Calories

Just curious, why do you ask? Is your dog getting too fat or too thin?

When you feed as proper diet, whether human or dog, there is no need to count calories. Counting calories is for people and dogs who eat a inappropriate variety of foods and who can only control weight by keeping track of how many calories are in this, or how many calories are in that. If the body is only exposed to foods it excels at processing and metabolizing, counting calories will add nothing useful to your feeding regimen. For dogs, meat is meat pretty much as long as you are feeding a good variety of meats, and cuts. There is little difference in the average calories between a pound of beef and a pound of chicken unless the fat varies greatly. But animal fat is good for dogs and absolutely necessary so even then you shouldn't worry about it or its caloric content. As stated above, feed RMBs based on a percentage of your dog's ideal weight, and adjust from there. If my 45 lb. dog gets a little chunky, like in the winter when we go out less and get less exercise, I can literally trim her down in less than a week simply by cutting back a little on the amount of food she is given. Same if she gets a little thin. It's really easy and doesn't require measurements or calorie counting.

trikerdon said:

No, I don't have a problem with it, I take her by the vet's office every so often and weigh her, when she goes up I feed less, down I feed more. I was just wondering about counting calories. I have more of a problem with is she getting the right nutrition? I have a problem with organs for sure, all I can seem to find is liver and not much else. I am going to go to some of the mexican and Philipine stores around here and see if I can find anything else. The stores I go to don't even sell chicken backs......

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Don,

If you are feeding raw meaty bones and organs, and the dog is maintaining its proper weight, you are doing it right. Liver is by far the most important organ meat to feed so if that is all you can get, feed it and don't worry too much about trying to get a variety of organ meat in her diet. Knowing how many calories you are feeding has nothing to do with whether your dog is getting the proper nutrition or not. Knowing WHAT you are feeding them is what counts. After all, corn has calories and no matter how many corn-calories you feed a dog, it ain't good for them. The only other thing aside from meat, bones, and organs you may want to add to make sure you have all their nutritional needs covered is a omega-3 source. If you are feeding strictly grass fed/pastured meat and poultry, and wild oily fish, then you probably don't need to supplement. But the fact is, few of us here can afford to feed ourselves that way, let alone our dogs, so to make up for it we supplement with something high in omega-3s like fish oil or capsules in order to bring their omega-6 to omega-3 ratio closer to what they would achieve in the wild eating game. Other than that, you're good to go!

Oh, on chicken backs, I can never find them around here either. They are usually sold as part of a "chicken leg quarter" which is the drumstick, thigh, and half of the back attached to the thigh. I have never seen backs sold separately where I live. I buy quarters and separate the drumstick from the thigh, and the half-back from the thigh, and feed those separately. My dogs are pretty small though (one is about 20 lbs. and one is about 45 lbs.). If you have a large dog, you can feed the quarter as it is.

Hope this helps!

Jay

trikerdon said:

I do suppliment Sardine/Anchovy oil that gives her omega 3 and 6. Also Salmon oil 3 and 6 also. I grind up egg shells for calcium and give her raw egg though she will not eat it in the shell. I purchased a can of tripett (green tripe) haven't tried it yet though.......I guess I am still new to RMB but am learning thanks to all on this forum.

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in the beginning, i kept a chart, a journal, i counted calories, i had a spreadsheet for nutrients...and then i had a nervous breakdown.

we try to never go to the vet...but maybe we will start since malia gained three pounds and we didn't notice it...until others did....so we'll cut back an ounce per meal....i do have to measure....being russian and all, we like to feed armies and i think it's hard wired....other than that....when i see her ribs and i see bubba's waist again, i'll know.....

especially during the times of increased or decreased exercise....if they are couch potatoes comforting me and my aches and pains, they get fed less...

as to the anchovy/sardine and salmon oil....why?

does your dog not eat fresh fish? or ground fish?

i didn't know dogs needed all three oils.....seems like overkill to me..

i think you're doing a great job.....you're just overthinking things..

and, yeah, the co op has a whole bunch of stuff right now...

honey and i figured out how to fit venison trim and hearts into our budget....but that's all we're getting....thank g'd i have two dogs whose entire consumption is a pound a day....

we're sharing with some other co op members....just put a message up to say you want to share....and i'm sure you'll have takers....we don't need 53-60 lb cases...