Monday, February 27, 2012

Fruitables dog treats

Pumpkin and mango flavor
I been using same ol biscuit treats from wellness so I thought to try different ones. So far we tried a chicken based biscuit forgot the brand's name the treats are square and easily breakable into two medium pieces, or four small pieces.

Fruitable is one I decided to try this time. Got Pumpkin and mango Saya likes both fresh..


Price wise it's not too bad comes with like 100 pieces of them I think forgot what it said on the bag.

Treats aren't really easy to break apart you might have to use knife if you want them smaller.. They're still nice and small for training.

I gave one to Saya while she was outside as a treat for coming to me, but she chewed it and then spat it out. I picked it up offer to Bella she spat it out..

I tried again and Saya spit it out again and on third try she ate it.

Now her and Bella will eat the fruitable treat with no issue.

Saya leaving treats when told to



Ingredients seem decent just fruit not meat, but these are treats so. Saya loves fresh mango and cooked pumpkin. :)



Friday, February 17, 2012

What inspired me to feed raw?

I decided to post why I started to feed raw and what sites helped me along way.

Before I got Saya I got Bella and before Bella we had Dink our old catahoula mix she was 14years old at that time.

Our other two dogs one a boxer other boxer mix or badly bred pure boxer either way doesn't matter..

Pearly the female boxer had to be put down due to her brain tumor she had seizures which were controlled, but eventually it got to bad so we took her into the vet. Junior got depressed and we took him in turns out he had leukemia or something else I forgot. He did good with some meds, but eventually he got worse so we took him in too.

Dink was depressed, but thankfully she started to eat better and did fine


Dink left, Pearly middle, and Junior on left behind Pearly
Our past dogs were fed purina, iams, beneful we switched around to different ones not sure way maybe due to it being cheaper I dunno. They also got cooked eggs in morning and caned food of same companies..

I sometimes wonder if they were fed better quality kibble from pups to adults would they have done better? I dunno..

Pearly died at 13 years old and Junior 7.. 7years old so sad. :\
Three dogs were good off leash
Dink lived up to 16years old before we had to make the decision to put her to sleep she got so feeble she couldn't walk to go out to potty and was in visible pain.

rewind to half year Junior and Pearly died dad wanted another pup. Me and mom wasn't ready we wanted to wait bit more to recover from the lost of the two so fast and Dink had some growths on her.

Coarse being the impulsive man he is he pawns a gun my mom bought for him for Christmas and to get Bella a white boxer from an kijiji ad

She is from a backyard breeder I won't lie about it my dad didn't want to wait for a good breeder and do research he wanted one now.


Bella's sister left and brother left
I doubt it was his best decision coarse Pearly came from a hobby breeder too though her breeder kept the puppy area much cleaner at least maybe that was why Bella had hard time potty training..

Junior came who knows where he looked more like a boxer mix and had some behavior issues..

Anyways back to how I got into dog nutrition..

Call me popeye!
When we were getting ready for Bella's arrival I did research online and were shocked how bad food like beneful and stuff was! Dink and past dogs being my mom's dog me being little kid I never put much thought into it.

I started going to stores reading labals and learning. I picked wellness puppy to feed Bella and she did pretty good on it and liked it.

We got Bella in January sometime and then Saya in jun 20th or so.

Saya was on chicken soup for puppy lover soul so I got a big bag of it and once it was almost out switched her to wellness puppy.

While Saya was on wellness puppy I'd gotten grizzly salmon oil and solid gold seameal to give with her meals which she loved. I also started to add caned sardines, salmon, cooked egg or cooked meat to her kibble once week.

Bella turned year old in November so we switched her to wellness core chicken kind. We then switched Dink to it too. I did it very slowly due to her sensitive stomach and once fully on it she still had gas and some runny poop.

I had mom get the wellness core ocean and switched both to it and Dink did much better poop wise.

This pic shows growth on her body that we wanted to have checked before getting another puppy.
She also gained a lot of energy wanted to go on walks and got up quicker to go potty before she would need help!

I think switcher her to better kibble extended her life some. People always says their dog is fine on such and such kibble well you don't really know till the dog gets into old age and then show it.

Dink is a good example of that coarse not all dogs are like Dink and still are fine on low end kibble at old age, but still.
Oh Saya!
Saya ate her puppy kibble and at age of 6months I had switched her to wellness core ocean she also been getting a raw egg once a week along with her caned fish, and sometimes cooked meat for training.

