Answers Raw Frozen Pet Food

[Kevikell]

My 11 1/2 yr old bulldog has had a rough 14 months. We finally got her over a MRSP infection but also found out she had developed an autoimmune disease called erythema multiforme. At this point we don't know the cause but since she no longer has an infection, she hasn't been vaccinated since June of 2013, and as far as we know she doesn't actively have cancer (that has been on the vets radar since her diagnosis in Dec 2013). He keeps saying she may have a rare from of lymphoma that affects the skin but that's what they thought when we had a biopsy done in Dec and the autoimmune diagnosis was made. Her skin disease is not getting better and we are running out of options to manage it without serious risks to her health.

She has been on quality kibble for 7 years (unfortunately I was a new mom and fed her science diet the 1st 4 yrs) but I am wondering if it's the processed food that could be the problem. I am thinking of trying Answers Straight Raw Frozen food with Raw Goats Milk (she already gets the milk daily for probiotics). I like that it has limited ingredients and uses USDA meats. Has anyone used this brand before? I read nothing but great reviews online.

Is it a bad idea to make the switch in an elderly dog who is on triamcinolone (steroid) every other day? She's also on a 21 day course of antibiotics b/c one of her worst skin plaques has bacteria. I've read that it isn't good to start feeding raw while on prednisone or antibiotics. Is that something I should be concerned about?

What is the best way to introduce the frozen raw food? I read that you shouldn't feed raw and kibble together so how do you make the transition when the dog is being fed kibble 2x per day? Obviously I don't want to upset her tummy. Do I reduce am/pm kibble and add the raw in the middle of the kibble feedings? I am also concerned about the detox people keep mentioning. She is already a petite dog and can't afford to lose any weight.

Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated. I'm a bit worried to try raw feeding but I am ready to make an attempt if it will help her.

 

[ddnene]

Gosh I'm so sorry to hear about your baby… looks like you have really done your research, and I'm sorry I'm NO help on this. I'm just interested in the responses since I suspect that Walter may have an autoimmune issue as well. I wish you all the best...

 

[Marine91]

It very well could be processed foods. We had similar issues with Harlea fighting MRSA for over 6 months with very little progress. We changed her food to a modified home cooked diet using The Honest Kitchen Preference base mix and in the last 3 weeks her skin has cleared up immensely. I am not familiar with what you are looking to switch but I would imagine if a transition was done it should be fine..

And again thank you for the shampoo recommendation several months ago. That stuff is great.

 

[Kevikell]

It very well could be processed foods. We had similar issues with Harlea fighting MRSA for over 6 months with very little progress. We changed her food to a modified home cooked diet using The Honest Kitchen Preference base mix and in the last 3 weeks her skin has cleared up immensely. I am not familiar with what you are looking to switch but I would imagine if a transition was done it should be fine..

And again thank you for the shampoo recommendation several months ago. That stuff is great.

[MENTION=8859]Marine91[/MENTION] I've heard of the Honest Kitchen and will check into it as well. Do you give Harlea raw meat or do you cook it? I'm a bit nervous about feeding raw meat especially with Heidi's immune dysfunction. This sounds like it may be a good alternative since you can add raw or cooked meat.

I'm so glad the shampoo worked for you. Has Harlea finally beaten her MRSA infection?

 

[Davidh]

I don't know anything about feeding raw but I will tag [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] They feed raw and can help.

 

[Marine91]

[MENTION=8859]Marine91[/MENTION] I've heard of the Honest Kitchen and will check into it as well. Do you give Harlea raw meat or do you cook it? I'm a bit nervous about feeding raw meat especially with Heidi's immune dysfunction. This sounds like it may be a good alternative since you can add raw or cooked meat.

I'm so glad the shampoo worked for you. Has Harlea finally beaten her MRSA infection?

Yes. She has been MRSA free for about a month now. For the protein we started out with strictly vegetable proteins for the first 3 weeks to basically detox her system. We just started adding boiled chicken to it about 2 days ago and she is doing great so far. That is to main thing i like about THS is that we control the protein she gets and it can be either cooked or raw. Your choice.

 

[nycbullymama]

My 11 1/2 yr old bulldog has had a rough 14 months. We finally got her over a MRSP infection but also found out she had developed an autoimmune disease called erythema multiforme. At this point we don't know the cause but since she no longer has an infection, she hasn't been vaccinated since June of 2013, and as far as we know she doesn't actively have cancer (that has been on the vets radar since her diagnosis in Dec 2013). He keeps saying she may have a rare from of lymphoma that affects the skin but that's what they thought when we had a biopsy done in Dec and the autoimmune diagnosis was made. Her skin disease is not getting better and we are running out of options to manage it without serious risks to her health.

