Monday, June 17, 2013

Leaping Lizards! 2 Weeks on a Raw Food Diet


It has been two weeks since I wrote my post "...One Giant Leap of Oz" in which I told you how excited I was about starting on a Raw Food Diet.  In that post, I also told you how nervous Ma was to switch over to the Raw Food Diet - I think I even called her a "chicken".

Well, in two weeks a lot has changed around here and I want to tell you all about it!

Ma Was Afraid of the Food Prep.  I think it is simple and delicious!


It's not like Ma has never handled raw meat before so I have no idea why she was so nervous.  Though I do believe some on a raw food diet mix up their own meal, which requires knowing a good deal about the proper percentages of meat to bone (etc.) which can be overwhelming. 


However, once Primal Pet Foods contacted me about potentially being part of their Product Review Program, Ma did a lot of reading both of their website and a few others.  The Primal foods are all prepared raw diets and come in either frozen or freeze-dried formulas.  How much easier can you get?

I started with the Primal Frozen Venison Nuggets as well as the Primal Freeze-Dried Duck Nuggets; this way Ma could test out preparing both.  



The frozen nuggets are super easy - we just remove them from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge.  When it is meal time, Ma just breaks the nuggets up with a spoon and the meal is prepared.

Primal Venison Nuggets - still frozen

Venison Nuggets - defrosted and prepared

The freeze-dried nuggets store well in the pantry and are super easy to prepare as well.  Primal recommends breaking the nuggets up into smaller pieces, then you add some water and stir the nuggets so they "soak" up the water.  Give it a final stir or two and the meal is ready.

Freeze-Dried Duck Nuggets
Freeze-Dried Duck Nuggets - broken into bits
Freeze-Dried Duck - ready to eat!

Ma Was Afraid of the Price.  I think I am worth every last penny!

So, is the prepared raw food more expensive than kibble or canned food?  Yes, I believe it is.  Though only being on the prepared raw food diet for two weeks, I cannot say how much more it will cost over time compared to kibble.

Ma is hoping that being on this diet will be healthier for me which would mean spending far less money at the vet's office for prescription medicines and shampoos to combat my itchies and other ailments that may or could arise.  Maybe we should start keeping track of pennies spent and pennies saved to see?!?

Ma Was Afraid of My Itchies Sticking Around Despite the Change.  I think I am far less itchy already!

I would say, after three days on the Primal Raw Food Formula the itchy rash on my back and hind legs started going away.  The redness and inflammation of the rash was gone and a lot of the rash started to "dry up".  Of course, I had chewed my leg raw (if you remember from my previous post mentioned above) but we were happily surprised to see the redness and inflammation had almost disappeared there as well!

I admit, I still itch every now and then especially on my paws but I think that is a grass allergy (like the stupid V-E-T # 1 told Ma way back when).  The itchies on the rest of my body however are almost nonexistent at this point.  *high paws*

Mind your own poop!
Ma Was Afraid the Raw Food Diet would give me Boo-Boo Belly.  I think she should mind her own poop!

There were a few times, early in the transition, that my belly got grumbly.  Sometimes, it was just that I still felt hungry since I get served less food on the Primal Raw Diet.  Other times, my body was trying to adjust to the new food and yes, I had an instance of boo-boo belly.

Outside of those few times, and the one time I had the "trots", the transition went really well.  And I know it is weird to talk about poop but your poop really does change on the raw food diet!  It is much smaller and has little to no odor - something Ma didn't believe would happen, but it did.

Well...that's been my two weeks on the Primal Pet Foods' Prepared Raw Food Formulas.  I am thinking of doing another post soon to tell you more specifically about the Primal Pet Foods' Formulas I am using...nutrition information, etc.  What do you think? 

Are you interested in hearing more about my switch to raw?




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For those of you who are interested in reading more about different raw food diets - whether prepared, meaty bones, etc. - you can pop over to +Kimberly Gauthier 's new blog, Raw Dog Food Reviews.


52 comments:

  1. We feel raw is best but with five pups freeze dried raw Is cost prohibitive 4 us 4 now and storage is an issue
    Urban hounds

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    1. I think a lot of stuff would be cost prohibitive with 5 dogs. BOL! But I bet having a big family is great for playtime!

