Conditioning only on a Raw feed diet or a Kibble with Supplement added diet?

[CYJ]

BSK you will need the greens to help keep enough bulk in the dogs diet to move the stool through the bowels to avoid any constipation. No matter what type feed keep one uses. There has to be something in the total feed mixture to add bulk for proper fluid absorption and stool elimination. Greens added will not hurt any sort of feed keep being used.

Greens will be your best over all choice for natural fiber. One of the reasons the older feed keeps kept some kibble was to insure good bowel movement and allowing the dog to feel like it has eaten a full meal.

Eliminating the kibble in a hot weather keep is not a bad idea, should help the dog maintain a leaner weight with no access fat in the gut etc. areas. If what you plan to do and have already seen excellent results in another show or prekeep. Go for it. Long as your dog stays bright eyed/glossy skin/blood red gums/no dehydration/kicking up the dirt after a no straining solid bowel movement. You are good to go.

Will have to look up the info on that Lixotinic product. That is a new product I have not read about. There is nothing wrong with good quality supplement products used in moderation. But still no substitute for good solid food. Just like any hard working human. That dog has got to feel like it has eaten a solid meal of life sustaining food. If not, will become ravenous and even start eating it's own stool etc. Right in front of your eyes. LOL

If I am not giving BSK the exact right answers he is asking. Please, the dog persons with more newer keep knowlege, chime in and help this fellow compadre out. I always believed any well intentioned dog man should be given a fair shake in the game. Helps the best over dogs to win and used for future breeding to improve the sport. Cheers

[S_B]

I always believed any well intentioned dog man should be given a fair shake in the game. Helps the best over dogs to win and used for future breeding to improve the sport. Cheers

CYJ,

I've never once thought you were steering anyone wrong in your advice. You may think your information is "outdated" I see it as you must have been before your time with feed and vitamin knowledge.

S_B

[EWO]

The kicker is that the dogs have not evolved to the point that nutritional information from the 70's and 80's will not work.

I think some go a little far with supplementation. The ingredients are great but the dog does not get that full feeling and in turn does not digest as well. The greens and/or the use of kibble help keep the gut/digestive tract working. This is a must if the particular keep allows the dog to stay outside.

In the colder months, a keep diet less kibble or greens will make maintaining weight a little more difficult. On straight RAW you will see a little more swing in the weight AM to PM to AM. For no better analogy the raw is a one pass, great assimilation and out. Leaving the gut, stomach and tract close to empty. In turn the dog will shiver its own bodyweight in the night.
Even if you up the raw food amount they will do a great job of assimilating.

The greens and/or kibble will, for lack of a better analogy, will hang around a little longer. So during the night the dog will continue to digest. Providing body warmth in the cold.

The end result is basically the same, the dog will empty in the morning, the raw dog will have a smaller turd and the green/kibble will be a bigger turd.

And with all that said, the next guy will go a different route and that way will be the 'right way'.

EWO

CYJ,

I've never once thought you were steering anyone wrong in your advice. You may think your information is "outdated" I see it as you must have been before your time with feed and vitamin knowledge.

S_B