Saya's treats

Saya loves food and loves treats I've gotten various kinds to try with her on which she likes best.

Her favorites are wellness core ocean kibble, string cheese, cooked meat, cooked liver, dehydrated liver or meat, and various home made dog treats and store bought treats.

Saya loves the Natural Balance food rolls. Sliced into circles I can tear off a bit easily. Only issue you need to use it up or it goes bad coarse most treats do that, but these go bad sooner. I only gotten small one since these are just for treats not as diet or kibble topper..

I only gotten it once to try it Saya seems like it and no issues with stomach or anything.

Ingredients: Beef Lungs, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Beef Kidney, Wheat Bran, Beef, Beef Spleen, Beef Fat, Salt, Rice Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Egg, Glycerin, Lecithin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Natural Smoke Flavor, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavor, Powdered Garlic, Vitamin E Supplement, Kelp Meal, Brewers Yeast, Calcium Disodium, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Rosemary Extract, Canola Oil, Sodium Erythorbate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Nitrite, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Natural Mixed Tocopherols.

Ingredient wise I like it has beef lungs, kidneys, spleen yummy. Salt I'm not fan of, but since it's just a treat I don't see it as an issue.
I rotate between all the treats so she doesn't get a lot each day or anything.

Saya also really like these treats tripe & liver patties you get 5 patties for 4.99 and they can be easily broken into smaller bits for training.

I usually give for recall training for this or if she needs bath she gets a half piece for getting a bath.

They have also turkey and pork patties.

Ingredients of tripe and liver: Beef Tripe, Beef Liver, Potato, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract

Ingredient wise I like it Saya has no issues with potatoes so I don't mind them.

Ziwi peak

I also use Ziwi peak dog food as a training treat too I don't use their treats I just got the dog food Saya loves it.

Right now I got two free samples I got to try it's the deer formula. I plan to buy a bag once I'm almost out.

Ingredient wise I like it and the pieces are small and can be broken even more too.

Saya is eager to open the bag for me.

Ingredients Venison - Meat     57% Venison - Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney     34% Green-lipped Mussel     3% Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Kelp, Parsley, naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols.     Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride     Minerals: Iron amino acid complex, Copper amino acid complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Zinc amino acid complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate
I love the ingredients and it has liver, lung, tripe, heart and kidneys! Yummy! Well Saya thinks Yummy. hehe

                           

Close up of the food

                          

Only down side of Ziwi peak it's expensive compared to dry, dehydrated, kibble, or home made treats. Saya doesn't go through the bag too fast so I think it'd be worth buying it as a treat to use for training especially since I like it's ingredients.

I always say to avoid meat that is enhanced with broth, solution, salt due to extra salt can cause loose poop. If by chance you accidentally bought some you can cook the meat and organs and make yummy kibble topper or training treat. I wouldn't do with marinated kinds due to all the ingredients in a marinade, but kind that's been cooked in solution I don't think it hurt anything. Either boil it or bake the chicken and cut into stripes and freeze for later to give as kibble topper, training, or as an ingredient in home made treat.

I did that once I got a big turkey for free it was enhanced, but I took it anyways I thawed it out then boiled the meat, liver and gizzards once all cooked I cut into strips or small cubes. I then put bit of cooked meat into small zip lock bags and then put the small zip lock bags into big zip lock bags so all I need to do is take a bag out and use for training, or say I'm making fish fudge or dog biscuits and I want to add bit of meat to it besides caned fish or liver I'll put a bag into the mix or give a half bag to Bella on top of her kibble and other half next day etc.

If your dog is allergic to cooked chicken or turkey then this wouldn't be an option.. Some dogs are allergic to cooked, but not raw, but some are allergic to both or sensitive either way.

Go slow either way with any new treats don't want to give too much when the dog isn't used to it. I'm lucky Saya has a pretty good iron stomach and handles things well. Even so when she was new to raw I omitted all dog treats from her diet till she was used to at least two proteins and organs then I slowly added one treat back at a time to be safe. She once had loose poop when she got too much kibble, but now she does just fine. I think I rushed too fast at that time.

That's it for now I hope your spring is going well. I've been busy with working in the yard and planting grass seed and stuff. Saya my helper helps me by keeping me on my toes. hehe

Feeding big raw items and whole prey.

I feed raw diet and I like to vary it when I can I love to feed her big items because it provides much more of a work out then feeding ground meat or daily portions of boneless..

I do feed ground and daily portion of boneless meat, but I do provide her with big meals like whole roasting chicken, lamb leg, pork shoulder or bison roast... The bison roast coarse rare I only gotten it one time..

