Discrete1 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Hi guys ive got a 12week old english staffy i brought him home at 10weeks and started feeding him what the breeder was feeding him. (Dry food with puppy milk) 3x a day... he never really ate much just grazed so the 3x feedings turned into leaving the bowl out for him to graze then mixing the milk and dry together etc. i eventually want to feed him dry in the mornings/mid day then raw at night eventually a full raw diet when hes an adult. After the first week i noticed he was eating less and less i thought he was just still adapting but tried him on some raw food at night and he loved it.... i also got vet to check him out again anyways and hes fine infact she praised us on his shiny coat and health etc but when i mentioned raw dinners she said he needs dry as its more balanced for him at this growing age... Ive now started cracking an egg into his dry food to get him to eat it and he will eat abit but once all the eggs gone hes over it and leaves it.... Now at night im feeding him 6x chicken hearts 3x chicken giblets 2x chicken necks (cut up) and 1x chicken liver all mixed together in his bowl (approx 80meat/fats- 10bone-10organ) absolutely loves it and his poos are solid and healthy so far....only been 5 nights soo far. Just want some advice on whether this is adequate for a growing staffy and any tips to make sure he stays healthy and gets the best growth in this young stage etc.. even if you know any good dry foods that you know some staffys love would be great.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushriver Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 If you want him to eat the dry maybe mix a little mince through. I would take away uneaten portion any not allow grazing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrete1 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 I tried this with some chicken mince i cooked up. He just picked out as much chicken mince as he could then left the rest... but il give it ago tomorrow with some raw beef mince. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodoggies2001 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 (edited) This pup of yours is very clever and is trying to tell you that he doesn't want the dried food. My boys went straight onto a raw diet from the time they came home to me at 8 weeks. If I were you, I would go to raw feeding forums and ask lots of questions about feeding and your pup can only benefit from it. Also, feeding dry and raw in the same meal is not a good thing as digestion for dry and raw is different. I believe there is a raw feeding forum on dol too. Edited February 18, 2017 by twodoggies2001 mispelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roova Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I was going to suggest he was teething but if you're mixing puppy milk through the dry and its softened then that can't be the case. How much dry are you offering each time? Also what is your biggest worry, that he's losing condition, or he's not eating as much as you'd like? Re feeding raw. I agree its a healthier option but you don't have to concoct you own diet if you don't want to, premade raw is pretty simple to feed as you can freeze the packages and defrost before use. I'm not sure I agree with the idea that dry and raw can't be fed together though, food is food and I would have thought no different to bone being digested with meat. Maybe you could start with 1/2 a chicken frame and supervise him while eating? The whole lot will get chewed and demolished with gusto Im sure. Its not only great for their health\teeth and gums but good enrichment (Don't be freaked if his poo turns whitish though, extra calcium can do that). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrete1 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 Yea i tried the mince mixed in with dry and he just looked at me like "wtf is this" then walked away haha. Yes he is a very clever puppy not only in telling me what he wants but even in training learning soo fast... i have been reading heaps of the raw food forums but most the things ive been reading are 6month up etc... i also thought teething which is why i was mixing the milk into the dry etc but still no luck and he eats hard treats, bones and chicken necks with no hesitation ... ROOVA i was giving 100g of dry per feed plus puppy milk or egg.... my biggest worry is not enough calcium / not a balancing his nutrients properly... and just worrying that 1 decent meal is not enough for him at this age (thats the only meal he is properly eating the hearts giblets necks and liver at dinner time he.licks the bowl clean with this meal) vet wanted me to move him straight to royal canin but given it was the only option they sold at the vet it seemed more like an upsell than a proper solution to the problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrete1 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 6 hours ago, twodoggies2001 said: My boys went straight onto a raw diet from the time they came home to me at 8 weeks. Twodoggies2001 Could you give me a run down on what exactly you were feeding your pups at that age? And how often? Soo many ppl have there own system/opinion so want as much info as i can get and work out whats best for my boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodoggies2001 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Discrete 