# Raw feeding



## JudyD

Well, I've dipped my toes into the raw feeding experience. I've been reading _Feed Your Best Friend Better_, _Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet_, and _Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs_. This afternoon, I gave both dogs a raw chicken wing. After many, many years of warnings not to give dogs chicken bones, becase they'll die a horrible death, I had a hard time not hovering over them, and I mentally rehearsed the Heimlich maneuver the whole time. 

Jazz ate hers immediately. Luke either wasn't sure what to do with his at first, or he wanted to take it away to eat it in private, but he was on leash and had to stay that way, so eventually he lay down and ate it. He's almost eleven, and his teeth are worn down--I thought maybe he couldn't chew it, but once he got started, it disappeared quickly. Both dogs let me take it away from them without issue, but they really, really wanted it back, so I held it for just a few seconds.

I've made them Good Girl Gizzards, from _Feed Your Best Friend_, and lightly cooked egg, a can of sardines, and some raw stew meat, all as treats. Now I need to get serious and figure out how to turn this into a full diet. Part of what stops me is the instruction to feed a nine month old puppy something like 4 pounds of food a day--four pounds? Mostly meat? I'll have to refinance the house...


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## Carley's Mom

I think some is better than none. I have two big spoos to feed and they don't get raw every meal, but they do it . I was just like you the first time (scared) and Stella did not take to raw meals right away like Carley did, but boy is she up for it now! LOL They both love their raw meals and I feel good about giving it to them. Glad to hear you gave it a try. It makes a huge differance in their teeth, so you can count less vet bills in the cost of the raw...


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## JudyD

One of the books I've got has a plan for feeding a raw diet just one day a week. The author agrees that some is better than none. I think I'll try that for both dogs and see how it works. My original plan was to leave Luke on kibble, since he's been on dry food all his life, but the more I read, the more I think it would be unkind to exclude him. So...we'll see.


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## Carley's Mom

When I only had Carley, half her meals were raw. Now that I have two, they get a raw meal 3-4 times a week. I have only had Stella 6 months and I can tell her teeth are much better. She had tarter and was less than 3 years old ! She had beautiful white teeth now!


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## fjm

4 pounds a day?! I would look closely at calorie requirements etc - I think even a large stamdard poodle would need a lot less than this, and even a diet combining meat, veg and a carbohydrate would be better (and cheaper) than many kibbles. It was when I looked at the meat content of the kibble I was feeding, and worked out that pound for £ I could feed roast pheasant or quail and still save money that I started looking into raw/home cooked!


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## JudyD

fjm said:


> 4 pounds a day?! I would look closely at calorie requirements etc - I think even a large stamdard poodle would need a lot less than this, and even a diet combining meat, veg and a carbohydrate would be better (and cheaper) than many kibbles. It was when I looked at the meat content of the kibble I was feeding, and worked out that pound for £ I could feed roast pheasant or quail and still save money that I started looking into raw/home cooked!


Sounds like a lot to me, too, but Olsen, in _Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs_, says "Puppies need to be fed about ten percent of their body weight until they've finished their quickest growth stages. For large and giant breeds this can take anywhere from twelve to eighteen months; for toy breeds, as few as six. Once their growth starts to slow down they'll transition to the normal adult food quantities--two to three percent of their body weight daily."

I'm assuming that standard poodles are in the lower range of the large breeds. Her parents weigh in the middle fifties, so I expect Jazz will, too, as an adult. She was almost five months old and 34 pounds when we got her. Now she's almost nine months old and weighs about 45 pounds, so, by that formula, she should be getting four and a half pounds of food a day, at least for a few more months.

At, say, 55 pounds as an adult, she'd need 1 to 1.5 pounds/day, and Luke, who weighs 85 pounds, would need 2 or 2.5 pounds/day, so I'm still looking at 4 pounds/day, which is pretty expensive at grocery store prices. I thought I'd found a supplier who could provide bulk meats, including tripe and organ meats, but he hasn't answered my e-mails. There's a farmer near here that I can check with--they raise and butcher cattle--and the farmers' market will open soon. Someone there may have something. 

Given how much both dogs enjoyed the chicken wings, though, I'm certainly going to do at least the one-day-a-week menu.