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  2. Congratulations! I'm so happy to read that the diet is working for you! Thanks for the shout out.

    Our vet told us that Rodrigo's itchies were due to the grass too. Nope. He's always running around in fresh cut grass and has no problems now.

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    1. Thanks and you are welcome! The new blog is great!

      Hmmm, well the itchies on my paws has been drying up...Ma can feel some crusties every now and again. Though the bottoms, between my toes still get red once in a while. Maybe soon they will completely disappear like Rodrigo's. *Paws crossed*

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  3. Oz you are very brave! We didn't realize how easy it looks for the raw diet. We did consider it with all my allergies but I am doing well on Natural Balance. If you want, I can fix you up with a great all natural shampoo that will cure your itchies and rash. I use it, its Bobbi Panter's Itchy Dog Shampoo. Let me know. Love Dolly

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    1. It is SUPER easy, Dolly...at least the Primal is easy. You stick with what works for you but at least you now know, if you ever need to switch, that it can be as easy as defrosting some nuggets.

      Ma says she would love to try that all natural shampoo! I guess I will pop over to your blog and let you know! Thanks!

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  4. Sounds like it is working for you. We are pleased it is. Yes do give us a pupdate on how goes it? Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. It is Molly!!! Thank you!! I will keep you pupdated! BOL

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  5. Glad to hear it's working out so well for you Oz! Love the conversation we're having now and I will definitely refer to this when we consider raw dog food diets for our store.

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    1. Excellent Stephen! It was so nice meeting and tweeting with you earlier today!

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  6. I'd really love to hear about the freeze-dried stuff. I need some for traveling. :-)

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  7. Good for you! Sounds like you are enjoying your new diet. We are sticking with the high quality kibble for now, but it is interesting to hear about friends that are going to raw!

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    1. Thanks Emma! Everyone has to eat what they think is best so if your premium kibble is working for you, GREAT!

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  8. AnonymousJune 17, 2013

    Yep, keep us informed please!Got Moms interest here!

    The Mad Scots

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    1. Pawfect!!! Will do my Mad Scottish pals!

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  9. Would love for you to keep us updated Oz! It looks like a pretty yummy diet and sounds very healthy :) Glad it's working out for you so far!

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    1. Yay!! Okay Miss Ann, I will. Thank you...it is working well thus far. *paws crossed*

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  10. Love hearing about your switch! I have considered it but have been afraid myself. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. We have found with the prepared diet, there really was nothing to be afraid of (except maybe the price - BOL).

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  11. Woot! Your itchies are going away and your leg is better? That is totally pawsome Oz...And yes you ARE worth every penny, even if it's a few pennnies more...I'm so happy your new diet is working for you and will be following along to see how it goes longer term

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    1. Thanks Giz! I am amazed how much less I itch now. Sure, there are still some little red patches on my paws but otherwise I am like a whole new me! *high paws* my pal

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  12. I love how easy it is to prepare. I hate messing with raw meat and usually make my husband do it, or if I do it I scrub my hands for 5 minutes under scalding hot water. But this is so so simple! The expense would be a problem for us. I have two big dogs and so the difference in cost between dry kibble and raw would be much more noticeable. Still, this gives me food for thought (no pun intended).

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    1. Oh dear dawg...big dogs would eat a LOT more than I do. I have heard of owners who live near each other forming a co-op so they can buy together in bulk and then just divvy up all the food. Maybe that would work for you if you found some others near you who feed same food?!?

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  13. So glad it's working for you! I'd love to hear more!
    Nola

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  14. Yes I want to hear MORE Oz! As I've said befores, Ma is thinkin' abouts this, cause I have a tendency to gets the colitis, butts that is also what's keepin' her at bay. She wants to hear more abouts your progress!
    Kisses,
    Ruby
    pees: Ma talks abouts poops alot, so.....

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    1. BOL Ruby! Then I do not feel so silly mentioning my poop in this post. I will keep you posted!!! I bet this food would be so much better for you with your colitis...after that one incident, I have not had a boo-boo belly AT ALL.

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  15. Well, that does make it look super easy since it's already prepared. Rita's health has been great and no allergies, so for now we'll just stick to easy-peasy Blue Buffalo grain free kibble w/ some canned food mixed in. But this is good to know in case we'd need to go that route.

