Ice and Cripton Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Well we currently have Alaska on Satin Balls but this time it's a little different: 4 worth of minced beef 3 worth of minced chicken Molasses >> but not too much 'cos it give alaskai the runs, so about half a cup Oats 7 Gelatin leaves Canadian maple syrup A drizzel of honey Plain corn flakes >> 100% corn A pinch of salt 4 large white eggs and crushed shells 1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 1 can of tinned iced carrots Now i have to be really careful with these, intriduce them slowly over the week, whilst added them to her dry food, and then for a while i have to add a spoonful of rice or pasta or she will get the runs, after 2 weeks she is usually okay with them on their own but if i notice a bit of soft poo i'll add some pasta or rice. So i feed: satin balls and kibble for her firsts meal and a bit of rice then kibble and raw chicken and meat for her second if she doesn't get the run she puts on weight fine, i was wondering how other people where getting on with them as i know quiet a few members use them? did your sibe get the runs at first and are they fine now weight wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqwidge Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 can i ask a dumb question? What are satin balls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 you may lol, there this weight gaining food, 'cos alaska eats little portions and the satin balls are fatty and really good for fast weight gain... check it out: http://www.dogclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13880.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 I would personally be worried about the grain content. Especially corn as it has no nutritional value for dogs and they don't digest it - it basically goes in and comes straight out. I don't mean to pick on you Ice - but as someone who feeds a raw diet I would be very concerned about some of the ingredients in that list. Anything with corn or grains is going to lessen your chances of putting weight on because, as I said above, they bulk food out but have no nutritional value for the dog. So things like corn, rice, pasta etc are popular fillers, but aren't doing anything for the dog, and feeding them decreases your ability to put weight on the dog. When putting weight on I've always fed fattier meats like lamb - ask your butcher for some lamb off cuts or lamb flaps, they are nice and fatty and ideal for putting weight on. Tinned sardines and mackeral can also be good for putting weight on a thin dog. Other things I'd add to their food would be goats milk, raw egg, cottage cheese and natural yoghurt. They are good for dogs and help with digestion while also having a relatively high fat content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 thanks smeagle added to rep, i see what your saying about the grain and i do feed lamb >>> but i feed the rice in the case of the runs, do you know of anything better? i was told raw chicken wings? i may stop with the satin balls for now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 thanks smeagle added to rep, i see what your saying about the grain and i do feed lamb >>> but i feed the rice in the case of the runs, do you know of anything better? i was told raw chicken wings? i may stop with the satin balls for now! Your welcome The rice would be bulking their food up which for some dogs can help to stop the runs. Like I said - grains and corn go in one end and out the other, so that would be why you are seeing the poo firm up. If I want to bulk up food (I am generally trying to keep mine lean, so I have the opposite problem to you) I add something like raw grated or pureed pumpkin, but other vegies like carrot can work equally as well. Things in the satin balls like the oats, gelatin, maple syrup, honey, cornflakes etc - they aren't really going to have much nutritional value for the dog. And you don't need to add the salt in either - we put salt in our food to taste, but dog's don't need it - remember they were designed to get all their nutrients from raw food, particularly raw meaty bones. Marrow also is quite high in fat, so see if your butcher has good marrow bones - my butcher has big lamb legs cut down the middle so the dog can eat all the marrow out, and being lamb the bones are naturally soft so they eat most of that too. Lamb shanks and flaps are another good option too. Chicken and turkey are the least fatty of all the meats, but by all means, they are great to add to their diet regularly and a much better alternative to bulk their food out. Chicken makes up the majority of my dogs' diets, because it's cheap, lean, easy to feed, and very good for them. That the satin balls on their own tend to give the runs for a couple of weeks is generally sign that your dog is not getting a great nutritional benefit from them. I can only talk from basic experience, like I said, two of my dogs are quite hard to keep lean so I learn what the fattier foods are to feed them in limited portions (or not at all). Cherry does find it hard to keep weight on as she doesn't eat much so I add things like tinned sardines and yoghurt to her dried food. As I mentioned in my last post, if you are wanting to add some things to their food to put weight on them, I would: - increase the amount of raw meaty bones in their diet, especially lamb - add tinned sardines or mackeral to their dried food - add goats milk, cottage cheese, or yoghurt into their kibble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormom2u Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 If I may... this is a recipe I found to work great for Nina and Shiloh... they do not get the runs and I don't have to add any fillers!... I stuff (cleaned) soup bones with that mix and freeze them... they just love it!!! 10 lb (4.53kg) Hamburger 10 oz (.28kg) Oats 6 Egg Yolks 10 oz (.28kg) Wheat Germ 10 oz (.28kg) Molasses Put in a big bowl and mix. You can roll into one inch balls and freeze... stuff soup bones and freeze for treats.... or make long strips (they will look like long hotdogs), about 1 inch thick and freeze... then slice and let them have it!!! Nina and Shiloh love those and whenever we have to leave them alone, one of the stuffed soup bones each, and they are busy for hours!