7months I started to give her lamb ribs plus the caned fish and egg once week and at 8months I switched her to raw cold turkey well chicken. I bought packs of chicken thighs and drumsticks.
First time having raw egg

She didn't crack it herself I poked hole in it then she got it was food.
Lamb ribs yummy This was her first raw meaty bone type item she loved it.
One reasons I switched her to raw is due to her spinal injury as puppy happened when she was young dunno how since she had it since before I got her.

Second reason is I feel feeding a raw diet is more natural type food to give to a dog home made too.

I mean what did dogs eat before kibble was invented?

I love variety raw brings I'm lucky Saya is OK with the variety. I love how much moisture the raw food has compared to kibble. She doesn't drink as much due to it she drinks, but not as much as Bella.

Poop is another advantage it degrades much faster then kibble poop eventually it vanishes into the ground. I leave her poop there unless she goes where people walk, dog park or in public area.

Flies don't seem gather on her poop compared to Bella's I see a few here and there, but not much compared to kibble fed poop.

Easier to pick up too unless she has loose or rocket poop luckily that doesn't occur often.


I learned a lot on raw from various blogs, sites and forums.
Here's list of places I've learned about raw
They are what they eat Has lots info on nutrition, kibble, treats, and raw diet
Masakado shiba inu which is now on wordpress Masakado shiba inu
Nihon ken forum Various members fed raw or half kibble and raw
Dogster raw forums Members can be helpful they follow prey model 
So you are interested in feeding raw Nice thread with useful info helped me a lot 
preymodel.com how to get started Nice guide on how to start up on prey model raw 
Beginner's guide to prey model raw This was made before I got into raw, but I thought I'd post this.



What dog food is right for your dog I don't know really. I feel raw works best for Saya she does get some cooked items for treats which she enjoys.

Some dog owners rotate between kibble formula so they get different proteins, fruits and veggies, some give a raw meaty bone once or twice week some feed kibble am and raw pm. Some feed home cooking and so on.

Which ever you feed be sure it's good quality and has all nutrients they need. Also don't let your diet suffer! :)

I always hear how people feed their dog's better which I think great they worry for their dog's health, but it's important for the owner to be healthy eat good and exercise too!

I haven't drank coke in almost year and I feel much better if I want something sweet I make tea or crancherry drink..


Saya working on 5lb shoulder roast was 9lb at first.
I guess one reasons why I feed Saya raw is I want her to live long as she can and a good diet might give her a good chance at having a good quality of life at old age.

My past dogs ate bad kibble and didn't love to well I mean Dink lived to 16 years, but her body wasn't well so it was hard, but seeing how much energy she gained from eating beneful to wellness core I do believe feeding better diet of food will help extend Saya's life even more. I guess we'll see when she gets old how she is doing.

She looks beautiful and healthy in this picture huh? :)

Her coat is very fluffy and her color is very nice and her energy is great she is alert and loves messing around in the backyard.

She is also a night owl wakes up at 12pm and then by night she is ready to party shiba 500 and wanting to play! I just love her. hehe

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Toughts on NV Bison

three nuggets for her and bit of plain Greek yogurt
She did fine on it she did have one night where she had yucky poop. She had go bad and pooped on her feeding towel thankfully she did it there since it so padded with towels. I just hosed the towel and washed it in washer all good.

I don't think it was due to the Nature's variety raw since she ate it that day and had bad poop same night, but who knows maybe it was.





Day after she had normal poop. I rushed her in it instead of introducing it to her. She did fine for the week on it.

First day I fed it I gave it to her thawed to see how would she do, she swallowed the second nugget whole no bites which she then regurgitated it up and re ate it crunching it up that time third one she ate fine.

Saya seemed to enjoy the pre made stuff she had a bison roast before which she loved.

I don't think I'd care to feed pre made full time, but for boarding, or family feeding her I rather use it for that easier for boarding staff and family etc..

Easy to feed coarse, but I prefer whole stuff. She got a beef rib that week she enjoyed it and used her paws on it once the meat was mostly taken off.

Day one on pre-made
Day two on pre-made
Day three on pre-made right rib is before and left after

Day four on pre-made
Day five on pre-made
Day six on pre-made
I stopped on day sixth thought it was enough and wanted to go back to normal feedings. Anyways she did good on it poop got bit white, but that was due to the beef rib, but after few days it was normal.

I know this brand had some recalls on chicken formula and their rabbit I read comes from China, but not sure on that exactly I didn't look into it.

Pre made not too bad, but expensive, but good for owners who are not sure how to feed raw and can always go to prey model, barf, frenkenprey or whatever type that person chooses once comfy..

Pre-made is easy like kibble no need to be sure getting right amounts of stuff etc.


Pacific saury I had it in the bag while it thawed out it's 5.30oz or so
I much prefer my type of feeding though Saya enjoys it too. Yesterday she got this Pacific Saury it weighed about 5.30oz or so and has head and organs still.
She also gotten a chicken foot too.
I get them from Asian market they also sell them headless and without organs, but I prefer the head and organs extra yummies. Sometimes they have eggs which Saya loves.

Today meal was AM a mix of two caned sardines, half can tuna, little bit plain Greek yogurt, cooked and ground up veggies(spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, and green beans), bit of blue berry, and bit of red raspberry, also some caned oysters. She loved the mix.

PM she got 5 or 6oz or so of boneless pork.


Saya watches as I fix her pre-made with some yogurt and fruit
All in all I will probably buy another thing of it got another coupon I think and might go on vacation for week sadly not sure if place allows pets some do, but it's sketchy.. The pre made will make it easier for her since she might refuse to eat some and it'd be easier to put a nugget back in freezer plus.

I will see maybe we'll go to a place that allows pets and I can make a call see if they allow some sites say they do some don't so we will see. The places look like they'd be fun lots hiking places.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Pre made raw test this week

I picked up a bag of bison Nature's variety raw to do a trail run had a coupon. I don't think I'd ever do pre made. I love the type raw I do much more fun the nugget seem so small..

One nugget
Ingredients seem fine.. i got bison one since I don't feed bison often there is a bison farm somewhere so I might buy their stuff soon..

Here's some examples of the formula of food.


Venison, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Raw Ground Lamb Bone, Apples, Carrots, Pumpkinseeds, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Chicken Eggs, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Rosemary, Sage, Clove.


comes with 48 raw nuggets
Bison, Bison Liver, Beef Kidney, Raw Ground Bison Bone, Bison Kidney, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Montmorillonite Clay, Chicken Eggs, Broccoli, Lettuce, Salmon Oil, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Rosemary, Sage, Clove
 


Saya eating her meal of beef gullet good source glucosamine or condrotine
Ingredient wise it looks good if your dog is allergic to chicken, duck or any poultry seems they have chicken and other poultry eggs. I know most dogs who are allergic to cooked chicken or what ever meat, but not raw, but there are some dogs who are allergic to both..

So be aware of that also it's not one protein formula I bold up the different proteins which is good for a dog who does fine with all proteins, but just thought I'd point that out.

48 nuggets in it should feed her for 8days or so price for bison is like $16. We'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow will be Saya's first day on it I plan to give her three nuggets in am and three in pm I weighed 6nuggets and it's about right amount she gets in a day.

I'll keep try on her poop if it gets runny or hard not sure how much bone is in it I can always give her bit of caned fish, little more boneless, a egg, gizzard with each day..


hare today order
Hare today also has meat/bone and organ mixes and they're more single protein you order duck you just get duck meat/bone/organs, order chicken same, goat etc.

Example of it is sheep meat, bone and organs(
liver, heart, lung and kidneys. )

Goat meat, bone, and organs(
heart, lung, liver, tripe and kidney along with bones)

Duck meat, bone and organs(
heart, liver, and gizzard)

Only difference is these don't have veggies, fruit, salmon oil, olive oil, and vitamin and minerals added. I dunno if this could be fed full time like pre made, but it's very nice for traveling and stuff.

The goat was my fav since it had tripe in it.

Hare today pre ground stuff is probably great for feeding when in a hurry, boarding, or traveling.

Saya loved the goat, mutton, and duck ones she didn't have any tummy issues.



This is a whole days worth of it. We'll see how she likes it tomorrow she seems like it when I was photographing it.

I'll be sure to update on how she does this week on it I don't think I'd do this full time though I prefer variety of items and affordability of my own type of raw..

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Home made dog treats

Saya taste testing home made treats
I made some dog treats I followed recipe my mom got from her mom did some modifications due to corn meal and added bit more meat then required.

They turned out good and made a lot. Saya and Bella really liked them.



Cookie my mom made in Christmas time it's fancy with bone shape.. It's peanut butter flavor

Peanut butter ones my mom made.

