First Raw Meal!!!

[cheekymunkee]

I give mine an egg alsmot everyday. How big are the quarters? A 50 pound dog should get around a pound of food per day on raw. Depending on how small the quarters are I some times give them 1 1/2 a day. Some I get are big but some are pretty small. I buy the bagged quarters, they weigh 10 pounds, I don't have a scale so I eye-ball the meat. Sometimes they get a pound, some days more, some less. It all works out. Justice is a skinny girl so she gets more meat even though she weighs less than Munkee. She eats about a pound & a half, Munkee a pound & Ollie 1/2 to 3/4. I don't include the "extra" in the amount I feed. I don't weigh the yogurt or eggs when I make their meals, I only really worry about the amount of meat they get.

[Magnolia618]

Sometimes they get a pound, some days more, some less. It all works out.

That's exactly what I do. I never weigh the meat anymore, and if I do, I'm always surprised at how much a pound is.

Sometimes they get too much, sometimes too little. It works.

Raw is eaaaaaaaasy once you get used to it.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Well, the two chickens were about 3 1/2 lbs each, and I had them quartered, so each quarter would average out to what, around 3/4 lb each? Inara is only 38 lbs now, but the vet is guessing she'll be about 55. Do I base her feeding on her current weight or estimated weight? That was something I was confused about.

[cheekymunkee]

Hmmm, that's a good one. I know with puppies you are supposed to feed 8 - 10% of their body weight but I don't really know for how long you should feed them at that rate. I would think until their weight & growth stabalizes. Since kibble is fed at the present weight I would think you should feed her at that rate as well. Maybe a little more since she is still growing. The amount that will change will only be a few ounces anyway so I suppose you could do it either way.

[cheekymunkee]

How's THAT for a crappy answer!! Since she is still growing I think I would feed her a bit more, maybe not quite at the 55 pound rate but more than she would get if she were an adult at 38 pounds.

[Magnolia618]

Also just watch her. If she starts losing weight, add more and if she gains weight, take some away.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Should we move this topic to the nutrition topic? I keep coming up with more questions every day! She's drinking less water now - can I assume that's normal as there is much more water in the meat than in the kibble?
I gave her a whole egg for breakfast this morning, but didn't crack it like I had the past few times. She was so freakin' cute! Wish I'd gotten it on video - she was jumping around, batting it around like a soccer ball, and just totally confused but intrigued. Finally as she jumped on it she actually landed on it with one paw so it splattered. She was quite pleased with herself. Thank God I feed outside now!!!
Thanks for all the help that's been provided here! And for those still "researching" raw (as I did for several weeks) I can also now say: JUST DO IT!!!

[cheekymunkee]

Yep, she's drinking less water because she is getting more of what she needs from raw. I went from needing to fill my dogs water bowls every day to every 3 or 4 days. I still replace their water everyday with fresh but they don't run out like they did before.

[pitbullmamaliz]

It's official - I'm a crazy raw chick! We're only on day 3 of raw, and I'm already wishing for an extra freezer. I bought chicken today for 49 cents a lb! We cleaned them out of chicken leg/thigh quarters, and also picked up three packages of hearts/gizzards for 90 cents each. I got probably almost a month's worth of food for $16! Our freezer is stuffed, and none of it is ours!!! We're going to be looking for an additional freezer...

I love this raw stuff! My hubby is even getting into it now!

[cheekymunkee]

[Purple]

Well, we tried it tonight, and NO SUCCESS......what's up with that? I bought drumsticks. Dexter ran around like his tail was on fire, whining and crying.
Sammy licked it a few times, Purple buried hers and Hopscotch lifted her lip and wrinkled her nose like it was the most disgusting thing on earth, yet she will go eat a poosicle. What gives?

[cheekymunkee]

Some dogs have to be coaxed into eating somehting new. Try cooking it just a little in order for the odor to release. After a few days of that you should be able to give it to them completey raw.

[Purple]

Will cook a bit tomorrow, then.

[luvmyangels]

I am going to thaw out some chicken thighs for Day 1 of Raw once again. Yes I know everyone has had to listen to me and I am sorry but I am really going to try and stick to it this time. Everyone keep there fingers crossed for me.

[pitbullmamaliz]

You all can do it! If I, the Queen of Indecision, can actually do it, so can you! As soon as you hear your puppers crunching bones, you'll be hooked! Purple, I've also heard of people sprinkling a little bit of parmesan cheese on the meat, and/or putting a couple slices in it to get them started more easily. And I believe the golden rule is: If at first they refuse it, put it away and they get it for the next meal...and the next...and the next, etc, until they DO eat it. THOU SHALT BE MORE STUBBORN THAN YOUR DOGS.

Good luck!

[Magnolia618]

I had a foster who would NOT eat chicken. She seemed disgusted by it.

First, I tried boiling it. She would nibble, but had no interest.

Then I tried putting cheese, sour cream, peanut butter, whatever on it. No dice.

Then I peeled the skin back and she nibbled.

After 4 or 5 days of barely touching the chicken, it finally clicked. She just started chowing down.

I had almost given up and bought her kibble, but I stuck it out. It was HARD, but after that first week, she went nuts for it. She was the PICKIEST eater when she came to me, and that quickly went out the window.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Inara is beginning to gulp her meat - I give her a quarter chicken now, and she'll eat about half of it properly, and then she gulps the last piece, kinda chewing it in her mouth, but mostly seeming to swallow it whole. Any suggestions for what I can do to prevent this?
Inara got weighed today and she has gained a pound in the last 10 days, 3 of which were raw days. I think she's right on the verge of ideal weight (she was getting a little thin when I switched her kibble), but I have a question: I've read that it's good for pups to be a bit on the thin side, but then I've also read it's better for them to be on the chubbier side. She's 39 lbs right now, and I think another 1/2 lb to 1 lb will make her perfect. Obviously I will try to keep her weight there, but if I'm going to err (and I will!) is it better to err towards skinny or, um, more rubanesque? Thanks!

[cheekymunkee]

I think it is better to keep them a little thin, but you would never think it looking at my fat dogs!

To keep her from inhaling it you can either hand feed her (it makes her slow down) or chop the quarters up in smaller pieces.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Her poo is turning white and crumbling!!!

[turtle]

My dog has been eating her raw in the mornings for 2 years now and does great with it. I did find that she does better if I cut the chicken quarters in half and give her either a leg or thigh for her meal.

She also loved deer, here is a pic of her chewing a big hunk of deer shoulder and neck, she is so involved in chewing it that she would not look up!



It was too much for one day so she got to eat a third of it and then I picked it up, it lasted 3 days and she ate all of it. She has a 1/8 of a deer rib cage thawing for tomorrow!

A small chest freezer is very helpful. We had a 5 cubic foot one and just sold it, and the 7 cubic ft one we got is packed full now! Check the local want ads and freecycle.