# Transitionimg to raw



## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

I have a few questions about transitioning to raw diet. 

Can i do it cold turkey?

Should i worry about non organic chicken? 

Can I stick to one meat source? I.e. chicken only? Does K.I.S.S. apply?

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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

To clarify chicken only means 80% meat 10% bones and 10% OM

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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

So far i figured the answer to rhe first two questions. Yes and yes. But still stuck on the later.

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## Wags (Dec 17, 2015)

I have been raw feeding for about 7 months, so by no means am I an expert. However, I will answer your questions as much as possible.

Can you switch cold turkey?
-Depends on the dog. Some dogs, yes, some dogs no. Our puppy switched, one day we started giving him commerical, and he took to it, then didn't want kibble any longer, so we switched him. We still offered kibble to him, but he wouldn't take him, so he switched himself, and he was fine. If your dog is having diarrhea, then switch slower, the point of switching is to make as less stressful for the dog as possible.

Should you worry about non-organic chicken?
-This is a personal preference, we don't' feed all organic, but we check sodium levels on all chicken before purchase. I think that is the important part, making sure your sodium levels are in the good range.

Can you use only one protein source?
-The common answer to this is no, it is recommended you use 4 different protein sources. We use chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and sometimes salmon, goat, lamb, and rabbit, when it is available. Your dog will get different amounts of nutrients from different types of meat, so variety is key. Leaner vs fattier meats are going to have different health impacts. Also, some believe that feeding 1 protein source can increase risk of food allergies later in life.

I hope this answers your questions! I am by no means an expert, and hopefully some more experienced people get on here. Maybe Moms will see this.


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

Wags said:


> I have been raw feeding for about 7 months, so by no means am I an expert. However, I will answer your questions as much as possible.
> 
> Can you switch cold turkey?
> -Depends on the dog. Some dogs, yes, some dogs no. Our puppy switched, one day we started giving him commerical, and he took to it, then didn't want kibble any longer, so we switched him. We still offered kibble to him, but he wouldn't take him, so he switched himself, and he was fine. If your dog is having diarrhea, then switch slower, the point of switching is to make as less stressful for the dog as possible.
> ...


Thanks. This is very helpful!

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## Moriah (May 20, 2014)

I belong to a co-op which is very helpful. Is there a co-op in your area? I get better prices than pet stores, many choices of meat and other products, and the sources have been researched for good treatment of animals, no hormones, etc. Plus, the convenience of meeting the truck for delivery.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

I recommend you go to http://rawdogranch.com and do some reading. Lauri (a mod here) has laid out ra the transition to raw, and raw feeding in general, in a simple and easy to follow way.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

I would suggest that at first start off with one protein source then others one at a time. This helps to pin point any sensitivity that might crop up.


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

I've been feeding just chicken thighs. This morning she squirted diarrhea followed by one solid poop. 

Should I switch back to kibble? Or should i continue with the feeding?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Konathedog said:


> I've been feeding just chicken thighs. This morning she squirted diarrhea followed by one solid poop.
> 
> Should I switch back to kibble? Or should i continue with the feeding?


A couple of mine had icky poop when I first started them. I kept moving forward and the poop got better after about a week. I think it was a way for the system to cleanse itself of the kibble.


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

I started friday night adding raw goats milk to her diet to deal with the diarrhea (2 oz a day) and since sunday shes been having exposive diarrhea. Shes been pooping in our laundry room.

Is it still the raw transition or the goats milk? 

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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

It's probably the transition ... erm .. DID you transition? Or did you just start cold turkey? I was a bit more conservative and gradually switched over. Does she have any food sensitivities? Has she been on a chicken kibble before?


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## Mesonoxian (Apr 5, 2012)

Feeding straight chicken thighs may not be enough bone content for first switching over, especially if you're leaving the skin on. 

I switched cold turkey after a 24hr fast, and my dog never had cannon butt during the switch. I started on chicken leg quarters, and pulled all the skin off and trimmed excess fat to minimize the chance of diarrhea. I gradually added the fat and skin back into the diet as we progressed.

David's advice to check out Raw Dog Ranch is good! (that was one of my starting points) There are a lot of knowledgable people on here as well. I would also recommend looking into joining The Raw Feeding Community on facebook, if you're on fb. They're generally very welcoming and helpful to raw feeding newbies.


