Several Questions About Raw Feeding

[panzerghost]

First let me thank you guys these forums have been a determining factor to switch my dog to a raw diet.

So My 10 month old pup just started on raw (only 4 days now). He loves it. I have never seen him so excited for meal time. He is on3% of his current body weight - 70% RMB and 30% ground chicken/veggie mix (starting him slow). He hasn't started supplements yet and his only protein source right now is chicken.

My questions are:
How Long before I introduce new sources of meat?

He seems to crunch the bones then swallow the chicken back/necks/leg quarter whole. is this normal so far no noticeable digestion issues.

What should I be providing for treats/ snacks? He seems to be anxious in-between meals; maybe because the raw is less filling than the kibble? IDK

Has anyone else noticed a change in temperament? He has not been listening as well. He was never angel but he has been more defiant these last few days.

How long before his allergies subside and skin and coat improve, if at all?

[Holmeshx2]

As for the allergies and skin/coat if it was diet related and hes not allergic to any of the raw proteins then its highly likely that it will all improve give it a few months though to be safe.

I have never seen a dog not listening because of raw I have seen dogs calm down and not be so hyper though so I would look somewhere besides diet for the behavior (he is at the age they decide to just be brats and need more training and leadership)

Raw isn't less filling then kibble however it does digest quicker. He may not be hungry he may just be excited for his next meal kind of like if your parents told you they were making your most favorite special meal for dinner you're gonna be antsy during school waiting to get home for dinner. However if he is hungry a snack isn't the end of the world. Some people give carrots, green beans, or other veggies maybe some fruit or a little dog biscuit. Nothing major but just a little treat. If you feel better you could always break his meal into 3 meals a day however honestly hes probably fine. My girl would eat an entire deer and still act like shes starving. I feed her once a day and shes just fine however once 5:30 hits shes whining and running into the kitchen lol.

You said hes been on raw for 4 days and doing fine? I would say you could probably add little bits now for new protein or wait for a full week then add them (so within the next few days) remember do one at a time so you can see if he has a reaction to it. What kind of allergies does he have as that may make a difference?

I would be careful because 3% may be too much unless he is REALLY active so just watch his body weight carefully and back off as needed. 70% RMB is WAY to much bone. What are you doing for the meat/veggie mix. In general they should have about 45% rmb 5 % organ and 50% MM. I would start giving him little bits of organ to get used to them. If you are using bonier pieces (like chicken necks, backs, and wings) I would give more muscle meat and less RMB since they have a much higher bone to meat ratio then say a chicken quarter would.

Oh and as far as how he eats if hes chomping the bone I wouldn't worry I'm not sure if your expecting him to take bites or what however once the piece goes in the mouth its probably not coming back out lol. They pick it up chomp a few times then down it goes.. now if he wasn't chewing at all and just gulped or swallowed whole then yeah I'd be worried but if hes doing fine so far I'd say hes good.

[panzerghost]

Thanks for the info you really put some of my issues to rest. I was planning to reduce his RMB; ill probably go to about 55%. As for his allergies I noticed today his undercoat is extremely soft and he is scratching much less. He was suffering from straw like hair and dry skin (thanks for nothing dry kibble).

[lhczth]

I would add salmon oils to his diet (there is a thread in this section on how much) which will also help his coat. Coat changes can take a little while to show up, but he should start to get less itchy fairly quickly.

After a few more days you could try adding in turkey (necks are the easiest to get). Then beef, lamb, pork (some dogs don't do well on pork), rabbit, fish, tripe, etc. Also eggs. Free range is best for the dogs (and for us, actually). Then you will need to in slowly introduce organ meats and heart. Heart is my main MM. I don't feed much ground meat (though I do use it at times when I can get it cheap).

I do not feed veggies/fruit except as a treat.

[RubyTuesday]

Has anyone else noticed a change in temperament? He has not been listening as well. He was never angel but he has been more defiant these last few days.

At a wild guess he's just enetering one of those adolescent stages...distracted, defiant, bratty, goofy & sometimes all of 'em at once. He's still a pup. Going through numerous developmental stages is normal & expected. Even the easiest pups often show adolescent & teen behavior.

[panzerghost]

Originally Posted by lhczth

I would add salmon oils to his diet

Hes actually been on salmon oil about 2/3 teaspoon about 3-4 days a week. It was the first thing I tried when he started scratching.

Originally Posted by RubyTuesday

At a wild guess he's just enetering one of those adolescent stages...distracted, defiant, bratty, goofy & sometimes all of 'em at once. He's still a pup. Going through numerous developmental stages is normal & expected. Even the easiest pups often show adolescent & teen behavior.

That describes him exactly. I have noticed that he is super excited before a meal now. I crate him for an hour before and after a meal. I usually take him outside to go to the bathroom just before he eats. Now he just runs to the edge of the kitchen and sits in front of his dog bowl. It's hilarious actually.

TY for the info.

[lhczth]

Originally Posted by panzerghost

Hes actually been on salmon oil about 2/3 teaspoon about 3-4 days a week. It was the first thing I tried when he started scratching.

How many mg is that? I feed 3000 mg per day to my 8 month old 50# puppy.

[panzerghost]

Originally Posted by lhczth

How many mg is that? I feed 3000 mg per day to my 8 month old 50# puppy.

I don't have an exact amount in mg's. I'll assume it is around 3000 -3500 mg based on the 5 grams per teaspoon rule.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by panzerghost

He is on3% of his current body weight - 70% RMB and 30% ground chicken/veggie mix (starting him slow).

3% might not be enough food if he's still growing. It's been just about a week since you posted this - how does his weight look? I wouldn't be surprised if he's lost weight.

If he has - increase his food to about 4%.

With GROWING puppies you need to adjust the amounts based on what their body currently needs. Pups go through growth spurts and plateaus and we need to adjust their amounts accordingly.

How Long before I introduce new sources of meat?

If he's had no digestive problems I'd say you can add it now. With dogs that are switching from kibble to raw I usually recommend a week - UNLESS they were previously showing signs of severe allergies. IF they were I recommend sticking with one protein source for at least 2-3 weeks.

He seems to crunch the bones then swallow the chicken back/necks/leg quarter whole. is this normal so far no noticeable digestion issues.

Hey - at least he's crunching them! I had a foster lab that swallowed chicken legs WITHOUT any chewing.

What should I be providing for treats/ snacks?

Since I don't give a huge amount of treats that's one area I don't worry as much about when it comes to WHAT I give them. I either use the cheapo puppy sized dog biscuits I get at Woodmans or I grab some cat kibble and use that.