Switch to raw...weight dropping too fast. Stools are huge. - Page 4

No problem.  Thanks to all who are taking the time.

 in the wild, carnivores are more likely to shake out the stomach contents (undigested grasses) of large prey prior to eating the stomach.  They of course, love the partially digested contents of the intestines.  I feed "green tripe", but no veg glop anymore.

I agree with the other posters who told you to dump this food-too much stuff going on and not enough meat.

I swtched two dogs to raw in 1999. One was two and one was six. The six year old was allergic to flax and vegetable oils. There was NO good quality kibble he could eat. I had little choice. Both dogs improved in every way in not too long. Shiny coats, good muscle condition, low shedding.

I brought home orgainic chicken back through neck sections from whole foods and just threw them on the floor and they figured it out. I wish I had film. The high bone content prevented any loose stool in the transition. I eventually gave them more of the different chicken parts. Neither dog had any problem. The older dog lived to be 13 1/2 and he ate Raw meaty bones the day before he died. The rest of his litter lived to be 9-10 years old and died of different cancers. He died of old age and a spinal injury he had from yournger days. The younger dog died of an osteo sarcoma in her pelvic bone (more common in spayed females). In the last two years of her life I had introduced small portions of prepared raw feed in addition to chicken meat on the bone. Her stool size increased but not to kibble size and not stinky.

If your dog has pancreatic issues, raw pancreas will help immensely (so I have been told).

My pup wants to crush through raw meaty bones, like chicken legs, backs, wings breast bones with meat. He will often skip the portion of prepared raw unless he is really hungry. He desperately wants to crush through the soft meat and into the bone. He is a dedicated carnivore. He has crazy prey drive and would probably hunt in the wild.

I also give him chewable dog vitamins, Enzymatic Therapies Acidophulis Pearls, Ark Naturals Joint Rescue (to keep his joints healthy) and from 10 weeks to 9 months he was given 250 mg of ester C. I am looking for a chewable Ester-C for dogs. He is very cagey about me slipping things into his feed. Some days he eats his chewable supplements and some days he leaves them in the bowl I don't worry about that.

Good luck with your dog and I hope you find something that works for both of you.

Michele and Pharaoh

Oh, boy.

kmoat:  It's more than just taking home a few chicken backs and necks and just throwing them on the floor for the dogs to eat.  There's a balance between the meat-to-bone ratio and organ meat as a percentage of their weight that has to be fed.

Often that includes cutting some of the backs, necks, etc. in halves or combining those pieces.  All food goes into their bowl with the organ meat and how you do that will depend on how you package it. 

Feeding RAW has no bearing on prey drive!  It won't make the dog want to "crush through bone".  I can feed mine a can of mackerel at meals I forget to thaw and it's eaten just as readily as if it were chicken or beef or emu or rabbit.  A lot of people feed the RMB's at one meal and the MM and OM at the other.  The dogs don't turn their noses up because they can't "crush through bone" believe me.

Check your email for more info in the morning.  It'll be late before I finish all this up.

Thanks JustLurkin.  You knew exactly what I was saying.

The chicken leg quarters are just to get the dog transitioned into raw.  After being on garbage food for so long the dog will have very loose stools if started inappropriately.  Chicken is bland and rather safe to feed.  After a couple of weeks, especially since this dog is demonstrating sensitivity, a new meat source can be slowly integrated in. 

kmoat:  I didn't forget you.  I didn't finish up what I was working on until after 1:00 a.m.  Working on your email now.

GunnarGSD:  Exactly.  If the dog has allergies to any "new" product it will be seen within the first 1 or 2 days usually and it can be discontinued at once. Nothing but the chicken.  No vitamins.  Nothing but what the vet has the dog taking for it's health if it has a problem.  Not having these "extras" for a few weeks won't hurt the dog. She'll get them back soon enough.

The only things I add in in situations like kmoat's is a couple of small spoonfuls of 100% pure canned pumpkin.  I don't mean the "pie filling".  That has the spices.  No spices.  100% pure canned.  It's loaded with fiber and will help with the digestion and passing the stool.  A small spoonful of good, PLAIN yogurt will help put the natural flora back into the digestive system.  That and a little bit of chicken livers after the first week is all I would add to the leg quarters at this point.

Even though the dog is a little thin at this point, less is more.  (I'm sure kmoat didn't let her dog get emaciated before posting.)  It's important not to stress the dog's digestive system.  Less in it, less stress. 

It's easy to add a bit more every day or two.

Edited to add -- It's important to maintain normal kitchen cleanliness practices when feeding raw.  Treat the poultry and meats as you would if you were eating them -- as in rinse, then package.  Wash your hands and your prep-surfaces and utinsels.  And don't toss it on the floor to feed.  Put it in a bowl.  The dogs will clean the bowls.  You won't have a problem with salmonella or e.coli that way.  The dog's digestive tract takes care of that for itself.  It's important that you take care of it for yourself too.   

kmaot -

Sorry for the delay.  Email sent.  Let me know if you get it.

Email sent twice.  First returned as permanent failure due to my selective dyslexia.  There's a difference between "ao" and "oa" in emails. 

Second forwarded a few minutes ago.

Awesome.  I am digesting emails as we speak and think I got them all.  Holy information Batman!    what excellent info.  I am at work.  Let me digest and then I will respond to you guys with questions.

LOL.  You poor thing.  Your poor head must be swimming. 

Chew slowly!    Digest what makes sense and "stool out" the "crap" that doesn't.