# Raw food diet



## jojo81 (Jul 31, 2013)

Hello
I would like advice from all you raw feeders out there. From reading the posts, I've seen that there are quite a few of you.

I'll be getting my puppy right at the end of September. He or she'll be 8bweeks or a bit more and have been weaned on kibble.
I want to get her onto a raw diet as I strongly believe that it's much better for dogs.
However I'd like some advice as to how to go about it.
I've read that it's better to start 100% raw straight away as the digestion of both raw and kibble is very different.

I've found a company that sells 1 kg blocks of frozen ground whole chicken (so meat + bone + innards), 1 kg blocks of ground beef tripe as well as 10 kg boxes of chicken necks and carcasses. They also do minced lamb and rabbit.
I would like to feed one meal of chicken necks or carcasses, and the other two of ground chicken (or other meat) and/or tripe with a vegetable mix, the odd egg, cottage cheese and supplements. Does this sound ok?
Do I need to add liver or other organ meat or will the innards from the chicken and the tripe be enough?

I thought I would start with chicken and progressively add other ingredients and other types of meat.... what do you think?

Can I feed a puppy necks straight away or should I start with only the ground meat until he/she is used to digesting the raw meat?

I've heard 10% of body weight per day until it's more than 2-3 % of adult body weight. Is that right?

What do you feed your dog when you go on holiday and don't have a freezer?

Thanks very much for your help


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

At that age I stuck to what the breeder suggested. Later, I switched to better kibble and at 6 months I started to supplement with a little raw turkey and a few chicken backs. 

If you found someone who grinds human grade meat and prepares the meat, that is fantastic. Still, my biggest concern about home made raw is proper balance of required nutrients. In order to keep up, the owner has to follow up with blood analysis, among other things, ..... some may lack, for example, calcium or other key elements. 

This is why I ended up on grain free, gluten free kibble and only supplementing here and there with straight raw meat. Simple, if I don't have to complicate things, I don't. 

One interesting fact about kibble is they do not disclose (by law ??? ) the amount of carbohydrate used ... Bargain brands use more. This may contribute to unnecessary weight gain, sad.


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## Rapunzel (May 10, 2013)

I just recently went through this. I just got our puppy and she is 9 weeks old. The breeder recommended keeping her on the kibble she was eating at the breeder for at least two 30 pound bags. I tried feeding her the kibble and she wasn't eating at all. I tried hand feeding her, putting it in a Kong with Kong paste, rewarding her the kibble as treats, etc. She just didn't want it. I had just recently switched my older dog to a raw diet because of allergy issues. I noticed the puppy kept licking my older dog's bowl after the raw food was eaten. Initially, I thought she probably wasn't eating because of the transition to our home, but when she showed interest in the raw food, I said hmmmmm........

I talked to the boutique store where I get my raw food from and they assured me you can start at any age. They have a champion Doberman show dog and have done extensive research on the raw diet. They said you can go from feeding kibble one day to feeding raw the next. I buy the frozen patties which are pre-made. I'm just too scared I won't get the mixture right. It is a little pricey, but I'm doing that for now until I feel comfortable preparing it myself. I started yesterday feeding her the raw diet. My puppy ate like she was starving! She gobbles up the raw food at each feeding whereas with the kibble, I would leave it out all day and she hardly ate any. Her bowel movements are still good so far. 

The most my puppy will eat is 3.5% of her body weight. Anything more is too much for her and she leaves it in the bowl. 

So, that's just my experience. Hope this helps and good luck!


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

All of natures Balances

can exceed any Kibble facts by light years

takes far more time

and all love the hype $$$ and marketing

the facts and I do use 1 kibble as a add only

real whole balanced foods shame store bought kibble

any brand any store

and this Great Vet

looks great

Her choices were natural not store bought Marketing

Pride makes great mates

and choices




http://youtu.be/I5ZeNLUEHKY







http://youtu.be/wesD_nPJ_M0


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

There is SOOOOO much you can read about raw out there. I would suggest joining a raw feeding group online for more details. And Raw Prey Model is what I consider a more hardcore side of raw feeding. 

I've attempted raw due to allergies but the cost and effort was just too much. So mine get some raw stuff here and there. Most recently tuna, which they loved. Of course they like ANYTHING that's raw meat or bone.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

And now, for some entertainment 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFA9kN58AcU

this is hard work, when does he have time to walk the dog, LOL? The man is smart, I give him that much, RESPECT


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## jojo81 (Jul 31, 2013)

Thanks for all your replies.
I've joined a French raw feeding group and read lots of other ressources. There seem to be some very different recipes especially for puppies.
I've got a copy of Kymythy Schultze's book buried under a pile somewhere, I really need to find it.
I just wanted opinions from people who do it with vizslas. 
I think I'll also ring the company that sell the meat. They should also be able to give good advice.

