Ok - looking to add another protein source to the mix now.

Currently Kaiser is eating...
1 to 2 chicken backs
2 to 4 chicken necks
4 1/8 cup (1/2 cup total) ground beef (I make little 1/8 meatballs for him to slurp down)
1 chicken liver

This is a normal meal for him, which he eagerly chows down twice a day. Yogurt is added at every meal and Vit E and Fish Oil at night.

I was thinking of adding ground turkey as a substitute for the beef from time to time OR switching out the back for a leg quarter.

If I switch out the back or a leg quarter that really isn't a switch in protein SOURCE - it's still chicken - BUT it's a cut he hasn't had yet. Not 100% certain I should give it to him since he is teething and doesn't have all his adult teeth yet - although his molars are in and that is what he'd munch the leg down with (if he doesn't just swallow it). Thoughts?

As for the turkey - good idea or is there a preference to use something else such as fish (sardines in water), rabbit, heart of some kind maybe?

Looking for some TIMELY options, meaning that based on current diet and the introduction of new sources what has worked best for most of you and your dogs?

Thanks!

I like Turkey as a protein source.
Danke gets Turkey Necks (both Tom and Hen) on a regular basis.
We also derive a fair amount of our organ meat from Turkey (heart/liver).

Turkey would be a good next step, before moving to Rabbit, which is much richer than chicken/turkey.
Duck, if you have a good source, is also a nice choice, but again, richer.

Nothing wrong with rich, provided you take it slow and don't overwhelm the tummy.

I've never had an issue one way or the other with fish, and consider it a pretty mild food. Again, take the intro slow (feed a half-portion or so, the first time), and don't introduce it with another new food source.

 Quote: alyssa myracle

Turkey would be a good next step, before moving to Rabbit, which is much richer than chicken/turkey.
Duck, if you have a good source, is also a nice choice, but again, richer.

Nothing wrong with rich, provided you take it slow and don't overwhelm the tummy.

What does "rich" mean?

Good point - I originally took it to mean a fatter type of meat. BUT after reading your comment, I'm not sure that it means that.

Alyssa can you please define "rich"?

 Quote: Peter Marek

Looking for some TIMELY options, meaning that based on current diet and the introduction of new sources what has worked best for most of you and your dogs?

Thanks!

Anything SLOWLY and a little at a time.

Rich: Higher cholesterol

For dogs, while cholesterol does go along with animal fat, "fattier" might be more accurate.

I say this because we don't want to make the incorrect implication that cholesterol is a problem for dog the way it can be for people, because it's not.

But richer (fattier or even just very calorie-dense) foods can certainly trigger squats if added suddenly.

Thanks Connie.
I probably should have clarified that high cholesterol isn't bad for dogs, just potentially rough on the tummy if not intro'd correctly.

 Quote: alyssa myracle

Turkey would be a good next step, before moving to Rabbit, which is much richer than chicken/turkey.

 Quote: alyssa myracle

Rich: Higher cholesterol

So that makes rabbit much less "rich" than chicken or turkey, right?

I'd also vote for turkey as a next source--for the reasons stated, but also because of price. Turkey's an easy-to-find, low-cost source of meat and bone. You can either buy whole birds (stock up at Thanksgiving!) and cut them into meal-size portions, or find a store that sells necks, wings, or legs as parts. Turkey and chicken together make up about half my dogs' diet...the other half is where I rotate in other protein sources for variety.

After turkey, I'd move to fish.

I used to do the canned sardines/mackerel...and they are great (if a little hard to find lately). Recently, I've found a source to buy fresh-frozen whole fish and I like feeding those even more. If you can find a fish market (check in an Asian neighborhood) you can find lots to choose from. I buy sardines this way now--whole raw little fishes--in 50# cases.