[rawfeeding] Digest Number 12288

There are 25 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1a. Re: Digest Number 1511
From: Shelly

2a. my dog lost her front teeth
From: meralynn58
2b. Re: my dog lost her front teeth
From: costrowski75

3a. Re: Small bones in rectum
From: costrowski75

4a. Re: Is This the "Right" Chicken?
From: costrowski75
4b. Re: Is This the "Right" Chicken?
From: delcaste

5a. where do I start?
From: dholloway26
5b. Re: where do I start?
From: Maggie Smith
5c. Re: where do I start?
From: dholloway26
5d. Re: where do I start?
From: katkellm

6a. Beef Shortribs? Did I buy the right thing?
From: cynthiashankman
6b. Re: Beef Shortribs? Did I buy the right thing?
From: costrowski75

7.1. Re: Gorge and fast
From: John

8. some meat ?s:
From: laurena_green

9a. Re: Is this Correct?
From: Diane
9b. Re: Is this Correct?
From: katkellm

10a. Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
From: Michelle Urbano
10b. Re: Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
From: GreysareGreyt
10c. Re: Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
From: nikkisevy@aol.com

11a. What about yogurt? probiotic
From: dholloway26
11b. Re: What about yogurt? probiotic
From: Sandee Lee

12a. Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
From: swayzepetsitting
12b. Re: Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
From: Casey Post
12c. Re: Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
From: Sandee Lee
12d. Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
From: Maiakitas@aol.com

Messages
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1a. Re: Digest Number 1511
Posted by: "Shelly" StuartLittle@comcast.net stuartjeanlittle
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:52 am ((PST))

I experimented for a really long time too. Lady (7 yr. old (today), 110 lb
Ridgeback mix) has had TPLO on both knees. I FINALLY found what works for
her, it's "Run Free" by Wholistic. It does have flax seed in it which will
turn some folks off, but it's very little and it doesn't bother her, and
bottom line, it WORKS for her. On everything else I've tried she was still
limping. Now she runs around like a puppy. (she also gets cod liver oil and
salmon oil)

Her 1.5 tsp has:
2250 mg Chondroitin (from shark cartlage)
1125 mg Glucosamine sulfate
1125 mg MSM
225 mg Ester C

I mix it with egg and whatever oil she's getting that day and she laps it
right up, then hand her whatever she's getting for breakfast. This morning
it's a big roast with a nice big chewy cartlage in the middle (today's her
birthday).

Shelly

On Friday 16 November 2007 01:52, jennifer_hell wrote:
--- In rawfeeding@yahoogroups.com, "angel z" <angelznest@...> wrote:
...i've started supplementing with etogesic and msm
daily (in addition to her regular vit. e, fish oil, and gluco/chondroitin)
and can report absolutely NO improvement so far.

Gluc/Chondr/MSM combined would take about four months IME to kick in.
I had to experiment for a few months until I got my girl painfree. The
arthritis info on dogaware.com was what helped me find the right
stuff. It's different for every dog. Mine is pain free with 1000mg
ester-c, 1400Gluc/1200Chondr.(forgot how much MSM), 500mg DLPA and
salmon oil daily (55lb pitbull girl).

Jennifer

--
"A house without either a cat or a dog is the house of a scoundrel."

Portuguese Proverb

Messages in this topic (20)
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2a. my dog lost her front teeth
Posted by: "meralynn58" merdavi@ufl.edu meralynn58
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:52 am ((PST))

Hi,

I'm considering switching to raw. Audrey is a wonderful beagle-mix,
about 40 lbs. She came to me about 6 months ago. She's about 8 years
old and been through hell, but she's the sweetest dog in the world.
One thing is that she has worn down her front four teeth to nothing
on both her upper and lower jaw and all of her canines are short and
absolutely flat. (From trying to get out of a cage?) Her back teeth
are pretty okay. She gnaws on bones, but I'm not sure how she'll do
with eating raw bones.

I know, just try and see what happens, but can you suggest where I
should start? Or after chicken bones, what will be easiest for her
next? I am considering grinding them and then giving her treat bones
to gnaw on separately for her to work on for her teeth. I've been
giving her a lot of bones as treats and the vet is amazed at how much
better her teeth have gotten.

