# Starting Raw - feeding raw and kibble



## Kratos5 (Oct 30, 2015)

So I decided I want to start feeding some raw. I have a 6 month old GSD and a 7 year old Aussie. Both are on kibble. I want to feed kibble in the morning and raw at night. I've never fed raw before and am just a little nervous. Do I just start by giving them a chicken quarter one night and hope for the best? How do I start? Is a chicken quarter too much to start with? My Aussie is about 40lbs, my GSD pup is 65lbs. Can I get some advice on how much to start each off with?


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## Mudypoz (Mar 3, 2016)

That's how I started. I removed the skin and visible fat because that can sometimes cause diarrhea in the beginning if the dog is sensitive. Some people prefer to start with bone-in chicken breast because the bones are a bit smaller, and then move on to quarters. If your dog is a gulper, you might want to hold on to the food for a bit to make sure they at least crunch it up a little bit before swallowing. My dogs usually just crunch the bones a couple of times then swallow the whole thing. Made me panic in the beginning until I realized that's how most dogs eat, lol.
Good luck, your pups are going to be happy! :smile2:


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Congratulations on taking the plunge!

I would suggest, since you are just beginning, to use a commercially made BALANCE raw food, especially for the pup. Just using chicken pieces or other meats is not a balanced diet. You also need to add organs. Search the threads here on "Raw Feeding", and once you have a good understanding of what is involved and how exactly to do it, you can go off of the commercial food and prepare your own.

Here are some suggestions of quality, commercially prepared raw foods:
*Bravo:* Discover Balance Raw Diet | Beef Frozen Raw Dog Food Diet - Bravo Pet Food Find a store: Find a Bravo Retailer - Bravo Pet Food 
*Northwest Naturals: *Beef Find a store: Store Locator
*Primal: *Complete Raw Diets for Pets: Canine Beef Formula Find a store: Primal Pet Foods: Store Locator
Feeding calculator: Feeding Calculator 


Good luck & Welcome to the "dark side" LOL!!!:grin2:

Moms


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## Kratos5 (Oct 30, 2015)

So to start them off - giving them their first piece of raw, just give them a chicken quarter with no skin/fat? It just seems like a lot of raw to start out with. Should I expect them to have the runs?


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## Mudypoz (Mar 3, 2016)

Kratos5 said:


> So to start them off - giving them their first piece of raw, just give them a chicken quarter with no skin/fat? It just seems like a lot of raw to start out with. Should I expect them to have the runs?



As long as you remove the skin and fat they should be fine. Eventually you don't need to remove it, just in the beginning until you see how they handle it.


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## Kratos5 (Oct 30, 2015)

What about commercial raw? Like Stella and chewy or primal? Any opinions?


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