Thanks, Yuko, for all the advice.

Tell me a little more about the videos before I watch them. I'm a little squeamish. I even cry watching Little House On The Prairie.

Thanks.

 Quote: Nora Ferrell

So, you probably try to get the vegs in there if you aren't feeding the tripe that week?

Yup....but I prefer to give tripe. I think tripe is more-preyish, the canned isn't too expensive (compared to getting fresh greens etc) and to be honest, b/c of the rabbits and guinea pigs, most of the vegetables I like to give to the dogs usually get eaten before they're at the point the dogs seem to like them. Sometimes I feel like I use the animals as garbage bins (not really, but I think you know what I mean....few things need to go to waste in my house)

 Quote: Yuko Blum

Sometimes they'll get veggies every few days, sometimes they'll go 2 weeks without but will get lots of tripe the following week etc.

One benefit to this, though you'll probably all think I'm an idiot, is feeding a bunch of tripe at once gets the smell over and done with. Though, to be fair, the smell doesn't bother me as much as it did at first. I'm almost immune to it now! Sort of....kind of....okay, it's still gross. But not AS gross.

 Quote: Yuko Blum

However, the only time to be more concerned with balance would be with very young and growing puppies or with tiny dogs. In that case, I will try to work out balance over 2-3 days and not over 2-3 weeks like I do with my adult 70-100 lb dogs!

One reason why Neb ate THK when he first came (6 weeks....not my idea to get him that young, obvs....stupid rescue) and only went into full fresh raw when he was bigger (and I'd finally acquired a stand-alone freezer). Nora, that might be something you'll have to be careful with a 10lb dog. I know there are other people on here with small dogs who feed raw - Jenni, and I think Marisa Sacks - ??? - I think Jenni has mentioned she gives her small dogs prepared raw b/c it's not that costly at that size.

 Quote: Yuko Blum

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

But I don't feed it daily and I will often give a large amount rather than spreading it out over a smaller period.

Same here

As I said, I'm not one of those obsessive raw feeders who will stand there with a scale at every meal making sure everything is always in perfect balance. Sometimes they'll get veggies every few days, sometimes they'll go 2 weeks without but will get lots of tripe the following week etc.

Balance over time

However, the only time to be more concerned with balance would be with very young and growing puppies or with tiny dogs. In that case, I will try to work out balance over 2-3 days and not over 2-3 weeks like I do with my adult 70-100 lb dogs!

Thanks.

I guess I should make a more conscious effort to add a few more vegs.

She does get some. But for her size, I have to be really careful about giving a lot of organ meat for one feeding. I found that out the hard way with the runny poops.

Also, I tend to be a little OCDish and when I first started raw, I was, indeed, one of those people standing with the scale and measuring every morsel. Wanted to make sure I was doing it the right way.

I am much more relaxed and not near as nervous about it now since I have seen how she thrives. When I got her, she was on kibble. The natural, expensive kind, but she wouldn't eat very much. Then, I found this site and after whining about it for weeks (and running out of dog food in a snow storm) I took the big leap. Boy 'o boy did my dog love me for that and she became a food hound.

She is 10 lbs and based on what you feed yours, I translate that to be about a quarter cup a week for my little one?

Re: the organ meats, again, Neb is my smallest dog @ 30lbs, but I would bet chicken organs would be your best bet size-wise and in terms of wide-spread availability. I buy bags of chicken liver from a butcher and they're great. (I get beef liver and kidney from the grocery store as well but beef kidneys are pretty big)

Edit: also, I don't know if you meant this, but veggies and organ meat are different. Organs I feed are kidney and liver - heart I consider a muscle meat (I don't know if you can get those trays of chicken hearts and gizzards but they're great)

Thanks, Jennifer.

I don't give her prepared raw, but not because of cost. At her size, food cost is the least expense I have. She could probably eat what I eat so far as cost because it is only 4-6 ounces a day. Plus treats.

I don't give the prepared because I never wanted to be in a situation where I wouldn't be able to readily (at the store) buy food for her.

However, now that she is such a food hound, there are few things she won't eat. Strawberries, go figure.

She has been on raw for a year or more now and she thrives.

I also have my 3 year old grandson here a lot so she gets to sample much more than I would like, but reality is reality. I finally figured out why she is such a food bum to him when I caught him asking her to lick his fingers. He doesn't care what's on his face, but sticky fingers? NO.

Also, my ex is here a lot with his boxer (step sisters?, ex-step sisters? who knows, we are in Kentucky after all, lol) and he is always giving snacks of different foods.

So, she is probably getting more variety than what I think.

I also recently got some dog treats that are dried banana wrapped in chicken strips. These have gone over well.

My biggest problem with RMBs is finding things that are small enough for her.

What is a recreational bone for her is RMBs for most. That's why I went with the Cornish hens.

Nora, I suppose a few spoonfuls of veggie mush a week would be about right (it's what I would do anyway). Not that there's a right or wrong way to do this. Everyone can figure out what works best for them and their dog.

Nothing gruesome in the videos It's my dog eating a rabbit, but the head, neck and upper body aren't shown in the video (I started filming once he was at the second half of the rabbit) so it's not like you'd be seeing the rabbit's face or anything (if watching faces getting eaten bothers you, don't watch Aja's rabbit-eating videos in my youtube account!!!)

And agreed with Jennifer about the organs. Organs should absolutely be given (at least liver and kidney - those are pretty easy to find for anyone). They in no way are related to vegetable requirements. They're a requirement in their own right, whether or not you feed veggies.

Not feeding veggies isn't a huge deal (though not ideal in my opinion) but not feeding any organs would be a very bad idea. Organs in small amounts yes, but definitely required.

I hope that clears up any potential confusion (if there was any).

Thanks to both of you.

Yes, I do know the difference between vegs and organ importance.

I guess the confusion is this:

If you feed green tripe would that meet the organ requirement?

Like I said, I can't give a lot of organ at once. I usually given gizzards, for instance, this week about three times and couple mixed with her RMB and/or muscle. Sometimes liver.

If I have chicken backs with the kidneys attached, no extra organs.

Thanks so very much for all the advice.

And to Yuko, I will watch the youtube.

I could be wrong, but I don't think gizzards are an organ. As far as I know, they're just thing in the chicken that is rough or where they swallow little rocks and then crush up food. I should really go look it up, I think I learnt what gizzards where when I was 7 and who knows how they've changed in my mind since.

Green tripe is not organ. Tripe is stomach content (keeping in mind herbivores have multiple stomachs....or cows do, I'm assuming they all do).

Gizzard is an organ! Shows what I know.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

I could be wrong, but I don't think gizzards are an organ. As far as I know, they're just thing in the chicken that is rough or where they swallow little rocks and then crush up food. I should really go look it up, I think I learnt what gizzards where when I was 7 and who knows how they've changed in my mind since.

Green tripe is not organ. Tripe is stomach content (keeping in mind herbivores have multiple stomachs....or cows do, I'm assuming they all do).

Gizzard is an organ! Shows what I know.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard

OK. Now I'm really splitting hairs.

Is green tripe stomach contents or is it stomach contents and the stomach? And if it also includes the actual stomach, wouldn't the stomach (not the contents) be considered an organ?

So far as the gizzard, hell, I figured anything inside the body that was a working part was an organ. Is it?