Raw feeders, what do you give for snacks
 

Hi all,

I'm trying NV raw for my 2 1/2 lb baby Cassie. I got two free medallians and I gave it to her for her past 2 meals and she just licks it off my fingers. So I'm going to get a bag tommorrow of the chicken and turkey medallians. This will solve the need to supplement which has been a never ending battle. I have two questions. Going on the assumption that she is going to continue on raw:

1- The man who owns the store and gave me the free sample says to only give her 1 medallian a day. Is this enough? What he is doing is looking at the chart which says for a 10 lb dog you feed 5 medallians, so he is dividing that amount in fourths since she is one fourth of 10 lbs. But on the chart they do not do it like that. They say for a 10 lb dog feed 5 medallians, for a 20 lb dog feed 8 medallians for a 30 lb. dog feed 11 medallians and for a 60 lb dog feed 18 medallians. So at the smaller weights it looks like they are adding 3 medallians, not doubling it. I just don't want to feed her too little. One medallian seems way less than what I was feeding her and she is only between 2 and 2.6 lbs. so I don't want to under feed. She loves to eat, so any and all responses are welcome.:)

2-Second questions-What do I feed her for snacks? Is it okay to feed her carrots, peanut butter cheese, small pieces of cooked meat, etc. etc.?:)

How old is your baby? if she's still a puppy at 2 1/2 lbs she needs to eat about 10%(or more depending on her body structure) of her body weight. if she's an adult its 2-3%. I have a 4.5 lb, 2 year old and she gets 3oz a day. I also have a 3.5lb 5 month old and she gets 5oz plus NV instinct kibble whenever she wants. this girl can eat, and she's still skinny. i use the feeding guide on the NV site and go from there. i feed a little more then what they tell me because my girls are slim and very active. i also watch their weight so if i think their getting too skinny or too fat i adjust the amount appropriately.

As for treats, i give Yorkie Yummies most of the time. anything else i give has to have human grade ingredients and no garbage.

Cassie will be 1 1/2 years old in September, so no, she is not a puppy. Do you ever mixed cooked snacks with raw feeding?

Snacks
 

Since pre-made raw brands already have a significant amount of veggies in them, I would not give additional veggies, fruit or anything cooked as your dog cannot utilize these thing properly anyhow and it does not provide nutritional value. Too much, or in some dogs very little veggies *could* also result in problems;
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...egetables.html

Better options are freeze dried snacks as it also adds much needed protein to the diet. Local Feed Stores often carry these but you could order online. Here's a store that I personally like and their freeze dried treat line-up;

Freeze Dried Dog Treats :: EAT :: Olive: Green Goods for Modern Dogs

It looks like she should be getting about 1.5 medallions a day. I checked the feeding guide for you - did you see the link someone provided? It's really helpful to have on hand.

For snacks, I give Canine Caviar Stix, RMBs, bully stix, denta stix (rarely), baby carrots, Sweet Potato Chews. :)

Hello all,

Thank You All!!!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your help.

Cassie is continuing to eat the raw chicken off my fingers. I do not feed at the same time as the family eats or she will want our food and hold out until she gets it. I put her in her bed when we eat and take her out again to feed her so she does not think there is any food coming her way from the table.

This is the 2nd day of raw, and her poos are tiny and hard. I did not do the 7-14 day gradual introduction. I mixed some with her regular food the 1st time, and she licked it off the food and left the hamburger. So I just went ahead and fed it to her. She did not go through the detox thing of diarrhea maybe because I was home feeding with no grains. Just meat and vegetables.

Anyway, she seems to be eating it so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will try 1.5 medallians for her and see how she does and I will search out the treats you all recommend. I bought two trial size bags of chicken and lamb just to rotate at least a little. If she continues to like the raw I'll buy more varieties to rotate in larger sizes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Tonight she will get lamb. Love to you all, and thanks for everything-Shellie:love::wavey:

I think your story is coming back to me now - were you the one having some trouble with all the supplements, right? If so, I'm even MORE happy this is going so well, YAY :D!

I'm not surprised she's doing well since you were homecooking. My guys didn't detox at all and I was homecooking before the switch. And yep, the poos get really tiny (bc the food is so absorbable), hard and almost turn white after awhile if left in the yard.

And just to clarify - the 1.5 is per DAY - so try 3/4 medallion per meal (if feeding twice a day). I used the "guide" at first, then I went by how my dogs' ribs felt - if feeling too "ribby" - then I increased, if feeling a bit too "chubby", then I decreased a bit. You'll get the hang of it. :)

Ann, you are a treasure!!!!

Yes, I'm the one (LOL) fighting with my two pound Yorkie about eating supplements with her food. Actually, the wonderful new Natural Foods Pet Store I went to has some vitamins that are actually chicken FLAVORED that she might actually eat, but I didn't open the bottle yet. I bought it just in case raw didn't work and I was desperate. The owner of the shop says that it is a flavored vitamin and that dogs like it. That was what I was looking for to begin with, something she would eat her home cooked food with. But since she is eating raw (YAY!) 2nd day, I'm not opening it and not home cooking. I use the NV and she seems to really like it. I hope it continues. She's been known to be very finicky, so I can never really relax and say, oh yeah, this is it, I'll be raw feeding from now on. I never really know when she is going to change her mind and say, "on no, this is not for me"-so she keeps me on my toes (LOL).

Anyway Ann, I can't thank you enough. Your support and encouragement and knowledge may have just changed our lives forever.. That's a BIG deal.

Much love, Shellie and Cassie:):love::wavey: