Author Topic: feeding raw?  (Read 9093 times)

Offline patrick

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2007, 06:17:35 pm »
I am on the East Coast and show Maryland and Virginia primarily  Occasionally I send a dog out with a handler to one of the big circuits like the Florida Gold Coast in January.

Offline People Whisperer

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #16 on: September 05, 2007, 06:21:55 pm »
If you feed Raw meaty bones such as necks and chewable bones than you calcium/phosphorus ratio is correct. If you add a chunck on meat (phosphorus) to that without adding calcium (I use egg shells) then you a messing it all up.
The whole concept is not that complex.

We stopped 100% raw diet because Lily became total brat and would not eat anything but Lamb, Beef and organs. It became hard to come up with balanced meals. Now she eats kibble and occasionally I add raw meals to her diet. No complains or problems  ;)
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Offline London_Pyr_Lover

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #17 on: September 05, 2007, 07:54:25 pm »
Could you through raw veggies into the mix.  My crew love raw carrots, or would that mess up the balance of the meal.  Thanks for your input.  Is there any kind of raw meat you wouldn't give your dog?
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Offline People Whisperer

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2007, 08:09:57 pm »
Could you through raw veggies into the mix.  My crew love raw carrots, or would that mess up the balance of the meal.  Thanks for your input.  Is there any kind of raw meat you wouldn't give your dog?
The veggies have to be purified in order for dogs to digest them. You can add them if your dogs eat it...Lily hates anything non-meat related, LOL I would never give my dog raw liver or kidney unless you are 100% sure it is organic. I usually boil it and use for treats  ;)
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Offline Sillygoose

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #19 on: September 05, 2007, 08:58:37 pm »
I calculated the dogs weight to see how much I should be feeding and for some reason it seems quite high for 2 meals a day.

Annie is 90lbs 4.5 cups a day is what I get?
Merri is 85lbs 4 cups
Tripepr 60lbish 3 cups?

Does this seem right or is to much like I think?


Offline People Whisperer

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #20 on: September 05, 2007, 10:41:58 pm »
It's 2% of body weight in lb.
So Annie will get 1.8 lb, Merri 1.7 and Tripper about 2.5 lb because he is growing (puppies eat 5% of body weight at first then slowly going to 2%)
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Offline Sillygoose

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #21 on: September 05, 2007, 10:51:48 pm »
Thank you! I guess I would have had fat dogs in no time with my calculations. LOL

Offline sc.trojans

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Re: feeding raw?
« Reply #22 on: September 06, 2007, 06:59:20 am »

WOOOOOAH.....

A lot of advice here that can spell diaster for some dogs.
Several are quoting % to feed but if I understand correctly you have a growing puppy - if so, your puppy has very different requirements and a much higher calcium need right now.  2 - 2.5% may work for adults, but not growing giant breed dogs.

Case in point:  a 6 month old puppy has 3 times the calcium requirement of an adult dog and almost double the zinc requirement

When I started feeding raw, I started with the % guideline and just feeding a ton of variety. I didn't have any disasters, but I also didn't have great improvement or results and found deficiencies over time. Years later, a lot of schooling, and now doing this for a living I can say that few dogs, especially giant breeds, do well with such a wing it approach.  Dogs do best when fed the proper number of calories, just as we do, rather than a % of food, which means nothing.  Imagine if we ate 1% of our body weight every day - 1% of what?  1% of sweets and breads? Or 1% of nothing but protein?  A big difference in calories and fat level and a big difference in nutrition.  A 100 lb adult dog that is moderately active requires more than 1,400 calories a day for example.

Calcium and Phosphorus balance is important as has been mentioned, but so are a lot of others.  Many raw feeders feed far too much bone - thereby feeding an excess of calcium. Excess calcium will inhibit the absorption of magnesium and zinc.  Dark colored dogs like Berners and Newfies start showing red tinged coats from these deficiencies and raw feeders dont know why.  This is just one example and I am one who agrees with a previous poster - it isn't rocket science, but it does require some math to ensure you understand the dog's nutrient requirements.

I highly recommend some reading before jumping in at a minimum.  Even better, work with a canine nutritionist or diet expert who can at least start you on a balanced diet, and from which you can evolve variety.

Kymythy Schultz' Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats is great for understanding biologically appropriate foods to feed.

Monica Segal's K9 Kitchen and Optimal Nutrition are great for understanding how to meet the nutrient needs and reasonably balance the diet.
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