# Raw Diet Where Do I Start?



## LittleGracie (Oct 22, 2010)

I don't want to go all the way raw but I would like to give my dogs something more natural to them than kibble.

I have a 4 month old standard and an almost 3 year old cocker spaniel poodle mix.

Where do I begin? Is there like a weening time/ transition plan that anyone has used just like when you're switching from one brand to another? I don't wanna give my dogs upset stomachs


Any ideas?

Thanks!!!


----------



## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

No weening process really. The key is starting with one protein with bone in. So often people make the mistakes of feeding different proteins and kibble and this can cause problems. 

Here is a website that was recommended to me that really breaks it down and helped me get started. 
Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats

Also scroll into some threads here on raw, there is much discussion on those that want to feed raw and kibble. I feed 100% raw and would not do it any other way - it fits our lifestyle and I also feel if you can feed it once a day or every other why not every day? The benefits are astounding.


----------



## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I feed raw in the morning and a high-quality kibble at night, and found the following forums helpful:

Dog Food Nutrition Forum

RawPup : RawfedPups

I have also learned a lot from this third forum, but I never disclose that I still feed kibble:

rawfeeding : Raw Feeding for dogs and cats!

Good luck. Feel free to PM with any questions.


----------



## LittleGracie (Oct 22, 2010)

Thank you both for your great links, I bought chicken wings today just for them. So after some reading I may be brave enough to actually hand over the goods to my waiting pups!!!


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I feed both pre-made raw, RMBs and kibble to my poodles. I am about to switch to 100% raw though. It becomes addicting to feed them such a natural, species appropriate diet


----------



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Right after thanksgiving, whole turkeys get cheap ;D that could be a good start?


----------



## Purley (May 21, 2010)

I give my three dogs top quality kibble during the week and Urban Carnivore patties on the weekend. 

I just bought a box of patties and gave them a quarter of a patty each on Saturday and they all scoffed them down, even Sam, the fussy one. Urban Carnivore has ground up bones in it. None of them ever got in the slightest bit sick.


----------



## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Just don't mix kibble and raw at the same feeding. The body digests them differently, and mixing them can mess them up.


----------



## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Olie said:


> No weening process really. The key is starting with one protein with bone in. So often people make the mistakes of feeding different proteins and kibble and this can cause problems.
> 
> Here is a website that was recommended to me that really breaks it down and helped me get started.
> Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats
> ...


Do your poms eat raw, too? Just curious... we've been feeding Tate raw for about two weeks now (we got a GREAT deal on some meat with bones and rather than home cooking, are feeding him this) and it is hard to find good, solid facts about the amount little dogs should eat.

*goes back to reading the rest of the thread*


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Spencer said:


> Do your poms eat raw, too? Just curious... we've been feeding Tate raw for about two weeks now (we got a GREAT deal on some meat with bones and rather than home cooking, are feeding him this) and it is hard to find good, solid facts about the amount little dogs should eat.
> 
> *goes back to reading the rest of the thread*


Isn't it just 2-3% of body weight like with the big guys?


----------



## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

Spencer said:


> Do your poms eat raw, too? Just curious... we've been feeding Tate raw for about two weeks now (we got a GREAT deal on some meat with bones and rather than home cooking, are feeding him this) and it is hard to find good, solid facts about the amount little dogs should eat.
> 
> *goes back to reading the rest of the thread*


They do eat Raw. The amount should range between 1-3% and of their body weight and then a big factor is their energy level. Apparently our dogs do not require the higher end - so they range around 2 % sometimes less. 2 of our dogs got FAT the first few months so I had to cut back a bit for a while. 

I meassured the first couple of months and still do from time to time. Once you get the right amount for their needs, you wont meassure often. I got my scale at walmart for $6.00.

So if the dog is 10lbs high energy it would be 3 oz day total. Low energy may be 2 oz. 
Suri and Olie are both around 50 lbs - I feed them each 2% a day. The mid level energy. 

I hope that gives you a better idea.


----------



## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Olie said:


> They do eat Raw. The amount should range between 1-3% and of their body weight and then a big factor is their energy level. Apparently our dogs do not require the higher end - so they range around 2 % sometimes less. 2 of our dogs got FAT the first few months so I had to cut back a bit for a while.
> 
> I meassured the first couple of months and still do from time to time. Once you get the right amount for their needs, you wont meassure often. I got my scale at walmart for $6.00.
> 
> ...





ChocolateMillie said:


> Isn't it just 2-3% of body weight like with the big guys?


It is... 2-3 like it is for the big'uns (and it doesn't seem like enough at all!) He is supposed to eat 2.24 oz a day or about 1 oz a meal. All the calculators have a bit of trouble doing his calculations because he is small. I did buy a scale, found a great deal on it!

We're in the chicken only stage of raw right now, but I'm a bit unsure how to start adding other varieties of protein and organs. Where do you guys get your organs?

(I did quite a bit of research yesterday... and think we're going to try to continue with raw for Tate and eventually take all the dogs to raw when we're ready.) Maybe I shouldn't have hi-jacked this thread... hmmm...


----------



## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

LOL, I know the amounts seem small but very filling for them. From the site I followed we did poultry first, like you're doing for at least 30 days. This is best for them to adjust to the bone. 
Then we moved to pork for 30 days - when doing this, I fed pork at one meal and chicken in the other. The next 30 days we moved onto beef, we tried lamb, but the dogs didn't like it and its expensive here - so thats out. 
Our dogs mainly live off of chicken - all parts, Turkey, pork, beef and some fish. Sardines. salmon and canned whiting are nice quick fixes for the small dogs.
The livers don't come into play until after about 3 months of feeding the proteins. I use chicken livers from the grocery store that you buy in the little tubs and calf liver. BUT for the small dogs we have to put a sear on the livers in order for them to eat and Coco we have to help him out every now and then to get them down. The poodles love livers. 

My dogs have yet to eat kidney, brain etc just because I am limited to the local grocery stores. But I snag great deals on chicken which offset the prices of pork and beef.


----------

