Raw Food Diet

[my2boyz]

Before you start I would go to the NV website and at the top of the page there is a link to figure out what amount to feed for your dog's activity level and weight. You cna choose what type of food you want to use and it will tel you the amount to feed. Jo and Riley both get 2 medallions a day based on their weight and activity level...I give one at breakfast and one at supper and they're happy with a snack here or there. Good luck...I don't think you'll regret it...I certainly don't!

[mistyinca]

OK, I picked up a bag of the Chicken and Turkey medallions today. I think we'll give it a try tomorrow. I've got a couple in a baggie in the fridge defrosting.

Is there anything to worry about with switching so suddenly to a raw diet? I don't even know if the pickster will even eat it, but we'll try tomorrow morning. She's had tidbits of raw roast beef and hamburger before and loved it.

[NIKITA & LILO]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

OK, I picked up a bag of the Chicken and Turkey medallions today. I think we'll give it a try tomorrow. I've got a couple in a baggie in the fridge defrosting.

Is there anything to worry about with switching so suddenly to a raw diet? I don't even know if the pickster will even eat it, but we'll try tomorrow morning. She's had tidbits of raw roast beef and hamburger before and loved it.

like with any food , you should switch graduadly over one to two weeks period. if you planning to give your puppy 2 medalions a day, I'll start to give him first day 1/4 of a medalion and then regular food, and add 1/4 of a medalion more to every day and slowly eleminating they dry kibble from their diet.
also remember not to mix raw meet and dry kibbles, bc they are process at different speed, and it can cause constipation.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

OK, I picked up a bag of the Chicken and Turkey medallions today. I think we'll give it a try tomorrow. I've got a couple in a baggie in the fridge defrosting.

Is there anything to worry about with switching so suddenly to a raw diet? I don't even know if the pickster will even eat it, but we'll try tomorrow morning. She's had tidbits of raw roast beef and hamburger before and loved it.

When I switched my boyz I gave them 1/2 of a medallion for breakfast for a few days, then 1/2 of a medallion twice a day and I left their kibble down. I gradually got them up to a full medallion twice a day...once they reached that point they didn't go to the dry food bowl very often so I took it up a couple days ago. They didn't have any problems switching...no stomach upset or potty issues and absolutely no pickiness. Well, almost none...they love the beef but hate the lamb! The good thing about NV is that it's 100% guaranteed so I got to return the lamb and exchange it for another bag of beef.

Good luck...let us know how she likes her breakfast!

[mistyinca]

Well, she already had her "breakfast"--it was dinner, LOL. She hasn't been eating well, so I put a bit down for her to eat. She started slow at first, and I started thinking, here we go again; she'll turn her nose up at it. Then she started going at it with a little more gusto. Finally, she finished up a medallion except for two small bone pieces. I left them there, and she finally figured out how to munch them. I think we may be on to something here. Thanks for the suggestion of this brand. This is a very easy way to go about it. I am hopeful that she'll start eating this without a problem.

The store I went to only regularly stocks the chicken and turkey. I'd like to get some of the beef, since she has had tidbits of raw beef before and liked it.

I followed that link for the B1G1 coupon, but the coupon I got says it's for the kibbles..

[my2boyz]

Good for her! I take out any pieces of bone that are still in chunks...I know...they're supposed to eat them but I've found 3 in the 3 bags I've used that were about the size of a pea so I took them out. My boyz take about 10seconds to eat 1 medallion, they love the beef but I haven't tried the chicken or turkey. So far I'm happy with the results I'm getting on NV so I'll stick with it unless I see other wise.

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

Abbie's mom: I know someone nearby who raw feeds her dogs, but they are Siberian Huskies, and of course they can handle much larger pieces of meat than our yorkies can. I'm wondering though, since you feed the meat from the store, what you do about bones. I know they need them for the calcium, and I understand that in their raw form, they don't pose the same danger as, say, cooked chicken bones, but yorkies are small, so how do you find your dogs do with the bones you give them? And what do you give them? I've been tempted to give Chloe the chicken neck when I'm cooking a chicken for dinner, but I worry about if she can even chew those little bones.

Thanks for the info.

I would NOT give her chicken necks. Several reasons for this being:

1) There's not enough meat to justify the risk of choking

2) Necks are where the breeders usually inject medication

The prey model diet consists mostly of meat and meaty bones. Key word being meat; though my Abigail loves raw bones, and I have to be sure she gets enough meat. Size doesn't deter dogs from eating naturally. I'm on a list where a 2lb chi is fed RAW, and Abigail was 2.2lbs when we started her, at 9weeks. She is now 6 1/2 lbs @ 15months. She feels muscular, not fat nor frail. Yes, it is a bit more of a caution to feed smaller ones; but, the benefits far outweigh whatever myths are floating around. For instance, handing a dog a chicken leg and letting him rip and tear at the meat is excellent exercise for neck and shoulder muscles. He won't get that from scarfing down a medallion. Chomping bones cleans his teeth, as well as supplies him with many valuable nutrients. His mouth is filled with canines - meant to rip, tear and break. My vet can't believe my 13y/o Mozart's teeth. She uses word like "awesome" and "amazing". I won't say he'll never need a cleaning; but so far, no one has suggested the need. I've been feeding RAW for four years, and Mozart's breathe never smells doggie nor stinky. Abigail has the sweetest Yorkie kisses around . The only time her breathe stank was during teething, and once those puppy teeth were gone - so was the smell. When dogs have to work for their meal, it also engages the brain (problem solving) as opposed to eating prepared foods, handed to them.

I try to feed a variety, as much as possible; but am limited to supermarket fare. We don't hunt . I feed:

Fresh, RAW
- Chicken (leg quarters, gizzards, liver, hearts, feet, breasts)
- Turkey
- Pork (butt, tail, soft bones)
NEVER weight-bearing bones of large animals, and most beef bones are too dense.

Neither of mine like beef, but that's a staple in many RAW freezers. I'm going to try Emu if I can locate some. I've tried Venison, but Abbie only picks at it, and Mozart won't eat it at all.

Now, as far as safety goes, it's a case of "know thy dog". I am never far away during feeding time. Both mine eat in the kitchen on towels and I'm usually in the room when Abigial is eating.

It IS a scary prospect at first - but switching to RAW saved my Mozart's life, and made a believer outta me.

Please see the link in my sig line: Species Appropriate Diet for more.

[mistyinca]

OK, so let's take a chicken leg for example. Do your dogs eat the whole bone, or do they just chew on it, getting little bits here and there? How about the skin? I have heard that it is not safe to give any dogs turkey skin, so how about chicken skin?

Thanks

[abbie's mom]

hhhmmmm.....I haven't heard that about turkey skin - being unsafe, that is.

Well, they chew and chomp the bone until it's gone, yes. And I do feed the skin, too. The object is to get a 'prey model' menu into them. In other words: if a dog (descended from the wolf) ran down a chicken, he'd eat the whole thing - right? Well, minus the feathers, of course. Each part of the animal holds difference essential nutrients that the animal needs for a well-rounded health. A few modifications are necessary, of course. Since Abigail can't eat a whole chicken in one setting, and too MUCH skin will give her runny stools, I dole it out over several meals.