For me the three most important things are pretty basic

1. Keep it simple. Feed lots of meat, some bone and some organ. But let your dogs poop and health be your ultimate guide. Don't get caught in numbers.

2. Feed a variety. Variety is the spice of lie.

3. And remember not to get sucked into the politics of raw feeding programs. The amazing thing about raw is that you can tweak and customize for your individual dogs needs.

RAW is awesome!!!!

 

1) Start slowly and be patient.

2) No weight bearing bones from large animals. I'm trying to keep their teeth pearly white, not break them apart.

3) Don't panic. It takes time to adjust, things start looking different, and really, it IS okay to feed them raw chicken bones! (Just make sure they chew.)

Edit, just saw the "or more" part.

4) If you have questions, come here. Read the archives. If you have any questions, ask. Ask anything and everything. People here are extremely helpful.

 

I have been reading all the posts here everyday and the websites of people who are here. I usually just lurk around haha. I just think its kind of cool to see what is important to people since feeding styles can vary.

 

1. Go slowly. It's not a race. Don't rush proteins. Slow and steady wins the race.

2. Become a student of your dog. Some dogs need a bit more bone, some less. Some do better on more red meats and less poultry, some are fine with it.

3. Don't overfeed! Easy to do when the portions don't seem large. I've seen some raw fed dogs really gain weight. Everything they eat is bio-available to them, they don't need to eat huge portions.

4. Vary your proteins as much as you can. I prefer 75% red meat, but work with what your budget allows. Try to feed as much grass fed protein as you can, venison is great.

5. Network with other raw feeders to find good deals and share if someone gets a big score.

6. Relax. This truly IS the best diet. Don't second guess yourself.

 

*Tortoise wins this race! Slow and steady.

*Study the poop! It will let you know if you can move forward or if falling back is a good idea. Even after feeding Max raw for years I need to check it so I don't overdo the size of the meal, feed too much fat, organ or bone.

*Feed MEAT in as much variety as you can find trying to use lots of red meat. Feed a little bone and a little organ.

*Feed big bits. Less likely to be swallowed whole.

 

The one thing I think is most important in my feeding program is to feed only:

*Grass fed organs from a variety of animals. The younger the better!

 

My top tips:

1. Know Thy Dog. It's important to understand that while PMR is right for nearly every dog, the general guidelines must be made to fit each individual. Some dogs are good, thorough chewers and others are gulpers, which limits what you can and cannot feed. Some dogs need more bone and other less. Know the medical background of your dog and make any necessary changes. Know what gives your dog diarrhea and know how to fix it (fast first and feed bone heavy meals).

2. Diarrhea isn't something to panic or lose sleep over. It's a normal process of life and is easy to fix when you know what causes it. You don't panic each time YOU have diarrhea do you?

3. Variety is key. Feed as many appropriate protein sources as humanly possible. It's fun finding the connections and deals for these things.

4. Patience is a necessity. Some dogs transition easier than others. And certainly don't think that your dog can't handle raw if you see digestive upset in the beginning. Don't give up and throw in the towel.

 

Psssst! I think this post should be a sticky!

 

Great idea. It's now a sticky!!!

 

1. Expect there to be some time to transition. Some dogs can transition quickly, but most need a more gradual switch from kibble to raw. So don't over do it too fast.

2. Don't feed too small. I made the mistake of buying pieces too small for my dogs when I first started out and I worried so much when they'd swallow them almost whole or whole. Feed large!

3. Dont freak about the germs. If you must, keep a spray bottle of water/vinegar 50/50 and wipe down their paws/face after they eat. But its not necessary. I make sure to clean the area I've been working in to prepare, but I don't fuss about cleaning bowls every day or any of that. The dogs do a pretty darn good job of cleaning up after themselves.

4. The proof is in the poop. You can tell if you need adjusting to their meals based on their poop. Its that easy.

5. The proof is also in their body appearance. You can tell if you need to cut back or add to by the way their body is looking. Don't stress too much about accuracy.

6. Most importantly. Have FUN! Enjoy watching your dogs do something that is natural to them and THRIVE from it!! :biggrin:

 

1. Taking the plunge is a tough decision. There's worrying about choking, about germs, about diseases, and there's definitely what everyone else says. Don't expect everyone to accept your decision, including your vet. In many cases, people will tell you that you're killing your dog. Don't let them get you down! We all went through that as well, and we all continue to go through that. I had my mother tell me that cats are too weak for a raw diet just last night, and that I would kill them! Just remember what you are doing is best for your dogs.

2. Research, research, research! When you're planning on starting a raw diet, don't just plunge right in. The gusto is great and all, but you could do more harm than good by taking it too fast, or feeding the wrong thing at the wrong time. So before you go out and buy a big bucket of bones, make sure you read up on a raw diet as much as you can, and ask questions if you're uncertain.

3. Don't freak out. It's a huge step in yours and your dog's (or dogs') lives, and the best thing for them, but if you freak out too easily, even the smallest thing, kibble is just going to sound more and more appealing until you give up. There's answers to most every questionable aspect of raw feeding, like choking, or germs, or bones, or cooking, etc.

 

I've been thinking about this and have finally come up with my great contribution:

1. Expect opposition. There will be thousands of people who tell you what you are doing is wrong. Feel confident in the choice you made.

2. Don't stress about poop, whether it's too hard to too soft. Thats life. Learn about your dog and what food causes it to be that way.

3. Do your research so you are comfortable and sure that your dog is getting all the nutrients it needs.

4. Give a variety of different proteins.

 

Guys yall just dont realize how happy I am I found this forum...I really feel that I am 'HOME'..NOW...Great info!!!...Its helping me realize what I have been doing right and what I can do better with the feeding.