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## Angl

This is a really stupid question, I'm sure, but where do your dogs lay to eat the chicken wings or other meaty bones. I've been wanting to try this, but I have a horrible picture in my mind of Max taking a big old meaty bone to my carpet. lol


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## Carley's Mom

When I only had Carley she would eat her meals on a old curtain panel in the kitchen. But when I got two, I started making them eat outside. I tried to get them to eat on a towel, but they both moved to the grass... So it does get bits of grass and leaves on it, but so far they don't seem to mind. lol


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## brownlikewoah

You're over thinking it! Join the raw feeding and raw chat groups on Facebook. Also, you do not want to feed just chicken wings as they are small, very boney and can be a choking hazard for a gulping dog. The goal is feeding large prices of meat, so the dog has to chew and work at it. Also, the amounts don't seem right. My standard puppy eats about 1/4 a chicken a day, but she also gets organ meat, beef, pork, a little fish, turkey etc


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## LauraRose

brownlikewoah said:


> You're over thinking it! Join the raw feeding and raw chat groups on Facebook. Also, you do not want to feed just chicken wings as they are small, very boney and can be a choking hazard for a gulping dog. The goal is feeding large prices of meat, so the dog has to chew and work at it. Also, the amounts don't seem right. My standard puppy eats about 1/4 a chicken a day, but she also gets organ meat, beef, pork, a little fish, turkey etc
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I supplement premade frozen raw formula (Primal & Nature's Variety) in morning & GF kibble in the evening with RMBs. 

Besides chicken wings, since they are smaller, what would any of you recommend for a mini?

So far, I've also gotten her pork ribs, chicken backs & necks, & some hock piece. 

Also, can you provide links or names to the raw FB groups, please? 
Thanks!


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## brownlikewoah

The facebook groups are called raw feeding & raw chat, they are run by the same people, and encourage prey model style eating.


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## fjm

Dogaware, which I have always found a very reliable source of information, recommends feeding based on eventual adult weight - DogAware.com Articles: Growing Bodies (Dog World Magazine) - which works out closer to 1 pound a day than 4! You don't really want too rapid growth in a large breed pup..


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## JudyD

Angl said:


> This is a really stupid question, I'm sure, but where do your dogs lay to eat the chicken wings or other meaty bones. I've been wanting to try this, but I have a horrible picture in my mind of Max taking a big old meaty bone to my carpet. lol





Carley's Mom said:


> When I only had Carley she would eat her meals on a old curtain panel in the kitchen. But when I got two, I started making them eat outside. I tried to get them to eat on a towel, but they both moved to the grass... So it does get bits of grass and leaves on it, but so far they don't seem to mind. lol


I took mine outside, too. As much as I love them, I don't want to get down on my hands and knees to clean the tile twice a day or live with big grease stains on the carpet (which is already in a sorry state, due to muddy paws and drool). Then I had to put my hands in my pockets to keep from peeling the leaves and grass off those wings while the dogs ate. 



brownlikewoah said:


> You're over thinking it! Join the raw feeding and raw chat groups on Facebook. Also, you do not want to feed just chicken wings as they are small, very boney and can be a choking hazard for a gulping dog. The goal is feeding large prices of meat, so the dog has to chew and work at it. Also, the amounts don't seem right. My standard puppy eats about 1/4 a chicken a day, but she also gets organ meat, beef, pork, a little fish, turkey etc


Thanks for the FB info. I'll check it out. Yeah, the wings are pretty bony, and it's really hard to get the skin off, so this morning I stewed them and discarded the skin and bones. I'll try leg quarters next time.


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## CT Girl

I have Swizzle eat his raw bones on a towel. He stays right there, nothing grts on the tile. I then just throw the towel in the wash. It is easy to get him to stay on the towel. He is so happy to get the bone he will do anything I want.


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## Carley's Mom

CT, Carley would stay on a towel inside, but even outside Stella moves around. She takes longer to eat the meat and still doesn't quite know what to do with it, but she eats every bite! Carley don't mess around...lol


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## Angl

I bought one of the books last night and read most of it on my ipad. I was worried that my husband would think this was gross, but he told me this morning that when he was growing up in Taiwan- this is how his mom fed their dogs. So we might actually get this going in our house. I'm determined to do everything I can to prevent Max from getting arthritis.


