What a day ..

Dam I got a lot accomplished today ... n I got the coolest thing for free .. well here's the rack lmk what ya think .. its my 1st it was built with the intention of being turned into a hatch rack by next year when I start having more clutches

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/30/uqy9ujyt.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/30/be9a3a8a.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/30/ytyrajys.jpg

And here's what I got for free made a perfect Valentine's day gift ...

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/30/usy7ujyd.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/30/tevuda5u.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

nice man. Lovin the puppies too**

- Skoots

Nice productive day you had, and a very cute puppy! I, personally, am done with puppies. I'm determined to only adopt adult dogs from the local humane society from here on out. I'm tired of having to replace furniture and shoes because of teething puppies! Though I'm hoping it is a LONG time before I even need to consider it. I'm one of those people that has to have a dog, but hopefully my boys will be around for a long time. I certainly spend enough on all natural dog food, heart worm/flea/tick medication and bi-yearly check ups to keep them nice and healthy!

Yea I was buying this food that was expensive I stopped buying it n went back to beneficial .. jt was 75$ a bag it was made with real meat .. i forgot the name but the commercial has a wolf in it ..

I find it cheaper to make my own dog food. I buy supplies in bulk from Sams, and make up a batch twice a week. Ground turkey, brown rice, carrots, green beans, fish oil, and vitamin powder. They gobble it right up! It is so much healthier, and since human food has much more FDA restrictions you don't have to worry about contaminated dog food from China!

Thats not a bad idea ... im gonna look into that ... u cook the turkey ?? Or feed it raw and how m many dogs do u feed with a batch?

You should never feed a dog raw meat. It exposes them to bacteria just like us. They're too domesticated for raw meat, unless you have a wolf hybrid. Here is the recipe. I make it in bulk and it feeds my two German Shepherds 3-4 days. My boyfriend uses a chicken recipe for his Rotts, but this is cheaper and just as healthy. Now remember my recipe makes A LOT! I have 100+ pound dogs and they go through a lot of food. Not to mention they are very active. Also, you'll need a HUGE boiling pot to make this much. If you are feeding a smaller dog just divide the recipe by 3. My mom does that for her pugs.

Ingredients

• 12 cups of water
• 3 pound of ground turkey
• 6 cups of brown rice
• 3 cup of carrots, chopped (Fresh not canned)
• 3 cup of green beans, chopped (Fresh not canned)
• 3 tablespoon of fish oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons powder supplement (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the ground turkey in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until the meat is cooked through.
2. Add the brown rice, turkey, and water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the rice is soft and tender.
4. Add the carrots and green beans and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Stir in fish oil and vitamin supplement.
6. Allow to cool before serving.
7. Store extra dinners in the fridge for up to five days.

I got a pit thats about 80 pounds and a pup as u can see ... about the raw meat thing .. I swear I had this convo with someone years ago and it was along the lines if u feed raw meat as a pup on up the dog should take it fine

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

You should never feed a dog raw meat. It exposes them to bacteria just like us. They're too domesticated for raw meat, unless you have a wolf hybrid.

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That's really not true. If the meat comes from a reputable source and is handled properly, it is fine to give a dog a raw diet. It had very little to so with domestication, their system has not changed that much. Many dogs and cats are given a raw diet, and thrive in it. My own dogs, including my parvo pup, are on raw diets and get rave reviews every time they are at the very for a check up. Perfect blood work every time, prefect body condition, perfect skin and coat, perfect teeth. It isn't luck either. I know many other people who feed raw with the same results, and there are quite s few raw feeders on these forums too.

All I can vouch for is what my vet told me, and he cautioned me against ever feeding raw. He's the one that gave me this recipe, and he said there are far more risks with feeding raw meat than there are benefits. I have to take his word for it. I'm glad lots of people have great success with feeding raw, but I'm not willing to risk it. Especially when it only takes a few minutes to cook the meat.

Im not gonna switch him to raw anyway it wouldn't set right hes 8 when he was young I was gonna get him on a raw diet but never did due to b.s ... but I think im gonna try that recipe u have .. looks like it might work out .. ill mix it in with his food until I can weed out the food and have him strictly on that .. thanks for the info lady from tx

Looks good! The puppy is super cute!

Nice rack. Adorable pups. On the feeding raw diet. It's not a good idea. Unless you actually hunt the meat source and habe it processed, and grow the veggies completely organic then I would stick with a cooked diet. I love Blue Buffalo Wilderness. It's a completely grain free diet. It's expensive but well worth it in how much healthier my 4 legged children are. What kind of shelving did you use, or did you build the shelving yourself? I'm thinking I will have to get ready to build me one lol. I am looking at a pastel boy and cinny girl. I also want a few more girls. Just don't have the enclosures for them right now.

