Puppy food

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

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Buddy is nearly eight months old now..when we got him at 4 months he was on some pretty nasty supermarket wet food. We put him on a different wet food but he gets the runs. He is now on a kibble we get from the vet but he doesn't enjoy it..it takes him all day to eat it! We tried him on naturediet packs ..introduced gradually..he loved it but was sick every night! He's back on the kibble now but not keen. I add fruit and veg and he picks that out and leaves the kibble! He's just little and we were delighted when hed put on weight at his last vets visit...dont want him losing it now! What do I do?
Would like to try him on a raw diet. Dont have a lot of freezer space bit a local shop sell nature's menu packs...Is it really as easy as everyone says?

 

[JudyN]

Dont have a lot of freezer space bit a local shop sell nature's menu packs...Is it really as easy as everyone says?

Yes!

I started (under the guidance of my local supplier) by feeding just chicken mince (with bone in) for a week. Then I added chicken carcasses, then I gradually introduced other protein sources. You want to aim for a good mix of different meats, some bone, and around 5% liver and 5% other offal, though liver and offal needs to be introduced gradually.

I found the 'complete' raw mixes like these Raw Food For Dogs - Buy Online at Natures Menu didn't agree with my dog's digestion as well as a more DIY approach did, but they'd make starting out with raw very easy if they agree with your dog.

There's a lot more info in this thread: Moving from Raw - quickly or gradually Even if it seems a lot to take in at first, it really is straightforward once you get your head round it and work out what's right for you and your dog.

 

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

Thank you. So do I cut out the kibble straight away or mix some raw stuff in with it? I know this is all covered in various different forums but my brain is hurting from reading so many conflicting stories!

 

[JudyN]

I know just what you mean!

Yes, unlike changing from one kibble to another, where you have to go gradually, you can change to raw straight away. At least, that's what I was told and what I did, other people may say otherwise...

 

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

Thank you again! I have a chicken wing defrosting as I type! I've also bought a bag of the nature's menu frozen chicken mince so will give him that tommorow...I'm so nervous..asked the vet about raw feeding because he has had a squirty bum a lot but she shot me right down and said she was totally against it!

 

[JudyN]

Vets really don't learn that much about animal nutrition, and much of what they are taught comes from commercial food manufacturers Having fed raw for around 8 years now, and been on forums with people who have fed many dogs raw over several decades, I've hardly ever heard of anyone having hit problems and reverting to commercial dog food. Yes, there's been some, but not every food will ever work for any dog. And raw feeders don't seem to be coming down with tummy bugs ever few weeks either, despite the 'potential risks' we're always being told about.

Do let us know how it goes. Of course, if the squirty bum isn't food-related it might not help, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

Wow! He's just had his chicken wing!! He had great fun throwing it about and licking it for a while then got really stuck in!! Took him about half an hour to get though it but he loved it! Will just have to wait and see what happens now!
For tommorow I am going to give him some chicken mince with bone...will add some fruit and veg. Should I just chop up the veg or does it need to be cooked. I have carrots peas blueberries and Apple?

 

[JudyN]

Apparently dogs can't digest fruit & veg well if it's just chopped up - if I give my dog bits of carrot they go through so unchanged I could rinse them off and give them again It's best to puree them really finely, into a mush. Firmer veg like carrots you could lightly steam instead of/before pureeing.

 

[excuseme]

I have fed raw products to our lot for 40 years ish (not all the same dogs now though)
Dogs and puppies change from kibble to raw products very easily and quickly.
Meat type, variety is essential, gristle, fat, skin, bone and chunky products are all good.
Natures Menu is as good a place to start with. They offer packs of various meaty bones, offal, and their freeflow is easy to use too.
I always suggest a good little book for raw feeders to purchase,"Honeys Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs". This can be obtained from the Honey's website for FREE, or Amazon for as little as 1p. It is an easy to read and understand book, very useful for beginners and general every day users.
Feeding raw is easy and our dogs enjoy it too.
Adding fruit and veg, this can be blitzed in a processor or lightly steamed.
Raw carrots whole are great for chewing on, but they do come out at the other end as undigested!
I can only repeat what @JudyN has said.

Enjoy.

 

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

Thank you both for your patience and help! .
I know it's early days but buddy wolfed down his minced chicken and looked at me as if to say 'thanks mum..that was amazing!
Can I just ask...is there anything I must give him that he won't get from the raw food? I'm going to stick to the chicken mince and another wing for a week then will introduce other meat..is this ok?
His poops have been great..smaller than usual and poop shaped yesterday. this morning's was small hard and a bit yellow! ..Is this ok? He didnt strain or seem bothered by it. I know too much bone can make the poop white. It is only his 3rd day of raw food.

 

[JudyN]

I think having just chicken can make poos yellowish, but it's absolutely fine for him to just have chicken for a week or so. Small and hard is good, as long as he's not straining.

Some people feed raw meat, bone & offal and nothing else, some add veg, some give raw egg, tinned oily fish, live yoghurt... When it comes down to it no one has actually done scientific studies of what dogs 'really' need so there's guesswork involved. I feed pureed veg and the occasional tin of sardines. I found that raw hen's eggs gave him sulphurous farts, so now give him a raw quail egg most days. But he doesn't like me telling people that as he's a rufty-tufty sort of dog and he worries people will think he's posh...

I feed the quail egg shell and all, but I do crack it now, as he once passed one fully intact, the shell digested but the membrane still intact. I was really worried till I worked out what it was!

 

[excuseme]

Raw feeding with plenty of variety, various meats, fish, offal, bones,skin, gristle, fat and if you wish some fruit and veg, should not require anything extra.

 

[Lyndsay Mackenzie]

Thank you both...you have been very helpful. I'm definitely going to stay with raw feeding...May have to pick you brains again along the way but think I have got the jist of it now.