Guess What I'm Doing?

[Winter's Cinder]

Went and picked up 50 lbs of whole chickens, 40 lbs of chicken backs, and another 10 lbs of pork steak... this should keep me busy chopping the next couple days to stock up the freezer for cinder's food... I also have some beef liver that I will start incorporating in small portions to get that in there...

She seems pretty content with this arrangement...

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[angelbears]

Lucky girl!

 

[Winter's Cinder]

I know I'm new to all this, and I researched this whole raw diet thing... but i guess I really had my doubts about how much of a significant change it would make for her... I cant believe the size of her poop is so small... I cant believe how much better she smells, even her puppy breath smells better!!!


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[angelbears]

We have been feeding raw for about 5 years now. I still have my moments of doubt. However, if you just look at the front and back end of your dog, it is proof to me that it is better for them, if it is done right. I've yet to take one of my raw fed dogs to the vet and have them tell me that they need a dental. As much as vets preach that the nasty bacteria and such in their mouths leads to bad health, not to mention the savings from not having to have the dentals and not having the risk of anesthesia. Then look at their poop, poop is the means for the body to get rid of waste. The difference between raw fed poop and kibble poop is remarkable, including the way they decompose.

Since you are new to mastiffs I urge you to read up on bloat and learn the symptoms. Most agree that feeding raw helps in preventing bloat but it can still happen. Also, you don't want them to be to rowdy. To be such big, robust dogs, their joints are very delicate. Actually, for the first year to two years a lot of their joints are more like jelly.

 

[cj-sharpy]

I know I'm new to all this, and I researched this whole raw diet thing... but i guess I really had my doubts about how much of a significant change it would make for her... I cant believe the size of her poop is so small... I cant believe how much better she smells, even her puppy breath smells better!!!


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Welcome to the world of raw haha.
Yeah the smaller poos are awesome. You'll notice she will drink and pee less also.
Excreting, as said, is a way to get rid of waste that the body doesn't need. So less poo and less water needed to flush out the system.
It's swings and roundabouts though. You'll love the smaller firmer less small poo.
You'll love the less water hence less post drink slobber showers.
You'll love less smell.
You'll love shiny coat and clean teeth.
You will NOT love green tripe smell.
No human does and no human ever will.
But it's a superfood. If you can find it I'd highly recommend it

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[BAMCB]

Very lucky girl! Welcome to raw feeding. The smaller poops and health benefits are awesome!! But I find the dancing and wiggly butts at feeding times to be the best I love finding all kinds of goodies for them too.

And the green tripe is not all that bad. Only took us a few days to get the smell out of our noses LOL

 

[Winter's Cinder]

We have been feeding raw for about 5 years now. I still have my moments of doubt. However, if you just look at the front and back end of your dog, it is proof to me that it is better for them, if it is done right. I've yet to take one of my raw fed dogs to the vet and have them tell me that they need a dental. As much as vets preach that the nasty bacteria and such in their mouths leads to bad health, not to mention the savings from not having to have the dentals and not having the risk of anesthesia. Then look at their poop, poop is the means for the body to get rid of waste. The difference between raw fed poop and kibble poop is remarkable, including the way they decompose.

Since you are new to mastiffs I urge you to read up on bloat and learn the symptoms. Most agree that feeding raw helps in preventing bloat but it can still happen. Also, you don't want them to be to rowdy. To be such big, robust dogs, their joints are very delicate. Actually, for the first year to two years a lot of their joints are more like jelly.

I did read about bloat and their joints!! That's one of the main reasons we decided to try the raw diet... we want her to be as happy and healthy as she can be!!!

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[NYDDB]

Congrats on starting raw with your new girl- I started Mateo as soon as I brought him home at 8.5 weeks, and never looked back. The best diet, IMO, for canines.

 

[EM Nani]

May I ask your plan for feeding your pup? I am really wanting to start raw feeding. And tips you can help me with like, portion sizing and mix ratios? I am so excited to see how well your pup adjusts!

 

[Winter's Cinder]

Well since I'm new to all this... I fed whole chicken chopped up the first week after kibble... approx 2 lbs a day... since I didn't see her having problems... I upped her amount to 3 lbs a day the second week... I also upped her amount because she just seemed to scarf it down like she was starving and you could see her ribs... this week I have been feeding 2#chicken and 1#pork steak to introduce another protein... she is filling out more now and i will probably start decreasing her amount a little at a time to find that balance that's right for her lean'ness as she is growing...

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[Winter's Cinder]

I got a case of. Dozen whole chickens from my local meat counter (they were on sale) and they also had ordered me a 40 lb case of chicken backs...
she did really well with the chicken so I figured as she tries new protein sources... I could use the chicken as the base when transitioning... once the other proteins are introduced I will use the chicken backs to help keep the bone ratios balanced...
I also have tons of beef heart and liver just sitting in my freezer that no one seems to eat... so i will also be mixing that in a little at a time to get in that 10% organ...

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[EM Nani]

Did you stop kibble cold turkey? I'v read that some people fast their pets before starting raw where others would advance raw intake daily.

 

[Winter's Cinder]

As far as ratio goes... I think the most common I saw was 80%protein/10%bone/10% organ...
I am estimating her adult weight to be around 150 for now... (dad was 210ish and mom was 140ish) and that would mean she should be getting about 3 lbs a day... and I feed her 3 times a day since she's an 11 week of pup...
With the ratio I stated above I mathed it out to be about 2# 10oz of meat and bone (whole chicken pieces) and about 4-6oz of liver once it's a more daily balance...
I hope I made sense... like I said... im new to all this.. so im learning as I go... and im also making adjustments to cutomize it for her...

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[Winter's Cinder]

Well since she was a pup.. I did stop cold turkey.. I think read somewhere you should probably fast them... but i didnt do it a full 24 hrs... she got her morning and noon kibble feeding but she didn't get supper... I then started the raw the next morning... I wanted the make sure most of the kibble was out of her tummy before giving her the raw because I knew the digestion times were different and I didnt want to make her sick..

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[Winter's Cinder]

I have no idea if any of what I did was correct and by the book... but it was what worked for us!! Lol

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[EM Nani]

I'm grateful for the information. I've had a few people message me how they started and what they recommend. I plan to start my girl raw after all her kibble is gone. we probably have a week or two of it left. I was thinking of adding a few raw pieces in to see how she likes it, but wanted to see how others did the transition. I'v also had a few people tell me to do 1 percent of her current weight, but other's have said I need to consider her full grown weight too. So I'm still doing a lot of research and I greatly appreciate your help in sharing. Thanks!

 

[Winter's Cinder]

I read about the 1% of her body weight now too... I decided on doing from what I estimate her to be as an adult because quite frankly... I dont have a scale to weigh her often... she gained almost 9 lbs in 3 weeks time between vet visits.. and knowing she will grow at a fairly fast rate... I decided to base her food intake on est adult weight and adjust as needed from watching her ribs and overall health... it seems to be working for us so far... and it keeps her food at a more constant amount rather than changing it every time she is weighed at the vets... and to be perfectly honest... I dont like to math...lol... so starting with her est adult weight made it easier for me to do the percent ratios...

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