We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
Raw Diet Poop
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I started My B-boys on Nature's Variety raw organic chicken medallions
18 days ago, due to one of them developing allergies that I could not trace…so after 3 years on Fromm 4star, I switched to the frozen raw food...already after 3 days his rash and outbursts where gone, and I see a significant difference in temperament (calmer) in all of the B's as well as an amazingly shiny and clear coat...Now, what puzzles Me is that their poop is rock hard, and I mean rock hard...it is so dry that I can hear when it hits the ground, and when I press it, the "stones" turns to a sand grainy texture...I have tried to add lettuce, squash, spinach as well as adding almost half a cup of water to the goo (yes, it does not look particularily pretty) and still their poop is hard and dry...any suggestions for what I can do...? If this goes on I must concider going back to their previous food program as I can see how they struggle every time, and then find a solution for My allergy struck B...Thanks! -
Canned pumpkin, it will help. One large scoop with every meal.
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Hello, Thanks!
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I need to read more carefully. When I first read this thread title I thought it said, "Raw Poop Diet" and was almost afraid to open it. :o
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My Magnum is on a raw diet, too. From my experience, he generally has harder stool when he's eating stuff with a lot of bone in it. (I have not, however, ever(!) been able to hear it as it hits the ground–:eek: ). Generally, this stool is very whitish in appearance and very crumbly after a day or so.
Here goes: What color is the stool? Does Nature's Variety chicken medallions have a lot of bone in it? If it does, I'd probably add some more meaty meat to it--raw chicken breast, for instance.
It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I, personally, don't like to see that type of stool, for more than a few days. To me, it means they're getting too much bone in their diet and not enough meaty meat. (I subscribe to the 80% meat, 10% organs, 10% bone way of raw feeding.)
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The Nature's Variety raw medallions have a lot of bone content in them which is probably what's making the poop so hard and dry. Try adding a little boneless raw meat to each meal and that should help move things along a little better.
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Thanks! Is there any other raw food programs that could be better than Nature's Variety? Like Primal Pet Foods for example…?
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I have both my pups (3 mo and 10 mo) on BARF. They love it, and I love it, I didn't even have to wein them off their other food. I tried this because they new pup kept vommiting his food 2 hours after he ate it. The 1st day I gave them this food they were happier and never had a vommiting episode since, it's been 2 months. It's a greta product and I switch between the diffrent flavors but they like chicken the best. There stool is perfect (what an odd topic lol) not too hard and never too soft. The puppy still has a few accidents on the carpet and I can pick it up no problem. I also feed them 1/4 of veggies per day each with fish oil. I can't even foreseeing going back to dry.
Where I buy my raw food and my vet both really like the BARF, but it all depends on your pups taste. I would try another one, since it's so easy to switch it's not like dry where you have to do 25, 50, and 75% weining.
Good luck -
I have looked at the commercially frozen raw patties, but I find its much easier (and cheaper) to just buy meats from the grocery store and chop them into one meal sizes and freeze them. I also have been feeding Tayda and Lenny on a 80/10/10 diet and they have been doing wonderfully. Shiney white teeth, healthy coats, lots of energy, less pooping, etc etc etc. And after a while, it becomes easy to detect what they need more of in their diet by the way their poop looks….
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If they are too hard - how about adding some Flax Seed - I'm think that more fiber might help. or a small bit of Karo Syrup.
