HOW do you transition

[TandVsMom]

Max currently gets 75% canned Blue Buffalo Wellness and 25% Blue Buffalo kibble per day. I feed twice per day. One can and 1/4 cup kibble in the morning, mixed together. Same in the evening. I have been researching feeding RAW, and some of you guys on here are saying it isn't that difficult to do (I don't know why, it just seemed overwhelming to me at first). I'd like to transition first to NVI patties and then once I see how that goes, to whole prey for Max. But, if you aren't really supposed to feed raw and kibble together, how do you transition? It would be easiest just to slowly replace the canned food with the raw patties and then slowly wean out the kibble. Or should the kibble be replaced first? I'm a little torn on this. He LOVES kibble.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

[MENTION=1209]savemejeebus[/MENTION]!

 

[babybully]

If you think he LOVES his kibble, wait til he gets a hold of the good stuff! my two are raw fed and I just did it cold turkey,they were just fine.

 

[karenben]

Just stop the kibble and go straight to chicken ,I fed frames/backs for a couple of weeks ,lots go straight to quarters you can take the skin off just in case of the runs,take it slow and stick to chicken before adding other meats,karen

 

[RiiSi]

good decision. "Cold turkey" is the best way transition.

 

[izstigspunks]

Quit cold turkey here too. You can feed the patties right away.

 

[TandVsMom]

Ok, I went yesterday and got NVI patties in beef and lamb. We are tying the beef first and so far so good. He's had 3 poops so far and they have all been firm and log-like. I swear, first fully formed poop in almost 2 years. He actually turned around, sniffed and and then looked at me like "well isn't that weird?" lol. I found some pork ribs yesterday for 99 cent/lb, so I bought some of that, cut it into 4ish ounce chunks and froze that for later. With all the power outages in our area, I am finding a lot of reduce-priced meat that has just gotten discolored in the package, but I'm leery of buying these. They have them out to sell as Human consumption, they just don't look pretty. Like, porterhouse steaks usually 9.99/lb for 3.99.

Anyway, 2 questions. If I get real meat and bones to serve in addition to the NVI patties, should it be beef to match proteins? I'm trying to avoid chicken altogether, as I think chicken might be a big allergen for him. Can he have beef bones? They seem awfully hard. Eek.

And also, he weighs 48 pounds and that weight is good for his frame. He is normally active or a dog, although he does have hyper moments. Lol. If I've done the math correctly, he should get between 15.3 and 23.3 oz of food daily. I'm guessing I'll be able to tell what he needs by his weight? Because we fed raw all day yesterday, he ended up with 18 oz NVI beef patty and still seemed quite hungry. Lol

 

[bullmama]

Ok, I went yesterday and got NVI patties in beef and lamb. We are tying the beef first and so far so good. He's had 3 poops so far and they have all been firm and log-like. I swear, first fully formed poop in almost 2 years. He actually turned around, sniffed and and then looked at me like "well isn't that weird?" lol. I found some pork ribs yesterday for 99 cent/lb, so I bought some of that, cut it into 4ish ounce chunks and froze that for later. With all the power outages in our area, I am finding a lot of reduce-priced meat that has just gotten discolored in the package, but I'm leery of buying these. They have them out to sell as Human consumption, they just don't look pretty. Like, porterhouse steaks usually 9.99/lb for 3.99.

Anyway, 2 questions. If I get real meat and bones to serve in addition to the NVI patties, should it be beef to match proteins? I'm trying to avoid chicken altogether, as I think chicken might be a big allergen for him. Can he have beef bones? They seem awfully hard. Eek.

And also, he weighs 48 pounds and that weight is good for his frame. He is normally active or a dog, although he does have hyper moments. Lol. If I've done the math correctly, he should get between 15.3 and 23.3 oz of food daily. I'm guessing I'll be able to tell what he needs by his weight? Because we fed raw all day yesterday, he ended up with 18 oz NVI beef patty and still seemed quite hungry. Lol

I think from what I have read (I don't feed raw I just follow and learn) that raw chicken is fine, it's the processing of chicken in kibble that dogs have a problem with. Fresh chicken does not seem to have the same bad effects.

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Not sure about pork, seems like there was something special that had to be done to it? Also congrats on the firm poops! I laughed at the reaction to it!


