Yes or no to fruit and veggies?

[OdinBB]

Hello, I am a new BB mommy and I have been feeding him raw since day one and he is doing really well so far. I have been researching and getting mixed reviews in regards to wether or not to add fruits and veggies or not. So should or shouldn't we add fruit and veggies to the raw meat?

 

[ruthcatrin]

What raw program are you following? Prey model doesn't need any fruits or vegis, though I feed them as treats.

 

[angelbears]

We do prey model also. All meat for meals. Occasionally a veggie or fruit off our plate.

 

[DMikeM]

Of course you know my answer is no. I do not believe small amounts plant matter as a treat is an issue. But as a food supplement I think it is a bad idea as it might contribute to bloat. Plant matter in humans and animals causes gas, (broccoli anyone?). Gas is something we never want to promote in a mastiff for multiple reasons. LOL

The Many Myths of Raw Feeding

 

[OdinBB]

I am not sure, I bought a book written by Karen Becker about raw feeding and I follow that. Odin will be 15 weeks 19 Apr 14 and he weighed in 51.7 about a week ago. What Odin gets on a daily basis is 42oz of meat and 14oz of fruit and veggies. My meat mixture is ground chicken necks, chicken thighs, chicken heart, and chicken lungs. The fruit mixture changes, this time i pureed cooked sweet potato, zucchini, kale, carrots, a mixture of blueberry, strawberries, and raspberries. For breakfast he gets 12oz of meat and 4oz of fruit and veggies, lunch he gets the same as breakfast and for dinner he gets 18oz of meat and 6oz of fruit. He also gets 6 eggs and canned salmon or sardines a week. I am also looking for a good supplement to ensure he gets everything he needs to develop properly.

 

[ruthcatrin]

No liver? I'd have to sit down with the nutrient charts but that seems awefully unbalanced at first glance.

 

[OdinBB]

Yes I know your thoughts on it and the more I am researching the more I am agreeing with you. Thank you for the article, it was very interesting.

 

[DMikeM]

Not pushing, just giving my opinion and why.

I give liver when I can sneak some into some hamburger or some Mac n Cheese. Otherwise they will not eat it. Won't eat kidney or chix gizzards either.

 

[NYDDB]

Check out this site: http://skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm

I have been following Bill's protocols for awhile (he feeds prey model raw, and has been for decades). He owns Great Danes, among other dogs, and knows what he's talking about.

There is a lot of sugar in fruits, which feeds yeast and inflammation, especially in dogs who do not have the digestive enzymes to properly break down plant matter.

I don't feed them (and even when offered as treats, Mateo will not eat them).

So, more for me.

 

[OdinBB]

Sorry I left the liver out but yes I add liver.

 

[OdinBB]

You are not being pushy, you are providing good information. How I give the innards to my boy is grinding everything together, it doesn't sound appetizing but he eats everything with no issues.....If they will eat hamburger they will eat ground chicken.

 

[ruthcatrin]

There is a lot of sugar in fruits, which feeds yeast and inflammation, especially in dogs who do not have the digestive enzymes to properly break down plant matter.

I don't feed them (and even when offered as treats, Mateo will not eat them).

So, more for me.

The sugar is definetly an issue too.

I will say, neither of mine is big on fruits or vegis either. Apollo goes throgh phases where he'll want some apple, and they'll both frequently beg for a bite of melon, but neither wants any large amount. Which is just as well cause I'd rather save their sugar intake for local honey to help with the spring and summer itchies.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Sorry I left the liver out but yes I add liver.

Good!

Apollo adores liver and would try to survive on it only if I let him (don't try please, to much liver can make them sick). Arty can be a bit fussier about his liver, But I can usually get him to eat it.

 

[DMikeM]

Oh yes too much liver can cause all sorts of issues. LOL, cannon butt anyone?

 

[DennasMom]

I KNOW I read an article that referenced an actual scientific study that suggested dogs that ate a raw diet including some vegetables had lower instances of cancer, but I can't for the LIFE of me find that article now... so maybe I made it up.

But... just in case, I do feed some fruit & veggies - not regularly, kinda sporadically... But I buy a big bag of the frozen 'normandy' mix at Costco (broccoli, cauliflower, squash and carrots) and pull out a few handfuls about one week out of each month. It adds bulk to her poops, for certain, so it might just be going through... but if she gets any benefits at all, it's worth it to me. She loves them, too... so I can use them as snacks or treats, and she's a happy girl. I do the same with the bag of frozen mixed berries I get from Costco - I use those for my own smoothies, but when the bag is out, I'll dump a handful of berries in her dish for her. She expects me to share, now... if I don't, I get told about it (grumps, huffs and occasionally a high-pitched "WTF" bark).

Denna's already scoping out the newly leafed-out raspberry bushes... she plucks every berry she can find (none yet). I have to beat her to the bush in the mornings if I want any berries for ME! I also put up a garden fence, so there are many that she can't reach... I get those. HA!

Our last dog was all good-quality kibble fed - no human food, ever. In his later years, I'd offer him fruits or veggies, just to see if he'd eat them. He wouldn't touch them. Meat scraps - you bet; plant matter - no way.

 

[DennasMom]

I'll add, to Mike's point about broccoli and gas... Denna's a very low-emission vehicle. Even on days with veggies, a fart is a rare occurrence - so no correlation on that front - that I've been able to tell, anyway. Most of the veggies she gets with a meal have been frozen, which does help break down cell walls, which might make them less gassy, too.

If I found that Denna got 'gassy' with the veggies, we'd definitely stop giving them to her - for multiple reasons!

 

[angelbears]

A healthy dog should not have a problem with fruit or veggies. However, if your dog has skin problems, especially involving yeast, then I would not feed anything but meat. Yeast lives off sugar of any kind including the carbs found in fruit and veggies.

As far as cancer goes I've seen it discussed both negatively and positively.

Another reason I stay away from too much fruits and veggies is bloat.

 

[krisx]

I feed barf, but not in a strict way. if you would want to do it 'by the book' then there would be much fruit&veggie grinding and blending involved. i just give raw f&v combined by what is left over from our own meals.
so yes. all kinds of fruit and veggies, regularly and in variety.

 

[Mollys dad]

Our vet recommended limiting fruits for sugar and veggies per our tolerance of stink gas and bloat (really!). We use an apple piece as a treat or a banana bite as a treat. Fresh blueberries as treats when we have them. The vet says low amounts of natural sugars (no processed sugar) and low glycemic index carbs are a good way to avoid yeast and tumor issues.

Molly will fight you for green beans and english peas! - raw or cooked.

 

[Ozzy]

We have been giving Ozzy sticks of celery and carrots periodically. He definite loves both. I don't know if he likes the way they taste or he just likes chewing on them, he is only 16 weeks old, cause usually half of each gets left on the floor for us to clean up. Are those two items ok for him?