Switching to raw diet(hopefully!)

[sherrylynne]

Sorry it took me so long to get back, but...***BREAKTHROUGH***
Watson and Stubbs are now officially on a raw diet ! The only thing you could call canned that they've had in the last bit is about 1/4tsp gravy, mixed in with water, on their meat chunks!!
Ligiea and Herne are still working at about 1/2 capacity, in tiny bits yet, but we are definitely getting there.
I've had to include powdered eggshell, because the switch is taking so long, and a bit of salmon oil. Tomorrow, we start to add a wee bit of chicken livers to every meal. Just a few slivers at first, then work up to a grape sized piece daily.
Right now, for Watson and Stubbs, we are working at getting them to accept meat other than pork. They had a wee bit of turkey today, with no problems.The chunks they are getting are about 1"x1/2"x1/4". Stubbs doesn't realize to use his carnasials to scissor the meat yet, but he doesn't give up on a piece once he starts . He'll follow it all around the floor, using his front teeth, until he gets it in small enough pieces to swallow! I am so proud of them!

[GreyGhost]

That is great news. Keep up the good work and dedication. 

[Bonkers]

  sherrylynne, I applaud your patience and dedication in wanting what is best for your pets. You have made great progress in transitioning them these past two months. Some people may have gotten discouraged and given up, but you kept going. Good for you and your kitties!!!

[sherrylynne]

To be honest- the only reasons I didn't give up were people like you here, who gave me so much encouragement, and the fact my ferrets were already on a raw diet, and I saw the difference it made! We are not all the way there yet, but we will make it!

[sherrylynne]

Why is it always two steps forward, and then ten steps back?
A couple of days ago, I was so excited because 2 of my cats are now totally on raw. Well, guess what? I started to introduce a new meat(chicken), just a couple or three tiny slivers, and Mr. Stubbs vomited everything within 10 minutes. I never thought of it, because I thought maybe he'd eaten it to quickly. So, next meal time, again 2 or 3 slivers of chicken, and again he vomited everything up. So, I'm thinking- chicken allergy. I have a ferret with the same problem.
Big problem now- he's associated his raw with the vomiting. So, back to step one. Again. Anyone have any ideas how to bring him back up to where he was? It took 2 months to get him to where he was at.

[Bonkers]

    Oh No! Poor Mr. Stubbs.  I am hoping that in a couple of days he will be eating the raw again with gusto. His tummy may not be feeling well right now. But if not, you will have to transition him all over again, which should not take as long this time.

[sherrylynne]

Gods, I hope not! He wouldn't even smell the pork today, poor boy. I had to give him some canned, just to fill is tummy. I'm going to slip in a couple small pieces tonight(not chicken!!!), to see how he takes to it.

[Perseus]

I hope Mr. Stubbs isn't still vomiting?  You deserve a big cyber hug, sherrylynne, for all your patience with these guys!  I'm reading more and more on other forums so many people have switched to raw or are transitioning now and how their kitties are thriving from it.  Some swear by feeding "micecicles", which are whole frozen mice!  The breeders in Russia and Eastern Europe feed these and the raw meaty bones and their kitties live so long without virtually any veterinary care. 

[sherrylynne]

He seems to have settled down for now, thank heavens. No more vomiting since I stopped the chicken, and he seems to be accepting a little raw in his canned again,so maybe we'll be able to go faster than before(I hope )! And OF COURSE, since Stubbs is getting canned again, Watson's gone on strike for it! So  I have to smear a bit on top of his raw just to get him to taste it .
By the way- anyone want 4 cats? Cheap!!!

[Perseus]

By the way- anyone want 4 cats? Cheap!!!

Now, what would you be doing all darn day if you didn't have your cats to fuss with

[sherrylynne]

Oh, I don't know, maybe have a less stressful life!!!!
Well, all of them went on strike. Surprise, surprise. But by now, this has become a contest, and I WILL WIN!!! I started them all on a bit of pureed meat, well mixed in with the canned, so they can't pick it out and toss it(again ). We did that last night, and all day today, and it was well recieved by all(except Stubbs, of course!). So, I figured he misses one meal, it's not going to hurt him . He ate just canned today, and I ground up som pork, and gave it to all of them, and it was a hit! All dishes cleaned up! So, we'll try that for a couple of days, then start the process all over again! What fun!
Like I said before- anyone want 4 cats- free this time!! (They're playing mind games with me, aren't they? What scares me is they are better at it!)

[Bonkers]

  sherrylynne, I would like to suggest to you that for the time being if you would just use one protein source. It may be that your crew is getting used to receiving too wide of a variety. If they do not eat what you first give them they are learning that you will give them something else. I have seen this happen with other cats, not just with raw food, but with canned and kibble also.

[Perseus]

sherrylynne, just wondering how the pork is going?  I don't think I've ever heard of feeding raw pork before.  I wonder why it's not commonly used?  I used two commercial raw brands and they have a lot of flavors but not pork.  We eat ground pork though ourselves and maybe I'll try giving them a little as a *treat*.

[sherrylynne]

The reason people are somewhat afraid of pork was that fresh farm pork used to be frequently contaminated with trichonosis, which when the pork was not thoroughly cooked, caused some major issues.
With the cleanliness today, contamination isn't as big an issue, and with the current standards of food storage(i.e., freezers), the bacteria is killed long before it gets to us. However, if you get your pork straight from the farm, freeze it for at least a month.
The mainstay meat for the cats is pork. It's one they all like. The switch to alternate protiens is done by slipping a tiny sliver or two into their main meat, so no, I'm not switching them up all the time.
The unfortunate thing now is Mr. Stubbs does not seem to be able to tolerate any raw whatsoever any more. Even the tiniest bit causes vomiting. Blood work and stool test came back negative for everything. So for him, I've made the decision to simply get him on a better quality canned, and leave it at that. He's 14, he's happy with it, and even better, he keeps it all down. So, he just gets fed seperately from the others.
The good news- the others are all totally on raw, with a bit of warm water to moisten it a bit, and a bit of freeze dried sprinkled over the top for a lure;D

[Bonkers]

  Thanks Sherrylynne for explaining about the pork although I too wonder why it is not used in commercial pet foods. My Tinkers favorite cooked food is actually saurkraut and pork but she likes the saurkraut the best. I think keeping Mr. Stubbs on a quallity canned food is great. At least he is no longer eating kibble which is more than I can say for my two. I wonder what it is about the raw that upsets his tummy? Many experts recommend adding digestive enzymes to the raw when first starting out. Maybe that would help. Dairy free probiotics may help also.