Pheebs Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 (edited) I'll preface this by saying I've read quite a few of the raw feeding threads in this forum and I'm still confused I get pretty overwhelmed with ratios, percentages and this that and the other. Most of the info I've come across for Great Danes relates to growing them slow as pups - Lucy is 5 today so not really relevant for us at this life stage. We've been feeding Costco's Nature's Domain Grain-Free Salmon and both outlets in VIC have sold out - and NO orders have been placed. As it comes from the USA, and then has to go through customs - it could be MONTHS until it's restocked. Not a happy camper as it means yet another rapid food change for Lucy who doesn't take to change at all well (not that any dog does). I simply can't afford other super premium brands of food (The Costco is $50 for a 15.8kg bag!) so am going to have to give serious thought to transitioning to a raw diet - within the next few days . I know there are a lot of BARF guides out there - but can someone please point me in the direction of one that's slightly more foolproof and Giant-Breed specific? I'm terrified to initiate dietary change as she's bloated on every single food except the costco stuff. Can someone please provide me with an exact quantity template for a Raw Feeding guide for a Great Dane? Prey model or BARF, doesn't matter :) In other words, talk to me like a total moron - I won't be offended and in fact welcome it Edited June 4, 2014 by Pheebs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I just follow the 80/10/10 meat/organ/bone (of which half of organ is liver). Then look at weight, either feeding 2-3% of ideal adult bodyweight or 10% of current puppy weight then adjust as needed. So for a puppy that will mature to 60kg.... Dogs Weight = 60 Percentage to feed = 3% Grams To Feed Per Day = 1800.00 Grams Per Day Made up of: 1440 Meaty Meat 180 Edible Bones 90 Liver 90 Other Organs Spread over an appropriate number of meals for your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 There is a great dane breeder that raw feeds on the "Raw Feeding NZ" facebook group - could be worth joining up and asking her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerB Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Providing an exact quantity is very hard as each dog could differ with what they'll eat. Disco's guide above is a great starting point. The one thing with raw though, is to ensure you slowly introduce each protein one at a time. Going from kibble, straight into a full on raw diet over night can play havoc with the dog. Most people start off with just chicken for the first 14days, then start an alternate of chicken and a new protein for the next week, and so on and so forth. Things like liver and organs are very very rich, so i personally stayed away from them for a while. Don't freak out when your dogs gets the runs once you start adding these for the first time. In my case, i also don't feed the exact 80/10/10 split every meal, but try do that split over the course of a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 There is a great book called 'Switching to Raw' which I've used to plan meals and transition my dogs, but I follow essentially the 20/10/10 too. One of mind is on 3-4 % body weight! the other two fatsos are on a strict 2%. Benny is on whatever I can get down him right now but will be on meat by the end of the week all going well. Agree that the organs are rich and mine turned their noses up at first till I heated them up. I've also found turkey drumsticks are popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Any chance you can get someone to look in Sydney and see if you can get a bag or 2 sent down to help ease the transition. I would offer but I'm not a costco member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I'm going to Costco tomorrow. Did you want me to check? If so, how many bags, which store and for which member? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheebs Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Thank you all! Will keep doing some research :) Brandiandwe you're lovely to offer, thank you - although I did speak with another Dane owner from the Canberra region who said she was notified it had been discontinued as they were still in negotiations with the supplier! Doesn't sound promising at all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Just as well you're planning on making the switch then! Let me know if I can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfect partners Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) I'll preface this by saying I've read quite a few of the raw feeding threads in this forum and I'm still confused I get pretty overwhelmed with ratios, percentages and this that and the other. Most of the info I've come across for Great Danes relates to growing them slow as pups - Lucy is 5 today so not really relevant for us at this life stage. We've been feeding Costco's Nature's Domain Grain-Free Salmon and both outlets in VIC have sold out - and NO orders have been placed. As it comes from the USA, and then has to go through customs - it could be MONTHS until it's restocked. Not a happy camper as it means yet another rapid food change for Lucy who doesn't take to change at all well (not that any dog does). I simply can't afford other super premium brands of food (The Costco is $50 for a 15.8kg bag!) so am going to have to give serious thought to transitioning to a raw diet - within the next few days . I know there are a lot of BARF guides out there - but can someone please point me in the direction of one that's slightly more foolproof and Giant-Breed specific? I'm terrified to initiate dietary change as she's bloated on every single food except the costco stuff. Can someone please provide me with an exact quantity template for a Raw Feeding guide for a Great Dane? Prey model or BARF, doesn't matter :) In other words, talk to me like a total moron - I won't be offended and in fact welcome it Kymythy Schultz has bred and raised several generations of Newfoundlands on a raw diet, as do a lot of other breeders. She has written a book called "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats - The Ultimate Diet' http://www.kymythy.com/bookpage.html You could try googling 'Great Danes raw diet'. I did that for Newfs and came up with a few breeders who had their diets on their websites. According to what I've read, dogs are less likely to bloat on a raw diet than on kibble and it is recommended to divide food into two or more meals per day. Edited June 5, 2014 by perfect partners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Just to update I was at both Sydney Costcos today and no joy on the food at either (was checking just in case). Also, if anyone is interested, no dog beds except at Casula. None anywhere else and none ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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