What did I do?

Greta came to her new home this afternoon. She weighs 25 lbs and is approximately 5 months old:

http://www.sheprescue.org/Greta%20von%20Kern.html

I wasn't expecting her to come home today so wasn't prepared in the raw food department. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and bought chicken leg quarters because I thought that was the closest thing to a chicken back I could find.

I fed her a piece of a quarter, about 7.5 ozs which she made an attempt at but didn't eat. I gave her some green tripe which I think was too rich, a small piece of turkey neck and some yogurt.

She vomited everything up about 15 minutes afterwards.

I looked at my books which said to feed the same as adults but 2-3 times per day. I read the http://leerburg.com/feedpups.htm and thought I was going to be okay. Wrong!

Now I'm worried about what to feed her tomorrow. Help!

Probably feed her too much quantity, variety and turkey necks (unless cut smaller) are probably too big for her, especially if she has baby teeth. I currently have 3 month old Shepherd mix fosters (I foster litters for Coastal GSR) that I feed twice a day. I take the quarters and cut the leg off and some of the meat and fat so you have back potion and thigh. This should be a more manageable meal. You can give the tripe as a separate meal.

Diana

The turkey neck piece was very small - about the size of a large marshmallow. I had done exactly as Diana recommended - I cut the leg off of the quarter and gave her the other piece. She ate everything except that chicken piece.

I tried giving her that chicken piece again this morning - she is obviously hungry. She licked it for a while but acts so dainty with it. It appears as though she doesn't know what to do with it. So I cleavered it into smaller pieces and tried again. Same thing, she can't figure it out.

I have some pork muscle and green tripe thawed for the other dogs but want feedback before I try.

It will be OK.

What to Feed Pups is the goal -- not the first day's diet. Same with adult diets broken up into more meals.

Green tripe is wonderful, but definitely not a first raw food.

So I would get some chicken backs if possible. And I would grab some ground white poultry. This is available everywhere, including the butcher counter.

Then give a little of the ground white poultry so she understands that this is what's in the RMB (which is a new size and texture to her).

You don't keep giving the ground white poultry alone -- no calcium. But it's an intro that the dog will like and that does not have the fat that could trigger a first-food loose stool.

After that meal, a small one, a few hours later you can include a back (or thigh if that's what you have) with the skin/fat peeled off for now. Check poops from the meal, which will point you the way to the next meal.

I'd stick turkey necks in the freezer for a while.

"I have some pork muscle and green tripe thawed for the other dogs but want feedback before I try."

These are for later. I'd freeze them while still cold.

I think you will find that many here prefer to start the raw diet with one simple ingredient, adding another each day while poop-watching, and keeping meals small and relatively low-fat for the first couple of days.

There are dozens of threads here walking through the first few days, but basically it boils down to starting with peeled softer-boned chicken RMBs (a small first meal!) and a little unsweetened live-culture yogurt, and watching poop. If it's perfect, then you can move towards the correct amount of RMBs, then next time add the fish oil and E, then next time start leaving some of the skin on, then a little muscle meat, and so on. Green tripe and liver and canned mackerel and other rich items are good added a few days later and in small gradual additions.

All of this means that the item causing a problem is very simple to identify. But it also means that there in not likely to be a problem anyway. Worth the few days of poop-observation and special meal-care.


eta
Post back. There's a ton of experience here.



Edited by Connie Sutherland (08/06/2009 09:53 AM)
Edit reason: eta

Okay, we're on it. My sister is going to check her market where they normally carry backs. I have never seen chicken backs in any grocery store near me and my local meat market has to order them by the case.

I'll post back. Thank you.

Okay, my great sister went to the store and bought ground chicken and backs for me and brought them to the house. Thank you sister!

I'm at work so my husband fed her some ground chicken with a little bit of yogurt and he said "she tore it up". YAY! I cannot tell you how excited and relieved I am. I was so bothered because I know how hungry she was.

Tha plan is to give her a back in a few hours and see how that goes.

BTW, he only fed her about 1 cup of the ground chicken. Should we have given more and if so, should we do so now or just wait for the next meal?

Even a cup of straight muscle meat (no bone) is a lot. No more yet. Muscle meat, even low in fat like that, is far more loose-making than RMBs (because of the bone).

So really what you now wait for is a poop. Then you will know what to do next. I'll check back later in case no one else sees the thread.

Do we need to see the poop before giving a back?

 Quote: Cathi Kemp

Do we need to see the poop before giving a back?

If there is one before the next meal, it will guide the next meal.

If there is not, I would give the peeled chicken back, smooshing a bit of the ground meat onto it so the dog gets the connection, and keep the meal small until you do see poop.