# Started raw 1 week ago. Dog seems constipated.



## Jwpjr (Mar 25, 2016)

Hey all,

After a ton of research, I switched to raw a week ago today. I decided to stick with one protein, and have been feeding exclusively chicken leg quarters. She is 40# so she gets 2lbs of food every day (one quarter in the morning, one at night).

Today I was watching her outside and it looked like she was struggling to poo. She finally did, and it was just a small light brown nugget that was very firm and almost "chalky" when I poked at it with a stick. The weather around here has been super crummy lately, and my pup hates being outside in the rain/snow, so I haven't been able to catch her in the act enough times to get more than a days worth of stool samples (she goes out and wants right back in).

I think she's getting a little too much bone. She seems fine, and doesn't seem to be bothered or in any pain, so I don't think there is any cause for concern. I'm going to keep an eye on her for the next day/two and see if her stool gets better.

So, I planned on Introducing Turkey this week... should I wait now? Would you guys suggest throwing in a couple meals with no bones to balance out the RMBs?

Thanks!


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Sounds like too much bone. Try a quarter at one meal, and a boneless piece at the next.


----------



## Leggo (Aug 19, 2016)

My son Great Dane has been on a raw diet for about a week. The diet consists of chicken breast, boneless chicken breast, leg quarters and membranes. The dog has had severe diarrhea ever since we put him on the diet. We changed his diet to 90% boneless chicken breast and 10% chicken breast with bone in. The results are the same. Do we need to try another type of meat or continue with the diet? If we are to continue with the diet how long should we continue if the diarrhea does stop.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

What do you mean by "membrane"? And are you feeding all of that as one meal?


----------



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

My opinion is that a dog should not have diarrhea when switched to raw. I see you posted awhile ago so I hope you come back and tell us what's going on now. 

We would also like to know the weight of the dog, the age, and how much you are feeding per day, please.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Jwpjr said:


> Hey all,
> 
> After a ton of research, I switched to raw a week ago today. I decided to stick with one protein, and have been feeding exclusively chicken leg quarters. She is 40# so she gets 2lbs of food every day (one quarter in the morning, one at night).
> 
> ...


i always love to hear that people research......shows commitment.....which is not to say we can't tweak what we do

for a forty pound dog, 2 lbs a day is a wee bit too much, especially considering it is chicken quarters ....a ton of bone...

my suggestion would be to feed a chicken quarter in the a.m. and some boneless turkey in the pm if you're wanting to feed two meals.....

then i would begin, slowly, to intro other proteins, until you get to red meat...dogs thrive on red meat.......

if she is over a year old, consider one meal a day......if chicken is your main source for bone, then a chicken quarter plus nice fatty boneless red meat......
feed organ every few weeks......

but 32 oz....too much....i'd start her on 18 ounces a day........and see how she does.......if you see her losing weight, add by a few ounces at a time for a few weeks...and then re assess


----------



## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

re that was what I was thinking also. 40 # dog and a leg quarter, goodness with the size of the things now a days. I do feed my dogs twice a day as there physiques could never handle once a day. I always cut the legs from the quarters even on my 70# dogs. Some of the quarters are too big for them. I'm thinking just to much food.


----------



## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Leggo said:


> My son Great Dane has been on a raw diet for about a week. The diet consists of chicken breast, boneless chicken breast, leg quarters and membranes. The dog has had severe diarrhea ever since we put him on the diet. We changed his diet to 90% boneless chicken breast and 10% chicken breast with bone in. The results are the same. Do we need to try another type of meat or continue with the diet? If we are to continue with the diet how long should we continue if the diarrhea does stop.


I think you need to just start with the leg quarters and check to see how much sodium is in the chicken.


----------



## Spy Car (Apr 16, 2015)

It is always best to feed "by condition" (more if the dog is thinning out too much, less if gaining too much weight) as opposed to a formula. 

That said, most raw fed dogs consume in the 2-3% of body weight range, so from about 13 oz to about 19 oz for a 40 lb dog. Two pounds (32 oz) is significantly out of a typical range (twice the average for a 40 lb dog).

