St. Bernard puppy on barf and raw meaty bones diet help

[big_puppy]

I just got an 8 week old saint puppy, wouldn't touch commercial food so I thought I would go down the natural way. 

I have tried reading up but the more I read the less in sinking in and getting confused.

dies anyone have a diet plan fo a giant breed puppy?

can I just replace the veg patties in the book with the "barf patties" you can buy at the pet store ? 

 

[Rebanne]

Please go back to what the breeder advised. You can really screw up a puppy's growth if you don't know what you are doing. Then if you really want to change diet research and research again before changing.

If I was this pups breeder I would be furious you are trying to change the diet literally the day you got the pup. Speak to the breeder, that's what they are there for. Help and advice.

[Dogsfevr]

Agree all this should have been discussed with the breeder who may be very knowledgeable in feeding raw if asked.Many breeders do feed raw but also expose there pups to a simpler diet to suit puppy owners so they have a choice 

Keep in mind many breeders also have in there puppy folders guarantees regarding feeding a correct diet compared to not feeding and not informing them.

 

But at this stage the diet the breeder recommended should be feed at this point unless terrible to ease the transition for pup and it's tummy ,generally people get the diet sheet prior to picking there pup up and breeders have discussed what/when and quantities .

If you truly wish to feed raw then you need to seek someone Offay in this area to ensure you get it right ,many will give there opinion here on what to feed raw wise but I would suggest someone knowledgeable in giant breeds a must ,stuff up your pups growth now and you will have a life long issue at the pups expense 

[Scottsmum]

Feeding a giant breed puppy a raw diet is very complex & as its been mentioned not something you want to dabble in if you're new to raw. 

 

If you have literally just bought pup home there might be other reasons it wont eat what you offered  (getting settled, missing its litter, new type of bowl... anything). 

 

Please get in touch with your breeder and talk it over.

 

Failing that,  you'll have to quickly become intimately acquainted with the needs of a giant puppy & nuances of nutrition for large dogs. 

 

Maybe looking for a community of Saint owners would be a good place to look (maybe Facebook).  But please exercise caution & research as much as possible. 

[Scrappi&Monty]

As mentioned, there are a lot of areas that can go wrong with homemade diets & pups, especially large/giant breeds.

You don't want to risk nutritional imbalances because so many health issues could arise. 

Speak to the breeder, and if need be other professionals such as your regular vet. Or you could speak to a veterinary nutritionist who could help you.

 

(I feed raw, but I have adults and I also still feed kibble) 

 

Perhaps the pup is not eating the food from the breeder because it is overwhelmed being in a new home, so maybe just give it time to see.

Get a second opinion, but if you want it might be ok to add a tiny bit of something on top of the kibble to make it more appetising sometimes. (Like a little bit of mince, or a little bit of natural yoghurt or an egg (but not very often), or some banana/strawberry/apple/carrot)