Raw fed dog and how much to feed

[Allison Copeland]

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Hi All
I have been raw feeding my cocker for the past 5 years since she was a puppy but recently she has become extra hungry to the point of crying while we humans eat our dinners etc she has a condition that she can’t absorb fats very well so she has to be careful of how much food she gets and how fatty it is she tends to have a lot of chicken, turkey, pork, duck and she often has a frozen chicken foot daily as a treat after her walks. She weighs roughly 13kg she is 1kg over her recommended weight via the vets but she seems a slender well proportioned cocker and stays roughly the same weight. Am I feeding her enough for her weight in her meals she has twice daily 120g per meal so 240g daily I’m just worried she now isn’t getting enough food and that is why she is crying constantly for more food would you suggest bulking it out with veg and fruits or increasing the meat?

Many thanks for anyone’s help

 

[JudyN]

Normal recommendations are 2-3% of ideal bodyweight per day, which for 12kg would be 240-360g. HOWEVER the fact that she's a good weight means she's getting enough, regardless of food guidelines. Could her feeling hungry be anything to do with her condition?

Do you need to keep the fat content of the food down? If so, I'm quite surprised you're feeding duck as that is quite a fatty meat. I would guess pork is too, though I don't know. Tripe is low fat, and dog usually love it. Not so the poor person who has to serve it up!

Raw veggies can be excellent for bulking up dog food and making the dog feel fuller. She could also have it separately, e.g. a whole carrot to chew. Someone I know suggests giving a dog a whole cabbage but I'd be a bit concerned in case the dog really enjoyed it and then produced the sort of wind you could cut slices out of with a knife...

Slowing down eating can make the dog feel fuller too. It's not as easy with raw as it is with kibble, though you could feed it in Kongs. Then there are products like this: Green Slow Dog Feeder Though if it were me, I'd get enough so I could wash them in the dishwasher!

Make sure that you don't ever feed her any of your food when she cries for it - if she thinks there's a chance of getting something then the anticipation will make her feel even hungrier.

 

[Allison Copeland]

Thank you for your advice she only has duck and pork occasionally she tends to have a lot more of chicken and turkey. Unfortunately she refuses to eat tribe which I don’t blame her lol she’s allergic to beef fish pheasant eggs so she does have quite some limitations of what she can have.
She has only minced food that comes directly from the suppliers I’ve tried her with whole meats but it unsettles her tummy and she will be sick.
The husband does tend to give her tip bits but I will ensure this is stopped and add some fruit and veg to her food until she understands there won’t be any tip bits given off our plates

 

[excuseme]

We have 6 Cockers (working type ) and I have fed raw on and off for up to 40 years. These days we find it is easy to access. With the use of the internet for good variety of minces, and some good gamekeeper and deer stalker friends, we get plenty of lean game meat too. We also have a good butcher where we get a lot of waste product from.
Our cockers vary in weight between 10.5 to 12kg.
I feed 1/2 lb meat each daily, depending on their individual weights, some get a little more and some less, they have lot's of variety including loads of edible bones. (chicken, pheasant, duck, rabbit) bones all raw and whole, including loads of butchers bones. Edible bones are considered as, and given as a meal!
I only take 3lb of raw meat from the freezer each day for the 6 dogs, any adjustments are made using this amount, some a little more while another a little less.
Bones are very nutritional and also help with firming the poos if needed.

It sounds as if your girl is getting plenty of food. As suggested above try offering her some raw veg as a belly filler, (sprout stalks, cabbage stalks, use the outer leaves and mid veins from cabbage, sweet potato,carrot) or get a nice raw bone that she can have as a boredom buster which may also help her "hunger" pangs.
Is it possible that as judyN has mentioned, she is learning to ask for more food and is getting it too!
It is down to you to control her intake, you should not feel guilty about her wanting or asking for more,"tough love" hurts us more than our dogs!

Do you have any pictures of you girl, we all love pictures

 

[JudyN]

I meant to say - even if she's 'rewarded' only once in a blue moon for whining for your food, she will do it, like a gambling addict on a one-armed bandit. And she will have perfected the 'I'm absolutely starving, you haven't fed me for days and I'm about to pass out through malnutrition' look!

 

[Allison Copeland]

Here is one picture I have of her I’ll find some more and yes your completely right Judy haha typical cocker I guess thanks All for your advice I’ll start adding some veg I think

 

[excuseme]

She looks like a "Show type" have you any of a full body picture too.

 

[Allison Copeland]

Yeah she is a show type cocker here are ones I just took

 

[excuseme]

Ah ha, a blue roan, lovely, we have a Liver roan in our gang.

 

[Allison Copeland]

Yeah blues are my fav I do love the livers too

 

[Allison Copeland]

Well the cabbage and carrots are going down a treat and it’s also taking her longer to eat having to crunch through everything and I mix her meat in with it the crying hasn’t stopped yet but I know that’s going to take time and have told the hubby off that there is to be no treats off the plate for her as she needs to learn her food is in her bowl and the food on our plate is ours we will get there evebrtually slowly but surely thanks for all your help