Benefits of adding fur?

[BAMCB]

It feels like forever since I've been on here! Life sure gets crazy on a dime. lolAnyhow, I am wanting to share my experience with the addition of rabbit feet to our diet. It was actually accidental. I was ordering from MPC and noticed a bag of rabbit feet under treats for "your petite pet". I was thinking that would be great for my 12# mix who just cant seem to lose weight. Well, she would not touch them(very strange for her as she eats EVERYTHING!) so I tossed it to the pup, who truly does eat everything. Hahaha His normally loose stools(even with extra bone) became perfect! Chica's stools were also more regular. After cutting a small piece off for Ava she did eat it and wouldn't you know her poops were also improved. These are now on our almost daily "treats" and I am thrilled to have accidentally discovered these.I'm just wondering if anyone else out there feeds fur and if they have noticed the same effects? Or to possibly help others who may struggle with stools, loose or too firm, as this seems to have helped with both!

 

[tmricciuto]

How interesting. Do you think it's the fur or the higher bone content? I'm thinking a rabbit's foot has a ton of bone in it? I'm just taking it all in so I can be prepared when I start to feed my girls raw.

 

[NYDDB]

I have heard similar stories when raw feeders add fur (as in small prey like rabbit, etc.) into their dog's diet. Something about it acting like a "broom" for the intestines. Hmmm...I really doubt my boy would boy would go for it, though.

 

[BAMCB]

There's not too much out there but I found a site for raw fed cats and they said it bulks up their stools I think. I notice how perfectly formed and light they now are. Ava usually seems to struggle for too firm poops(on raw and kibble) but I notice less strain now.

 

[TricAP]

That is interesting. My guess would be the extra bone as well since the amount of fur would be much less than bone. Whatever the reason glad to hear its working on the poo. That's one of my favorite parts of feeding raw - the output is so much nicer to deal with!

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

I'm gonna have to start feeding raw or get a bigger shovel =P

 

[TricAP]

I'm gonna have to start feeding raw or get a bigger shovel =P

It is SHOCKING how much less there is! And so much less odor as well. Their bodies don't need all the filler that is in dry kibble so it has to go somewhere. I urge your to look into it. Not for everyone but personally I'm so glad we did for all our dogs.

 

[NYDDB]

It is SHOCKING how much less there is! And so much less odor as well. Their bodies don't need all the filler that is in dry kibble so it has to go somewhere. I urge your to look into it. Not for everyone but personally I'm so glad we did for all our dogs.

True! My mastiff's output is half of what my Lab's was...and he almost weighs twice as much.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Wow it's seriously that significant?

 

[TricAP]

Wow it's seriously that significant?

Seriously significant - think gallon on kibble as compared to cup per day raw of output.

 

[BAMCB]

Wow it's seriously that significant?

From my memory of my last mastiff(15 yrs ago) it is! Also, the first poop Chica had was kibble(from her former home) and it was amazing just how much and how stinky it was night and day difference for her, thank goodness! Lol

 

[BAMCB]

That is interesting. My guess would be the extra bone as well since the amount of fur would be much less than bone. Whatever the reason glad to hear its working on the poo. That's one of my favorite parts of feeding raw - the output is so much nicer to deal with!

I do think it's the fur because of the way the stools are formed and their consistency. Also, Ava gets very constipated from too much bone but when given the rabbit foot(which would add more bone) her stools are not quite so compact and hard. It seems to firm up loose stools and also loosen up compared stools. I will try to research more when life slows down some.

 

[DennasMom]

Denna's poops fill a 1 gallon pot in about 2 weeks. And I occasionally bulk her's up with veggie material, too... I may have to try some rabbit feet - if I don't bulk her poops with some sort of fiber, they get so hard and small that her anal glands start bugging her, and she starts scooting around the place... Thanks for the tip!!