Recommendations on how to start with rawfeeding

RiiSi

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My bullies get their veggies pureed and frozen with every meal, no problems. That is the only way they can take any benefit from them. If you feed them in pieces you will find out that they come out basicly undigested. I also would not give cows milk.
 

raghu

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Jan 7, 2015
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As Riikka/RiiSi points out, the switch to raw can be cold turkey or gradual. You need trial and error to figure out what works and what does not.
Cheers,
Raghu
 

Michael Colosimo

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Nov 16, 2015
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Recommendations on how to start with rawfeeding

1. Generally, you should feed 2-3% of your dogā€™s ideal adult body weight. Those that may need more are those that are either pregnant, puppies tiny/toy or very active dogs where 4-5% is recommended. Since adult bulldogs are less active, you may find that you can feed less than 2% body weight.

2. If you are unsure of your pupā€™s adult weight, go by the weight of their parents or the average breed weight. Note that it is better to feed a little less in the beginning than feed more as this will avoid cannon butt and runny stools.

3. Generally, the 80-10-10 is followed.
  • 80% meat (muscle meat, heart, gizzards, tongue, etc.)
  • 10% bone
  • 10% organs, max 5% liver as it is too rich (pancreas, liver, spleen, trachea, esophagus, thymus, etc.)

4. ā€œBalance over timeā€. You do not need to go through the trouble and follow the 80-10-10 rule daily, rather, it should be over weeks and even months. In the wild, wolves will eat different parts of a large animal over days, some getting more muscle, while those at the bottom of the chain will only get the leftovers such as the organs.

5. Runny poop is different from diarrhea. The latter is very liquid, watery explosions that are caused by disease or parasites. Tips to avoid runny poops:

  • Decrease the total amount of food
  • Increase the bone content
  • Increase the length of new meat intro
  • Cut off the fatty parts of the meat and save it for later
  • Introduce organs last

6. Never feed beef bones and weight bearing bones of large animals as they are too dense and will only sit in your bullyā€™s stomach. They are also tooth breakers. For my bullies, I avoid beef and pork bones to be safe but some here feed some parts such as riblets. Again, please research or ask before feeding anything suspicious.

7. A lot of the nutrients disappear when you cook food. But it's not an uncommon practice. But remember that IT IS DANGEROUS TO GIVE OUR DOGS COOKED BONE. That's where people get confused. Cooking causes them to become brittle and splinter.

8. At first, buy an inexpensive meat scale and weigh the daily portions. As time passes, youā€™ll find that you wonā€™t need to continue to weigh and go by how your pup is doing.

9. Unlike switching kibbles where thereā€™s a transition period, your dog can quit kibble cold turkey and start the raw diet immediately.

10. In the beginning, offer 2 meals a day for an adult dog, 3 meals for a pup under six months old, 4 meals for those that are under 4 months old and for tiny dogs. Once they are an adult (with the exception of toy/tiny dogs), you should be able to feed only once a day. Some owners recommend feeding at least twice a day for larger breeds such as great danes.

11. Feed larger sized meat pieces. Avoid cutting them into smaller chunks or grinding them. By allowing your bully to chew, paw and work through the meat, he will get physical, mental and dental satisfaction. HOWEVER, most rawfeeders avoid giving pieces that are as big as their dogā€™s head. They consider these to be choking hazards as they are small enough to swallow whole and big enough to get stuck in the throat. Since our bulldogs tend to have bigger heads, the size range that I avoid is anything from as small as my fist (or half a fist for most guys) to the size of a chicken leg. I cut up any pieces in this range. Again, ā€œKnow Thy Dogā€ ā€¦ IF IN DOUBT, CUT IT UP!

12. Itā€™s normal for your bully to regurgitate their food now and again. They will re-eat it after more crunching and chewing.


13. Give 1 protein for at least one or two weeks, then introduce another after. Some owners do a transition period where they would add small pieces of the new to the old and gradually increase the new as the days pass.

14. Read labels of all the protein you purchase. All meats must not be enhanced, flavoured, seasoned, etc and the sodium content must not exceed 100mg./4oz. Note that it is U.S. regulation that chicken cannot be enhanced.

15. Bone is commonly used to control poop consistency. The more bone, the firmer the stool. In the beginning, it is suggested that you sway from the 80-10-10 rule until you and your bully find the best ratio. If you find that he has dry fossil poop, decrease the amount of bone, if it is runny or too soft, increase. As weeks pass, you may find that your bully can handle a boneless meal now and again.

16. Most owners start with chicken as it is one of the cheaper meats, easy to obtain and bland as a protein. I started my bully with a chicken back. Some members here started with a leg quarter. Note that a leg quarter has 30% bone. You can also trim off the fats and skin to start to avoid runny stools.

17. Do not be surprised if your bully poops or vomits small bone pieces from the previous meal in the beginning. Again, his stomach needs to go through an adjustment period and the occurrence should decrease or cease eventually.

18. It is also not uncommon for them to vomit bile. The reasoning is similar to the above, especially if you decrease the amount of daily feedings.

19. Rawfed dogs drink less water than kibble fed dogs as they get some of the intake from the meat.

20. If after reading this you have more questions. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK. Knowledge is power ā€¦ and for this instance, itā€™s for safety.

Hi there. I was reading your post...great info. I went to the BARF website and saw they offer the product. Is that something worth considering? I assume it's probably more expensive than the do it your self method. Love to hear your input.

Thanks,
Michael
 
OP
izstigspunks

izstigspunks

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Which product are you speaking about? A pre-made patty? If so, there are plenty of other suppliers that may be closer to you.

Hi there. I was reading your post...great info. I went to the BARF website and saw they offer the product. Is that something worth considering? I assume it's probably more expensive than the do it your self method. Love to hear your input.

Thanks,
Michael
 

Michael Colosimo

New member
Nov 16, 2015
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Which product are you speaking about? A pre-made patty? If so, there are plenty of other suppliers that may be closer to you.

Yes - It looks like they are sold in 6lb packages each with 12-8oz patties. Do you know of any suppliers in the Columbus Ohio area that you would recommend?

Thanks!
 
OP
izstigspunks

izstigspunks

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Sep 16, 2010
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  • #36
I find that reading online reviews is best when it comes to choosing suppliers that have an online presence. I don't know any suppliers in the Ohio area, but I quickly googled 'barf ohio' and came upon several websites.

You're also able to compare the different prices, and find that sourcing from different suppliers may be best because each may carry differing items.
 

Michael Colosimo

New member
Nov 16, 2015
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0
Your dog is 6 months old. Old enough to take raw. The guideline ratio is 80:10:10 or 75:15:10 of meat : bone : organ
Amount to feed is 2-3% of expected adult body weight per day (split over 2-3 meals)

Start out simple. Chicken is a good protein to start with.
Feed chicken back/breast/neck with bone (large enough pieces to discourage gulping). After the pup figures it out, introduce legs.
I would not give legs unsupervised till about a year. EBs are greedy and gulp food.
You can however hand hold the leg and encourage your pup to tear meat and chew bone.
Introduce organs (liver/heart/etc) slowly; these usually cause runny stools the first few times.
With skin chicken is good once in a while (once a week at most). Most of the fat resides beneath the skin.
3-5 boiled eggs a week is good for your dog, as long as it can handle it.

After your pup stabilizes on chicken, try turkey, beef, lamb or any other meat that you can procure from a trusted source.
Follow the same regimen, except no beef/lamb bones. They are way too hard for dogs and EBs in particular; will break teeth and choking hazard.

Rice/pasta/veggies/fruits are optional. I do feed these occasionally.
The trick is not to feed with the meal which contains raw meat. Plant matter takes longer to digest than animal products.
I feed veggies/fruits as a side snack. Mostly given because of the drooling dogs. The moment I reach out for a banana or apple or orange, my mutts are in front of me drooling.
So they get a small amount.
Rice and pasta need to be cooked well; in fact overcooked is better than under cooked. With rice I usually give yogurt. Pasta is plain; no sauce; sometimes with watered down milk.
These are usually a meal without any meat/eggs in it and most often at dinner. Gives a longer time for digestion.

Cheers,
Raghu

I read where eggs are not boiled. Just right from the container. Thought I would pass it along. Thanks
 

raghu

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I read where eggs are not boiled. Just right from the container. Thought I would pass it along. Thanks

I do feed eggs raw and cooked (boiled/scrambled).
The reason I prefer boiled egg is my EB makes a mess of it when eating it raw.
Extra cleaning work for me.

