Totally unexpected side benifit to raw dog food diet

[tinuviel_k]

We switched to a raw dog food diet for our 8 month old pup last month. After a few speed bumps it's been going great so far. I've noticed lots of the benefits that folks told me about: tiny firm poop, very little doggy odor, nice skin... but just the other day I noticed a totally unexpected side benefit.

My pup has always been a very messy drinker. She does not drool at all, but when she drinks she takes big mouthfuls of water and then wanders away, dribbling water for 15 or more feet. (grrrr) My hardwood floors do not like this, our sock-feet would get soaked all the time, and nothing we did made any difference to neaten up her drinking habits.

Last week I thought about it and noticed that our floors have been a lot less wet lately. And then I realized that since we quit kibble and started feeding raw that the pup's water consumption has dropped by a ton. She drinks probably 1/3 as much water as she used to, and when she does drink it is not with that old thirsty, gulping post-meal desperation that she had when eating kibble. My floors and my socks are SO HAPPY.

[Mirzam]

Yep, that's another advantage which I enjoy, especially as I have a Mastiff who would drink buckets of water and drool it everywhere if he were kibble fed! 

[stelly]

My dog was on raw for about 4 years, and this was a great part of it.  I only had to change her water bowl every 3 days or so in the winter.  She started having stomach issues though, so eventually we switched her to Taste of The Wild dry and canned, she drinks a lot more water now (although not excessively), since she's a boxer it makes a real mess.  That plus the new, messier poos are a sad side effect of non-raw food.

[CookiePie]

Yes, it is because the dry food has to reconstitute in the doggy's tummy with all the water!  All the moisture in the raw food replaces so much drinking water!

[fresh_veggie]

We just put water on our dog's kibble like it's cereal...keeps him from choking on it, too. 

Our dog's drinking issue is that 75% of the water he tries to drink flies out the sides of his mouth, flung on the floor feet away and on the cabinets...lol.

ETA:  We'd love the do the raw diet, however, and Enzo eats about 20% raw at this point.  Turkey necks, backs, chicken quarters and feet - talk about a way to get a dog even MORE excited about food, which I never thought was possible.

[Kaydove]

*Thread crashing

Can you give me some more info on where you get your Raw food for your dog? Or how do you prepare it? How do you store it? Serve it?

I have 2 year Basset Hound (Beau) with food allergies and bladder issues. He's on a grain free diet right now, basically just meat and sweet potato, no chicken.

I also have a 9 year old German Shepard (Sadie) mix who has been limping on occasion. I started ex ercising her everyday and got a more padded bed.

I have been thinking about a Raw food diet for Beau's bladder problems. He has a had time controlling it, he's had urinary track and blood testing done, at this point he should have an ultrasound. (We're trying to modify our loan so we don't lose our house, so as long as he's not in pain, uncomfortable, or the issue isn't degarding his health; we'll wait till we get the house stuff is sorted out. Vet thinks its more behaviour related anyways.) Sometimes he makes it all day while we're at work, other times he goes on the bath mat in the bathroom. He's probably thinking "this is where mom and dad go potty, so this is where I go potty too." 

Since switching him to a limited ingredient diet, the bladder problems has gotten a lot better!

I've been reading about a German Shepard only disease that effects movement, so I'm watching Sadie closely for signs. I've also read that diet can help.

Do you think a raw food diet will help them? Thanks!