Yesterday she got a semi boneless leg of lamb Saya ate 13.37oz of it. usually she gets 5oz to 7oz a day so it was bit more then she usually gets.

13oz seems to be her limit on how much she eats in big meals she once eaten a 16oz turkey drumstick though.

Since Saya seems know where her limit on how much to eat is I let her eat what she wants on big items.

Not all dogs are like that sadly so know your dog don't let it gorge too much..

Whole roaster.

Pork shoulder roast once 9lb now 3 or 4lbs

 Feeding such a fatty item like pork shoulder roast may seem like I'm on the road to pancreatic diet, but Saya doesn't just eat fat she also eats bit of the meat, fat, skin so it's not pure fat.

I don't believe amount she eats each day will hurt her since she has been slowly introduced to it and tolerates it well.

Fat is important in a dog's diet too coarse when the dog is new to raw it's important to take skin off chicken, trim the fat on beef or pork, but once used to it it's good stuff.

Coarse I wouldn't be feeding pure fat as meals I don't think that would be healthy.

whole prey quail

I also consider whole prey quail as a big item even though they're just 8oz or so compared to her 9lb pork shoulder roast it still more work compared to 5 or 8oz piece of meat.

I hope to order whole prey rabbit eventually once I got my own freezer for more variety also more quail since I'm out of it.

A young rabbit Saya caught

Saya did caught her self a young rabbit she is good about leaving things alone when asked so I washed the rabbit and froze it for month in case of parasites. Sad she killed it, but rabbits do cause damage to my veggies so one less bunny to eat my plants..

Coarse I'm not off telling Saya to kill every bunny in the fields or yard it just happened. I was weeding the garden and she was laying by me she walked off and got the bunny I thought at first she was going to our outdoor cat to play with him, but nope it was a bunny a young one at that.

She killed it very quickly so I don't think it suffered. I fed it to her after it was done freezing for month. Bunny didn't go to waste coarse a wandering coyote probably would ate it if I threw it into the field, but I wanted to give it to Saya since it was her prize..

Saya pulling the rabbi's stomach out

One thing with feeding this bun bun I learned she didn't like it's stomach she pulled it out and the intestines and didn't want to eat any of the rabbit till I took it completely out of the bunny..


I haven't had chance to feed her another whole rabbit so it'd be interesting to see how she does when I get some.

Saya ate the bunny back end first..

When I first gave it to her she wasn't thrilled to eat it, but once I took some the fur off she saw there was meat under it and ate it up.

Pacific saury

While saury isn't big like pork shoulder or leg of lamb I still consider it a good big meal plus it still has head and organs in it yummy.

I feed mostly bone in items, boneless, organs, but I love giving whole prey because it has everything in one package, meat, bone, muscle meat organs, liver, and other secreting organs also has blood.

I hope to incorporate whole prey items more into her diet once I get my own freezer.

Quail, rabbit, whole sardines, herring, and pacific saury is kinds I'm able to get from either hare today or Asian market nearby.

Does feeding whole prey make your dog more apt to kill a furry animal or be aggressive?

I don't think it does, but could depend on the dog if you feed it a guinea pig fur on and the dog sees a live pet one it might think it's food, but most dogs think pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, or quail is something to chase or play with.

Saya eats quail and she leaves birds like doves, robins, and red wing black birds alone..

Coarse with rabbits they're on ground so easier to chase then birds.

Saya is reactive to strange dogs she never met before, but I don't think it's due to raw she had good puppy class, good socialization and everything and good temperament too.

She did get attacked by a mixed breed the mix was on leash the owner said he was friendly so we met, but her dog went for Saya.  Sai greeted the mix just fine she wasn't rude in the way so I dunno why it happened, but after that is when her reactiveness to strange dogs happen..

I'm fine with it she gets along well with Lily the pug, and our neighbor's lab/mastiff mix.

She seems get better not as defensive after meeting the dogs for few times. Lilly would get snarked at when she got near Saya, but by fourth meeting they did good Lily knows what her limits are and she doesn't bother Saya by being too in her face.

It's a on going process she does fine walking on leash where dogs are she isn't reactive where she lunges and barks at any dog in her sight she just gets defensive when the dog gets too much in her face.

Saya with 5month Marley she is bout size of Bella!

Animals still in radiation zone in Japan

Bella awaiting orders

Been a year and so weeks since the earthquake in Japan and there are still animals in the evacuation zone. so sad.

