# Full raw feeders 1x or 2x a day?



## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

Hey guys I finally found a cost effective full raw diet and have been on it about 4-5 days now for both dogs. Pre-packed 2lb tubes 4 days a week then raw chicken or other raw rmbs etc 3 days a week. The place I am buying the raw says to only feed 1x a day and to fast both dogs 1 day every 1-2 weeks. I was feeding my dogs 2x a day before we switched to full raw (kibble am/raw pm). My guys have accepted the 1x a day feeding and I have been doing it around noon everyday (bc we hike in the ams 2 hrs on some pretty tough trails and I felt like carrying 2lbs of food just eaten wouldn't be good for their systems. 

How many times a day do you feed your dogs? Do you fast your dogs? What time of day do you feed your dogs? And am I doing the right thing by feeding after our hikes versus before we start our days activities?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I still like to feed 2 meals...otherwise my dogs barf bile from their stomach being empty too long. What is in the pre-made to slow the digestion? Raw digests very quickly...is there grains or veggies included? I never fast my dogs, unless they have a diarrhea or barfing problem where the gut needs to rest. I feed my dogs 8 am and 6 pm give or take an hour or two. If I'm tracking the meal comes after the track or training.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I feed 2 X per day and try to give the dogs a couple of hours after eating before strenuous exercise. No, I do not fast my dogs. I feed when I get up in the mornings (which can vary depending on the day) and at 6 PM or later depending on if we train that night.


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

The place I am buying the pre-made raw tubes is a trainer/ breeder/ raw diet provider that worked something out with "Bravo" to make a higher fat content and unlabled tubes directly for their training/breeding programs. They are tubes of either chicken, lamb, beef or turkey and do have the typical contents from bravo (the closed and secured boxes are directly from Bravo) just with a higher fat content and veggies etc. I still feel funny feeding only 1x day I may go back to feeding twice but I have def seen a huge inprovement in energy on the new diet/feedin time. I don't plan on fasting my dogs though I just don't feel comfy with it.


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## shell nyc (Jul 19, 2010)

Once a day with occasional binge/fast days. I typically feed in the evenings but will sometimes skip an evening meal and feed the next morning depending on my schedule. I throw in a few extra treats and the dogs adapt just fine. No bile pukes, no more begging than usual (my Cavalier is “always” hungry!)


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I also feed once a day with occasional binge and fasts. I only fast if there's diarrhea or as a followup to a binge day. An example would be feeding a whole chicken, and then fasting the day after. 

Feed how you feel comfortable, when its between times a day as long as your dog is doing well there's no reason to change. I feed once a day out of a sort of laziness lol. But meal time is a big long production everyday for the dogs. 

I give them their raw as well as supplements. One of my dogs is on a lot of supplements due to chronic dry eye. All of the oil filled ones (fish oil, vitamin e, etc) are given to the dogs as treats, and I use the opportunity for a training session. I make them stay while I fix the meal, do some downs/sit/up/stand/whatever for the supps. I also generally use raw egg as part of what I mix the powdered supplements in. I only feed the yolks raw, and cook the whites to prevent a biotin deficiency since I feed so many eggs. I microwave the egg white, and then break it into pieces and use it for training treats as well. This all makes sure that the dogs get a training session every day, even if I was too busy or tired to do additional sessions.


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

Once a day for us as well, mostly out of convenience. If the dogs had issues with it I'd feed 2x a day but they are just fine and I've never seen anyone throw up bile or anything like that. I always vary the feeding time but it's usually in the evening/night time...which sometimes means 5 PM and sometimes 1 AM.
Sometimes I gorge/fast...if the meat is going to go bad in another day I'll feed extra or if something hasn't thawed out in time they'll get fasted, usually til the next morning.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

2 x day and I never fast my dogs unless they are sick.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

2x's a day. Raw in the am before work, kibble at night but only about a cup to prevent the totally empty tummy. I do not fast them unless they are sick or for training purposes. After meals, they rest for up to an hour before playing, hiking, etc.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

2 times a day for me. I want to know EXACTLY when my dogs go off their food as it's one of the first signs of illness.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I feed twice a day and only fast for a sick dog. I wouldn't want to feed once a day due to the shear volume the dogs eat.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

feed once a day for my dogs in the morning depending on when i wake up. Generally around 9-11 am. 

I do it mainly for convenience but like others said if my dogs were throwing up bile or had any problems I would split in two.

we wait 2 hours after eating before any exercise. They are exercised before they eat sometimes but we wait until breathing returns to normal before they are given their food.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I'm feeding 2x a day right now, I will start feeding once a day when he's older.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I feed twice a day, but they get all their meat for dinner and breakfast is merely mashed potatoes, an egg and their supplements. Several reasons they get all the meat at night: b/c they eat only about 8 oz t neck a day and I find that splitting that is to small a piece and they cannot digest just meat without the bone well and also for the reason that I do not like messing with meat in the am. I feed in the morning before work and at night it's after we finish our dinner, whatever time that may be.


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