German Shepherd dog

If you are feeding a complete kibble your dog will not require anything else and you can actually cause more trouble by over feeding nutrients.

The upset stomach you are getting is most probably a result of the fat content in the knuckles.

The raw diet is not hard to do and there is lots of information out there on the web including on www.barfworld.com however you really need to decide one way or the other.  Some GSD's are prone to being very intolerant of high fat levels and for this reason you need to be consistent in what you are feeding otherwise it can lead to further problems.

 I started with raw food a couple of weeks ago after trying some of the most premium brands of food to no avail with one of my young dogs. Right down to the dehydrated stuff. Finally after spending a couple hundred dollars at the vet to once again try to rule out parasites, I just went to walmart and bought chicken leg quarters and handed my dog one and we're not looking back. He has FINALLY gained more weight and his stools are better then ever. I HAD 2 raw fed dogs for a couple of years but my mom at that point was the one feeding them, so I am having to do more research on my own. But I already knew the benefits etc. I have my 2 young dogs on it (my older dogs stayed on their premium kibble...if it aint broke don't fix it ya know?) and they look great. Wish I had just jumped sooner rather then fuss over it. 

I have tried a bit of beef, and some liver as well as eggs and yesterday we tried some sardines. Having a hard time finding some stuff, I don't have a spare freezer yet so can't do much bulk, most of it I get from walmart as well as any market that carries something. Lately I've been getting whole fryers and having them quartered and feeding those to my boys which they handle just fine. I also add vetraceuticals (those that know me know that I posted on this before) because I love the stuff. It's got the kelp and alfalfa, coenzyme q10, spirulina, probiotics etc already in it and they were doing MUCH better when I added that to the kibble, but I wanted even better then they were so switched to raw as well. I'm so pleased I just did it. (as Nike says "just do it"). 

From what I understand adding stuff to kibble that's not formulated to go with it can have more negative effects, ie throw off calcium/phosphorous ratio etc. If were going to go that route might as well get a raw diet "starter" and go from there. Honest Kitchen makes that Preferance...if wanted to mix but concerned about the switch maybe just start with that. 

kool - it would be best to go all raw and avoid the kibble. 

I have been adding natural ground beef in my dog's kibble for almost a year now.   But I supplement with Canine Complete. Have never had a problem.  To me that is the perfect way to introduce your dog to Raw.  You will see how much he loves it then you can gradually make the switch.  The other thing ground beef is real easy for him to digest.  When I first started it he would inhale the ground beef and pick at the kibble every now and then,  So I continued to add more raw meat over time.

Ideally the raw food is going to be big, not ground.  Ground foods offer no physical, mental or dental benefits.  In fact, ground foods may actually get caught between the teeth, which may lead to decay and offensive odors.

To offer the animal the best challenge, serve large cuts of meat that the animal has to figure out how to eat, work to consume and earn the benefits that come from eating something large (physical and mental challenge and cleansing of dentition).

I'm on dog number six converting to raw and have always used a rapid change over with chicken leg quarters (WalMart - $.47/lb).  This has offered no digestive issues.  One dog complained for a day, but then realized the chicken was food and has never looked back.

I feed ground for two reasons:  We layout hamburger to fix for us and something happens where we forget about it, so it goes to the dogs or I get a ground mixture from the butcher that is used as a filler when feeding larger cuts of meat.

Kool  I don't see a problem giving her raw ground beef and kibble I have been donig it for almost a year.no problems just great results.    Do it for awhile maybe a month or 2 and see how much she likes it then transition into raw a little at a time.  I took my time going into 90% raw like you took months doing it.

Cool  Try Marrow Bones.  Your dog should love them and have no trouble with them.    Raw bones are great for your dog.  The Marrow Bones should do the trick.

Hi all, thanks for providing me great info. and suggestions.

sure definitely i'll try with marrow bones and knucle bones for few mins. see how that goes. i'll update if i need help again.

Trailrider, thanks for providing me info. i'll do that.