Raw Meat Feeding

[Mas1981]

I am feeding my dog home prepared diet at the moment just to see if he is better with his allergies off kibble, when they say feed 2,5% of the dogs body weight is that only meat or is that meat and whatever veg etc that you feed combined?

[spottychick]

Sorry mas - I'm not sure what you mean. Who said it and can you give the context. I know I've seen something similar before but I cant remember what or where - I just tend to feed my lot whatever seems right LOL.

I'd guess it's referring to in total - ie with veggies etc but I'd have to see the comment in context to be sure.

[Mas1981]

Sorry mas - I'm not sure what you mean. Who said it and can you give the context. I know I've seen something similar before but I cant remember what or where - I just tend to feed my lot whatever seems right LOL.

I'd guess it's referring to in total - ie with veggies etc but I'd have to see the comment in context to be sure.

On the meat packaging it says if you are feeding a raw diet feed 2,5% of the dogs body weight, so far I am feeding my dog 500g raw mince a day and then a bit of veg on top of this he weighs around 33Kg. Was just wondering if maybe that is too much.

[spottychick]

Hmmm it's still a bit vague isn't it. Perhaps they mean to give him that much to eat in total - that would be my take on it.

I'm sorry to be a bit thick, but I gather you buy special "dog" type meat so that's why it has dog instructions on it (as opposed to buying ready-made BARF or human grade meat)????

But I think it depends on a few things. How active the dog is, how old, does it live outside, what the weather is like (mine eat more in winter because they use up so much energy staying warm - dallys don't have much of a coat) etc.

I think energy requirements differ so much from dog to dog. And I think it's more standard to find commercial food telling you how much they THINK you should feed your dog than it is when you embark on the raw food journey LOL The point I think is to work out what's best for you dog and that can be a bit tricky.

But you can get rough guides.

This might help

Food calculator

And this site might help too

Link

Edited June 3, 2010 by spottychick

[laeral]

I think that is total food that you give them, not just the RMB component.

My GSD gets 700-800gms RMB plus about 300g of vegies, yoghurt or sardines etc a day. Two meals a week she skips vegies and has extra meat or offal.

In winter I sometimes increase the amount she gets as she can drop a bit of weight as its cold up here where we live.

[cazxxz]

As laeral said, it's likely to be the total amount of food for your dog each day. Does the ingredient list include ground bones? If not, you should think about giving your dog raw meaty bones in addition to the food.

If you want to feed a raw diet, there is lots of information in these forums to help you. Once you have decided what proportions of each kind of food your dog should have, you can work out how much of the packaged food he needs.

Good luck with the new diet. My dog's skin, weight, and overall health improved significantly when we switched to raw, but some people struggle to get the balance right for their dogs.

[Mas1981]

As laeral said, it's likely to be the total amount of food for your dog each day. Does the ingredient list include ground bones? If not, you should think about giving your dog raw meaty bones in addition to the food.

If you want to feed a raw diet, there is lots of information in these forums to help you. Once you have decided what proportions of each kind of food your dog should have, you can work out how much of the packaged food he needs.

Good luck with the new diet. My dog's skin, weight, and overall health improved significantly when we switched to raw, but some people struggle to get the balance right for their dogs.

I do give him bones a few times a week but I have to be careful as he often vomits pieces up during the night that he cant digest. I have fed him raw only ( was doing a mix of kibble and meat) for a week now and it sounds silly but I can actually see the difference in him, appearance and energy wise, he looks way better, sleeps better at night and has more energy. I have also given him lamb heart, chicken giblets and lamb liver.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Mas1981

[cazxxz]

As laeral said, it's likely to be the total amount of food for your dog each day. Does the ingredient list include ground bones? If not, you should think about giving your dog raw meaty bones in addition to the food.

If you want to feed a raw diet, there is lots of information in these forums to help you. Once you have decided what proportions of each kind of food your dog should have, you can work out how much of the packaged food he needs.

Good luck with the new diet. My dog's skin, weight, and overall health improved significantly when we switched to raw, but some people struggle to get the balance right for their dogs.

