Raw feeding shepherds. - Page 3

   Bump,,,like Keef, I want to know about the chicken bones too....

Especially wings, backs and necks are safe as long as they are fed RAW.  NO COOKED BONES OF ANY KIND.

With that said,  you can also go with pork/beef neck bones and my dogs love pork medallion;  the long meaty ones that are sliced across the ribs.  Those are also soft;  beef clod roast, shoulder.  Remember the bone factor is only about 10% of the dogs raw diet.  You can also use any ground meats if wanted. 

I like leg quarters,  give the whole thing in one piece and let them knaw;  helps clean the teeth.  The only bones that I have had any kind of trouble with is turkey legs.  They seem not as easy for the dogs to break up small enough.  Turkey legs are definitely harder bone than chicken legs.  You can also use chicken breast with ribs and bones.  All are OK.  If you have a puppy I would start out by letting them chew on chicken wings.  I personally don't use necks or backs as I cannot find them readily but a lot of people use them.  I think you can go to whole foods and get organic necks which is good. 

Good luck to all.  I also use raw eggs, cottage cheese at times, and every day a dollop of plain yogart. 

You can use beef ribs; (any other meat also like goat, boar, deer, antelope, any game meats, rabbit ) and any others that are available.  Good luck to all,  Nanci

Hi, having been breeding GSD since 1960 (yes, I'm old!) I fed adults and puppies before 'complete' diets came on the scene, used to buy straight at the slaughterhouse, tripes(unwashed)  cattle heads, pancreas, udders etc I useed to cook livers but that's all, just wish I could get all that food now.
However, I have stopped feeding cereal or any food containing cereal. No dog in the wild would graze wheat, oats or rice! A dogs colon is not made for that. and this is what causes so many problems. A friend has a shepherd with a 'delicate' digestion and the vet sold him  . Hill's I/D diet - very expensive and made for dogs with digestive problems - the first ingredient mentioned on the analysis is wheat! The dog got worse until I managed to speak with the owner, now the bitch is on a total raw food (80% meat 20% raw fruit and veg) and she is fine and gaining weight.
Incidentally, RAW bones are fine - cooked bones are the problem. A dog in the wild would eat bones and I have seen one of my shepherds catch a rabbit and eat the lot, bones, fur etc.
cheers, Margaret

I too have fed whole rabbit,fur n all.good for cleaning teeth.Carole S.

trac123  fur and all reminds me of the time i pulled a beautiful white long coat cat hide out of my dogs backside.

Excuse my ignorance and my lack of English:

When you say Raw, do you mean not cooked? like raw meat (not cooked at all) ?

Ibrahim

raw, not cooked, raw meats, etc.

Thank you

Ibrahim

i feed 1 gsd and 3 other dogs, all raw.  i don't feed whole prey, but usually something like franken-prey.  my guys don't eat anything with fur, and the gsd won't eat anything with eyes, lol.  they get a good variety of meats; chicken, beef, sheep, venison, buffalo, pork, turkey, sardines, as well as sheep/buffalo/venison/beef tripes.  i don't ever feed store bought pork.  and my guys don't like rabbit.

i use mostly grass-fed and pastured meats, as i don't support factory farming.  and that also helps out a great deal with the omega 3's...i don't really supplement with fish oil, maybe once in a while.

i "try" to stick with 80/10/10, but they end up eating whatever i have on hand, or what's left over.  for example, i make lung treats only using the lobes, and today they all ate the leftovers from that...trachea/veins/fat/glands/some lung/some heart, etc.

i also don't feed any fruits or veggies.  if i add any to my gsd's meals, he will get dirty/gunky ears within a few days.  i've actually tried this a few times just to see what happens.  this happens with 3 of my 4 dogs.

i have some videos up if anyone is interested  http://www.youtube.com/rawbasics#p/u

i love that so many people on this board are feeding raw!  some great posts too!

Would a raw diet help put on weight to an underweight dog? He was a neglect case.