# feeding raw once a week?



## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

is it fine to feed my pup raw once a week? i would like to try it, just out of curiosity. he is on blue bluffalo chicken and brown rice puppy food.

he is:
about 4-5 months old. 
31 pounds.
labrador/mix.

where can i buy raw? any grocery store ok? thanks!


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## hbwright (Jul 14, 2010)

Yes, you can do that. Maybe if you start off with that you'd be more interested in giving it more of a try. Do not feed with a kibble meal, feed separately. I think he'll appreciate it. 

You can buy at any grocery store. That was one of my deciding factors. I had only 2 stores that carried my food and they both close very early. It never failed I would forget to buy food and be stuck with wondering what to feed my babies. Now, when I run out there are always grocery stores open late with what I need. 

A 31 pound puppy, a chicken quarter would be a decent size meal for a whole day but I'd start off smaller to get him started. Take the skin off and remove all the organ from the back part.


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## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

hbwright said:


> Yes, you can do that. Maybe if you start off with that you'd be more interested in giving it more of a try. Do not feed with a kibble meal, feed separately. I think he'll appreciate it.
> 
> You can buy at any grocery store. That was one of my deciding factors. I had only 2 stores that carried my food and they both close very early. It never failed I would forget to buy food and be stuck with wondering what to feed my babies. Now, when I run out there are always grocery stores open late with what I need.
> 
> A 31 pound puppy, a chicken quarter would be a decent size meal for a whole day but I'd start off smaller to get him started. Take the skin off and remove all the organ from the back part.


what are some food i can buy? is chicken breasts ok? should i just get a whole chicken raw? thanks!


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## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

wow, so for todays breakfast, i found a package of kirklands chicken breast in frig from costco. i didnt want to give him 1 whole piece b/c i thought he would choke b/c he is still a puppy, so i cut them into pieces and removed any fat on the chicken. he devoured that in less than 10 seconds. and the piece is big, size of a t-bone steak. he barely chewed it, he just gave it 1 chew, and just swallowed it. is that normal? i was kind of worried b/c he didnt chew it.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

coolstorybro said:


> he barely chewed it, he just gave it 1 chew, and just swallowed it. is that normal? i was kind of worried b/c he didnt chew it.


Dogs don't chew in the same way humans do. We chew our food into a mush before we swallow. Our saliva contains digestive juices so for humans, digestion begins in the mouth.

Dogs merely crunch, rip and tear to get a chunk of meat small enough to fit down their throat and then they swallow. They can get some amazingly large pieces down their throat. They have no digestive juices in their saliva so for dogs, digestion begins in the stomach.

My Great Danes regularly swallow chicken quaters whole. I suggest you feed some bone in peices to your little dog. He should be able to eat a back ok, probably even a quarter. It will take him a little while to figure it out so don't expect him to eat one in 2 or 3 minutes in the beginning. It may take him half an hour or more but in time he will get a lot faaster. My dogs are about 5 seconds on a chicken leg quarter.


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## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

RawFedDogs said:


> Dogs don't chew in the same way humans do. We chew our food into a mush before we swallow. Our saliva contains digestive juices so for humans, digestion begins in the mouth.
> 
> Dogs merely crunch, rip and tear to get a chunk of meat small enough to fit down their throat and then they swallow. They can get some amazingly large pieces down their throat. They have no digestive juices in their saliva so for dogs, digestion begins in the stomach.
> 
> My Great Danes regularly swallow chicken quaters whole. I suggest you feed some bone in peices to your little dog. He should be able to eat a back ok, probably even a quarter. It will take him a little while to figure it out so don't expect him to eat one in 2 or 3 minutes in the beginning. It may take him half an hour or more but in time he will get a lot faaster. My dogs are about 5 seconds on a chicken leg quarter.


is chicken from the grocery ok? jewel, costco, etc? are chicken breasts ok? should i remove the fat on chickens? thanks!


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Chicken with no bone is going to cause runny stools, we usually suggest a bone heavy meal like a chicken back or quarter, my dogs did fine on wings and drumsticks but they are very good chewers!


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Yes chicken from the store is okay as long as it's not enhanced. Check the sodium levels on the package you want it under 100. Enhanced meat can cause diarrhea & other reactions. You can give chicken breasts, thighs, quarters, etc, bone in would be best.


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

Feeding raw once a week is just fine. You could feed 3-4 times a week without messing up the nutrient balance of his diet if you like.

Boneless once a week isn't as likely to mess up the stools but if the meal is too large it might. Figure 2% of your pup's adult weight as his basic raw diet. If he is fed twice a day divide that amount in half to get an appropriately sized raw meal. Artie is 20 pounds of adult dog so I figure he might eat 8 ounces if raw fed and I give him a 4 ounce raw meal every so often. Yesterday he got his whole breakfast and half his evening kibble and a 2 ounce raw treat.


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## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

sassymaxmom said:


> Feeding raw once a week is just fine. You could feed 3-4 times a week without messing up the nutrient balance of his diet if you like.
> 
> Boneless once a week isn't as likely to mess up the stools but if the meal is too large it might. Figure 2% of your pup's adult weight as his basic raw diet. If he is fed twice a day divide that amount in half to get an appropriately sized raw meal. Artie is 20 pounds of adult dog so I figure he might eat 8 ounces if raw fed and I give him a 4 ounce raw meal every so often. Yesterday he got his whole breakfast and half his evening kibble and a 2 ounce raw treat.


ok so my pup is 31 pounds. they say to feed him 10% of his weight. 10% in pounds? thank!


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

@RawFedDogs: Hi, I thought dogs have acids in there mouth as well as stomach? At least thats what I thought. Not debating it, just trying to learn something new;0) From what I remember, bacteria like salmonella, is gone from there mouth 30 minutes after eating. Is that right?

@coolstorybro: Your suppose to feed 1%-3% of your dogs body weight. You adjust according to the dogs body. To skinny, feed more. Overweight, feed less.


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## coolstorybro (Nov 3, 2010)

cast71 said:


> @RawFedDogs: Hi, I thought dogs have acids in there mouth as well as stomach? At least thats what I thought. Not debating it, just trying to learn something new;0) From what I remember, bacteria like salmonella, is gone from there mouth 30 minutes after eating. Is that right?
> 
> @coolstorybro: Your suppose to feed 1%-3% of your dogs body weight. You adjust according to the dogs body. To skinny, feed more. Overweight, feed less.


alright so if my pup weighs 30 pounds, i should feed him roughly 1 pound of raw meat? 30 pounds x .03 = 0.9. is it in pounds? ounces? so if it is 1 pound, is that for the whole day or every time i feed him? so 1 pound x 3 meals a day = 3 pounds. or 1 pound for a whole day? thanks!


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

bro, have a look over this
How to get started | Prey Model Raw

and come back with any questions you might have :wink:


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## hbwright (Jul 14, 2010)

coolstorybro said:


> alright so if my pup weighs 30 pounds, i should feed him roughly 1 pound of raw meat? 30 pounds x .03 = 0.9. is it in pounds? ounces? so if it is 1 pound, is that for the whole day or every time i feed him? so 1 pound x 3 meals a day = 3 pounds. or 1 pound for a whole day? thanks!


That would be 1 lb. per day, our a half a pound if your giving him a kibble meal for the other meal.


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