Tuesday, November 29, 2011

生食經驗分享

This is an introduction to raw diet written in Chinese and was posted to the dog forum on Ptt (a Taiwanese BBS site). Hopefully it can bring some awareness to this different feeding option and my experience can encourage those who are interested to give it a try.

自從決定養狗後,我就不時在不少討論區及網站看到生食(Raw Diet)的資訊。我有幾度想嘗試看看,但總覺得很複雜及麻煩,所以就一直沒有真的行動。直到今年六月起,Maya有了嚴重的過敏的問題,在換過了數總不同飼料及花了無數的醫藥費後,終於証實是環境造成的過敏,也靠藥物壓了下來。但我總覺得這是治標不治本,也不希望她一輩子都要依靠藥物,所以我開始積極上網閱讀別的飼主處理狗狗過敏問題的經驗分享,此時生食的概念又再度不時地出現在不同的文章中了。大部份的食物過敏,在飼主改餵生食後,都得到立即的改善,而也有不少環境過敏的狗狗,在吃生食一陣子後,不藥而癒。這消息燃起了我的希望,也決定讓Maya改吃生食看看,就算無助於改善過敏的問題,我相信較營養的飲食也有其它益處,而有點挑食的Maya也會較享受。(那陣子Maya生病最嚴重時,她常常都不吃飯,叫我更加擔心。)

生病中的Maya

因為一開始我實在不知從何著手,我決定直接購買現成的冷凍配方。所幸我們家附近的寵物用品店有不少口碑好的品牌,而我就挑了評價不錯的Nature's Variety的羊肉餐及Primal的沙丁魚絞肉(非全餐,用於拌在正餐中,因為我希望Maya能吃點魚)。冷凍配方的好處是真的很方便,每天只要把隔天要吃的份量從冷凍庫拿出來解凍,要吃的時候把肉餅放到碗內就好了,血水腥味都已處理掉,所以幾乎和餵乾狗食般乾淨。而配方全餐的營養成份都經過了認可,所以也不用擔心均不均衡的問題。至於缺點則是價錢真的不便宜,而且因為連骨頭都絞碎了,狗狗也失去了自己啃骨頭的益處(如清潔牙齒及運動下巴和肩膀的肌肉)。而且雖然是生食,但多多少少還是有經過加工處理,對於食材的來源及成份,也較沒辦法精確的掌握。

冷凍配方入手

為了省點錢及確實掌控每樣進入Maya嘴中的食物(我是有奇怪控制慾的處女座),我在餵完第一袋冷凍生食後,便開始動手自備Maya的食物。剛開始的幾個星期,真的比較辛苦,因為要慢慢的讓她習慣不同的食材,也要到不同的超市尋找一些低價又品質好的肉,每天還要用心觀察她的便便(如有興趣,請見第週的詳細紀錄)。但慢慢上手後,其實並不會太麻煩,如果能有條理的整理好食材,每天需要花費的時間並不多。

第一餐自備的生食

體重21磅(約9.5公斤)的Maya,一天約吃6至8盎司(約170-220公克)的食物。 她一週的食譜大至如下:(百分比是以總食量而非那餐的量為底;內臟目前以雞和牛為主,但希望以後能增加變化)
  • 早餐:(約佔40%)
    • 肝臟:5%
    • 腎臟:5%
    • 心臟:5%
    • 雞、鴨胗:5%
    • 雞蛋:1-2 顆(新鮮時生吃,放了一陣子後就白煮)
    • 絞肉:補齊剩下不足的重量
    • 補給品:蜂蜜(當地生產的)、蘋果醋、大蒜粉、海草粉(Kelp)、紫花苜蓿粉(Alfalfa)、椰子油、維他命 C、優格(原味)、花生醬(無糖無鹽)
  • 晚餐:(約佔60%,以帶骨的肉為主)
    • 星期日:青花魚一尾
    • 星期一:雞腿
    • 星期二:牛背排
    • 星期三:小胡瓜魚數尾
    • 星期四:鴨腿
    • 星期五:火雞脖子
    • 星期六:豬背排

第一次吃一整條魚

分裝時,我會將早餐的部份依一週的份量裝好,晚餐則以一餐的量包好。每週最後一天,我會把下週的早餐各拿一包放在有蓋的保鮮盒中冷藏解凍(如果怕解凍太久沒吃完會壞掉,可以在半解凍時拿一半凍回去,星期過一半時再拿出另一半),也會把下週要吃的晚餐拿好,凍在另一個大袋子中。這樣早上我只要從保鮮盒中挖出當天的份,加入補給品就好,而晚餐更簡單,每天只要從當週的大袋子拿出一樣解凍,第二天直接餵就行了。而用過的塑膠袋,我會再凍回去,等處理下批食材時,可再利用。至於補給品的部份,我會把當週要食用的所有粉類先混好,這樣只要開一個罐子撈一匙就好了,其它湯湯水水的再另外加。其實有些補給品可以一次給多一點而非餐餐給,晚餐也可以整週吃相同的肉類,第二週再換,只是我自己龜毛,處女座的毛病作祟,不然可以更簡單。