She has been on quality kibble for 7 years (unfortunately I was a new mom and fed her science diet the 1st 4 yrs) but I am wondering if it's the processed food that could be the problem. I am thinking of trying Answers Straight Raw Frozen food with Raw Goats Milk (she already gets the milk daily for probiotics). I like that it has limited ingredients and uses USDA meats. Has anyone used this brand before? I read nothing but great reviews online.

Is it a bad idea to make the switch in an elderly dog who is on triamcinolone (steroid) every other day? She's also on a 21 day course of antibiotics b/c one of her worst skin plaques has bacteria. I've read that it isn't good to start feeding raw while on prednisone or antibiotics. Is that something I should be concerned about?

What is the best way to introduce the frozen raw food? I read that you shouldn't feed raw and kibble together so how do you make the transition when the dog is being fed kibble 2x per day? Obviously I don't want to upset her tummy. Do I reduce am/pm kibble and add the raw in the middle of the kibble feedings? I am also concerned about the detox people keep mentioning. She is already a petite dog and can't afford to lose any weight.

Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated. I'm a bit worried to try raw feeding but I am ready to make an attempt if it will help her.

First, I wanna congratulate you for getting your bullie to 11.5 years. That's a wonderful accomplishment for these dogs so you've obviously done things right, even with her skin problems...so..

My bullie also has skins issues. He's had allergies since he as 4 months old. He's on antibiotics/steroids every few months. In fact, today we went back to the vet because his paw licking has become so bad, he actually started limping. Come to find out, he's got a bacterial infection in his paws. So now now we need to soak twice a day in a Chlorohexidine solution plus, he's back on antibiotics, Clavamox for 14 days.
She also wanted him on Temeril-P (again), but I'm not gonna start (yet). Hoping the soaks and antibiotics will be enough!

Last year, I put him on Stella and Chewy's RAW after having him on a quality kibble.
I didn't do a slow switch because raw and kibble digest differently. So I just stopped the kibble, and started the raw.
But he had a terrible reaction to the raw initially. He would throw a lot of it up until he got used to it. He also lost a little weight.
Looking back, I should of done a very slow switch. Starting out with mixing a little bit of the raw pattie with the kibble, and upping the amount over a few weeks. I don't think 1 week is enough if you have a bullie who's sensitive to food.

He was on it for 6 months, but it didn't help him so we went back to kibble, this time a prescription formula from Royal Canin. Yes, it's a crap food but the amino acids are so broken down, it's easy to digest and he doesn't have a bad reaction to it.

Between his allergy meds (oral version of shots), and the food, his itching is almost gone. But now we have the paw issue... It seems never ending huh...lol..

 

[Kevikell]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm headed to a local pet boutique tomorrow to look at their brands. They are very selective in what they sell and take nutrition and holistic care very seriously. They sell The Honest Kitchen, Stella & Chewy's, Vital essentials, OC Raw Dog and Answers. Hopefully they can help me make a decision that won't break the bank but I'm not sure that's possible.
[MENTION=7457]Blueberrys Mom[/MENTION] - I am worried about the throwing up and diarrhea. My petite girl is 39 lbs and has lost a little since starting steroids again. She has a pretty tough tummy but we've never done raw so who knows how she'll react to this switch. I know exactly what you mean....this past year we were visiting the vet so much that when the dermatologist said he wanted a recheck in 4 weeks it seemed like a lifetime between visits. LOL
[MENTION=8859]Marine91[/MENTION] That is GREAT news!

 

[RiiSi]

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with commercial raw foods and I also have no experience on these illnesses. It is advised to do the switch to raw "cold turkey", but some bullies react badly to it. Raw food does boost the immune system, so it could be beneficial to her. And in my opinion it's never too late.

 

[Kevikell]

Well I just bought Answers Straight Pork which has nothing but pork, organ meat and bone in it. The owner of the store suggested a cold turkey switch too. My girl has been on raw goats milk daily which is full of digestive enzymes and probiotics. They suggested that I only feed goats milk tonight instead of her kibble to prep her belly for the raw food switch in the am. Since the Pork only has meat, organ and bone in it I will supplement with goats milk for added nutrients. If she does well, they have a fermented fish stock that I can add to it as well. I hope she tolerates the switch as I don't want to see her feeling ill.

[MENTION=7457]Blueberrys Mom[/MENTION] how long did it take your boy to tolerate the new food? Did he just vomit or did he have diarrhea too?
[MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] did you ever have any problems with your dogs getting sick when they switched to raw? Is there anything I should do or expect if mine gets sick?

 

[RiiSi]

Sounds like a good plan. I never had any trouble with my boys. The other was 7 months when we started feeding him raw and the other just 8 weeks.

 

[nycbullymama]

[MENTION=12092]Kevikell[/MENTION] It took Blue about 3-4 weeks. He was throwing up on and off in that period. Not all the food, and not all the time, but a little here and there. But he absolutely loved it. I've never seen him eat better.