# Advice on raw and kibble mix.



## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

So, I may have overwhelmed myself. 

I have been feeding Dakota all sorts of random things. It hasn't upset his stomach and he has great poops, but I would like a little more structure to his diet. here is a list of everything he has been fed.

Kibble:
TOTW- High prairie and occasionally Wetlands

Raw meat:
Raw Hamburger
Chicken quarters (leg, skin removed)
Chicken liver
Beef marrow bones(snack)

Wet food:
Random canned food- Evo red meat, TOTW, Evangers Duck, Holistic select duck, HS Seafood, and various others.
Canned salmon
Cannel mackeral

Other:
plain yogurt
shredded cheese
raw egg(w/shell)
hardboiled egg(with shell)
cooked and pured carrot and sweet potato mixture
peanut butter (snack)
lipoderm
chichen broth (low sodium)


I'd like to get some sort of rythum going here and have a set menu so I can give specific directions to my dear boyfriend when he feeds dinner. I was thinking of something like a weekly chart since our schedules are different each day.

Becasue of our schedule and the BF not being a fan of feeding anything but a bit of chicken liver on top of kibble as far as raw goes, it looks like only 2 days during the week and a weekend day would be raw(mix of raw and kibble). 

Right now he gets normally 2 cups of TOTW 2x a day and will get some wet mixed in as well as some other yummies. For meals when he got raw he got a 1/2 a chicken quarter(either a leg or thigh) and then an 1/8 cup (?) of chicken liver(about 2 livers) and 1 cup kibble dressed up.

I am obviously a little lost right now, so PLEASE put me in the right direction.

Also some backgroud on my guy.
20 months yesterday(estimation)
81 pounds (weighed on monday) (2 pounds up from last month)
Normal Activity level.

Thanks!
-Kira


----------



## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

You don't sound lost to me. 

It's fine to feed all those different foods if it doesn't upset his stomach. GSDs can be picky so changing it up will help keep his interest and all the fresh foods are good for him.

It's been suggested that when enhancing a kibble diet that no more than 30% of the diets calories be from the fresh foods or you risk upsetting the balance of the kibble. I think its good to use this as a ballpark. 

So what are your specific goals? To increase the amount of fresh foods? To know what amount of fresh to kibble is okay? To get a list (b/c it sounds like you've made a good one here, just tell BF to chose one or two toppers from the list each day. . .)?

What is it BF doesn't like about dishing out the raw?


----------



## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Well, I guess I wanted to make sure I'm not feeding him too much. He gets more kibble than the recommended serving on the bag, and he gets extra stuff. Just don't want to plump him up. You saw him though. I came home tonight and Scott actually atempted to feed a raw chicken thigh outside on the porch but dakota picked it up and carried right over to a place where he has just sprayed for insects, so that got tossed out. I think I just want more of a general plan for the week and have measured amounts instead of a bit of this and a dollop of that. And amounts would be good to know. For instance he gets 2 dollops of plain yogurt on his crunchies with an egg and some cheese for some breakfasts... looking on some of the other posts it seems like that would be too much. 

As far as the chart, If I have a more definate, measurable set of instructions, Scott will be less likely to mess up. Oh and on a side note, I have had to explain like crazy how raw chicken bones are safe as long as he knows to chew his food, and that he won't get salmonella. And I think he doesn't liket o clean up. ut thats just my opinion. Guess I'll make a menu and have you look it over.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

If you want to do half kibble and half raw you can simply do one meal of kibble and one meal of raw.

Perhaps kibble with yogurt _or_ an egg (maybe rotate every other day, since both have their benefits) and then a meal of all raw for dinner. If you had to Lauri's website rawdogranch.com it has an excel spreadsheet that you can type in your dogs _ideal_ weight and the percent you want to feed and it'll tell you the amount of RMB, MM and OM to feed.

If you feed one meal a day then you could feed between 1-1.5% of the dogs weight (since the daily recommended amount is 2-3%.)

I did this for a while and it worked great for Jerzey. She eventually lost interest in her kibble but it seems like that hasn't happened with your pup yet so maybe that won't happen.


----------



## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

So, silly Question... What is RMB??? I get MM= muscle meat and OM= Organ meat...Still cant figure out the last one though.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

RMB = raw meaty bone... something like chicken legs, wings, quarters and necks. Turkey or duck necks, etc.

If you check out the thread "Our Dogs' Menus" it lists what people feed their dogs in a break up of RMB, MM and OM. It will help you get an idea of what constitutes as each.


----------



## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: GSDSunshineWell, I guess I wanted to make sure I'm not feeding him too much. He gets more kibble than the recommended serving on the bag, and he gets extra stuff. Just don't want to plump him up. You saw him though.


That's almost impossible to know b/c all dogs have different metabolisms plus you just got him. 

Based on seeing him you are not feeding too much, right now anyways. You would have to continue monitoring his weight to see if he continues to increase or if he plateaus.

I did notice that you are feeding a lot of calories. The kibble you spoke of is 370 calories a cup X 4 a day = 1480 + extras maybe another 200-250 = 1680-1730 calories a day.

In a calorie chart I have it suggests for a 90# moderately active dog 1322, highly active 1923. 

I would stay within the range you are at now knowing that in time you may need to decrease his intake.



> Originally Posted By: GSDSunshineI came home tonight and Scott actually atempted to feed a raw chicken thigh outside on the porch but dakota picked it up and carried right over to a place where he has just sprayed for insects, so that got tossed out.


As far as Dakota moving the food, that's normal as they think they need to go secretly enjoy their treat. But you can train him to eat where he's fed. Some have stood with the dog or tied the dog to the cupboard or something until they learn.



> Originally Posted By: GSDSunshineFor instance he gets 2 dollops of plain yogurt on his crunchies with an egg and some cheese for some breakfasts... looking on some of the other posts it seems like that would be too much.


Do you mean like too much variety or too much volume?



> Originally Posted By: GSDSunshineI think I just want more of a general plan for the week and have measured amounts instead of a bit of this and a dollop of that. And amounts would be good to know.


Well would you want it to include all the foods you listed? More fresh foods? I personally think canned food is expensive for what you get so I would rather supplement with fresh meats vs the canned. Maybe determine what meats Dakota does good with and make meat balls, just have BF scoop the dry and add a meatball to each meal.


----------



## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

I am going to add some Wellness Core into Lulu's raw diet now that her system is stable for a variety. I have been giving her raw ground beef when I use it to cook, and whatever I am cooking that night raw and she has had no problems so after nearly 5 months on just raw I am starting to mix it up a bit for variety as she gets really bored with everything besides her chicken quarters, those are always a hit


----------



## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Oh, I was going to say that I have found I don't think it's a huge deal to just go on intuition and mix it up a bit, I think it's best to first get their system used to raw and then slowly add different things, and then later after several months mix it up a bit to keep them happy, after all, we eat different every night, can you imagine having chicken or hamburgers every night for your entire life? ick


----------