Cheers,
Raghu
 

Evilo

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Nov 10, 2015
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My ladies did have a little runs problem, but for only a day or two. That was last year. Do the transition cold turkey (pun!) on the weekend. I started with chicken legs. Canned pumpkin is supposed to help with diarrhea. Give a teaspoon on a spoon.
I'm still considering raw for my bulldog, I am going to try Orijen puppy first but should that not be good for him I'm going to go to raw. When you say started with chicken legs can I ask how many a day? And how long were they just on chicken before moving to other meats and offal?
 

Evilo

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Nov 10, 2015
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Leitrim, Ireland
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George Bentley
Your dog is 6 months old. Old enough to take raw. The guideline ratio is 80:10:10 or 75:15:10 of meat : bone : organ
Amount to feed is 2-3% of expected adult body weight per day (split over 2-3 meals)

Start out simple. Chicken is a good protein to start with.
Feed chicken back/breast/neck with bone (large enough pieces to discourage gulping). After the pup figures it out, introduce legs.
I would not give legs unsupervised till about a year. EBs are greedy and gulp food.
You can however hand hold the leg and encourage your pup to tear meat and chew bone.
Introduce organs (liver/heart/etc) slowly; these usually cause runny stools the first few times.
With skin chicken is good once in a while (once a week at most). Most of the fat resides beneath the skin.
3-5 boiled eggs a week is good for your dog, as long as it can handle it.

After your pup stabilizes on chicken, try turkey, beef, lamb or any other meat that you can procure from a trusted source.
Follow the same regimen, except no beef/lamb bones. They are way too hard for dogs and EBs in particular; will break teeth and choking hazard.

Rice/pasta/veggies/fruits are optional. I do feed these occasionally.
The trick is not to feed with the meal which contains raw meat. Plant matter takes longer to digest than animal products.
I feed veggies/fruits as a side snack. Mostly given because of the drooling dogs. The moment I reach out for a banana or apple or orange, my mutts are in front of me drooling.
So they get a small amount.
Rice and pasta need to be cooked well; in fact overcooked is better than under cooked. With rice I usually give yogurt. Pasta is plain; no sauce; sometimes with watered down milk.
These are usually a meal without any meat/eggs in it and most often at dinner. Gives a longer time for digestion.

Cheers,
Raghu

Thanks this has been very helpful I reckon I will try this very soon.
Yes my bully sure does gulp so I will have to watch him carefully.
 

Evilo

New member
Nov 10, 2015
339
8
Leitrim, Ireland
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George Bentley
Recommendations on how to start with rawfeeding

1. Generally, you should feed 2-3% of your dogā€™s ideal adult body weight. Those that may need more are those that are either pregnant, puppies tiny/toy or very active dogs where 4-5% is recommended. Since adult bulldogs are less active, you may find that you can feed less than 2% body weight.

2. If you are unsure of your pupā€™s adult weight, go by the weight of their parents or the average breed weight. Note that it is better to feed a little less in the beginning than feed more as this will avoid cannon butt and runny stools.

3. Generally, the 80-10-10 is followed.
  • 80% meat (muscle meat, heart, gizzards, tongue, etc.)
  • 10% bone
  • 10% organs, max 5% liver as it is too rich (pancreas, liver, spleen, trachea, esophagus, thymus, etc.)

4. ā€œBalance over timeā€. You do not need to go through the trouble and follow the 80-10-10 rule daily, rather, it should be over weeks and even months. In the wild, wolves will eat different parts of a large animal over days, some getting more muscle, while those at the bottom of the chain will only get the leftovers such as the organs.

5. Runny poop is different from diarrhea. The latter is very liquid, watery explosions that are caused by disease or parasites. Tips to avoid runny poops:

  • Decrease the total amount of food
  • Increase the bone content
  • Increase the length of new meat intro
  • Cut off the fatty parts of the meat and save it for later
  • Introduce organs last

6. Never feed beef bones and weight bearing bones of large animals as they are too dense and will only sit in your bullyā€™s stomach. They are also tooth breakers. For my bullies, I avoid beef and pork bones to be safe but some here feed some parts such as riblets. Again, please research or ask before feeding anything suspicious.

7. A lot of the nutrients disappear when you cook food. But it's not an uncommon practice. But remember that IT IS DANGEROUS TO GIVE OUR DOGS COOKED BONE. That's where people get confused. Cooking causes them to become brittle and splinter.

8. At first, buy an inexpensive meat scale and weigh the daily portions. As time passes, youā€™ll find that you wonā€™t need to continue to weigh and go by how your pup is doing.