Lot owners lost their homes and can't come back and are in bad situations either house doesn't allow pets or they can't get them. I dunno..

Chernobyl disaster what comes to mind on this issue. No one is allowed in the Exclusion zone in Japan. Thankfully animal rescuers are now allowed to go in to feed and rescue animals.

Animals seem to benefited by the Chernobyl incident wolves, pigs, horses and other wildlife live there now. Coarse dogs and cat's aren't wild animals, but eventually any intact dogs and cats will breed and will first scavenge and then hunt some..

Saya caught a young rabbit and vole once and I believe shiba and other breeds are good at surviving if need be. Still dogs do depend on humans and these aren't hunting and can't scavenge enough food.

Here's a article on naoto matsumara a man staying on his homeland in the forbidden zone.
http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2012/03/21/from-the-fukushima-forbidden-zone-i-intend-to-stay-until-i-die/

Here's blog on him too
http://wildrescue.blogspot.com/2012/01/naoto-matsumara.html

Just so sad events like this happens and sadder owners can't keep their pets due to building restrictions, unable to get them or afford to care for them now. :(

I been through some hurricanes and even with Katrina we didn't leave our three dogs we would bring them with us.

Coarse things are different in us. In city in Japan it might not be good place for big dog. I dunno since I never lived there.
Here's some links on chernobyl
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/chernobyl-25-years-after-_n_816902.html#s233577

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/04/pictures/110426-chernobyl-25th-anniversary-wildlife/#/chernobyl-wildlife-chickens-cat_34167_600x450.jpg

Yesterday was spring cleaning

I cleaned out all the dead grass few days ago..

Yesterday was spring cleaning we got the front garden cleaned out, put some soil, sand, and stuff at side yard to help stop darn erosion on it. I got grass seeds planted which are growing nicely.

Saya and Bella had fun time enjoying the warm weather coarse Saya gets so hot out there due to her winter coat, but she is starting to shed a bit on her neck so that's good I can't wait for her to blow it so she doesn't get as hot outside.

I also compost our dead leaves, grass, food waste and so on saves on trash since it doesn't go in it.
Ticks seem to like them must be the moisture.. Yuck! I see them on it I'm always careful to not mess with them.. Luckily we don't go down to it much except to put stuff in it.

I'm hoping to get another square compost so I can do more and make it faster for the garden.

 

This what compost looks like before it composts and get nice and well done.

Here's compost in the turning composter it's almost done, but still needs more time to cook.

Here's it's done nice and earthy.

 

Close up picture

.Saya after I brushed her made her hair stand up. hehe.

She wearing no collar not running off. :D

She behaves pretty well.

I do have her on 30ft light long leash on times when I'm working hard in the yard because I can't keep my eye on her all the time when I'm working.

She stays in the yard pretty good though and comes when called.

spot on her tongue and eighth day on raw

Hope it shows OK it's in back of her tongue so hard get clean picture of her spot.

Shiba inu I think are known to have black spots on their tongue I don't think it's common though.

I remember looking up spots on tongue, labs, shiba and few other breeds are listed one picture was of a shiba..

I thought it was neat. I just noticed it few days ago she was resting on arm of the recliner panting from her time outside. I saw black spot and thought hmm. got the camera to take a pic and here it is!

I first thought maybe it's because I gave her some my smoothie(strawberries, apple, banana, blueberries, and plain greek yogurt. and bit of orange juice) which had blueberries, but I don't think that would put a spot there and it's been a few days so..

I never look in her mouth much so that's new one. hehe

Bella enjoying the weather

Been eight days since they been on that bug off garlic stuff so far no issues and so far it seems to be working it's warm and ticks should be out some. I haven't been walking the dogs each day in trails like I usually do.

I been doing a lot of yard work to fix things up for spring. Need cut some dead dried grass and so on.

Saya still has her winter coat, but that should change with the warm weather we are having. I been brushing her on and off some under coat is coming off a bit.

been so warm she gets hot easily I bet she'll be happy once her spring/summer coat is in.

I been having the dogs hang out while I do yard stuff.

Saya hangs out by bird feeder she is trying to get this one rodent or something that has a home there.

There's few holes so my guess a mouse or something like that.

Hole Saya dug by the bird feeder. I stopped her before she got too nuts.. I'm glad she is having fun, but she should know better her digging spot is at the camp ground.. lol

I actually told her to dig there, but had her stop didn't want it too deep or anything.

Birds are everywhere! hehe they're all getting ready for their babies and stuff. :)

Just wanted to do a small update.

