If you go to the link i've explained it pretty fully I think and given some links and book recommendations.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96414

Remember that there are NO hard and fast rules and everyone does raw differently to the next person. Its simply about finding which way of feeding raw suits your dog/s best :)

Actually, if you feed RMBs (Raw Meaty Bones), the MEATY is the key word. Bone is essential; but they need more meat and organs than they need bone. If mine had a choice they'd both only eat bone :animal36. Most RAW feeders do not bother with chichen wings, backs or necks. These do not have an appreciable amount of meat/bone ratio and are more of a choking hazzard. Some folks with very small dogs (small mouths) might feed those items; but, I would not unless I was holding it for Abigail. Not to scare or discourage you; but, one does need to use common sense. Dogs choke on kibble, or eat weird things (tennis balls, plastic) and end up in the ER; but we just don't hear about most of those. But, let one choke a little on a raw bone, and THAT's what people focus on. :rolleyes: If you join this group, you'll find that the general advice is: Feed nothing smaller than your dog's head. This rule of thumb (or, head, if you will ;) ) has a two-fold benefit: 1) the dog will bite off what s/he is able to handle, and 2) ripping and tearing from a larger piece will provide exercise for jaws, neck and shoulder muscles. IF one feeds chicken wings, necks or backs, much better to have them still attached to the bird. Now, having said all that, I will say that I do not subscribe to the "bigger than the head" rule; because mine are intimidated by big food! *sigh* I did try, and I'm sure my RAW feeding peers would scold me for spoiling them. :p Again, it's a case of "know thy dog".[/quote] Yes, it will take a little effort on your part, at first, to change habits. Some people put up baby gates, or close doors (if you have them) to contain the dog in the room where they eat. Yes, there must be a designated eating area. We just can't have raw meat and bones all over the house! <ick!> I do happen to have doors to close off my kitchen; but, when I switched Mozart over, I watched him closely anyway. Most people with smaller breeds either feed in a crate on towels, or in the kitchen, as the towels can be laundered. I feed on old towels, in the kitchen; and when he would take his food off the towel, I just made him put it back (he's pretty smart, and he would do it when reminded). If he left the room with the meal, then it was immediately taken up and he did without until the next mealtime. Believe me, it didn't take missing very many meals before he learned that there is a designated eating spot, and mom means for him to stick to it! Now, this method would not work on a very small dog that can't afford to miss a meal; but, you will have to find some means of reinforcing: ONE eating spot. This will be like potty training. One must be persistent and consistent - no exceptions!Yes, eggs are acceptable raw protein. Cottage cheese...well...it's dairy. I do sometimes offer it for tummy upsets - but NOT MUCH! Again, my RAW feeding peers would scold me.

Here are some excellent links for learning about RAW feeding:

- Feeding Your Dog

- Jane Anderson's Raw Learning Site

- RAW Feeding

- RAW Fed

Love this thread. Great advice and information. Thanks raw folks!

ok. One more question. Now, on that one site it listed a bunch of different things you might feed. I'm interested but a deers head for instance would totally gross me out. :eek: Not to mention, where would you get some of those things? And I know a whole chicken would be way more than what Zoe would eat so what is a typical meal that you would feed a little yorkie? And I guess you would take apart whatever it was prior to freezing? And then take out meals and thaw?

LOL, well its not compulsary to feed deers heads :p

Find a local supplier you can provide you with some things, Obviously lots of stuff you can get from butchers and supermarkets. Some butchers might even give you offcuts of stuff for free.

Depends on the dog, as abbie's mom pointed out the size of things depends on the dog, if you have a small careful yorkie then they would probably be fine with a chicken wing or neck. If you have one that wants to scarf down everything as fast as possible then you might want to stick to larger things.

My yorkies RMB's are usually chicken drumsticks, thighs, wings etc, lamb chops, lamb breast and ribs, turkey necks. Also other things I can get hold of sometimes such as duck, pheasant, rabbit etc.

Yes if you were to buy a whole chicken, you would want to split it into different parts which are a suitable size and shape for your particular dog. Then freeze them and defrost and feed when needed.

:thumbup: LOL Right. And, quite frankly, the whole RAW thing grossed me out. Still does, on occasion. But, I know it's the very best thing I can do for my friends, so I handle raw icky meat. Five years ago, I would never in a million years imagine I could feed chicken feet! On the other hand, I am quite jealous of raw feeders who have access to freshly-killed prey. Would like to try some emu. Though it's strongly suggested that we not allow the dog to dictate the diet (what you got is what you get), you'll find there are a few things your pooch just can't stomache. Mine won't eat goat, duck or rabbit. But they should be exposed to as much variety as possible, for a well-rounded diet. Try things several times before crossing it off as a protein source. ....:thumbup: :thumbup:

Lol, I remember the first time I chopped up a whole RAW heart, I was wretching and puking into my mouth, now it doesen't bother me in the slightest :D

Ok, I need to be honest..I am very overwhelming by all these information!!! I am thinking to switch to raw diet.......

I'm a little overwhelmed with it too, I would love to do it for my dogs though. The part about feeding nothing smaller than the dogs head got me cuz one of my dogs is a rotti, and she has a big head and I'm not about to bring home a whole pigs head and serve it up to her, plus she gets quite aggressive when it comes to bones so I would have to feed all 3 dogs in separate rooms or their creates and make sure there are no bones left laying around.

A friend of mine has a RAW fed rottie and feeds RMB's such as whole chickens and whole breast of lamb. Believe me, there would be no bones left lying around ;)

...........it really CAN be overwhelming and we all probably have a million different ways we feed raw but the basics are the same.....first step is to get a book or go to a website that has been recommended by some of the YT members.....this way you can learn the basics and then try different ways and share ideas.........as far as the messy gross part....think of it this way....no more messy gross poops from kibble ....and fewer poops because w so much nutrition absorbed by the body there is less waste....(w 4 cats this is important to me!!)....they disinigrate in the sun and are good for the environment...no more throwing up or diareahea(sp?) from being sick (stronger immune system fights off sickness)....no need to have the anal glands expressed (sp?)....never had to have this done but it sounds totally gross to me.....because of firm stools the anal glands are naturally taken care of.............lately we have been doing chicken wings, chicken parts, necks, etc...my butcher skins and bags the necks for me in 4 pound bags ...I freeze them all and I take a bag at a time and put in daily amount bags and take one out every night and put in refrigerator to have in the morning.... I used to rinse them in water w tiny amt of bleach also but now just rinse w water....also used to go to little towns in the country to get organically raised chickens w no hormones but this was too time consuming and costly.... been doing this over 6 yrs and still learn something new everyday....I don't think many people feed raw hamburg but I do for extra treat....cats need more fat than dogs, dogs need some veggies cats do not.....it can be challenging at first but so rewarding.....for 6 1/2 yrs I have had incredible peace of mind knowing I am doing the best I possibly can......yes, you will have some gross stuff but you'll deal w it....my worst experience was when I was cleaning chicken necks last year that hadn't been skinned .....I scooped one up and completley freaked out.....the head was still attached!! I am still seeing a therapist to this day.........lol....

Hi Eileen :), Not to start something, or step on toes; but, I'm wondering why you're still feeding kibble at all? The toxins, chemicals and other junk in the kibble is undoing (so to speak) all the good you think you're doing with the raw evening meal. It seems equivalent to smoking "only" half a cigarrette instead of a whole. Only doing half the damage? :confused: Just give up the half ciggie, and feel better!

My Mozart is the reason I learned about RAW. He, too, was throwing up every kind of dog food (yes, the expensive, 'premium' ones from the vet, too), so I know how it feels to be backed into a corner and forced to try something new and frightening. But, seeing the difference in him the past few years, made a believer out of me. I believe he would be dead if we'd continued feeding him kibble/canned. I will never feed another animal, in my care, commercial pet food.

Kalina was started on Royal Canin kibble, but she hated it. I switched her to homecooking, which she liked. Now for the past couple of months she has been on Primal pre-made raw and she loves it better than anything. She inhales her food. She gets 4 oz a day - 2 oz in the AM and 2 oz in the PM. I have only given her the lamb, because she adores it so much. Sometimes I give her raw lamb and she gets meaty lamb chop bones to chew on. She is doing very well on the raw diet. She has a lot of energy and her coat is beautiful.

My question for the more experienced: Why is it better to have more than one protein choice?

Because different meats contain different vitamins and nutrients so the more variety of meats they eat the more goodness they take in :)

Lara2913

Thank you so much for all your help, you have been so patient in answering all our questions, I can't wait to start my dogs on the raw diet. You have given so much good information.