If you asked me six months ago if I would ever feed raw food to my pets - I would have said a fast NO . My 13 year old, Jack Russell Terrier, Wilbur ( my angel on earth ) has multiple health problems... Mast cell cancer at age seven, Cushing's, Myotonia ( constant muscle tremors - muscle disorder), and an endocrine disorder and imbalance. As a last chance effort and after exhausting Western medicine - I found a Holistic Vet through Ellen (thanks to Laurie :heart3. This vet recommended a RAW diet for Wilbur :nothappy: But since I would do absolutely anything to save my dog - I did it. Commercial raw food. That's how this all started. I would hand-feed Wilbur the food and in doing so the cats started circling around - like vultures :lol3:. I started offering very small pieces to them as well. This also made Wilbur more willing to eat too, just seeing the cats eat HIS food. It was a win-win situation. Slowly the cats became more accustomed to the raw tidbits and started asking for more and more.
Since Carolina's thread and now Laurie's thread - I have started actually feeding them the food in their bowls. It has been about ten days now and they are at about 75% raw meat and 15% wet and 10% dry. I am now only offering the dry kibble at bedtime and it is about 1/16 of a cup. Just a snack. They no longer get any kibble mixed in with the wet like I did before . It took me quite some time to get Pipsqueak and Perla to try it. Pipsqueak was very anti-raw on it's own but when I started mixing it in with the wet food ten days ago - he started eating it and enjoying the meat. So I added a bit more each day. Perla loves the Fortiflora and will stop eating and wait for some more to be sprinkled on BUT the last two days she has only needed one sprinkling in the beginning of her meal. I also have Halo treats and Bonito flakes. None of which Pipsqueak likes
I don't want to make this soooooo long because I know there has been a lot of reading to do in the Raw Forums lately. AND Auntie ....... I must ask - Have the Raw Forums ever been this busy ???? :lol3:
I want to just start by telling you the overall changes I have noticed in all the cats combined and then the individual changes. It has just blown my mind completely. No joke here....and now I ask myself and :scratch: why did I wait soooo long to give it a go? the owner of the natural pet food store told me that in the last two years the amount of people changing to commercially made raw from kibble (dogs and cats) has been astounding. The most popular are the ones she sells (Nature's Variety, Stella and Chewey's, Nature's Logic, Vital Essential's, and Primal) She can order most anything I would like - but I will do that myself on-line.
The changes in the cats overall are nice, pink, clean butts - sorry - but it is true. No more of those tiny brown cling-ons :spit:. Nice firm poops and not as many either. WHERES THE BEEF - is now WHERES THE POOP :rofl: Their coats have such a gleam to them already AND their nails are growing like hot cakes. I trim my cats nails weekly and now I noticed that they need twice weekly trimmings. I just can't keep up with it. I wonder if they think they are hunting or something They are much more energetic but not to the point of being bad - just overall happy. This is a big one for me - NO MORE CHIN DIRT (except Pipsqueak has a teeny bit left but he is not eating the raw as well as the other's either)
The individual changes so far:
Pipsqueak - Plays like a madman during interactive play, chin dirt is less, seems more stable and not as stressed but still very alert. large pee clumps without the medication. Seems to have more confidence in keeping everyone in line including me. :lol3: Was sick with a virus and recovered in record time.
Perla - very, very active and out-going. She is more tolerant of Wendall AND I actually saw her TWICE stalking Perkins and pounced on him. NEVER have I seen her this bold. I like this a lot. NO chin dirt at all - completely gone now. Better appetite and asking for food.
Perkins - Not as skittish anymore :dk: - he seems much more relaxed and happy overall.
Presley - Very active and more agile - not as clumsy during play.
Walden - Very bright eyes - more so than ever - extremely playful has gained some weight.
Wendall - THIS IS A MAJOR relief for me. His tummy is NOT as bloated anymore like a balloon. At one point I thought he had FIP - but no just a fat boy I guess. Since coming off of the kibbles - and he and Walden are getting mostly raw now - his tummy is not a blown up. NO coughing either. Coincidence :dk: we will see. ALSO- ANOTHER BIG ONE - he is NOT stalking Perla anymore In fact, he can walk right past her and get no reaction from her and he doesn't pay any attention to her. I am sure they will never be friend's but I would say there is a level of tolerance I have not seen before.