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted April 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 If I may... this is a recipe I found to work great for Nina and Shiloh... they do not get the runs and I don't have to add any fillers!... I stuff (cleaned) soup bones with that mix and freeze them... they just love it!!! 10 lb (4.53kg) Hamburger 10 oz (.28kg) Oats 6 Egg Yolks 10 oz (.28kg) Wheat Germ 10 oz (.28kg) Molasses Put in a big bowl and mix. You can roll into one inch balls and freeze... stuff soup bones and freeze for treats.... or make long strips (they will look like long hotdogs), about 1 inch thick and freeze... then slice and let them have it!!! Nina and Shiloh love those and whenever we have to leave them alone, one of the stuffed soup bones each, and they are busy for hours!!! thanks, i know it's not bad, i just worry about the mixers, but your dog's have a beautiful coat and are doing fine on it!!! i think what you do sounds better, putting in a bone and freezing it for a treat is probably better than giving them as meals >> for my 2 as they can have sensitive stomaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted April 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 Your welcome The rice would be bulking their food up which for some dogs can help to stop the runs. Like I said - grains and corn go in one end and out the other, so that would be why you are seeing the poo firm up. If I want to bulk up food (I am generally trying to keep mine lean, so I have the opposite problem to you) I add something like raw grated or pureed pumpkin, but other vegies like carrot can work equally as well. Things in the satin balls like the oats, gelatin, maple syrup, honey, cornflakes etc - they aren't really going to have much nutritional value for the dog. And you don't need to add the salt in either - we put salt in our food to taste, but dog's don't need it - remember they were designed to get all their nutrients from raw food, particularly raw meaty bones. Marrow also is quite high in fat, so see if your butcher has good marrow bones - my butcher has big lamb legs cut down the middle so the dog can eat all the marrow out, and being lamb the bones are naturally soft so they eat most of that too. Lamb shanks and flaps are another good option too. Chicken and turkey are the least fatty of all the meats, but by all means, they are great to add to their diet regularly and a much better alternative to bulk their food out. Chicken makes up the majority of my dogs' diets, because it's cheap, lean, easy to feed, and very good for them. That the satin balls on their own tend to give the runs for a couple of weeks is generally sign that your dog is not getting a great nutritional benefit from them. I can only talk from basic experience, like I said, two of my dogs are quite hard to keep lean so I learn what the fattier foods are to feed them in limited portions (or not at all). Cherry does find it hard to keep weight on as she doesn't eat much so I add things like tinned sardines and yoghurt to her dried food. As I mentioned in my last post, if you are wanting to add some things to their food to put weight on them, I would: - increase the amount of raw meaty bones in their diet, especially lamb - add tinned sardines or mackeral to their dried food - add goats milk, cottage cheese, or yoghurt into their kibble yh you do have a point about the runs, it was very hard for me to stabilise her stools, i froze a tiny bit yesterday in a marrow bone and she loved it, then for her 2 meals she got kibble and then some lamb ribs and chicken skin >> her stools were fine, but i think it's best to not feed it in a replacement of a meal! Thanks guys both your suggestions really helped, the marrow bone really helped for both ideas...thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormom2u Posted April 24, 2009 Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 thanks, i know it's not bad, i just worry about the mixers, but your dog's have a beautiful coat and are doing fine on it!!! i think what you do sounds better, putting in a bone and freezing it for a treat is probably better than giving them as meals >> for my 2 as they can have sensitive stomaches. I agree... it works better as a treat/snack than a meal... I think it would be too heavy as a full meal, plus (in my opinion), you want your pooches to gain weight at a balance rate and not too fast... if the weight gain comes slowly, I think it will stay and it will improve the body as a whole... Nina and Shiloh both, get fish oil gelcaps for their shinny coats and healthy skin!... and ZinPro chewables for their mineral supplementation.... (alternative days... the day they get one, they don't get the other).... Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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