I want to switch

[ron22lefty]

Hi, I have 2 Bull Mastiffs, a 15 month old male who has been raised on nothing but kibble since I brought him home and a 4.5 month old female that we just recently brought home. I really want to switch over to raw but other than chicken quarters I don't know what to feed them. I don't know if I can give the puppy a chicken quarter at 4.5 months or is she too young to chew that bone up? I also am not sure how much to feed the 15 month old, Mack. He is about 105 pounds right now, a little light compared to his dad and mom who where 135 and 120. If anyone could give me some advice I would really appreciate it.

[CorgiPaws]

Well first off, welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new addition! I can't wait to see puctures of your pur babies. *hint, hint* lol.
And good for you on wanting to go raw. It's probably the very best decision you'll ever make for your dogs. The results are amazing, you will not regret it!

I really want to switch over to raw but other than chicken quarters I don't know what to feed them.

Just about any kind of raw meat you can think of is okay.
You just don't want to give oddly cut bones. I try not to feed any cuts smaller than my dog's mouth, jsut as a rule of thumb. Things I buy regularly:
Chicken Leg Quarters
Whole Turkey
Turkey Necks
Pork Shoulder Pcnic Roast
Lamb Breast
Beef Ribs
Beef Brisket
Boneless Beef Shank
Goat
Beef Kidney
Pork Heart
Chicken Liver
Whole Talapia
Whole Sardines
Canned fish

I don't know if I can give the puppy a chicken quarter at 4.5 months or is she too young to chew that bone up?

My cocker spaniel started chicken leg quarters the night we brought her home at 12 weeks old. Chicken bones are some of the easiest for them to chew and digest, so they are a perfect starting point, and your pup can definately handle them.

I also am not sure how much to feed the 15 month old, Mack. He is about 105 pounds right now, a little light compared to his dad and mom who where 135 and 120.

Feed 2-3% of his ideal ADULT body weight, not current weight. Then over time yu can adjust that amount based on body condition, but that gives you a starting point.


I really hope this helps,feel free to ask any more questions you might have. Raw can be intimidating at first, but once you get in the swing of things, you'll see just hoe easy it really is!

[whiteleo]

Welcome, another important point to make is that you should start with chicken first, then after maybe 3 weeks you can introduce another meat source like turkey, wait til they get use to that then introduce another source like pork, beef usually is the last source as it is the richest.
Then you start introducing the organs, very little bits at a time as those can cause cannon butt!.
You'll eventually add in a fish source either from canned or whole.
Just take it slow and don't go too fast as some dogs take longer to adjust than others.

[ron22lefty]

I definitely want to avoid cannon butt! I fed Mack, the 15 month old 1 chicken quarter and 1 egg and I gave Lola the 4.5 month old a half of a chicken quarter and 1 egg. I figured I would give Lola half a quarter in the morning before I go to work and the other half when I get home for a little while with an egg at each feeding. Mack I thought I would give him a quarter and a half plus an egg or 2 each feeding to start. Im excited, it wasnt as bad as I thought. I stopped by Walmart and got the 10lb bag of quarters for $6 and came home and put them in plastic bags and I think 1 bag should last me about 3 days or so. Thanks again for the responses, I will post some pictures of the Mastiffs when I get a chance.

[DaneMama]

I would hold off on the eggs if you notice loose stools at all, and eventually add them back in slowly. If not feeding eggs everyday is not a problem at all but it is known to cause dogs to be gassy. Personally I wouldn't feed eggs everyday.

Welcome to the forum! I hope your transition goes smoothly and don't hesitate to ask any and all questions

[ron22lefty]

I would hold off on the eggs if you notice loose stools at all, and eventually add them back in slowly. If not feeding eggs everyday is not a problem at all but it is known to cause dogs to be gassy. Personally I wouldn't feed eggs everyday.

Welcome to the forum! I hope your transition goes smoothly and don't hesitate to ask any and all questions

Ok, thanks for the info, I will cut those eggs out for a little while. I was just hoping they where getting enough food so I threw those in for good measure.

[DaneMama]

Just add more bone in chicken instead of eggs. I personally wouldn't feed eggs more than once a week for variety sake. Sounds like you're on the right track, keep up with it and you will be very happy with the results!

We started our youngest Dane puppy on raw the moment we got her and I couldn't be happier with her health and condition and rate of growth!