[danesandhorses]

I have now been feeding my 11 month old Dane Raw for over a month. His skin is sooo much better. Still not 100% but a big difference. I plan on starting my almost 6 year old male in a couple weeks after an event we have planned. I am waiting just in case he has a reaction.

I want to start my husbands Boston terrier. She has ear infections and is always itchy. I am wondering what chicken parts I should start her on since she is sooo small. She also often spits up after meals if she gets excited.

I have seen other Boston parents that feed raw, just wondering if I need to watch out for anything.

Thank you!

 

[DaneMama]

Feeding a small breed is harder, IMO, than feeding a large breed like a Dane. I always recommend still switching a small breed dog on the same ideas and principle as switching a large/giant breed dog.

First two weeks should be bone in chicken exclusively, of different "cuts." The best ones to start with are chicken wings and drumsticks. One wing or one drumstick is the perfect sized meal for most smaller breed dogs. I assume that your Boston weighs close to 10-20 pounds.

You can remove the skin and excess fat in the beginning to help prevent diarrhea, since it seems that smaller breeds are more sensitive to increased fat in the diet. Slowly cut less and less skin off as the dog gets used to raw foods.

You can also whack them with a hammer in the beginning to help break up the bones a bit. Do NOT cut up chicken bones because it changes their structure and can make them more dangerous.

I would also fast your Boston for at least one meal before starting to feed raw. For example, skip dinner the night before you switch. This will help decrease the incidence of digestive upset as well as have them nice and hungry for eating raw food. Most dogs that have been on a kibble diet for a while will not know exactly what to do with the raw. Don't coax her into eating it in any way, just hand her the chicken and walk away. Let her have at it for ~15 minutes. If she doesn't eat it, offer it to her at the next meal time. Eventually she will get the hang of it. Remember that if she doesn't eat it, she is *choosing* not to eat it. Dogs will not starve themselves in the presence of food, and will eventually give in. Hopefully she takes right to it with no problems whatsoever.

Don't ever hesitate to post up any questions!!!

 

[SuriLove]

My poms eat everything the big ones eat just smaller. They love chicken wings. Sometimes they eat the drumettes and sometimes the flat part. I think these are good start, it worked for me.

 

[magicre]

my pug couldn't eat without regurgitating....he eats with his entire body and becomes one with his food.

he still does but only because, well, we call him 'dances with food'.

Natalie is absolutely correct when she talks about the challenge of feeding the smaller mouth...

i really don't know whether or not fat is a special consideration for smaller breeds other than amount of fat to size of dog......but it was a special consideration with our 18 pounder and our 36 pounder.

we did start with chicken backs....minus skin and excess fat and organs...we went bone heavy in the beginning....to prevent cannon butt...but, more importantly, to teach bubba and malia how to eat raw...they were so used to inhaling their food....they didn't know what to do with raw.

since i had the same issue with my corgi mix and with my pug....neither of which are gigantic animals....i have to now believe that we made the mistake of overfeeding and feeding too much fat in the beginning.....

one of the reasons we stayed away from drummettes was because of the size of the bone in the drummette..if bubba were going to choke..that would be the bone, since it's so small....
so we went with drumsticks...and, yes, there were times in the beginning that he regurgitated ( i think his record was five times for one meal)....

we also did not give wings due to the amount of skin...if your dog doesn't have a problem...then wings are awesome...

we also fed chicken necks...

we kept both dogs on backs and drumsticks, minus the extras for many weeks....as we added in turkey necks and turkey breast (both of which he can eat...takes a while, but i don't care...)

he can eat pork baby back ribs...takes a while, but he enjoys it...

i'm going to try oxtails....we'll see...

i can't find pork necks that are cut right yet....

he can eat chicken thigh bones....no problem - chicken breast bone....

i think it depends on the dog....but smash faced dogs and small mouthed dogs....yes..some thought has to go into it.

btw, we did start out by mashing the turkey necks in the beginning...now, we just let him work on them and we give him longer pieces of neck....

i think we thought that because he was small he should get smaller bones...well, for his weight, that's true.....when you consider how much you're feeding a smaller dog..

but we were giving one inch pieces of turkey neck which caused more trouble than giving him a six inch skinny piece of neck....

I would also fast your Boston for at least one meal before starting to feed raw. For example, skip dinner the night before you switch. This will help decrease the incidence of digestive upset as well as have them nice and hungry for eating raw food. Most dogs that have been on a kibble diet for a while will not know exactly what to do with the raw. Don't coax her into eating it in any way, just hand her the chicken and walk away. Let her have at it for ~15 minutes. If she doesn't eat it, offer it to her at the next meal time. Eventually she will get the hang of it. Remember that if she doesn't eat it, she is *choosing* not to eat it. Dogs will not starve themselves in the presence of food, and will eventually give in. Hopefully she takes right to it with no problems whatsoever.

i think this is a very important statement and a reason why so many stop feeding raw...malia used to lick the food, walk away, lick it again, look at me....she missed a few meals because of this...but now? the girl eats.

good luck to you...ask lots of questions....because of this place....my dogs are happily eating all kinds of foods and they are well and truly transitioned.

 

[harrkim120]

I feed my little guy raw, and he is SOOOOOO much better than when he was on kibble. No more dandruff, no more messy poo. It's awesome!!!

I started him on chicken quarters...I would just cut them in half and give the drumstick one meal and the thigh the next. I got very lucky in the sense that he never had any issues. I didn't have to remove the skin, fat, or organs.

How much does yours weigh? Mine is about 25 pounds, and he eats a little under a pound a day. If you have a smaller Boston then I would do like Danemama recommended and start with wings or drumsticks as the thighs can get a little hefty sometimes, and come with plenty of extra fat and organs.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask questions!!! :biggrin:

 

[danesandhorses]

Thanks everyone. I wanted to start her yesterday, but all the meat I have is in larger peices for Diesel. Her name is Chicken Pot Pie, Pie for short. I am going shopping today for smaller peices. I was thinking chicken necks also. I will get some wings and drumsticks and see how it goes!

I have a friend that is a cook at a local grill. He has invited me to tag along next time he goes to the meat market for wholesalers. I am so excited! Hope to find some great deals!