Thanks!

Merrie Davidson

Messages in this topic (2)
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2b. Re: my dog lost her front teeth
Posted by: "costrowski75" Chriso75@AOL.COM costrowski75
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:24 am ((PST))

"meralynn58" <merdavi@...> wrote:

> One thing is that she has worn down her front four teeth to nothing
> on both her upper and lower jaw and all of her canines are short and
> absolutely flat. (From trying to get out of a cage?) Her back teeth
> are pretty okay. She gnaws on bones, but I'm not sure how she'll do
> with eating raw bones.
*****
She'll do fine, although you may need to choose "easier" bones for her
untl she develops jaw strength.

FWIW, two of my dogs were seven when I switched them to raw and both
were dedicated chewers and both had worn down their teeth so that the
molars, premolars and incisors were stubby things and the canines were,
well, abbreviated. Until they were twelve they were fully capable of
eating pork necks, turkey necks and legs and thighs, anything chicken
(except skin), deer necks, anything goat, anything rabbit. Bones that
could be crushed were not an issue. What did sometimes present
problems was skin, since neither dog could slice through it.

So what I would do with skin is preslice it, or perforate it so that
could break apart; otherwise they'd swallow lengths of it and gag. The
bones were easy.
Chris O

Messages in this topic (2)
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3a. Re: Small bones in rectum
Posted by: "costrowski75" Chriso75@AOL.COM costrowski75
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:30 am ((PST))

"T Smith" <coldbeach@...> wrote:
>
> Is tripe a requirement? I thought it was optional.
*****
It is not a requirement and it is optional.

> I am still a bit lost on what is considered organ (other than the 5%
> liver).
*****
Kidney and spleen plus various glands that we call organs but aren't:
pancreas, thymus. The inside stuff that isn't heart. That's a good
enough definition for a raw feeder. If we were med students we'd need
to know for sure but we're not so we don't.

I thought heart was organ but read it wasn't...
*****
It's a muscle that is an organ. You should feed it as muscle meat;
when doctors transplant it, it's an organ.
Chris O

Messages in this topic (8)
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4a. Re: Is This the "Right" Chicken?
Posted by: "costrowski75" Chriso75@AOL.COM costrowski75
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:12 am ((PST))

"delcaste" <delcaste@...> wrote:
>What do they mean by minimally processed? I have dogs
> that are prone to itching and don't want to aggravate a condition
they
> have.
*****
First off, enhancements may not aggravate (or precipitate)
conditions. Not all dogs react to the injected substances. I prefer
not to go there at all, but for others who are less annoyed by this
stuff it may indeed be okay to feed enhanced birds.

Here is the best definition of "minimally processed" that I could
find without getting compulsive about it; please note that it also
addresses "natural" which isn't part of "minimally processed",
though "minimally processed is part of "natural:

http://www.electronicretailermag.com/info/0707_ccl.html

***Under the USDA rules, a product may only be labeled "natural" if:
(1) the product does not contain any artificial or synthetic
ingredients; and (2) the product and its ingredients are not more
than "minimally processed." Minimal processing includes certain
traditional processes used to make food edible, or to preserve it, or
to make it safe for human consumption (such as smoking, roasting,
freezing, drying and fermenting). It also includes any physical
process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product and/or that
only separates a whole, intact food into component parts (such as
meat grinding and pressing fruits to produce juices).

Severe processes such as solvent extraction, acid hydrolysis and
chemical bleaching go beyond these minimal processing standards. The
USDA, on a case-by-case basis, may allow products containing
ingredients that have been more than minimally processed to be
labeled "natural," if it can be shown that the use of such
ingredients would not significantly alter the character of the
product to the point that it could no longer be considered
natural.***

Chris O

Messages in this topic (7)
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4b. Re: Is This the "Right" Chicken?
Posted by: "delcaste" delcaste@yahoo.com delcaste
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:10 pm ((PST))

>
> http://www.electronicretailermag.com/info/0707_ccl.html

Thanks for the explanation. Good link.

