Against The Grain

[marshall351]

My 2.5 year old EBD is allergic to starches, legumes, beef, chicken and dairy. She is on an elimination diet, and I am feeding her canned Against The Grain 100% Salmon and pureed kale. She is doing really great and never itches. But this is not a balanced meal and is just temporary. Is there a powder that I can add to the salmon to make it a balanced meal?
I would like to be able to feed her just the wet salmon and powder, no kale.
Thanks. I love this website!

 

[helsonwheels]

My 2.5 year old EBD is allergic to starches, legumes, beef, chicken and dairy. She is on an elimination diet, and I am feeding her canned Against The Grain 100% Salmon and pureed kale. She is doing really great and never itches. But this is not a balanced meal and is just temporary. Is there a powder that I can add to the salmon to make it a balanced meal?
I would like to be able to feed her just the wet salmon and powder, no kale.
Thanks. I love this website!

Hello…..

You need to remember something, any product in a can n that goes for human products, you have lost easily 50% of nutrients. For a product to keep in cans needs to be boiled at extreme high temperatures. Why don’t you just go raw? My 3 eats wild caught frozen fish as a snack. You can always go that route. very rare when you feed raw a dog will have allergies. Even with chicken. In a raw diet the ratio is already done for you. 50-60% protein, 10% organs, 5% blood, 5% bones…. This isn’t like buy a steak n throw it in a bowl type of thing. It’s balanced. You can also buy raw fish as meals. 🙂

 

[marshall351]

Hello…..

You need to remember something, any product in a can n that goes for human products, you have lost easily 50% of nutrients. For a product to keep in cans needs to be boiled at extreme high temperatures. Why don’t you just go raw? My 3 eats wild caught frozen fish as a snack. You can always go that route. very rare when you feed raw a dog will have allergies. Even with chicken. In a raw diet the ratio is already done for you. 50-60% protein, 10% organs, 5% blood, 5% bones…. This isn’t like buy a steak n throw it in a bowl type of thing. It’s balanced. You can also buy raw fish as meals. 🙂

These cans are not human product. They are actually dog food but the only ingredient is salmon. I am scared to go raw. My vet does not recommend I go raw either. I am concerned about my dog getting sick on raw food, having to clean the bowl, my dogs face and paws. I am also concerned about how readily available the raw food would be at my local Whole Foods. I can simply go to Whole Foods and buy any meat/bones/organs there? There are soo many things online that it is very daunting trying to figure out whats right and wrong. That's why i love this site!

 

[helsonwheels]

These cans are not human product. They are actually dog food but the only ingredient is salmon. I am scared to go raw. My vet does not recommend I go raw either. I am concerned about my dog getting sick on raw food, having to clean the bowl, my dogs face and paws. I am also concerned about how readily available the raw food would be at my local Whole Foods. I can simply go to Whole Foods and buy any meat/bones/organs there? There are soo many things online that it is very daunting trying to figure out whats right and wrong. That's why i love this site

Like 90% vets are against raw as they will lose most of their visits. A dog fed raw rarely goes to the vet. They know that. I totally do not clean like you’re saying after my dogs. I clean like you would if you’re preparing your own meat meals. I clean my counter, wash my dog bowls n that’s it. Yes i clean their faces but that i was doing anyway after their kibbles & water.

And no it’s not like giving a piece of meat or bone to a dog. This raw is balanced out. The ratio is done for you. That being said, you can stay with a quality kibble but simply add raw organs as a topper on their meals. Ex: one cup of kibble n 1/4cup of raw organs mix in meal. You can also buy dry raw. You simply add boiling water let it sit there do it’s thing. And feed.

 

[2BullyMama]

These cans are not human product. They are actually dog food but the only ingredient is salmon. I am scared to go raw. My vet does not recommend I go raw either. I am concerned about my dog getting sick on raw food, having to clean the bowl, my dogs face and paws. I am also concerned about how readily available the raw food would be at my local Whole Foods. I can simply go to Whole Foods and buy any meat/bones/organs there? There are soo many things online that it is very daunting trying to figure out whats right and wrong. That's why i love this site!

Have you looked into frozen dog food? Stella and Chewy, Vita essential, answers? Or, dehydrated raw… open farm or The honest kitchen… those you can buy the mix and add the salmon.

 

[anatess]

Okay, here's my 2 cents - actually worth what you paid for it (hah hah).

About your dog's food. You can do supplements to balance it out - like Dinovite which I used when my dog couldn't chew his meaty bones anymore - or similar products. But your dog can do so much better with better nutrition.

As far as Raw goes... my dogs are all on Prey-Model Raw. We have butcher shop about 30 miles from my house. My husband gets his steaks from them because they sell good quality ones for cheap. But what I like about the place is their meat variety - they sell stuff like Rabbits, Cornish Hens, Quail, Goat, etc. And they sell different meat parts you won't typically find at the grocery store - like chitlins and hog maws and stuff like that - and different types of organ meats - like rabbit liver, calf liver, beef hearts and kidneys, turkey gizzards etc. etc. And then my son goes surf fishing a lot so we're never out of whiting and catfish and pompanos, etc.

Anyway, I feed my dogs raw meat right out of the human grocery store. If I run out of meat before my scheduled monthly butcher shop trip, I grab whole chicken from the grocery store meat section, or I mix it up with chicken, beef, turkey, fish, etc. They usually sell liver too.

My kids also have pet reptiles, so they would go to the reptile shop that also sells frozen intact rats, rabbits, quails, etc., non-human grade complete with all its innards and fur. I would sometimes get a whole carcass and throw the thing in the backyard for my dogs to chew on all day just to give them some variety and amusement. They get baths after they finish.

Anyway, raw meat is really not that complicated especially if you've trained the dog to abide by certain rules - like I trained my dogs to eat over their bowls instead of running off with their meaty bone. And you control everything that goes in your dog's belly just like you do your children. And, of course, just like you prep meat dishes for your family, you do clean-up after (most people use some disinfectant like Lysol or something, I just use plain white vinegar). And yeah, some people are squeamish about mixing dog bowls with people plates but I throw all my dog bowls in the dishwasher with the human load.

Anyway, here's a video of my dogs eating their dinner for illustration:

 

[marshall351]

Like 90% vets are against raw as they will lose most of their visits. A dog fed raw rarely goes to the vet. They know that. I totally do not clean like you’re saying after my dogs. I clean like you would if you’re preparing your own meat meals. I clean my counter, wash my dog bowls n that’s it. Yes i clean their faces but that i was doing anyway after their kibbles & water.

And no it’s not like giving a piece of meat or bone to a dog. This raw is balanced out. The ratio is done for you. That being said, you can stay with a quality kibble but simply add raw organs as a topper on their meals. Ex: one cup of kibble n 1/4cup of raw organs mix in meal. You can also buy dry raw. You simply add boiling water let it sit there do it’s thing. And feed.

Okay, here's my 2 cents - actually worth what you paid for it (hah hah).

About your dog's food. You can do supplements to balance it out - like Dinovite which I used when my dog couldn't chew his meaty bones anymore - or similar products. But your dog can do so much better with better nutrition.

As far as Raw goes... my dogs are all on Prey-Model Raw. We have butcher shop about 30 miles from my house. My husband gets his steaks from them because they sell good quality ones for cheap. But what I like about the place is their meat variety - they sell stuff like Rabbits, Cornish Hens, Quail, Goat, etc. And they sell different meat parts you won't typically find at the grocery store - like chitlins and hog maws and stuff like that - and different types of organ meats - like rabbit liver, calf liver, beef hearts and kidneys, turkey gizzards etc. etc. And then my son goes surf fishing a lot so we're never out of whiting and catfish and pompanos, etc.

Anyway, I feed my dogs raw meat right out of the human grocery store. If I run out of meat before my scheduled monthly butcher shop trip, I grab whole chicken from the grocery store meat section, or I mix it up with chicken, beef, turkey, fish, etc. They usually sell liver too.

My kids also have pet reptiles, so they would go to the reptile shop that also sells frozen intact rats, rabbits, quails, etc., non-human grade complete with all its innards and fur. I would sometimes get a whole carcass and throw the thing in the backyard for my dogs to chew on all day just to give them some variety and amusement. They get baths after they finish.

Anyway, raw meat is really not that complicated especially if you've trained the dog to abide by certain rules - like I trained my dogs to eat over their bowls instead of running off with their meaty bone. And you control everything that goes in your dog's belly just like you do your children. And, of course, just like you prep meat dishes for your family, you do clean-up after (most people use some disinfectant like Lysol or something, I just use plain white vinegar). And yeah, some people are squeamish about mixing dog bowls with people plates but I throw all my dog bowls in the dishwasher with the human load.