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## CT Girl

That is great Angl. I really think they thrive on raw.


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## Angl

We're easing into this... lol Slightly frightened, funny how this stuff is ingrained into your brain..


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## rawdogs

This as another good site for beginners

Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats


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## sheilaamistone

rule is normally to feed a puppy 2-3% the ampont you would feed as his adult weight. we used to have an 80# high energy pit bull (ate 2 1/2#), 50# normal energy standard poodle (ate 1#), 3 1/2# toy poodle (eats 2-3oz), 10# min. poodle (ate 5oz), and 2 8# cats (each eat 4oz) all were on raw. if you have a Costco around you, that will make it pretty reasonable. our menu goes as this:
Sunday- chicken leg with bone
Monday- heart/liver/gizzards
Tuesday- chicken thigh with bone
Wednsday- stake (buy the cheapest cut)
Thursday- chicken wing with bone
Friday- heart/liver/gizzards
Saturday- pork (buy the cheapest cut)


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## Angl

sheilaamistone said:


> rule is normally to feed a puppy 2-3% the ampont you would feed as his adult weight. we used to have an 80# high energy pit bull (ate 2 1/2#), 50# normal energy standard poodle (ate 1#), 3 1/2# toy poodle (eats 2-3oz), 10# min. poodle (ate 5oz), and 2 8# cats (each eat 4oz) all were on raw. if you have a Costco around you, that will make it pretty reasonable. our menu goes as this:
> Sunday- chicken leg with bone
> Monday- heart/liver/gizzards
> Tuesday- chicken thigh with bone
> Wednsday- stake (buy the cheapest cut)
> Thursday- chicken wing with bone
> Friday- heart/liver/gizzards
> Saturday- pork (buy the cheapest cut)


Just curious what else you feed? Do you give supplements? I'm like a million questions right now.


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## faerie

brownlikewoah said:


> The facebook groups are called raw feeding & raw chat, they are run by the same people, and encourage prey model style eating.


and woe to anyone who dares to raw feed any other way. i find them way too militant and not very supportive of people who are new to raw feeding.

i raw feed all 6 of my dogs. i feed my smaller dogs (they are cairn terriers) chicken necks. bigger guys get chicken backs. seelie aka mr. picky pants has to have his backs cut into smaller sizes or he'll refuse them.

i feed different amounts based on what keeps them at their optimum weight.

my labx who is spayed eats 2% of her weight.
the terriers who are spayed/neutered eat 2% of their weight
poof an adult spayed female spoo eats 2.5%
seelie eats 4% of his optimum weight, but is still under his optimum weight. he's a young unaltered male.
fleur, a 3 month puppy is offered approximately the same amount as seelie is offered ... she sometimes won't eat it all, but she only leaves a few ounces.

my guys eat poultry, venison, beef, green tripe, some rabbit.
we don't do pork or lamb (i've fed some lamb, but usually it's too $$$). I have 7 pets on raw so i have to do it on the cheap!

i prefer feeding a bit of organ throughout the week rather than bigger amounts less often. 

i will offer grinds with bone in it and will also offer raw meaty bones. 

i don't do large hunks of meat and let them gorge. i feed 2 times a day. this works for me and my dogs. 

I offer some supplements including virgin coconut oil and wild salmon oil.


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## sheilaamistone

angl- the only supplement I give is they get frozen chicken feet as treats a couple of times a wk. they are supposed to have glucosamine/chondroitinin them. my vet said that as long as my meat/organ/bone levels are proper, then their is no reason to supplements. the only changes I sometimes make are sometimes I feed rabbit or fish, but that is only if I have free money laying around. with our newest dog, we are still trying to regulate how much bone her body needs


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## Carley's Mom

I feed my girl Wellness Fish Grainfree kibble, topped with Honest Kitchen Turkey Grainfree along with their raw. I feel that I don't have to be as careful and that takes all stress away. I feed chicken with bones, chicken organ meat, turkey, beef, canned fish,canned tripe, eggs, venison. I can't pay what they want for lamb and rabbit. I don't like the ideal of raw pork, so I don't feed that either. 
P.S. I give them beef ribs to work on cleaning their teeth. They love them. When they are meatless I take them away. I have a fear of a tooth getting broken.


