# Going to start on the raw



## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

Lena has gotten more and more picky as of late. She does not like dry kibble so much, and we have to resort to hand feeding her just to start her off. But if I put maybe a drizzle of homemade chicken stock or a teaspoon of cottage cheese she wants to eat. So thanks to all the info on here, I made a list of acceptable meal bones for my husband. He is going somewhere tomorrow to get some. My only question is I was on Ms. Lauri's raw dog ranch, but was confused on the calculations. Can someone help me on amounts? Neither dog is overweight and here are their weight and ages:

Lena is 10 months weight is 72 lbs
Della is 7/8 months and is 45 lbs

Also no food allergies


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.petdietexperts.dograwdietcalculator.full&hl=en <pay for that, but this one is free:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/raw-dog/id457450264?mt=8
Both dogs, however probably would do just fine on 1.5 to 2# per day split between two meals. Depending on their activity and metabolism. Up it or lower it if necessary.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Spreadsheet | Pack Lunch


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.petdietexperts.dograwdietcalculator.full&hl=en <pay for that, but this one is free:
> https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/raw-dog/id457450264?mt=8
> Both dogs, however probably would do just fine on 1.5 to 2# per day split between two meals. Depending on their activity and metabolism. Up it or lower it if necessary.


What is the percent of the body weight that should be fed?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

A growing pup and an adult dog can essentially eat the same amount....I go by the pups projected adult weight. So adult 2-3%.
Growing puppies need more or less depending on growth spurts, I didn't do percentages according to their weight at the time but what they'd be as adults....so it was the same portion as an adult, split into 3 meals until about 5-6 months, then I'd feed 2 meals a day(about 1lb a meal)


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> A growing pup and an adult dog can essentially eat the same amount....I go by the pups projected adult weight. So adult 2-3%.
> Growing puppies need more or less depending on growth spurts, I didn't do percentages according to their weight at the time but what they'd be as adults....so it was the same portion as an adult, split into 3 meals until about 5-6 months, then I'd feed 2 meals a day(about 1lb a meal)


By my calculations I would need approx 15 pounds per day. I would need to find something that is already made to keep up. I think they would eat it if it was ground up all together. They were not fond of it as a whole before. I'm looking at the complete meals on raw paws. I wonder if they have bulk discounts?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

llombardo said:


> By my calculations I would need approx 15 pounds per day. I would need to find something that is already made to keep up. I think they would eat it if it was ground up all together. They were not fond of it as a whole before. I'm looking at the complete meals on raw paws. I wonder if they have bulk discounts?


you mean for all your dogs? Pre-made is way more expensive in the long run. I would search out a yahoo group or co-op for bulk pricing. 
I know a breeder that is going through 7# a day just to feed a dam that has 11 pups!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> you mean for all your dogs? Pre-made is way more expensive in the long run. I would search out a yahoo group or co-op for bulk pricing.
> I know a breeder that is going through 7# a day just to feed a dam that has 11 pups!


Yes for all. I would have to base what they all eat off of what Midnites allergies are. Good thing is that chicken and turkey are a go. I'm pricing meat grinders and scales now...

What is the average price for one dog to eat a good balanced raw diet per day, assuming one can get the best deal on bulk stuff?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have no idea, I'm in a co-op that is unique, I spend about $150 per month for three large GSD's....but one is on a specialized diet so the supplements are more than the norm.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> I have no idea, I'm in a co-op that is unique, I spend about $150 per month for three large GSD's....but one is on a specialized diet so the supplements are more than the norm.


I'd love to stay around 250 per month. That would be very comparable to where I am now for dry food.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

OP, sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but I have questions(hopefully they help you to)

Let's say your giving a chicken back, how does one determine the meat versus bone %? If following the 80-10-10 guidelines? By the way I downloaded the app, love it

I should be able to ground up chicken backs in a grinder right?


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

My dogs eat at the high end of the percentage and I go through about 15lbs a day for 4 adult dogs and one 8 month old pup. I pay about $250 per month for their food. Kibble is so expensive in Canada so it is significantly cheaper for me to feed raw. 
The pup was weaned onto raw and by the time she was 3 months old she was eating what her adult weight should eat.


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

llombardo said:


> OP, sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but I have questions(hopefully they help you to)
> 
> Let's say your giving a chicken back, how does one determine the meat versus bone %? If following the 80-10-10 guidelines? By the way I downloaded the app, love it
> 
> I should be able to ground up chicken backs in a grinder right?


By all means I don't mind! This is all fairly new to me also. I don't have a meat grinder but I'll figure it out. Thanks for all the info onyx...I wish I had an IPhone since it's free. That other one is $9 (go away inner cheapskate grrr). But going to take a peek at that spreadsheet later on today also.


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

BTW are raw farm eggs acceptable? If so, is this something I should only provide on a limited basis?


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

I am already starting to like raw. Since we got a huge deep freezer, we are getting a good amount of meat stocked. So my husband just came home with 120 lbs of meat (variety of chicken quarters, chicken hearts and livers, and a beef heart) for $200. I normally pay $95 for 60 lbs of dry kibble. It was a whole sale meat distributor and he was even willing to haggle a little with my husband on price. Will be adding a few more things, but I also saw a few big bags of chicken backs he decided to toss in. So far so good, and I can't believe the price difference...