Just one more question: Do you all always feed ground meat or do you give bones such as chicken wings and necks, whole chickens etc....?


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

Can someone explain to me the purpose/benefits of a raw diet....and not in riddles, I'm an adult without any overt psychopathology, LMAO....I'd appreciate it.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

lonestar said:


> Can someone explain to me the purpose/benefits of a raw diet....and not in riddles, I'm an adult without any overt psychopathology, LMAO....I'd appreciate it.


Simple, kibble was introduced barely 60-80 years ago. It caught on because it's highly convenient and safe to handle. 
Before that house cats and dogs are mainly a raw diet. 

BUT,
In case of highly domesticated dogs like the V they ate home made *cooked*, dog food. 
This is evidenced by ancient paintings depicting the V by the master's side (rich land owner, LOL) eating table scraps (can't find any on the web, as soon as I do, will post)

LMAO, those days there was no fridge, no way to preserve meat unless consumed right a way or cooked or smoked or salted. 

These are ancient dogs and we like to reinvent the wheel, Raw is like fashion these days. 

I did do small portions of plain Raw ground meat. I don't mess with bones, they splinter and they don't eat fur, either.


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## purple_falafel (Oct 15, 2012)

Jojo, what you have outlined above sounds perfect. 

We decided to do this diet because the breeder is a big fan of it, has all her dogs and puppies on it and they all are thriving.

Barkley is fed on a BARF diet, and we do 10% of his body weight (and will continue this until he reaches his full height i believe is the recommendation - if you hear different then let me know!). 
He gets one meal of just meat, and two of it paired with veggies/fruit/yogurt/fish oil. 
His meat is mostly ground bone-in chicken, although we do throw in some ground beef organ a couple times a week. Alternately, I'll go to Costco and buy a big container of chicken wings and give him portioned out wings for his meat meal. So you can see that he can go to town on bones that are ok for his size! He loves it so much - he always looks back at me with this expression of pure adoration when he's eating the wings lol. Before we picked him up at 9 weeks, the breeder starting giving them some chicken backs so go for it with the bones, just obviously be near them and supervise. 

We do also have a kibble, that we use if we are going camping or visiting friends' houses. Barkley isn't a picky eater so he'll go for whatever. It's pretty convenient to have it there as a backup incase i forgot to take meat out of the freezer the night before as well. 

Other than that, variety with the fruits and veggies and our breeder said a vitamin c about once a week, fish oil so his coat is nice and clean (and it's anti-inflammatory, good for brain development etc.), apple cider vinegar (to improve digestion of the fruits and veggies) and some yogurt or kefir for the probiotics. It also helps them digest the non-meats if you lightly cook it. 
As an aside, Barkley will rarely eat the veggies and fruit if they're too big. I have to put them in the vitamix and lightly blend it (on a low setting, same thing as using a food processor), and then mix it into the food. 

I'm so jealous of your rabbit and lamb meat supplier!


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## Kevin (Dec 29, 2012)

Hegy is just passed 10 months and has been on raw most of his life.

Gets a mix of full chicken carcasses or ground chicken, offal n veg base mix with added extra's n a few oils n sups...ohh n plenty of bones n spines. 

Wouldn't change back to a kibble unless we really had to.

Get 150 chicken carcasses for £6, all bones are free n allot of the veg is grown In The garden. Probably costs less than 30p a day to feed him. 

Chicken base mix takes 1 1/2 hrs to make (that inc washing n puttin away all the pots). Lasts bout 10 days. And each meal takes 5 mins to prepare.

He seems to be lookin ok for a raw fed vizsla!! 

It all boils down to what you are comfortable with.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Like x 22

Processed food is a joke 

sheep run to it

the Wolf loves the Sheep ;D

way to Go big Kev 

To create a zinger that makes them roar ;D

you must feed and protect the Core with balanced real earned foods 

Nothing can match Gods Gifts and the time and pride it takes to make Champions

and not Ribbons or pins

Kid stuff : 

marketing a bigger joke

Be the Joker

grow it , catch it hunt it

She loves the Hunt :-*

Just think of the earned views and memories made making the far better choice

Kibble is a add on Yes I use to Greatness that creates hate and love


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Raw - religion - politics ( never feed the pup a Wiener unless running 4 mayor NY city 2 toxic ) - sex - time off lead ( neVer enough ) - every pup & owner is different !!!!!! - just pick what works 4 the pup - if U love the breed - it is about what works 4 the pup - not what makes U look good !!! PS all of the above try never 2 post on this subject !!!!!! LOL


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Jojo, 
I don't feed raw, but I found this facebook group of raw-feeding vizsla owners. If you're on FB, it might be worth a look. Good luck with you puppy!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/277508778962425/


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