Raw/natural Chitchat

[VizslaMomma]

They all get a drumstick for brekky, which I was counting on covering the bone ratio.

It should cover it, maybe add the liver at brekky with the drumstick

Just confirming, you serve the liver frozen?

I dont have fava beans as a side dish

[Yonjuro]

They all get a drumstick for brekky, which I was counting on covering the bone ratio.

It should cover it, maybe add the liver at brekky with the drumstick

Just confirming, you serve the liver frozen?

I dont have fava beans as a side dish

...with a nice Chianti :laugh:

But yes, sometimes frozen sometimes thawed. Frozen can be more readily accepted if the dog is a bit fussy with raw liver.

[VizslaMomma]

...with a nice Chianti :laugh:

But yes, sometimes frozen sometimes thawed. Frozen can be more readily accepted if the dog is a bit fussy with raw liver.

Meh, more fussy Momma not wanting to touch offal or liver

:laugh:

[Yonjuro]

...with a nice Chianti :laugh:

But yes, sometimes frozen sometimes thawed. Frozen can be more readily accepted if the dog is a bit fussy with raw liver.

Meh, more fussy Momma not wanting to touch offal or liver

:laugh:

I must admit, I don't like handling it either. Luckily my wife cuts up the portions and puts them in the individual freezer bags with the kidney, so I can be a wimp and just empty from the bag :D

[VizslaMomma]

[

I must admit, I don't like handling it either. Luckily my wife cuts up the portions and puts them in the individual freezer bags with the kidney, so I can be a wimp and just empty from the bag :D

I knew your wife is lovely.

I have two chances of Daddy doing this.

Both are no chance.

Thank Dog for rubber gloves.

[gila]

If you're struggling a bit with the ratios, there are raw food calculators online. And if you have an iPhone there's a free app called Raw Dog. You just plug in your dogs weight and what percentage of body weight you want to feed (usually around 2%), and it will calculate how much meat/bone/liver/other offal you should feed a day.

I find it easier to balance my dogs meals over a week, rather than do 80/10/10 daily. He can tolerate a weeks worth of offal in one go without a poo explosion, so i do one offal day a week. My boy also does better with more bone in his diet.

[juice]

I fed the liver raw and they ate it,( is mixed in with VANS to hide it though),i gave them another dose last night and poop this morning less firm again( it firmed up inbetween liver meals).

will continue every few days with just a few little bits added.

Edited September 14, 2014 by juice

[Yonjuro]

...just get a knife and make a cut in the chicken drumstick and push a piece of liver in the slit.

In many case...

meat = normal firm poo

bone = hard poo and;

liver/offal = loose poo.

So all three balance, but as Gila said you don't need to balance every meal and some dogs will handle a full meal of offal, but it doesn't sound like yours does. I would only feed the offal with the bone or meat meal for your dog. I imagine Vans plus liver could certainly cause loose stools.

Having said all that It still could be an adjustment phase :)

[JulesP]

If you are buying from the butchers ask them to chop it up for you :) I've even got them to mince up liver for me when I wanted to make doggy biscuits.

[juice]

buying it from woolies and I just slice it up.

should clarify, their evening meal is roo mince with vans, I am just adding a little liver every other night, alternating with egss, and sardines too.

I did get some kidney too this week, the hearts seem to make them all poo runny tho.

[juice]

buying it from woolies and I just slice it up.

should clarify, their evening meal is roo mince with vans, I am just adding a little liver every other night, alternating with egss, and sardines too.

I did get some kidney too this week, the hearts seem to make them all poo runny tho.

good idea the add the liver to the drumsticks tho, will give it a go.

I was given roo tail bones yesterday by a neighbour and they loved them.

[Yonjuro]

...even though hearts are classified as a muscle meat they are very rich so this can certainly contribute to loose stools. So initially you just need to be aware that these new foods may have some impact on the firmness but should in time be better. When I use beef or lamb hearts I use it at around 25-30% of the meat content. With Chicken hearts around 10-20%

Anyways, it sounds like you are doing a good job and moving in the right direction.

Another thing to try is salmon heads on occasion - very cheap to buy and my boy loves them - its mainly bone with brains and a little meat so just bear that in mind when you feed.

Also tongue is good as an addition to the meat content.

[juice]

where do you get salmon heads?

I shop at wollies, I could try the fish shop , do I have to ask for them?

[VizslaMomma]

where do you get salmon heads?

I shop at wollies, I could try the fish shop , do I have to ask for them?

Rouse Hill Woolworths often has the salmon heads, juice.

They have been out on the display counter anytime I have checked.

They were $2.49 a kilo lately. Richmond Woolworths also stock them.

Try Costi's at Rouse Hill too. Their price might be a bit higher.

As I am out and about, I'll update here where there are bargains.

:)

[Yonjuro]

I don't really buy much from Woollies, I get my meat from the butcher and fish from the fish monger as we have quite a few around where I live. Snapper heads are good too but I have no knowledge of purines and Dalmatians.

[juice]

I'm not changing my dallys diet, he is very old and weak, and on borrowed time I fear, so no point in upsetting his tum.

I do go to the gym at Stanhope which has a Costis ,so can look there, I don't go to Rouse much, too big. I will try my Woolies too, they seem to have days when they have lots of livers and kidneys etc, then sometimes none, perhaps I will ask at the meat counter if he gets them often.

[Jemmy]

Bumping this thread as we have made the switch to raw. I'm feeding a BARF mix and raw meaty bones. Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on mixing some warm rice or porridge through the BARF mix to warm it up? Luna doesn't like eating it cold or at room temperature, and I'm too afraid of warming the mix directly in case I cook it.

[Yonjuro]

I would think that mixing the warm food into the raw would have the same effect as gently warming the barf. Having said that I don't think it is a major problem either way. The nutrient loss should be negligible ?

I personally have no problem with making minor modifications to the raw diets in order to get your dog to eat it. The main thing that I think needs attention is balance and in your case this shouldn't be an issue :)

[BullBreedBoy]

The warmer you make the mix the more enzymes and micro nutrients you kill/alter.

My advice is don't let your dog dictate the terms of eating. If you want to feed Barf cold, then do so. Your dog will learn pretty quick if you give no options. Give her a day or two with no food and her attitude to eating will likely change!