Raw vs Kibble - Page 1

I need help with this.  I have a 9mo male 27" at shoulder and 80lbs.  I have a terrible time keeping weight on him.  IHe is on Professional and BilJac.  I also give him a little cottage cheese in his food.  I constantly have to monitor his stool as I just don't seem to get a good one.  I know they say that raw is better then kibble all around but I don't know how to get started and etc.  If I switch to raw, what will I expect in way of stool and what is a good "mix" that gets in all their nutrients.

Does anyone have a good remedy for raw?

Can you post a picture? My 11 MO is that size... At first they go through a detox period. My guys did it for 2 weeks. *runny poop* My guys have a light green/brownish color solid stool. They do it probably 1-2ce a day. Turns into a chalk color in a day.  I switched cold turkey with my guys... I probably will switch my pup cold turkey 2.

I feed the raw diet they call the "prey model" which means all meat, no added vegetables or fruits. I feed what works out to about 70% chicken, 20% beef, and 10% pork. I sometimes add fish.

Depending on what commercial kibble you're feeding you'll see a reduction in stool volume of 15-40% (my estimate). You'll also find they're firmer but will dissolve much quicker than those you're seeing with a kibble.

I might suggest you monitor those stools fairly closely as you learn to control the raw bone to meat ratio of your feedings. If there is too much bone the stools wlll have a crunchy texture and your dog will likely have difficulty, or even pain, passing them.

The generally accepted bone content figure you'll hear is 10% but it's difficult to gauge so that's why I'd monitor your dog's  business.

My personal buying strategy is to buy as many whole chickens as I can when they're on sale for 79-99 cents a pound from wherever they're on sale, and then get the other things like beef heart, pork kidney, turkey necks, fish, etc. at Asian markets. I feed 2% of body weight, and do all my chopping and sorting on one day, and put individual meals in freezer bags, and then into the freezer.

There are lots of people with helpful hints out there. This is a great jumping off point: http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html 

Best of luck.

 

 

As for getting started, or transition - I switched a 3 year old GSD over a week's period, gradually decreasing the kibble. She went from being gassy and stinky to happy and healthy.

Tiffae89, here is a picture of him.  I will start reading up on it and looking for sales on chicken and etc.

You need to do some research before you begin - there's more to it than just throwing your dog a chicken (and IMO 70% chicken and only a small percentage of a couple of other meats is not nearly enough variety.) I feed beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, bison, eggs, and venison (occasionally). Also organ meat twice a week (chicken or turkey gizzards, kidney, heart). Green tripe twice a week. Evening meal is raw meaty bones ........plain yogurt or cottage cheese from time to time. 

Check this web site for ways to get started :  www.dogaware.com  Another good resource is www.b-naturals.com - look in the newsletter section for raw feeding info. I do add vegetables a couple of times a week, and I also add supplements three days a week: it isn't possible for a dog to get all the nutrients it needs from raw food unless it eats the ENTIRE animal the way a wolf would (incl brains, eyeballs, spleen, etc etc). Plus, unless you are feeding all organic (which most of us can't afford!) you need to compensate for the antibiotics and hormones we stuff into our domestic animals (ESPECIALLY beef and chicken, which is why I don't concentrate on those two items.) 

Good luck - I have never regretted switching from kibble and would never go back.....
 

Addendum - I feed fish twice a week, in place of the raw meaty bones. Canned salmon, Jack (not King - has high mercury content) mackerel, and sardines packed in water (don't feed the ones in oil.)

know your source.  if you buy without knowing the source, you could very well be buying the same chemical laden junk that goes into the kibble foods.  same goes for your family.......know your source.  i can't believe some of the crap that goes into our foods and our pet foods.  i maintain that all those growth hormones fed to livestock are largely responsible for the growing obesity problem here in the u.s. and a score of allergic reactions.   just keep in mind that whatever drugs, antibiotics, hormones and chemicals that have gone into that animal are still present.
pjp