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

Mesonoxian said:


> Feeding straight chicken thighs may not be enough bone content for first switching over, especially if you're leaving the skin on.
> 
> I switched cold turkey after a 24hr fast, and my dog never had cannon butt during the switch. I started on chicken leg quarters, and pulled all the skin off and trimmed excess fat to minimize the chance of diarrhea. I gradually added the fat and skin back into the diet as we progressed.
> 
> David's advice to check out Raw Dog Ranch is good! (that was one of my starting points) There are a lot of knowledgable people on here as well. I would also recommend looking into joining The Raw Feeding Community on facebook, if you're on fb. They're generally very welcoming and helpful to raw feeding newbies.


The ranch website has been very helpful. Ive been triming skin and fat. 

So you guys dont think its the raw goats milk?

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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Personally, I wouldn't add the milk until she was good with the one protein .. chicken. Chicken thighs are about 15 percent bone which is a decent amount, but she might need a higher percentage starting out. I've always fed some raw bits so I've been using chicken leg quarters as my bony portion of meals (27% bone) .. skin removed at the moment and then will slowly reintroduce back.

I would just feed chicken if you're just starting out for a couple of weeks before adding any other protein or organs.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

This is how to figure out the % of bone(chicken quarters are about 30 % bone)

For example
If you feed him a 16 oz. chicken quarter, you will multiply 16 x the percent bone for that piece. So, let's say 16 x .30= 4.8 ounces. That means he ate 4.8 ounces of bone in that meal. 

If the dog eats 2.5 pounds per day, 10% of that should be bone. So if they eat 4.8, that is slightly higher then what is needed.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I would remove the milk.


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

lhczth said:


> I would remove the milk.


I cut the milk and her poop improved drastically.

I decided to order some probiotics instead. 

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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

How do you transition to organs? Do you feed a little bit at a time? I.e. 1% then increase to 10%? Or feed 10% every other day? 

I just feed 10% for the first time and my dog had diahrea. I know its normal but im curious by what people mean when they introduce it slow. Duration or quanitity? 

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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Yeah, I don't think anyone recommends just adding organs completely, especially if you've had an issue with diarrhea in the past. I would wait a few days, then introduce a little liver (like .. a sliver) to a meal and see how it goes.

I had been feeding raw treats all along with my dog, but was still worried when the grind I buy had liver included in it. I haven't had any problems, fortunately, but I use The Honest Kitchen Preference mixed with my grind and then give bone in meals as well. Since I'm using a base mix I still haven't introduced other organs yet (can't find them here at the moment, but have a chub of an organ grind that I bought), but will eventually (been on full raw 3-4 weeks now).


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

One year later and I'm still very careful about the organ part. I find they do well on the grinds that are balanced already. I add some liver because they don't get the whole meal in grinds. I have noticed that people tend to give a high organ meal followed by a high bone content meal or the high bone the meal before. I haven't tried this yet, but I can understand the thought process.


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## Mesonoxian (Apr 5, 2012)

You definitely want to start with a small amount of organ to avoid diarrhea. I introduced liver first, starting with a piece about the size of my fingernail, and working up to the full 5% over about 10 days. Then I did the same thing adding "other" organs to the liver in small - but ever increasing - portions until I hit the 5% mark with that as well. (10% overall)

Now that we have a regular rotating "menu," I do a bone-in meal with organs, and then the next two meals are MM only (this is just how it worked out percentage wise and portion size for my dog). My dog is able to handle the 3 days' worth of organ in one meal, but not all dogs can. Some dogs need to be fed smaller amounts more often. I also know some raw feeders feed organ even less often than I do, and feed much larger quantities. Just go with what works for your dog!


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## Konathedog (Aug 1, 2016)

Thanks everyone. Are grinds the premade meals?

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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

The grind I use is 40 percent beef (muscle meat, heart, liver), 40 percent chicken (backs, hearts, liver), and 20 percent grass fed tripe. It has bone, meat, and liver .. not complete because it doesn't have other organs, but it's close. It's 80/10/10 (but I think the 10percent organ probably includes the hearts which I count as muscle meat).


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Konathedog said:


> Thanks everyone. Are grinds the premade meals?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


Yes. The grinds I use are 80-10-10--like beef grinds are muscle meat, bone, liver and kidney. I also use grinds that are the whole animal. So the chicken is everything including head and feet ground--no feathers. It also follows the 80-10-10.


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