Question For People That Have Successfully Raw Feed Their Puppies

[Staranais]

For those forum members that have successfully raised puppies on raw food, I'd be really interested to know what % RMB you use in the diet, compared to what % meat (and other ingredients).

I'm asking about this as a few of the resources I've read recently (vet school essay...) recommend that a pup's diet be about 0.8 - 1% calcium, and about 0.7% P (a ratio of about 1.3Ca:1P).

Now, from what I've been able to find, apparently fresh chicken rmb are approximately 1.2% Ca, and 0.65% P. Assuming 100% bioavailability, that's 1.4 times "too much" calcium, and only slightly too little P, in a diet that's only RMB (I realise the pup would have other nutrient deficiencies, but I'm just interested in Ca and P right now.)

From what I've found, meat, egg and liver all have negligible Ca, and only around 0.2 - 0.4% P. So I guess according to the theory, at least 2/3 - 3/4 of a raw fed pup's diet should be RMB, and less than 1/4 - 1/3 should be meat/egg/organs, for optimal Ca and P levels.

But am wondering how well this actually works in reality, hopefully some of you who have raised raw puppies can enlighten me!

Edited May 5, 2009 by Staranais

[puggy_puggy]

Raised two rescue pups on BARF last year.

I weighed the pups every few days and made sure I was only feeding 10% of their body weight daily.

Breakfast & Dinner - consisted of approx 80% Puppy mince (minced chicken carcasses), 10%veggie/fruit slops (which also contain food processed eggs with shells & 10% full fat yoghurt. I would also add every few days some sardines, offal, kangaroo etc

Lunch - consisted of a raw meaty lambs bone

Edited May 4, 2009 by puggy_puggy

[Stitch]

I raised our Dobe puppy on approx. 80% minced chicken frames with offal included plus Vets All Natural mix.

He showed no signs of calcium deficiency, growth spurts or any other signs of either over or under nutrition and has grown up to be a beautifully bodied 46kg boy.

However, my smaller show dogs have had mixed results on this diet and I have identified problems with the high fat content, weight gain, colitis and also growth spurts.

Unfortunately I have had to go back to commercial dogfood for them except for the occasional chicken neck for those who can tolerate them. My Dobe boy continues to do well on raw.

[Staranais]

Thanks Puggy Puggy and Stitch!

Stitch, can I ask, how did you trace problems back to the high fat in the raw diet (instead of any of the other differences between raw and commercial, I mean)?

Also, why did you both choose minced chicken frames, instead of whole chicken frames - I thought one of the ideas of raw was that dogs ate large chunks of meat & bone to help clean their teeth?

[puggy_puggy]

Also, why did you both choose minced chicken frames, instead of whole chicken frames - I thought one of the ideas of raw was that dogs ate large chunks of meat & bone to help clean their teeth?

My idea of raw is that it is natural more so then the teeth cleaning. The lamb bones they had at lunch time were more then enough to clean teeth, give the jaw a work out & encourage fine motor development.

Puppy mince is much easier for a 2kg pug pups to eat then chucking them a chicken frame and much safer then chicken necks which they would try to gobble down whole. It also ment I was able to easily weigh it and mix it in with the veggies etc. Also easier to freeze up in daily portion bags.