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Girl_Loves_Hydraulics said:


> BTW are raw farm eggs acceptable? If so, is this something I should only provide on a limited basis?



I put 18 eggs through a blender and throw it in about 50-60 lbs of raw grind. 

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Girl_Loves_Hydraulics said:


> Will be adding a few more things, .


Another type of organ besides liver would be a good addition....


SuperG


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

Sorry my husband corrected me it was 200 lbs of meat for $110...Like the blender idea Chef SuperG


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

SuperG said:


> Another type of organ besides liver would be a good addition....
> 
> 
> SuperG


Ya he said to come back in a few days and he was going to have more chicken and beef livers available. What I have should be okay just to get me going though right? And I believe there's about 10 lbs of chicken livers now approximately


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Girl_Loves_Hydraulics said:


> 200 lbs of meat for $110...


kick ass deal.....


SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Girl_Loves_Hydraulics said:


> Ya he said to come back in a few days and he was going to have more chicken and beef livers available. What I have should be okay just to get me going though right?



I think when you read up on the percentage of organ meat to incorporate in a raw diet...you'll most always see 10% of diet AND....only half should be liver. I use kidney or spleen for the other half of the organ requirement.


SuperG


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

llombardo said:


> OP, sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but I have questions(hopefully they help you to)
> 
> Let's say your giving a chicken back, how does one determine the meat versus bone %? If following the 80-10-10 guidelines? By the way I downloaded the app, love it
> 
> I should be able to ground up chicken backs in a grinder right?


I wouldn't grind them at all. The chewing of the bone is great for their teeth AND they love it.


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

SuperG said:


> I think when you read up on the percentage of organ meat to incorporate in a raw diet...you'll most always see 10% of diet AND....only half should be liver. I use kidney or spleen for the other half of the organ requirement.
> 
> 
> SuperG


Ok that makes sense...We did read from here that OM is not the primary part of the meal, more MM and RMB so I know I got that mostly covered. But for the price screw it, I won't need it for a while. Since my husband went, I didn't want to give him this huge long list as he's not familiar as I am. I figured I'll go myself and see for myself and get a few more things...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree with not grinding for adult dogs. The GSD should be able to handle any chicken no problem. I wouldn't premake anything either to add eggs to. I'd rather just add in an egg at mealtime.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> I wouldn't grind them at all. The chewing of the bone is great for their teeth AND they love it.


I've tried it a couple times in the past and mine will not touch the raw if I just give it to them. Yes they walked away from chicken backs. The only thing they ate was duck necks and my oldest wouldn't touch that either.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> I agree with not grinding for adult dogs. The GSD should be able to handle any chicken no problem. I wouldn't premake anything either to add eggs to. I'd rather just add in an egg at mealtime.


Oh I'm sure they can handle it but they won't touch it I threw out a couple hundred dollars worth of meat after trying to get them to eat it.

They all liked the beef liver, beef heart and knuckle bones, but that's it.


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

Our girls are sniffing like crazy when we brought the meat in. They even gave us "lovings" so they could lick our hands and sniff some more lmao


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

onyx'girl said:


> I agree with not grinding for adult dogs. The GSD should be able to handle any chicken no problem. I wouldn't premake anything either to add eggs to. I'd rather just add in an egg at mealtime.


Gus has been eating chicken frames since 6 weeks old, maybe even earlier. The whole litter would chew their way through them with no issues. 

Gus and littermates at Carmen's. ..6 weeks old.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

llombardo said:


> I've tried it a couple times in the past and mine will not touch the raw if I just give it to them. Yes they walked away from chicken backs. The only thing they ate was duck necks and my oldest wouldn't touch that either.


All 7 of your dog's turn their noses up at a whole chicken back?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> All 7 of your dog's turn their noses up at a whole chicken back?


At the time it was 4. Brennan and Batman would probably be ok with it. If you offered Robyn a chicken back or a piece of watermelon, she would choose the watermelon 100 times. The oldest won't even go for the duck necks. Tannor is the only one that ate the fish.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I always make a grind of certain items....mostly to blend in the organ component or tripe. It is a part of her diet....she gets plenty of other more whole items to indulge her crunching of bone and tearing of flesh.


SuperG


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

llombardo said:


> I've tried it a couple times in the past and mine will not touch the raw if I just give it to them. Yes they walked away from chicken backs. The only thing they ate was duck necks and my oldest wouldn't touch that either.



Did you try hand feeding them? Maybe they didn't realize they were supposed to eat them. Or maybe lightly searing the food in olive oil (not to cook the bone but to add some smell/flavor). Then you could gradually decrease searing. I would try fish frozen or again lightly seared. 

Just some ideas...


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

mspiker03 said:


> Did you try hand feeding them? Maybe they didn't realize they were supposed to eat them. Or maybe lightly searing the food in olive oil (not to cook the bone but to add some smell/flavor). Then you could gradually decrease searing. I would try fish frozen or again lightly seared.
> 
> Just some ideas...


I did try feeding them. Noses in the air, I was so frustrated and completely amazed. 

Brennan(my golden) has the strongest jaws out of all them. Hd can eat 4 duck necks to their one without a problem. 

I think they would eat it well if it was ground up. They love knuckle bones.


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## marreromcp (Oct 15, 2014)

Don't be to worried about Raw bones or grinding them. You wont have to brush your dogs teeth again! Also, dont add to much organ meat, 10 - 15% max since more could cause diarrhea.


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