# 3 days raw.



## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

Well, it's been 3 days of chicken backs, necks, and wings. I know wings/necks aren't recommended for my size dogs, but I had some that I bought before I knew they weren't recommended, and so give them a couple and watched them like a hawk. I was amazed at how long they took to crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch and ... well, they crunched what I perceived as a lot before swallowing. I won't buy any more, but I think they did pretty well. No, I'm not over my near pathologic fear of giving them bones. Yes, I pray "please don't let me kill my dogs" every time. I don't know if I'll ever not fear/not pray, but I'm trying to do my best.

So far, no vomiting, no diarrhea, no near choking, no "outward" signs of any problem. I know it's very early.

So here's a day-after poop picture (they've actually pooped very little ... or should say not often). Does it look a little hard and dry? Too much bone? I'm removing skin/visible fat (still obsessing somewhat about Kody's prior pancreatitis episode), so there's really not a lot of meat on what I've given them so far. To early to tell?


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Looks fine to me. Keep on, and before you know it you will be over huge fear of bones.


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

it looks fine to me to, don't worry it's still early days yet


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

congratulations....you done did it.....well done you.

poops look good.

if it keeps up, you'll add a little bit of boneless.

nana, i used to drink.....during feeding time; all the while praying that this meal would not kill my dogs.....i think many of us have been there.

now, it's music to my ears.

time and a hundred crunches.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

magicre said:


> congratulations....you done did it.....well done you.
> 
> poops look good.
> 
> ...


Maybe too soon for congrats, just taking it a day at a time. Made all the more scary because I don't have a single friend, relative, neighbor, and especially a vet to back me up. If I screw up, it's all on me. Unfortunately, I can't afford alcohol and good healthy food for the dogs (did get several whole chickens on sale this past week, if I can figure out the best way to cut those suckers up), so I'm going into this cold stone sober. Holy crap!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

nana, I have a 100 pound dog who eats chicken necks, feet, heads all the time. He chews well and has never had any kind of choking incident.

BUT even if he didn't chew well I'd still give chicken necks to him. My 10 pound dog swallows chicken necks whole because she has few teeth and they are difficult for her to crunch up - why wouldn't he be able to do the same with a larger throat??

I think there is very little that is "hard and fast" as far as raw feeding goes. I think chicken necks are fantastic if there is a day I only want to give him a small amount of bone.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

Thanks for the encouraging words all. They just had another back for dinner tonight. I must say I'm astonished at how well they're "chewing." Especially Kody; he has always snarfed his food, I mean finish the whole mean in about 30 seconds, and I just knew he would be the first one to try and swallow a whole leg or whatever and choke before my eyes. The backs I have are quite large (or so they seem to me), so I've been giving each a half. They pick it up, crunch, crunch, crunch, seems to me they're on the verge of swallowing the whole thing. Then they swallow a bit, drop it on the floor, pick it up, and crunch, crunch, crunch some more. The crunch, swallow, drop, and pick it back up repeats 3 or 4 times. Then it's down the hatch.

One of my grocery stores has the whole turkey necks, so I think I'll try those rather than more chicken necks if need be. But like I said, even the necks and wings, I think they're crunching them up pretty darn good. Or is it pretty darn well? 

I know it varies with each person and each dog, but do most of you give bone-in each meal? Or one meal with bone, one without? Or bony meals one day, not bony the next? Will I just figure it out as more time passes and I see how each one "poops" or how does that work?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Nana52 said:


> Maybe too soon for congrats, just taking it a day at a time. Made all the more scary because I don't have a single friend, relative, neighbor, and especially a vet to back me up. If I screw up, it's all on me. Unfortunately, I can't afford alcohol and good healthy food for the dogs (did get several whole chickens on sale this past week, if I can figure out the best way to cut those suckers up), so I'm going into this cold stone sober. Holy crap!


that you did this for three days is worthy of congrats, whether you continue or no.

and ps. 

dogs don't care about presentation. just feel for the joints and hack away 

you are not alone. you have us. we may not be there in person, but we are here.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

it sounds like your dogs are really good chewers. In reality, they can just crunch a bone 2-3 times, enough to get it down their throat, and it's fine. they don't chew food like we do. 

Most people on my local yahoo raw feeding group don't feed turkey necks whole because they say it's the size of a throat and can get stuck. So they grind them up. Me, I've never done that. I think it's just fear. And Snorkels choked once on a piece of kidney, never on a bony meal. And if any dog should choke it should be her because if she can fit it down her throat whole, she will.

I usually give Rebel one bony meal every day or every two days, depending on how bony. I think some people go 2-4 days without giving a bony meal. But i rarely go a day without giving him some kind of bone even if it's not much, like a chicken neck, sardine, or chicken foot or head.

I think you will figure it out. As you notice the poops getting softer or harder, you will just naturally adjust until you find the right combo for your dogs.

It seems to my like you are doing great - your dogs are liking the chicken backs and eating them fine, and their poops are good. CAn't ask for much more than that!!


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## creek817 (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm so proud that you've taken the leap! And it's great that your dogs are doing so well - they've just been waiting for you to catch on!

Stick with chicken for a few weeks of good poops before you add in turkey necks, or anything. I feed turkey necks regularly, my dog loves them. Lately, I've been feeding them frozen - he likes frozen stuff for some reason. He's a pretty good chewer too, so I don't worry. 

You may not have anyone in person for help, but, as re said, you have all of us! You're doing great =)


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

Is it weird that I'm not finding any bone bits in their poop? It that a good thing, in that they're digesting well? Or is it a bad thing, in that all that bone is collecting in their stomach/intestines waiting to tear them apart? Or is it not a thing at all? I'm surely hoping that going from "barely cooked" to raw is going to make for a smoother transition than going from kibble to raw, but who knows. I'm just trying to find my raw zin, ya know? Thanks all :redface:


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

magicre said:


> that you did this for three days is worthy of congrats, whether you continue or no.
> 
> and ps.
> 
> ...



Thanks ever so. No, they surely don't care about how it looks. But I just can't seem to separate the back from the breasts without all the jagged bone edges (ribs I guess) that are somewhat freaksum. Dem bones, dem bones


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Nana they are NOT collecting in their digestive system, poking holes!! I promise 

They are digesting them all and that's a good thing. 

You will likely see bones in their poop at some time, and that's nothing to worry about either. But it's a good sign that there are none.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

No, I wasn't going to add the turkey necks now, just mentioning that I had found them available for when it's time.

So just chicken, but I can give different parts, right? Like if they're doing good with the back and necks and wings for a few more days, I can give leg quarters maybe? Or is that rushing? The leg quarters are obviously going to be too much for a meal, so I'll need to take that away after I "judge" they've eaten the right amount, right? Oy vey!


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

xellil said:


> Nana they are NOT collecting in their digestive system, poking holes!! I promise
> 
> They are digesting them all and that's a good thing.
> 
> You will likely see bones in their poop at some time, and that's nothing to worry about either. But it's a good sign that there are none.


I promise, I'll be asking some of the strangest questions. I am a world class worrier (if only I could get paid for worrying, I'd be so very rich), and the things that come to my mind are astonishing even to me at times!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

If there poops stay good, you can add quarters but you can also separate them into legs and thighs for a smaller meal. those should weigh close to what a back weighs. 

If their poops still stay good, you don't have to worry about removing the skin but if they start getting diarrhea you might have to remove the skin and fat. Are you doing that now? If you aren't, I bet you don't have to do it for quarters either.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

I guess that makes sense, as long as they continue to crunch well, the thighs and legs are certainly bigger than a wing or neck. 

Actually I am removing the skin and visible fat (which there is so very much of on the backs), due to Kody's having had pancreatitis a while back, as well as not wanting to cause any undue GI issues for either one. I'm getting lab on Kody this week, so if all is well, maybe I can start leaving teensy weensy bits on and slowy, oh, so, slowly increase the amount I leave on over time.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Nana52 said:


> I promise, I'll be asking some of the strangest questions. I am a world class worrier (if only I could get paid for worrying, I'd be so very rich), and the things that come to my mind are astonishing even to me at times!


I don't think that's a weird worry. I think it's normal. The first bone I fed Snorkels was a chicken neck and she swallowed it whole, i waited for two day for it to poke through her stomach. I understand 

then when she swallowed the venison ribs and I had to get them removed, I realized how tough their stomachs really are. The ribs had to have been three times longer than her stomach. They were scratching her but not poking holes.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

xellil said:


> I don't think that's a weird worry. I think it's normal. The first bone I fed Snorkels was a chicken neck and she swallowed it whole, i waited for two day for it to poke through her stomach. I understand
> 
> then when she swallowed the venison ribs and I had to get them removed, I realized how tough their stomachs really are. The ribs had to have been three times longer than her stomach. They were scratching her but not poking holes.


Okay. First part helpful. Second part .... holy smoke! Note to self. No venison ribs!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Nana52 said:


> Okay. First part helpful. Second part .... holy smoke! Note to self. No venison ribs!


Oh, i give them to Rebel four times a week. They are great for dogs. And I give them to snorkels too, only now I give them attached to each other so she can just gnaw the meat off but can't swallow it whole.

You can't compare her to other dogs - she only has four teeth and she's very motivated to eat anything and everything  I didn't mean to scare you!!


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I never saw bony bits in my dogs poop. 

Flynn has swallowed chicken necks whole before at the giant size of 16lbs. Little sucker thinks chewing is for sissies.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

xellil said:


> Oh, i give them to Rebel four times a week. They are great for dogs. And I give them to snorkels too, only now I give them attached to each other so she can just gnaw the meat off but can't swallow it whole.
> 
> You can't compare her to other dogs - she only has four teeth and she's very motivated to eat anything and everything  I didn't mean to scare you!!


It's okay. I don't have access to venison in any case :wink:


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

KittyKat said:


> I never saw bony bits in my dogs poop.
> 
> Flynn has swallowed chicken necks whole before at the giant size of 16lbs. Little sucker thinks chewing is for sissies.


I assume Flynn is 16 lbs, not the chicken wings, right? My dogs are between 14 and 16 lbs each. So that makes me a little (just a tad) less nervous about the necks. Thanks.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

You never know what will happen in the future! If you ever get a chance for any venison you should grab it - it's a wonderful meat and since it's normally wild meat it's got all the good stuff in it.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Nana52 said:


> I assume Flynn is 16 lbs, not the chicken wings, right? My dogs are between 14 and 16 lbs each. So that makes me a little (just a tad) less nervous about the necks. Thanks.


lol yes, he's now close to 30lbs.


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