Silvina

Messages in this topic (7)
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5a. where do I start?
Posted by: "dholloway26" dholloway26@cox.net dholloway26
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:35 am ((PST))

OK, really excited about going back to what is natural for dogs! My
husband fed our dogue de bordeaux (French mastiff) this morning and
gave him 2 leg quarters. Well, he looked at it and the first one took
him about 25 minutes to consume, he was not sure what to do with it..
the second one took about 8 minutes! Yes, he caught on quickly!

I also have 4 other dogs, a boxer, an american bulldog, queensland
heeler and an english mastiff. Since we are new, we are starting first
with our dogue who has allergies (suspect the grain in kibble) and
going to see cost. With 5 dogs and 3 kids in college we do the best we
can...

How do you decide how much to feed?

other words of wisdom?

newbie on the block :)
smiles
debi

Messages in this topic (4)
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5b. Re: where do I start?
Posted by: "Maggie Smith" redkeds@comcast.net redkeds1
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:06 am ((PST))

WOW - 5 dogs AND 3 kids in college? Who did you bribe in the
admissions office?

Sorry, couldn't resist :)

Maggie, Rufus, Oliver and Mickey
--- In rawfeeding@yahoogroups.com, "dholloway26" <dholloway26@...>
wrote:

With 5 dogs and 3 kids in college we do the best we can...

Messages in this topic (4)
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5c. Re: where do I start?
Posted by: "dholloway26" dholloway26@cox.net dholloway26
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:22 pm ((PST))

OK!! hee hee, all kids unfortunately have their own student loans and
we help out with car insurance, cell phones, foods, books ... so much
easier when they were little!!! course it does help that i work for the
university and getting reduced tuition!

but now back to the matter at hand. Is there a calculation for
deciding how much raw food is given?

HELP!
>

Messages in this topic (4)
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5d. Re: where do I start?
Posted by: "katkellm" katkellm@yahoo.com katkellm
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:34 pm ((PST))

--- In rawfeeding@yahoogroups.com, "dholloway26" <dholloway26@...> wrote:
> How do you decide how much to feed?
>> other words of wisdom?

Hi Debi,
You need to feed 2-3% of the dog's ideal adult weight per day. I
would start closer to 2% and then adjust the amount later on if you
see the dog needs a little more food. I would stick with chicken for
one week. Since you have largish dogs, you could buy whole chickens
and cut into serving size hunks for your crew. After a week if all is
going good, you can pick another protein to feed. I fed turkey
second. Feed for a week and if all is smooth, pick another
meat...There are a couple of opinions on when to introduce organ
meats. Me personally, at the end of the first week, i fed a little
chicken liver. I felt that way i could say i fed through the whole
critter. Some people recommend no organs for several weeks. I guess
i would gauge this by how my dog was doing. My dogs never had loose
stools, so it worked ok for me. If you have some any adjustment
difficulties, i would wait the couple of weeks. I think that you
should know that loose stools are not the same as diarrhea. Diarrhea
is brought on by bacteria...or sickness. Loose stools, though messy
or disruptive to sleep because they always seem to occur during the
middle of the night, do not mean your dog is sick. They often result
from a few newbie mistakes: too much food: too much new food too
fast: introducing organs too soon or too much: too much fat. Variety
of parts from a variety of critters is the real recipe for feeding.
It helps to remember that 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% other
organs constitute the make up of the prey animal that wolves would
eat, so that should serve as a loose guide in judging what you feed.
Not every meal has to be prey animal perfect. Balance is achieved
over time. Don't stress, drink coffee while you watch your dogs eat
and celebrate the moments of your life. Raw feeding has been as much
fun for me as it has been for my dogs. Wow, i really rambled. HTH,
KathyM

Messages in this topic (4)
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6a. Beef Shortribs? Did I buy the right thing?
Posted by: "cynthiashankman" ShankMa4@aol.com cynthiashankman
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:43 am ((PST))

Hi ~

I have read here that beef ribs are too hard to actually eat, but that
the meat can be eaten off the rib. Right?

On that premiss, I bought "beef shortribs". Beef shortribs is what it
says on the package. The ribs are about 2.5 inches wide by 9 inches
long.

Did I buy the right thing? Can I give this to my dog? My dog weighs
30 lbs. and is a very good chewer.

