What Shold I FeedMy 14 Week Old Puppy On A Raw Food Diet?
Hello,
I am currently feeding my puppy Optimum puppy kribble but i was thinking what i should get him if i give him a raw diet ?thanks
Filed under: Raw Food Diet
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Start out by doing tons of research. Do you want to do a prey-model or BARF diet? That will help you figure out what to feed. Read up about different raw diets – Yahoo! has some good groups, so does Dogster.
Good luck!
The raw food diet can be dangerous. I wouldn’t recommend it for a puppy whose immune system is still developing.
http://dogtime.com/raw-food-diet-dangers-dogs-aaha.html
I know it makes sense, but remember- it’s not the wild- the meat available to us is not just killed as a wild dog would eat, and there are a lot of dangers associated with raw meat these days.
If you want to dispel any myths about the raw diet, check out http://www.rawfed.com/myths.
Here is a great Yahoo Group on puppies who are fed raw:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawPup/
A raw diet consists purely of 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs. The idea is to feed a species appropriate diet, one that wolves eat in the wild. I personally don’t feed vegetables because dogs are carnivores, but if you do just make sure it doesn’t make up more than 10% of the diet. You feed RAW meat, RAW organs, and RAW bone. The rule of thumb is to feed 2-3% of your dog’s body weight, depending on his/her activity level. You get your meat from the butcher, the grocery store, etc. Asian markets tend to have a lot of good items. Raw is as expensive as you make it. We generally try to stay under $2/lb, and for some people it ends up being cheaper than kibble.
Half of the organ allotment (5%) should be liver, and the other half should be another organ (pancreas, thymus, spleen, kidney). Heart and lung don’t count as organ because they don’t secrete, but you can feed it as a muscle meat.
As for bones, all RAW poultry bones and rabbit bones are edible. Cooked bones are always a no-no, no matter what diet you’re feeding. Raw bones are soft and pliable and are perfectly fine. Pork bones are edible as well, depending on the size of your dog. Beef bones (and lamb/venison/etc bones) are not recommended because they’re very dense and can wreck your dog’s teeth. However, if they’re nicely covered with meat, then it’s fine for your dog to eat them (but take the bone away after the meat is gone). Weight-bearing bones (hooves, legs, etc) are especially dense and I don’t recommend them, especially if your dogs are chew-crazy.
Most beginning raw feeders stick with chicken for the first couple weeks so that their systems adjust to raw. After that, progress slowly to organs and other proteins. Liver and other organs are VERY rich and can cause runny poop if they are given too soon. Pork and lamb also tend to be rich. The key to raw feeding in the beginning is to take it easy and slow. If you don’t want to switch your dog cold turkey, then feed kibble in the morning and raw at night (or vice versa) and slowly decrease the amount of kibble while increasing the amount of raw.
I get almost all my meat from Asian markets for under $1.50/lb. Do-it-yourself raw is always cheaper than pre-made raw, especially if you have large dogs. Some premade raw brands include Nature’s Variety, Stella & Chewy, Primal, and Bravo. You can also get meat for free if you have friends who hunt. Make sure to freeze meat for at least 2 weeks to kill off parasites if the meat you’re feeding is fresh-killed meat (if it’s from hunters). I also recommend buying in bulk. Do you have any local raw-feeder co-ops in your area? There are many online raw suppliers as well, but shipping can get expensive, depending on where you live. Here’s a list of some online raw suppliers. The more you buy, the less you pay for shipping (generally). It also helps to have a large chest freezer to store meat. Meat lasts indefinitely in the freezer (dogs don’t care about freezer burn), so it’s good to stock up during hunting/holiday season when meat is cheap.
West Coast:
http://www.greentripe.com
http://www.crestonvalleymeats.com
http://www.wholefoods4pets.com
http://www.socalbarf.com
East Coast:
http://www.hare-today.com
http://www.prey4pets.com
http://www.aplaceforpaws.com
http://www.mypetcarnivore.com
As for actual feeding time, you can either feed on a towel (train your dog to keep the meat on the towel), toss the meat outside, or feed inside the crate. Make sure to take proper precautions when handling raw meat. Dogs can handle raw just fine (their systems were meant to handle bacteria), but humans should still wash their hands and wipe down things appropriately.
My dog eats the following proteins regularly: beef, chicken, turkey, duck, eggs, salmon, sardines, venison, lamb, and rabbit. Fish, raw eggs, green tripe, and chicken feet each make up about 5% of her diet.
Feeding raw does take more time than dumping kibble into a bowl, but I enjoy watching my dog eat species appropriate food. I love meat shopping for my dog and knowing the fact that she’s eating something so healthy and appropriate. She has sparkling white teeth, a soft and shiny (and non-smelly) coat, a muscled and toned body, good energy, and tiny poop. The best part is, she actually LIKES to eat now.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me or check out http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet. This thread is also helpful for beginning raw feeders: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/431875. Hope that helps!
NOTE: If you’re going to talk to your vet about feeding raw, just know that most veterinarians do NOT condone raw. Vets are not trained in pet nutrition and vet schools are usually sponsored by pet food companies like Hill’s (of Science Diet). Don’t be surprised if your vet is strongly against raw.
Try him on Benifit, it is totally organic and good for them.
If your puppy is settled and doing well on the current diet why change?
Despite what many people believe there are risks associated with raw food diets, both to the pet and the owner. Bacterial infections and parasites can be spread in raw meat.
I like the raw diet, but a puppy needs alot of nutrient. So on top of feeding him raw, also feed him a high end dry food. I suggest Wellness.