I finally did it. I have been researching the switch from kibble to raw for some time now and decided it was time. I was not sure if my 17 mo. of female GSD, Kima would take to it but I was shocked. She scarfed down 2lbs. of chicken backs and necks on Saturday after I assured her that it was ok to eat(played cheerleader for about 2-3 minutes). Then on Sunday when she saw me making her raw dinner she sprinted to her kennel (where she eats) and and was bouncing off the sides until I gave it to her. She ate all 2 lbs. in about 3-5 min. There was no vomiting or anything. I don't know who is more excited me or Kima!

 Quote: trevor morris

I finally did it. I have been researching the switch from kibble to raw for some time now and decided it was time. I was not sure if my 17 mo. of female GSD, Kima would take to it but I was shocked. She scarfed down 2lbs. of chicken backs and necks on Saturday after I assured her that it was ok to eat(played cheerleader for about 2-3 minutes). Then on Sunday when she saw me making her raw dinner she sprinted to her kennel (where she eats) and and was bouncing off the sides until I gave it to her. She ate all 2 lbs. in about 3-5 min. There was no vomiting or anything. I don't know who is more excited me or Kima!

Ain't it great?

Yes, it is a big relief to know how great it is for her and that she likes it so much as well.

an aside...every time I feed Brenna her food she has to take it and bite it hard and shake it once really good...then she sits down to eat in the grass...

This has to be some part of her natural instinct leftover from a few hundred years ago...she does it every time.

funny to watch...anyone else's dog do this?

I noticed Kima doing the same biting and shaking especially with the necks.
Mike, i noticed that you are from Texas also. I live in the Arlington area are you near by.

Trevor,

Just relating my own experience - this is not a recommendation, but something to keep in mind:

We got a 1-1/2 yr GSD from rescue and I started feeding her raw from the first week, and that was a year and a half ago. I think the 2-3% food guideline is a good one to start with. I've found, tho, that what has been working best for Nettie is closer to the lower figure. Since you're just starting out, you may not yet be adding the veggies, eggs, yogurt, etc. that would be a part of that 2-3%, so your 2# of chicken seems about right.

Nettie maintained the exact same 65# weight for over a year, and was getting only 1- to 1-1/4# chicken plus a little assorted veggies, etc. And she was getting above-average daily activity.

I've also noticed that the dogs I've started on raw seem to lean out the first few weeks and it may appear that they're not getting enough to eat, but they're just developing that lean, raw-fed look. Bottom line is that your dog and her situation, activity level, etc. will determine what's best. It's just that I've learned that if I go by what she wants to eat, she'd probably double in size.

Good luck! Sounds like you're off to a great start.

Mike

Actually, i am hoping to get her up to the 65# mark. she is only about 53# now. I have not had her for very long and she was rather thin when I got her. So two pounds of chicken is actually closer to the 3% mark. What is your opinon on when to add the organ meat, yogurt, ect?

Yeah, mine was a bag of bones when we got her, and especially with feeding raw, it took a little while to put some weight on her.

Again, this is only my experience. I don't strive for a daily "balance," whatever that is supposed to be, and I never think I have it "just right", so I keep tinkering with the diet. I'm a strong believer in the approach of the Carina MacDonald in her book "Raw Dog Food..." "Make it easy for you and your dog." Yes, and in that order!

As for organ meats, I include chicken backs as a mainstay of the chicken/meat part of the diet. They have a good meat-bone ratio and I think there's enough organ meat attached to meet that requirement. So I'll either work with a supply of chicken backs (2 or 3/day) or whole chickens which would yield a back about every other day. Then there's also occasional beef, turkey, lamb, fish. And assorted daily supplements for her allergies.

As far as the other stuff goes, I'd start now, start slow and just see what she accepts. Again, it depends on your schedule and how much (or little) work you want to make of it. I flip flop between raw veggie glop and some cooked veggies. I haven't seen that one is absolutely better than the other. I feed twice a day with the meaty stuff in the p.m. and an a.m. snack of one or two of the following - yogurt, cottage cheese, veggie glop, raw egg. I'm trying to get her started on more fruit, so I threw in some applesauce recently, hoping to get her to eat apples, which she'll only play with now.

Mike

Hey Trevor, I'm in the Houston area...

I buy chicken livers now and add a few ounces to one of her feedings--right now she gets three a day...she's basically eating 3/4 to a whole chicken/ 1 to 1/2lbs of ground beef/ or 1 to 1/2 lbs of turkey or pork a day plus one or more of the following at least once a day:

eggs, fish(canned), veggies/fruits(no onions or grapes), organic kelp, omega 3 oils, chicken or beef liver, cheese, peanut butter

she needs some high protein/high fat foods to put the weight on...the peanut butter/cheese/liver are good foods to put on weight. Just make sure your pup doesn't get too much or going to the bathroom will be a not so pleasant excercise.

I would start to add in the organ meat now. My dogs will only eat chicken livers, so that's what I use. I would add perhaps 1 oz. to your girl's meaty meal (once a day) and see how it goes.

Also, I reserve my yogurt as their 'desert' at the end of the day. After their last potty break, they know to come in and plop their butts down by the kitchen chair because they will get their snack. I have started buying nonfat fruit yogurt and I split an 8-oz container between them. They eat it right off the spoon! I alternate between them and I have never had either one try to steal a spoonful from the other one because they know that would be the end of their treat.