Started Raw diet last week...not sure if she's getting enough...

Maddie

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We successfully started Maddie on Steve's Real Food last week. It is a complete blend, frozen nuggets. According to the feeding chart she should be getting 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at dinner time. I think she would eat more if I set out more, she still acts like she's hungry when she finishes her 1 cup portion. She does seem like she's slimming down a little. We have been skipping treats this week, with the exception of raw goat milk mid day. (1/4 cup) to see how she did with raw food. There's another website on raw feeding where the feeding guideline was 10% of the dogs body weight...so that would mean 2.2 lbs for Maddie. (i'm assuming that was based on the barf diet) I don't want to starve my dog!
 

KimB3384

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[MENTION=746]Maddie[/MENTION], the foods I feed (Orijen, Stella & Chewy's, and Primal) say to give puppies up to 50% more of the adult recommendation. And to be honest, I think on some of them I feed more than an extra 50% because she goes too thin if I don't. I pay close attention to her ribs and her waist. If I can easily see the edge of her rib cage, I add more food. I'm constantly feeling her to make sure there's enough meat on those bones. I try to keep her on the thinner side to avoid back and spinal issues, plus she just has a smaller frame, so I also watch her waist to make sure there's enough of an indent, but not too much. I think that just like with people you have to monitor their food intake regularly. If she's going through a growth spurt, she might need more. If she's playing or getting a lot of exercise, she might need more. If she has a lazy week, she might need to cut down. Plus, I think that in the first week or two of raw their bodies do go through a little transformation as their systems get adjusted to the switch. You'll be making tweaks regularly - it's normal.
 

MaplesMommy

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It is normal that a dog appears hungry when you switch them from a commercial diet to a raw diet. They are used to always have something in their stomach since kibble is hard to digest and takes up to 12 hours(this btw isnt healthy since a dogs stomach expands when full and its supposed to go back to its original (empty) state at least once a day but on kibble it is never empty). She will get used to it eventually.
How old is she ? An adult dog should get 3% of his weight to maintain the weight. A puppy can need up to 10%.
But this guideline is for meat/organ/bone diets so Im not sure how much she would need on the food you're buying.

You can cook some Quinoa and add it to her meals to fill her up a little. Unlike rice or oatmeal Quinoa is not a grain but a seed so its fine to give it to dogs.

Maple also enjoys chewing on a carrot about every other day.That might be a good snack for Maddie as well :)
 

Maddie

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[MENTION=746]Maddie[/MENTION], the foods I feed (Orijen, Stella & Chewy's, and Primal) say to give puppies up to 50% more of the adult recommendation. And to be honest, I think on some of them I feed more than an extra 50% because she goes too thin if I don't. I pay close attention to her ribs and her waist. If I can easily see the edge of her rib cage, I add more food. I'm constantly feeling her to make sure there's enough meat on those bones. I try to keep her on the thinner side to avoid back and spinal issues, plus she just has a smaller frame, so I also watch her waist to make sure there's enough of an indent, but not too much. I think that just like with people you have to monitor their food intake regularly. If she's going through a growth spurt, she might need more. If she's playing or getting a lot of exercise, she might need more. If she has a lazy week, she might need to cut down. Plus, I think that in the first week or two of raw their bodies do go through a little transformation as their systems get adjusted to the switch. You'll be making tweaks regularly - it's normal.


I spoke to the reps at Steve's, they suggested doubling the serving size since she's technically still a growing puppy. Suggested serving size is 4 oz twice a day. I am now giving her 8 oz per serving.
I found another brand that I'm going to try. It's Small Batch. I like the company because it's based out of SF and almost every ingredient they use is from California. I like the thought of helping out a "local" company.
Kim...since you are feeding so many different brands, how often do you change proteins??
 

KimB3384

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since you are feeding so many different brands, how often do you change proteins??

We just switched over to real raw meat so her proteins won't vary too much now, but when we were doing commercial she got a different protein pretty much every day. Example: Monday - S&C duck for breakfast and Primal Pheasant for dinner; Tuesday - Orijen Tundra for breakfast and Primal Venison for dinner; Wednesday - S&C rabbit for breakfast and a can of sardines for dinner.

I'm lucky because her system seemed to tolerate that amount of switching. I'd read that dogs who are prone to allergies should have their proteins switched up as often as possible. Of course, that was on the internet so who knows if it was sound advice or not. It made sense to me because I know I don't want to eat the same thing all the time. I'm still switching things up with the real raw diet, but I don't have as many options. The ground mixes I could easily afford were chicken, turkey, beef, and then a chick/pork/beef mix. She'll get those most days, but I'll add in some livers and gizzards on some days, tripe on some days, and then keep our sardine Wednesdays.

Small Batch sounds great. I'm going to go check them out now!
 

KimB3384

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[MENTION=746]Maddie[/MENTION] - hey, watch Maddie closely on the Small Batch. Lots of their formulas have yams, and those were an issue for us. Not saying they will be for you but if Maddie starts scratching, switch her to a formula that doesn't have them. Let us know how she's doing on it!
 

Maddie

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[MENTION=746]Maddie[/MENTION] - hey, watch Maddie closely on the Small Batch. Lots of their formulas have yams, and those were an issue for us. Not saying they will be for you but if Maddie starts scratching, switch her to a formula that doesn't have them. Let us know how she's doing on it!

Thanks for the heads up Kim...I am getting the kind with protein and organs only for the reason you mentioned. I plan on adding my own fruits and veggies and goat milk. I will keep you posted.
 
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