Brought them at Wal-Mart plastic shelving units .. but I put 2 together .. its not expensive they were 20 bucks a piece and heat tape wire and connectors is another 50/55 ... just depends what thermostat u use and how much u wanna spend on it

nice productive day. can you come have one of those at my house?

Congrats on the rack and very cute pups!

Check out the Raw Diet thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...aphic-warning*
and Dog food thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...od-do-you-feed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

You should never feed a dog raw meat. It exposes them to bacteria just like us. They're too domesticated for raw meat, unless you have a wolf hybrid. Here is the recipe. I make it in bulk and it feeds my two German Shepherds 3-4 days. My boyfriend uses a chicken recipe for his Rotts, but this is cheaper and just as healthy. Now remember my recipe makes A LOT! I have 100+ pound dogs and they go through a lot of food. Not to mention they are very active. Also, you'll need a HUGE boiling pot to make this much. If you are feeding a smaller dog just divide the recipe by 3. My mom does that for her pugs.

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As a carnivore, dogs have highly acidic stomachs that are designed to digest raw meat. Because they do have these strong acids, special enzymes in their saliva, and short digestive tract, bacteria does not affect them the same way it affects a human.
Domestication does not change their stomachs from being intolerant of raw meat. Domestication gave dogs a small ability to break down carbohydrates due to living off human scraps, which still isn't great. They still thrive on raw diets.

Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

All I can vouch for is what my vet told me, and he cautioned me against ever feeding raw. He's the one that gave me this recipe, and he said there are far more risks with feeding raw meat than there are benefits. I have to take his word for it. I'm glad lots of people have great success with feeding raw, but I'm not willing to risk it. Especially when it only takes a few minutes to cook the meat.

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My vet from UCD vet school stated that raw is the best.
And the dogs I've seen on raw diets, are some of the best looking dogs I've ever seen. Their body conditions are amazing.

Thanks everyone

Again, all I can vouch for is what my vet told me. He treats my dogs, cats, horses, donkey, reptiles, and parrot. The recipe I gave is the one he uses, and he cautioned me against ever feeding raw. He said all it takes is one bad batch, and you've got a very sick dog that could end up fighting for it's life. He said you can eliminate the risk by cooking the meat, and it is just as healthy. I'm going to heed his warning, and continue cooking the meat for my pups. I'm glad raw works for you, but I'm unwilling to risk it and will continue to play it safe.

"Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore."

And I'm not sure how true that statement can be. I'm definitely not a nutritionist, a doctor, or a vet, but I do know people are carnivores. We eat meat all the time, and as far as I know there is no doctor alive that recommends a person eat raw beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. And yet we are able to get the protein and nutrients we need from them after cooking. I know some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but I highly doubt all of them are. If that were true we would all be severely nutrient deficient.

Again, if raw works for you, I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy with it, and I'm glad your animals enjoy it. To each their own.

Wow...this thread go derailed quick...:/. Nice rack, cute puppy.

sent from my incubator

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

Wow...this thread go derailed quick...:/. Nice rack, cute puppy.

sent from my incubator

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Its ok ... don't matter to me as long as everybody keeps the peace don't matter what we talk about ... I tell u what today is feeding day for my boys and i have no rats witch means i must go buy some .. this dam rat breedi g thing is getting annoying .. its like something always goes wrong or i dont plan it out right .. im getting fustrated

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

Again, all I can vouch for is what my vet told me. He treats my dogs, cats, horses, donkey, reptiles, and parrot. The recipe I gave is the one he uses, and he cautioned me against ever feeding raw. He said all it takes is one bad batch, and you've got a very sick dog that could end up fighting for it's life. He said you can eliminate the risk by cooking the meat, and it is just as healthy. I'm going to heed his warning, and continue cooking the meat for my pups. I'm glad raw works for you, but I'm unwilling to risk it and will continue to play it safe.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

"Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore."

And I'm not sure how true that statement can be. I'm definitely not a nutritionist, a doctor, or a vet, but I do know people are carnivores. We eat meat all the time, and as far as I know there is no doctor alive that recommends a person eat raw beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. And yet we are able to get the protein and nutrients we need from them after cooking. I know some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but I highly doubt all of them are. If that were true we would all be severely nutrient deficient.

Again, if raw works for you, I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy with it, and I'm glad your animals enjoy it. To each their own.

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I'm not trying to argue, just wanted to throw out a few things. ;)

My dogs have dug up and eaten dead rotting things they find. That's far dirtier and germier than any raw meat I'd ever feed them, and they do fine. Yeah, I try to stop them from doing this, but many times it's down the hatch before I even realize it's a dead thing in their mouth and not a stick they are chewing on (that's how degraded some of these things have been... yuck!). Dogs also routinely eat feces. Since you have horses, I'm sure you've seen your dogs eat horse manure? They seem to think it's a delicacy. Feces of any kind contain a LOT of bacteria...