I still dunno if ticks are being repeled by this so we'll see. I guess once gnats and stuff get bad in summer will be main test since they bug the dogs during those times.

Who knows we might be lucky and ticks didn't get on the dogs. I did a thorough check after walk and before bed and during time on couch before bed. Bella is coarse easiest to check Saya she takes a lot of time. First I give her a once over in looking then check between her toes, then armpits, neck, ears, butt, belly and then another check..

She doesn't like them, but she tolerates tick checks she always gets a yummy treat so she behaves for that.

Sixth days on the garlic chewables

Saya on the back deck

Saya and Bella has been on the garlic chewables for about six days and so far no adverse reaction to their health yet.

We been going on walks in the trails and it's been warm so far no ticks on the dogs. Coarse could just be luck right now or ticks just not too bad right now. I guess we'll see as weeks go on.

So far Saya is on her full dose of the chewables I've been giving her two a day one in am and one pm.

Bella still working up to full dose of it, but so far both doing good no tummy upsets or lethargy and stuff.

Bella loves the taste of them she takes them no problem.

Saya on other hand she sometimes will take it fine and eat it and sometimes she spits it out. Luckily it can be broken into small pieces easily. I crush it into powder in her dog bowl with my finger and mix it with either a egg, plain Greek yogurt, caned salmon, sardines, clams, or oysters and she'll get the garlic up right away with that..

I don't mind mixing it up on times she doesn't want to eat it.

I guess next time I'll get the powder then I'd just need to scoop correct amount and mix it with some stuff.. Ah well chewable tablets were at decent price and should last us a good long time.

I can't say for sure if this really repels or not so we'll see in some more weeks especially once it heats up more and ticks come out more.

Happy Raw Anniversary!

Where is the beef!

Today is Saya's anniversary switching to raw full time! Hurray!

As a pup she ate chicken soup for puppy's lover soul and then switched to wellness puppy food and then at 6months she was switched to wellness core ocean.

During times she ate puppy kibble and adult kibble she also got things like caned sardines, salmon, mackerel, and once in blue moon caned tuna not often due to the mercury thing. She also got cooked veggies, fruits, and meat every so often as a treat and cooked egg too.

She got solid gold seameal and grizzly salmon oil with her kibble each meal.

I gotten a 6lb semi boneless leg of lamb and two lamb shanks both items were on a decent sale and since lamb is her favorite I thought I'd get them.

The leg of lamb was for her 3 year anniversary meal and the shank is for her birthday the other shank is for Bella to enjoy too.

All for me?! Thank you!

Saya has had lamb before, but recently only lamb meals she has been having is lamb kidney, lamb liver, and lamb rocky mountain oysters.. I haven't gotten lamb ribs since she has plenty of bone in items. I'm sure she'll do fine with it.

I offered her yummy meal this morning, but she didn't want it at all so I put it in fridge for later.

After a nice walk and a cool down I tried again to see if she was hungry and fed her at 12pm and she ate 11.88oz of it. I gave her a chicken foot and then at 4pm she got an egg.

She really loved the fat side she chowed down on the meaty part then she didn't want anymore I flipped it and she at a bit of the fat part. Yummy. She didn't eat too much just enough.

I think this was the second most pricey item I've gotten Saya first was a bison roast it was grass fed coarse most bison is, but she loved it.

Buying good food is worth it especially with how well behave she is.

Must been delicious! Big shiba tongue!

I hope to get her own freezer about a 7.5Cu foot kind like this 7.0 cu. ft. chest freezer.

My mom has talked about getting another freezer and splitting the costs with this type freezer it'd be 114$ for me to pay maybe bit more with tax and stuff.

Part of me says just pay for it full so then whenever I get on my feet and move I can bring it with me and half says take it $114 is better then paying full $229.. Then if I move and want to bring it or let parent's have it maybe they can give me my half on it..

I talked with mom on how a lot of bad kibble companies don't use good ingredients by products, corn and gluten so on.  She asked if we should switch Bella to raw full time?

I told her kibble she is on now is good and she does get raw once to four times a week as dinner instead of kibble. plus cooked meat sometimes in her kibble.

I'd love to get her on full raw, but I don't want my parent's doing it if they don't want to.. If we do it I'd be handling the switch.  once she is transitioned and does good on her food then it'd be easy for them since there won't be so much issue with tummy upsets or loose poop.

Coarse it could happen since Saya sometimes have loose poop, but it usually clear up and it doesn't happen much since she been on it for while.