Thanks.

Cynthia

Messages in this topic (2)
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6b. Re: Beef Shortribs? Did I buy the right thing?
Posted by: "costrowski75" Chriso75@AOL.COM costrowski75
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:46 pm ((PST))

"cynthiashankman" <ShankMa4@...> wrote:
> I have read here that beef ribs are too hard to actually eat, but
that
> the meat can be eaten off the rib. Right?
*****
Genrally, yes. But not unequivocally. Some powercrunchers can muscle
right through beef ribs, both spare and short.

> On that premiss, I bought "beef shortribs". Beef shortribs is what
it
> says on the package. The ribs are about 2.5 inches wide by 9 inches
> long.
*****
Yup, them sound like short ribs all right. They are separated, right?
How much meat does the package offer, compared to bone?

>Can I give this to my dog? My dog weighs
> 30 lbs. and is a very good chewer.
*****
I don't know if a 30lb dog can polish off a short rib. I don't think
my border collie can but she's am ambitious eater so I think I'll pass
on them. I gave one (once) to my 55lb Lab (she with the worn down
teeth) and she chomped through at least half the bone before I rescued
it from her (or her from it). I do not feed them; I don't try to feed
edible beef bone. I'm perfectly content to feed boneless beef or to
offer a completely inedible bone that's slathered in meat (like a fully
fleshed out shank).

If you think your girl is a considerate eater, she may do fine on a
short rib: Either chomping through it without haste, or ripping off the
meat, worrying the ends and edges but leaving the greater part of the
bone unravaged. My guess is this is a "try it and see" situation.

Fat lotta help, hey?
Chris O

Messages in this topic (2)
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7.1. Re: Gorge and fast
Posted by: "John" jcdambrosio@yahoo.com man_in_the_moon_guy
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:48 pm ((PST))

Hi Guys and Gals,

Thanks for your responses. I've actually been feeding raw for quite
some time. My first American Bulldog was fed raw until he passed
suddenly at 18 months from an undiagnosed heart problem, and my girl
now has been fed raw since she was 6 weeks old when we got her -
she'll be 6 years old on December 1.

I have fed whole before, whole rabbits, whole turkeys, whole chicken,
although not for some time so I can't honestly remember her response
to them. I can definitely see how the necks and backs could have too
much bone, something I didn't consider before.

I wouldn't define 2 turkey necks as a gorge either, but she won't eat
more than 3 at a sitting, even if I have 5 in there, and at the 3
she'll have the gas and probably vomiting, so that was my dilemma on
even allowing a gorge to take place with what I was feeding.

I'll pick up a whole chicken this weekend as I'm down to my last 2
necks. I'll feed those necks with some extra boneless breasts that I
have to be done with them and look for whole from now on and see what
happens.

Any suggestions on whole in Northern New Jersey - Bergen County?

Thanks again!

John

Messages in this topic (44)
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8. some meat ?s:
Posted by: "laurena_green" laurensa@earthlink.net laurena_green
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:46 pm ((PST))

Hi all,

I haven't posted for some time but have a few meat questions to raise now.
I just scored some bison tails, and a huge beef heart, through my co-op and want to know

1) Is the beef blood/juice that drains copiously from the thawed heart worth saving if I
have cramped freezer space? i.e. Is it as nutritious as the flesh? It *is* grassfed & organic if
that matters...?

2) Would bison tails be considered bone or is it more like cartilage? and turkey tails?

3) Should the bison be frozen a few weeks for parasites if it came from a local coop?

Gemma has been dining on raw for almost 4 months now and has loved everything I have
offered her! I'm also thrilled to be past my initial learning/adjustment phase which I
stressed over way too much. It's so nice when it begins to feel as simple as it really is.

Thanks newbies, oldsters, & mods!
Lauren and Gemma (poodle-schnauzer)

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9a. Re: Is this Correct?
Posted by: "Diane" springmother@msn.com springmother99
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:46 pm ((PST))

> If you go to the store and get a 2.5lb
> chicken, each quarter will be about a day's worth of food. Hope that
> helps.
>
> Andrea

When feeding a small dog one quarter of a 2.5lb chicken, would that be
fed once per day? Or cut into even smaller amt. to feed twice per day?