分裝及標示好的不同肉類

Maya至今約吃了兩個月的生食,最明顯的改善,是她的淚痕及她牙齒上兩小塊我怎麼刷都刷不乾淨的牙垢,都完全消失了。從小一直有的軟便問題也不復見,大便不但硬了起來、量變少,味道也沒那麼臭。她過敏時自己抓出來的傷口,快速地痊癒,每天精神也變得超好。過敏藥則從一天吃一次降至一週吃一次,只不過目前還不能確定她的飲食是否真的改善了過敏問題,因為最近天氣也變冷不少,也只有等到明年六月再來証實了。可能也因為她的食物變好吃了,她在路上亂撿東西吃的壞習慣好像也變少了(也有可能是我自以為就是了)。而我,在研究如何準備Maya的食物的過程中,也學到了不少營養相關的知識,也對自己的飲食更有了解。我想,對她、對我,一旦習慣了生食大概就「再也回不去了」。

第一個月前後的變化

對於有興趣改餵生食的朋友,我有些小建議及心得:
  • 多做研究:網路上的文章很多,有時也會有相衝突,自己要判斷什麼適合自己的狗。我並不是營養學家,所以我的食譜也請當參考就好。生食並非丟一塊生肉給狗狗就好,骨頭及內臟都非常重要,過多過少都不好。長期餵食不均衡的生食,比餵食品質不好的乾飼料還糟。生食到底是好是壞,目前也沒有定論,就連在美國的獸醫也有不少持反對的意見。我的網誌右邊在「RAW DIET」目錄下有不少連結,可以從那看起,只可惜都是英文的。
  • 慢慢來:每隻狗狗身體狀況都不同,改餵生食時記得慢慢來,不要一次給太多不同的新食材。如果便便一直太軟或是拉肚子,可以給點南瓜或益生菌(probiotic)幫助消化。
  • 衛生問題:將肉類冷凍能殺死不少有害細菌及病毒,對於比較不可靠的肉類,可以先冷凍幾星期後再餵食。我買的豬肉我都一定冷凍至少一個月再餵食,以防豬流感。
  • 清潔問題:早餐我一律用不鏽鋼碗並用熱水或洗碗機清洗,晚餐則在廚房的瓷磚地鋪一塊塑膠墊餵食,吃完後噴點稀釋過的白醋擦淨,如果狗狗的腳有弄髒(通常不會),就用濕紙巾擦腳。
  • 監督進食:沒有吃過生肉的狗狗一開始可能會狼吞虎嚥,剛開始餵食時可以先用手拿住一端,讓狗狗慢慢學會咀嚼。此外,生肉及骨頭對狗狗可能會是高價值的物品,也要小心有護食的行為。

健康、快樂、有活力的Maya

最後,希望每隻狗狗無論吃什麼,都健康快樂!



Monday, November 28, 2011

Fort Funston

I can't believe no one told me about this wonderful park sooner! I found out about it from another doggie blog and just couldn't wait to take Maya there after reading all the great reviews on Yelp. The whole place is like a super big dog park with trails, trees, hills, and even a beach.

It was our first time letting Maya off leash in a non-enclosed area. We were a bit hesitant at first, but to our surprise, Maya did extremely well. While walking down the trails, she would run a few steps ahead of us and stop to wait till we catch up. While chasing other dogs on the beach, she would run back every now and then to check on us. Though her recall wasn't perfect, it was pretty reliable. She even gave up chasing a group of birds and came back to us. We were so proud of her!

Our entire family fell in love with this park in a heartbeat. It'll be hard to go back to the old boring, fenced-in dog parks from now on. Just kind of wish it's closer to where we live, but the extra miles are totally worth it.







Central Coast California Road Trip

Last week our family along with two friends from the east coast took a 3-day trip down the California Central Coast all the way to Santa Barbara. It was our first time on a road trip with Maya and we were definitely a bit nervous. I'm glad I did plenty of homework before the trip and had a big list of dog-friendly restaurants and attractions on hand. Maya was able to join us on most of the adventures, and hopefully to our friends, who flew all the way here, the trip wasn't too doggie-centric.

The only problem we ran into was to keep Maya quiet at night. The walls at the hotels were really thin, and Maya kept being startled when someone walked by or talked too loudly. She would run to the door nervously and bark (or more of a low roar) nonstop. She never barked at home, either to our guests or people walking by our apartment door, so it was quite surprising to us. It was indeed an unfamiliar environment with lots of weird noises, so we couldn't really blame her for being so worked up. I held her tightly in my arms the first night and managed to get through most of it quietly, but the trick failed to work again the next day. I got too tired, so I just shoved her into her crate and decided to let it be. Fortunately, that was the right move. She calmed down in the crate and slept through the rest of the night. I guess the confined space made her feel safe. Now we know what we MUST bring on our future trips.

