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First Raw Feeding

3K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  osito23 
#1 ·
First off just wanted to thank everyone on the forum who has assisted me in starting raw. This will be my first post but I have been scrolling through threads for a long time before I finally felt comfortable enough to start raw. So thank you to everyone who has contributed to these threads about feeding puppies raw.

Last night we did our first raw feeding for 12 week old GSD. We started out with just one chicken back and also did the same thing this morning. He did awesome and ate the bones and all. My question is what should I go with next? Would feeding chicken backs in the A.M and chicken breast at night be the next move or should I stay with chicken backs for the next couple of days?

Also had a question about sanitation. He is still in the bitey stage and loves to bite us whenever he can get his hands on us. Is this something we should be concerned about especially after he eats? Is there any extra precautions to take when feeding raw to ensure that we do not catch any diseases or anything like that from the chicken?
 
#2 ·
If he's just starting out, he'll need some extra bone until he adjusts. I have a 5 month old and I rotate between chicken quarters, drumsticks, and necks. I follow prey model raw and they suggest to stick with chicken backs for the first 2-3 days. Their getting started guide is excellent. Then after the third day, alternate between chicken backs and leg quarters (I have to cut the quarter in half to feed to my dog). Transitioning dogs will need more bone in the beginning, but monitor his poop to make sure he's not getting constipated from too much bone. I would stay away from any totally boneless meals for a while, and even then, some dogs have to have bone in every meal.

I personally don't worry too much about my dog mouthing me or licking me (although he doesn't do much of either anymore), since a dog's saliva contains lysozyme, which destroys bacteria. And since he doesn't have plaque from the raw feeding, there isn't really a good place for bacteria to live. But my boyfriend doesn't want the dog licking him because of the raw chicken, so it's really whatever is comfortable for you. I personally figure that if I was going to get sick from a dog, it would be from any number of other things that he does/eats/licks outside, and I haven't yet gotten sick from any of my dogs.

I do wipe down the crate after he finishes eating with a lysol wipe, and I wash the bowl between feedings. Generally treat the chicken like you would your prep for regular meals (washing your hands, wiping down counters, etc) and you shouldn't have too many problems.
 
#3 ·
We too started feeding raw this week for our 15-week old GSD. Still new to all this and weary of giving young dogs or any dog for that matter bones, but I know in the wild they eat them. Should I be concerned with giving our pup boned meat. I put a mixture together I feel is full of nutrients, but really not sure.....Chicken, turkey, chicken liver/gizzards/hearts, pureed broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, pecans, blueberries, carrots, yogurt, also added coconut oil, olive oil, eggs shell and all and when I give him is portions I add a few chunks of beef, all of course weighed out.

Of course any suggestions would be great and helpful and any of the recipe or others and thoughts on the boned meat to add.

Thanks
 
#11 ·
Perfectly fine they will crunch the bones down like nothing :) .just never ever give a bone when it has been boild .bones tend to get super hard when boild and can splinter the stomach ..other than that hes fine ..I give my boy chicken quarters with all chicken leggs and chicken necks .
 
#5 ·
Oh my....gave Diesel our GSD his first weighed leg of a chicken today....WOW! Impressive the natural instinct to break down the bone, he crunched and gnawed with no issues! I do supplement with Calcium, Vitamin E, Glucosamine & Chondroitin with MSM and fish oil..Seeing him eat the chicken bone really eases my mind on the whole raw feeding. However I think it will cost more, but I'm sure I'll find ways around that. Any suggestions on where to get recipes or should I just stay basic.
 
