Sam & the Raw Diet (Update) ***Concerned Ranting Included***
Had a little bit of a scare recently.
He decided he didn't want to eat the raw food for the last 2 days. He picked at some lamb yesterday but wouldn't touch anything else. He was acting fine and still going to the bathroom with no problems. Nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact he just didn't seem hungry.
I am hoping that Oma was not feeding him during that time. We have had nothing but resistance from her since we switched Sam over. She thinks we're starving him and he's not getting the proper nutrition from the raw diet. She had the audacity to tell: "Kate, what you're doing to this dog just isn't right. This is NOT healthy for him."
NOT GETTING PROPER NUTRITION?!
As if processed and compacted dried grain is good for him... How many times have you seen a dog RAVENOUS and delve into a corn field? Or how many times has a dog decidedly wanted a salad? They are carnivores. Look at their wild brothers (wolves, foxes, and other wild dogs). They only grains they get in their diet is usually in the stomach of some poor piece of prey. Occasionally they will eat grass for digestion purposes.
He eats better than everyone in that house. He is getting better nutrition now than he ever did.
How do I know this?
Before switching him over to a raw food based diet, he has HORRIBLE issues with his skin. His skin was always inflamed, his fur was terribly dry and he would chew himself to the point of bleeding (at times).
His energy level was very low. Granted, he is fixed and is not in puppy stage anymore, the lack of energy always held concern for me. He seemed like he was always so lethargic.
He always had an anxious personality which I consider remnants from his past and being abused. He has always struggled with it, to some degree, and I never knew a proper outlet for him to be able to contain it. He would usually take it out on himself via licking, chewing or chewing walls of the apartment.
Now that he is on the raw food diet, I noticed OVERNIGHT changes in his skin. His skin is no longer inflamed, he no longer chews or licks himself to the point of self-inflicted wounds. His anxiety level has decreased a lot and his energy - it's almost like he's a puppy again.
Last night, after feeding him his turkey leg (bone and all *YUM*), I cleaned up his kennel and his food bowl and sat in the living room.
He comes BACK down from Oma's room and instantly assumes his play stance That is the position where his eyes start sparkling, he has that stupid puppy grin, he bows forward and sticks his butt in the air, wagging his tail with a fury! He grabs his favourite toy (a sheet *lol*) and nudges my elbow, four times. I throw the sheet over him and playtime begins!!! :) He proceeds to try and bite the sheet. After doing the tora tora tora with the sheet, he grabs it and attacks it. We do this for about 20 minutes before I have to stop and go to bed" (it was 1AM!).
He really has been doing AMAZING on this new diet. I just wish Oma could get it out of her head that the diet is bad for him and realize that this is truly what is best. I know she is "set in her ways" but she also has to understand that Sam is my dog. He is like MY SON and being his non-furry mother means that I am constantly searching for ways to improve and better his life.
I have spent hours upon HOURS doing research into the raw diet. I have read forums, books, and magazines. I have a good group of people who have been doing the raw diet with their dogs for YEARS who help me through the initial bumps and hiccups that come with learning new ways to care for our pets.
I also know that if - for some reason *knocks on wood* - this diet does not help him or bring him to a healthier state of being, I WILL STOP THE DIET. Immediately. However, I have had NOTHING prove to me that this isn't one of the best choices I've made for Sam since I rescuing him from that awful pound.
Oma doesn't want to see the GOOD that comes from this diet (and already has). She wants to disprove this decision so badly that the minute she sees anything "negative" from the diet, I'm the bad guy. I'm torturing my dog. How could I?
Prime example: whenever Sam has an empty stomach, he has a tendency to develop a sour stomach. This usually means he vomits. He has been like this for as long as I can remember (WAY BEFORE we started the raw food diet). Dogs on a raw food diet will naturally fast themselves to digest the meats they've eaten and as a general cleansing of their system. So, when Sam didn't eat for a day, he vomited up some bile.
Oma decides to inform me that he threw up and tried to rub my face in the fact that she thinks the diet is no good for him. This just isn't right for him. He's vomiting. You shouldn't be doing this to him, Kate. I looked at her, trying to keep my composure, and said: Oma, his stomach is just sour. He always has done that when his stomach is empty. He'll be fine once he eats.
Needless to say, when he was fasting, Oma took that as a sign that he didn't want the meat diet and brought him home an entire plate full of cooked meatballs from Sabatino's and fed them to him throughout the day.
I get so frustrated sometimes because it's like, I try really hard to do what's best for him. I am the one doing the research on his proper nutrution and diet. If I'm being undermined and the diet is blatantly ignored, it becomes negated. How am I supposed to keep that control on his proper eating?
It's like a person on a diet. The minute they taste fattening food or sweets, sometimes that will push them RIGHT OFF THE WAGON. So, why eat his regular food when someone is slipping him the bad food that tastes so good?