As for people... people aren't carnivores, they are herbivores. But people DO eat raw meat, and all kinds of other things we in the United States would find strange. It varies by culture. Fermented fish and salted fish (uncooked even), birds' nests, unhatched chicks, insects, arachnids, all different kinds of organs, blood, rotten and fermented shark meat, and so on. In some cultures and countries, meat that is cooked beyond medium rare is considered "ruined", and just not served at all, period. If it's still cool and bloody (essentially "raw", just slightly seared on the outside), it's perfect. I've known some people who actually have consumed raw meat, that has not even been seared on the outside. It's something our culture doesn't do. Doesn't necessarily mean it's dangerous, it's just something that's not done. Can it be dangerous? Absolutely, if the meat has been improperly handled it certainly can be fatal. So can improperly handled vegetables (produce is actually one of the top sources of salmonella poisoning, due to how the plants may have been fertilized and handled between field and table).

So again, not trying to argue, just throwing out a few thoughts. :)

My dogs spend far more time rolling around in horse manure than eating it. Cat poop covered in litter? They devour it! I can't seem to keep them out of the litter box. I'm aware some people eat different things. I myself love sushi and a lot of different Korean foods, but I don't think I could ever eat raw beef, chicken or pork. Some of it is probably that I was born and raised in Texas, but a lot of it is my fear of e coli. I know eating raw is gaining popularity. I've even read some of the blogs of people that have switched over to completely raw diets, but to me it sounds like an unnecessary risk. Odds are you probably won't get sick, but there is always that chance. And with my crappy insurance I need to avoid any illness unless I want to be paying for it.

And I think people are classified as omnivores due to the fact we have canines and eat both meat and plants. We'd only be herbivores if we were incapable of eating meat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

And I think people are classified as omnivores due to the fact we have canines and eat both meat and plants. We'd only be herbivores if we were incapable of eating meat.

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LOL That's what I get for checking the forums when I'm at work! :oops:
I really did mean omnivore...... I'm working on a vegetation list for my job (biologist), so I guess I have plants on the brain! :D ;)

And I'm in the same boat when it comes to eating raw meat... I won't even eat sushi, including the kind that is seared or cooked! I'm not so much afraid of bacterial infection (I suspect I'm far more likely to pick up something from my job than I am from what I eat... parasites included!) as it is a texture thing for me.

Dogs can definitely eat raw meat, but humans could, too, if we had to. At this point in our developments, dogs are better suited for it.

Heat removes some of the nutrients. The upside is, it kill some parasites, bacteria, etc. The tradeoff has been beneficial for humans in the long run.

Personally, I think you can feed your dog either. (Actually, I know you can, because I've done it for my dogs and cats.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TexanLady

"Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore."

And I'm not sure how true that statement can be. I'm definitely not a nutritionist, a doctor, or a vet, but I do know people are carnivores. We eat meat all the time, and as far as I know there is no doctor alive that recommends a person eat raw beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. And yet we are able to get the protein and nutrients we need from them after cooking. I know some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but I highly doubt all of them are. If that were true we would all be severely nutrient deficient.

Again, if raw works for you, I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy with it, and I'm glad your animals enjoy it. To each their own.

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I would almost be willing to argue that the majority of us are severely nutrient deficient. Look at the general population..skin problems, overweight, losing hair, lethargic, and sick all the time LOL

This deff turned into the raw meat war .. lol ...

"I would almost be willing to argue that the majority of us are severely nutrient deficient. Look at the general population..skin problems, overweight, losing hair, lethargic, and sick all the time LOL"

King James, you are so right! I was feeling like crap about five years ago. My hair was thinning, I constantly had headaches, body aches, and couldn't sleep. Got tested for everything under the sun and the doctors couldn't tell me what was wrong. Thousands of dollars later and my friend's mom suggested I cut fast food and cokes out of my diet completely for 60 days and see what happened. I lost 17 pounds and felt better than I had in years! Not to mention I ended up saving about $500. Since then I try to eat as little processed food as possible. I ditched the cokes in favor of making iced tea (it is drunk year round in my little part of the world). Instead of buying green beans in a can I get fresh ones and steam them. Instead of buying pasta sauce I make my own and jar it. I don't get the microwaveable chicken nuggets anymore, and instead eat grilled chicken. It's amazing how awful processed food makes us feel and we aren't even aware of it. Switching to a fresh diet has done wonders for me. I used to have to take some ibuprofen every day just to be able to function, but since switching to a fresh diet I now only take them a few times a year. Best advice I ever got ... and it WASN'T from a doctor!