# Hello!



## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

I've been lurking here for a few days now so thought it was time to join up and say hello :smile: ***

I'm in the UK and am currently owned by Alfie, a rather naughty 13 month old Dalmatian. That's him over there <--- in my avatar :smile: He is the absolute apple of my eye and I have been raw feeding him for coming up for 9 weeks now, after researching and reading about the whole thing for about the last 6 months.

He is absolutely thriving on his new eating plan and I honestly don't know who's happier with it, me or him :thumb: In the short space of time his coat has gone from a little dull and coarse to gleaming and almost as soft as it was when he was a puppy  His teeth are amazing, his breath is clean and he smells delicious.... no more grim doggy odour here! Of course though, I don't need to tell all you guys this, you KNOW! 

I can honestly say, hand on heart, I will never, ever go back to kibble... starting this was the best thing I could ever have done for my boy and any future dogs will be straight onto raw from day 1 :biggrin1:

*** I knew it was time when I was reading the "you know you're a raw feeder when...." thread and nodding away enthusiastically to the whole thread :laugh:


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Hello and welcome! Your boy is beautiful; somehow I don't see many Dalmations around these days...are they popular in the UK?

Happy to see that you and your pup are reaping the benefits of raw-- I can also say I will never go back to kibble. Actually, I'm not even sure my dog would recognize it as food, as raw is all he has known...:wink:

By the way, that thread was hilarious; I should re-read it just for fun...it's all so true!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Welcome to the forum! We are always happy to have members from all over the world! Make yourself at home!


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

Thank you for your kind welcome :smile:

They're not hugely popular no... not where I live anyway! Saying that, a friend of mine who we walk with most days has 2 girls and the 3 of them running together is quite a sight :wink:

I don't know anyone else in 'real life' who feeds raw (know plenty on another dog forum I go on though)... am trying every day to convert my fellow walkers though :wink:

Here's another couple of pics of Alfie enjoying a couple of recent dinners... rabbit and lamb ribs :smile:


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

I tried to reply a minute ago but my post needs to be approved by a moderator before it can be posted apparently... possibly because I'd included a couple of photos in it :smile:

Thank you for the kind welcome :smile:


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

:welcome: to DFC! 
Your Dal is adorable, and I'm so glad to see another member enthusiastic and loving the results of a species appropriate gives! We've been feeding our pack this way for years and I can honestly say I've seen it save lives! 
Happy posting! :biggrin:


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

welcome !:welcome: Raw is fantabulous!! :biggrin1:


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

'ello you

fancy seeing you here


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

Pogo! How lovely to see you here too! :rapture: Pogo was one of the people that inspired me to go Raw on another forum we're both on :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Great photos! Alfie seems to really enjoy his raw food!

I have a thing for white dogs with black markings :wink:


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

DaneMama said:


> Great photos! Alfie seems to really enjoy his raw food!
> 
> I have a thing for white dogs with black markings :wink:


Oooh, my photos must have been "approved" :laugh: 

He loves it... his excitement at every meal time is so fantastic to see... never saw that level of enthusiasm when he was on kibble :wink:

White and black dogs are the best :wink: :wink:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Well, there's a HUGE difference in eating the same thing everyday that he can basically just swallow whole and eating whole RMBs that he has to work at getting down the hatch! The mental stimulation they get from it alone is worth it all! The health benefits are just a bonus LOL


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

DaneMama said:


> Well, there's a HUGE difference in eating the same thing everyday that he can basically just swallow whole and eating whole RMBs that he has to work at getting down the hatch! The mental stimulation they get from it alone is worth it all! The health benefits are just a bonus LOL


The physical stimulation is another great bonus :wink: He settles down so much better in the evenings now after the "work out" of his dinner :laugh:


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

Coffee said:


> Pogo! How lovely to see you here too! :rapture: Pogo was one of the people that inspired me to go Raw on another forum we're both on :biggrin:


Awww thanks 

Hows it still going anyway?


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

pogo said:


> Awww thanks
> 
> Hows it still going anyway?


