# How long to leave food out to feed dog



## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

I am feeding my dog raw for the first time. Its ground up chicken backs. She is slowly licking it / eating it. How long can she munch on it? Can I leave it out several hours?

Thanks


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

Yes several hours is perfectly fine


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

For example can I leave her raw food out for 4-5 hours?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

If they leave it alone I take it away and put it in the fridge for their next meal time.
As long as they are interested in it, I let them keep it. That way you are getting a break too.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Personally I might give her 1/2 hour and if she didn't eat it, I would pick it up and save it for dinner. Normally I only give them 15 minutes.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

I think I'd give her a couple of hours, as long as she's trying. It can take them a bit of time to figure out how to eat the raw, I'm sure once she gets the hang of it, she'll eat a bit faster. She might think it's a recreational bone at the moment. 

Maybe try something a little easier to get through, like a chicken neck, frozen sardine etc until she gets the hang of it?


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

> Personally I might give her 1/2 hour and if she didn't eat it, I would pick it up and save it for dinner. Normally I only give them 15 minutes.


How often have you had to do that? I'm betting not often. Most of mine were adults the 1st time they were fed RAW & they took to it like wolves to rabbit, lol. 

Now, for whatever reason, my older pack took 20" deciding to eat a raw turkey liver. IF there hadn't been the competition of multiple dogs I'm not certain any of them would have eaten it! Raw hearts & gizzards they gulped down. Cooked liver they loved, but that raw liver just didn't hold any appeal. I'm not even sure which one finally ate the stupid thing. This bunch (including Sam, now deceased) has never hesitated over raw liver though they initially loooked & loooked & looooked at turkey testicles before deciding they really were edible. They seemed puzzled rather than disgusted, perhaps b/c they weren't bloody. (I was supposed to get livers & there was a packaging error.)

Kmaldona, I'm curious...Why are the chicken backs ground up? Are they freshly ground or pre-ground? I wouldn't give her more than 20-30". IF she doesn't finish them calmly pick up, refrigerate & serve again later. Increasing hunger will help her overcome any reluctance she has.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have a one that won't eat rabbit. I tried twice, she wouldn't eat it, picked it up and she went hungry. If it was a regular staple I would continue to try, but, since it is rare that I buy rabbit, I just feed her something different.


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

RubyTuesday said:


> How often have you had to do that? I'm betting not often. Most of mine were adults the 1st time they were fed RAW & they took to it like wolves to rabbit, lol.
> 
> Now, for whatever reason, my older pack took 20" deciding to eat a raw turkey liver. IF there hadn't been the competition of multiple dogs I'm not certain any of them would have eaten it! Raw hearts & gizzards they gulped down. Cooked liver they loved, but that raw liver just didn't hold any appeal. I'm not even sure which one finally ate the stupid thing. This bunch (including Sam, now deceased) has never hesitated over raw liver though they initially loooked & loooked & looooked at turkey testicles before deciding they really were edible. They seemed puzzled rather than disgusted, perhaps b/c they weren't bloody. (I was supposed to get livers & there was a packaging error.)
> 
> Kmaldona, I'm curious...Why are the chicken backs ground up? Are they freshly ground or pre-ground? I wouldn't give her more than 20-30". IF she doesn't finish them calmly pick up, refrigerate & serve again later. Increasing hunger will help her overcome any reluctance she has.


They are ground up because that's how my specialty store sells them. They either do 40 lbs of ground up chicken backs of 2 hole chicken backs for 30 bucks. Should I have done the whole backs?


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

This morning my girlfriend put a bit of her oatmeal (dogs favorite snack) mixed with the raw and the dog ate it all quick.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Personally, I dislike feeding ground unless it's absolutely necessary. Dogs are not immune to _E. coli_ O157:H7 (aka hemorrhagic E. coli) & the risk with ground meats is much greater. The absolute risk is very small, but as with humans, when it does occur it's a very serious, potentially fatal situation. In my own situation I have no reason to feed ground so it's not a risk I'm willing to take.


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

she is eats very very slow. Basically licks it until she gets a tongue full then walks a few steps and chews then eats. 

She also became protective of her food for the first time against the other dog. She never done that before but today she did with raw.


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

Once again she didn't eat much. She weighs about 62 pounds and ate half her serving. Is there anything I can mix with it so it's texture is better for her?


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Dogs like meaty human food better & some are more prone to guarding it than lowly kibble. IF she ate half her serving let that be enough for now. Her stomach could be acclimating to the change as well. IF she suddenly eats more but pukes it up or gets the runs you haven't gained anything.

She won't starve. Really. We live in a culture of abundance & have lost sight of how much deprivation animals (including humans) can actually cope with. IMO, we're biologically programmed to thrive in conditions of at least mild deprivation. 

IF you start coaxing & begging & nagging her to eat you could wind up with a spoiled, finicky, fussy eater. 

Try the whole backs if possible. Dogs generally like the crunching & tearing required.


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## kmaldona (Mar 18, 2014)

RubyTuesday said:


> Dogs like meaty human food better & some are more prone to guarding it than lowly kibble. IF she ate half her serving let that be enough for now. Her stomach could be acclimating to the change as well. IF she suddenly eats more but pukes it up or gets the runs you haven't gained anything.
> 
> She won't starve. Really. We live in a culture of abundance & have lost sight of how much deprivation animals (including humans) can actually cope with. IMO, we're biologically programmed to thrive in conditions of at least mild deprivation.
> 
> ...


I will say she is spoiled from my girlfriend. Trying to break that now


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

Kibble has been sprayed with fats to make it smell appealing to dogs.

Raw meat has little to no odor - some dogs have a hard time switching at first.

You can sear the outside of the food lightly in some oil to enhance the aroma.


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## 4score (Nov 4, 2011)

I use a meat scissors and cut chicken backs in half. He has no problem crunching them up from there. Full backs haven't been a problem but our dog likes to gulp some so I'd rather not see him gulp an entire chicken back.


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