# Best way to Hand Feed Raw??



## MrsWoodcock (Oct 21, 2010)

Example. My female ruby will eat a leg quarter at a decent rate... BUT she will break all the bone to small pieces before swallowing.

My max, i have to hold the chicken leg quarter and have him eat slowly, or else he will chew, but once it gets to bone, he will break it up a little but swallow decent sizes whole!

But even when i feed him by hand ive noticed.... he gets closer to my hand (which i am holding the main bone part) and i have to just give it to him or else he will have to , or accidentally, bite my hand in haste to eat lol

The only thing i can come up with is to hold the meaty part of the chicken leg quarter to let him chew on the bone part first?

Any one else have this issue resolved somehow? Im not sure if there is a better way of hand feeding raw.... 

He is good at me saying Platz and staying there while i let him chew off a piece and i take it from him for a few seconds (around 30) and then give it to him to chew a little bit more etc.... but like i said, come closer to my hand and i *HAVE* to let go hha


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## Miss Molly May (Feb 19, 2010)

you shouldn`t have to hand feed. Molly will sometimes devourer her food bones and all we never had a problem


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## MrsWoodcock (Oct 21, 2010)

Miss Molly May said:


> you shouldn`t have to hand feed. Molly will sometimes devourer her food bones and all we never had a problem


Really? I could have sworn somewhere i read that if they devour it whole or close to it, to teach them to chew it to help the digestion... i should hand feed.


hmmm.... maybe i was incorrect on my reading :blush:


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I've always just given a bit on the frozen side to slow down a dog. A pup will try to gulp, if you hold it just release before it gets too close for comfort. My puppy inhaled his food, and really there were no issues from doing so.


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## MrsWoodcock (Oct 21, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I've always just given a bit on the frozen side to slow down a dog. A pup will try to gulp, if you hold it just release before it gets too close for comfort. My puppy inhaled his food, and really there were no issues from doing so.


Yeah most of the time it is in between the frozen and thawed stage. Where the first layer of skin is thawed but the interior is not. But dear GOD, my max can still devour it in under 3 minutes. maybe thats normal?? lol


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## DeeMcB (Nov 28, 2010)

Ezra eats 2# in under 10 min most of the time - frozen or thawed. 

I read somewhere that dogs don't actually chew the way humans do (no real molars) - digestion starts in the stomach rather than in the mouth as with humans. I don't think hand feeding is necessary.


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## MrsWoodcock (Oct 21, 2010)

DeeMcB said:


> Ezra eats 2# in under 10 min most of the time - frozen or thawed.
> 
> I read somewhere that dogs don't actually chew the way humans do (no real molars) - digestion starts in the stomach rather than in the mouth as with humans. I don't think hand feeding is necessary.


Awesome!! Thanks! That makes things a **** of alot easier on me haha

Question. Do you feed Ezra 2# a day? or a meal?
I heard to feed a puppy UP to 10% of their body weight a day... but when is the "puppy" stage done. I mean to feed a larger amount than normal. Max is 8 months. Ive been feeding him around 1lb and 1/2 to 2lbs a day.... Not sure if i should up it. I noticed the other day he is showing ribs... more than normal. But that was the first couple of days of raw... he is starting to look a LITTLE better... but wasnt sure if i needed to change it to a lil more.?


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## DeeMcB (Nov 28, 2010)

Ez eats 3 - 3.5# a day. He's 7 months, 58# and lean. I feed twice a day. That's a lot of food and I get some flack about it, but he's very active, has a visible waistline & ribs easily felt through the skin. Up it a little and see what happens. Go slow, tweak as you go.

I think the best piece of advice I ever got was this: You know your dog better than anyone here. There are very few "experts" on raw feeding and most of what you find is based on experience & opinion. Don't get me wrong, it's SUPER VALUABLE information, but you have to use your common sense and what your dog is telling you to apply it. Watch your dog and follow the signs that he's showing you. Very rarely is there One True Way to do it.


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