1, it was quite a while ago now but from memory they were getting 4 feeds a day. There is a forum titled 'raw fed dogs of Melbourne' or another is 'The Australian Raw fed community' . They are very helpful in both groups and will enlighten you on how to go about it. I don't feed the 'prey model' but just buy their meat from my own butcher or poultry shop. I do give them half a hard boiled egg every couple of days and low fat cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt. Just to give you an example on what is best for your boy, I was pet sitting a dog that was kibble fed but with the permission of the owner he was fed the same as my boys. When he was picked up the owner remarked on how great he looked after staying with our family for around 10 days. His coat was shiny and his body condition improved markedly. The boy is now being fed raw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 If he likes raw, what about barf patties? http://barfaustralia.com/Products/BARF-Flavours/BARF-Varieties-for-Dogs.aspx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjosa Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 When I have a litter of puppies at weaning time they go straight onto a raw diet, starting off with top grade mince, then by six weeks old they are getting raw lamb heart, kidneys , raw or cooked chicken, I do not use chicken mince, chicken hearts, liver and giblets, cooked lamb tongue, this is basically put into cold water and brought to the boil that is it, they also get scrambled eggs three times a week, at seven weeks they get chicken necks that I cut into small pieces then smash them up, never feed a chicken neck whole they can choke on them, I also use Wellness puppy kibble, I have a fourteen week old puppy here now and the above is what she is fed and the kibble is not soaked, no need for puppy milk at your dogs age, I stop giving milk at eight weeks, up until then I do not give puppy milk, they have Goats milk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 My puppies are always fed raw right from the word go, with kibble as training treats throughout the day. I'd be wary of only feeding chicken though. A healthy raw diet needs a variety of protein sources. Lamb, roo, beef, turkey, fish etc are all very popular with my pack :D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrete1 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 4 hours ago, DeltaCharlie said: My puppies are always fed raw right from the word go, with kibble as training treats throughout the day. I'd be wary of only feeding chicken though. A healthy raw diet needs a variety of protein sources. Lamb, roo, beef, turkey, fish etc are all very popular with my pack :D I tried introducing beef mince last night to see if he liked it and this morning he had the runs... hopefully its just because its new to his digestive system also got some roo in the freezer i was gona introduce later in the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roova Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) I would be careful adding bits and pieces to his diet and having pup leave the kibble which is nutritionally balanced. If he's eating raw with gusto maybe try a premade raw which is balanced for you already or a combination of kibble\raw? If you create your own raw diet you need to provide a certain percentage of meat, offal, sinew, muscle, and bone. The percentage doesn't have to be met each day but over the course of a week (which is why premade is so convenient). While you're offering bits here and there and your pup is filling up on it, it will eventually lead to him being nutrient deficient. One of the leading causes of malnutrition vets see is from home made diets which aren't nutritionally complete. Edited February 19, 2017 by Roova Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrete1 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Roova said: I would be careful adding bits and pieces to his diet and having pup leave the kibble which is nutritionally balanced. If he's eating raw with gusto maybe try a premade raw which is balanced for you already or a combination of kibble\raw? Ive been trying different techniques over the last 2 weeks to get him eating the kibble but he wont. even if i mix it in he will pick out the raw and leave the kibble and if i throughly mix in the mince and kibble he just sniffs it and walks away and will stay away from it all day. Im gona try him on the barf patties that was recommended i just read up on them and they sound good. As for adding bits and pieces i need to add things to reach a balanced diet otherwise he will be only eating chicken.....and adding it little bits at a time i was told was best to help his body adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 5 hours ago, Discrete1 said: I tried introducing beef mince last night to see if he liked it and this morning he had the runs... hopefully its just because its new to his digestive system also got some roo in the freezer i was gona introduce later in the week. Go very, very slowly with the roo. maybe a teaspoon at first mixed in with the other meat. If he copes fine then 2 tsps next time. It is very rich and dogs need to adjust to it Maybe best to do the same with the beef if he didn't cope with a hope meal of it. Just introduce everything slowly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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