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Old December 7th, 2009, 05:22 PM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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How many meals a day of raw do you give?

Quick question... how often do most of you feed raw each day? I have been doing 2X a day but have had two of my three dogs throw up a few times... I'm wondering if I should split it into three meals a day instead... usually they scarf it down pretty fast and I'm wondering if splitting it up more will help with that also. (We have been doing raw for about 4 weeks).

So far, we have stuck with a pretty basic diet... my one dog has allergies so he has been on beef, and my two girls have mainly been on poultry with some variations (i.e. chicken, chicken with veggies, turkey etc.) Up until recently we have been doing the frozen raw patties but as I get more comfortable, I have been buying and adding some of my own meat to cut back on the costs.

What do you guys figure? Thanks!
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Old December 7th, 2009, 08:00 PM
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cute dog!

We feed our guys raw 2x a day. How much are you feeding? Maybe they are not getting enough food? How much do they weigh?
We do a mix of RMBs and well just meat. There has to be a good meat to bone ratio otherwise they wont' get full on it. Are you just feeding the meat patties or are you doing bones as well?
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Old December 7th, 2009, 08:05 PM
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Twice a day here too although one is more a main meal and the other a snack portion.

Your dog with the allergies...I'm assuming it's to chicken? Did he have a reaction to chicken in kibble only? Was he tested for allergies? You may find that raw chicken won't have the same effect as processed chicken...or that there was another ingredient in the chicken formula of kibble that didn't agree with him.
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Old December 8th, 2009, 12:56 AM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by totallyhip View Post
cute dog!

We feed our guys raw 2x a day. How much are you feeding? Maybe they are not getting enough food? How much do they weigh?
We do a mix of RMBs and well just meat. There has to be a good meat to bone ratio otherwise they wont' get full on it. Are you just feeding the meat patties or are you doing bones as well?
Thanks, totallyhip, she's my baby! Couldn't believe her previous owners "just had to get rid of her"... but that's a whole other topic!!

Brynn, the boxer, weighs approx. 45 lbs. so she has been getting 2.5% of her body weight (18 oz/day). She has been staying at this weight and is looking great! (Her coat is so shiny since we switched to raw)

Sassy, my maltese X, weighs approx. 9 lbs. At 2.5% she is only supposed to get 4 oz. a day, but I increased it to about 3.5% since she was acting hungry and could also stand to gain a little weight. She has actually stayed at about the same weight.

Furby, my bichon, weighs approx. 14 lbs. He is getting fed at 2.5%, although he is a little overweight, so I may reduce it slightly.

The patties I feed them have bone mixed in, but they also get recreational bones about once a week.

Am I on the right track?
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Old December 8th, 2009, 01:05 AM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
Twice a day here too although one is more a main meal and the other a snack portion.

Your dog with the allergies...I'm assuming it's to chicken? Did he have a reaction to chicken in kibble only? Was he tested for allergies? You may find that raw chicken won't have the same effect as processed chicken...or that there was another ingredient in the chicken formula of kibble that didn't agree with him.
Hi luckypenny,

Actually, I am not 100% sure what he is allergic to and it has been quite the battle! He was diagnosed with food allergies approx. 4 years ago. We have tried all types of diets with different proteins including duck, fish etc. (even vegetarian!!) with no luck (which is what actually led me to try raw! )

I have looked into testing, but from talking to several vets they have all told me that tests are not conclusive and not worth spending the $$ (I know, a vet that turned down the chance to take more of my money! Sorry, just couldn't resist!)

From the research I have done, and from talking to other dog owners, I have found out that most dogs with allergies are allergic to poultry (including eggs) and grains, hence the beef diet. So far, I have been very strict with his diet... he strictly gets beef (meat, bones) and that's it... I figure once his allergies are under control I will start adding different novel proteins to try to narrow down what he is allergic to.

Actually we have seen a positive turn-around with his allergies since switching (although we are only four weeks in, so its still very early). His chronic ear infections have cleared up and he is itching and licking alot less! I am also now only giving him his Vanectyl-P (prescribed vet steroid pills) every 2nd day instead of every day!
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Old December 8th, 2009, 12:56 PM
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I would feed more. It sounds like they are still hungry. The feeding percentage is just a guideline. Every dog is different so you will need to adjust accordingly. Luke is 70 lbs. He gets 2 lbs per day (1 lb. per meal). He is on the slimmer side as his metabolism is fast. Leia is 78 lbs. She gets 700 Grams per day. She is on a diet and has a real slow metabolism. Han is 75lbs and gets 800 Grams per day. He is nice sized. Chewie is 80lbs and gets 900 Grams per day.
Sounds like your on the right track. Just play with the food portions more. What we also do is give them a snack mid day as the raw seems to burn faster in their systems. So at noon they get a cookie and at night time before bed they get cookies.

As for food allergies. You should test your dog to see what food they are allergic to. We did that with Luke when we first started raw. I think alot of times with kibble there are so many different ingredients in it that sometimes its not a real good gauge to tell if they do indeed have a food allergy. Luke is allergic to all poultry. It took us alot of work and time to figure it out but so worth it!

keep us posted! Good luck
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mohandas Gandhi -

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Old December 8th, 2009, 04:22 PM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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Thanks, totally hip! I appreciate the advice and will defaintly keep you posted!! That's a good idea about giving snacks in between... I have read that raw digests alot more quickly then kibble, so it might be a good idea to give them something in between just to tide them over!

It's so hard to judge if they are hungry or if they just love the stuff! I have been watching their weigts like a hawk... but both my girls are very slow to gain weight (lucky girls! ) so its hard to guage from their weight alone!!
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