[mrsd211]

If one is considering feeding raw foods to their dogs, what is the best kind to use?
Can you do half raw and half kibble?
Do you cook it at all, or is it completely raw?
Do the chances of worms increase?
Can a puppy start eating raw? That one is probably a dumb question, but I know their stomach's are more sensitive.
I have 2 Yorkies, a 1 year-old and a 12 week old, how much would I feed them?
Anyone's personal experience feeding raw meat to small breeds would be appriciated!

Another question... my husband brought up a good point... after they consume the raw whatever, although it may not be harmful to them, aren't all of the harmful bacterias lingering on their faces? My dogs both have lots of hair on their face, they make a mess just drinking water, they leave water trails all over the house. I'm just thinking of them eating this raw stuff, then coming over and giving us kisses... EEEWWWW!!!

[briteday]

I'm certainly not the most experienced raw feeder on the forum, having only done it for 3 months now. But I do have human medical laboratory background and had several of the same questions before I started.

Most people go cold turkey with raw. Kibble is metabolized through the gut at a different speed so it causes some dogs distress to go back and forth. However, there are a few raw feeders on the board who do both so that they can switch back to kibble if they travel to shows, etc.

I have never cooked mine. The research that I read rated kibble vs cooked vs raw. The results showed over the lifetime of the dogs in the study that the cooked diet dogs did no better healthwise than the kibble fed. Only the raw fed lived longer, on the average, and suffered fewer of the diseases that have become prevalent since the feeding of kibble became popular about 50 years ago...kidney disease, auto immune disease, obesity, infections...

So I believe totally raw is best.

The chances of worms only increase if you're feeding the dogs wormy food. Because I have seen medical literature regarding some increase in trichinosis in humans I freeze all pork for 30 days if feeding it raw. Not necessary for human consumption since you would be cooking it. And you never feed trout, coho, or salmon from the Pacific Northwest to dogs. There is a fluke (worm) that only makes dogs sick. So since it doesn't affect humans or anything else fish purveyors don't inspect for it. Any other types of fish are ok to feed. All of the meat and poultry that I feed my dogs is purchased through a co-op that only purchases human grade food. So there is very little chance of contamination.

I don't have an answer for the puppy question. I know there are members who do feed pups raw right from the start so I'm sure they can help you on that one. I think you just start them out on ground meats and then eventually transition them to small pieces, and then on to regular raw on the bone.

I have two small dogs (papillon and a pom/poodle) and a 10 pound cat, all on raw. The rule of thumb for an adult dog is to start out at 2-3% of their body weight, fed each day, split into 2 meals. So 2% for a 10 pound dog is a little over 3 oz/day. (10 x16 = 160 oz x 0.02 = 3.2 oz/day) Then you just watch to see if the dog is getting too thin, you give them more. Gaining too much, give them less.

With the pup, the rule of thumb that I've seen in most info is 5-10% of their weight. But pup feeders will be much more informative on that.

My dogs have done a complete turn around in every way on raw. We started because our older dog had allergy issues with every kibble we tried over several years. And she was itchy, achy, acting very old beyond her years, her coat was awful, and she was gaining weight no matter how little we fed her. The younger dog could walk right past the food bowl 3-4 meals in a row and was losing weight. The cat is just plain overweight, again on a minimal amount of kibble.

Since switching to raw our oldest dog has become much more energetic and playful, her coat is coming back nicely, not a sign of allergies even to the meats contained in the kibbles that gave her issues in the past, and she loves tearing into the raw food and bones.

The younger dog looks at us with "puppy eyes" when she knows it's time for a meal. She loves to eat raw food. Since we live in a very nice climate (most of the year) I feed them on the patio. She will take her chunk of meat out in the yard in the shade and just enjoy the whole experience for 30 minutes or more sometimes, depending on how bony that particular meal is. She is an appropriate weight now and is doing well.

My dogs don't have furry muzzles. But even if they did and were eating kibble and dripping water around all day, I'd be tempted to keep a box of wet wipes around and be wiping their muzzles occasionally anyway. If the raw diet on their faces makes you uncomfortable then just wipe them up when they're done. Quite frankly, unless you feed them all ground meat, they are going to use their paws to hold down the meat and bones so they can tear at it. You might want to keep them in a shorter clip to avoid food being in their fringes and muzzles.

We've never had a problem with anything about raw. I get the shipment of meat 1/month. I let it thaw out so that I can portion it into smaller containers. Some of ours I grind up since the older dog has bad teeth. And the other stuff I cut up and put into daily baggies. For the two dogs and one cat it takes one shelf in a full sized freezer to store one month's worth of food. For all 3 animals I buy about 30 pounds per month, and since finding my resources spend between $0.35 - 1.00/ pound. Half of it (AM meals) are poultry at the cheaper end, and the PM meals being meat, fish, organs in the mid to higher end. But I still spend less than buying premium kibble for all three animals.

[Lightwingcreations]

I only recently (a little over a month ago) switched my dogs to a raw diet and can understand your questions. I'm adding some links to get you started because as soon as some questions are answered others will pop up. You can also find a lot online by Googling "RAW pet diet", "prey model dog diet", "RAW fed dogs", etc.

http://www.rawlearning.com/

http://www.rawfeddogs.net/FAQlist

http://www.rawmeatybones.com/diet/exp-diet-guide.pdf

[Wimble Woof]

Originally Posted by mrsd211

If one is considering feeding raw foods to their dogs, what is the best kind to use?

This depends on which model you prefer, there are a few and I will be adding a link full of links.

Can you do half raw and half kibble?

Some people do this, I do not, however I may do one meal of the day raw and one meal kibble. Especially this time of year when kibble tends to be the food of convienience for me. With camping and so on.

Do you cook it at all, or is it completely raw?

100% raw, however sometimes I will "braze" it in the oven for a few minutes, to sort of switch up the taste for the dogs.

Do the chances of worms increase?

No, unless you are feeding wild game that is wormy. It is best to freeze meats for minimum 3 days in a deep freeze to rid of most unwanted nasties ( my personal preference)

Can a puppy start eating raw? That one is probably a dumb question, but I know their stomach's are more sensitive.

Absolutely, however they do require more than 2% of their body weight in food per day. Puppies need 10% because they are growing.

I have 2 Yorkies, a 1 year-old and a 12 week old, how much would I feed them?

Your 1 year old would require a minimum of 2% of body weight and your 12 week old would require 10% of the body weight.

Anyone's personal experience feeding raw meat to small breeds would be appriciated!

I feed raw to all my dogs, and one of them is an American Cocker Spaniel, he does obviously have a harder time with the bones, so for him I keep his bone ratio to enclude only chicken backs and legs (very soft bones easy for a less powerful jawed dog to grind up)

Another question... my husband brought up a good point... after they consume the raw whatever, although it may not be harmful to them, aren't all of the harmful bacterias lingering on their faces?

Im not sure about faces, but my Cockers ears are ALWAYS full of "grossness" of raw, I just wash him off really good afterwards, he is accustomed to this procedure and he waits for me once he is done. At first he didnt like the extra fuss, but they do get used to it.

Raw is really easy, but I must admit when you first start researching it, it gets confusing.
I was so intimidated to switch over, Iwould feed each dog individually and sit there and stare at them to make sure they didnt choke, and so on.
After a few days I realized they were doing just fine.
Also, many sites you read will say to put a TON of veggies and fruits, oatmeals and the list goes on.
I dont, I feed prey model, which means, they get whole animals, or "franken animals" that I create for them. they do get veggies from time to time, but I dont worry much about them getting some EVERY meal.

I suggest you read up on raw gather your questions up, and post away. Be prepared for many different answers, as how I feed raw and how others feed raw is very different, no 2 raw feeders seem to be the same, however we all agree on one thing, its the best food for your dog!

Here is a link I had posted a while back take a look through all the different links, and if you have ANY questions ( no matter how dumb you may think they are, ask away, I had SEVERAL really stupid questions when I started as well)
http://www.dogforums.com/5-dog-food-...html#post30330 (Thinking about feeding raw?)


Good luck and keep us posted how it works out!

[borzoimom]

I move back and forth on occasion from raw to kibble. Some because of traveling and worried about not keeping the meat properly refrigerated, but also living on a mountain- while we have a generator for the freezer, I have no way to keep something cold so to open a 10 bag -- wont work..
This is how you make the transfer..- assuming the dog is on raw- and the next day you have to switch-
* I give half a normal feeding of the raw the night before. ( no kibble). This half feeding helps to clear the gut out for the next day.
* am feeding- I give half the kibble I would give. Again- to allow the gut to empty.
* pm feeding normal feeding kibble soaked about 5 minutes in a little warm water. ( not too hot or this will kill the b vitamins and other water soluable vitamins.
I started feeding raw in 1984 with all dogs on it by 1991. This is what I have always done- and the same process in reverse when you come back home or if I adopt a dog that was on kibble..
* feed 1/2 of kibble what you would feed the pm feeding
* feed 1/2 raw I would feed am
* to full feeding raw pm feeding..
Hope this helps to explain it- if you have any questions- just post the questions.

[mrsd211]

WOW! Lots of information, you all are great! I'm definetly going to do lots of reading about it, I like the idea of 1 meal raw and 1 kibble to start off. I was very curious at how my dogs would take to it, so last night when I was making dinner, I cut off little pieces of chicken breasts and offered a bit to my older one first... she smelled it, backed up, very slowly took it, then ran off and tossed it on to the floor to inspect it. At that point, Pippa, the puppy, ran over to it and grabbed it. I guess that was the "go ahead" for Maggie because after seeing that it was indeed food, she then took her piece and ate it. I only gave them a couple pieces each just to see how they would take to it. They must have loved it, because they wouldn't stop staring up at me with a look of amazement in thier eyes. It was so funny!

