# First raw meal complete! Feedback please



## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

We've decided to make the switch after lots of research and would like some advice please. Just one meal in so far. I've checked out Lauri's website and it was very helpful 

Our boy is 5 months old and just under 50lbs. We fed a chicken quarter (part with the leg) weighing 1.75lbs, no organ meat yet. 

Questions:
I realize a whole chicken is about 30% bone. My plan is to continue with the rest of the quartered chicken this week since it's cut and ready to go and cut back on the bone next week (we have some venison in the freezer from last year to add next). Is this okay or do I need to add more MM this week to better balance the ratio? I was thinking of trying to balance the ratios over a month span.

We fed with the skin on, I haven't read anything regarding do's or don'ts on this yet. Thoughts?

Where do you feed? We fed outside but that won't last much longer with winter coming. I'm having visions of salmonella all over my kitchen floor. 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and hopefully respond


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## honeysdad (Oct 12, 2013)

Just a thought when you're starting off. We have an elderly GSD who has been fed raw chicken, among other things, all her life. Recently, at almost thirteen years of age, I have noticed that some of the chicken-bone joints are coming out the "other end" undigested. These are the joints of the thigh and leg which are the strongest bones in a chicken. Switching to the softer-boned wing-quarter has solved the problem. Perhaps, not a problem with a vigorous 5-month-old.

Never heard anything adverse about chicken skin, and, yes, always wash up after handling raw chicken.

Think about the dietary balance and follow the guide-lines of reputable animal-nutritionists.


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

Thanks for your response


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

No more advice from anyone??


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I hate posting from my phone but I will add a few things...

Feed 2-3% of his expected adult weight. My 7 month old female gets about how much you fed (minus what I deduct for all the training treats she eats). 

I balance out each meal (RMB:MM) - I have read others donut throughout the day. 

I feed my older dog on a washable tablecloth that gets washed every week or so. It is like a vinyl and you can wash it off after each meal. I try to use a non toxic cleaner since she licks off it. My pup gets fed in her crate.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## cilset (Aug 8, 2012)

i give my 16 month old dog 2lb a day, what I was told 2.2% of the weight


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I have trained my pup to eat raw meaty bones on an old bath towel. She gets a fresh towel everyday. Makes a bit of extra laundry but it keeps my floors clean and she can eat anywhere that way. It makes it easy if you travel, too. I wash the dirty towels in hot water weekly. I even have a laundry basket just for her towels.


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

Okay thanks for your feedback, the vinyl or the towel sound like they'd work. As for the amount to feed I've read either 2-3% of his ideal adult weight or 5-10% of his current weight. I picked roughly 3lbs/day because that's in the middle of those different calculations. We plan to continue to raw for a while but it's messy, time consuming and costly. I hope to see some positive effects soon, at a minimum breath improvement and solid poop


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## LoriH (Apr 16, 2013)

I feed one meal with MM and one meal with RMB daily. Feeding 4% of body weight based on vets recommendation. Axel is 8 months old tomorrow and 73 pounds. He's a big boy but also very lean.
He eats his meals from his bowl with the exception of the turkey necks which are either fed outside or if it's too cold or snowy he knows to go to the towel/sheet we place inside for him.


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

That sounds like something that could work well for us. Maybe it's just because he's new at it but it took him 45 mins to eat the RMB bone last night. I don't know about anyone else but I don't have 45 extra mins in the morning. If we could give MM in the am and RMB in the evening that would help.

Lori - so you're feeding ~3lbs a day? Maybe I'm estimating a little high then. Our boy is a bit on the slim side and could use a little extra meat on his bones. How long did you feed raw until you saw any changes?

Thanks!


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

I would ration out the chicken over a longer period of time and add MM this week, every day or every other day at minimum. While it's true that balance needs to be achieved over time and people don't need to adhere to exact ratios every day, I think over weeks is too long of a spread with regard to RMB vs MM. Fine for protein variety but excessive bone, with little MM, can lead to constipation and also to some of the (albeit very rare) issues people have with bone splintering and blockages due to not enough meat to pad the bone as it goes through the digestive tract.

RMB for one meal and MM for the next, within the same day would be great. This is what we have always done.


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

Thanks Chris, that makes sense. I'll pick up some extra breasts to add for the week. 

In your experience how long do you wait to add organs and other proteins? After I see consistent solid poops? A week or so?


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

We've got a house of cast iron stomachs so we just throw things at them and have never bothered with introducing new things gradually. But to be on the safe side the general wisdom is to add new things on a weekly basis and not more often than that.


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## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

Great thanks!

GEORGEOUS dog on your avatar btw 

Jaime


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