I do give him bones a few times a week but I have to be careful as he often vomits pieces up during the night that he cant digest. I have fed him raw only ( was doing a mix of kibble and meat) for a week now and it sounds silly but I can actually see the difference in him, appearance and energy wise, he looks way better, sleeps better at night and has more energy. I have also given him lamb heart, chicken giblets and lamb liver.

It doesn't sound silly! I know that after eating dodgy food myself, one day of eating good food makes a huge difference to how I feel! It sounds like you're giving him a good variety of body parts. Now you can just watch his weight. After a while, if he loses too much weight, increase his food. If he gains too much weight and you can no longer feel a few of his ribs, decrease his food.

Are you giving him lots of kinds of bones, or just one kind a few times a week? Are his allergies anything to do with the species of animal he's fed?

[Mas1981]

As laeral said, it's likely to be the total amount of food for your dog each day. Does the ingredient list include ground bones? If not, you should think about giving your dog raw meaty bones in addition to the food.

If you want to feed a raw diet, there is lots of information in these forums to help you. Once you have decided what proportions of each kind of food your dog should have, you can work out how much of the packaged food he needs.

Good luck with the new diet. My dog's skin, weight, and overall health improved significantly when we switched to raw, but some people struggle to get the balance right for their dogs.

I do give him bones a few times a week but I have to be careful as he often vomits pieces up during the night that he cant digest. I have fed him raw only ( was doing a mix of kibble and meat) for a week now and it sounds silly but I can actually see the difference in him, appearance and energy wise, he looks way better, sleeps better at night and has more energy. I have also given him lamb heart, chicken giblets and lamb liver.

It doesn't sound silly! I know that after eating dodgy food myself, one day of eating good food makes a huge difference to how I feel! It sounds like you're giving him a good variety of body parts. Now you can just watch his weight. After a while, if he loses too much weight, increase his food. If he gains too much weight and you can no longer feel a few of his ribs, decrease his food.

Are you giving him lots of kinds of bones, or just one kind a few times a week? Are his allergies anything to do with the species of animal he's fed?

I am going to a dermatlogist next week with him and I think we may be given an elimination diet to do which is why I am not feeding more variety at present, I feel that he scratches way more on beef than on any other meat. His allergies tend to come and go and its really hard to point out what is making him itch and have very red paws which is why we think allergy tests are the way to go, of course a dog cannot be tested for food allergies ( that I know of) I suspect though that he is allergic to a variety of things number one being grass and plants and then maybe some dusts etc. He has a sensitive stomach and the only kibble he can eat without getting the runs is Holistic Select. I thought it was maybe chicken but I have been feeding him some chicken mince and his stomach has been 100%. His stomach is better on a home prepared diet, I just have to watch that he doesnt get too many bones or else he is guaranteed to vomit.

[cazxxz]

I thought it was maybe chicken but I have been feeding him some chicken mince and his stomach has been 100%. His stomach is better on a home prepared diet, I just have to watch that he doesnt get too many bones or else he is guaranteed to vomit.

Sorry to be asking so many questions. Have you tried giving him chicken necks or frames? Do they make him vomit? I wonder why he vomits because of bones. My neighbour's Golden Retriever apparently vomits after eating bones, but I'm not sure how many kinds of bones he has been given.

[Mas1981]

I thought it was maybe chicken but I have been feeding him some chicken mince and his stomach has been 100%. His stomach is better on a home prepared diet, I just have to watch that he doesnt get too many bones or else he is guaranteed to vomit.

Sorry to be asking so many questions. Have you tried giving him chicken necks or frames? Do they make him vomit? I wonder why he vomits because of bones. My neighbour's Golden Retriever apparently vomits after eating bones, but I'm not sure how many kinds of bones he has been given.

I gave him frames and necks as a pup and they did also make him vomit. This is the first time he has vomited on roo bones he used to be ok with them. I am thinking of buying him some turkey necks and frames which have been minced, that way he gets the bones but then he wont vomit.

[Caesars mum]

does he scoff his bones down quickly as this may be the problem.

if that is a possible cause try freezing chicken frames and giving them to him frozen so he has to weat it more slowly.

[Mas1981]

does he scoff his bones down quickly as this may be the problem.

if that is a possible cause try freezing chicken frames and giving them to him frozen so he has to weat it more slowly.

No he actually eats them quite slowly I think he just maybe cant digest them properly, he is a problem child.