I am not even feeding them total raw either - but these changes are just too amazing and I am SO excited to try other brands of raw too. It is really late and I will fill you in tomorrow on what I have been feeding them. I PROMISE my posts will not be long like this first one....
I am a raw believer now..... Thanks Dr. Wessner and Wilbur....... BTW>>>>>>> Wilbur's quality of life has improved ten-fold since last August. I never thought he would make it to Christmas. He did :heart3: and he is still with me, eating raw and taking his homeopathics like a good old man should
Goodnight, my friends.... I am on :9: for sure.......
Since Carolina's thread and now Laurie's thread - I have started actually feeding them the food in their bowls. It has been about ten days now and they are at about 75% raw meat and 15% wet and 10% dry. I am now only offering the dry kibble at bedtime and it is about 1/16 of a cup. Just a snack. They no longer get any kibble mixed in with the wet like I did before . It took me quite some time to get Pipsqueak and Perla to try it. Pipsqueak was very anti-raw on it's own but when I started mixing it in with the wet food ten days ago - he started eating it and enjoying the meat. So I added a bit more each day. Perla loves the Fortiflora and will stop eating and wait for some more to be sprinkled on BUT the last two days she has only needed one sprinkling in the beginning of her meal. I also have Halo treats and Bonito flakes. None of which Pipsqueak likes
I don't want to make this soooooo long because I know there has been a lot of reading to do in the Raw Forums lately. AND Auntie ....... I must ask - Have the Raw Forums ever been this busy ???? :lol3:
I want to just start by telling you the overall changes I have noticed in all the cats combined and then the individual changes. It has just blown my mind completely. No joke here....and now I ask myself and :scratch: why did I wait soooo long to give it a go? the owner of the natural pet food store told me that in the last two years the amount of people changing to commercially made raw from kibble (dogs and cats) has been astounding. The most popular are the ones she sells (Nature's Variety, Stella and Chewey's, Nature's Logic, Vital Essential's, and Primal) She can order most anything I would like - but I will do that myself on-line.
The changes in the cats overall are nice, pink, clean butts - sorry - but it is true. No more of those tiny brown cling-ons :spit:. Nice firm poops and not as many either. WHERES THE BEEF - is now WHERES THE POOP :rofl: Their coats have such a gleam to them already AND their nails are growing like hot cakes. I trim my cats nails weekly and now I noticed that they need twice weekly trimmings. I just can't keep up with it. I wonder if they think they are hunting or something They are much more energetic but not to the point of being bad - just overall happy. This is a big one for me - NO MORE CHIN DIRT (except Pipsqueak has a teeny bit left but he is not eating the raw as well as the other's either)
The individual changes so far:
Pipsqueak - Plays like a madman during interactive play, chin dirt is less, seems more stable and not as stressed but still very alert. large pee clumps without the medication. Seems to have more confidence in keeping everyone in line including me. :lol3: Was sick with a virus and recovered in record time.
Perla - very, very active and out-going. She is more tolerant of Wendall AND I actually saw her TWICE stalking Perkins and pounced on him. NEVER have I seen her this bold. I like this a lot. NO chin dirt at all - completely gone now. Better appetite and asking for food.
Perkins - Not as skittish anymore :dk: - he seems much more relaxed and happy overall.
Presley - Very active and more agile - not as clumsy during play.
Walden - Very bright eyes - more so than ever - extremely playful has gained some weight.
Wendall - THIS IS A MAJOR relief for me. His tummy is NOT as bloated anymore like a balloon. At one point I thought he had FIP - but no just a fat boy I guess. Since coming off of the kibbles - and he and Walden are getting mostly raw now - his tummy is not a blown up. NO coughing either. Coincidence :dk: we will see. ALSO- ANOTHER BIG ONE - he is NOT stalking Perla anymore In fact, he can walk right past her and get no reaction from her and he doesn't pay any attention to her. I am sure they will never be friend's but I would say there is a level of tolerance I have not seen before.
I am not even feeding them total raw either - but these changes are just too amazing and I am SO excited to try other brands of raw too. It is really late and I will fill you in tomorrow on what I have been feeding them. I PROMISE my posts will not be long like this first one....
I am a raw believer now..... Thanks Dr. Wessner and Wilbur....... BTW>>>>>>> Wilbur's quality of life has improved ten-fold since last August. I never thought he would make it to Christmas. He did :heart3: and he is still with me, eating raw and taking his homeopathics like a good old man should
Goodnight, my friends.... I am on :9: for sure.......