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## tattoogirl73

i've found this website very helpful with feeding guides to raw for puppies

Feeding puppies - The Dog's Dinner - by Ann Ridyard

i found it very confusing getting tricky's meal sizes right when i started her on raw because i was used to feeding a large dog. when i converted opie to raw i was given a guide to feeding him by a fellow dobermann owner so was a lot easier. now i've got it more figured out with tricky i'm swapping the cats over too


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## CT Girl

I would love to offer green tripe. Where do you get yours faire? Are the coconut and salmon oil for shiny hair?


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## faerie

I purchase it from a raw pet food company. I get fresh frozen. It's stinky, (smells like cow poo) but the dogs love it.


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## CT Girl

Is it a chain? I would love to give this to Swizzle. I have heard it stinks to high heaven so this may be a case of watch out what you wish for but if it good for him I am willing to suck it up.


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## CharismaticMillie

I get my tripe from My Pet Carnivore. This is only available, I believe, in the Midwest, though.


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## faerie

I get mine from blue ridge beef.


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## Lene

OT...

About chickens.... In my younger days, the chickens we got were no chickens, they were fully grown adults with adult bones, and I think that's what give chicken bones such a bad reputation...

The chicken bones these days are soft, as the chickens are only a few weeks old, when killed.. From these chickens even the cooked bones are soft, soft enough for us humans to eat...

I give my cooked chicken bones to my parrots... they love them...

Storm gets them raw...


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## JudyD

Lene said:


> OT...
> I give my cooked chicken bones to my parrots... they love them...


I've given my cockatoos cooked thigh and leg bones for years. They crack them open and eat the marrow. I can't tell that they actually eat any of the bone, because it's pretty well shattered by the time they're finished.


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## CT Girl

Thank you Charasmatic Millie and Faerie. These are great sources but unfortunately not in CT. Bummer, both these companies look great.


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## JudyD

I can't believe this--I called a farmer here, who gave me the name of the firm that butchers his cattle for him. I called them--they will GIVE me green tripe and, if I understood correctly, beef hearts. For free. How lucky is that?!?


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## CT Girl

Very lucky JudyD. That may be something I need to look into. Not sure how to go about finding a beef rancher in CT but they must be around.


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## Rhett'smom

Try the bison ranch up in Brooklyn ct...they maybe able to help


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## CT Girl

Great, thank you.


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## fjm

Wow - free food! Although I'm not quite sure how I would cope with a whole cow stomach... Might be worth asking around to find other dog owners to share in the bounty? (And the cutting up!)


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## pgr8dnlvr

Can anyone help me? I've started feeding raw almost a month ago. Unfortunately it is a ground up food that when defrosted is quite soft. Of coarse, even with brushing here and there best I can my toy is starting to get tartar build up, which I'd like to nip in the bud so to speak. 

I don't really want to wreck the balance of the food, but I'm wondering EXACTLY what bones or cuts should I give and any guesses as to how often I would need to do it? I'm someone who can follow recipe or instructions to the "T" if given, but fail dismally when someone says ah.. just do it by feel, try different things. 

Can anyone help me?!? I was almost decided for sure on the chicken wings and the chicken necks, but then I read a raw feeding website that said even for toy dogs these are too soft and small? 

Rebecca


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## JudyD

I picked up five beef hearts at the slaughterhouse this afternoon. The tripe wasn't ready, but the employees said I could pick it up in the morning. They didn't think I could wrap it well enough to keep the smell from permeating the rest of my freezer contents, though, so I'll pass on the tripe for now. 

At first, I'm going to try the one-day-a-week plan from _Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet_. Besides the raw heart, it includes sardines, eggs, veggies, and fruits. I divided the hearts into eight 1.5 pound packages, which should provide enough for both dogs--11 ounces for Jazz and 13 ounces for Luke. I gave each dog a little piece of the raw heart as a treat. Jazz ate hers immediately. Luke mouthed his, dropped it on the floor, looked at it...so Jazz ate his too.


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## Carley's Mom

Judy, don't give up on the dog that doesn't know what to do with "raw". Stella was just like that. I kept offering her things and kept refusing to eat them. Then I hand fed her a cut up chicken breast ! SWeet success and then she threw it up mins later...When I decided to stop giving her raw and started only giving it to Carley in front of her, did she finally decide she wanted it. LOL Her first taste of raw was a stolen turkey neck right out of Carley's mouth... It still takes her longer to eat, but she is eating everything now and loving it.


