Switching my crew to RAW on Monday ...

I've been researching this for a while and I think I'm ready to switch my dogs to raw. I've already found some butchers and have cleared out the freezer space.

They're on kibble at the moment, and the bag is nearly empty. It should last til sunday so my plan is to start feeding RAW on Monday. I want to switch them straight over because I know kibble takes longer to digest than RAW and I don't want them getting impacted.

Can someone just take a look at this and tell me if its ok please?

Ok, so for the first week i plan to give them chicken twice a day, and an egg and a few pureed veggies twice a week. On the second week I'm going to add some turkey in, and provided there are no problems with that, start introducing other meat and organs in the third week.

Does this sound ok? Is there anything I've forgotten or should do differently?

Thanks! :)

ETA: Are RAW chicken bones are ok? From what I've read all raw bones are fine as long as you supervise the dogs for the first couple of times, but I was told earlier that chicken bones are prone to splintering even when they're raw. Is that true or are they safe to feed?

Raw chicken bones are completely fine. It is best to give the largest piece of meat & bones as possible so they actually have to chew their food.

A good way to switch them over is to feed kibble in the morning and raw for dinner. I still do this for my three except for my day's off where they get raw for both meals.

Many dogs do completely fine with a kibble and raw diet.

So it'll be okay to give Bob a couple of raw chicken drumsticks then Kay?

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Originally Posted by ChrisH

So it'll be okay to give Bob a couple of raw chicken drumsticks then Kay?

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Yep! When my three get chicken they get drumsticks or thighs. I always feed mine frozen, though, as it makes them chew it even more.

It is perfectly fine to give drumsticks, but remember that weight-bearing bones will always be much harder on the teeth than wing bones or neck bones. When I feed RMBs, I look for poultry necks and carcasses rather than drumsticks.

Also, just because a bone is raw does not give it exemption to the dangers of cracking your dog's teeth. Just ask poor Gonzo! Plus, drumsticks are not of the proper phosphorous:calcium ratio, so if you plan to feed drumsticks, supplement your dog's diet with a bit of eggshell powder.

My feeding regimen is like Kay's: kibble in the morning and raw at night. I simply don't have enough time to prepare raw meals in the morning and it gives them time to digest and hopefully get rid of breakfast by the time dinner comes.

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Originally Posted by Giselle

It is perfectly fine to give drumsticks, but remember that weight-bearing bones will always be much harder on the teeth than wing bones or neck bones. When I feed RMBs, I look for poultry necks and carcasses rather than drumsticks.

Also, just because a bone is raw does not give it exemption to the dangers of cracking your dog's teeth. Just ask poor Gonzo! Plus, drumsticks are not of the proper phosphorous:calcium ratio, so if you plan to feed drumsticks, supplement your dog's diet with a bit of eggshell powder.

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Weight bearing bones are leg bones, but all chicken bones are soft enough for a dog of Bob's size to handle. Even pork bones are edible to most medium sized dogs. Beef bones and other very large animal bones are what you should watch out for.

Poultry necks are also about 50% bone which is most likely way too much to feed alone without risking constipation and, if fed regularly, impaction. Chicken necks are also the perfect size to choke on, and I wouldn't feed them to a dog unless if you absolutely know that they are good chewers. Wings also fall into the "too much bone, risk of choking" category. I don't buy either unless if attatched to a whole bird. The only exception is I did buy turkey wings for my foster puppies ;)

I believe Gonzo chipped/cracked his tooth on a beef femur or knuckle bone. My dogs also chipped teeth on beef bones (ribs), which is why I will not feed them to my over-exuberant Labs anymore. I would not hesitate to feed them to Mandy because she will strip the meat and leave the bones. I personally do not think it is ever a good idea to give rec bones ... their nickname is "wreck" bones for a good reason. A raw diet will clean teeth just fine without these bones.

As for calcium : phosphorus ratios, you are thinking too far into this. It is about balance over time, not within every meal. Feed through a whole chicken carcass instead of feeding only drumsticks if that is something you are worried about. But if you feed the right ratio of meat (~80%) bones (~10%) and organs (~10%) then you are your dog will be doing super :)

It sounds like you have a good plan! It gets easier once you start doing it, I was way stressed out about it for the week leading up to the switch and once I started to do it and see great results I relaxed a lot.

Jasper loves drumsticks, I give 'em to him frozen once a week or so. I'll bet Bob would like them too. :)

Good luck with your pups! I'm sure they will be beyond happy =)

I have never had a problem with poultry, as far as feeding weight-bearing bones. Even turkey. It's just with large weight-bearing bones of cows, buffalo, pigs, etc, that it can be iffy.

Gonzo did crack a molar on a soup bone... but I'm pretty sure that was because my Dad used to microwave them to thaw them. Also, because I didn't know when to take it away from him. Now, he gets soup bones (I always buy them only with lots of cartilege/fat/meat), but I thaw them properly and take them away after about 15-20 minutes. They clean his teeth soooo well, but I have to limit how often he gets them to be safe about his teeth.

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

Yep! When my three get chicken they get drumsticks or thighs. I always feed mine frozen, though, as it makes them chew it even more.

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Thanks Kay. :) Bob loved them, though he ate the second one way too fast. I'd already thawed them out you see, next time I'l give them to him frozen.