[Taschi]

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Sloane K]

I don’t recommend basing your information on studies done on humans. Our systems are not the same as our canine friends. I’m not familiar with commercial raw diets but I think you should wait until you’ve spoken to your vet before making that switch.

[Kathy M]

I’d love to know how your chi is doing and what food you ended up using. My chi (NM) 10#, 10 yrs. old is already on 6.25 Lasix and 1.25 Vetmedin twice a day. I’ve ordered Dr. Becker’s Heart Bites and Young at Heart supplement and Mercola’s Meal Mixer (which according to customer service rep has no sodium) to start making his food. Right now I’m feeding Primal frozen chicken and adding fresh chicken breasts boiled, fresh boiled sweet potato, Fresh zucchini and spinach with ArthriEase Gold to help with arthritis and it increases his appetite. Never been picky eater until Lasix administered at ER vet.
Just hoping to share with someone looking for low sodium frozen raw. I do know that fresh chicken breasts are naturally lower in sodium than other meat. Maybe that’s why chicken is the lowest sodium frozen meat patty Stella and chewy offer. Murphysmessage@gmail.com

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