 

I just started but I think the what I have learned in the first two weeks is:

You may feel like you are killing your dog. You're not.
If you panic, come here
What was once considered abnormal is now normal. Try to remember that
Everyone has to go through the first two weeks - i am pretty sure the dogs make it through with much less stress than their people.

 

Are you saying not to blend the food but just to give it whole? I have a chewer and an inhaler (big dog), she just inhales without chewing, my other dog (smaller) is a slow chewer who seems to savor his food.

 

I've just skimmed through this thread so I'm not sure if any of these has been mentioned, but...

1. DON'T freak out and shove your hand down your dogs throat and pull out what they are eating just because you think they are swallowing a piece too big... (exception to them actually choking). This was my first mistake. I did this and got a nice chomp because my girl didn't want it to come back up and continued to frantically chew as I was taking it out.

2. Supervise, but don't hover. Raw food is very exciting and delicious for a dog. Getting too close to their space while they're trying to enjoy their gift from the heavens could cause them to try and scarf down too much, or could create resource guarding issues. If you must take something away from them, give them a trade from something equally delicious.

3. If you're unsure or don't know about something, ask or do some research! Better safe than sorry.

 

Kind of funny today...I was driving down my block here in nYC...AND SAW THIS STRAY DOG (Mind you this is like the third time in a month I seen same dog)..no tags, no collar no nothing...even called animal control about it...but hey this is new york I am talking about. But as I am watching him run across the street I thought to myself.."'what in the world is this dog eating'"/?..probably food wherever he can find it huh/?...so if you get nervouse about feeding your dog RAW food you yourself have prepared and is monitoring him eat...just think about that stray dog thats running around a town near you and what he is eating to stay alive....HE IS EATING RAW!!!...not good quality raw but raw none the least from wherever he is finding it....now let me go and call animal control again lol.

 

My dog was a stray and grew up on the steets of Mexico before I adopted her. Funny you say this because it's exactly what I thought when I fed raw for the first time, I just imagined what she must have ate to survive! She transitioned to raw with virtually no problems or diarrhea.

Hope that stray guy you eep seeing is able to find a nice home!

 

it wasnt a transition its probably what she been eating on the streets...Hell if you gave her kibble,that would have been a transition. And yes if I see that stray again I am stopping car chasing him down and picking him up myself.

 

20 years, wow!! More proof how a strict commercial dog food only diet can be detrimental. ;P Ahhh, gotta love the determination of a stray.

 

I suggest you complete the dog's diet with raw meat, brown rice and veggies. Do not stick to only raw meat. The dog's diet must be all around.

 

I think that's a BARF diet, not a raw diet. PMR feeders do not believe that dogs need grains and vegetables, considering they are carnivores

 

1. thy shall watch you dog poop, lol

really, that´s the most important thing along with different sources of protein, in my opinion.


that, and common sense, don´t feed your dog a femur

 

Take a look at the sticky on poop. I never looked at it until the other day so I didn't really know what I was looking at. I found my dog is mostly in the 75% - 100% bracket but I didn't know that......

 

Oh I'm sorry. I have to admit my mistake. Thank you for clearing up my mind. I wish I won't get the wrong information again in the future.

 

I am concerned about my 8 year old greyhound. He has an excellent blood panel 2 weeks ago. He keeps going from solid poop to diarrhea even though I only feed chicken and some turkey at this point. What do I feed if he is not going to tolerate chicken. He needs to gain weight and is getting too thin since being on raw. I tried Satin Balls, skinning and de-fatting as much as possible. His coat had been thin and although it it now shiny it is not coming back in. His only health issue is arthritis and I give him Glucosamine/Chondoitin, yogurt with DE, coconut oil and RAW ACV with the mother. I am at a loss.

 

(You may want to start your own thread...but here are my thoughts)
Ok, so if you give him "satin balls" " yogurt w/ DE, Coconut oil and ACV" then you arent only feeding chicken with some turkey....you need to cut back to JUST one food....one protein...ONE FOOD!
(How long has he been on raw?)

But if he isnt fairing well its probably because you are throwing to much at him, along with SOO much that isnt species appropriate!:wink:

 

Thanks Scarlett! I will start another thread. I understand not throwing in too many proteins however in other posts RAW folks are telling me to put his supplements in yogurt so that is what I do with all of my dogs yet he has the poop issues. Rather than put him on Rimadyl for arthritis, I chose natural things. What am I suppose to do about his arthritis if I only feed one thing and give him nothing for relief or nothing for flea and parasite control, etc. RAW doesn't control everything, right?

 

I'm an American working in Asia with Billy Junior, my miniature Schnauzer of 3-years. You can go into facebook and ask him to be your friend. There you can see his treadmill, swimming and agility workouts.

Anyway, to the point.

We were originally on Addiction and through the introduction of a trainer I started BJ on Raw. Read all kinds of research but, her being a trainer with mini's too I decided to follow. We started with beef and i was not an advocate on any veggie or fruit as I've read up on all that.

Well, think starting with beef--like the trainer did--was a WHOPPING big mistake. BJ didn't poo for 48-hours and when he did he presented the dreaded muddy pudding-poo.

I've just now read about the proper mix of foods and stuff and am now gonna go back and do it right.

My question/concern is should I first fast him (he's eaten this morning already) then start with chicken back or just proceed right away with backs?

Or should I feed him yogurt or something to smooth things down?

He's fine otherwise--energy wise, but, a bit more nap-taking than normal...guess its the stomach--and we've an obedience trial tomorrow that I want him up and healthy for.

Hope I get some feedback within the next hour or so, although I know that's pushing it.

Thanks and I'm looking forward to getting in-the-mix on this forum.

billcalhoun.com