# raw diet or store bought dog food?



## Lad20050620 (Jul 17, 2020)

Is it better to feed Goldens a raw diet or store bought kibble (purina, blue wilderness, taste of the wild)? I have always fed my dogs with dog food from stores, but the more I read I am curious to know which one is better for their overall health.


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## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

I feed kibble . I know she is getting the nutrients needed. A raw diet just is a bit too technical for me and I do not want to malnourish my girl by not doing it right. If I ever went raw it would be a commercial company. There're people that have dogs that do great on home made diets but they have worked with nutritionists and or have done a ton of research


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## Lad20050620 (Jul 17, 2020)

Ok. I understand that, I would never want to malnourish either one of my goldens. I have always feed all of my dogs kibble. Just wondering if it was healthier and what are the benefits of both.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Both. I do a commercially prepared raw diet from a pet store, Nature's Variety frozen raw.


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## Goldie_lover (Jan 3, 2021)

I do half raw and half cooked. I use Dr Harvey's base mix for both to ensure that they are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

You will find a wide range of strongly-held opinions on this topic. I went raw about 15 years ago and I feel good about my choice. I do feed a commercial raw product (Primal) so I don't have to worry about it being complete and balanced. I also feed a variety of high-end/natural kibbles for training treats and occasional supplemental meals when my budget is tight, and I have a holistic vet who keeps an eye on supplements, etc. My brother and several friends have worked with their holistic vets to come up with recipes for home-made raw (which is a lot cheaper than commercial). If you want to tip-toe away from kibble, you can always start by adding some "real" / fresh foods to a high-quality kibble diet (Dog Aware has some good suggestions), or start feeding a little raw (say for one meal a few times a week) just to see how your dog does on it.

KIBBLE:
*Pros*: Convenience, cost (compared to commercial raw), and, if it comes from a company with a veterinary nutritionist on staff, it may be more likely to be balanced and complete
*Cons*: Cooking kills a lot of the nutrients (which then have to be added back in through the use of artificial supplements). Has to be pretty high in carbohydrates in order to make sure the extruders don't gum up. May include artificial preservatives, colors, etc., that may be linked to cancer and other health issues. MAY contain lower quality meats (those rejected from the human food chain), fats and grains. Grains have been linked to molds and mycotoxins, and there MAY be a link between legumes and DCM. Carbs feed cancer and may exacerbate arthritis.

RAW
*Pros:* "Live" food which contain all the natural nutrients. Much closer to what wolves and wild dogs eat, and much closer to what domestic dogs lived on up until the mid 20th century. Generally contains high-quality meats, organs and vegetables and no artificial preservatives, colors, etc., and very few supplements (most of which are usually from natural sources).
*Cons*: Should be handled with the same care as any raw meat. EXPENSIVE. Takes a lot of skill and knowledge to create your own recipes and ensure that they are balanced and complete. If you choose to feed things like raw bones, turkey necks, chicken frames, etc., then there is a higher risk of things like blockages or salmonella.


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## goldielynn (Sep 5, 2020)

There's also an "in-between" option in dehydrated or freeze dried brands like The Honest Kitchen too that might provide a better option to kibble but still easier and cheaper than going full raw.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

The risk of salmonella for dogs is very low. Their systems are designed to kill the bacteria. That's why did can eat carrion (dead decaying meat). The risk is for people. When there are recalls for salmonella, the risk is really for the people


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

I feed my 3 dogs a full commercial raw diet. it is expensive but works for me. I used to home prep but it was pretty time consuming so I decided to go back to commercial raw.


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## Deborus12 (Nov 5, 2017)

We feed a commercial raw diet too. Our dogs thrive on it.


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## Lad20050620 (Jul 17, 2020)

@pawsnpaca thanks!!
I have always fed my dogs kibble. Here lately thoguh I really have been considering going raw. I like the fact that I know exactly what they are consuming, and its not some wierd long word that I can't even pronounce. My goldens still always seem hungry when they are fed kibble instead of homecooked meals that we eat.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

One other con to feeding raw to keep in mind, and that’s the need for refrigerator or freezer storage. We ended up buying a chest freezer just for the food. Traveling with, or boarding, a raw fed dog can also be a challenge, especially if they don’t eat enough kibble to get by on it for a few days when necessary.


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## jomiel (Feb 15, 2019)

I feed both, it's 60% Royal Canin golden retriever kibble and 40% raw that I get from my local store SF Raw. I like how the mostly kibble base gives him a good baseline for stools and nutrition. Raw gives him more variety and interest of foods, plus I feel like his coat was great before but really blossomed when we added raw. Raw also provides some added supplementation that he would otherwise not get from kibble. For raw we do a mix of formulas in different proteins (SF Raw already makes this a "complete" meal), and I might add in some offal, green tripe, cod liver, quail eggs, goat milk, or whatever else at the store that seems interesting. I want to incorporate as much "nose to tail" eating as I can in my own foods and also want to do the same for pet foods. I'm a little more leery of meaty bones and items like chicken feet since I feel like he would try to swallow too large a piece, so sometimes I'll cook the chicken feet or duck paws first in the pressure cooker, then I'll toss the larger bones and leave the really small ones plus meat. 