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[RiiSi]

Congrats for both of you on the perfect poops! You just keep an eye on his looks and and weight and modify the amount you feed accordingly. I wouldn't give beef bones in the beginning. Pork and lamb is easier digestible and not so hard.

 

[TandVsMom]

My mom gave max a very small piece of raw pork neck yesterday and he LOVED it. But in the middle of the night, he threw up. It was sort of yellowish liquid and two little pieces of bone each about the size of a dime. He seemed totally unaffected by this and just chewed the bones and ate them again. I'm guessing this is ok. Please tell me it's ok.

 

[RiiSi]

Don't worry. It's perfectly normal and OK!

 

[laurendoodler]

[MENTION=5244]TandVsMom[/MENTION] I would be very careful about what meat sources you are introducing. You say you feed him beef patties and that later he had a pork neck bone..how long have you been doing raw??? It should be mostly one protein source for almost a month. I know that seems crazy, but it really is the best way. The dogs digestive systems need a chance to get used to digesting the raw food instead of the kibble and processed foods..it is much, much different. Introducing too many proteins at once is very likely to cause digestive upset.

Chicken usually is the safest first source to start with. I'm with Lisa..it's usually the processed chicken in kibble that's a problem, not raw chicken. Raw chicken is one of the most readily available and cheaper protein sources on the raw diet. My dog eats a LOT of chicken, LOL.

If you're really not wanting to do chicken, I would do strictly the beef that you are feeding for a month or so. You just really want to be careful about it. Delilah got things other than chicken after about a month, and I started doing organs with her after about a month and a half or two months. I still do those really sparingly because they give her the runs.

As far as beef bones go..I would use them for recreational chewing only. Beef ribs or something would be okay, but weight bearing bones are purely for recreation. They can easily crack even the strongest teeth. For example..knuckle bones. You can give them to them to chew the meat off, but once the meat is gone take it away. Don't want them breaking teeth.

Hope I've been of some help!

 

[TandVsMom]

@TandVsMom I would be very careful about what meat sources you are introducing. You say you feed him beef patties and that later he had a pork neck bone..how long have you been doing raw??? It should be mostly one protein source for almost a month. I know that seems crazy, but it really is the best way. The dogs digestive systems need a chance to get used to digesting the raw food instead of the kibble and processed foods..it is much, much different. Introducing too many proteins at once is very likely to cause digestive upset.

Chicken usually is the safest first source to start with. I'm with Lisa..it's usually the processed chicken in kibble that's a problem, not raw chicken. Raw chicken is one of the most readily available and cheaper protein sources on the raw diet. My dog eats a LOT of chicken, LOL.

If you're really not wanting to do chicken, I would do strictly the beef that you are feeding for a month or so. You just really want to be careful about it. Delilah got things other than chicken after about a month, and I started doing organs with her after about a month and a half or two months. I still do those really sparingly because they give her the runs.

As far as beef bones go..I would use them for recreational chewing only. Beef ribs or something would be okay, but weight bearing bones are purely for recreation. They can easily crack even the strongest teeth. For example..knuckle bones. You can give them to them to chew the meat off, but once the meat is gone take it away. Don't want them breaking teeth.

Hope I've been of some help!

I know, I fully intended just to do beef patties for several weeks...but I am currently living with my parents and my mother LOVES to feed Max, which she never gets to do because I don't let him have people food. She listened to me when I told her I was switching him to raw...there just seemed to be a miscommunication about WHAT raw. She just got over excited. I did buy some pork neck on sale, but I put most of it in the freezer for later. But thank you so much of the advice. I have lots of question and concerns, and am glad to get any advice I can.

Like...why is he up now in the middle of the night playing when always before he was sleeping 11 hours?
lol

 

[laurendoodler]

[MENTION=5244]TandVsMom[/MENTION] lol, gotta love it when people get over excited and feed your dogs. xD I've had it happen to. When I'm gone, I put Delilah's food in ziploc bags labeled by date and time so that she can't screw it up. Plus she won't handle the raw meat. That way she just has to dump it in a bowl.

 

[cowsmom]

oh good im glad to see this thread. i replied to the other one but i see im late. lol i feed sarah freeze dried raw so wont be much help to you but sarah does very well on beef. good luck and hope things continue to get better for you.