Hello everyone. This is my first time visiting this site, and I really like it. I came from another raw food support forum which is...well this one looks a little more friendly.

Anyway, I'm ready to put my dog on a raw diet. He's almost 7 years old, and originally when I got him, I was told he was a poodle. The more poodles I see, the more I realize my dog is probably a poodle/bischon (sp?) mix.

There are a few changes I would like to see for him. For one, I know he's intolerant to grains...he's got all the symptoms: the ever-itchy ears, the sensitive paws, the watery eyes. So goal number one is definitely to get rid of that and let him be more comfortable (as well as more healthy, of course). I'm not willing to put him on allergy meds, so I'm hoping that a shift to a raw diet will help him get better. All research suggests that it will.

I'm wondering how exactly to go about the raw diet for the dog. I'm concerned about whether or not he needs meat. I've read that dogs need meat, and I've read that they don't. I know (or at least I've heard) that dogs are better built to handle meat because they have shorter colons. Also, obviously they are carivorous in nature, so do I go ahead and just feed him raw meat? Can dogs eat nuts and seeds, or is that a no no? Also, are there vegetables that dogs seem to really like a lot? My dog is quite picky about his food. Right now, he eats some horrible cheap food solely because I've tried him on every food imaginable, and this is the only one he will actually eat. So how difficult is the transition, and are there any foods that dogs seem to universally love that I could start him out with? Are there any fruits that dogs shouldn't eat? I was thinking I'd transition him slowly to minimize the discomfort of detox...is there a specific way to do this?

Sorry for the load of questions. All answers are very much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Just go for it. Start mixing in the raw meat with the dry food. Taper off on the dry food. There is lots of information on what else to feed the dog. I think it depends on the size of dog. My dog is big, he likes the thigh/leg of the chicken one morning then another in the evening. Then I switch to hamburger mixed with whole grain rice and an egg. My mom has a bishon and feeds her mostly burger and sometimes shredded carrots mixed in.

This has helped the bishon's eyes and her coat has been better. She still bites at herself but not as much. The egg for my dog really helped his dry flaky coat and skin. Good luck.