The main things with raw are to be careful of cross-contamination in the kitchen and how fresh I keep the foods at home. I use ceramic dishes and put the used dish from each meal directly into the dishwasher. I prefer defrosting in the fridge, and have to mindful of how many days I took them out from the freezer (1-2 days for freshness, 3 days seems to be pushing it). If I buy a selection of foods then I'll portion them into servings in separate tupperware containers, and then freeze them for storage. I try not to defrost and refreeze more than once. If he gets a bone then I'll throw it away at the end of the day. Just common food safety things. Also unless you're doing a prepackaged commercial raw diet, having a chest freezer like pawsnpaca said is really important to have space for all the food for the month. Having stackable containers, a roll of painters tape, and a sharpie are very helpful.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Maggie'sVoice said:


> The risk of salmonella for dogs is very low. Their systems are designed to kill the bacteria. That's why did can eat carrion (dead decaying meat). The risk is for people. When there are recalls for salmonella, the risk is really for the people





pawsnpaca said:


> One other con to feeding raw to keep in mind, and that’s the need for refrigerator or freezer storage. We ended up buying a chest freezer just for the food. Traveling with, or boarding, a raw fed dog can also be a challenge, especially if they don’t eat enough kibble to get by on it for a few days when necessary.


When traveling I just grab enough freeze dried raw food to take with and add some water at feeding time to reconstitute. No issues at all. My raw company have a freeze dried line or I just grab stella and chewys FD Raw


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

I’ve been feeding a prey mode raw diet for over 22 years. My goldens and Aussies are in better health as a result. Would never go back to feeding kibble again.


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## goldens9 (Apr 7, 2020)

Feed both kibble and raw then gradually go to more raw. Raw has more nutrients, enzymes. Processed kibble is cooked at very high heat and kills all the nutrients, then they add chemical based vitamins, not very healthy. I now feed a green KELP powder or NaturVet KelpHelp powder. Call the local Livestock feed stores for frozen ground raw with No Hpp. Many are now getting freezers for the raw ground food for cats and dogs. If raw seems too expensive, mine is very affordable as the Livestock Feed store sells much cheaper than the pet stores. Buy organic RAW EGGS. Add a raw egg to the kibble to improve the nutrient quality. On top sprinkle CHIA seeds for fiber and firm poop. Chia seeds are the best, always firm poop, as raw may not have much fiber. Many sprinkle CHIA seeds on kibble because their dogs always have soft smelly poop which sticks to the hair especially on Goldens. So firm poop is a life saver. You can buy a pound of KELP greens powder at SwansonVitamins.com for $5. Buy 2 pounds of CHIA seeds at walmart .com and amazonsmile .com for about $6 to $8 for 2 pounds and it lasts for many months. Puritan.com has the KelpHelp for pets. For treats, BANANA slices, APPLE slices, blueberries, etc. This diet has been the best. Super healthy, no allergies, no itching, no health issues whatsoever. So many young dogs have so many health problems because the dogs are overvaccinated, and filled with too many pesticides and chemicals and eat a poor diet of overprocessed kibble which is basically a dead food. Don't spray your yard with any pesticides, as overtime dogs get cancer from the pesticides. Use natural cleaning solutions in the house, like VINEGAR which is 2 gallons for 3 dollars or buy CLEANING VINEGAR for a dollar at a dollar store. Vinegar is great for cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, hard floors. Spray pet beds with vinegar to help get rid of bacteria, etc. Goldens are very sensitive to chemicals so natural works much better for health and longevity.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I feed a commercial raw diet (commercial as in it's made by a company, but it is local to me). 80/10/10. That said, my 2 year old golden who was weaned onto raw did test significantly low in taurine when I had it checked. I'm currently waiting on her retest results, after 3 months of adding in a taurine supplement and taurine rich foods. I'm hoping that it comes back normal.


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## Dakota'smom (Sep 23, 2015)

I feed RC GR. I like knowing that experts have formulated a complete and balanced diet. Have done research and feed trials. Too many cons with raw. Risk of food borne pathogens, yes I know people who have lost dogs to food borne pathogens, risk to humans as well. Risk of it not being nutritionally complete. Studies have shown commercially prepared and Diy lacking in nutrients. There is no research supporting raw being better. If you decide to do it contact a real expert to help you . DACVN. Www.acvn.org. Many will do remote consults. If you decide to do homecooked Balanceit.com can help with recipes, but you must follow them exactly and use the coordinating supplement.
I would not recommend either for a growing puppy, too hard keeping up with quickly changing needs.


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## Lad20050620 (Jul 17, 2020)

@goldens9 Thank you for all of the info!! I actually have chickens and they are fed with homeade feed and they have 6 acres to forage in. So I already give them organic eggs straight from the coop. I have always fed my Golden fruit for treats lol. to be honest he doesn't really like the storebought treats. And he LOVES ice!! My female is pickier though LOL. She only has certain things she likes. Ohter than that she won't touch it. But yes I use natural cleaning supplies, especially to bathe them with! I use Burt's Bees organic shampoo and conditioner. I like to know that my dogs are being fed with healthy organic straight from the earth type things, not some word that I cant even pronounce. That is why I am very likely going to slowly switch their diet over to raw. Thank you for all of the info!!


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