Starting a Puppy on a Partly Raw Diet?

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm looking for some guidelines. I saw the following comment from Tortoise in another thread, but would like more specifics (paging Tortoise):

A more common "switch" from kibble to raw is to begin adding probiotics for a week, then begin adding ACV + probiotics. Then begin adding a raw egg per day + salmon oil + vitamin E. THEN (after 2 - 3 weeks) start with larger RMB's like meaty chicken necks with most of the skin stripped off. At this time is is crucial that raw and kibble foods are not fed within 4 hours of each other. After another week, the kibble can eliminated. If the dog has any diet/food allergy issues, this is time to begin an elimination diet and add one food ingredient every 2 weeks or so until you know what your dog does and doesn't react to. If your dog doesn't have foo allergy issues, don't do this as it is not a balanced diet full of variety.

I'm thinking I might keep the puppy on kibble as part of it's long term diet, but would like to feed maybe one meal per day of raw. What is the recommended dose of salmon oil and vitamin E and where do I buy those? Can ACV be used in water or should it be added to the kibble?

First I have to transition the pup from puppy chow (Purina) to the Wellness Puppy kibble I decided to go with.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[big brown horse]

Since I never really had a puppy I can't really help. (My dogs come to me as adults.) Just wanted to say how excited I am for you guys!! New puppy--YEA!!

 

[freemotion]

I switched my old dog to raw overnight, the day he came home from heart surgery before he was quite six months old. It saved his life. I was a wreck, thinking I'd kill him with the raw chicken, but he suddenly began to thrive and he is still referred to by the people at that vet practice as the Miracle Dog. And they still disapprove of my feeding choices. He is just over 9 years old now.

He gets no grain and no kibble, just chicken wings or backs, raw and whole, and puree'd veggies and yogurt or kefir twice a week. Also an occasional egg (cooked, he doesn't like raw, but the other dog does) and occasional raw hearts. He gets small amounts of scraps from our plates (mostly veggies), but NO grains. Fruit is only an occasional bit from something we might be eating, and I will pick raspberries and the occasional grape for him while walking him, because he likes them and can smell them as we walk by them.

 

[tortoise]

I'm looking for some guidelines. I saw the following comment from Tortoise in another thread, but would like more specifics (paging Tortoise):

A more common "switch" from kibble to raw is to begin adding probiotics for a week, then begin adding ACV + probiotics. Then begin adding a raw egg per day + salmon oil + vitamin E. THEN (after 2 - 3 weeks) start with larger RMB's like meaty chicken necks with most of the skin stripped off. At this time is is crucial that raw and kibble foods are not fed within 4 hours of each other. After another week, the kibble can eliminated. If the dog has any diet/food allergy issues, this is time to begin an elimination diet and add one food ingredient every 2 weeks or so until you know what your dog does and doesn't react to. If your dog doesn't have foo allergy issues, don't do this as it is not a balanced diet full of variety.

I'm thinking I might keep the puppy on kibble as part of it's long term diet, but would like to feed maybe one meal per day of raw. What is the recommended dose of salmon oil and vitamin E and where do I buy those? Can ACV be used in water or should it be added to the kibble?

First I have to transition the pup from puppy chow (Purina) to the Wellness Puppy kibble I decided to go with.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

Start with 1000mg salmon oil per day. If your pup's coat looks dry or dandruffy add another.

The dose of vitamin E is small. Just higher than what you can realistically without prepared supplements. 200mg of vitamin E is fine, 100 mg is better if you can find it. If your dog is small, under 30 pounds I would only give vitamin E every-other-day.

If you want to feed 1/2 raw and 1/2 kibble long term, you still need to balance the raw part out with supplements and bone.

Also - very important! - do not feed raw and kibble (or dry treats) within 4 hours of each other.

 

[Dace]

Raw and kibble 4 hours apart? Can you explain?

I am switching my guy over from raw to grain free kibble (wellness core)
The main reason for the switch is that I am growing weary of cleaning his chest fur after eating. he is a very hairy sheltie! Plus the convienece factor of kibble.

 

[JRmom]

My two get a combination kibble/raw diet (chicken wings and marrow bones) - since I feed a good kibble, I have never added any other oils or such and they are both thriving.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

Both my husband and I are excited about this puppy as it will be our first dog. We want to set it on the best possible path that we can.

I'm wondering, for those of you who feed raw, where you feed your dogs or how you make sure it is easy to clean up afterwords? I hear this is an important consideration.

Thanks, Freemotion for relating your experience. I was wondering if kefir would be ok instead of yogurt and it sounds like it is. As kefir is much easier to make, I would prefer to use it.

I agree, Dace . . . I want to keep the convenience of kibble in our puppy's diet, but I also want to try to feed raw when I am able to, as I feel it is the best way to go. Any chance you could get your dog to wear a bib at dinner time?

 

[Dace]

A bib.... now that is clever!

Here is what I do for what it is worth

I buy a combo of chicken wings and backs, I cut them up into single serving pieces (figure out how much your dog will need to eat....my dogs goal weight is 18 lbs and I feed him 1/4 lb of chicken per day) and place into a Tupperware that goes into the freezer. I usually make up about 6 or so Tupperware containers of chicken. Into each tub goes about 4 days worth of chicken (8 pieces) as well as about 16 hearts. ( this is for a full raw diet).

I also puree spinach and carrot then pour into small Tupperware tubs, which go into the freezer as well. Teddy gets a heaping tablespoon, maybe closer to a 1/4 cup, per day on top of his chicken, on top of that goes a tablespoon of kefir and a fish oil and vit e. That is breakfast.....dinner is just chicken.

I put his meals onto a paper plate, because when he is done I can just toss it. I use the little desert plates. I know it is wasteful but it makes me more comfortable with the raw chicken. I also feedhim outside!

 

[tortoise]

Raw and kibble 4 hours apart? Can you explain?

I am switching my guy over from raw to grain free kibble (wellness core)
The main reason for the switch is that I am growing weary of cleaning his chest fur after eating. he is a very hairy sheltie! Plus the convienece factor of kibble.

Yes, the 4 hours is the average time is takes for gastric emptying on a dog. Raw digests faster than kibble. When fed together, the raw diet spends more time in digestion and can colonize.

Some dogs are extremely sensitive to it and WILL get an intestinal infection with mixed raw and kibble.

Other dogs have a "cast iron stomach" and have no problem with it.

I think most dogs don't have an issue, but I had one dog that fell into the sensitive group. You DO NOT want a puppy getting this.

 

[tortoise]

My two get a combination kibble/raw diet (chicken wings and marrow bones) - since I feed a good kibble, I have never added any other oils or such and they are both thriving.

I believe your dogs are thriving, but you've brought up a common misconception.

Kibble contains only enough oils, vitamins, etc, to balance the kibble. If you are not feeding a balanced raw diet in addition to the kibble, nutritional deficiencies will happen. They will not be as apparent.

With a puppy, you don't want to take the chance of malnutrition.