Digestive tract

[volcano]

So if I feed my girl a chicken leg and 20 minutes later shes pooping. Is that poop from the prior meal? Or is she just making room in her intestine to digest the new meal? Since im feeding raw Im wondering the timing on judging her poop consitency. If her stool is loose is that the day priors meal?

[onyx'girl]

My dogs on raw only poop once a day, usually in the morning. And raw goes thru the system fast(but not that fast!) so the previous days meal is what your seeing right after feeding. I would give the system a few days to a week to adjust. As long as you are feeding a balance of meat/organ/bone the consistency should stay consistent!

When I feed turkey neck portions, I can tell which poops were from they meals w/ turkey necks, they are bulkier.

[volcano]

She was weaned on raw, and is 8 weeks now. I tried a raw biscuit treat and she cant tell its even food.

[Lauri & The Gang]

There haven't been any studies to show how long it takes a dog to digest and pass their food.

Studies in HUMANS have shown that the urge to pass stool is connected to eating a large meal - making more room in the digestive tract for stuff that needs to be processed and then passed.

Most likely it is not the food she just ate - it doesn't travel through THAT fast.

How often are you feeding her and how much at each feeding?

[volcano]

Ive been giving mostly chicken legs at 3 per day. She usually eats the knuckles and leaves the 3 inch stick of a bone but has gobbled it a few times. I also give a scoop of yogurt every day or 2, liver based treats. And she had liver one meal for 2 days this week. And 3 strawberries this week, and a frozen mozzerella stick, and a few baby carrots. Today I got chicken necks and gizzards at a mexican market, and they also had amazing prices on fruits and veggies, im gonna shop there for myself.
She hasnt had a loose stool other than hours after shots she squirted one out. Shes been a bit constipated a few times though, shes trying to get it out.

[onyx'girl]

You need to research raw balances...Lauri's site(in her signature above) is a good one for that. What you are feeding isn't going to help your pup to thrive.
Another site with good articles: A Place for Paws - Columbiana, Ohio - Raw Feeding

[Lauri & The Gang]

Ok, that is NOT a balanced raw diet.

First, you have to feed by weight - not count. At 8 weeks of age you should be feeding her between 5-7% of her weight.

Of that, 50% should be meat without bones (Muscle Meat), 45% of that should be meat WITH bones (Raw Meaty Bones - like the chicken legs) and 5% of that should be organ meat (like the liver).

That gets feed EACH DAY.

So, let's say your puppy is 20 pounds (just using that as an example for the calculations).

5% of 20 pounds is 1 pound. 7% of 20 pounds is 1.4 pounds (that 1 pound and 6 ounces) so lets use the middle ground and say 1 pound 3 ounces per day.

That's 19 ounces.

50% of 19 ounces is 9.5 ounces. That would be how much Muscle Meat you feed each day. 45% is 8.5 ounces - that's the RMBs (Raw Meaty Bones). 5% is .9 ounces (round it up to 1 ounce to make it easier) - that's the Organ Meat.

So if you are feeding your puppy twice a day you could do the following:

• 9.5 ounces of Muscle Meat in the morning
• 8.5 ounces of Raw Meaty Bones and 1 ounce of Organ Meat in the evening

Or you could switch it and feed the RMBs in the morning. Or you could give the puppy half the RMBs and half the MM at each meal and toss the OM in where ever you please.


So you've got the numbers down - now let's talk about VARIETY.


Dogs need MEAT and BONES. They need a VARIETY of sources for the meat and bones - beef, chicken, pork, turkey, lamb, fish. Those are the easiest ones to find.


Dogs do not need fruits or veggies. They are carnivores (as defined by their physiology). If you feel the need to feed them something other than meat I would get green tripe and use that. It's a veggie source (or sorts).

[volcano]

Shes 12.1 lbs at the vet about 5 days ago the legs weigh approx 7.5 ounces each, and she wolfs them down, ive done 2 in one day as well.
By varying meat and rmb are you mostly suggesting that I vary the animal? Like I said she doesnt finish the bone and theres no such thing as boneless chicken legs where I live. I may be able to find chicken hearts. So why would some have bone in and some not? I think you mean to use something else like beef, I tried buying a meaty knuckle at a couple markets today but they didnt have it. And im getting some green tripe tomorrow.

[onyx'girl]

Get some chicken necks for her RMB's. Green tripe is excellent source of calcium/phosphorus.
8 wk old pups should be able to get thru a thigh bone easily, they are shorter than a leg. As far as bones, right now, only chicken, lamb or young rabbit would be soft enough for a baby pup. You could grind bone, but need a good grinder for that.
Beef bones are too dense, but the knucklebones are great for recreational chews. The cartilage is spongy enough for chewing, but limit the chew session.
Pork neck bones or turkey necks would be my next RMB, but not for a month or two(unless they are ground)

[volcano]

Today I fed necks and gizards, so I have those now. My understanding of a rmb is like a butcher scrap, like the neck or a beef knuckle/ not a chicken leg. Lauris suggestion was more meat but I think its opposite, shes only eating the little leg bone and needs more bone. thats why I fed herr necks today. Btw these chicken legs are big like I said 7.5 ounces. Its all muscle and some bone. Ill get her eating more bone, I almost bought a porterhouse today to cut into a filet and a strip, and is that a good bone for her? And Ill get some whole chicken and strip it for me and feed the carcass in portions the carcass would be a chicken version of rmb to my understanding. And she like the strawberry, from what Ive researched it wont hurt and they were going bad anyways, why throw them away, I froze them for future treats. Are chicken feet good rmb's?