Raw question

CoverTune · 02-08-2010, 12:42 PM

I'm sure y'all get tired of these questions, but I really appreciate any feedback I can get.

I've been reading up on raw feeding since before I got Corona (3 years) and even tried (pre-made) raw with her for a brief period. It actually seems to me that feeding raw is likely more simple than it looks... maybe that's wrong? But if you're not having to balance every single meal, you can just kinda feed a bit of anything, as long as they eventually get something from each "category" (bone, organ etc), right?

Anyway, my actual question is this.. keeping in mind that I have two ~4lb dogs.. could I just buy a whole chicken and simply feed them that for as long as it lasts?

Obviously throwing in other sources occasionally is important (fish, beef, turkey etc etc), but for simplicity sake, would that be enough/appropriate sustenance?

dieterherzog · 02-08-2010, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoverTune

I'm sure y'all get tired of these questions, but I really appreciate any feedback I can get.

I've been reading up on raw feeding since before I got Corona (3 years) and even tried (pre-made) raw with her for a brief period. It actually seems to me that feeding raw is likely more simple than it looks... maybe that's wrong? But if you're not having to balance every single meal, you can just kinda feed a bit of anything, as long as they eventually get something from each "category" (bone, organ etc), right?

Anyway, my actual question is this.. keeping in mind that I have two ~4lb dogs.. could I just buy a whole chicken and simply feed them that for as long as it lasts?

Obviously throwing in other sources occasionally is important (fish, beef, turkey etc etc), but for simplicity sake, would that be enough/appropriate sustenance?

Technically, yes - it's enough sustenance. A 4lb dog would probably only need 2oz of muscle meat. I think the problem with feeding raw for small dogs is the propensity to feed more than you should because it's hard to get parts of a chicken down to such small cuts.

But back to your question - as long as you feed a WHOLE chicken including heads and feet and innards, that would be enough sustenance averaged out over the course of a whole chicken which may take two to three weeks in your case.

Nallah06 · 02-08-2010, 07:33 PM

Yes, that would be fine.

My only concern would be the chicken going bad since it would take so long for two small dogs to consume?? Maybe I am wrong here, but that would be my concern.

But yes, you can give or take with meals. Not each meal has to be perfect. Thats the beauty of it.

CoverTune · 02-08-2010, 11:31 PM

Cool, good to know! I might be able to try that..

dieterherzog · 02-09-2010, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nallah06

Yes, that would be fine.

My only concern would be the chicken going bad since it would take so long for two small dogs to consume??

I wouldn't worry about that. Between the two dogs, a 4lbs chicken should take about 2.5 weeks to tear through. You can either get your butcher to hack up the chicken into tiny pieces although that kinda takes away the "tearing up" action.

You can feed them once a day/fast them if you want to feed them bigger pieces. Small dogs often act like big ones around raw food - I think they enjoy tearing at things larger than their heads. Fasting for a day or two and feeding might be the way to go

CoverTune · 02-09-2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieterherzog

Fasting for a day or two and feeding might be the way to go

Would I have to be concerned about hypoglycemia if I were to fast them?

misty073 · 02-09-2010, 10:26 AM

I would not fast a small dog like yours. I wouldnt even fast my 13lb dog the most she goes is no food all day and then a meal at night.

Covertune you are very close to me and should be able to get a product from Mountain dog like I do. I buy a breeders block of ground chicken and bone, it comes in a box frozen with 4 packs weighing 4.8lbs each (its $23.50 with tax). I thaw one just enough to cut into smaller sections then refreeze it. It takes care of the bone part of my dogs meals with out me having to worry about cutting small pieces of bone (there wouldnt even be enough for them to chew anyways and they would probably choke on it)

http://www.mountaindogfood.com/ go to the resellers list and put in Salmon Arm...there actually is someone listed.

Edited to add* You can buy the chicken/bone in smaller amounts I just buy the big one because its the cheapest way to buy it and then I dont have to buy again for a few months

dieterherzog · 02-09-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoverTune

Would I have to be concerned about hypoglycemia if I were to fast them?

Sorry, my bad. A gazillion gazillion apologies - I'm just trying to figure out a way you can feed them RMBs. Ground bones/meat take away much of the benefits of an RMB.

Small dogs are the ones that need it the most since they usually have more teeth problems. My dog (12lbs) is fine with no food for 36 hours and I let him devour a whole chicken quarter. I guess maybe you could let them eat whatever they want and put the rest in the freezer for the next day?

misty073 · 02-09-2010, 05:33 PM

I still feed RMB to my girls, I have some beef rib bones that they like to chew for recreation. I also cant find it right now but, to split the amount of bone my dogs needed in a week into their daily meals was near impossible. And if I didnt feed the bone everymeal they had runny poop, and the meals with the bone were mostly white chalky poops.

CoverTune · 02-09-2010, 08:30 PM

Misty, I had no idea you were so close to me - not very observant huh! lol Do you feed supplements with the Mountain Dog mix?

Awesome information here, thanks, this is great!

I've given the girls a whole chicken wing once before (for fun) and they devoured the entire thing, so I could do something like that for the chewing benefits for them. Also, Corona is already only eating one meal per day of her kibble (her choice, we put down breakfast and she ignores it), so would probably be fine on one meal per day of the raw as well.

misty073 · 02-09-2010, 09:36 PM

I do, I add beef and/or beef heart, kidneys, chicken gizzards, liver (although I havent been as I have been using the dried liver as treats) and what ever else I happen to find...plus I add missing link suppliment http://www.missinglinkproducts.com/ sometimes I will also add veggies but not all the time.

Oh and a few times a week I add a salmon oil capsule...and tonight they had sardines

misty073 · 02-09-2010, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misty073

I still feed RMB to my girls, I have some beef rib bones that they like to chew for recreation. I also cant find it right now but, to split the amount of bone my dogs needed in a week into their daily meals was near impossible. And if I didnt feed the bone everymeal they had runny poop, and the meals with the bone were mostly white chalky poops.

I found the nutritional calculator and for Maggie it says 5.82oz of bone a week so thats less than 1oz per day and a half an oz per meal...to hard to measure out.

Kathyy · 02-10-2010, 01:37 AM

Max isn't a tiny dog but he is supposed to get an ounce of bone a day which isn't much. I can feed him bone 2 out of 3-4 days so to feed him bigger bits of bone. I can feed him less on boneless days as well to keep poop from getting too soft.

Chicken feet and sardines are my tiny bone days. A 1.5 ounce sardine would have all of 4 grams of bone if it even has 10% bone. The average 1.5 ounce chicken foot has about 900 mg calcium, just about what Max needs per day. Tendons and bully sticks are high in calcium compared to meat and seem to firm up poop for Max.
Bully stick
http://thedoggiebag.com/regular12bullystick.aspx
Chicken feet
http://web.archive.org/web/200610161...hickenfeet.htm

I also can offer big meals so he is full and only eats part of the bone that was inside the hunk of meat. I may be imagining things but i think he chooses to eat bone if he needs it now. Today he ate nearly all the shoulder bone of the pork as yesterday he ate a whole lot of boneless fatty beef trim. I am dreading the clean up from that meal. It rained, maybe nothing to clean up - crossing my fingers. Then other times he just nibbles the meat off and leaves most of the bone. He isn't a fan of chicken but sometimes he picks up the bony chicken first.

misty073 · 02-10-2010, 09:40 AM

I wish I could find chicken feet here. When I lived in our previous city I had seen some at the butchers and almost bought them...it took a bit of working up to whether or not I could handle and chicken foot hanging out of my dogs mouth LOL. But now I am ready and have not seen a chicken foot here ever.