Recipe is 1 cup wheat flour, 1 cup corn meal(I add oatmeal instead you could just do two cups of wheat flour or something else besides cornmeal if you like Rice flour or whatever as long as it's OK for dogs and your dog isn't allergic.)

1 egg, 3 table spoons of olive oil, 2/1/2 table spoon of parsley(Not needed if you don't have it the ones mom made didn't have parsley), 1/4th garlic(not needed if you don't like to use it)

2/3 cup of chicken stock be sure it's kind that doesn't have onions in it.. Can use beef stock too make your own too or buy it.

Slowly mix and add 1/2 cup of cooked liver or peanut butter can also do cooked boneless chicken, pork or beef grind it up so it mix well.

roll 1/2 inch thin

Bake at 350 for 20minutes might need cook bit more if it's thicker.

Finished cookie black thing is a bit of blueberry
 This is the cookie I made I cut into squares and they break apart easily or can be fed whole.

All together is has pork, turkey, turkey liver, pork liver, beef liver, beef heart, parsley, one and half cooked egg and one raw, caned tuna, caned sardines, caned salmon and, bit of caned oysters also has some cooked veggies ground up veggies(broccoli, bit romane lettuce, bell peppers, spinach, and green beans.)
 I used wheat flour and oats for the dry ingredient and did bit extra oats since was low on wheat flour and had extra ingredients like the meat, caned fish, and veggies.

boneless pork chops, turkey liver, pork liver, beef heart and a bit of beef liver
Here's how much meat I did 8 or so oz of boneless pork, one pork liver, one turkey liver, liver is 2.24oz each, tiny bit of beef liver, 4 or 6oz of beef heart all cut up.


pork cooking first and cut up so it cooked faster. I used olive oil to cook it in.


Pork, liver, heart all cooking. I actually tasted a bit of the cooked heart not bad reminds me of beef liver. grass fed beef heart! Rawr!

Some cooked blended parsley and two bags of cooked chopped up turkey meat, liver, gizzard, and heart each bag has like 3 or 4 oz of meat I think.

The turkey I got free with my craigs list ad for free meat.

It was enhanced so I cooked it up and chopped it up for training treats, kibble topper, or to make home made treats with. 



This is a mix of cooked veggies(spinach, tiny bit of broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, and carrots) one and half boiled egg, little bit of banana, pear, and little bit of caned oysters.

I also added two caned sardines into both portions and put half can of salmon in Saya and Bella and half can of tuna in Saya and Bella's portions.

I had also put some oats in it and cooked it in the microwave. yummy. haha

I made this for Bella and Saya few days before deciding to make dog treats so I thought I'd add Saya's portion to the treat mix since her's was smaller portion and Bella got her's as a kibble topper.

Everything almost done turkey added in parsley, and then I added bit of water to cook it in to make a broth. 


I then ground the cooked liver, heart, pork, and turkey in the grinder I already added the wheat flour and olive oil on the bottom.
Flour, oil, meat mix and veggie and caned fish mix was mixed into it all and a bit of the oats.
Broth that was left from cooking I added bit more water to it then added it to the mix.





Saya sticking around the kitchen to sample to raw batter. Like a kid wanted to eat cake batter.. haha
She loved it.

Mix has everything broth, egg and rest of the oats mixed in.



Spread onto the cookie sheet. I added some blue berries to it too I mashed it up and mixed it in the mix.

I made this batch bit thicker so I cooked it bit extra also didn't grease it enough so next batch I did better these turned out fine just some crumbs stuck to the cookie sheet so I put it into Bella's dog bowl she ate it with her kibble.





Pieces of finished treat the white bits are crushed eggshell. This isn't required. I added it into the veggie and caned fish mix when I thought I was giving it to Saya and Bella as a snack..

I don't think it'd hurt Saya and Bella has had egg shells before with no issues.

Next time I'll be sure to not add them if the stuff is going to be used for dog treats.

I bagged them up in small zip lock bags and then stacked them in a big zip lock to freeze them for later use.

Second batch done and cut up. There was little bit left so I made third batch of cookies too.


How they look from sides they're easy to break into bits or given in big pieces either way.

All the treats bagged up and stacked. Once they were done freezing I took them into the basement in the chest freezer.

Since they got meat in them I froze them. If I want train with them I take a baggie out or take a few treats and train.

Peanut butter ones would probably do fine out freezer unless you make a big batch then you can freeze it.