[borzoimom]

No no. Kibble processes slower- thus the raw bones will get hard. When you feed raw, the gut processes the bone quicker and it passes- even making a stool that 24 hours later- looks white..
Please do one or the other. I do add 1/2 cup of kibble to soak up egg- but this NOT per dog- but the 1/2 cups is for all 4 of my dogs- so its barely 1/8 of a cup perdog..
Switching on and off raw needs to be done carefully- by making half meals for 24 hours- this makes the switch. Otherwise the bone as being processed slower- could rupture the intestine as it cant move as quick with the kibble in there..
Test this yourself- add warm water to a cup of kibble- note how long it takes to turn it to mush ( uh about 30 minutes at least with all but Bil Jac..- very scary...)

[Wimble Woof]

Originally Posted by borzoimom

Switching on and off raw needs to be done carefully- by making half meals for 24 hours- this makes the switch. Otherwise the bone as being processed slower- could rupture the intestine as it cant move as quick with the kibble in there..

When I am switching back and forth I do it with a fast. I dont like the idea of feeding both at the same meal ( raw and kibble) this worries me for the reasons you have described.
I have never had an issue with switching, I just switch. Its not done frequently though.
I was just wondering if you were talking about kibble and raw at the same meal with your post? Or if it was kibble and raw in the same day?

[borzoimom]

posting the link that explains it and why- please remember- this 1/2 cup is for all 4 dogs that weight over or close too 100 pounds.. http://www.dogforums.com/5-dog-food-...structual.html (Feeding raw- two instructual videos)
Since I have sighthounds and they can loose weight fast, I uh do not " fast" if you know what I mean..

[mrsd211]

I think I'm just scared about the bone consumption. I always heard that chicken bones, in particular, are bad for dogs. Would a small chkn. wing be a good item to start with? What about raw hamburger, is that good?

[luv4gsds]

Can you do half raw and half kibble?

As long as you don't mix the two together in the same feedings. Some pet owners do this but I think it is a risk.

Do you cook it at all, or is it completely raw?

If you are not welling to go with raw you can cook your pets food, there are cook books out that have complete recipes in them.

Do the chances of worms increase?

If you want to be on the safe side deep freeze the meat before feeding.

Can a puppy start eating raw?

Yes a puppy can start on raw. But it is best to minced the meat and bone at first and stay with one meat source. If you are going to add veggies to the diet make sure you not over feed veggies that are high in fiber for the first few weeks.

I have 2 Yorkies, a 1 year-old and a 12 week old, how much would I feed them?

It will depend on the activity level and their metabolism level. Since these are toy breeds their are prone to hypoglycemia, so you have to keep an eye on that.

Here is a raw food calculator.
http://raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm


I would keep there faces and paws cleaned after eating their raw. You can use hand wipes.

You also can join some raw diet forums. To help you get started.

[borzoimom]

Originally Posted by mrsd211

I think I'm just scared about the bone consumption. I always heard that chicken bones, in particular, are bad for dogs. Would a small chkn. wing be a good item to start with? What about raw hamburger, is that good?

Raw bone is harmless- cooked bone isnt not- the reason is because in cooking it removes the digestive enzymes from the bone- and makes the bones hard..

[CaseLogic]

After reading some of these articles, I've grown a bit concerned about the sanitary repercussions of raw feeding - i.e. raw meat on their paws/mouth/fur. Aren't you guys afraid of a friendly dog lick after them downing some raw chicken? Do you give them a hefty cleaning after every meal (paws/face/etc)?

Also I'd probably stick to outside feeding because I don't want them to drag the raw food all over the floor and have to mop every morning.

What do you guys do with regards to this?

[briteday]

I'm lucky enough to live where most days they can eat outside. If not, I set up an ex-pen with a plastic tablecloth on the hardwood kitchen floor and they are confined to that space. But fortunately, that is rare.

As far as bacteria from eating raw on their muzzle and paws, they lick their butts too! When my dogs are done eating they spend a fair amount of time cleaning/licking. Sometimes a swear they get another whole meal by the time they are finished cleaning their paws and faces. No, even as a medical person I have no problems with feeding raw and bacteria. I take certain precautions when breaking up cases of food to portion into smaller bags, I believe in lots of bleach solution to disinfect all surfaces, and I don't do the portioning out for the month when I'm cooking a meal for the family.

But I do have to say that both my dogs and my cat have short fur on their muzzles.

[CaseLogic]

Well that's cool, thanks for your input! I don't have a dog yet, but hopefully a local breeder will have a Corgi available for me in August In the mean time, I'm doing tons of research on different things, including food!

[Lizabeth]

Myths about raw feeding - http://rawfed.com/myths/index.html --Good info there, definitely worth reading. ( :