Raw duck necks.....Oh my

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Verbena

They eat the whole neck ? . . . Do you take the skin off? I have been giving Galen primal and I was thinking about giving him some bones also. This is all new to me.

They were skinless and about 4 inches long. They ate every bit of them with no problem. I was having anxiety the entire time though.... just nervous but they had a blast!

[Verbena]

Originally Posted by kjc

They were skinless and about 4 inches long. They ate every bit of them with no problem. I was having anxiety the entire time though.... just nervous but they had a blast!

I am going to try it.

[richards6402]

Originally Posted by Verbena

I am going to try it.

I just knew my two were going to choke but everyone has told me they just chew everything up and they did, no problem. I laid out a big beach towel on the kitchen floor and they went to town. They usually meet my DH at the door barking and twirling but when he came home, they were so busy eating their duck necks I just heard a few muffled barks and they kept on eating. Just be prepared........it's not the cleanest treat in the world so be prepared for duck meat in their beards.

The lady at the raw meat pet boutique said she has two customers that have small Yorkies and one puts hers in the bathtub with a duck neck and the other one puts her Yorkie in a laundry basket to eat his duck neck.

[kjc]

I like the look they give you when they're done... but they do so well with them I'd hate to think of waking up at night and find a finger or toe missing!

[gemy]

I have never tried those. My guys love the turkey necks, I have the butcher cut the neck in threes for the big ones and in 6 pieces for the small dogs. I do use the crate in the winter time when I feed the raw, and in the summer it is out in the garden they go!

[Teegy]

I wouldn't chop them into chunks and I would leave them frozen, smaller bits can cause choking and keeping them whole and frozen means they have to work harder to chew them.

There is also a lot of bone in this and too much bone in the diet can cause constipation, they should only be getting 10% bone in their daily diet of 2-3% of body weight.
I recommend weighing the neck first and figuring out just how much you can let them eat of it. You'll have a little trial and error, but watch them at all times.

[Teegy]

Originally Posted by Verbena

I am right now on dehydrated raw and so far so good. He is loving it. I want to give him different things to hopefully keep him eating.

Before starting I would suggest getting a probiotic, digestive enzyme and slippery elm bark powder and keep them as staples in your cupboard.
The standard thing to do is start them with organic free range chicken or turkey, bone in breast. Pups need 6-10% of their current body weight and it's just the right amount of bone to get started.
After a couple of weeks you can start to introduce one new protein at a time focusing on red meats.
You can also buy balanced bone in ground meats from some pet stores.
Once you have them on the meats doing well after about a month start introducing organs. Some don't take to these so well, freezing is suggested or grinding them up, percentage should be 5% liver to 5% other organs.
A standard meal at the end of all this is they should be eating 80% muscle meat and that includes heart 10% bone and 10% organ 5% being liver. This doesn't have to be every meal, you can give it spread out over a few meals, just make sure you are balancing it to what meats the needs of your dog. Some need more of one thing than an other.

[Teresiana]

I agree that organic, free range or at least "natural" is really important when feeding a raw diet. Since the meat isn't getting cooked at all, it's important to make sure that you're feeding meat from a healthy animal. The quality of the meat makes a big difference in the quality & quantity of the vitamins/minerals being absorbed by the body. For example, grass-fed beef has a much higher Omega ratio than factory farmed beef. It's also much leaner. And just healthier overall.

[Verbena]

I am liking the dehydrated at the moment. It is great when I go places. I do not have to worry about cooler bags and refrigeration. He is liking it. I was having a lot of problems with him being finicky. So also I can buy a few different types and change up.

I will keep that info though. If I decide to go make my own raw. I will definitely use the info. We live near farms so it is easy for me to get grass fed beef and free range chicken. I wanted a add a little bone in his diet. It is suppose to help keep his teeth clean. I have tried brushing. It would take 2 people with a 3.5 lb dog to do it. I tried with just my finger. Everything.

Thanks so much