I, too, have just gotten started on the raw diet after finding this forum. Ann Vaini has been very helpful PMing me with some tips. This is the latest that I just asked Ann. I welcome any suggestions and insights:

Ann,
The dogs seem to love the yogurt on the kibble. They also enjoyed the egg, but not the egg shell. They picked the egg shell out of the bowl and set it to the side. I guess I'll need to break the shell into smaller pieces the couple of times a week I'll give the egg.

Tonight was the first time they got pieces of raw chicken. Each dog got a half of a leg quarter. The GSD and Pitt had no problem consuming the meat and bone. It took the rottie a little bit to get comfortable and consume his portion.

All of the dogs took the chicken out of their bowl, carried it to the grass and at it there. This leads me to a practical question: When I give them the leg quarter, how do I give them the yogurt and fish oil without it all ending up in the grass?

Likewise, what about pills such as the vitamin E and daily vitamin? We stuffed the pitts two prescription pills into his chicken piece, but the pills ended up in the lawn without him eating them. Suggestions?

Thank you,
Eric

I give the supplements and salmon oil in the morning with the muscle meat and RMBs are given at night with a dollop of something to hold 2 (of the 4) Ester C tablets my dog gets daily.

The "dollop" can be a spoonful of yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter, green tripe...whatever I have on hand. Just enough that he'll get the vitamins down.

And after your dog is done with his bones on the lawn you'll probably see him licking the bowls clean.

Eric, I don't think you'll have problem with the yogurt or salmon oil in the grass. If your dogs can carry the yogurt and salmon oil to the grass, that'd be something I'd like to see

Seriously though. You can separate it if you want. You can give the crushed egg with yogurt in the am, and the chicken with the salmon oil in the pm. My dog eats the vitamin E pill with no problem, so not sure what to recommend on that.

This came up a couple of days ago...
http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=146097#Post146097
You may have missed it as it might have seemed off your topic...

Try just putting all the "gooey" stuff at the bottom of the bowl. Let them eat the rest on the grass if they want to.



Edited by JessicaKromer (06/28/2007 07:52 PM)
Edit reason: Everyone eles was too fast!

Thanks for the link. I'll give the peanut butter a try.

you can try wrapping pills/medicine in something like CREAM CHEESE! Dogs can be so easily tricked that way, so unlike a cat. :-)

Fred had his first feed of RAW last night and he took to it as if he had been eating it all of his life, I looked at his Stools this morning, they were a little smaller and a bit firmer than his stools with feeding Kibble, all was well. He had his Breakfast this morning and ate it with Gusto
Im very glad i changed over to RAW' I will watch to see if there is any change in his general Condition and well being in the next few weeks, thanks for the tips and specially to Connie for her help

Hi Folks,

I'd like to add something that may be of use to some raw feeders here if that's alright...

I read somewhere recently that the biggest problems of feeding raw bones are the fact that we try to modify the bones for the dogs i.e. Cut, Bash, break up into smaller pieces etc.

I'll try to find the quote again but it was from a Vet who promoted Raw feeding and although I'm sure he did say that he hadn't seen a lot of these cases, it can happen, but is far less likely to happen if we don't cut or break the bones into smaller pieces and just let the dogs deal with it themselves.

Of course this assumes that you are feeding the right type of bone for your dog and it's size and developmental stage. For example, teething puppies should only be given smaller soft bones like backs, necks and wings, maybe soft rib bones also, whereas older dogs can handle thighs and the like. Knuckle bones or any other large bone that the dog can't really bite into would be fine for both.

Cheers

John

 Quote: john aiton

Hi Folks,
I read somewhere recently that the biggest problems of feeding raw bones are the fact that we try to modify the bones for the dogs i.e. Cut, Bash, break up into smaller pieces etc.

Cheers

John

I had heard that too...and tried doing it one time, but didn't even feed that food because when I cut it, it turned into a shard of bone and thought pummeling it would do essentially the same thing.

I totally agree with letting the dog handle the chewing and swallow what they feel comfortable with. Especially after having hand fed the last couple months, (and making sure he was biting "appropriate" sizes) my pup is now eating all on his own. The first time was intense for me (will he do it right or gulp?--How many chomps does it take for *your* dog to get a chicken leg down? ) But he took to it like fish to water...or in this case, like dogs to dead meat. Chomping, chewing, doing it all right.

 Quote: Eric Eschmann

When I give them the leg quarter, how do I give them the yogurt and fish oil without it all ending up in the grass?

Likewise, what about pills such as the vitamin E and daily vitamin? Eric

I squeeze the liquid out of the vit e caps into his bowl along with salmon oil. Mine always licks it out, your mileage may vary.

 Quote: John Aiton

I'll try to find the quote again but it was from a Vet who promoted Raw feeding and although I'm sure he did say that he hadn't seen a lot of these cases, it can happen, but is far less likely to happen if we don't cut or break the bones into smaller pieces and just let the dogs deal with it themselves.

Probably Tom Lonsdale. He's got a simple, no B.S. approach to feeding. Also very nice too. He took the time to answer an email from me, which I thought was pretty cool considering how busy he probably is. Plus he's given up alot to try and get the word out about commercial pet foods.

I try to feed bigger than my dogs head or in Steven Lepic's style, WAY bigger than my dogs head. If my dog doesn't have to lay down and concentrate on eating I don't feel like I'm doing it right.