I'd echo Herzo's advice to check for sodium levels in the chicken (they should be under 75 mg). 

I'd also advise reducing or eliminating the skin/fat for a few days and then start adding it in slowly as the stools firm up. Fat is the vital energy source for dogs (so you do want to add it back in) but it can require a transition as the dog's system gets used to metobolizing fat as the primary energy source. 

Good luck,

Bill


----------



## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

xellil said:


> My opinion is that a dog should not have diarrhea when switched to raw. I see you posted awhile ago so I hope you come back and tell us what's going on now.
> 
> We would also like to know the weight of the dog, the age, and how much you are feeding per day, please.


When O'Malley came home as a 9 week old pup, he was on 4Health kibble from the breeder. This puppy had SO MUCH diarrhea that Steve was ready to go back to kibble (yes Re if you're reading, his glazed eyes came back). I stuck it out and said puppy will be a year old this week & he has had nothing but raw! Point is, some do have diarrhea.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

InkedMarie said:


> When O'Malley came home as a 9 week old pup, he was on 4Health kibble from the breeder. This puppy had SO MUCH diarrhea that Steve was ready to go back to kibble (yes Re if you're reading, his glazed eyes came back). I stuck it out and said puppy will be a year old this week & he has had nothing but raw! Point is, some do have diarrhea.


oh dear marie....i'm so glad you stuck with it.......

poor steve


----------



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

InkedMarie said:


> When O'Malley came home as a 9 week old pup, he was on 4Health kibble from the breeder. This puppy had SO MUCH diarrhea that Steve was ready to go back to kibble (yes Re if you're reading, his glazed eyes came back). I stuck it out and said puppy will be a year old this week & he has had nothing but raw! Point is, some do have diarrhea.


I agree, there are always exceptions. I had a dog that was permanently constipated. Snorkels. By accident I found out that plums gave her normal poops. So she got a plum every day for the rest of her life. Not exactly normal raw feeding. But I have seen so many people say that switching to raw and diarrhea go hand in hand - detoxing - and I don't believe that to be true at all. I think the vast majority of dogs can be switched to raw with perfectly fine poops.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

The only time we ever have had issues switching any puppies or dogs to raw, has been more or less human error. Me, giving too much organ with no bone, or too many days in a row with boneless meats. Otherwise, transitions have been smooth for us.


----------



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

naturalfeddogs said:


> The only time we ever have had issues switching any puppies or dogs to raw, has been more or less human error. Me, giving too much organ with no bone, or too many days in a row with boneless meats. Otherwise, transitions have been smooth for us.


Me too. I've only give one transitioning dog problems and it was my fault. I think I got cocky and thought I was so fantastic that any dog would do great whatever I tossed at him. The dog disagreed. Now, I wait a little longer on the organs and red meat


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

naturalfeddogs said:


> The only time we ever have had issues switching any puppies or dogs to raw, has been more or less human error. Me, giving too much organ with no bone, or too many days in a row with boneless meats. Otherwise, transitions have been smooth for us.


i followed the directions of a person on another forum. in so doing, i became the queen of cannon butt. my poor dogs....

and then we got hit with giardia during the transition time.

made me give up raw feeding within the week; but i couldn't let it go. so i got in touch with a banned member of that forum, after reading each and every one of his posts......and after laughing at me, told me what to do and we haven't look back.

i agree, mostly, it is human error....there is always the exception, but only a percent or two....


----------



## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

magicre said:


> i followed the directions of a person on another forum. in so doing, i became the queen of cannon butt. my poor dogs....
> 
> and then we got hit with giardia during the transition time.
> 
> ...


Gee, I followed directions from someone I met on a forum too! <g>


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

InkedMarie said:


> Gee, I followed directions from someone I met on a forum too! <g>


someone i met on a forum once told me they'd kick my a## if ever i tried to convert them to raw LOL


----------



## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

magicre said:


> someone i met on a forum once told me they'd kick my a## if ever i tried to convert them to raw LOL


NO! Say it isn't so! <g>


----------

