We finally made the choice to start raw feeding. Our vet told us that he would eat us out of house and home being a 4 yo active 110 lb intact male rottie, so we didn't do it before. But our new trainer, who is awesome btw is a raw feeder and we decided to do it. The only book I've read so far is Natural Nutrition for Dogs.

We started about 3 days ago. I bought a 10lb bag of leg quarters and a pound of gizzards. He would only lick them. I popped them in a fry pan and just barely got some flavor on the leg quarter, and let the gizzards get a little cooked on the outside. Ate the gizzards, licked the chicken. Tried this a couple more meals, used garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Nope. I still gave him some kibble for a couple meals separated by at least a few hours.

Tried ground turkey. He will eat that almost raw, plus the gizzards a little cooked while I am cheering him on. So I figure if I get boneless chicken I can step it down to raw without putting chicken with bones in it in the fry pan. Got boneless skinless thighs. I finally convinced him to eat two thighs plus a little ground turkey and a raw gizzard. I was thrilled!!!! A little while later he went outside and threw it up. I repeated breakfast with one thigh and a tiny amount of ground turkey. He ate the turkey, left the thigh, and I gave him kibble for lunch and dinner.

I would love some help on getting him to eat, and what us the next Best Book to read. Our trainer is also willing to help out as a raw mentor. Julie

im going to post the page where i learned the raw diet, if i cant do it the moderators can delete it .
http://preymodelraw.com/page/articles.html/_/raw-chat/how-to-get-started-feeding-a-prey-model-raw-diet-r19

What worked for me was to not give them anything but clean water for 24 full hours. Full 24 hours: they last eat a monday at night so all tuesday there were only water for the girls, and by wednesday at mid day i put the chicken backs in the plates and they ate it all without regrets.... next meal at night they didnt have any problems.

I only had troubles with raw fish...still havent found the right one for them ...

Thanks for that info. My last resort is going to be withholding food to get him to eat. I am hoping there is a way to feed him through the transition. But if it comes to that, I will do that too.

Congratulations!


Weight-bearing bones (including legs and thighs) aren't my favorite beginner bones.

Do you have or can you get any chicken backs? Nice soft bones, not too much slippery new texture on the outside, easy to peel off some fatty skin for a beginner dog (not to give sudden extra fat) .....

It will help to start with one ingredient, watching the poop before adding the next one.


I'll see if I can dig up a beginner thread for you ... there are several in this section.

Or you might look for Tracy Collins, Anne Jones, Michael Wise, and me ... I think we have all posted to threads about how to start. (Many have posted great info, of course ... I'm just trying to recall who did detailed beginner threads.)

"... what us the next Best Book to read"

http://leerburg.com/970.htm is accessible and fun to read.

I think it's a good “getting started” book ..... covers all the basics well and doesn't get tediously technical.

Kasey still doesn't want chicken quarters if he can have something else! Chicken backs are really the only RMB I give him now, and are the best starter in my opinion! Leg bones are really hard compared.

And fasting him for 24 hours won't hurt a 110lb dog at all! If he's hungry, he'll eat the chicken backs.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

"... what us the next Best Book to read" http://leerburg.com/970.htm is accessible and fun to read. I think it's a good �getting started� book ..... covers all the basics well and doesn't get tediously technical.

This was my first book and it is FANTASTIC for beginners. I recommend this book to any new raw feeders who approach me for help.

Wow, thanks. I searched through pages and pages first trying to find something that matched before I asked. I'll look it up by names. And get that book.

We are very fortunate in our area to have access to the city meat wholesalers, and the country ma and pa places in the country. I found 40 lb boxes of chicken backs, but honestly it worried me a little to buy that much non human food stuff without knowing how he would take to it. But I will if that's the best way. Unfortunately it will be Monday.

But what if he won't eat that either and just licks them too? I can't partially cook it because of the bones. Will I have to with hold food?

I know that won't hurt him to fast, but it bothers me to do it unless he is having some kind of digestive issue. He's active and I know he's hungry. And he sits at his bowl and waits. It's hard for me.

I got the book on kindle so I can read it over the weekend and be ready for Monday.

I've had dogs who mistrusted their first tastes of raw, and particularly poultry (I'm guessing it might be that slickety surface).

But they all ended up loving their raw diets.

One thing I did with one old guy who had been on the worst of the crap-in-a-bag foods for twelve years was buy a couple of cans of stew-type foods (for example, Dogswell makes several) ... not the "pate" type, but the "stew" type. Then I poured the gravy from a can over and under one raw back. He started eating some right away. The rest of the can I threw into the blender with some water and turned it all into "gravy." I gradually lessened the amount I poured over until there was none.





BTW, I wanted to add that the book Niomi and I recommended ( http://leerburg.com/970.htm ) is also approved by Mary Straus in Whole Dog Journal. Also, LB gave it to each puppy buyer when they were still breeding.