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## JudyD

Carley's Mom said:


> Judy, don't give up on the dog that doesn't know what to do with "raw". Stella was just like that. I kept offering her things and kept refusing to eat them. Then I hand fed her a cut up chicken breast ! SWeet success and then she threw it up mins later...When I decided to stop giving her raw and started only giving it to Carley in front of her, did she finally decide she wanted it. LOL Her first taste of raw was a stolen turkey neck right out of Carley's mouth... It still takes her longer to eat, but she is eating everything now and loving it.


I think you're right. I just gave Jazz a chicken drumstick for dinner. She went straight to work on it and ate it quickly--no gulping, thank goodness. That makes me nervous. I went back inside, traded dogs, and got Luke's drumstick. He ate it, but not as quickly as Jazz. Then, they both wanted more, so Luke got a second one, which he didn't seem too interested in, until I started to take it away--he ate it. Jazz, on the other hand, went for her second one just like the first. Yum, yum, all gone. This is FUN!


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## faerie

Free beef hearts are excellent. Fantastic muscle meat!!!


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## Qarza

pgr8dnlvr said:


> Can anyone help me?!? I was almost decided for sure on the chicken wings and the chicken necks, but then I read a raw feeding website that said even for toy dogs these are too soft and small?
> 
> Rebecca


My toys are handling a chicken neck each with no problems. It takes them about 5 minutes to eat them. One of my cats also loves a chicken neck. She takes about 10 minutes to eat a whole neck. The other cat thinks it is all too much hard work.


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## Qarza

What I am really having trouble with is, I can give them a chicken neck every day and still leave the kibble out for them to snack on if they want. Is one chicken neck enough for a 7.7lb toy if they don't eat the kibble? Also if I just feed beef or chicken meat it seems I need only give them 1/3 cup per day each to maintain their weight. That seems such a small amount. It is going to take me some getting used to.


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## pgr8dnlvr

I know the toys should have no trouble with the chicken necks, a couple websites say they're even TOO easy to handle, I guess since your guys are done theirs so quickly it attests to that fact. 

For me, I really need the teeth cleaning attributes, so a chicken neck or wing might not be worth doing since it won't clean much or do you think it will? 

Anyone have any idea which cuts or bones I should try and how often to do it?

Rebecca


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## Qarza

I still don't know about how well the chicken necks will clean the teeth on their own. My girls have had dried pigs ears on a regular basis and that is what keeps their teeth spotless. They chew on these ears for over an hour every night.


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## sheilaamistone

my 3 1/2# toy poodle has no problem eating a whole chicken leg or a whole chicken thigh within 10 min. to start, you may need to take a hammer and crack the leg/thigh bone to expose the marrow until they realize they can eat the bigger bone. only took me 2x doing that before I could just toss her the leg or thigh.


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## LauraRose

I thought the thighs were a no-no?
Oh so confused. 


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## JudyD

This morning Jazz and Luke had their first complete raw meal, more or less. The beef heart, a couple of lightly poached eggs, a can of sardines, and some cooked carrots, apple, and banana. I figured the veggies and fruit would be a no-go, but neither dog left so much as a shred of carrot. They'll get the same amount this evening. 

This is a once a week meal, not intended for more often than that, as it isn't completely balanced. It's mostly an introduction to raw for people, as well as the dogs. I'm afraid they're going to be severely disappointed tomorrow.


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## CT Girl

LauraRose said:


> I thought the thighs were a no-no?
> Oh so confused.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I have not heard this. If you are thinking it is a weight bearing bone poultry does not count as the bones are less dense. I gave Swizzle a turkey leg last night.


