German Shepherd Dog > Protein Levels in raw for puppies (11 replies)
Protein Levels in raw for puppies by Mcap on 03 April 2012 - 14:32 | |
| |
by Nans gsd on 03 April 2012 - 14:46 |
Yes raw is much lower in protein than kibble; especially the no grain stuff; so your question is what? Why would you want to take them off raw. I would probably only give them l cup of kibble a day and go with raw mostly. You CAN find prepared diets like Bravo that is higher in protein but if it says balanced it should be good. Maybe supplement them with some chicken wings for extra or necks for the cartlidge; or even chicken feet. Add the chicken feet for a snack or? A chicken quarter would be good once in a while, I like them to rip and tear, it strengthens the jaws. Best of luck Nan |
by Mcap on 03 April 2012 - 15:39 |
| Thanks Nan. I was just concerned with the low protein levels in the Bravo Balanced. They love the raw and I have no intention of moving them to a kibble based diet. We have an ethnic grocery store in the area and they have all sorts of great foods,...fresh green tripe, chicken feet, hearts, livers, tongues, whole oxe tails, etc. Thanks Mike |
by loujolly on 03 April 2012 - 16:14 |
| The reason the percentages are different is the kibble is dry and the raw prepared food has a high moisture content so you can't compare the percentages directly unless you calculate the dry matter basis:- protein percent/(100-moisture percent) x 100 Bravo 12/22 x 100 = 54.5% protein Blue 36/90 x 100 = 40% protein Louise |
by Nans gsd on 03 April 2012 - 16:15 |
| Absolutely you can give them all of that food mentioned; just for your information I really liked the puppy feeding program Von Lotta and Krisiannrios Weanling raw feeding; both have some good references and menu's for complete raw feeding but I think Von Lotta does add a small amount of kibble also. Just for info BOL with your puppies, Nan |
by djc on 03 April 2012 - 16:29 |
Seems to me that this "Bravo" is somewhat watered down. With 78% moisture that leaves not that much in there in the first place. Here is Bravo's Chicken analysis: |
by Mcap on 03 April 2012 - 16:41 |
| Thanks for the clarification. It is pretty confusing (LOL). Mike |
by Mcap on 03 April 2012 - 19:18 |
| How much Raw per day do you think I should feed? I have seen anything from 4-10% of body weight for puppies. They both look great (not too chunky or thin) and they are each getting about 2 1/2 lbs per day. They are both about 35lbs. Mike |
by djc on 03 April 2012 - 22:22 |
| I would keep up the amount you've been doing if they are ideal weights. Alot depends on the activity level and genetic metabolic rate, so I always just watch the puppy to see if they need more or less rather than going by a specific rule. Puppies will also have individual growth spurts as well as slow growth times and their appetites usually pick up or wane accordingly. Debby |
by Jenni78 on 03 April 2012 - 22:43 |
| Calcium intake has been shown to be far more important than protein. Calories and total energy are critical, but calcium can really affect joint conformation if overfed, and most of this is a problem with overall over-feeding. The ratios are useless if you're comparing percentages between dry matter and raw food unless you convert the percentages to account for the water in raw food. |
by djc on 03 April 2012 - 23:23 |
| Yes, that's right Jenn, too much Calcium can work against you and make bones soft not hard. I never recommend calcium supplimentation. When feeding raw the raw bones give all the calcium that is needed and it can be overdone by feeding too many bones. Calcium does not support the muscle growth nor brain development that protein and fat does. Debby |
by loujolly on 03 April 2012 - 23:26 |
| My guys normally get about 1 to 1.5 lbs of raw per day as puppies from 8 weeks, and about the same as adults with occasionally 2lbs usually about 12-18 months old when they are very active, but mine are working lines and I keep them lean. In my experience Pano has been genetic, some of my pups get it, most don't. Louise |







