My PIcky, Picky Pyr.

Question
Hi Patti,
    First of all, thank you in advance for your reply. I have a 15 month old
Great Pyrenees.. Maxwell. I am very interested in putting him on a raw diet..
however, he is not interested. He has, in the past, eaten Nature's Variety
Frozen raw patties, but these are very expensive and contain a lot of things
he doesn't need that I would rather not feed him, if it could be avoided.

    Last week.. since we are just starting out.. I fed chicken.. he was hesitant,
but he finally ate it. This week, we are trying goat meat. He refuses to eat it.. I
tried everything I could think of.. grinding it, sprinkling parmesan cheese on
it and nothing., finally, I gave up and tried to feed beef... he will not eat it. Do
you have any other suggestions? I know he is hungry.. he has been walking
around looking for food.. picking his treat bag off of the table (he never does
this) and even begging at the table (something new).. but he refuses to eat
what is given to him.

   Another question I have is this: Maxwell loves to chew.. but he will not eat
the bones in his meat, so I bone the meat and supplement with eggshells...
as Maxwell is a giant breed and still considered to be a puppy, I do not give
much eggshell.. do you know how many teaspoons he should get a day? I
have searched the internet and can't find anything.

Again, thank you for your response.. it is much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Leah,

I don't understand what you mean by "Nature's Variety Frozen raw patties contain a lot of things he doesn't need that I would rather not feed him". As far as I can see, Nature's Variety Frozen raw patties are a wonderful food choice! They are 95% chicken, raw ground bone, turkey & liver, grain-free, with fruits and vegetables, and made with human grade ingredients. Dogs need more than just meat to have a complete and balanced diet. They are not "true carnivores", as cats are.

For whatever reasons you don't like the Nature's Variety Frozen food, you might consider the CORE diet, made by Wellness. (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_can_turkey.html)

Both the Nature Variety and CORE diets are grain free. Providing a diet that is free of grains and rich in meat and other protein sources is all well and good, but other nutritional elements must also be taken into consideration or the resulting diet could ultimately prove harmful to dogs.  

Creating a truly healthful, beneficial pet food is a real balancing act. Choosing the right ingredients is a great start, but a nutritious recipe is all about balance. For instance, it's critical for you to be aware that the addition of more meat ingredients to a formula naturally increases not just the protein content, but also the fat, calcium, phosphorus and calorie levels. I'd also like to mention that the Internet is FULL of mis-information. If you'd like to make your own raw diet, you should first consult with a canine nutritionist. Getting the nutrients and micro-nutrients wrong, can easily make your dog ill.

I am not a dog nutritionist, I won't advise you on a raw diet. Besides, I don't believe that raw diets are best. Like I said, if you don't know what you're doing, even a raw diet can be low or deficient in some nutrients. Plus there is the concern over bacterial contamination in raw meat diets, especially E. coli and Salmonella.

Regarding feeding your dog eggshells, take it easy with this. Eggshells provide dogs with calcium. You don't want to over-do how much calcium a dog receives. Too much calcium can create bone abnormalities. Bone strength is a problem when a dog or puppy receives large amounts of calcium. This is just one more reason to carefully select an appropriate diet for your dog. Always consult with your veterinarian to determine the best amount of calcium in your dog's diet.

Calcium plays an important role in your dog's diet, but other vitamins and nutrients work hand in hand with calcium. Some minerals are interdependent. Calcium happens to be one of such mineral nutrients.

Calcium works together with phosphorus. A balance of the two nutrients calcium and phosphorus must exist in a healthy ratio to ensure a dog diet that will maximize the potential advantages for your pet. Studies involving animal nutrition show that a ratio of 1.0 to 2.0 parts calcium should be coupled with 1.0 part phosphorus. When calcium and phosphorus ratios vary greatly from this range, bone troubles result.

Dog diets consisting exclusively of meats, will not provide the proper amount of calcium and phosphorus to create healthy bones. Such a diet results in a ratio of about 1.0 part calcium to 18 parts phosphorus. The range of absorption is where the trouble begins.

Vitamin D is another nutrient that influences the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. If a dog's diet lacks the appropriate amount of vitamin D, the other nutrients will not provide all the benefits to your pet. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can have toxic effects on your dog. It is imperative to maintain appropriate levels of vitamin D in your dog's diet. Feeding your dog food from a reputable company will allow you confidence in knowing that your dog's diet is healthy.

You should consider feeding your dog a balanced super premium dog food, such as  Eagle Pack Super Premium, Flint River Ranch, Pinnacle, Wellness, or Canidae all natural dog food, to ensure he gets the nutrition he needs.
This "dog food comparison wizard" might be helpful:

http://www.naturapet.com/tools/comparison.asp


Best of luck,
Patti