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[GSD_NY]

Hello All,

I apologize if this has been asked already, but I'm new to this.

We have a 8-9 week old GSD who is currently eating Solid Gold WolfPup kibble, but I am wondering if we should just feed her what we eat and get her off "dog food". My wife is actually the one who raised the question. Are there certain foods to start with to help with the weening process? How can we introduce apples and carrots, do dogs really eat that? I thought canines were 99.9% carnivorous. I can understand cheese or eggs, but if she can/will eat fruits and veggies in addition to all that I am reading on this thread, sounds good to me.

Thanks for the help/advice!

GSD_NY

[tracyc]

Hi.

All good questions. Let me tackle them separately.

Exploring the idea of a homemade diet for your pup is fine. It can be a healthful way to feed. (but so can good kibble--one isn't necessarily better than the other.) There are lots of resources on line. The one we often send people to is http://www.rawdogranch.com which is the personal website of one of the moderators of this forum, Lauri. It's a good step-by-step how to for those already commited to feeding a raw diet.

But a home-prepared canine diet is MUCH different than just "feeding her what we eat." Dogs arent' people, of course, so their nutritional needs are very different. While a vegetable-based diet can actually be very healthy for people, it's not what dogs need. Your instinct about the diet being mostly meat is closer to the right thinking. But think whole raw carcasses of meat AND bone, rather than just meat.

Fruits and vegetables can be added to a canine diet, but not raw. Dogs don't have the digestive enzymes to break down cellulose, so you either need to cook, puree, or freeze vegetables to make them digestible to dogs. Of course, if you're just giving the dog a bite of raw carrot or apple as a treat, that's cool. But don't count that as part of his overall nutrition. It'll just pass through largely unused.

Hope this helps. You can tell from my moderator tag that I personally am a fan of raw diets for dogs. But it does take a bit of doing, at least at first, to understand what constitutes a healthy, balanced, species-appropriate diet for dogs. But there's no reason that a pup as young as yours can start eating his first raw foods immediately.

Good luck. Keep those questions coming.

[AniasGSDs]

My 2 GSDs have been on 100% RAW diet for almost 2 years and they love it.

I usually buy in bulk and just picked up my RAW order on Friday. I usually get enough for 2 months. I have an extra freezer just for dog food.

My average ratio for feeding is:

60% RMB
25% MM
5% OM
10% Green Tripe

They also get eggs (1-2 a week), pureed vegetables when I have some that are not as fresh anymore, oil supplements (mostly in winter), and whatever else I have around.

When I first started out, I weighed everything, but now that I’m more comfortable with it, I don’t have to.

Gretchen is 3 y/o female, high energy weighs about 70-73lbs.
Rorie is 2.5 y/o male, medium energy, weighs about 75-78lbs.

Both dogs do obedience training, Schutzhund, daily runs in the park, and weekend hikes in the woods.

Both get about a 1.25 - 1.5 lbs of food a day (see above percentages). This changes depending on their activity level – more in the summer, less in the winter. I watch their weight and if they are gaining or loosing, I adjust the amounts.

This is what I picked up on Friday (this also changes from month to month to provide variety):

RMB – Chicken ¼ (80#), Tilapia (40#), pork neck bones (30#), turkey drums (40#)
MM – Beef Hearts (60#)
OM – Sliced Beer liver (10#)

<u>That’s 260# of food and I paid $200.00</u>

Green Tripe – I buy it canned by the case because I can’t stand the smell! It costs a little more, but its worth it to me!

[cherokee2001]

Hi, I am interested in learning about raw feeding - can someone please explain the abbreviations MM, RMB & OM - that way I can understand the menus you have listed in this thread. I have a 6-year-old GSD who has severe skin problems that have always been associated with food allergies. We've tried everything else so I'm very close to giving up & "going raw." Cherokee is between 75-80 lbs - approximately how many pounds of meat per day will I be feeding him? Thanks!! Chaya

[tracyc]

MM = Muscle Meat
RMB = Raw Meaty Bones
OM = Organ Meat

Cherokee would eat approximately 1.5 pounds of raw food per day.

Please check out the BARF Resources thread for lots of links for information about raw feeding. A good starting point is http://www.rawdogranch.com the personal website of one of this forum's moderators.

[surfcaster]

i to am going to try feeding raw, and this thread gave me alot of ideas on what to buy,, my noah has had porterhouse, cornish hens, chicken legs and thighs, he loves vegetables,,but i really would like to start weighing and freezing, and buying only raw for him,,Thankyou so much,,i do need help on how much to feed at a time and how many times a day,,Noah is seven months,average energy, about eighty pounds or more,,,can any one tell me what to feed and how much?

[tracyc]

A standard size male GSD would eat about 2 pounds of raw food a day.

I feed twice a day...so one pound for each meal.

That amount is just to get you in the ballpark. Your dog might need a little more or a little less depending on how much exercise he gets and his individual metabolism. If he starts to look fat, cut back the meal size by a few ounces. If he looks too thin, add a few ounces.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum...page=1&fpart=2

check out that thread in the raw section---it includes lots of links for more info about raw feeding.

[surfcaster]

thankyou very much, i appreciate your advice

[k9ma]

Feeding raw to varying degrees for the last 7 years, and the menu has been revamped many times. Here's the latest version...

Simon, 9yr old altered male
fluctuates bet 94 & 98 lbs
activity level: +/- 45 min of exercise twice a day - lounges the rest of the time, more active on weekends
fasts 1-4x a month

1 meal a day @ ~1.5lbs

ground pork or beef
small side of liver or kidney w/ heart (chicken or beef)
1/2 can tripe
chicken frame

OR

1 can tripe*
RMBs
usually chicken quarters, drumsticks, or a turkey leg

less often he'll get:
lamb breast, beef or pork ribs, whole dressed rabbit, cornish hen, duck/chicken/pig feet, beef tendons, pork shoulder...

* The tripe is occasionally replaced with canned mackeral or sardines, or a can of some exotic meat based dog food

1 or 2 raw eggs 2-3 times a week, yogurt when I have it & supplements daily

Supplements:
Arthrimaxx
Vit C & E
B complex (when I feel I'm not giving enough OM)
ACV
Bert's Green Blend
Salmon Oil
Prozyme

Treats:
PB stuffed apples
Bully Sticks or C.E.T chews (after the occassional boneless meal)

[k9ma]

Thought I'd add what I feed the kitties. They alternate between RMB and mm/om days. Also one meal a day.

RMB
1 quail or
1/4 cornish game hen or
1 chicken drumstick or
rabbit

OM/MM
ground beef or pork + liver & heart (chicken or beef)
tbsp canned tripe

every 10 days or so they'll get a canned mackeral or sardine meal instead of the om/mm

1 egg 2-3 days a week

Supplements:
Salmon oil 2-3x a week
WellTabs (Wellness brand Multivitamin) once in a while