Less Energy after switching to Raw. 2 weeks in

[JamesBahn]

I switched my 3yr old, 95lb, male to an all Raw diet several weeks ago. He moved to this diet from Orijen and Royal Canin kibble. I have followed the guidelines found on this page for his diet: The Basics

I have observed a noticeable drop in his energy level, though I wouldnt call him lethargic. He is still in good spirits and doesnt appear sick.

He usually has at least 2 hours of solid exercise each day in some combination of playing frisbee and walking/jogging. My dog is a psycho for frisbee and can usually play for a solid 20 minutes before becoming tired. After switching to RAW he doesnt play as "hard" and usually tires after just about 10 minutes. Its as if he has also lost his drive to play. At times, he often goes for a long walk of 1 - 1.5 hours. Lately he has been dragging on those walks and just not the same energy level he had before.

He has always been a very healthy dog and doesnt have any medical problems currently. He is very enthusiastic about the raw diet and eats what he is given as soon as it is put down.

His stools have also decreased. He used to have at least 2 and sometimes 3 BM's a day. During the last 2 weeks, I am lucky if I get one out of him each day, though he has never gone longer than 1 day without a BM. Though I am not necessarily complaining, I think it is definitely worth noting.

I would greatly appreciate any insight into what others think. Should I be concerned? Will his energy level increase with time or should I consider keeping him on Kibble?

Any thoughts or suggestions on how I should proceed?

Thanks in advance

[Konotashi]

I don't have any advice for you about the energy level (since usually it increases, not decreases), but the less poop is probably due to the fact he's digesting more of it efficiently, so there's less going to waste.

[lhczth]

Less poop is totally normal. Raw is far more digestible.

The energy level could be due to a couple of things. His body adjusting to the diet or his body adjusting to the lack of sugars/carbs (in the form of grains and other fillers).

[Rott-n-GSDs]

Originally Posted by JamesBahn

I have observed a noticeable drop in his energy level, though I wouldnt call him lethargic. He is still in good spirits and doesnt appear sick.

It's possible that something in the kibble was acting like caffeine and stimulating him unnecessarily. As long as he isn't lethargic and is healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The one thing to watch is to make sure you're feeding enough... the percentage to feed is just a guideline... some dogs need more, and some need less. Pay close attention to his weight. It's a good idea to get your hands on him every day to feel if he's getting too thin/too heavy. (My dogs start counter surfing if I'm feeding too little).

After switching to RAW he doesnt play as "hard" and usually tires after just about 10 minutes. Its as if he has also lost his drive to play. At times, he often goes for a long walk of 1 - 1.5 hours. Lately he has been dragging on those walks and just not the same energy level he had before.

This would concern me. It may be that something else is going on completely unrelated to the diet. It's easy to blame the diet but it might just be coincidence. Provided he's getting enough to eat, perhaps there's something else going on like a tick borne disease, etc.

His stools have also decreased. He used to have at least 2 and sometimes 3 BM's a day. During the last 2 weeks, I am lucky if I get one out of him each day, though he has never gone longer than 1 day without a BM. Though I am not necessarily complaining, I think it is definitely worth noting.

This is completely and 100% normal. Enjoy! BMs will also be smaller. If you notice him straining to go, you are probably feeding too much bone and should increase muscle meat. If he's REALLY straining to go, increase organs.

[JamesBahn]

Thank you all for the insights. Gave me a little piece of mind and somethings to consider as well.

I think I will start to increase his food and see if he gets any sort or energy boost. He is a big boy so perhaps he just needs more.

I think I will also throw him into the vets office for some bloodwork just to make sure everything is OK with him medically.

I will report his progress in this thread so that others may use it if they see similar instances in their dogs.

Cheers!

[Josie/Zeus]

Koda went through the same thing when I switched him to raw. It took him 3 weeks to gain his energy back. But Koda is still a puppy, I got him on Aug 25th.

All of my dogs will go once a day, there are times when it's 2x a day.

Please give us a list of what exactly you feed your dog so we can help you better.