Also, thanks for making me realize how difficult it can sometimes be to make a diet change for a dog.

I had such an easy time with my dogs - literally switching to raw and throwing out the kibble overnight with a "the more variety the better" attitude from day one. I assumed that this could be done on all dogs.

From now on, when I convince people to switch their dogs, I will be more cautious at first and recommend that they stick to something deboned, skinless, fatless and easy to digest until their dog adjusts.

I wonder, does anyone have a general idea on the proportion of dogs that need this "easing into" method as opposed to those dogs that can be switched to deer heads and tripe overnight without an issue?

Is there also some way to predict how a dog will react to a switch to raw, besides the painful trial-and-error method that poor Amber had to go through?

If anyone has this information, I'd love to know.
I'm getting more and more demand around here from dog owners who are panicking over the toxic pet food recall issue lately and who want to switch to raw. I've inadvertantly become the local go-to raw "expert"... (word spreads fast, I have people I've never even met before coming up to me on walks asking for information on raw!)

In my experience, about one in ten.

But my experience is almost all with young or adult dogs (not puppies), switching from some time on kibble.

I always ask people to start with chicken backs and necks if possible and to go slowly when adding in other ingredients. And I do remove the skin for a few days to see how it goes.

I know a few web sites mention wings as being easy to start with, but to me they seem boney and fatty (all that skin) as a first food. And in fact, I personally don't buy wings at all, except as part of the whole bird when I get whole chicken.

P.S. I meant that about one in ten has some diarrhea or vomiting, etc. -- not like Carbon. Carbon is only the second one I have experienced like that, and the first one was getting twice as much food as he was supposed to; his owner was feeding the day's worth at each meal.

Yuko, you're the perfect ambassador to raw! And the double bonus is you'll have your dogs available for visual evidence!

Just based on the people here, it doesn't seem like too many dogs have that big of an issue with switching to raw. I know there are some issues, but I haven't read many stories like Carbon's.

Still, I think you're right to suggest starting gently, because if it weren't for the encouragement of this board and the fact that I had another dog that is doing really well on the diet, I would have given up...I really would have. It's scary to watch your dog be sick like that. Not everyone has two dogs for comparison, and not everyone is as lucky as I am to have this kind of support! I'm really glad I'm sticking it out.

We'll all have to meet at the Leerburg summer picnic so I can thank you all in person...when is that again?

Thanks Connie. Those are pretty good odds!

I certainly know that most tentative newbie raw feeders here would NOT have had the patience to work their way through the diet had their dogs reacted the way Carbon did.

Good advice on the chicken backs. What do you think of feeding chicken breasts (without bones) for a couple of days before adding the backs and necks?

Hehe, we think alike Connie, I also don't feed wings

I've had some offers for free wings (chicken and turkey) but declined because I don't see them as being nutritious. Skin, fat and bones - don't see the point of feeding them, even for my dogs who have no issue with them.

Of course I can afford to be picky because of all my free sources at the moment - the day I have to buy all my dog food, I don't think I'll be turning down any free offers

Ok have I mentioned how much I love that new photo of Carbon, Amber??
Now THAT's what a shepherd is supposed to look like.

Visual evidence... haha, indeed!
And I agree, there really is no way to prepare someone to watch their beloved pet be sick like that. At the same time, I don't want to scare people away from switching to raw by giving them too many warnings at first.
It really does help to have my dogs to show so that people can at least see the big picture and not focus too much on an initial bump...

Maybe we should put together a raw-feeding pamphlet of sorts here on the board
It would give us something to distribute in front of petsmart!


So what are you feeding Carbs at this time?
I'm definitely interested in hearing of your progress with him over the near future as you start adding in more variety. You made me worry so much with your posts!!!

Leerburg summer picnic eh? ...love the idea!!

 Quote: yuko blum

And I agree, there really is no way to prepare someone to watch their beloved pet be sick like that. At the same time, I don't want to scare people away from switching to raw by giving them too many warnings at first.

Yes, certainly don't tell them my story! I think it's reasonable to say that with any diet change there can be some digestive upset and so it's best to go slow. That's true even if you switch from one kibble to another.

It really does help to have my dogs to show so that people can at least see the big picture and not focus too much on an initial bump...

I know. You remember how I said that a friend of mine who recently graduated vet school was watching what happened as I switched to raw? I'm really glad that the difference in the Corgi has so impressed him; if he based it just on what happened to Carbon, I'm afraid we'd have another anti-raw vet in the world. As it is, he's thinking about at least trying the pre-made patties on his dog.

Maybe we should put together a raw-feeding pamphlet of sorts here on the board

You know, that has occured to me over and over. Considering the combined experience and knowledge of the raw feeders here on the board, we could really have our own survey sample of what works, what most people do, and what doesn't work. It would be a lot less intimidating if we had something like that to use as a guide. There seems to be a lot of variation in things like...the best first food to feed, yay or nay to veggie glop, green tripe, variety, etc. It would be interesting to do a "Leerburg webboard study." Maybe this summer...

So what are you feeding Carbs at this time?
I'm definitely interested in hearing of your progress with him over the near future as you start adding in more variety. You made me worry so much with your posts!!!

He's still on the boiled diet (chx and rice) but I'm thinking about starting him off slowly tonight or tomorrow back on raw, to see how he does. He won't be getting skin for awhile, I'll tell you that. I'm planning on following everyone's advice on this...I don't have the knowledge to risk experiementing on my dogs!

Leerburg summer picnic eh? ...love the idea!!

Wouldn't that be fun? I have this idea of what people look like (those without actual pictures of themselves posted) and it would be fun to see the real person, and their dogs. The picnic could double as a raw feeding conference!

 Quote: Amber Morgan

We'll all have to meet at the Leerburg summer picnic so I can thank you all in person...when is that again?

Didn't you get your invitation at the LB New Year's party??

I'm sad, I know nothing and I would love to meet you all......

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Amber Morgan

We'll all have to meet at the Leerburg summer picnic so I can thank you all in person...when is that again?

Didn't you get your invitation at the LB New Year's party??

No, that party must only be for the cool Mods!

 Quote: Amber Morgan

No, that party must only be for the cool Mods!

Yeah, that's what I figure...... cool ones only. Either that, or my invitation was lost in the mail.

That's it! Lost in the mail!!