# New at this.. how am I doing?



## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Been doing a lot of research and reading of this forum about the raw diet. Everything has been really helpful and I have done my best to figure out how much to feed my boy. Which is where you come in.. details:

2 year old, male GSD, 100 lbs, VERY high energy, Daily routine M-F is.. two 45-60 minute walks a day. Fetch and "find" in the evening after the walk. Weekends are MUCH more active to include beach days, dog park, play dates, runs, etc.

Someone told me about Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch and I was able to find percentages there, so I have calculated the percentages as follows:

2.46 lbs per day leaving that 19.68 oz per meal.

45% RMB = 8.85 oz
45% MM = 8.85 oz
5% OM = 1 oz
5% Fruits/Veggies/yogurt = 1 oz

Now that all being said I'm am slightly concerned about the amounts. It seems like that is too much. I haven't seen very many people feeding more than 2 lbs a day. I also haven't seen very much guidance on the particulars on RMB, MM and OM as what type of each he needs, chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, etc... does one have more nutrients than the other should it be equally spread, what kind of supplements should I be giving him. 

I just would really like some advice on starting him off. I think this diet would be great for him and he would enjoy it so much more than kibble, as he is an EXTREMELY picky eater. 

ADVICE PLEASE!!! Thanks


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

I'm not sure where you are, but on Facebook, there's a Toronto Raw Feeding group that has documents which list the bone content for each types of meat, among other documents that could help you with your decision.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

My boy is only 83lbs and 2lbs a day kept him extremely thin. He's very active and we do a lot of work/training together so right now I'm feeding somewhere between 2.5 and 3lbs a day to keep him looking not so emaciated. I think some dogs might be able to just metabolize faster and may need more than 2lbs

Aiden would literally go up to 5 days without touching kibble if I let him. The switch to raw was cold turkey and he took to it immediately and ate like I'd never seen him due before.

When I started, I used chicken quarters from Walmart. You may need to take some bone out depending on your dog, but watch his poop to make that decision. Mine needs a little more bone in his diet to avoid diarrhea, so the amount of bone in the quarters was perfect for him. I stuck with chicken fro about 3 weeks, and then introduced turkey. Then another few weeks and some beef, pork, lamb, etc.

Like you, I did a TON of research before I started and I was extremely overwhelmed at the beginning. I was so scared that I would do something wrong and he would be lacking essential things and the diet wouldn't work, but I did it and now I've learned not to expect perfection. I don't feed based on a "rotating" schedule as much as I feed with what I can get for a good price. I give a good variety throughout the month and thats all that really seems to matter.

As far as supplements go, I only give fish oil right now. I haven't integrated anything else in, but I have heard of the use of Vit E and C before. I also waited until around 3 months in to add the supplements once he was more established into the raw food diet.

Aiden's muscle tone and coat condition have improved 100% since the switch. I never have a problem with refusing a meal, as I did before. The advice that I have for you would just be not to worry. Watch your dog for signs as to what he needs more/less of and it will all work out. Good luck!


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

GatorDog said:


> The switch to raw was cold turkey and he took to it immediately and ate like I'd never seen him due before.


LOL i meant do*. Sorry!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I wouldn't worry about the exact portion control you list.
I feed portion wise/balance pretty much what you post to two of my 90#'rs and bump up or reduce amounts as needed. I don't measure, but eyball what I give as far as MM, OM, and RMB's.
Winter time, they need a bit more than summer. 
My 80# dog gets less(about 1.75# daily) as she isn't as active. 
Instead of the "fruit/veggie" part, I give fresh green tripe(a heaping spoonful daily=2 or 3oz) 

Supplements for my dogs are all human grade~
400iu of natural E every few days, 1000-2000mg Natural C or EsterC, Salmon or coconut oil(rotated every so often) daily. 
I also will give yogurt and raw eggs every few days(usually if I'm not giving tripe that meal)
When I switched two of my dogs from kibble to raw, there were a few days of runny stool as they adjusted to the raw. Probiotics and digestive enzymes are naturally found in tripe, so I would start giving tripe at the transition. 
If you see more than a few days of pudding poo, you may be over feeding.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I agree with onyx'girl about the veggies also. Aiden has a ground beef mix that has tripe in it, but he doesn't every get any fruits/veggies.

And I forgot to add that I did give human grade probiotocs during the transition as well and I still give it whenever I think there might be some tummy troubles. It's good stuff!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

GatorDog said:


> Like you, I did a TON of research before I started and I was extremely overwhelmed at the beginning. I was so scared that I would do something wrong and he would be lacking essential things and the diet wouldn't work.


That is EXACTLY it. There's just so much out there that I feel I might deprive him of something, maybe I missed something important, maybe he's getting too much of something.. I don't know I tend to freak myself out when it comes to my boy. Lol. 

Thanks so much for the info so far.. it's making me feel better about this whole thing.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I felt the same way when I switched. But that was when kibble recalls were every other day and I knew that kibble wasn't safer than what I possibly may deprive my dogs of.

Tripe can be fed exclusively, it is that balanced. I would be sure to incorporate it into the diet off the bat.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

It's definitely intimidating on paper (or online), but once you do it you will not regret it!


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

wyoung2153 said:


> Now that all being said I'm am slightly concerned about the amounts. It seems like that is too much. I haven't seen very many people feeding more than 2 lbs a day.


My boy Mauser gets between 2 - 2.5 pounds per day. More when it's warmer and we're out and about more, less when it's colder and we are both less active. 



> I also haven't seen very much guidance on the particulars on RMB, MM and OM as what type of each he needs, chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, etc... does one have more nutrients than the other should it be equally spread,


Since a raw diet is about balance over time you don't really have to worry about each individual meal. I aim for feeding my gang 5 - 7 different protein sources each week.

My main staple is chicken (for most of my RMBs) but they also get beef, pork, fish, turkey, lamb ... that right there is 6 sources. 



> what kind of supplements should I be giving him.


If he is healthy and you feed a diet with variety he shouldn't need any supplements. Maybe some Salmon oil if you can't get him to each alot of fish but otherwise I wouldn't use anything at the start.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you guys so much for all the information. I am getting really excited to start feeding him this diet. I have to wait about a month or so for financial reasons, but I'm already starting him on a raw bone once a week for now. Thanks again, this forum is awesome!!


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