I've just started feeding raw after discovering all the useful information on this website. I have the book Ed recommends and have studied it extensively.

So far we are on week 3. We have two Llewellin setters (the field line of english setters). Josey is 20 months intact male, 42 pounds. Tess is 6 month female, 25 pounds.

Our base food is chicken. I tried early on to feed a bit of hamburger too, but that seemed to upset their systems, as did a pump of salmon oil. So I decided just to go with plain chicken for a few weeks. Recently they have been able to handle a little bit of chicken organs.

Today I bought 6 whole chickens and cut them up and put 5 in the freezer. I've learned that a whole chicken lasts about 3 days, which works out to a cost of a bout 75 cents per dog per day, far less expensive than the canned and kibble we were feeding. I was not expecting raw to save money, but there you have it.

Anyway, I am just concerned about making sure I get them started on supplements so they don't get any sort of nutrient deficiency.
I have on hand Salmon Oil, Alfalfa, vitamin E and vitamin C we got from Leerberg.

Does anyone have recommendations on how and when I should introduce these supplements? Should I introduce some beef first? What about veggies? What about eggs?

Any advice would be most welcome.

http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab170/SueinNH/JoseyTessByFire2.jpg

 Quote: sue houston

Anyway, I am just concerned about making sure I get them started on supplements so they don't get any sort of nutrient deficiency.
I have on hand Salmon Oil, Alfalfa, vitamin E and vitamin C we got from Leerberg.

Does anyone have recommendations on how and when I should introduce these supplements? Should I introduce some beef first? What about veggies? What about eggs?

If you are feeding a raw diet with a variety of ingredients, you don't need to worry about deficiencies.

So are they handling the chicken you are giving? Good poops?

You'll want to add things in one at a time. That way you will know what caused a problem should one occur.

Hi Sue,
I'm a month into the raw feeding so I too am still on a learning curve. It's already starting to feel a lot more natural, and I've been lucky that I've yet to introduce a food that Cali has had trouble with. That said, I'm sure I still spend way more time fretting that the people here with years of experience.

I find the Leerburg weekly menu a useful guide. Have you seen that? I'm using all the different foods there, and introducing them slowly. It's a good way for me to see the balance of organ meat to muscle meat. Once we make our way through them, then I'll branch out to new foods like beef heart, tripe, lamb kidney, etc.

FWIW, that's what I'm doing.

Thanks Michael,
They seem to be settling down fine with the chicken, and even some chicken liver and hearts, although I've had to cook those a bit for the dogs to recognize those as food.

As far as variety goes, very little of it so far! When I tried hamburger, even just a little, about 10 days ago, that upset their systems. Maybe its time to try again.

I'm still trying to figure out how much to feed them too. According to the equation from Leerburg, they need a little less than a pound of food each per day. The pup is 26 pounds and still growing, and the adult is 42 pounds and very active. But together they went through a 5.5 pound chicken in two days, and the pup is still asking for more. Its been cold here, and we go for walks outside (below zero temps) but mostly they are in the warm house. Maybe setters just have fast metabolisms. Both of them are very slender.

I'm considering switching to raw.

The one concern I have is that in the past when I have fed my dog kibble that listed chicken meal as a top 3 ingredient her stomach was really unhappy. I have given her small amounts of chicken (even some raw scraps from when I cook) and she has been fine. However, I'm worried about feeding her a chicken heavy diet.

Are there any good starter plans for the chicken challenged?

Lauren, I read somewhere that top ingredient in chicken meal is not meat, organs or bone but beaks, hydrolyzed feathers with perhaps some cages and poop mixed in. Your dog might be just fine with chicken diet which excludes those.

 Quote: lauren jeffery

Are there any good starter plans for the chicken challenged?

Now there's a question you don't hear every day!!! LOL!

I'm fairly new at this as well, but agree that perhaps the "chicken" in kibbles don't equate to the fresh, raw variety your dog would get going raw.

Are you feeding the 6 month old with the puppy guidelines for food amount?

So, good poops with chicken?

Are you giving all parts of the chicken with the fat on?

Sorry for so many questions. Just trying to figure out where you guys are in the switch.

For adding new foods, it is always good to add a small amount to a meal that you know the dog tolerates.

How much are you feeding each dog?

How much beef did you try at first that didn't settle well with them?

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

I'm considering switching to raw.

The one concern I have is that in the past when I have fed my dog kibble that listed chicken meal as a top 3 ingredient her stomach was really unhappy. I have given her small amounts of chicken (even some raw scraps from when I cook) and she has been fine. However, I'm worried about feeding her a chicken heavy diet.

Are there any good starter plans for the chicken challenged?

Lauren,
I would have gone down in flames insisting that Cali was chicken challenged--given her worst poop problems were always on high-end kibble with chicken as the first ingredient. I was REALLY worried feeding Cali chicken backs and necks to start. I was going to start her on bison with all kinds of rigmarole. Then I listened to the folks here and decided to take the plunge and try the chicken backs to start--real food, not kibble chicken. She did perfectly. Beautifully, in fact. I just laid out Cali's story here in this thread if you want an overview of the saga that led me to raw. No looking back.

Hi Sue,
Welcome to raw!

 Quote: sue houston

I'm still trying to figure out how much to feed them too. According to the equation from Leerburg, they need a little less than a pound of food each per day. The pup is 26 pounds and still growing, and the adult is 42 pounds and very active. But together they went through a 5.5 pound chicken in two days, and the pup is still asking for more. Its been cold here, and we go for walks outside (below zero temps) but mostly they are in the warm house. Maybe setters just have fast metabolisms. Both of them are very slender.

The general guidelines about how much to feed (based on a dog's ideal weight) are really just a starting point (this goes for kibble too) - the actual amount that each dog needs is more finely determined by his/her individual metabolism and activity/energy requirements. Start where you are, but watch the dogs carefully for weight changes (up or down) and adjust their meals accordingly. Keep in mind also, as you noted, some dogs are just naturally very hard to keep weight on...

I watched a program a while back about an Iditarod team up in Alaska - one musher literally checked the ribs of each dog in her team every morning before their breakfast - the amount of food each dog received was in response to that daily assessment of their weight... granted, these were true canine athletes, but the same kind of regular observation and tailoring of amounts and ingredients based on current condition should be done to some degree with all animals - companions and athletes alike.

*Since you're still starting out though, I'd use those general guides for amounts and just focus on making sure both dog's digestive systems have an easy time with the switch to raw. As Michael said, go nice and slow (and start with small quantities) with the introductions of new proteins, one at a time - and always wait for good solid poops before trying anything new...

~Natalya