I might get a few books and sites lined up for mom to read so if she decides she wants to try it she'll be ready. I'll coarse be at home and be able to tell her how much to give at first and monitor her and up or decrease if she gains or looses weight.

I think feeding both Saya and Bella can be managed especially if they got their own freezer so hard to stock up on deals with people food in the way. lol

The local meat processor near me sells beef scraps for 1$ which is a good deal I know it comes with heart, tongue, liver, scrap meat I'll inquire if they can hold things like kidneys, lungs, trachea, and gullet too.

I can usually find chicken for decent deal and pork goes on sale on and off so I think it can be manage plus with farmer market coming soon I'll be able to get heart, tongue and meat of lamb, beef, and pork pretty easily.

Hunk of grass fed beef tongue

Coarse when you see me feed things like tongue, liver, heart, kidney, thymus, pancreas, lung, gullet, and gizzards it can be confusing huh?

I don't like lower end kibble due to their ingredients of byproducts, corn, gluten, and various items.

Keyword here is BYPRODUCTS most time they just put chicken byproducts or beef byproducts or so on.. What kind of by products? Is it just kidneys, chicken heads, just the chicken frames, intestines, feet etc.

I want to know what it is. Some dogs are allergic to certain proteins thankfully Saya hasn't shown any food allergies yet.

So some unknown ingredient is not good if the dog is allergic who knows maybe if it's labeled as animal by product it could be beef one batch then pork the next then chicken etc.

I of coarse don't know much of how kibble works especially with the lower quality kind..

Beef gullet from hare-today

If you feed kibble be sure the kind you feed the ingredients are good and work for your dog.

I know raw isn't for everyone it's lot of work and nutrition of your dog is put in your hand and can be tricky if you live somewhere where ethnic markets, farmer markets and butchers are hard to come by.

Sadly some people are catching on to the raw feeding trend butchers selling organ mixes for $ where used to be free.

Meat processor near me sells for $1 lb, but even so still good deal seeing as beef heart, tongue and liver is usually 2$ lb at places. Once I get my own dog freezer I plan to make an inquiry to see what all comes with the beef scraps. I'd love to get hands on trachea, gullet and lung.. Trachea and gullet is good for dog's joints and lungs well I figure if I try to feed close to a prey item as I can a wolf does eventually eat the lungs..

I guess one con of more people doing raw is people will start to charge for items that used to be free since such items are usually thrown away or taken somewhere..

Saya eating a Pacific Saury

I don't mind paying for scrap as long as it's priced right. If people are buying stuff for their dogs that's great variety is great for humans and dogs.

Our past dogs always ate same kibble once in a blue moon we'd switch brand dunno why maybe due to lower price? They'd also once in a while get caned dog food and a cooked egg.

I guess they did get some variety coarse the family was bad about giving them table scraps at the Table~! lol  so they begged a lot.

I just dunno it seems boring to get same kibble sure it has all nutrition a dog needs, meat, veggies, fruits, and vitamins and minerals, but still.

That's what I been doing with Bella she gets caned sardines, salmon, mackerel, cooked turkey and cooked egg sometimes. Coarse she gets raw treat once or four times a week it depends she also gets plain greek yogurt when I have it on hand she likes the stuff.

eating boneless goose breast meat

Coarse if your dog doesn't do well on variety due to medical reason, allergy and so on I understand.
It can be hard on the dog if it upsets their tummy due to it.

I'm not anti kibble either and I hope I never come off as it.

Raw works best for me and I feel it is what works for Saya and her health has turned out for the better thanks to it. Coarse raw isn't a miracle cure all ailment type of thing.

For some if your having issues with it might be due to few things usually starting with chicken at first is recommended, but if dog is allergic to chicken it might be an issue and you might want to try pork as starting meat. pork ribs are pretty edible I'd recommend trimming fat till dog is used to raw then slowly introduce it in.

Some dogs allergic to chicken are allergic to cooked kind, but do fine with raw, but sometimes they're allergic to both cooked and raw there's a few that are like it so it happens.

Some dogs need a bit help to get the gut used to raw and giving a probiotic or prebiotic can help with it some can't, but worth try just in case.

I'd probably do a probiotic not yogurt though different kind I know someone who used Ark naturals Gentle digest and it helped with the transition.

I finally found a place that sells the stuff so that will be good in case I need it for Bella or for my second dog.

Saya as a puppy!

Anyways I'm enjoy having Saya with me and she's taught me a lot with dog nutrition and has helped me through hard times. She's worth spending a bit of money to keep her happy. :)