The highlight of the trip was at Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara. We found a nice area where she can run safely unleashed and she had a wonderful time running up and down along the coast. To our surprise, she even stepped into the water willingly when chasing other dogs.  Watching her conquer her fear of water was a big moment for us. She still wouldn't go further to get her tummy wet, but it was already a big step forward.

Maya had to share her trunk space with all the luggages 

Lunch in Monterey

Boat paddling in Monterey

Carmel Beach

Indoor dog-friendly restaurant in Carmel

Downtown Solvang

Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara

Exhausted on our way back home


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw

We took Maya on a 3-day road trip earlier this week. As I was preparing for the trip, I looked into various options for her meals on the road. It'd be too troublesome to bring what she eats at home or some premade frozen raw, so I decided to go with freeze-dried raw instead. I planned to get the Honest Kitchen's meals in their trial size packages, but unfortunately both stores I went to only have the 4 lb boxes, which is a bit too much given that we will only be traveling for 3 days. So I ended up only getting some THK samples and bought a bag of "Stella's Super Beef Freeze-Dried Dinner".



Overall, it's a of good quality and very convenient. I soaked the patties in warm water when I had access to it, or just added cold water when it wasn't available. It didn't seem to matter much to Maya though, as she gobbled it down no matter how I prepared it. I gave her a small piece dry as a treat and she enjoyed it as well. Her poop was also very firm while on the diet. (I did start giving her a small piece each meal a few days before the trip to let her tummy get used to it.)

The only compliant I have is the price. I was excepting something similar to frozen raw, which I thought is already very pricy, but this costed way more. For a 6 oz bag, I spent around $18, and according to the recommended feeding amount, it would only last 2 days for Maya's weight. (I didn't feed as much, and was able to cover 5 meals with 1 bag.)

Will I recommend it to others? Yes. If price isn't an issue, it's excellent for those who don't have access to a freezer but wants to feed raw. Will I buy it again? Maybe. I may get it if I go on another short trip or need to board Maya for just a few days. However, for longer trips/stays, I might go with the Honest Kitchen instead to save a bit on costs.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Homemade Raw - Week 4

The Plan:
  • Start Date: 10/30/2011
  • New Ingredients: Turkey, mackerel
  • New Supplements: Garlic
  • Meal 1: Ground beef + veggie mix + cod liver oil + uber powder + vitamin E, cooked eggs twice a week
  • Meal 2: Raw meaty bones (chicken or turkey)
  • Uber Powder: Vitamin C, kelp, alfalfa, Gentle Digest, Only Natural Pet Immune Balance
  • Veggie Mix: Baby carrots, apples, apple cider vinegar, honey, coconut oil

Day 1: Had her first mackerel for dinner. She really enjoyed it.

Day 2: Maybe because her dinners are really tasty, she starts to be picky about her breakfast, and it gets worse everyday. Will try to lower the amount of supplements in her breakfast and see if she like them better. Her poop was a bit soft in the morning, probably because of the fish. Was kind of hard to pick up, but not too loose or watery.

Day 3: Removed the veggie mix from her breakfast, and she seems to like it better. Fed her turkey neck for the first time for dinner.

Day 4: Gave her frozen veggie mix as treats and she enjoyed it better this way.

Day 5: Gobbled down a whole cooked egg with her breakfast. (I was only planning to give her half of it and eat the other half myself, but I made a mess removing the shell, so gave her the whole thing.) Got her second turkey neck as dinner.

Day 6: Soft poop again after eating the turkey neck.

Day 7: Ate a lot of new stuff today while we were slicing and bagging her meals so we gave her some extra chicken bones in hope her tummy won't get upset.




Summary:
  • Veggie mix is officially not part of Maya's breakfast anymore.
  • As Maya's transition to raw is pretty much done, I'm going to stop posting these weekly updates.


Sunday, November 6, 2011

A Raw Meaty Day

Yesterday we went to sfraw for the first time to check out what they are selling. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed as many of the items listed on their website weren't available and the prices were kind of high. I was kind of sad because the one thing I really wanted was green tripe and they didn't have it this week. We ended up spending around $75 and got a huge bag of beef hearts, a big bag of duck legs, some chicken hearts and chicken bone-in cuts. On our way home, we also stopped by a Chinese supermarket and got some duck gizzards, chicken gizzards, pork kidneys and smelts.

The real "fun" began after we got home. We spent about two hours slicing and bagging the meat/organs/fish to meal size portions, labeling everything and fitting it all into our small freezer (while Maya sat there looking desperately at us). I hope these supplies will last for a while, cause I really don't want to touch raw meat again anytime soon.

Slicing up a huge beef heart

Bagged and labeled

Fitting everything into the small freezer