An update on our BARF-raised pupster

[clairep4]

Having switched Bella to BARF when she was 10 months old, I really wanted to raise Zorro on the same diet. I had a few cases of nerves at the start but thanks to some good old COL encouragement (thanks Penel  ) I bit the bullet and he's been fed nothing but raw since the age of about 12 weeks.

Anyway Zorro is now coming up to 8 months - he's had two visits to the vet in the last week to be neutered and then to have his post-op check yesterday. We saw our normal vet the first time and a locum yesterday so I thought I'd just post their comments on him:

First vet (doing the pre-op health check): "He is looking absolutely GREAT, reallly lovely condition and really nice and lean, absolutely brilliant."

Second vet (post-op check to see how the wounds were healing): "Wow, they've healed really quickly, that's brilliant [both scars have already all but disappeared]. He looks absolutely great, lovely condition!"

Neither of the vets knew what he was fed on and neither of them were asked to comment on his condition so I think it's a credit to the raw diet that both of them were so impressed with his general health.

I thought I'd post this just to give encouragement to anyone who is thinking of raising a pup on the raw diet - it's slightly scary at the start and a bit more of a faff than dry food but we can really see the results in Zorro, the leanest, bounciest boy in town! 

[Penel]

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 

[Boof]

That's great. 

I would feed BARF to my two .. and when our cocker pup comes but there's a vegetarian in the house who has said no way. 

[Cob-Web]

but there's a vegetarian in the house who has said no way. 

The dogs aren't veggie though - are they? 

[Boof]

The dogs aren't veggie though - are they? 

No, that's what I told her. Just because she's against eating meat doesn't mean the dogs are. I said how much it would benefit them and she said the sight would make her feel sick..  even though she doesn't feed them or watch them eat, now I think about it. Besides they're my dogs, not hers.

They could do with a diet like that, one has an arthritic back leg and is therefore not very energetic and the weight keeps yo-yoing, and the other has a highly sensitive stomach and would eat anything (it's whether his stomach accepts it that's the problem). Do you think it would suit them? I'll probably go ahead with it sometime, with a bit more planning. I just need some information, as I haven't thought of feeding it for that long. 
 

[happydog]

That's good to hear Clairep4   . Go Zorro!

Fern's only been on BARF for the last 6 months and is so bright and fit, it's hard to believe she'll be eight years old in June. She healed really quickly when she ripped herself on barbed wire a few weeks ago. I told my vet I had changed her diet to BARF and she is really supportive once she realised that I had researched it enough to ensure she was getting a good balanced diet. (What she is concerned about is those clients of hers who insist that cooked human type meals are better for their pet than dog food   ). She is my sixth dog and I don't remember any of the others being as fit, bright and bouncy at her age. There is no way that I would feed her processed food again.

but there's a vegetarian in the house who has said no way. 

The dogs aren't veggie though - are they? 

Why is he/she a veggie? To minimise animal cruelty? Tell them to read up on where the food for processing dog food is sourced, and how they test their products on animals.  I am sure they will see it a bit differently then.

They could do with a diet like that, one has an arthritic back leg and is therefore not very energetic and the weight keeps yo-yoing, and the other has a highly sensitive stomach and would eat anything (it's whether his stomach accepts it that's the problem). Do you think it would suit them?

I am sure it would. Just remember that it might take a good few weeks for their stomach to adjust to digesting proper food again. Trial and error with a few things, Fern gets the runs with liver for example but can happily muller everything else.

I'll probably go ahead with it sometime, with a bit more planning. I just need some information, as I haven't thought of feeding it for that long. 

Well at the risk of being told off for promoting myself    You could start by readiong my thread I started when I was trying to pluck up courage to take the plunge with Fern.

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=22308.0

There are other threads too, just put 'BARF' into the search on health and you'll get loads  .

[CraftySam]

Thats lovely to hear! 

Thanks to yours, Penel's and other COL'ers help my pup has been on BARF since he was 13 weeks old.  Despite my others being on BARF I did find the prospect of bringing up a pup on it very scary to begin with. 

Its lovely to hear 8 months on that Zorro is thriving. 

[Wightpaws]

Claire that is great to hear having recently been converted to do BARF with the boys (now on it for just over 2 weeks), I can't believe the difference in them and their condition.  I know I was worried about Rocky only being 16 weeks when we started but have to say he loves it to pieces and would pig himself all day if he could   Snoopy is the fussy one and even he is putting on weight, albeit I have to feed him by hand with his mince, but ha I'm happy he's looking forward to food again