Just Switched 8wk old to Raw-- not eating full pieces

Redsmom

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Aug 17, 2013
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Pleasanton, CA
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Shakespeare
Hi Everyone...
I just started my 8 week old, Shakespeare, on chicken backs Wednesday evening. He is 8.4 lbs. His breeder fed him kibble mixed with egg yolk and yogurt, so I started his first meals with a fairly skinless chicken back (very little meat. He gnawed but got very little off), 2 oz ground chicken back (since I wasn't sure if he'd go for the bone), and a few small hunks of chicken breast mixed with yogurt and yolk. He absolutely loves it! Since then he has eaten an entire chicken neck as his meal. I'm concerned that he is not getting enough bone since he is not really eating much of the bones off the backs. How can you tell how much he's getting if he doesn't eat an entire piece of meat/bone? I've been weighing his food both before I feed it and after so I can tell how many ounces he's eaten but that doesn't account for the quantity of bone. Right now his stool is a little loose but I don't know if that's from switching to raw or not enough bone. Also, I know puppies should eat 10% of their weight but I keep second guessing myself if that should be approximately 8 to 12 oz a day?
Thanks for any help.
I researched for about 6 months before we brought him home but now trying to figure out all the little details. :)
 
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RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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When Voitto was a pup I use give most meals grounded, so I know how much he was getting. He is also very greedy and almost choked on a chicken wing. Puppys should also get a bit more bone and in my opinion chicken has very little real bone, real bone with real calsium. 10% of body weight was also a lot too much for Voitto. The right amount was closer to 5%.
 
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Redsmom

Redsmom

New member
Aug 17, 2013
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1
Pleasanton, CA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Shakespeare
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Thanks for your response. I was feeling guilty for feeding him the ground neck but I figured that that was the best way to ensure he was actually ingesting some bone. Shakespeare definitely wants to eat as much as he can. I think I will continue supplementing with a little of the ground over the next few days/week until I can see an improvement in his poop and tell that he is actually eating more of the bone. As a pup, did you offer him bone at each meal?
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
After two near choking insidents and one punctured thumb nail, I started to make my own ground mixtures of bone, meat, veggies and organs. I also mixed in some eggs with shells, kelp and oils. I made it ready for two days and then made a another batch for two days from different ingredients.
 

Bella'sMom

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Jun 23, 2010
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Abby 13 (RIP), Bella (6), Betsy( RIP), Frenchie: Oliver
After two near choking insidents and one punctured thumb nail, I started to make my own ground mixtures of bone, meat, veggies and organs. I also mixed in some eggs with shells, kelp and oils. I made it ready for two days and then made a another batch for two days from different ingredients.

OOOO are you willing to share the recipe??? I need a ground raw and it is very expensive to buy pre-packaged.
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
I vary the ingredients in every batch, but every time I use roughly 50% ground meaty bone(50/50), 10% organs(10-20% of that liver), 10% pureed veggies or tripe and 30% meat. If the meat is very low in fat I add some. I have in my freezer different parts of turkey, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goose with and without bone. Horse, reindeer, tripe, gizzards, hearts, livers, kidneys, I also add about every other mix 2 eggs. I use crushed eggshell for added calcium about 2 tsp per lbs. I also vary different oils and add 4 tsp per lsb kelp. Depending on the oil in turn I also add some vitamin E. I think that's about it. They also get different bones to chew for dental care. Tomorrow we're getting some ostrich:D
 

anatess

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Jul 26, 2011
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You can also tell if your pup has had little or too much bone by observing his poop.
 

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