9. Unlike switching kibbles where thereā€™s a transition period, your dog can quit kibble cold turkey and start the raw diet immediately.

10. In the beginning, offer 2 meals a day for an adult dog, 3 meals for a pup under six months old, 4 meals for those that are under 4 months old and for tiny dogs. Once they are an adult (with the exception of toy/tiny dogs), you should be able to feed only once a day. Some owners recommend feeding at least twice a day for larger breeds such as great danes.

11. Feed larger sized meat pieces. Avoid cutting them into smaller chunks or grinding them. By allowing your bully to chew, paw and work through the meat, he will get physical, mental and dental satisfaction. HOWEVER, most rawfeeders avoid giving pieces that are as big as their dogā€™s head. They consider these to be choking hazards as they are small enough to swallow whole and big enough to get stuck in the throat. Since our bulldogs tend to have bigger heads, the size range that I avoid is anything from as small as my fist (or half a fist for most guys) to the size of a chicken leg. I cut up any pieces in this range. Again, ā€œKnow Thy Dogā€ ā€¦ IF IN DOUBT, CUT IT UP!

12. Itā€™s normal for your bully to regurgitate their food now and again. They will re-eat it after more crunching and chewing.


13. Give 1 protein for at least one or two weeks, then introduce another after. Some owners do a transition period where they would add small pieces of the new to the old and gradually increase the new as the days pass.

14. Read labels of all the protein you purchase. All meats must not be enhanced, flavoured, seasoned, etc and the sodium content must not exceed 100mg./4oz. Note that it is U.S. regulation that chicken cannot be enhanced.

15. Bone is commonly used to control poop consistency. The more bone, the firmer the stool. In the beginning, it is suggested that you sway from the 80-10-10 rule until you and your bully find the best ratio. If you find that he has dry fossil poop, decrease the amount of bone, if it is runny or too soft, increase. As weeks pass, you may find that your bully can handle a boneless meal now and again.

16. Most owners start with chicken as it is one of the cheaper meats, easy to obtain and bland as a protein. I started my bully with a chicken back. Some members here started with a leg quarter. Note that a leg quarter has 30% bone. You can also trim off the fats and skin to start to avoid runny stools.

17. Do not be surprised if your bully poops or vomits small bone pieces from the previous meal in the beginning. Again, his stomach needs to go through an adjustment period and the occurrence should decrease or cease eventually.

18. It is also not uncommon for them to vomit bile. The reasoning is similar to the above, especially if you decrease the amount of daily feedings.

19. Rawfed dogs drink less water than kibble fed dogs as they get some of the intake from the meat.

20. If after reading this you have more questions. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK. Knowledge is power ā€¦ and for this instance, itā€™s for safety.

Is it ok to feed raw chicken? I have had some mixed advice on this some say they feed raw with the exception not chicken and other feed all raw but rarely use chicken. I have also read somewhere that dogs have naturally occurring salmonella in their digestive system and raw chicken is ok. I'm very confused.
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
Dogs can very well eat raw chicken. Dogs digestive system is so short that salmonella bacteria doesn't really have time to do any harm, but it has nothing to do with naturally occuring salmonella.
 

Evilo

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Nov 10, 2015
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Leitrim, Ireland
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George Bentley
Dogs can very well eat raw chicken. Dogs digestive system is so short that salmonella bacteria doesn't really have time to do any harm, but it has nothing to do with naturally occuring salmonella.

That's great thank you just needed some reassurance.
 

Diosa

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Feb 8, 2016
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Diosa, we're about 45% sure of that.
Approximately how many pounds per month would I need for my puppy? I'm asking because we've decided to go with a local company that offers a great variety of raw items. And it would be most economic for us to order in bulk.
 

kevin1005

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Hamilton Porter
Thank you for this post. I am starting our poor hamilton on a raw diet tomorrow. He has had nonstop allergies for 3 years now. We've tried so many dog foods, and the last food the vet made us try was Royal Canin Hydrolized protein, which has to be the worst food we've ever fed him. He's gained 7 pounds in 6 weeks. I found a local pet store that gets weekly shipments of fresh ground beef and chicken and tomorrow is the first day.

I'm going to give it for breakfast, and the regular kibble for dinner. I'm afraid he'll get the poops if I don't transition slowly. I know I read that you can switch cold turkey, but do some people have problems?

Thanks for your help, this site has helped me out so much with my pup
 

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