I'm new to this and trying to extrapolate this info for my two 25-30lb
Beagles. Thanks from another newbie.

Diane

Messages in this topic (7)
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9b. Re: Is this Correct?
Posted by: "katkellm" katkellm@yahoo.com katkellm
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:52 pm ((PST))

--- In rawfeeding@yahoogroups.com, "Diane" <springmother@...> wrote:

> When feeding a small dog one quarter of a 2.5lb chicken, would that be
> fed once per day? Or cut into even smaller amt. to feed twice per day?

Hi Diane,
If you were to feed a quarter of a chicken that is that size to a 30lb
dog, you would only feed once a day. If you want to feed twice a day,
you'll have to cut the quarter in half. Basically, you are looking to
feed about a half a pound a day. If your dogs have been having loose
stools, i would go for the twice a day feeding for a while. KathyM

Messages in this topic (7)
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10a. Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
Posted by: "Michelle Urbano" chelleu@bellsouth.net houndlover
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:10 pm ((PST))

MODERATORS NOTE:SIGN YOUR MAILS!!!

I have two rescued greyhounds that I would like to start feeding raw.
Was just wondering if there are any other owners that have gone to
this diet and how their dogs have done.
Thanks

Messages in this topic (3)
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10b. Re: Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
Posted by: "GreysareGreyt" greyzz@sbcglobal.net morganmybud
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:34 pm ((PST))

--- In rawfeeding@yahoogroups.com, "Michelle Urbano" <chelleu@...>
wrote:
>> I have two rescued greyhounds that I would like to start feeding raw.
> Was just wondering if there are any other owners that have gone to
> this diet and how their dogs have done.
> >
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I have three greys that eat RAW. No problems at all. I started
feeding RAW two years ago because one of my greys was getting picky on
K*(**ble and she has seisures. Then a year ago my boy grey has
cancer. Feeding RAW has been good for them. I feed mostly chicken,
pork, organs, and some beef when cheap. Turkey is good for this time
of year to find since it is cheap.

Debbie
Ford, Morgan and Edie

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10c. Re: Does anyone have greyhounds that they feed raw?
Posted by: "nikkisevy@aol.com" nikkisevy@aol.com mavreenhering
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:52 pm ((PST))

Hi,

I have a 17 yr old grey that I started feeding raw about 3 years
ago. She has done great and holds her weight great. She used to be a picky eater
with kibble but now she eats everything. The switch has been the best thing
for her.

Nicole

************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Messages in this topic (3)
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11a. What about yogurt? probiotic
Posted by: "dholloway26" dholloway26@cox.net dholloway26
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:11 pm ((PST))

How often is that fed? Is it daily basis?
thanks again, newbie for now but hope to "get it soon"

thanks!
debi

Messages in this topic (2)
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11b. Re: What about yogurt? probiotic
Posted by: "Sandee Lee" rlee@plix.com mariasmom2001
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:32 pm ((PST))

Never! :) Seriously many dogs are lactose intolerant plus the tiny bit of
beneficial bacteria found in yogurt are going to be killed by those strong
stomach acids that are designed to kill bacteria! :)

Sandee & the Dane Gang

From: "dholloway26" <dholloway26@cox.net>

How often is that fed? Is it daily basis?
thanks again, newbie for now but hope to "get it soon"

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12a. Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
Posted by: "swayzepetsitting" skittles888@aol.com swayzepetsitting
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:04 pm ((PST))

Hello everyone. My nine year old border collie along with my three
cats have been on raw for the past 3 days. My dog loved it from the
beginning and two of my cats were reluctant for only the first few
meals. Anyway, a quick back story on my doggie:

My BC had hip dysplacia when she was younger and had a hip replacement
as a result. She has since been on glucosamine tablets for joint
pain. She only shows signs of pain when she wakes up and before bed.
She has also been on thyroxine for hypothyroidism for the past 5-6
months. Neither her weight nor her blood work has shown signs of the
medicine working (she is about 10 lbs over weight).