    Hope you keep doing well on it!

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    1. Jackie, it is so easy this way - thank dog! I had tried the Blue Buffalo diet that supposedly was EVERYTHING free and did well for a while and then BAM! Allergies were back. But at least it is working well for Rita...that counts for something, doesn't it?!?

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  16. So glad to hear that the raw diet is working wonderfully for you! I didn't think the "less poop" thing was a real thing. Alas, Beamer is 90lbs, so feeding him on a raw diet would be way too expensive. We will be sticking to grain free.

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    1. Hmmmm, yes big dogs would eat so much more than I do. It could potentially get expensive.

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  17. Hmmmm, good to know
    Snorts,
    Benny & Lily

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  18. Sounds like you're doing great Oz. The Felix has a grass allergy too (amongst 96 thousand other allergies and intolerances) and he almost never chews his paws anymore. Mama does try to wipe his paws with a clean wet cloth once a day to wash them, but other than that we're creditting the food with this amazing change.

    The year before we switched to raw, Felix's vet bills were much, much much higher ($7k including sedation & allergy scratch testing, prednisone, custom blended weekly allergy shots, monthly blood tests to make sure the meds weren't damaging his liver/kidneys, frequent visits for hot spots & ear infections. That dog is a gold mine.) The first year he ate raw, vet bills were around $300 and last year? $110, including his tiger tests. Raw really has been a God send for us and we hope it clears up Oz's allergies too!

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    1. Holy Smokes, Koly!!!! That is a HUGE amount of money saved at the vet!! (You are right, that dog was a gold mine - BOL.) I have my paws crossed that this diet works just as well for me. It is so reassuring to hear of your experience with switching to raw. Thank you for sharing!!!

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  19. Its fantastic that you can get it pre-prepared sounds like its completely hassle free. And so pleased to hear that its helped with yiur allergies too!

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    1. Hassle free, preservative free and delicious. What more could a dog ask for Misaki?!?

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  20. OMD, you get that wonderful food, I am drooling..I get that dry old kibble.. Think of deprived me when your eating it Oz.. Have a wonderful week xx00xxx


    Mollie and Alfie

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    1. I will think of you Mollie and I will dream of sending you bits of venison and duck!

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  21. Hey Oz,

    That's awesome that it's all going SO well!

    We are super interested in hearing about every aspect of the switch, cos my Mum is still 'researching' it - I think she's just a big chicken! :)

    Does the food smell much different to kibble?

    Can you eat the frozen ones when they're still a bit frozen? I'm just curious cos I love ice!

    I'd also be interested to know about exact cost comparisons as I'd heard you eat less on raw, but it's more expensive....

    Thanks for keeping us updated,

    Your pal Snoopy :)

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    1. Hi Snoopy!

      Thank you. I am very excited that is has been an easy transition.

      I can't figure out what the moms are scared of...it's not like they've never seen or touched raw meat before. BOL

      The frozen, once defrosted, really has no odor whatsoever. It's like defrosting fresh meat for humans...no real smell or odor. The freeze-dried has a bit of an odor/smell when being rehydrated, but nothing overpowering.

      Hmmm, I'm not sure you are supposed to eat them partially frozen though this morning, two pieces of my duck were not completely defrosted in the very center and I ate it. BOL

      I am going to have mom start keeping track of costs; maybe for a month and them we can see how much it really costs. We are interested in the food cost vs. the money saved at the vet, as Kol mentioned in comments above.

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  22. Glad you are doing so well on it. looks pretty darn easy. hope it continues to help you be less itchy.

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    1. I am, thank you! It is super-duper easy!

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  23. So glad this is going so well and you're getting rid of those itchies!!

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  24. AnonymousJune 19, 2013

    I'm really glad the raw foods test is going so great! And I am glad it's not as messy as your mama thought it might be :)

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  25. Delishuss foods and elffy to boot! Wot more could a doggie ask my pal....gotta gets me some of dat.....

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  26. AnonymousJune 25, 2013

    My Ma started me on a raw diet in April of this year. She also was squeamish about it, but took the plunge. It took me a few weeks to decide I really liked eating raw, but I really like eating raw now!!! All my stomach complaints have cleared up.

    Yours,
    Miss Poppy Seed (and Ma)

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Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier