night, large quantity, and had perfect poop the next morning, for the first time in months. Highly recommend.

-B-

Kevin -- this sounds like a great option for them.... great info!
 
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BodiesMom

BodiesMom

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Thank u guys very much for all the info. Def some things ill be looking into!


BullyLove!!!
 

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