I am ready to *feed* raw how to teach my dog to *eat* raw?

[Neptune]

After months of debating and then a few weeks of reading I finally crossed the chasm and started to feed my dog raw - cautiously!!!  I started one week feeding instinct raw packaged chicken and beef at dinner only.  I wanted him to build up the ability digest raw... And I was overwhelmed by how you actually mix and serve muscle meat and organ meat.

He did great with instinct raw and was super excited for dinner... But he always seems to be starving.  I fed and he eat.  Simple except when he eats raw he takes the food and runs around with it... Trying to bury it in the rug?  I was able to redirect him back to his bowl and keep him in the kitchen.

Today I fed my first raw meal that I prepared.  Could not have been easier...  I purchased one cut chicken w giblets and neck included.  Label says organic.  So I weighed my meat and added a little bit of organ meat... And I created 8 packages of muscle meat, organ meat and bones.  All for $6.99!  One time cost of $9.00 for a scale.  My doodle is a mini 22 pounds - I am feeding 6oz - 8oz 2x a day, + an egg every other day.  3% body weight a day correct - pls confirm?  and I want him to gain a bit of weight.. think he might be too skinny.  Along with treats when we go for our walks and play/train.  Is this enough?  We walk 3m - 5m a few times a week.

Ok ok so I did my bit was super excited had video camera ready and Jett didn't really know what to do with it?  I took him outside this time b/c germs.. He moved the meat around knew he wanted it b/c if I moved at all he would try to run with the food...  But he was not eating it...  Just holding in his mouth...  I petted him as I always pet him when eating (just for a but) but then I gave him space.  10 mins later he took one bite then one minute later he ate the whole piece!!  Barely chewing it!!  It was entirely in his mouth...  I had no idea he was going to just swallow it...  I heard some bones break as he did his 2 bites b4 he swallowed.  In that one second I hesitated should I have pulled it out of his mouth?  I feared if I moved for him he would just swallow... So I didn't move toward him at all.  I figured he would drop it and eat it in pieces.  It was the breast piece with smaller bones...  Imo the piece that had the smallest bones that why I choose it.  I will now be watching him very closely ... Fearing a blockage ....  Like a bone stuck in his gut or can't come out the other end?

So what to do next time?  Hand feed him smaller pieces?  How do I make him slow down and CHEW his bones??  And he didn't touch his organ meat... So I tossed it and will try again tomorrow night.

Other food questions - when I give him the chicken thigh... He won't actually be able to the leg bone correct?  Can I give him one lamb chop.  We are eating those tomorrow ?  Was going to give him one raw but again would he eat that bone?

Thanks
Neptune

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/groups/group/show?groupUrl=rawfood#ixzz...

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Yay for you...or should I say Yay for your dog switching to raw.  I simplified raw feeding after obsessing...6 oz raw in am. and 6 oz pm.  They both weigh around 56 -58#'s. Each get 1 oz liver/organs/day on average.  1 oz bone/day average. All food cut up by ME...ex:  roast...cut into portion size(weighed on scale) put on parchment paper freeze overnight put in ziplock...then I reach in ziplock, hand Elli her piece, hand Skadi her piece...open door they take it outside...no fuss, no muss.  At night I have the liver that I previously cut in approx. 1 oz pieces, put on parchment, freeze, put in ziplock bag place in freezer and reach into bag at night and hand each a piece.  No muss no fuss.  I love it...and most of all so do my girls.  Skadi does NOT, I repeat, NOT have any more chronic ear infections, diarrhea, and itching.  Only time we go to vet is for check-ups.  My vet know they are raw fed and sold me 1/3 pig for cost.  If you can get chicken feet, freeze those too for a delicious treat.  Expensive things like heart, I also chop into snack sizes and freeze...another great treat.  I do let them have meaty bones, but keep in mind they only need about one ounce of bone daily...so if I give them for example a chicken leg, they won't get anymore bone for at least 3 days.  I keep an eye on bone because too much and they will up chuck.  Too little bone and their poo is too soft.  I do supplement their daily diet with 1 tsp of cod liver oil for dogs.  As you can see they both have beautiful coats!  

[Neptune]

Oh my they are beautiful!!  So you feed outside in winter also?  I was thinking of always feeding outside...  I want to keep this super simple...  then I have nothing to wash?  How many years have you been feeding raw?  I wish Vets who supported raw would post here... I would prefer to go to a vet who didn't think this was a CRAZY idea.   IMO this is the atkins/south beach diet for dogs?  Dogs are getting type 2 DIABETES and that is a totally diet related illness.  The best cure is prevention.  My dog is 15 months.. and I wish I held to my guns when he was a puppy and started raw then...  arghhhh.  anyway he still many years ahead of better health. 

How long have you fed raw?  Once the bone is in the dogs tummy do their gut enzymes break down bone?  My guy is still learning to CHEW.. and I am wondering how on earth the bones are getting digested?  he eats so fast? 

TY

neptune

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

I have been feeding raw for over 3 years.  I feed them frozen almost every meal.  They go outside in the cold, the rain, the snow, the heat...no problem because it takes them very little time to eat their meal.  It does take a millisecond longer because it's frozen!  Dogs don't start breaking down their food until it hits their tummies so there is no sense keeping it in the mouth...they eat their food fast so no one else can get it...that's just how they are.  I give them very little bone in their meals...one ounce average/per day.  When you weigh a chicken leg, the bone weighs about 2 ounces...so I do not give them any bone the next day.  I give them pure meat...chicken, pork, beef, rabbit etc without bone for many of their meals.  If I get soup bones from the butcher they do not eat the bone because it is too big but it satisfies the need to chew and cleans their teeth and gums.  They get an average of one ounce organ meat per day, mostly liver.  I chop up the liver into one ounce pieces, put on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet...freeze overnight then take the pieces put in a zippered bag...keep in freezer...great nite nite treat.  I do supplement with cod liver oil daily for the skin and coat.  My dogs never make a mess with their frozen meals...I hand them each a piece, open the door...the end.  It works great for me.  Ask me any questions you might think of...I fretted over this raw stuff too, but my girls look great and have great check ups so far...so good.  Skadi is 5 1/2...she's been on raw the longest...Elli who we have had only a year, is 7 and I started her on raw right away without looking back on her big bag of kibble the previous owner sent with her stating:   "Elli is sensitive to grains" (as I am looking at the bag of kibble with "oats" in it!  Hope this helps.  Welcome to the world of RAW