I would be inclined to try less food.

You can add kelp if you like. No real good reason to add vitamin C.

JMO.

Ok. Less food overall, or just less meat?

I was asking about the supplements because he hasn't been in great shape lately - allergies, congestion, on antibiotics (just finished), and just weaning of prednisone for horrible itching from the allergies.

No doubt the home cooked diet helped, and now the raw diet will help more, I hope. But I want to give him everything possible (not drugs), to help with the allergies.

Food overall.

You're pretty well RMB based, so I wouldn't suspect too much meat as the culprit.

The soft poop doesn't sound urgent is the reason I suspect too much food overall.

 Quote: michael_wise

Food overall.

You're pretty well RMB based, so I wouldn't suspect too much meat as the culprit.

The soft poop doesn't sound urgent is the reason I suspect too much food overall.

Me too.




"I wanted to ask 2 things about this diet - do you think it might be too much for 65lb dog? I have to weigh him tomorrow. He definitely LOOKS thinner (better), but is also taller I believe. ... Second, should I be adding kelp, vitamin C or anything else?"

What is the total weight per day of the RMB/meat/yogurt/animal products part of the diet? That's the key. It should fall into the 2% range for many adult dogs. But the important thing is your dog: How is HIS weight, body shape, condition?

I would hold off on anything "extra" now until you get the poop just right. Dogs make their own C, and while you may indeed prefer to add extra for a dog recovering from health challenges, I would not do it while I was evaluating poop and adjusting the bones and the food quantity for it. (C can trigger diarrhea if over-supplemented; no big deal, but it's a big deal if you are trying to assess the poop. )

When you have the poop just right, then we could talk about C ("on the hoof," like in produce, or as a buffered supplement).

Well, 2% of his body weight would be about 19oz, and he's getting about 21oz of animal product a day. He has definitely become more trim since starting the home cooked diet, but because of his young age, should he be eating only 2%? His body condition looks and feels good, but I wouldn't want him any thinner.

I guess I can cut it back tomorrow and see if that helps. He won't be happy about it, since the meds make him starving, but I'll give extra veggies.

 Quote: phaedra rieff

Well, 2% of his body weight would be about 19oz, and he's getting about 21oz of animal product a day. He has definitely become more trim since starting the home cooked diet, but because of his young age, should he be eating only 2%? His body condition looks and feels good, but I wouldn't want him any thinner.

I guess I can cut it back tomorrow and see if that helps. He won't be happy about it, since the meds make him starving, but I'll give extra veggies.

Oh yeah, I forgot his age. 2% is adult approximation (and even then is nothing more than a starting point).

Also, at any age, if he "looks and feels food and you wouldn't want him any thinner," I'd reduce meal amounts rather than overall food.

"I guess I can cut it back tomorrow and see if that helps." Helps the poop? If he looks and feels just right and has slightly soft poop, I'd stretch the meals out into smaller more frequent ones.

However, soft-ish poop with a possibility of too much food fed -- remember that you JUST started the raw diet. You could be feeding too much and have no idea based on present body condition. Too much food doesn't translate that day to a chubbo waistline.

He's off the Pred trial, right? Starvingness over?

Recap: My goal right now would be perfect poops. That won't take more than a couple of days of small meals, possibly smaller total amount, etc.

Then I'd very gradually adjust the quantity based on his body condition.




PS
It's good that you are keeping an eye on his waistline because it's way easier to avoid Mr. Chubby than to cut back and get the tragic face at meals.

You know, re-thinking this, I agree again with Michael that I'd simply try slightly less food.

A couple of days of slightly reduced food will be fine, and then you can start again with perfect poops, adding back small increases.

Ignore my last wordy post.

Ok. His diet is already split into 4 meals - 2 larger ones and 2 smaller ones, so I don't know how many more I could do!

He is currently tapering off the pred, every other day.

This morning he had formed logs, that were soft when picked up, the only thing visible was a bit of carrot and some wood!

All I did with Chaos as a puppy is figure 2 1/2 percent of an 85Lb dog which is about 2 1/4 lbs a day. Thats still what I feed him now, sometimes a little less probably because I don't weigh it anymore.

I think Tracy posted a real detailed breakdown once on how that works out to be a higher percent for the puppy's weight and carries through their whole life. He's a lot more well thought out then I am on it, maybe you could find it or he could post it for you again.

That's what I figured, that he will be eating about 2lbs a day for the rest of his life.