raw poll

[anna_66]

We've been feeding raw for months now and never had any problems at all. Like everyone else has already said, just make sure you give the appropriate size. And with Bon, all his food has to be frozen or he will try to gulp even large pieces of meat.

Ok, so if I'm just starting out, can I give her just the boneless chicken, and give a big beef bone? just scrape off all the beef for now untill she gets used to chicken? Just so she has a bone to chew?

I know her teeth need cleaning, this rmb helps right?

I'm definitely not a pro here, but I wouldn't even bother giving boneless. With her size I'd just give her a small chicken (bone and all) or chicken quarters.
If your thinking like I was I thought they needed the bone all the time but this is not the case. The meat is the most important part of their diet.
If your thinking of feeding raw join raw chat. There are people with an abundance of knowledge on there and will tell you everything you need to know

[ashleycat]

I was thinking the bone might help clean her teeth, I dunno lol.

[bckrazy]

It is way easier to feed mostly Raw Meaty Bones, which is a bone (edible, which beef bones are not) covered in a good amount of meat. Preferably so that you can just barely feel the bone, such as in a chicken quarter. Much of the raw meaty bones I feed are from fowl - chicken, turkey, goose, & duck. Red meats (beef and lamb) are usually fed as a muscle meat meal. I feed pork pretty often as well, but the only pork RMB's I feed to speak of are ribs, shoulder and hock. I only use beef bones (soup bones) for recreational chewing, which is a few times a month at most, because they are not largely edible and too much gnawing on rec bones can be hard on the teeth.

Neither of my dogs have been sick due to Raw. Fozzie has actually never been sick, even though I definitely was not overly cautious about introducing new kinds of meat, and he went almost straight from kibble to Raw when I got him.

[GreyhoundGirl]

While we are on the subject: I've noticed lots of people feed raw. Why? I've heard all the great things. But wouldn't it be lacking some vitamins? Why raw? why not cook the meat? it would have the same things in it.

[finn's mom]

why not cook the meat? it would have the same things in it.

Actually, cooking the meat removes most of the nutrients and vitamins in raw.

[lv4dogs]

Yes, bones do help clean the teeth.
Although Anna is right, meat is the most important part of the diet, the do however need some bone & organs. Some dogs systems are more sensative than others. Therefore some dogs can eat a lot of boneless meat with no ill effects, most will get the runds though. But too much bone can cause constipation in most dogs.
I agree, I would start off with a whole chicken (remember to remove the bag that the organs are in inside the chicken) or chicken quarters, bone & all.

[lute]

i don't feed my dogs raw everyday. i do give them something like a chicken or a turkey neck and other stuff sometimes. i've never had problems with it.

[Suki Wingy]

I havn't tried it but I really want to because I think Niño's having some issues on kibble.

[BORDER COLLIE LOVER]

All my dogs got sick except one, my female. I did research, but it just didnt work out. They all got the runs and threw up. One of my dogs had bloody runny stools. Wish that didnt happen, i really wanted them to stay on raw.

[CathyBogart]

I haven't fed raw for very long yet, but so far so good.

Border Collie Lover: Did you switch them over cold turkey? Sometimes if they're switched abruptly they go through a "detox" period of a week or so since their bodies aren't used to the rich food. That being said, some diets just don't work for some dogs, and I think you're a great owner for figuring out what works best for your dogs.

[Vela]

Runner isn't a large dog, I would not start off with a whole chicken. THe easiest thing I started off with was chicken legs, not the whole leg and thigh at first, just the drumsticks. The smaller pieces are easier to manage and first until they learn it's dinnertime. I started out by giving my two two raw chicken drumsticks at a time for a meal. THey now eat thighs, turkey drumsticks (quarters are too big for them and they don't finish them and they are larger than Runner). You can give chicken and turkey necks. We butcher a homegrown cow every year so we have access to lots of beef, we also do the same with a pig every six months, but the only bones I fed are from poultry, and the occasinoal oxtail (much softer "bone" and they can chew that). I am not an expert but it's often best to start off with smaller amounts of meat and stick with one kind for a few days to make sure she's not having any reactions. If you start off feeding lots of different things, and she gets sick, it can be harder to pinpoint what cuased it. I also feed plain yogurt, cottage cheese, raw eggs. For red meat and pork I only feed boneless meat (except the oxtail) because I don't what them to break their teeth on the harder bones. I am hoping to get some venison this hunting season from a friend. You can also buy chicken and beef liver in the meat departments for cheap, I also feed beef heart from the store and ground beef from our steer. There are great ideas in the nutrition thread on the raw thread about what the dog eats each day but just start off slowly, add new things one at a time so she gest used to it and doesn't throw up or get runs. Mine never had bowel issues since I didn't feed too much at a time to start and took my time adding new foods.

[CathyBogart]

LoL, we had our first problem today...Wilbur got outside while Jasper was eating and stole his breakfast! >.<

[BORDER COLLIE LOVER]

thank you Cathy,
maybe that was the problem.......maybe i wil try again some day, i know it is good for them.