Partial Raw

[FrenchieDante]

Anybody feed their pup a partial raw diet? I really want to get Danté off the chicken kibble formula he's on. Nature's Variety RAW is too expensive to feed everyday -- as he'd need about 4 cups of it a day! I need options for a HQ kibble for dinner to cut back on the amount of raw I go through for breakfast. I don't know if 1 cup of Fromm pork & peas and 1 cup of NatVar Raw bites will be enough for a daily feeding.... Any opinions?

 

[MaplesMommy]

An easy way to cut back on the cost of raw and still stay fresh and healthy is to add a carbohydrate.
You can use Quinoa or brown sprouted rice. Normal rice is very starchy so dont use that.
For every 1/2 cup cooked you can take away 3 ounzes of the meat.

 

[FrenchieDante]

[MENTION=377]MaplesMommy[/MENTION] If I was to split up feedings between raw and kibble or say raw and canned merrick... How would i be able to measure appropriately how much to feed my dog?

 

[MaplesMommy]

How much does he weight again? And what's his age? 5 months?

If you feed raw its a certain percentage of his weight.
For kibble and canned I would compare the calories.

If you mix you would need to know the calorie amount of the NatVar you're feeding and then substrate it from the rest of the daily amount.

 

[FrenchieDante]

Ugh this is overwhelming. He is five months and weighs around 16-17 pounds.

 

[MaplesMommy]

If you feed raw he needs about 9 ounces a day.
NatVar makes 5 lbs bricks in Chicken and Beef. That would probably be the cheapest option for you. Or you can feed 6 ounces of meat a day and then add 1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa/Brown sprouted rice/oatmeal. And that 1/2 is after its already cooked.Quinoa expands a lot so you would probably only have to cook a little more than 1/4 cup
In calorie he needs about ~ 850 calories a day.

 

[FrenchieDante]

After some bad math, I've calculated that Danté will eat 1 1/4 cup of raw for breakfast -- equalling 227 calories ... some honey, yogurt or kefir mid-day ... and 1 1/2 cup Fromm kibble for dinner -- equalling 589 calories. This puts him at around 816 calories... Excluding the yogurt, honey & the occasional treat. Does that sound about right in terms of caloric intake per day? When will I know to increase or decrease his calories per day?

 

[MaplesMommy]

Yes I would say that sounds about right.

If you feed too much he will become fat if you dont feed enough you will start seeing his last few ribs of his ribcage.

Ideally you can feel ribs and spine(without pushing hard) but you cant see them

What kind are you feeding? The patties or the little bits?

 

[FrenchieDante]

I'm feeding the little bits as they thaw more quickly. I hope he is getting enough food! I started him today. 1 cup of raw in the morning, half a cup of fromm 4 star for lunch, and 1 cup of fromm for dinner.