It's going wonderfully :whoo: (am loving the choice of smiles over here :laugh

Absolutely no regrets at all, Alfie's took to it like he's always eaten this way and I would never, ever go back to kibble now :nono:

Started on liver today... just the tiniest amount in with his tripe and so far so good... no poop issues (yet) and he ate it no problem... but then I'm not sure he even noticed it to be honest or realised it was something different; the bit I gave him was about 1cm x 1cm :laugh:


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

It's nice to see someone so enthusiastic and excited about feeding their pup raw. I was like that once, but I guess a lot of us being old hands tend to take it a bit for granted and forget the joy and amazement of seeing the difference in your dog and how they take to raw like they were born that way. Well, I know I do, so thank you for your posts! Oh, and welcome. (I'm a displaced Kiwi btw!).

!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Coffee said:


> Started on liver today... just the tiniest amount in with his tripe and so far so good... no poop issues (yet) and he ate it no problem... but then I'm not sure he even noticed it to be honest or realised it was something different; the bit I gave him was about 1cm x 1cm :laugh:


If you don't see any issues after adding in the tiny bit of liver....wait a week before adding in another piece of liver approximately the same size. If he handles that one ok....the next week you can try doubling the size (ie 2X2cm in size). 

If you DO see issues, still wait a week (or a week of solid normal stools...whichever comes first) before adding in another dose of liver. But this next time cut the size in half of what you gave last time (ie 0.5X0.5cm)

Sounds like you're transitioning him in the ideal way....slow and steady! Keep it up!


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Coffee said:


> White and black dogs are the best :wink: :wink:


Hey hey no colourism here! what about black and white dogs then aye? my boy is mostly black about 98% with a patch of white on his chest and two back feet, either way I can't see him in the dark.
Welcome too from me a displaced Brit (in the words of MollyWoppy) living in NZ.
Yes raw is fantasteekimo. Stanley certainly loves to get stuck in with the raw. Tonight he had horse, tripe, lamb ribs, chicken frame and an egg and yummed it up.
I get comments either about his muscular leanness (not hard with a skinny arsed greyhound) or his shiny coat from people, and so I always say, "yes it's his raw diet" . I have two friends with small black cavoodles that I have helped convert to raw with great results (well one is half raw half kibble but it's a start).
Lots of fabulous info here, helps me enormously.
cheers


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

DaneMama said:


> If you don't see any issues after adding in the tiny bit of liver....wait a week before adding in another piece of liver approximately the same size. If he handles that one ok....the next week you can try doubling the size (ie 2X2cm in size).
> 
> If you DO see issues, still wait a week (or a week of solid normal stools...whichever comes first) before adding in another dose of liver. But this next time cut the size in half of what you gave last time (ie 0.5X0.5cm)
> 
> Sounds like you're transitioning him in the ideal way....slow and steady! Keep it up!


Thanks for the advice :smile:

I did, I've took the whole process really slow. I only introduced one new meat a week and then each time only gave that meat 2 or 3 times in a week, along with meats he was already good on. I think doing it that way has been the reason why we've had no poo issues at all... not one messy one since starting the process :smile: hurrah!


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

sozzle said:


> Hey hey no colourism here! what about black and white dogs then aye? my boy is mostly black about 98% with a patch of white on his chest and two back feet, either way I can't see him in the dark.
> Welcome too from me a displaced Brit (in the words of MollyWoppy) living in NZ.
> Yes raw is fantasteekimo. Stanley certainly loves to get stuck in with the raw. Tonight he had horse, tripe, lamb ribs, chicken frame and an egg and yummed it up.
> I get comments either about his muscular leanness (not hard with a skinny arsed greyhound) or his shiny coat from people, and so I always say, "yes it's his raw diet" . I have two friends with small black cavoodles that I have helped convert to raw with great results (well one is half raw half kibble but it's a start).
> ...


No colourism here, I promise :laugh: Black and white... black or white... and any other colour in between is good for me!! :wink:


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Welcome! Your dog is beautiful.


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## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

kathylcsw said:


> Welcome! Your dog is beautiful.


Thank you so much :smile:


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

Yay for Alfie :nerd:


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