In the last few months I adopted a Malinois. I switched him to raw about 4 months ago. He has been doing pretty well on it. His stools are usually pretty hard with occasional loose ones. I have noticed he hasnt put on much weight and he is very skinny. I can feel his backbone and his hips are noticeable if you feel under his coat. I feed him once a day. 2 chicked quarters, vitamin c, vitamin e, salmon oil, and a mixture of kelp and alphelfa. I sometimes give him an egg. Do you think this is enought calories for a growing mal? He is a total chow hound. He wolfs it down and is always looking for something else to eat. What would you guys suggest to put more weight on him. I dont want to feed both raw and kibble because i've heard they digest them differently. I'm thinking maybe adding beef heart which I can get for a good price. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mals are usually on the ribby side.

How much does he weigh?

I would add some organ meat to that diet (heart is more of a muscle, which you have plenty of, with the quarters), and consider diversifying the protein sources a bit.

Does his diet vary more than the two chicken quarters? I agree with only raw, no kibble. I would want to put a little more weight on him, I don't like being able to feel the backbone, I don't feel there is enough fat to keep them warm outside. I gauge a dogs weight by running my hands lightly along their ribs. I want to feel each individual rib with my ring finger, but not a deep indent in between each rib.

 Quote: Alyssa Myracle

Mals are usually on the ribby side.

How much does he weigh?

Also, how old is he?

And can you modify his eating schedule to 2X a day instead?

We can't gauge the amount without his weight and age, and the average weight of the chicken quarters.

(BTW, I too would urge some variety and definitely add 5 to 10% organ meat.)

thanks for the quick reply guys.. He is 7 months old and weighs about 40 lbs. I think 2 chicken quarters weight maybe a pound pound and a half. I will try to feed him 2x a day. Im thinking the chicken in the morning and I might try getting a tube of 85 % hamburg and give him 1/2 lb or a lb of that in the evening. would you recommend this approach along with the suppliments I listed earlier?

Oh. I missed the part about him being 8 months . Young/growing dogs are often thin.

http://leerburg.com/diet.htm

http://leerburg.com/diet2.htm

http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm


This is a good thread on organ/muscle meat

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/172447/page/0/fpart/1


Hamburger is a good addition, but keep in mind that variety of protein sources is important. On the example diets, there is poultry, beef, fish, etc. This is a basic menu. I also add lamb, deer/elk, bison, etc whatever I can get my hands on. Variety is key.

1.5 pounds is not enough, I don't think, for a 7-month-old at 40 pounds.

No matter how I estimate it, I come up with a minimum of 2 pounds for a growing puppy at 40 pounds.

Also, even if you plan to go with one meal a day later (and I don't, with deep-chested bloat-vulnerable breeds), I think it's too early.

Here is a sample menu for a 20-pound pup:
http://leerburg.com/feedpups.htm
(Note this comment: "The key to this diet is to rotate ingredients for variety.")

You want to be sure that a growing dog gets the right calcium-phosphorous ratio. That means that you don't want to exceed the proportion of muscle meat (as opposed to RMBs like the chicken quarters) that Ed's sample demonstrates.

As for amount, both of these methods work out about the same: 5 to 10% of the dog's present weight, or 2 to 3% of his projected adult weight. But the true guide is the dog's body condition.

I knew there was a puppy feeding page, I just didn't have it bookmarked.

Connie, when you rotate the ingredients for pups, do you stick with a basic ie chicken/turkey and rotate extras, or rotate ALL ingredients?

I can't speak for how Connie does it, but it depends on the dog, first and foremost.
How long has the dog been on raw? Has the dog eaten all of these potential new ingredients without problems before?

In this case, I would focus on increasing the food volume and adding organ meat, before I began adding variety to the pup's diet.

Once the pup is tolerating the added organ meat well, and the increased volume (which alone can cause a few loose poos in some pups), then I would begin trying new protein sources.

With a dog that is familiar with a variety of meats, and has no difficulties with any of them, it's up to the owner.
I just bag up Danke's food wily-nily. The old adage of achieving balance (and variety) over time.

How owners go about it for pups is, just like with adult dogs, a combination of factors:

What meat sources are available right now?
What meat is cheap this time of year (lots of turkey necks in the fall, for example. Lots of fish in the summer and spring.)
What does the dog do well on?

Frankly, I feel that a "seasonal" diet is natural and healthy for our dogs.