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## Ms_Lucy

CT - I get my green tripe and organ meat from Tefco in Brooklyn. I think they deliver, but if you live close enough, you can pick it up like I do. Lucy loves the performance dog and the tripe. The food is very reasonably priced. Here's the website: Tefco.....The 100% Natural Raw Feeding Diet...718-745-5537


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## Marcoislandmom

Sorry I am so late to this discussion. My standard, now 13 months old, is raw fed and has been for 7 months. Her diet is really simple. She weights 50 lbs. Eats 2 lbs of raw per day which is composed of 80% meat, 10% organ meat (mostly heart and liver), and 10% bone. I add to this diet daily 4 pumps of Grizzly oil (salmon) and 1 TBs of Coconut Oil PLUS 1-1/2 c daily of raw vegi's. She also gets 1/2c cottage cheese each day and 3-4 eggs each week. I also add Ultimate dogzymes and Ultimate digestive enhancer daily.

I put her on raw "cold turkey" because she was allergic to almost every kibble I tried, even grain free. 

It has been great. I used a commercially processed meat mix from Blue Ridge Beef which makes getting the right blend correct and makes feeding easy. Venison costs me roughly 1.60 lb while duck is 1.70. On occasion she gets beef which is less money. She cannot eat chicken so the duck is one of the alternatives I feed. I may try turkey however don't want to rock the boat because of allergies.


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## Qarza

Bridget and Poppy have been on Raw food now for about five days. They have had a mixture of beef some days, chicken other days with chicken necks, or legs as their bones. My problem now is their (for want of a better word) smelly farts. They are revolting, not the sort of thing you want when you have poodle cuddling on your knee. Any suggestions?


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## CT Girl

This may just be that they are transitioning to new food. I don't have this issue at all with Swizzle. Give it a couple of weeks and it will probably resolve on its own.


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## JudyD

Since we've been feeding part-raw, I haven't noticed the smelly gas, either, although I did on occasion when they were on kibble only.


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## fjm

No farts here, either, except for when I fed them white fish. Next day was so penetratingly awful that I threw the rest away and never bought it again! If it doesn't resolve in a week or so, I'd try introducing one protein source at a time, and see if you can identify what is causing it. My allium imtolerance manifests in much the same way (I will spare you unpleasant details!).


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## outwest

There is green tripe in a can at Petco. You can also buy it online:

Solid Gold Green Cow Green Beef Tripe at PETCO


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## CT Girl

Thank you Outwest. This is great. I can't wait to get some tripe for Swizzle.


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## CharismaticMillie

If you're going to feed canned tripe instead of raw tripe, I'd feed Triplett over Solid Gold. You can easily order it online if you can't find a store that sells it.


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## Qarza

Good news. The girls have settled into their raw diet very well and I am very pleased. The smelly farts have gone. The food I am feeding them is a New Zealand product from K9 Natural | Best Raw Dog Food for Healthy Dogs-K9 Natural. I would be interested in your comments on what you would all think of this. I know it is not available in USA or it maybe. I was initially worried that it was all minced up therefore maybe not so much chewing for the dogs. I am feeding them the frozen meats, but will also get the freeze dried for when we travel and when taking frozen is not convenient. The girls have been having a varied diet of chicken, lamb and beef. The get a chicken neck in the morning and the K9 Natural at night. The company also has tripe which I have ordered. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to give me their thoughts.


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## Lene

Qarza said:


> Good news. The girls have settled into their raw diet very well and I am very pleased. The smelly farts have gone. The food I am feeding them is a New Zealand product from K9 Natural | Best Raw Dog Food for Healthy Dogs-K9 Natural. I would be interested in your comments on what you would all think of this. I know it is not available in USA or it maybe. I was initially worried that it was all minced up therefore maybe not so much chewing for the dogs. I am feeding them the frozen meats, but will also get the freeze dried for when we travel and when taking frozen is not convenient. The girls have been having a varied diet of chicken, lamb and beef. The get a chicken neck in the morning and the K9 Natural at night. The company also has tripe which I have ordered. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to give me their thoughts.


This still looks like a commercially produced product with a price to match ($10 per kilo)... For that price you can buy a lot of good quality meats...

I bought turkey necks for myself yesterday, but only 3 could fit in the pan... The 4th one I cut in half, and gave it to Storm... He got the other half for dinner today...

I talked to my daughter about the turkey necks, and she said, she'd never buy it for food, and for dog food it was too expensive @ less than $5 per kilo...

I also eat a lot of 'offal', like livers, heart, kidneys etc... and Storm always gets a bit, before I cook it for myself...


