I started making the switch to raw about two weeks ago. Our chow/pit mix is about 11 months now. I am still putting a bit of Nutro puppy kibble in his bowl because a.) I am trying to gradually switch him, and b.) frankly, I don't want to waste it. I started the raw diet after researching it for myself and talking to a friend who has successfully fed her lab a raw chicken diet for 8 years.

However, some problems we've encountered:

1. Bo loved the raw (boneless) venison but would not touch the raw (boned) chicken. If I browned it lightly, he'd chew on the drumstick, but he wouldn't break it apart and eat it. (It also drove my husband crazy that he was dropping a piece of raw chicken all over his crate.) So now, I hack the chicken into large pieces and brown them lightly, and he now will eat it.

2. He won't eat chunks of vegetables, so I food-process them now and mix it with the meat.

3. When I first made the switch, he had concerning, watery diarrhea for a couple days. I took the advice of a friend and fed him nothing but thick oatmeal for about a day and a half until his stools looked normal again. Then, I went back to the raw/kibble meals.

4. Was processing a small amount of fresh garlic with his vegetables, but his stools smelled AWFUL from the garlic and I was worried it was too hard on his stomach. So I recently eliminated the garlic to see if his stools would be firmer; so far, no change.

Bo's stools just don't look good. He's going about three times during our morning walks, and they are consistently soft at first, then very runny (not clear and watery like it was at first - but definitely dripping out of his butt).

I feel like switching him back to oatmeal will just delay his digestive system from adjusting to the diet. He doesn't seem like he's in pain and he LOVES his meals, just skips around while I'm getting his food ready. I'm just concerned that his stools are so runny. I'm kind of thinking I'll just persevere and they will get better... no?

BTW, his diet now is this: 10 AM: About a pound of venison chunks, 2/3 cup kibble, some raw vegetables, and a raw egg. (I just got my salmon oil in the mail today so will start using that this morning.) 7 PM: One chicken leg quarter, one chicken liver, about 2/3 cup kibble, raw vegetables, and 1 raw egg.

Any input would be VERY appreciated.

Congrats to switching to raw!
A couple of things:
1) Stop mixing kibble and raw; this in itself could be causing digestive issues. They digest at different rates, so if you feel compelled to use up the kibble, separate by 8-10 hours and feed it with no added raw.

2)Start with one protein source, and stick with it until his stools are firm. A good one to start with is deskinned chicken backs; they have soft bones and are easy to crunch. If you are feeding meat with no bone, this could also be causing loose stools. An egg a couple of times a week is good...

3) Leave out the veggies for now. Dogs get very little out of raw veggies anyway. Better to wait until his stool is firm, then cook and food process them to create a veggie glop.

3) Start adding a source of probiotics, like plain(unsweetened,unflavored) yogurt. This will aid his digestive system in developing the bacteria he needs to digest raw. A good dollop with each raw meal...

4) Don't feed raw garlic. In large quantities it can be toxic to dogs.

Keep at it; your dog's system will adjust..
PS How are you determining how much to feed? How much does your dog weigh? A rough rule of thumb is about 3% of the dog's total weight...
Too much food will also cause loose stools...

Ditto, but also make the meals small until you see good poop. Small, and nothing in them but the chicken backs. There's so much going on for a dog with diarrhea!

A small skinless-chicken meal. No kibble. No cooked meat/w bones. Use ground poultry for a meal or two if you want until he's used top the taste and won't be suspicious of the texture. But it should be small, because as noted, even poultry meat with no bone can trigger loose stools. Check the poop. Good? Add the yogurt and fish oil. Good? Add some of the chicken skin. Good? Add half of the liver.

And so on.

His gut needs a break. Too much too soon is just something that a few dogs don't handle well. (Of course, many are just fine.)

Thanks, Lynn!

1. I'll separate the kibble.
2. The reason I started on leg quarters was because I don't know where the heck to buy chicken backs. Any suggestions? I stocked up on chicken at Walmart (no backs or necks there) and local, smaller chains like Food Lion or Lowes either don't offer them or offer them in small (and kind of expensive) quantities. I would order online if I knew it would be cost-effective. Any suggestions there?
3. I thought that the point of feeding raw vegetables was to provide some kind of bulk in the stool (as well as a few vitamins). No? Either way, I'll stop with those for now.

The thing is, I don't know how much to give Bo exactly. Cindy says to feed 2-3% of desired body weight. I don't know how big he will get - he is about 63 lbs. at 11 months - and his sister is 85 pounds. I estimated him at 80 pounds desired weight and then figured 2% of that can be rounded up to two pounds of meat per day. A question I have is, does that have to be 2 lbs. of MEAT, not bones? Or can I figure in bones too?

Here's a picture of him at about 60 lbs. a few weeks ago. Not sure if his frame will hold 80 lbs.

Great post, Lynne.

Maegan, how were his stools on kibble?

If they were good, go back to how you were feeding before raw. Get the dog back to good poops and use up the rest of the food by itself. Then, cold turkey, try again with raw as Lynne and Connie have suggested----small meals of skinless, fatless chicken backs.

 Quote: Maegan Ward

... A question I have is, does that have to be 2 lbs. of MEAT, not bones? Or can I figure in bones too?

It's bones too.

If you figured it on meat only, then the resulting overfeeding could totally explain the diarrhea.

What Connie said!

At 11 months old and 60 lbs, I would figure 3% of his current weight (unless you think he's too thin). That would be 3% of 60 lbs =1.8 lbs of total meat (including bone )

If you have lots of chicken legs, try those by themselves. De-skin and brown lightly if needed.
So, that's a little under 1 lb of meat per meal. (For twice a day feeding) And a dollop of yogurt. If he continues to have loose stools, you could try a couple tablespoonsful of plain, unsweetened pumpkin. This will help firm his stools.


Note that this is not a balanced diet; just what you want to start out with until his gut adjusts to the raw...
And Michael's suggestion to use up the kibble and then start on raw is a good one...

Okay, thank you everyone. I always get faster responses on this board than I think I will.

So, plan of action: chicken only, remove skin, with a dollop of yogurt. (Is removing the skin just temporary, to cut down on fat?)

Do this until his stools look good, and then start gradually adding egg, oil, venison, and finally vegetables. Yes?

Do you guys think I should just throw out the kibble? There are maybe 4-5 cups left. Also, where do you all buy chicken backs and necks?

Yep. Removing the skin is purely a temp measure, until after his stools firm up.

Until his body and his digestive enzymes adjust, he can't really handle the excess fat, and it causes some runny poo.

Continue on the intro diet until stools become ideal; firm, consistant, predictable and on a regular schedule.

Throw out the kibble, or give it to a friend. It only increases the temptation to give him a little when he decides to be picky.
Kibble and raw together can cause serious health issues (and expensive vet trips, trust me.)

Chicken backs and necks are usually best obtained through a butcher.