GatorRay
I am in total control....I think
- Feb 25, 2011
- 3,432
- 227
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Gator & Lucy Goosey, the Basset and Gigi (AKA Gypsy)
PIGS FEET!!! Useless as a meal, but boy did they get a good workout! lol. Lucy is the only one that didn't work on it. Instead she walked around with it and would try to hide it then she would go lay down. A few minutes later she would go get it and hide it somewhere else. This went on for a good half hour before I took it from her. It reminded me of the commercial where the dog is worried about the cat burglar and keeps checking his dog house. lol. That or the one with the song "trouble" and the dog that keeps hiding his bone in different places. It was really cute. I put Gator and Gypsy in their crates and they went at it. Neither had much luck getting through the skin but they held up VERY well for a chew treat. lol. Gator worked it for about an hour before I took it away. I let Gypys gnaw on it for about two hours because she is a chewing machine and I thought it might keep her away from our shoes. Both of them were panting when it was over and Gypsy passed out and slept hard. So, all in all, they won't be getting those as a part of their diet but as an occasional chewy instead.
Gator's hives were just not going away completely. He still had about three of them on his flank that were persistent. I scaled his food back to chicken only again and those last three were gone the next day. Coincidence? Don't know...I will re-introduce things slowly. Tonight I gave him a tablespoon of plain yogurt in hopes that it will help with his awful GAS! If no reaction in a few days, I will add something else back in. I just want to make sure it isn't food related.
I did finally buy whole chickens. I cut them in half. Half of a chicken is a whole day's worth of food for Gypsy and Gator. I have been giving it to them in the crate and taking it away when they get about halfway through it. Then in the evening I give them the rest and take it when it is small enough to swallow whole. It is working well.
I can still give Lucy any size portion and she is such a careful eater. She takes her time and chews everything well. Found another food she does not like....beef kidney! Ack! She has to eat the organs. So, I am going to try freezing small pieces and see if she will take it frozen. She will take the liver frozen so I have hope.
For Gypsy and Lucy they are getting bone in (with skin) chicken, either pork or beef chunks, one tablespoon of yogurt, one egg, and one type of organ a day (alternating Liver with another organ which is kidney right now). Gypsy's poop has finally gotten just right and Lucy has stopped straining and has nice poops. I will be gradually lowering the amount of chicken and upping another main protein.
I think I am just going to have to make sure to keep at least some bone in their daily food intake to keep their poops nice. I am thinking that at least 2 thigh bones a day will do it. Maybe a bit more for Lucy. When I cut the whole chickens in half, I cut out the back and saved them along with the necks. Lucy can do the necks as she will chew them (and does) but I won't give those to the others. I think they and the backs will be good for whole beef or whole pork meals to keep their bone intake up.
I found a source for some good variety today. I can only order once a month and I might have to drive to Indy to get it but with the price and variety, I may go for it. They have mutton, lamb, elk, deer, rabbit, bison, goat and more. I am excited to be able to mix it up for them.
I have stopped using the cream for Gypsy's demodex. I forgot one time and the next day, the skin looked so healthy. I put the cream on it and it began to look red and inflamed again. It has been a few weeks so now I will wait and see if the hair starts to grow back. Once I stopped, the skin started to look nice and healthy again. It has not spread either. The spots she started with are the only ones she has. I hope that her diet as well as the time that I used the cream has taken care of this little flare up.
More good news! Lucy is just flourishing! She was running around tonight chasing squirrels up trees. It still makes me happy to see her trotting around. If nothing else, I can feel so good to know that by changing to Raw Feeding, I have maybe helped her feel better in her senior years!
Gator's hives were just not going away completely. He still had about three of them on his flank that were persistent. I scaled his food back to chicken only again and those last three were gone the next day. Coincidence? Don't know...I will re-introduce things slowly. Tonight I gave him a tablespoon of plain yogurt in hopes that it will help with his awful GAS! If no reaction in a few days, I will add something else back in. I just want to make sure it isn't food related.
I did finally buy whole chickens. I cut them in half. Half of a chicken is a whole day's worth of food for Gypsy and Gator. I have been giving it to them in the crate and taking it away when they get about halfway through it. Then in the evening I give them the rest and take it when it is small enough to swallow whole. It is working well.
I can still give Lucy any size portion and she is such a careful eater. She takes her time and chews everything well. Found another food she does not like....beef kidney! Ack! She has to eat the organs. So, I am going to try freezing small pieces and see if she will take it frozen. She will take the liver frozen so I have hope.
For Gypsy and Lucy they are getting bone in (with skin) chicken, either pork or beef chunks, one tablespoon of yogurt, one egg, and one type of organ a day (alternating Liver with another organ which is kidney right now). Gypsy's poop has finally gotten just right and Lucy has stopped straining and has nice poops. I will be gradually lowering the amount of chicken and upping another main protein.
I think I am just going to have to make sure to keep at least some bone in their daily food intake to keep their poops nice. I am thinking that at least 2 thigh bones a day will do it. Maybe a bit more for Lucy. When I cut the whole chickens in half, I cut out the back and saved them along with the necks. Lucy can do the necks as she will chew them (and does) but I won't give those to the others. I think they and the backs will be good for whole beef or whole pork meals to keep their bone intake up.
I found a source for some good variety today. I can only order once a month and I might have to drive to Indy to get it but with the price and variety, I may go for it. They have mutton, lamb, elk, deer, rabbit, bison, goat and more. I am excited to be able to mix it up for them.
I have stopped using the cream for Gypsy's demodex. I forgot one time and the next day, the skin looked so healthy. I put the cream on it and it began to look red and inflamed again. It has been a few weeks so now I will wait and see if the hair starts to grow back. Once I stopped, the skin started to look nice and healthy again. It has not spread either. The spots she started with are the only ones she has. I hope that her diet as well as the time that I used the cream has taken care of this little flare up.
More good news! Lucy is just flourishing! She was running around tonight chasing squirrels up trees. It still makes me happy to see her trotting around. If nothing else, I can feel so good to know that by changing to Raw Feeding, I have maybe helped her feel better in her senior years!
