I just talked to a All Natural Pet Food store that I work next to, and they said to buy from the store I need to drench the meat in vinegar and something else? I don't know if that's necessary, but I was also told that the ones they have are already ready to feed...but they're way more expensive. The ones they sell don't have any bones in them, they're just patties.
Last but not least, if I were to just go ahead and start him off next week, and want to put some lamb in his diet, what lamb parts would be good? And do I need to add anything extra to the diet besides the meat and eggs?
There's no need to drench the meat in anything
You can feed any part of the lamb that you'd like. Go for the cheapest cuts. Dogs don't care if their meat is bony, tough and sinewy. The only thing I'd avoid are the guts (intestines) of larger animals (like lamb). You can feed all the organs of the lamb, as well as everything else: the legs, heart, ribs, shoulers, neck, head, tail, back, feet, breast, rump etc. etc.
Same goes for any other animal: cow, pig, chicken, turkey, deer, moose, buffalo, rabbit, goose and so on. The only limitation is what you can find, affordability and convenience.
As Connie said, the goal is to try and feed an entire prey animal. Try to keep the following ratio in mind (it's more of a guideline than a strict rule): 85% meats and 15% bones. Meats include muscle meats (including hearts) and organ meats.
The dog should get muscle meats and bones just about every day. You can add organ meats (like livers, kidneys, spleen) 3-4 times a week for a growing pup. Organ meats are richer, so less (only twice a week) is better for older dogs who put on weight more quickly.
Eggs can also be added in 3-4 times a week.
I don't feed vegetables or fruits very often. I'll put some young greens in a blender, add water, turn it into mush and feed maybe a couple of spoonfuls of that a week to my dogs. I also feed them berries whenever I can.
Tripe (green UNTREATED and UNBLEACHED tripe) is also an excellent veggie substitute for dogs. I feed that a couple of times a week. Very stinky, but very loved by the dogs
As for where to buy, how much freezer space do you have?
The cheapest and freshest meats that I can find come from meat wholesalers (restaurant and grocery suppliers). You can look them up in the yellow pages (usually under meat wholesale) and order meats by the case. You'll need decent freezer space to go the wholesale route.
Again, Connie suggested chicken backs - they're very soft and are a great way to start out. Very safe.
I wouldn't bother grinding up the harder weight-bearing bones like legs. Just grab a chunk of meat or meaty bones, toss them to your pup and let him figure it out!
He'll strengthen his jaws, keep his teeth clean and beautifully white, his breath clean and fresh and it will be much more satisfying to him than eating ground up mush
It's easy to weigh a puppy. Pick up your puppy and step on the scale with it. Subtract your own weight from the total. Unless your puppy is a huge monster and/or you have a back problem, you should be able to keep doing this until he's grown up.
(I was able to keep doing it until my pup reached 85 lbs.)
After that, just drop in at the vet's. They don't charge to get a weight on your dog. 5 to 10% of a young puppy's weight sounds about right (at 4 months, 5% of its weight).
Just monitor your pup's general condition; the amount of food will depend on the pup, how much activity it gets and how much growing it's going through. Make sure you keep him thin growing up - you should be able to easily feel his ribs, but the ribs and spine should not be sticking out.
Thin puppies and dogs are healthier and less likely to develop skeletal problems like hip dysplasia
My pup's eating requirements changed when he went through growth spurts. I could tell because he'd start to get a little TOO thin (despite receiving 5% of his weight in meat). I just increased his portions until he looked fit and kept a daily watch on his body condition to make sure he wasn't getting too thin or too fat.
I wouldn't worry about the "extras" in the diet yet. Start with whatever meats and organs you can find in your regular stores. You can read up on veggies and supplements in the following weeks and start adding those in later on. Your dog isn't going to be hurt from not getting supplemented for a couple of weeks.
I would skip grains entirely. German shepherds tend to do badly on those (grains were a constant source of diarrhea for my 11-year-old female shepherd not to mention allergies and scratching).
Good for you for looking into all this!
I know it's overwhelming at first - believe me, I was in your situation just about a year ago!
Just start off with your local supermarket and buy whatever is cheapest there. You can also call up local butchers to see if they have cheap bones and other goodies.
After about 15 phone calls from the yellow pages, I managed to find a place in the local market that gives away meaty chicken backs for FREE
That type of thing isn't advertised, so it's up to you to find it. A hassle in the beginning, but it quickly becomes routine as the people get to know you and save the bones for you.
Eventually, to save money, you can start calling meat wholesale places and find out their prices. I like to order pork riblets. Great chewing for the dogs, the bones are soft (non weight bearing), they're very meaty and they're usually some of the cheapest cuts you can get. Cheaper than chicken where I live.
Just add in a little more muscle or organ meat to the riblets so the dog doesn't get too much bone, and that's a meal!
Best of luck! And ask as many questions as you'd like!
It's often a quicker way of finding answers than sifting through the enormous amount of information available online, haha.
Re: Constant Diarrhea
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I have not tried it yet, but I hear all good things, and the instructor in one of the canine nutrition classes I am taking is a big fan.
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