My girl friend and I have a beautiful female Gs, she will be 15 months this Saturday. My biggest hurdle will be convincing her to switch to raw.
I switched to a better kibble about a year ago after researching dog food ingredients. She never really liked kibble by itself so i have always added cooked chicken, steak, hamburger what ever to get her to eat it.
I attempted to start feeding raw this labor day weekend and she was interested in the raw chicken but I got shut down.
I took your advise and read the books Raw Dog Food and Natural Nutrition for Dogs and cats. I have also read info on line and from the Leerburg site. I still feel I would benefit from people that feed raw every day from this site.
Both book mention starting out with chicken backs and necks for the first week or two, so is this a good start? Are backs & necks enough on there own or do you need more meat added?
If so I have a place I can get 40lbs of necks and backs for $16.00. I also was going to get a probiotic.
Our dog is 76 lbs if I did the math right that should be 1.5 lbs for 0.2% and 2.2lbs of food for 0.3%.

Sup, Joe.

That's a nice price on backs and necks.

Those are the food of choice to start with. For the first few days you will need to remove all the skin and fat from them. After your dog has had a few good days with solid log poops you can start leaving the skin and fat on in tiny amounts. Then gradually increase the skin and fat, as long as the poop stays solid, 'til you don't have to bother removing any. No need to hurry with leaving it on.

That's the key to switching. Do everything slow and in small amounts. With every new food. If the poop stays good for a day or so then you know they are tolerating what is being fed and you can start the gradual process of adding something new. The dog's bowel will determine the amount and speed that you can add new food items.

Make sense? Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

Your math looks correct to me. Another good move when starting out is to make the first few meals small. Probably half of what your math says. Just like above, after a day or so of small meals, start increasing the amount every meal 'til you get to the desired amount. So long as the poop remains solid logs.

Give it a go with some fatless, skinless backs, served in small meals, and post back with the results. Everyone here will be more than happy to walk you through every step of the switch.

It will probably be a couple weeks before I can make the switch my GF wants to finish the kibble first. I am excited to see how my dog likes the raw.
I read about smashing or cutting the backs/necks into smaller pieces at first if she doesn't eat them, do you recommend this?
I'm guessing there is enough meat on the backs and necks to begin with? I've never bought necks or backs by themselves.

I'm not sure about grinding or smashing for a skeptical dog.

I've gotten lucky and both mine switched easily.

Maybe as a temporary measure. Only after a valid attempt at eating them whole. At first I'd remove the food and make 'em wait till the next meal.

Necks and backs have enough meat for the initial switch. Then you will need to add more meat.

When that time comes we can give you a rough starting point for how much to add. Your dog's poop will tell you if you are right or not.

 Quote: joe waddington

. . .I read about smashing or cutting the backs/necks into smaller pieces at first if she doesn't eat them, do you recommend this?

Nope! I started my 2 GSDs on backs and had no problems. If she isn't eating the backs right away, I don't think offering small pieces will make any difference. Ditto what Micheal W said - remove the meal and feed later. I think you'll be surprised at how fast she "learns" to eat them.

And BTW, if your GF is reluctant to make the switch, when you start, you may want to try to feed the dog when she's not around. Watching/listening to a dog gobble down chicken backs for the first few times is not always the easiest thing to do.

Mike

I am excited to make the change and hope she "our dog Zoey" might be enthused to eat or happy when meal time comes.

I will be buying the backs and necks next week and this place has cheap prices, so would you recommend getting any other meats at this time?

I hope she won't be finicky with the raw foods but I guess in time I'll see. Were there any dogs you know of that were finicky and wouldn't eat certain meats?

I think it's a good idea, once started on raw to add other meats (pork, beef, tripe, other meats and organs) gradually. Some dogs don't like certain meats, others will gobble down anything you put in front of them (like my Lab and Saint). My GSD loves pretty much any meaty food she gets.

Make sure you have the right ratio of meat, bones, and organ meat. This way your dog will be getting the optimal nutrition it needs from it's meals.

Good luck and once your GF comes around and sees the difference in your GSD's health (may be healthy now, but will look amazing once on all raw diet), she'll be happy for the switch. You can always feed your dog in a crate or in another room, so you don't have to hear the crunching of bones

 Quote: joe waddington

. . .hope she "our dog Zoey" might be enthused to eat or happy when meal time comes. . . would you recommend getting any other meats at this time?. . .I hope she won't be finicky . . .

When I started my last GSD on raw almost 10 yrs ago, I fed 95% chicken backs for about the first 6 months or more with no problems - there just wasn't as much literature and web site info way back then. I think variety is your least concern when you're starting. Just give yourself and her system a reasonable time to adjust to the new diet, become an expert poop watcher, and consider gradually adding some of the common supplements, e.g., salmon oil, E, veggie glop, plain yogurt, etc. I'm all for "balance" but over the long haul. I don't get worked up trying to do it daily. MacDonald's little Raw Dog Food book is probably my favorite for newbies. As she says, Make it easy!

If she's like the vast majority of dogs switched to raw, "finicky" is the last word you'll use to describe her. Once you actually start her, just check back in here with the results and your impressions and get some more feedback.

Have fun!

Mike

Big ditto!

I'd remove "finicky" from the thoughts, because it's SO unlikely .....

 Quote: Mike Armstrong

I think variety is your least concern when you're starting. Just give yourself and her system a reasonable time to adjust to the new diet

Dead on.

One thing at a time. Don't worry about what to feed next until you feed something first. It is so easy to start thinking real far ahead when starting out. Don't fall for it. Just think about now.

Don't worry about her being finicky, either. She hasn't snubbed anything yet. Cross that bridge when and if you get there.

I bet she'll do just fine.:wink: