[nagdu] Freeze Dried Dog Food

Star Gazer pickrellrebecca at gmail.com
Thu Aug 6 20:33:15 UTC 2015 

					Raven, I'm going to ask, how did you validate the info about raw feeding before you tried it? I think you've said before that your dog is your first and so you weren't surrounded by dogs and how to care for them. Anybody can post anything on the internet, and I'm not sure how you validated your approach before you tried it. Reading is great, I'm just struggling with the "one day there was processed dog food, and the next day there was chicken breast". 
Also, did you do anything else while you were researching how to clear these ear infections and skin infections? It sounds like an incredible amount of work. You are fortunate that you had the time and energy and ability to research so deeply. Can you explain a bit more?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver via nagdu
Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 11:36 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Raven Tolliver <ravend729 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Freeze Dried Dog Food

Dan,
I got rid of the ear infections by naturally-rearing my dog. No more toxic flea and tick pesticides, no more heartworm poisons, and no toxic chemicals in or on my dog. Also, I switched the Golden Guy to a prey-model raw diet. The fewer toxins you put into your dog, the less work the body has to do to eliminate them. The body eliminates toxins through the skin and ears, so it is extremely common for dogs and people to suffer from allergies, yeast infections, and other inflammatory conditions. It's the body screaming that this stuff needs to get out out out.
No matter what changes you make, a change in diet should always be in order when there are health problems. Everything you put into your body affects your gut, and your gut holds 80% of your immune system.
That thing is pretty important, so you don't want to bog it down with chemically-loaded processed junk.
Some people feed grain-free and low carb foods to minimize the sugars in their dog's body because sugar feeds all the bad guys and leaches nutrients from the body. Some find that specific proteins trigger this, so they avoid that protein. Some people ditch processed foods entirely, which is what I decided to do.

I was too overwhelmed by all the commercially processed foods on the market. There were too many choices to wade through, so I said "screw it" and just went raw. Besides, it gives me control over what my dog eats and if he has a bad reaction to something, I'll know exactly what it is because everything I feed him has one ingredient. Rabbit.
Chicken. Pork heart. Beef tongue. Etc. I cannot play games with all the ingredients in commercial foods.
Back when I took the Golden Guy to 3 different vets, none of them could help me. They all spewed the same nonsense. He has allergies. It could be food or environmental. Here's some fish oil, antibiotics, steroids, this, this, and this. I switched to 3 different brands and 5 different food formulas within 1.5 years. Nothing made a difference.
My dog was completely miserable, scratching his ears and skin till scabs formed, and scooting his butt on the floor like mad till his anus was red.
I decided a major change had to occur. I spent hours and hours pouring through kibble formulas ingredient lists, making lists of no-nos and good guy ingredients. But it was too much for me.

I researched cooking my dog's food, which seemed like too much work. I mean, you need a rotation of meats, pureed fruits and veg, starch, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, coconut oil, multi-vitamins, mineral supplements, nutritional herbs, sea vegetables, and on and on and on.
Finally, I stumbled upon an article about rawfeeding. It sounded like it would be the answer to my dog's health problems. I knew it might not fix everything, but it made sense that nutrient-rich real food with no processing was best.
That month, I finished the bag of kibble, and switched him to raw. No transition. Just one night, he ate kibble, and the next morning, there was a chicken breast waiting for him. I did some tricks to get him to eat it, but he got the hang of ripping and tearing into his food, rather than lapping it up.
It has definitely worked for us. He no longer suffers from allergies, and I don't need to clean his ears but once or twice a month, and I just use cold-pressed coconut oil in his ears, nothing else.

Is this for everyone? I'd say we'd have more healthy dogs than sick dogs if people stuck to a more natural lifestyle for themselves and their pets. We wouldn't need most of the meds out there if people were adequately educated on how food and chemicals affect our overall health, but everyone is most attracted to conveniences and quick fixes. I find multiple trips to the vets who know nothing an inconvenience. I think the quick fixes are garbage and don't put a permanent stop to the problem.
--
Raven
Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
www.1am-editing.com

You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs

On 8/5/15, Dan Weiner via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> What did you do for the ear infection, Parker has a chronic one that 
> has been really hard to defeat.
>
> Dan W. and the Parker Hound
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle 
> Burton via nagdu
> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 1:56 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Danielle Burton
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Freeze Dried Dog Food
>
> Raven you make good points. More other issue is I cannot get to my vet 
> unless my parents take me because I don't trust the one that's near my 
> college. So, friendquent vet visits are expensive and inconvinient on 
> multiple levels for me. My girl had ear infection after ear infection 
> and got one this summer as well. I've only had her for 14 months and 
> most of that time sh's had an infection. Not fun. Although the problem 
> has improved a lot thankfully.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 5, 2015, at 1:43 PM, Raven Tolliver via nagdu 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>>
>> Tracy,
>> Foods do not have to be rotated daily or weekly. You can simply feed 
>> a different food every 2 or 3 months. Or when you finish one large 
>> bag of food, you start on a bag of a different food. It's that easy.
>> Balance happens over time.
>>
>> Frequent trips to the vet because of health problems caused by 
>> nutrient deficiency and poor quality food is a most expensive 
>> proposition. In the first 1.5 years of having my golden, I spent 
>> upwards of $600 in vet bills because my dog had chronic ear 
>> infections and severe allergies. I know for a fact there are people 
>> who have spent greater amounts on chronic health issues. I'd rather 
>> shell out more bucks toward nourishing food than keep funding some 
>> vet's office and the pet meds industry.
>>
>> Those of us with sensitive and allergic dogs are not satisfied 
>> continuing down the path of feeding highly processed foods and simply 
>> throwing medications at the problem. This stuff is not working, so we 
>> need to do what we can to heal our dogs, or at least to improve the 
>> problem. Part of that is learning how to add the most nutrients and 
>> the most nutrient-rich sources of food into our dogs' diets, and to 
>> exclude those foods that leach nutrients from our dogs' bodies.
>>
>> Dogs who are sensitive to changes in food typically benefit from 
>> slow-switching, where food is transitioned over a period of 10 days.
>> The schedule would look something like: 1/4 new food 2 days, 1/3 new 
>> food 2 days, 1/2 new food 2 days, 2/3 new food 2 days, 3/4 new food 2 
>> days, and from then on, the dog should be on the new food completely.
>> Some people stretch each progression out to 3 days.
>>
>>
>> Many dogs can typically adjust to new foods well, and can handle 
>> speedy switches in food, or just switch cold turkey.
>> --
>> Raven
>> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
>> www.1am-editing.com
>>
>> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you 
>> have or what you do.
>>
>> Naturally-reared guide dogs
>> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>>
>>> On 8/5/15, Danielle Burton via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hi everyone,
>>> I just got my 3 pound bag of Grandma Lucy's Artisan and Chicken to 
>>> try. I just gave her a 4th of a cp along with 3 fourths of her dog 
>>> food this morning and she sniffed at it for a second and then 
>>> inhaled it. Lol. I will beleavffg back to school next Friday and 
>>> will order a
>>> 10 pound bag probably Monday. I personally would rather sandd more 
>>> money on food than paying it to the vet every time I go. I may try 
>>> the pork after I feed her a 10 pound bag of the ARTISAN and Chicken.
>>> As I don't have the spa to fed raw since me and my roommate will 
>>> sharing av small refrigerator nor do I have decent transportation to 
>>> make frequent trips to the store. Although honestly if I had the 
>>> spac and the time I would have my Dad get the meat from our butcher 
>>> that we use when we butcher our cows. BI think freeze dried will be 
>>> my option
> a least for the time being.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Aug 5, 2015, at 9:12 AM, Tracy Carcione via nagdu 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I agree that variety is great, in theory.  Krokus can, and does, 
>>>> eat anything with no problems, but my older dog seems no longer 
>>>> able to change foods without serious upset.  So I advise caution in 
>>>> rotating foods.  It also seems an expensive proposition.  Do you 
>>>> buy lots of small bags, or use one big bag (somewhat cheaper, by 
>>>> the pound), then switch to another kind?  It would be easy to 
>>>> switch around when feeding raw or homemade, but IMO not so much when feeding kibble.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven 
