[anifunk1962]

Yesterday was the first day of raw feeding for my dogs, Vito and Barret. Vito, the almost 3-year-old Jack Russell (15 pounds) seems to have tolerated it very well and has had no problems so far.

Barret, the 5-1/2-year-old collie/terrier mix (45 pounds), has been throwing up ever since about 6 hours following his first raw chicken meal. The first several vomits were very slimey and the third one was pretty stinky (smelled like rotten meat). I think he pretty much threw up every bit of what he had eaten. Is this normal? Should I continue with his second meal today?

 

[RawFedDogs]

It's not normal but not really unusual either. How much did he eat that first meal? Yes, feed his next meal today. Are you feeding once or twice a day?

 

[anifunk1962]

He got 3 chicken backs at one time yesterday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. They usually eat once a day but I could try feeding them twice a day, instead, if that would be better.

 

[RawFedDogs]

3 backs may be a little heavy in one feeding. I would feed both dogs twice a day for a couple of months until their systems get adjusted to real food. After that, you can go back to one meal a day if you wish. I even know some raw feeders who feed every other day. For now, until they are adjusted, I would stick witn two meals a day. Let me know how this works.

 

[anifunk1962]

I fed the dogs two times today - around 12:00 noon and again around 6:00 p.m. The bigger dog that got sick yesterday only ate part of a chicken back (maybe 1/4) at 12:00 and then about 1/2 of a back around 6:00 p.m. That was all he wanted, so I didn't force him to eat the rest. So far, he hasn't thrown up that I know of, so maybe that's what I need to do until he gets used to it. He's overweight anyway, so it won't hurt him to eat light for a while.

The little dog ate 2 backs each day and has been fine so far except he's not going to the bathroom as much as he usually does. Will they go to the bathroom less because more of the food is being used by their body and not going out as waste?

This is just a theory but, when comparing the two dogs, the bigger dog is very sluggish with everything so maybe his digestive system is sluggish also? After 6 hours yesterday, he still threw up a lot of chicken, as if it hadn't even moved out of his stomach yet. The little dog is a bit hyperactive so maybe his digestive system is quick to digest and that's why he hasn't had a problem?

 

[RawFedDogs]

Will they go to the bathroom less because more of the food is being used by their body and not going out as waste?

Yes, exactly ... their poop volume will be MUCH smaller than before. They will poop maybe 25% as much as the did back during the olden days. :smile:

This is just a theory but, when comparing the two dogs, the bigger dog is very sluggish with everything so maybe his digestive system is sluggish also?

No, my theory is that he just had more real food than he is capable of digesting right now. It takes different digestive juices to digest meat than it does kibble. He has already started manufacturing the correct enzymes now and should be better at digesting real food soon. In the mean time just keep the volume on the low side.

 

[anifunk1962]

I think it's working! The bigger dog that was having problems with puking has NOT puked since Monday when he had the 3 chicken backs at one time. After he ate about 3/4 of a chicken back (total) yesterday, he didn't seem to have any problems. Today he was a bit picky for the first feeding and wouldn't eat but then, for the second feeding, I guess he was hungry because he was more eager to eat and ate about 1-1/2 chicken backs. I think he ate the first 1/2 of a back whole without chewing it much but he still has NOT thrown up anymore! :smile:

Vito, the little dog, ate 1 chicken back at each of the two feedings (this may be too much for his weight - I'm not sure) and has done very well all along so far, with no puking and no diarrhea, but it still takes him a while to eat.

Something else I noticed is that it seems they're not drinking as much water. Is this common or normal?

 

[rannmiller]

That's common because raw meat has a lot of moisture in it already, so dogs don't have to drink as much to stay hydrated :smile:

For your little dog, he only needs about a half a pound of food per day, so try cutting him back to one chicken back per day and see how he does with that. Obviously if he starts losing weight, increase the amount again. But for the most part, it sounds like he might be getting too much.