Anyway, here's a video of my dogs eating their dinner for illustration:

So you're saying the Against The Grain 100% Salmon canned dog food and Dinovite will provide my dog will all the nutrients she needs?

 

[anatess]

So you're saying the Against The Grain 100% Salmon canned dog food and Dinovite will provide my dog will all the nutrients she needs?

Not necessarily. Depends on your dog.

Basically, it's like asking if eating Salmon and popping a Complete A-Z Multi-vitamin will provide you with all the nutrients you need.

So many variables here - do you have the right number of calories and macronutrients (proteins and fat, etc.) you need for your body type and lifestyle? Do you have the proper bodily response that will completely absorb all the vitamins and minerals provided in the multi-vitamin. Do you trust that all the "Experts" saying this is all the vitamins and minerals you need for your Daily Allowance is correct and that you're not actually getting something else in whole foods variety?

Can you live off of one food group? Heck, there are people surviving off of a Dextrose IV. So, sure. Is it good? Probably not.

 

[helsonwheels]

@anatess i was about to ask….I’m sure you balance you’re dogs meals with fats, oils, Vit, etc n not just give them a steak n that’s it….Then I saw your “calories and macronutrients (proteins and fat, etc.)” 👍

I buy mine from a farmer 1.80$ lb all balanced out. I don’t have the time but that being said, by next yr I should have the time since I’ll be closing my business. And you’re right raw looks complicated and it’s so not.

 

[oscarmayer]

We fed this to MINI for a while before determining that it was unnecessary. No issues with it whatsoever. It is pricey, though.
Stella and Chewy's Duck Duck Goose

 

[anatess]

@anatess i was about to ask….I’m sure you balance you’re dogs meals with fats, oils, Vit, etc n not just give them a steak n that’s it….Then I saw your “calories and macronutrients (proteins and fat, etc.)” 👍

I buy mine from a farmer 1.80$ lb all balanced out. I don’t have the time but that being said, by next yr I should have the time since I’ll be closing my business. And you’re right raw looks complicated and it’s so not.

I follow the PMR 80/10/5/5 guideline and source it from as many different types as available - different ruminants, different poultry, small mammals, fish, etc.

I usually buy in bulk good for 30 days worth of feeding. It's a whole lot easier now that I only have one dog because I don't buy as much. When I had 3 dogs, I would spend one entire afternoon to cut up and portion out each meal in little containers for each dog and stock them in the freezer and do it again the next month. I don't balance out each feeding. I balance out the entire month. Much much easier. So, like a whole dressed chicken is approx 25% bone to meat ratio. So I would buy several of those and add chicken livers, gizzards, feet which drops the bone percentage down. Then I would just chop them up into each serving per dog (like, Angus eats 1 lb 13 ounces per day) and just eyeball meat/bone/offal per serving. At the end of the month, the dog has had everything he needs. So like, animal fiber is important but the only fibrous things you can buy at the meat shop is the chicken feet. So, once in a while I would buy an entire rabbit or quail complete with fur/feathers at the reptile store and feed the whole thing. And nobody sells green tripe anywhere (maybe the pet store but I'm not fond of buying dog food at the pet store because I don't know what preservatives they might have added to it) so I get green tripe from this dog club 100 miles away from me and I would make occasional trips there on the way to the theme parks. And, of course, I get my fish straight from the Atlantic ocean. And yeah, you know the vampire water you get after chopping up meat, I freeze those in ice-cube trays and the dogs chomp on them for treats. Interestingly, blood has important nutrients too.

Anyway, years ago when I started doing PMR, I used to do all these nutrients calculations on a spreadsheet. I've grown waaaay beyond that and just eyeball everything now. I thought to myself, heck, I don't have a spreadsheet for myself and my kids and we're all healthy people, so I must be doing okay with this nutrition thing. Hah hah.

P.S. - interestingly, the way I've been feeding my family, I just stick to fresh whole foods as much as possible and balance everything out by COLOR. Yeah, there's no science to it. I put some grilled chicken slices on the bento plate, add bread, and you look at it and it looks blah-brown, so I add something green like steamed brocolli, still look blah, so I add red bell peppers, now it looks better, and then I put blackberries and that color combo looks umph. And that's what I serve. Hah hah.

 

[helsonwheels]

It’s a lot of work but much healthier 👍

 

[helsonwheels]

@Thor’s Mom

read this thread ☝️☝️☝️