Quote: Claire Stadt

Connie, Yes I found my fish oil and the Vit E that you suggested at the health store the 2nd time I went in.

Oh, that's right! I'm sorry! I remember dogs' names and health issues better than their owners' names.

Thanks for sharing those links. There is so much to learn....

BTW, I didn't go over the breeder's raw diet plan carefully. It may be that the muscle meat and bones are not fed in the ratio that the prey animal would "come in," and that bone meal makes up for missing calcium.

However, the phosphorous-calcium ratio is probably *the* critical ratio in a raw diet, and what it is, basically, is the ratio of meat to bone. Feeding, say, a whole chicken or rabbit (even if it's spread out over days) IS the correct ratio.

There is no need or desirability, IMO, for re-inventing the wheel, or feeding more boneless muscle meat than the animal would eat by devouring small prey and then making up for it by adding calcium in the form of supplements.

Most other supplements are pretty much optional if the diet is varied and appropriate (except fish oil and E, because of modern farming methods that have unbalanced the slaughter animals' meat and fat away from Omega 3s and toward Omega 6s by grain-feeding), and more and more I am finding how important probiotics are -- but calcium is basic and crucial. Canids need far more than humans, and they get it (in nature) in the bones and cartilage of the prey they eat.

 Quote: Claire Stadt

Thanks for sharing those links. There is so much to learn....

The photos of the LB sample menus are great for a mind-picture of a good raw diet.

If you begin with poultry backs and necks, and some muscle meat, say, plus the fish oil and E, then you can add one more item every day and readily spot any digestive challenges. (For example, you aim for 5-10% of the diet as organ meat, but you can start with a teaspoon -- avoiding any diarrhea from the sudden addition of rich items like liver.)

But please feel totally free to ask any questions. This board is loaded with many extremely experienced and knowledgeable raw feeders.

Now the Vit E and fish oil needs make sence! I wondered why they needed that supplement. What about the Vit C? She says this is very important.

 Quote: Claire Stadt

... What about the Vit C? She says this is very important.

The LB diet uses daily C.

http://leerburg.com/43.htm

Many many owners do indeed use ester C daily. It's not an oil-soluble vitamin, so even though dogs manufacture C as well, it's not as if a therapeutic dose has any OD or accumulation danger. I personally use it for a dog with a health challenge that calls for it, and otherwise I rely on the produce I give, but more owners use it than not, I believe.