:(
He decided he didn't want to eat the raw food for the last 2 days. He picked at some lamb yesterday but wouldn't touch anything else. He was acting fine and still going to the bathroom with no problems. Nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact he just didn't seem hungry.
I am hoping that Oma was not feeding him during that time. We have had nothing but resistance from her since we switched Sam over. She thinks we're starving him and he's not getting the proper nutrition from the raw diet. She had the audacity to tell: "Kate, what you're doing to this dog just isn't right. This is NOT healthy for him."
NOT GETTING PROPER NUTRITION?!
As if processed and compacted dried grain is good for him... How many times have you seen a dog RAVENOUS and delve into a corn field? Or how many times has a dog decidedly wanted a salad? They are carnivores. Look at their wild brothers (wolves, foxes, and other wild dogs). They only grains they get in their diet is usually in the stomach of some poor piece of prey. Occasionally they will eat grass for digestion purposes.
He eats better than everyone in that house. He is getting better nutrition now than he ever did.
How do I know this?
Before switching him over to a raw food based diet, he has HORRIBLE issues with his skin. His skin was always inflamed, his fur was terribly dry and he would chew himself to the point of bleeding (at times).
His energy level was very low. Granted, he is fixed and is not in puppy stage anymore, the lack of energy always held concern for me. He seemed like he was always so lethargic.
He always had an anxious personality which I consider remnants from his past and being abused. He has always struggled with it, to some degree, and I never knew a proper outlet for him to be able to contain it. He would usually take it out on himself via licking, chewing or chewing walls of the apartment.
Now that he is on the raw food diet, I noticed OVERNIGHT changes in his skin. His skin is no longer inflamed, he no longer chews or licks himself to the point of self-inflicted wounds. His anxiety level has decreased a lot and his energy - it's almost like he's a puppy again.
Last night, after feeding him his turkey leg (bone and all *YUM*), I cleaned up his kennel and his food bowl and sat in the living room.
He comes BACK down from Oma's room and instantly assumes his play stance That is the position where his eyes start sparkling, he has that stupid puppy grin, he bows forward and sticks his butt in the air, wagging his tail with a fury! He grabs his favourite toy (a sheet *lol*) and nudges my elbow, four times. I throw the sheet over him and playtime begins!!! :) He proceeds to try and bite the sheet. After doing the tora tora tora with the sheet, he grabs it and attacks it. We do this for about 20 minutes before I have to stop and go to bed" (it was 1AM!).
He really has been doing AMAZING on this new diet. I just wish Oma could get it out of her head that the diet is bad for him and realize that this is truly what is best. I know she is "set in her ways" but she also has to understand that Sam is my dog. He is like MY SON and being his non-furry mother means that I am constantly searching for ways to improve and better his life.
I have spent hours upon HOURS doing research into the raw diet. I have read forums, books, and magazines. I have a good group of people who have been doing the raw diet with their dogs for YEARS who help me through the initial bumps and hiccups that come with learning new ways to care for our pets.
I also know that if - for some reason *knocks on wood* - this diet does not help him or bring him to a healthier state of being, I WILL STOP THE DIET. Immediately. However, I have had NOTHING prove to me that this isn't one of the best choices I've made for Sam since I rescuing him from that awful pound.
Oma doesn't want to see the GOOD that comes from this diet (and already has). She wants to disprove this decision so badly that the minute she sees anything "negative" from the diet, I'm the bad guy. I'm torturing my dog. How could I?
Prime example: whenever Sam has an empty stomach, he has a tendency to develop a sour stomach. This usually means he vomits. He has been like this for as long as I can remember (WAY BEFORE we started the raw food diet). Dogs on a raw food diet will naturally fast themselves to digest the meats they've eaten and as a general cleansing of their system. So, when Sam didn't eat for a day, he vomited up some bile.
Oma decides to inform me that he threw up and tried to rub my face in the fact that she thinks the diet is no good for him. This just isn't right for him. He's vomiting. You shouldn't be doing this to him, Kate. I looked at her, trying to keep my composure, and said: Oma, his stomach is just sour. He always has done that when his stomach is empty. He'll be fine once he eats.
Needless to say, when he was fasting, Oma took that as a sign that he didn't want the meat diet and brought him home an entire plate full of cooked meatballs from Sabatino's and fed them to him throughout the day.
I get so frustrated sometimes because it's like, I try really hard to do what's best for him. I am the one doing the research on his proper nutrution and diet. If I'm being undermined and the diet is blatantly ignored, it becomes negated. How am I supposed to keep that control on his proper eating?
It's like a person on a diet. The minute they taste fattening food or sweets, sometimes that will push them RIGHT OFF THE WAGON. So, why eat his regular food when someone is slipping him the bad food that tastes so good?
:(