Howdy all,
I have had Keiko on raw for about a month now. All is wonderful! I can't believe I wasn't doing this sooner! I just need a little more guidance here -
I started out on a premix made by a friend. Through the premix she was getting a small amount of veggie glop (spinach, kelp, etc) ground up with meat, bone, and organs etc. So we did great on that and through the premix I introduced her to chicken, then beef.
Now that I am off of the premix, this is what our daily feedings are like. For reference, Keiko is 7 months old and weighs around 25 lbs. She looks and feels good (not over or underweight) but I need to get a definite weight soon.

AM
roughly 1/4 lb leg or back (I just cut the leg quarters in half)
~ 1 tsp veggies
PM
roughly 1/2 lb whole leg quarter
~ 1 tsp veggies
2400 mg Salmon Oil
200 IU Vit E

I started out giving probiotics (through plain, unsweetened yogurt) everyday but now give them every other day or so or when I'm adding something new to the mixture.

I am trying to add things in one at a time as individual ingredients. We just started the supplements a few days ago. Since being off the premix, her poop has been slightly discolored which I believe is the product of the veggies. I think I may be feeding her more veggies by spoon than she was actually getting when it was mixed in with the meat. Is 2 tsp/day more than necessary?

Also, her poop as of late is not quite a log - more like individual nuggets. It is quite firm and I believe it could be a little softer. I know I need to get her back on the organs so I will be buying some chicken livers this weekend. There are also organs attached to the leg quarters I have been feeding. About how much organ meat should I be adding to her food?

The firmness of the poop also has me asking - should I be adding a little more muscle meat in addition to adding organ meat? I have some ground chuck I would like to add in. Should I substitute a few ounces of the leg quarters I'm feeding with a few ounces of the chuck meat?

I may be getting too comfortable but I really haven't weighed anything as of late. I just know the leg quarters are usually about 1/2 lb by themselves and so when I need something that is 1/4 lb I will just chop one in half and when I need 1/2 lb, I just feed the whole leg quarter. I have been feeding according to her look and what I see in her poop - this is OK right? I hope I'm not getting too lax.

What was the discoloration like? What color?

And yes, I would add muscle meat, watching the poop.

Organ meat: You mean attached to the backs? That would be kidneys.

You will want to work your way up to giving 5 to 10% of the diet as organ meat. I'd probably add a little muscle meat and a little organ meat.

Are you watching the dog's shape, guarding against the dreaded pickle shape?

P.S. I don't think 2 teaspoons a day of produce is too much at all.

The poop is light colored. Not exactly white, but close...sometimes with a HINT of green. It's usually just a portion or two of the total excrement that is that color. It didn't really become that color until I started adding the veggies separately. I figured I may be feeding a little excess bone since I haven't been adding additional muscle meat or organs. Sometimes a nugget will have a similar consistency to the veggies. I'm thinking that it's a combination of the veggies and the need for more organ/muscle meat that is producing this sort of feces?

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Are you watching the dog's shape, guarding against the dreaded pickle shape?

Oh yes! No pickles running around on my watch! I know when I started I was at roughly 5% of her body weight per feeding but now that I don't weigh every feeding, some meals may be a little more and some meals may be a little less.

I can get livers at one of the butchers nearby so I'll be going for that this weekend. Do I need to find a variety of organ sources or will chicken livers with the occasional beef liver thrown in be OK?

Should I probably work up to a bit more produce than 2 tsp/day? I believe I saw on the sample diet that Ed feeds somewhere around 1/4 cup of veggies but I don't think it was everyday.

Well, the whitish part could be extra bone, and the hint of greenish could be just what you thought (produce).

But a lot of the poop is regular brown?


P.S. I think that the kidneys on the backs, the chicken liver, and the beef liver are good organ variety. And the produce -- yes, I think that more than 2 teaspoons is fine. JMO. What is the produce? Mooshed up greens, mostly? Have you tried using zucchini guts? Nice soft summer squash innards -- one of the types of produce that "comes" in a good form without having to do much to it to get it closer to the produce a wild canid would eat (small prey contents, maybe ripe berries and young ferns, etc.) ... Tender celery tops are good and easy too.

Nothing to add. More meat and some organ additions sound like a good plan to me.

You already know to add new additions to the diet slow and in small amounts.


Good job. Glad Keiko was an easy switch for you. That's not to take away from your excellent job of introducing the diet to her.:smile:

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

But a lot of the poop is regular brown>

For the most part, yes.

Yep, the produce is mostly smooshed up greens with some carrots and yams thrown in. I haven't tried zucchini guts, but I will look at them! What do they provide for the dog?

Mike, thanks!

 Quote: Jasmine Dillon

I haven't tried zucchini guts, but I will look at them! What do they provide for the dog?

Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese.

Regular produce stuff.

Whoops I'm still learning/committing to memory the benefits of the various ingredients.

Zucchini guts is now on my grocery list!

If the summer-type squashes are very small and young, I give the skin too, because it's so thin.

I scoop out and give just the guts when it's one of those gigantoid zucchinis that neighbors try to get rid of from their gardens. You know -- when everyone has them and they all hide from each other and dump zucchini on the porches in the dead of night ....