I have tried everything and I finally learned about raw a few months
ago. Now that she is on it, should I keep her on the thyroxine? I
know that raw food will not cure everything, but the medicine has done
nothing so far. And what about the joint tablets? She actually
stopped limping when I increased the amount of exercise she got (about
4 years ago), but my vet recommended the tablets. Thanks in advance!

Swayze and Bean Dip, Sniff, McGuirk, and Finnigan

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12b. Re: Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
Posted by: "Casey Post" mikken@neo.rr.com mikkeny
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:43 pm ((PST))

> I have tried everything and I finally learned about raw a few months
> ago. Now that she is on it, should I keep her on the thyroxine?

Yes, BUT - you must speak to your vet about getting something more effective
for her! If the blood work shows no improvement, she either needs a dosage
change or a new med (there are a couple of choices in thyroid meds
available). Why your vet has allowed this to go on for more than five
months is beyond me, but it's high time that something changes for her.

Muscle and joint pain can be part of hypothyroidism, so you may not really
know how much of her pain is the hip replacement and how much is the
hypothyroidism (if any) until you get her levels up to where they need to
be.

Feeding raw, unfortunately, will NOT cure hypothryoidism.

> And what about the joint tablets?

Up to you. If you want to continue with them for now, that's fine.

Casey

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12c. Re: Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
Posted by: "Sandee Lee" rlee@plix.com mariasmom2001
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:43 pm ((PST))

Hi Swayze,

You absolutely do need to keep her on thyroid replacement, however I am
concerned that she may not be on the appropriate dose or that you need to
change the supplement she is on. Did you have her bloodwork sent to Dr.
Dodds for a full 6 panel test? That really is necessary to properly
diagnose and treat thyroid disease.

All glucosamine products do not work the same on all animals. You may also
need to change to another product for that problem. However, you also may
see some improvement just by switching to raw. Carbohydrates are
inflammatory so getting rid of grains, etc, could make a difference in her
comfort. Also the addition of fish or salmon oil would help immensely.

Sandee & the Dane Gang

From: "swayzepetsitting" <skittles888@aol.com>

My BC had hip dysplacia when she was younger and had a hip replacement
as a result. She has since been on glucosamine tablets for joint
pain. She only shows signs of pain when she wakes up and before bed.
She has also been on thyroxine for hypothyroidism for the past 5-6
months. Neither her weight nor her blood work has shown signs of the
medicine working (she is about 10 lbs over weight).

I have tried everything and I finally learned about raw a few months
ago. Now that she is on it, should I keep her on the thyroxine? I
know that raw food will not cure everything, but the medicine has done
nothing so far. And what about the joint tablets? She actually
stopped limping when I increased the amount of exercise she got (about
4 years ago), but my vet recommended the tablets. Thanks in advance!

Messages in this topic (4)
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12d. Hypothyroidism and Joint Tablets
Posted by: "Maiakitas@aol.com" Maiakitas@aol.com maiakitas
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:46 pm ((PST))

Hi,

Let me comment about your dog's thyroid problem. The first thing is you need
to be sure that you have had a correct thyroid assessment done, and there are
only two places in this country that I trust to have complete thyroid panels
run and one is Hemopet run by Dr. Jean Dodds, my personal favorite and Michigan
State. If they were not done there and just run by a regular lab, you may not
know your dog's true thyroid levels. I like sending them to Dr. Dodd, because
she also considers the dog's age, etc., when looking at the levels.

Once that is done, the dog will have to be put on a levothyroxine or Soloxine
(name brand) and there is some debate about the efficacy of the generic
versus the name brand. The dosage will have to be adjusted and the dog's thyroid
levels retested until the right dosage is found for your dog. It can take some
time. There are also some dogs that may also need to be on an additional
medication to not only adjust the T4 levels, but some my need additional meds to
adjust the T3 as well, but that is not the norm.

Most dogs do need to remain on thyroid meds the rest of their lives, assuming
your dog does have a true thyroid disorder, but it is important to get her on
the right dosage. A raw diet will not correct a true endocrine imbalance, but
it will most certainly make her a much healthier dog in the long run and help
her endocrine system work as well as it possibly can.

Good luck with her.

Regards,
Carla

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