#13 ·
I haven't switched a puppy in a long time, but when I wean I feed chickens or cut fryers (for little puppies I grind). I cut the chicken up, crush the harder bones a bit with the knife and then feed a different part at each meal. This gives them a nice balance of bone, meat, a little organ. If they handle this well for several days than I might do the same to turkey necks (small ends and really chopped up). Then I will add in a bit of other types of meats along with the bonier meals like chicken backs and turkey necks. Most puppies can't handle lamb, pork or beef bones so they mostly get turkey and chicken bone and then other MM for variety. I now am able to get duck necks so my next puppies will be able to enjoy them too. Much smaller than turkey necks. If the pup does fine for a week than I start feeding a small amount of organ meat a few times a week. Some need an even smaller amount every day. I might introduce eggs also at this point and then the salmon oil, vit E on occasion and coconut oil. I feed no other supplements and I do NOT feed veggies and fruits as a normal part of the diet. No need. Green trip is also excellent and I will introduce this fairly early on. I would feed it more than once a week if it wasn't so expensive.

By four months my pups can, for the most part, handle harder bones that are found in the pork neck and lamb/mutton I buy. Maybe not the hardest pieces, but enough to make these a good source of other RMB.

I feed them in their crates and honestly do not worry about sanitation afterwards. I have fed raw for a long time and the only time I have gotten sick from food was from restaurants.

As far as some of the other questions. NO calcium supplements, Tirah! RMB are what they need. The calcium found in bones is what nature intended. Olive oil is actually not necessary though I do use coconut oil and have found it beneficial.

I know other people weigh what they feed. I do not. If my dog is too fat I feed less. If they are too thin I feed more. Puppies tend to eat slightly more than an adult dog until about a year. Large male for probably longer.
 
#14 ·
To make things simple for me, I cut up whole chickens and use that for my eyeball to gauge MM to RMB ratios. When using another protein, I make it look like the chicken meals.

I do weigh the overall meal and portion by the meal. I usually get 4-6 chickens at a time, and then a balance of pork neck bones and whatever else is on sale.

Love those yellow stickers ;)

Fama is tolerating pork well, so I'm going to be getting some young hogs, and I will do the same with them as the chickens. I'll process the whole animal and portion it out into individual meals. Then I can rotate proteins through the week.
 
#15 ·
Lisa great info thanks! You mention no veggies or fruits, will Diesel my pup get all he needs in vitamin and minerals, etc from just the meat, it seems you would need more. I want to make sure he doesn't get sick and stays healthy and holds his weight, he's already 45lbs or more by now at 15wks, gonna be big, so any advice is greatly appreciated
 
#19 ·
My dog eats twice a day. If he gets a decent walk in the morning before breakfast, he will poop; otherwise he'll have to go shortly after breakfast. Then he will poop again in the late morning or early afternoon. He normally doesn't have to poop after dinner, but it has happened sometimes. Overall I expect twice a day at minimum, possibly three. The only time he hasn't stuck to his poop schedule is when he was too stressed at boarding and had diarrhea three times before 4pm.
 
#17 ·
You will become a poop watcher ;)

The poop is an indicator of how things are going. Too soft = more bone. Too hard = less bone. When you switch something up, you expect the poop to soften up as they adjust. When it firms back up, they are good to go.

This can happen when adding organ meat. The first couple meals with liver may cause loose stool. After the dog gets used to it, they can eat liver with no problems.

Dogs also poop less on raw. When you first switch, it may take a couple of days to get a good poop. Fama took about 5 days to become regular.

For supplements, I use FEEDSentials, Shemp-Oil, Phyt'n Chance, Power of 3 E's and Sunday Sundae from www.carmspack.com

I also use Springtime garlic for flea, tick and mosquito prevention.
 
#20 ·
Well I would have to say my mix and the RMB are working great Diesel's poops are nice! I've had him weaning off Nature's Variety LID Rabbit and have been fighting loose stool and diarrhea, I'm seeing a great change so far, getting into and excited about feeding raw! Thanks for all the input everyone!
 
#21 ·
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One of my dogs eats kibble and the rest eat raw... I don't care what you feed if it works for your dog and they're healthy. But if you're going to feed 100% non-packaged raw then you need to feed it correctly in order to have a balanced diet.
 
#22 ·
I, personally, am not comfortable feeding a growing puppy home-made raw. I've been feeding Seger Bravo Balance raw and giving him chicken feet at night to give him something to chew on and clan his teeth.

Between the Bravo Balance and the Red Barn for training, he's getting all the proper nutrients in the right proportions.
 
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