I've fed my 12-week aussie pup raw chicken legs a couple of times and she's eaten them pretty readily. Per advice here, I've held off on chicken legs until later. I haven't yet bought any chicken backs/necks yet. Until I get those, I've gone back to a 100% THK diet.

The box says between 2 - 4 cups of dehydrated THK for an a dog the size of an adult aussie. I've been leaning to the lower side of that and feeding about 2/3 cup 3x a day. She still has some loose stools on occasion, but about 2/3 of the time she had nice, firm looking poop. I was worried about feeding her too much and causing her to have loose stool.

However, when I mix up 2/3 cup of THK or even 3/4 cup; she gobbles it down in like 2 minutes. She then spends the next 2 minutes licking down her bowl to make sure she's gotten it all. I know if I gave her a chicken leg she'd crunch that up in a few minutes too (I've seen her eat one in about 5 minutes).

So I'm trying to weight the trade-offs here. My dog eats quickly and acts like she wants more. I don't want to overload her digestive system. I don't want feed her into growing too fast. But I don't want to have her frustrated that meals are too small either.

A slightly hungry dog is not a bad thing.

It assists in training (greatly). I would rather have a dog be slightly hungry, than overfull- ESPECIALLY during the crucial puppy growth periods.

Many dogs would happily eat three times the healthy amount of food, and then still act starved, if given the chance. As predatory animals, canines have developed the ability to overeat, to guard against periods of little or no food.

I would focus less on the dog's apparent hunger, and more on the dog's proper weight gain and energy levels.

 Quote: Alyssa Myracle

... I would focus less on the dog's apparent hunger, and more on the dog's proper weight gain and energy levels.

Me too.

My dogs could eat their weight in food and still lick the bowl and search for any dropped crumbs.

Also, I would probably be adding RMBs. I don't remember what the problem was with yours (not digesting weight-bearing bones well yet?), but I'd probably get some backs, or maybe bone-in breasts from which you remove a big chunk of breast meat for people meals (since poultry breasts are so meat-heavy, bone-light).

I think THK is terrific, but I think that its best role is as an excellent food to mix RMBs in (according to the package). You will see on the Force package, for example, that you can use 1/2 to 1 cup of RMBs to each dry cup of the THK.

I think that this will be a far more satisfying food for the dog.

The THK foods with meat (all but Preference) are balanced and fine for a complete food, but one of the huge attractions for me of THK is the fact that it's just made for RMBs, because it's not kibbled (extruded and baked to death).

 Quote: Doug Alcorn

I've fed my 12-week aussie pup raw chicken legs a couple of times and she's eaten them pretty readily. Per advice here, I've held off on chicken legs until later.

Hopefully this won't take away from your O.P.

When you posted about chicken legs previously, the dogs weren't readily eating them.

I posted that backs or necks might be better to help them get used to eating bones. Sounds like at least the aussie got over it since you last posted about it.

Chicken legs fed by themselves aren't much of a food, but added to THK, I don't see a problem. I would still try to vary the RMB's, even though THK is balanced on its own.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I don't remember what the problem was with yours (not digesting weight-bearing bones well yet?), but I'd probably get some backs, or maybe bone-in breasts from which you remove a big chunk of breast meat for people meals (since poultry breasts are so meat-heavy, bone-light).

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/236412/page/0#Post236412

This is the post where they weren't that interested in the chicken legs.

I thought maybe backs, necks, or the bone-in breast you mentioned would be easier for them to learn on.

They weren't readily eating the legs then, but if they are now, then it would be O.K. to use them, so long as they agree with the dogs stomach and don't cause diarrhea.

Then start a rotation of RMB's with the THK.

I guess what I haven't figured out about RMB is the ratio of bone to meat. Yes, my aussie will readily eat a chicken leg with enthusiasm. I thought the problem with the chicken leg was too much meat and not enough bone.

My plan is still to feed about 1/2 THK and 1/2 RMB. I like the idea of a safety net in THK for balanced nutrition. I also hear what you're saying (and what I've read) that I need to vary what kind of RMB to give.

So to pull this back on topic. Are you suggesting that it'd be OK to give 3/4 cup THK 3x/day plus a chicken leg or two a day?

OK, I posted that last followup before I had read all the others above. I hear what you're saying about dogs over eating and the advice to feed based on desired weight gain. I've already got a vet appointment after work tonight and I'll get her weighed again and specifically ask about what an ideal weight gain/week is.

 Quote: doug alcorn

Are you suggesting that it'd be OK to give 3/4 cup THK 3x/day plus a chicken leg or two a day?

I was hoping someone would see this, as I always had trouble figuring "a cup" of RMB's. I'm simple that way.:smile:

Did she tolerate the chicken legs well? Were you leaving any skin on?

I think I'd probably go with 2/3 cup 3x/day and a chicken leg, or = weight skinless poultry RMB, for the first day or two. To make sure that you aren't feeding too much. Then start leaving fat on the RMB, little by little, 'til it is all left on. After that, increase the THK to the desired amount.

If you aren't able to find other poultry RMB's, I've found that it is sometimes cheaper to buy whole fryer chickens and cut them up yourself.

Make sure the chicken doesn't have a % of solution added. It will say somewhere on the package if it does. I don't know if it is the norm, but all the fryer chickens I've found don't have added solution. The BAKING hens that I have found do, and I try to avoid those.

Most of the time the solution, basically a saltwater solution, doesn't bother a dog. Since you are just starting this pup out, it'd be best to avoid anything that *might* cause digestive upset.

E.T.A. You already know to watch the weight of the pup to see if you are feeding enough. I don't want your puppy to wither away because I told you to feed too little.

 Quote: Doug Alcorn

I guess what I haven't figured out about RMB is the ratio of bone to meat.

You'll get a feel for it once you feed your dog different RMB's. Bony RMB's make for hard poop, and meaty RMB's make perfect or softer poops depending on exactly how meaty they are.

I hear alot of people say that chicken leg 1/4er's are a meaty RMB. For my dog it is the opposite, and just a tad on the bony side. Your dog may be totally different.

This is why you feed a variety of RMB's. Then you don't have to worry about it. If you fed the same RMB, day in and day out, you'd need to have it dang near perfect.

With variety, one day you may feed chicken backs or necks(usually pretty bony), and the next feed a bone-in breast(nice and meaty). It works itself out over time.

 Quote: doug alcorn

OK, I posted that last followup before I had read all the others above. I hear what you're saying about dogs over eating and the advice to feed based on desired weight gain. I've already got a vet appointment after work tonight and I'll get her weighed again and specifically ask about what an ideal weight gain/week is.

I've found, from reading here and listening to others here, that there are really 2 schools of thought on the topic of "How much do I feed".

I think this dovetails into your question about weight gain.

The first school of thought is to feed according to what their ideal adult weight would be. So, for instance, let's say a dog is going to weigh in at 100lbs ideally - you would feed 2 - 3% of their ideal weight per day. So, 100lbs * .02 = 2 - 3 lbs per day.

The other is to take their actual weight and feed 5 - 10% of their puppy weight in food. This requires regular weighing. For example the pup weighs 20lbs * .05 = 1lb (range 1 - 2 lbs per day).

The calculation is close - not perfect.

The fine tuning comes in from looking at the dog and determining if they need more or less, and then adjusting from there.

I've been using the % of ideal adult weight. What's nice about this is that once you start on it you never really have to change it all that much. Since pups need MORE than adults this formula is self regulating.

This works for RAW food - the introduction of THK - someone else will need to comment on these methods when a portion of their food is not RAW.

Not sure but with THK - this MAY still work. Again - someone else will need to address that.