>>>> Tolliver via nagdu
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 1:42 AM
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> Cc: Raven Tolliver
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Freeze Dried Dog Food
>>>>
>>>> To clear up your confusion, if your dog needs 2 cups of food daily, 
>>>> you scoop 2 cups of the freeze dried food from the bag. You then 
>>>> add
>>>> 1 or
>>>> 1-1/2 cups of water to the food.
>>>> The cheapest brands of freeze-dried food are Grandma Lucy's and 
>>>> Sojo's Complete.
>>>>
>>>> There are also kibble formulas that contain freeze dried pieces of 
>>>> meat and organ. This is nice for people who can't afford to go 
>>>> completely freeze dried or raw, but want nutritious food for their 
>>>> dogs.
>>>> I suggest going to chewy.com and checking out Orijen Tundra and 
>>>> ACANA Singles, and visiting greatlife4pets.com and looking through 
>>>> their ingredient lists.
>>>>
>>>> What you can also do to offset costs is feed through a rotation of
> foods.
>>>> I just consulted with a fellow list member who will feed a variety 
>>>> of foods to her dog, which I support 100%. People and dogs develop 
>>>> food sensitivities by eating the same thing day in and day out.
>>>> Feeding the same thing daily creates an imbalanced diet and leads 
>>>> to health problems because there is a lack of variety in foods and 
>>>> a
> deficiency in nutrients.
>>>> The only diet that is balanced and complete is the diet rich in 
>>>> variety.
>>>> I encourage you to decide on more than one food for your dog. Be 
>>>> sure to choose formulas with different proteins, and also foods 
>>>> from different brands.
>>>> If you need help picking out several formulas, I'll help out with that.
>>>> Hth.
>>>> --
>>>> Raven
>>>> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
>>>> www.1am-editing.com
>>>>
>>>> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you 
>>>> have or what you do.
>>>>
>>>> Naturally-reared guide dogs
>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>>>>
>>>>> On 7/31/15, Danielle Burton via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>> Okay, Im a little confused. How much of the freeze dried food do 
>>>>> you use for it to rehydrae into about 1 up?
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jul 31, 2015, at 2:44 PM, Danielle Cyclorama via nagdu 
>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In order to prepare one cup of dry.food, you add 1-1 and 1/2 cups 
>>>>>> of water and wait 2-3 minutes. When referring to freeze-dried 
>>>>>> food, amounts are given in dry measurements: 1 cup equals 1 cup 
>>>>>> of dry food before water is added.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Danielle, Thai, and Bonnie (GDF puppy in training)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Jul 31, 2015, at 2:21 PM, Danielle Burton 
>>>>>>> <danielleburton94 at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Dnielle,
>>>>>>> Thanks for the info. How do you actually prepare say one cup of 
>>>>>>> the freeze dried food.  How much of the freze dried food would 
>>>>>>> you rehydrate to make one cup?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Jul 31, 2015, at 2:12 PM, Danielle Cyclorama via nagdu 
>>>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The cheapest brands of freeze dried foods I have found are 
>>>>>>>> Grandma Lucy's and Sojo's. Even among these brands, The price 
>>>>>>>> varies with the protein source so it is something to pay 
>>>>>>>> attention to. Freeze dried foods are generally more expensive 
>>>>>>>> than kibble because they usually have fewer ingredients and are 
>>>>>>>> a higher quality. A 10 pound bag usually contains about 55 cups 
>>>>>>>> which is about 55 pounds of rehydrated food. I feed my 74 pound 
>>>>>>>> dog 2 cups of freeze dried food in addition to 1 cup of kibble 
>>>>>>>> and some treats. Also keep in mind the number of calories 
>>>>>>>> per.cup, which tend to be on the higher side in foods with less
> fillers.
>>>>>>>> My personal favorite is Grandma Lucy's Artisan pork. It is high 
>>>>>>>> in protein (39%), and isn't too expensive. Also, neither of my 
>>>>>>>> dogs have had any allergic reaction to it.Danielle, Thai, and 
>>>>>>>> Bonnie
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Jul 31, 2015, at 1:28 PM, Danielle Burton via nagdu 
>>>>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>>>>>> I have been looking at freeze dried dog food. I have some 
>>>>>>>>> questions about it:
>>>>>>>>> 1.  how much dog food is actually in a 10 pound bag or box?
>>>>>>>>> #out  Most of the food I'm seeing is rather expensive how does 
>>>>>>>>> it compare  to kibble?
>>>>>>>>> 3.  Are there any that's more reasonably priced and last for a
> while?
>>>>>>>>> 4.  How much would you feed adog that's 60 pounds?
>>>>>>>>> Any info would be appreciated, Danielle and Willa
>>>>>>>>> Email: dnielleburton94àgmail.com Sent from my iPhone 
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