Hello,

My search didn't come up with specifics, so:

If I switch over to a raw/natural diet for my 4.5 month GSD,
would this work:

• Raise rabbits in a pen
  
• Feed rabbits to dog
  
• Suppliment w/hi-quality dry kibble
  

If this diet sounds good, what would the benefits be for my
dog? I would really have to SELL this to my "small, fluffy
animal" lover of a wife <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Secondly, how would I prepare the rabbit? Just humanly kill
it, and hand it over w/furr, or skin it first?

Thirdly, how much rabbit would I feed? Slice it in half, and
give for dinner? Or a whole rabbit every day?

Fourthly (is that even a word <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> ?), and speaking
of chicken (bad attempt at humor <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> ), would just one
raw chicken leg/thigh be enough for dinner? Or would I have
to feed her 2 or 3 small ones?

There was good info in this thread.
http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4147482/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1

 Quote:

.....raw/natural diet for my 4.5 month GSD,
would this work:

Raise rabbits in a pen

Feed rabbits to dog

Suppliment w/hi-quality dry kibble

If this diet sounds good, what would the benefits be for my
dog?....Secondly, how would I prepare the rabbit? Just humanly kill
it, and hand it over w/furr, or skin it first?...Thirdly, how much rabbit would I feed? Slice it in half, and give for dinner? Or a whole rabbit every day?....would just one raw chicken leg/thigh be enough for dinner? Or would I have to feed her 2 or 3 small ones?

I can't answer the rabbit parts. Broad picture, though: I have read (on what I think are authoritative sites) that if you feed a raw/kibble combo, it's best to feed raw at one meal and kibble at another, rather than a mixture. This is because kibble takes much longer to digest, thereby losing some of the canine relative invulnerability to bacteria (eColi, salmonella) which is largely because of their fast digestive system. So far, I believe that; I haven't heard it debunked by anyone, except anecdotally.
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm#kibble

Also, chicken legs (IMO, and from my research) are not the best basis because of the hardness of those bones (not as easy to digest) and because of the relatively low bone-meat ratio -- both of which can screw up the calcium/phosphorous ratio. So many experts say that feeding chicken legs (only) requires eggshell or bone powder supplementatiom. This whole thread addresses that subject in depth:
http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showf...rue#Post4162007

And the amount depends on the dog's size. This site gives very detailed info about RMBs and meat for the size of your dog:
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm#daily

Good luck! Good for you, to be researching and planning.

Careful of tapeworms with live rabbits.

 Quote:

Careful of tapeworms with live rabbits.

How do you be careful? Is it true about the freezing for a certain amount of time killing that kind of parasite, does anyone know?

Tapeworm comes from ingesting the fleas that are on the rabbit. I'ts actually the flea that is the host.

http://www.rawdogranch.com gives detailed directions on raising, killing, and butchering rabbits as raw food.

She does NOT feed the entrails as it makes her dogs gassy (I asked about that)

I used to raise rabbits for meat(for me)and gave the entrails to the dogs - and yes you get some powerful wind of of rabbit innards but the dogs really like them!

I would think that rabbit would have a very low fat content, or would that pertain to just the wild bunnies?

 Quote:

I would think that rabbit would have a very low fat content, or would that pertain to just the wild bunnies?

This chart http://www.stepoutside.org/HealthOfIt/index.cfm
says that it's about like deer.