Okay... so my puppy likes to break up the baby chicken wing into 3 parts each part about 2" long. Then he crunches it once or twice and swallows it whole (long ways)..

So I have only been feeding raw for 4 days now (just got my puppy). Is that normal? Are chicken necks and backs better to start with? I go to the store tonight for the next round of food..


incase you need it:
My diet so far has been:


AM: Chicken Wings, Hearts, Gizzards, salmon oil, Vit E, Super C.
PM: Ground Turkey or Chuck, with Vegi Glop (from the "RAW DOG FOOD" book).

total weight of food is about 4-5% of the dogs current weight.

he is almost 9 weeks

I personally start very young pups on chicken necks & then backs. (along with ground meat etc) I might give a wing here or there more as a snack then a real meal bone. I NEVER walk away from my dogs while they are eating. I want to be around, just in case they get a bone stuck. Especially pups. I have pulled many a bone from dogs' throats that were stuck & they couldn't get up or down.

I also give young dogs marrow bones (only a couple of inches long) to naw on as recreational bones. Not too too often, maybe several times a week) as it can sometimes cause loose stool. And not until you pup is well established on a raw diet. I don't use them with older dogs that might try to eat the bones in addition to the marrow, as it can cause teeth fractures.

Just add new foods slowly & eventually varry the diet as much as possible.

Thanks Anne.. I have not walked away once from him eating.. Make me to nervous with the bones and all.. I will change to Chicken Necks tonight when I go buy the new set of food. So he will be mainly on ground, with some chicken necks, hearts etc..

Thanks for the info

 Quote: john lister

Thanks Anne.. I have not walked away once from him eating.. Make me to nervous with the bones and all.. I will change to Chicken Necks tonight when I go buy the new set of food. So he will be mainly on ground, with some chicken necks, hearts etc..

Thanks for the info

Backs are far and away my favorite beginner RMB (maybe some necks added). Wings are way down on my list because they are often largely fat (skin) and bone.

Not really "mainly ground with some backs/necks." More like "mainly backs/necks with some ground." The basis of his diet is really the RMBs, and backs are lovely cartilage-y RMBs for the beginner dog (or any dog).

Like Anne, I don't really even "count" wings unless they are part of the whole bird. A whole bird is obviously the right ratio of bone to meat, with each part being somewhere off, but contributing to the ratio. Meaty backs with a little muscle meat added are about the same ratio as the whole bird. (Used to be that I'd get backs that were meaty enough not to add muscle meat except for variety, but these days they seem to be trimmed darned close; maybe it's because backs are increasingly not very sellable for soup, etc.)

How is his poop?

You will probably need more than 4% for this fast-growing age. Maybe start moving towards 6% over the next few days and watch body condition ... ?

(Others here are puppy experts; I am not, except I know the usual % falls in between 5 and 10 with many pups in the 6-7% range.)

His poop looks fine so far. Its shaped but a little soft.

okay so I just read:

http://www.mylisterfamily.com/images/phocagallery/Ranger_Day_1_Sept_2010/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_IMG_0098.jpg

where he talks about 5-10% of the body weight.

So.. more backs a few necks with even less ground mixed in with some muscle meat (hearts etc)..

I will give that a spin..

I read in one of the books that wings was a good combination of meat and bone.. that is why I started with it.. but thinking about it, it does seem very fatty.

This is so much fun! I love the expression when i talk to people about it.. but my vet is very supportive.

I mentioned necks first only because some very young pups have trouble starting right off with the backs. If they are raised from weening on raw they can manage the larger size. Also some pups just gulp (as 2 of mine have) & the backs are just too big to gulp but they do it anyway & get into trouble. Back are by far the best if your very young pup can manage them.

You want the eating of RMBs a happy experience for your young pup, not have them start to panic when it is mealtime, because the keep getting into trouble with the bones.

Thanks Anne.. i will get both for sure.. and see what he can handle

 Quote: Anne Jones

... Also some pups just gulp (as 2 of mine have) & the backs are just too big to gulp but they do it anyway & get into trouble. Back are by far the best if your very young pup can manage them.

You want the eating of RMBs a happy experience for your young pup, not have them start to panic when it is mealtime, because the keep getting into trouble with the bones.

Ooooh, good point. We're lucky to have raw-feeding puppy people here.

 Quote: john lister

So I have only been feeding raw for 4 days now
My diet so far has been:

AM: Chicken Wings, Hearts, Gizzards, salmon oil, Vit E, Super C.
PM: Ground Turkey or Chuck, with Vegi Glop (from the "RAW DOG FOOD" book).

Question... for my own learning...

Pup has been eating raw for four days. Menu already includes chicken wings and organs, as well as turkey and ground chuck and veggies.

Is is okay to start with this amount of variety?

John, I'm so glad you have decided to feed raw to your new pup!