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Different types of diets
In this section, we will provide information pertaing raw diets, kibble diets, hybrids of raw/kibble diets, BARF diets, along with overall information pertaining dog food/different options with thier pros/cons.
Please find the below hyperlinks as a point of reference,
Dog Safe Vegetables
Kibble vs Raw food
Barf diet
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/homemade-dog-food-recipes-choosing-balanced-ingredients/
Cons of feeding kibble
Chosing whats right for your dog
A quality kibble reviews can be
found below
What we feed
We presently feed a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food Diet, and have tried hybrid diets that included Orijin and Carna4 as 1/2 the calorie count.
Costs associated with feeding raw can vary depending on what you are feeding, fluctuating meat/organ/vegetable prices, the weight of the item you are buying, the vendor you are buying from, and how freequently you are purchasing set items.
Examples of what we feed include:
Ground beef, ground chicken, duck, turkey, octopus, tilapia, squid, frog, mackrel, trout, chicken hearts, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, chicken feet, chicken tails, tukey hearts, turkey tails, turkey gizzards, calf liver, calf heart, quail eggs, calf uterus, calf kidneys, calf fries, calf tongue, calf lips, calf intestine, hen eggs, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, spinach, apples, pears, green beans, beats, broccoli, celery, peas, brussel sprouts, Zucchini, blue berries, strawberries, bananas, mangos, pineapple, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, ginger, flax seed, hemp seed, chia seed
Contacting local butchers/dog & cat food specialty centers for raw diet supplies can be beneficial to find the best, highest quality ingredients; along with comparing costs of preparing your own raw diets vs purchasing pre-made raw diets that can be purchased in store.
Some individuals do not like handling raw organs, so purchasing pre-made raw food is a great option, although you will be paying a slight premium for convenience. Preparing raw food diets can be as easy as dethawing bulk amounts of organs, and adding them to tupperware or a single bowl to let dethaw, and then serve. With that said, it can be quite a messy/bloody process that includs unpacking organs and handling them by hand. Some vendors sell organs frozen, and some do not. This can leave your kitchen messy with blood and require a dedicated day of prep work depending on if you are buing bulk, non frozen organs, or buying already frozen product.
How we prepare our Raw food
We take a day to process organs in a ninja blender and add all of our organs into a large plastic container. this allows all the organs to be pulp, and eaisly mixed around, and makes the consistency easier to break down/consume. Our boy Zarek plays with his organs vs chewing them like Zendaya, so we blend them down with beef stock into a wet pulp.
We will purchase a few hundread eggs, blend them in a blender to refine the shells down, then add them to a wok and cook them until scrambled and add that to the organs.
We will process down frozen/fresh fruit & vegetables with coconut milk or beef/chicken stock and add that to the large container.
We will add cans of pumpkin to the mix, along with ground chicken and ground beef. We take whole mackrel and process them down in our ninja with beef stock as well until it is pulped, and add it to the mix.
Wearing long rubber gloves, we mix all of the ingredients together in the large container. Once mixed, we freeze the mixture and store in a deep freezer.
Dethawing out a weekly amount in a large tupperwear container, we will scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and add over 1 cup of beef stock and ginger to the mix.
Chicken and fish bones fed raw are safe. We feed Zarek and Zendaya whole duck heads/chicken heads/necks, chicn drums, chicken 1/4s, chicken thigs, wings, and feed. We feed Mackrels cut in 1/4s or whole.
What we recommend for our customers
We recommend feeding a BARF raw diet. Comparing the costs of preparing your own raw diet to buying a premade raw diet would be something to consider, depending on your stance of preparing your own meals. Taking a look at the long term picture, you can factor what the cost of feeding a high quality kibble such as Orijin or Carna4 on a monthly basis, and then multiply the cost by 12.
You can take that number and see how it compares to the pre-made raw food diet monthly. Once you contact different vendors/pet food specialty stores who sell organs/wholesale meat products, we recommend to visit different international food markets, such as Oriental markets that sell many different types of animal cuts/organs to compare costs and quality. Once you compare the costs, you will then be able to make an educated decision over what high quality diet you would like to take on as an XL American Bully owner.
Always remember, the higher the quality of the diet, the less potential health risks you will be facing. If you end up spending less money on dog food that lacks nutrition and has a buch of added fillers/chemicals listed after "salt/sodum" on the dog food lable, you can face potential side effects, allergies, dry skin, hives, paw licking, watery eyes, ear infections, issues with bladder, eyes, digestive system, liver, scabbing/blistering of the skin, yeast infections, kidney filtration issues that can lead to urinary tract infections/issues, and death.
If you are feeding kibble and begin to notice bumps as such when switching to a new formula/brand, opt for a higher qulity kibble, and grain free option. Reduction in new bumps forming along with old bumbs scabbing/healing can be a sign that your dog has an alergic reaction/negative reactions to the formula.
Reduction in new bumps along with scabbing of old bumps that begin to clear after scabbing can start in as little as 5-7 days, and should clear around 3 weeks if it was just a reaction to the kibble itself. If you notice your dog shedding in larger freequencies, with noticable hair loss, including patches of hair easily being removed, you should consult your local vet, and let them know of any dietary changes/the type of dog food your pet is consuming.
Not all dogs do well with all types of kibble due to added fillers/chemicals/vitamins being added, along with lack of nutrition from the ypes of ingredients being used.
Above is an example of allergies that were caused by dog food.
If you plan on feeding a hybrid diet such as part BARF/Raw and part high grade kibble, do so consistently. You do not want to be inconsistent when providing your dog with raw meat/organs, due to how thier digestive system will handle them. Inconsistent raw feeding can lead to health issues, and is not recommended. If you plan to feed part raw & part kibble, make sure you are staying as consistent with the amount of kibble, along with raw ingredients, while keeping up to date on how fresh the meat/organs are before feedin.
If you pup ever experiences symptoms related to food allergies, take them to the vet immediately. a hypoallergenic kibble may be best for your pups sensitivity.
Our Favorite
pre-made raw brands
Raw Bistro
Stella & Chewy
Primal Pet Foods Inc.
Steves Real Food
Kibble brands we recommend if you will feed kibble in your pups diet can be found below
Carna4
Orijen
Acana
Comparison of Orijen vs Acana. Long story short, Orijen is the premium version of Acana, and they are owned by the same parent company. Their parent company has recently been purchased by Marz.
Stella & Chewy
Primal Pet Foods Inc.
Boss Nation Brands
Purina Pro Plan - Puppy
Other kibble companies can have high quality ingredients/formulas, although if we had to feed our dogs a kibble, it would be one of the ones above, and nothing else. Investing in a good kibble is investing in your dogs health/longevity. Quality food now, less vet bills later can be another way of looking at it.
Companies like Victor, Diamond Natural and Instinct to name a few, are considered to be widely used options as well. It all comes down to opting for the highest grade kibble that fits the budget while not going to low on the spectrum due to lack of quality ingredients.
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