# Raw for A Month - Now Off His Feed



## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

We've noticed our Zeus is quite off his feed for the last few days after switching him to raw meat and bones.

Also, he tends to lie on his side more now that usual as if his GI tract was causing him some pain. And, he's lethargic.

He will drink both water and milk (he tolerates milk very well).

Now, we saw this behavior once or twice in the past when we fed him bones. After a few days, he's over it and returns to his feed. So, in the past we avoided bones. Now that he's on raw and hearing most of you recommend bones we've started to feed them to him again.

So, question for those of you who feed raw...can too many bones be harmful for the GSD? If so, what precautions do you take to ensure that your dog's not going to suffer injury from eating bones.

LF


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

u


Longfisher said:


> We've noticed our Zeus is quite off his feed for the last few days after switching him to raw meat and bones.
> 
> Also, he tends to lie on his side more now that usual as if his GI tract was causing him some pain. And, he's lethargic.
> 
> ...



You *MUST* feed bones or "Bone Meal" to keep a raw diet balanced! If you don't feed one of these, you are asking for some major health problems as he will be missing calcium/phosphorus in his diet! If you don't feed the actual bones, purchase the following Bone Meal product which contains the correct ratio's of Cal/Phos. BTW, this is NOT the garden type of Bone Meal. The amount dosed is measured by how many "cups" of food he eats per day. I can help you with this. https://www.pureformulas.com/bone-meal-powder-1-lb-by-now.html

I don't know how long you've had him on a raw diet, but he may be detoxing. Or some dogs will go off their feed during spring or summer.

Moms


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

How much and what types of bones are you feeding? You may be feeding far too much bone and that is drying out his poops, slowing everything down and making him uncomfortable.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

I bet he is constipated...give some 100% pure pumpkin and make sure the bone ratio is right.


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

Thanks for all the well-meaning replies. But we figured it out.

My wife went to the store and bought some venison imported from New Zealand as she thought that the meat would be gamy and that this would stimulate the dog to eat raw even more. He wouldn't touch it after he smelled it.

I didn't know about the venison and kept feeding him pork, beef and chicken. So, things seemed to be coming along swimmingly as the venison sat in the meat drawer of the refrigerator.

After a week she decided she would just cut up the venison and put it into the container where I kept the pork. It was much more red in color than the pork but I really didn't take note of it, at first.

When she put it into the pork she didn't mix it, but rather, left it in a lump in the middle. I thought it was pork and tried to feed it to the dog. He was having none of it as it was venison and also the pork under it must have smelled like venison.

When I finally figured it out I took some of the pork that was distal to the mound of venison and he ate it ravenously and immediately. Poor dog was so hungry.

So, we removed the venison and washed the pork and he's back to normal. It had nothing to do with the bones.

Interesting, my wife then cooked the venison in a fry pan with a little oil and he ate it right up. GO FIGURE.

LF


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

*Pumpkin*



eddie1976E said:


> I bet he is constipated...give some 100% pure pumpkin and make sure the bone ratio is right.


Ummm, how in the world do you get a dog to eat pumpkin?

LF


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

You need to feed edible bones and organs, not just muscle meat.

What bones are you feeding?


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Longfisher said:


> Ummm, how in the world do you get a dog to eat pumpkin?
> 
> LF


Most dogs love the pure pumpkin that comes in a can. It is a well known remedy for constipation and loose stool.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Longfisher said:


> Thanks for all the well-meaning replies. But we figured it out.
> 
> My wife went to the store and bought some venison imported from New Zealand as she thought that the meat would be gamy and that this would stimulate the dog to eat raw even more. He wouldn't touch it after he smelled it.
> 
> ...



have had the same issue with certain proteins. more often than not i have to lightly cook lamb or it gets left. I have to lightly cook* all* organ meat or the whole meal gets left. I don't know if it's texture, smell or both. 

Glad you figured it out.


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## KPK (Jan 28, 2015)

Try feeding the meat while its frozen. I have put down liver that was thawed out and my dog wouldnt eat it at first.I took it and slightly seared in a pan and she had no problems and seemed to love it. I think it must have been a texture thing. Now I just serve it frozen straight from the freezer and she always goes nuts for it.


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

KPK said:


> Try feeding the meat while its frozen. I have put down liver that was thawed out and my dog wouldnt eat it at first.I took it and slightly seared in a pan and she had no problems and seemed to love it. I think it must have been a texture thing. Now I just serve it frozen straight from the freezer and she always goes nuts for it.


Great idea. We're in Texas and the 100 degree summers are coming.

A beefsicle might be just the thing.

Best,

LF


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