[Jester]

Can an 8wk old puppy eat raw? How would one switch to raw and where would one start? As I stated in another thread, there's a lot of information and everyone does things differently. What's the consensus on this forum about how to start off and what to feed? Is there a FAQ/Howto that most people use? Tried searching but couldn't find the information.

We just got a standard poodle puppy this weekend and he has somewhat smelly breath. His butt smells so nice, but his breath not as much :tongue:. I want to try to get him on raw as soon as I can. The breeder had him on Iams. There are no problems with his stool; it's pretty hard.

Thank you :redface:

 

[rannmiller]

I started my 8 week old puppy on raw, just switched her over cold turkey and she did just fine. She had loose stools for a couple of days but they firmed up pretty quickly. She hasn't had kibble since I brought her home a little over 4 weeks ago and she's doing great, eats like a horse! Here are some great websites to get you started:

Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB

Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats

 

[Jester]

I started my 8 week old puppy on raw, just switched her over cold turkey and she did just fine. She had loose stools for a couple of days but they firmed up pretty quickly. She hasn't had kibble since I brought her home a little over 4 weeks ago and she's doing great, eats like a horse! Here are some great websites to get you started:

Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB

Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats

Thanks for the links, I'll read through them. One of my concerns is that we currently feed the puppy 4-times per day and plan on scaling back as he gets older. I'm not sure how to do the same with raw. Also, his teeth are so tiny and I don't even know if he has the rear teeth yet (all I see are gums)... so I'm not sure how he'll crush the bones or anything. Should I buy ground up meat/chicken to begin with?

EDIT: Just went through the first link... great resource. The second one seems to be a blog of some kind?

 

[DaneMama]

Thanks for the links, I'll read through them. One of my concerns is that we currently feed the puppy 4-times per day and plan on scaling back as he gets older. I'm not sure how to do the same with raw. Also, his teeth are so tiny and I don't even know if he has the rear teeth yet (all I see are gums)... so I'm not sure how he'll crush the bones or anything. Should I buy ground up meat/chicken to begin with?

I wouldn't feed him more than 3 times a day on raw, really no reason to do it more than that.

Don't buy ground meats, they are not ideal for any stage in life. I don't recommend feeding ground meats because they have a higher bacterial load from being ground. If you do end up feeding ground meats I wouldn't do it more than once a week tops.

When we got our last Dane puppy she only weighed 9 pounds. We got a package of chicken wings and drummies and would give her one three times a day for a few days. At first we would smash the heck out of them with a hammer/mallet to her her crunch up the bones a bit. She did wonderfully on them. We eventually started giving her chicken backs and turkey necks, and with time didn't have to smash them for her. She was a real champ at eating raw within a weeks time. You will be surprised how strong their little baby teeth and jaws are!!!

 

[Jester]

I wouldn't feed him more than 3 times a day on raw, really no reason to do it more than that.

Don't buy ground meats, they are not ideal for any stage in life. I don't recommend feeding ground meats because they have a higher bacterial load from being ground. If you do end up feeding ground meats I wouldn't do it more than once a week tops.

When we got our last Dane puppy she only weighed 9 pounds. We got a package of chicken wings and drummies and would give her one three times a day for a few days. At first we would smash the heck out of them with a hammer/mallet to her her crunch up the bones a bit. She did wonderfully on them. We eventually started giving her chicken backs and turkey necks, and with time didn't have to smash them for her. She was a real champ at eating raw within a weeks time. You will be surprised how strong their little baby teeth and jaws are!!!

Alright, there's a start! So should I just go to the store and buy chicken wings and drums, beat it up with a hammer (I'm assuming until the bone is small enough to be swallowed) and feed that to him?

Just to clarify my initial post, I'm really looking for hand-holding and guidance. A step-by-step howto/instruction guide. This: Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB is pretty good as a general high-level reference, but I need the details. I wish I could watch someone do this. Are there videos? I guess I'll make some as I go along.

 

[rannmiller]

Thanks for the links, I'll read through them. One of my concerns is that we currently feed the puppy 4-times per day and plan on scaling back as he gets older. I'm not sure how to do the same with raw. Also, his teeth are so tiny and I don't even know if he has the rear teeth yet (all I see are gums)... so I'm not sure how he'll crush the bones or anything. Should I buy ground up meat/chicken to begin with?

Try starting with chicken wings or wingettes and see how the pup does, he may surprise you! It took my Dobe pup a couple hours to figure out how to eat it but once she figured it out, there was no stopping her! The wings have very thin bones so it's easy for puppies to crunch through them.

EDIT: Just went through the first link... great resource. The second one seems to be a blog of some kind?

The first page of it is sort of blog-like but if you check out the links at the top they'll take you to where you need to go: How to get started | Prey Model Raw
Getting Started (quick start) | Prey Model Raw
Success Stories | Prey Model Raw

etc, etc.

 

[DaneMama]

Alright, there's a start! So should I just go to the store and buy chicken wings and drums, beat it up with a hammer (I'm assuming until the bone is small enough to be swallowed) and feed that to him?

Yep. I would do that for the first few days. Then start smashing it less and less. He should be able to handle the bones whole with no issue. Puppy teeth and jaws are a lot stronger than most think. Eventually you want to start feeding whole pieces of meat that you don't have to do anything to.

Just to clarify my initial post, I'm really looking for hand-holding and guidance. A step-by-step howto/instruction guide. This: Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB is pretty good as a general high-level reference, but I need the details. I wish I could watch someone do this. Are there videos? I guess I'll make some as I go along.

How to get started | Prey Model Raw

I wrote that getting started page because I found people had lots of questions after reading the other ones. Any and all feedback would be great...including anything you think that it should include.

Raw feeding videos:

YouTube - Akasha's first chicken wing

YouTube - Akasha and the fish (raw fed Great Dane)

 

[Jester]

Thanks. We bought some chicken drums last night and chicken gizzards. We gave him a few gizzards with his meal and he had no problem putting them in his mouth, chewing them up and spitting them out. He just couldn't get them small enough to swallow. My wife cut them up pretty small and he finally did.

This morning we gave him a small chicken drum all smashed up and he tried to eat it but it was tough. He didn't know to hold it down with his paws and tear it apart, so we held it while he did that. He still didn't eat the whole thing (too much effort?) and didn't eat the bone (probably not smashed up enough). But we'll keep at it.

 

[Jester]

Wow, I know it was only a few minutes ago that I posted, but a quick update. I smashed up the bone more and he ate it all up. The skin proved the hardest... he chewed on that for a good 5 minutes and I had to help him tear it apart. His breath is already MUCH better. That kibble made his breath smell so bad! I can barely smell it now and I'm sure it'll be completely gone within the next few feedings.

This is so awesome! Now I just have to find a way of ordering this stuff for less than the $3/lb we paid last night and try to get it varied.