# Losing weight on raw diet



## Kasey71209 (Oct 6, 2009)

I've started feeding Kasey a raw diet but noticed lately that he seems to be losing weight all of a sudden. Was wondering if this has happened to anyone else? He's a smaller V only weighing about 45-50 pounds. He normally gets about a pound of meat a day along with apples sweet potatoes peas or pumpkin.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

No, really not possible. Raw meat has more fat content (unless the meat is really, really lean, I guess). 
If anything, the dog should gain weight. 

I feed some plain ground raw meat a la carte when training. Rest of the time the boy eats kibble. 

I watch his shape more than his weight. Dog should show distinct rib cage outline only when turning. If the outline of the ribs is clearly visible when it is standing, then that dog could put some more weight on. 

Oh, forgot... maybe the boy has worms  if he cannot keep the weight on. Perhaps vet check a stool sample... unlikely, but still a possibility he has more than one mouth to feed ;D


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

This is possible if you aren't feeding enough.

When I switched Mac onto Raw at first I went with the weight recommended on the pack. This said I should be feeding him around 600 grams a day. He started to lose weight so I increased this by 100g a day and then again by 100g every couple of weeks until he looked good. He now eats about 900g a day. 

The recommended amount can vary based on activity level and metabolism. Do what works best for your pup not what the pack says.


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## iwant2fish (Aug 14, 2012)

I too have that problem with our female V, regardless of how much I feed her. She started on raw when she was just over a year old and about 2 months into it she looked emaciated. Our vet even thought she may have epi, but she tested negative. I began sprinkling her food with some kibble (about 15-20 pieces per meal) and she was soon back at her normal weight. She is now five and I recently tried eliminating the kibble and increasing the amount of raw food, but she soon began to drastically lose weight again. She is our fourth raw fed dog and the only dog that has ever had the problem.


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## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

That's unusual. Mine put on weight with raw. I never weigh or measure what they have. It seems to be double the amount everyone else feeds their dogs. 
They do get a lot of off lead exercise, about four hours a day on average, and they don't stop running. :-\
I took this picture last week.


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

I was told to take Oquirrh's weight (40 lb) and times it by 1-7% depending on this level of activity. I used 6% since we are very active with him. That comes to 2.4 lbs of raw a day. I feed kibble and Oquirrh eats almost 2x the amount directed on the bag for his weight and then I feed 1 lb raw a day. Kind of sounds like you aren't feeding him enough.


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## Kasey71209 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for all the input!  he's always been really lean. I can't see his ribs when hes standing but when hes laying on all fours i can clearly see them now whereas before i couldn't. I'll try uping the amount of food!


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

My understanding is that if you can't see the ribs when he is standing then he isn't underweight.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Links to Hungarian vizsla in Hungary

http://gallery.site.hu/u/Dennis/DennisTucsi/Tucsi/2009majus/09soponya/?g2_page=1

Hungarian Vizsla Club (FCI)
http://www.magyarvizslaklub.hu/angol_start.html

My understanding, after talking pretty extensively with the breeder is that the ribby Vizsla is an American fenomenon. 

In my case,Sammy's father is Americanized, ribby but mother is not so much. That made Sam a medium ribby dog. 

The way I understand, muscle mass is of extreme importance and must be quite defined ... Arnold Vizsla.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

> The way I understand, muscle mass is of extreme importance and must be quite defined ... Arnold Vizsla.


Ha! I call Pacsi the Vizsla Schwarzenegger ;D


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## igroeg (Oct 14, 2012)

Hi everybody,

I have the same problem with my 7 months old female vizsla  She was on kibble till she was 6 months but I put her on raw (like a month ago). She lost almoust 4 pounds since than and now she is only 28 pounds! I'm really worried. I fed her 2 times per day and about 1-1,5 pounds raw food per day moustly ground beef, chiken, pork, kidney, liver, eggs, cottage chease, yougurt, apples and so on... Deworming her regularly..I dont know where is the problem but she looks so weak  Please help!

P.S. I visited my vet yesterday and they told me she should weight about 40 pounds and that I dont have to feed her raw more than 2 times per week...than is bad for her kidneys and so on. we did blood tests and everything seems to be OK.

BRG


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

That's a new one - that feeding raw more than 2x a week as it is bad for her kidneys.

Well my 14 month old should be dead from kidney failure if that were the case and Born36 also.

I think the problem for you is the amount that you are NOT feeding. Both Born36 and I feed 1kilo which is 2.2lbs of meat a day plus vegetables. It looks a lot when you compare it to kibble but that is what you have to do.

As for the kidney damage you should see how healthy my dog looks


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hello, igroeg! If your pup needs to gain 12 pounds (according to your vet), then I agree with hotmischief. Pup just needs more food! I don't feed my boy raw, but what it all comes down to, anyway, is calories. No matter where they come from, she needs more calories.


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## igroeg (Oct 14, 2012)

Thanks for your quick reply! I will add extra food. What can you tell me about the carbs in raw food that I give. Do I have to give rice and potatoes for example, because that my vet recommended in conjunction with the ability to gain weight!
Thanks


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

There are no carbohydrates in meat and poultry (either raw or cooked), and they ARE necessary. Carbs are provided by veggies, fruits, and grains. I'm sure you already know that, though. I think other members here who feed raw also add sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, a little rice, etc. Hopefully, they will offer you additional advice.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Love love love Boris' leaping pic, HotM. ;D


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Remember this as well lean fast muscle mass weighs more then fat ;D


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Actually there are carbohydrates in most meats. To put the weight on I would be looking at meats like duck - very fattening. If you can get tripe that is also good. Beef, venison, turkey, sweet potatoes, swedes, turnips, carrots (but must have their skins removed), oily fish, tuna, anchovies, salmon. I think the most importantly thing is for you to gradually increase the quantity. 

If you try and increase it too quickly he may just throw it up as his stomach isn't big enough to cope with it. We had this problem. The other thing you can do if you need to feed bigger quantities is to feed her three meals a day. We didn't cut Boris down to 2 until he was 8 months because of the size of his portions. Obviously it has to work for you as well as your pup, just a suggestion.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

hotmischief said:


> That's a new one - that feeding raw more than 2x a week as it is bad for her kidneys.
> 
> Well my 14 month old should be dead from kidney failure if that were the case and Born36 also.
> 
> ...


. How beautiful is Boris??? He's gorgeous.


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