Zeus started raw feeding today

[wheezer]

I decided to feed raw to Zeus because he is licking his paws and his face is always red. At first he did not know how to eat the chicken backs I gave him, bu the next meal he ate it right up without any issues. I am very nervous because I have never fed raw, but I know this is the best for him. I am starting with chicken backs and will progress from there. I am trying to learn as much as I can, but it is a little scarey for me. I wish I lived close to someone that was familiar with all of this, but I know I can find help her on this forum.

 

[izstigspunks]

Fear is very common at first, since everything is still new. But you'll learn along the way and will get more comfortable! If you have any questions, just ask. There's always a few of us who can answer. And with raw, don't be afraid to ask anything, even if you think it's silly! Even the simplest of things can get a little confusing at times.

But so awesome that Zeus has got a handle on the backs! I remember it took Stiggy 20 minutes to eat it at first. Now he can finish in a couple of minutes.

 

[sweetpeasmom2008]

I wish u luck!

 

[Alaskasmom1]

You will love that you did this. Tank had horrible allergies showing up, now he's as normal as Tank EVER is. :-)
I learned everything on here also, wish I was an expert for your sake but...sadly, not.

 

[wheezer]

Today Zeus was more familar with eating the chicken thigh and leg. It does take him longer to eat, but you can tell he enjoys it. So far his poop is normal and no signs of diarrhea. I have so much to learn but I have been doing a lot of reading on here the last month and finally just jumped right in cold turkey. I am sure I will have a lot of questions and I am so glad I have EBN to answer these questions. Thanks for being here!!

 

[Texas Carol]

Good for you, wishing y'all the very best w/this choice. I am considering it
for Brutus, am doing a homemade diet/Avoderm kibble as he seems to be-
coming sensitive to the potato and the one w/out potato, he seems sensitive
to the trout>sigh< So, after the holidays are over, I'm going to do more raw/
homemade diet for him. Please continue to update us on his progress, Thanks!

 

[wheezer]

I will definitely keep you updated. Zeus has reacted to Fromm's and Variety Instinct grain free all flavors and I cannot stand him licking his paws constantly. I am making my hubby learn with me because I travel 3-4 weeks a month and he is retired. He said he is willing to do whatever it takes to make him comfortable. This weekend I intend to cut up whole chickens and only add one different protein every couple of weeks to make sure he is not sensitive to what raw he eats. It is more time consuming but at least I am working from home for two weeks to get this started. Wish me luck!!!

 

[RiiSi]

Good luck and soon enough your worries will go away when you see how much good it does to your Zeus!

 

[Texas Carol]

I will definitely keep you updated. Zeus has reacted to Fromm's and Variety Instinct grain free all flavors and I cannot stand him licking his paws constantly. I am making my hubby learn with me because I travel 3-4 weeks a month and he is retired. He said he is willing to do whatever it takes to make him comfortable. This weekend I intend to cut up whole chickens and only add one different protein every couple of weeks to make sure he is not sensitive to what raw he eats. It is more time consuming but at least I am working from home for two weeks to get this started. Wish me luck!!!

I do wish you luck and will keep you in my prayers too. As you say, these are great foods but some bullies
still react...from my constant research, I'm convinced many react to the 'unknowns' even in the best foods.

For instance, many would not react to the fish in the foods BUT the preservative that's most commonly used
is very allergen causing...like so many ingredients...it's NOT listed at all because it doesn't have to be. You
can't ever know for sure EXACTLY what is in your pet's foods and as the economy worsens even former great
companies are cutting costs and buying from less reliable sources and sometimes don't know themselves these
changes/additives have been added!

For most pets, buying from reputable food companies that care and try to maintain quality works fine but not for
the very sensitive/allergy prone breeds...for them...less is best!

Because I suffer autoimmune diseases, I've had to do the same thing for myself...heal my body with the right foods.
I started changing my diet 2 years ago and went from mostly NON functioning to having a life. Thank goodness as
Mother came to live w/me 2 yrs ago, she has Alzheimer's and my brother & 2 other sisters didn't want that burden.

Then, as you know, my husband died in August...if not much healthier, I truly believe I wouldn't be here, if not dead,
bedridden mostly as before...all the emotional stress and the physical work, I would not be capable of doing at all.

I'm going to find local, organic, small independent farms that raise all their produce, meat, dairy & eggs and butcher
& prepare their meat & produce, themselves and buy & feed my pets AND ourselves w/pesticide free, antibiotic &
hormone free, no added anything...just raw, real FOOD!

My many doctors & specialists and their meds were making me even more ill than my illnesses and the side effects
were terrible. Only after doing my own investigation & research did I slowly start to understand that food can heal
...or kill you.

 

[wheezer]

Bless you!! My prayers are with you! My dad was 99 December and we just found out today that he has fast growing oral cancer. We have dealt with bladder cancer and he is doing fine with this at this time. The surgeon wants to send him to Houston MD Anderson, but we made the decision to just keep him comfortable. He will be getting a workup to see what is needed to keep him comfortable, but it is a very aggressive cancer so we are concerned about his nutrition. I travel for my job so I may need to take a leave to deal with this. I only have one sibling that can help me but she is 74 so most of this will fall on me and my daughter. My hubby is not able to do much more than take care of my baby bully and that is in itself a job. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

[izstigspunks]

Praying that your dad gets better and remains comfortable for a very long time.

You'll find that eventually, you'll get so used to raw prep that it just becomes part of the routine. Fabulous that Zeus adjusted so well. And no runny poop!? So jealous! :D

 

[wheezer]

Rawfeeding is going great and he is excited about eating again! I plan to stay with chicken for a week or two to make sure there are no reactions. He is stilling licking his feet but I am washing them with ACV and adding that to his water plus he get yogurt daily. Eventually, we will figure all of this out!! Thanks for your vote of confidence! I need it right now.

 

[cowsmom]

ok so i was searching back as i know there are some groups to help with this. ive taken this from a post long ago. "There is a group on Yahoo groups called raw feeding and it is FULL of tons of info. I also joined a group called Raw Chat that is good as well." there is also a sticky at the top of the raw forum that is a helpful guide to. there is also a blog by a lady named Gatorray in the blog section that chronicals her raw food experience form day one. its back a bit from like 7 2011. good luck and its wonderful your doing this.

 

[wheezer]

Still progressing with the rawfeeding! I never thought I would go this route, but so far it is not as bad as I thought it might be. Zeus loves it and so far no GI issues. He still has a slight pink color to his face and still is licking his paws but they are not as red as they were. I wash them a couple of times a day with ACV, Peroxide, diluted with water. It has been a week today so I feel like we are making progress. Anything for our babies, right?

 

[izstigspunks]

Still progressing with the rawfeeding! I never thought I would go this route, but so far it is not as bad as I thought it might be. Zeus loves it and so far no GI issues. He still has a slight pink color to his face and still is licking his paws but they are not as red as they were. I wash them a couple of times a day with ACV, Peroxide, diluted with water. It has been a week today so I feel like we are making progress. Anything for our babies, right?

It will get easier over time! And still so jealous about the no GI issues. Lucky! Yes, anything for our beautiful babies.