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## fjm

I buy mince especially prepared for pets - human grade meat with a proportion of ground bone and offal - at around £0.80 a pound/£1.75 a kilo ($1.22/$2.65), plus heart, kidney, liver and chicken wings etc from the supermarket for not much more. I did look at the premixes, but they were much more expensive. But they are, of course, very convenient, and it is reassuring to know someone else has done all the work to ensure that they are balanced. A case of "you pays your money and makes your choice", I suppose!


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## Qarza

I think I am lucky with toys. The amount they eat per day is so small. That means the price I pay goes a long way. It took me a long time to get used to giving them 1/3 cup per meal each. It seemed such a small amount, but then I thought about the size of their stomachs and didnt feel so bad. I will be keeping an eye on their weights.


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## faerie

seeif you can find frozen green tripe over canned. it contains more of the nutrients.

i've been raw feeding a bit over a year now and i'm getting more used to sourcing meats. i stand by my opinion that it's best for my dogs and cat. I go through a bit over 6-6.5# a day so i'm constantly doing what i can to cut my costs!!!!!!

we do beef (grind, green tripe, liver and heart), chicken (backs, hearts, gizzards, liver), venison (grind w/bone), some rabbit frames and offal, turkey necks and offal, and eggs. 

i will also give my guys wild salmon oil, virgin coconut oil, my cat gets additional taurine, and occasionally i'll offer some veggies to the dogs. 

I do make liver cookies with eggs, rice and oats ... but those are treats and i generally prefer no grains.


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## JudyD

Do you remove the skin from chicken pieces? What about pork--do you cook that? I gave the dogs raw pork neck bones this week, and I've been in a panic about trichnosis ever since.


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## CharismaticMillie

CharismaticMillie said:


> If you're going to feed canned tripe instead of raw tripe, I'd feed Triplett over Solid Gold. You can easily order it online if you can't find a store that sells it.


Oops,
Typo! Meant Tripett. Sorry! 

And yes, as the above poster said, raw green tripe is best.


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## Qarza

JudyD said:


> Do you remove the skin from chicken pieces? What about pork--do you cook that? I gave the dogs raw pork neck bones this week, and I've been in a panic about trichnosis ever since.


JudyD if you didn't I definitely advise you to watch the videos that faerie posted here http://www.poodleforum.com/32-poodle-food/36233-dr-becker-discusses-feeding-raw.html one of them (I think part 3) discusses trichinosis. I found those videos very informative.


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## JudyD

Qarza said:


> JudyD if you didn't I definitely advise you to watch the videos that faerie posted here http://www.poodleforum.com/32-poodle-food/36233-dr-becker-discusses-feeding-raw.html one of them (I think part 3) discusses trichinosis. I found those videos very informative.


Thanks. I did watch them (you're right, they're very good), hence my concern about infection. I had read elsewhere that raw pork was okay for the dogs, if it was human grade. Don't know what I was thinking--I've been exceedingly careful about cooking human grade raw pork for us.


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## kontiki

I always freeze any pork for a couple of weeks before giving it to Tiki, just to make sure any germs or whatever are dead.


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## Qarza

I was worried about the amounts I was feeding my wee girls so I took them into the vets for a weigh in today and all is good. I will need to watch Poppy though as she has a tendency to gulp her food very quickly and then try and steal Bridget's, if I don't watch her she may end up eating more than she should. 


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## fjm

They sound like my two, Qarza. When Poppy arrived Sophy made it very clear that she found being forced to eat fast under the beady, competitive eye of a poodle pup very stressful - for a while the only way I could ensure she was undisturbed was to feed Poppy in the kitchen, and feed Sophy in the sitting room where I could watch her while drinking my first coffee of the day. Poppy quickly learned that she was not allowed to steal Sophy's food, but Sophs still prefers to eat in a separate room, even when we are away visiting friends and relations. And if there is someone around to watch over her, even better!

I'm glad your girls are enjoying their new diet and thriving on it - it gets easier and easier as you get into the swing of it.


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## JudyD

CharismaticMillie said:


> If you're going to feed canned tripe instead of raw tripe, I'd feed Triplett over Solid Gold. You can easily order it online if you can't find a store that sells it.


I ordered a case of the Tripett tripe. The dogs split a can this morning, and it was a huge hit. They both loved it. Thanks for the tip.


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