THK with add-ins is a great bridge between commercial and raw.

This will be a baby, right? What diet is the pup on with the breeder?

I'd start with soft, easy to chew/digest bones and work your way up from there. Chicken backs are great starter bones and a husky pup should be able to handle those. Chicken necks would be another good starter bone.

When you say shredded/pureed chicken breast are you talking about raw? I see no reason to puree it for a pup...

Bones with alot of cartilege (chicken necks, chicken backs) are best to use for pups. If you have a gulper, backs will most likely require more chewing before gulping. I would not feed any weight bearing bones(ie chicken leg Qtrs) to puppies.

I would also allow the pup to stay on the breeders food for a couple of weeks to at least settle in to his new home before changing his diet. In order to avoid putting too many stressors(changes) at one time on him. And possibly causing a case of 'the runs'.

I would also do alot a reading on raw diets before switching a pup if you have had no prior experience feeding raw. There is VERY LITTLE room for error in feeding a growing, developing puppy. Even when using THK as a base food. You need to add the proper amount of RMBs to keep the nutritional balance.

One of the keys to feeding a proper raw diet is variety of appropriate foods, along with proper suppliments. It is not hard but it take knowledge & thought.

ETA...I feed pups up unitl about 6-7 months 3 X a day. From then on 2 X a day.

 Quote: Anne Jones

I would also allow the pup to stay on the breeders food for a couple of weeks to at least settle in to his new home before changing his diet. In order to avoid putting too many stressors(changes) at one time on him. And possibly causing a case of 'the runs'.

I would also do alot a reading on raw diets before switching a pup if you have had no prior experience feeding raw. There is VERY LITTLE room for error in feeding a growing, developing puppy. Even when using THK as a base food. You need to add the proper amount of RMBs to keep the nutritional balance.

One of the keys to feeding a proper raw diet is variety of appropriate foods, along with proper suppliments. It is not hard but it take knowledge & thought.

I agree wholeheartedly with Anne.

I raised two pups on kibble and switched to raw once they were adults. My most recent pup was raised on raw from about 12 weeks, when I got him. I was NERVOUS! and carefully balanced his diet.

Another thought....If you really want to feed a raw diet & are concerned about feeding properly for pups...you might consider one of the premade raw diets, like Bravo or others on the market, that have all the meat, (ground) bone, veggies & organ meat all injcluded in the proper ratios. Then just add your suppliments...salomon oil, Vit E, etc.

At least you then know that the meat to bone ratios are correct for a growning pup. I have fed Bravo to pups thru the years as well as homemade diets. I have been fortunate in that all of the breeders of all 4 of my dogs started their pups on raw, so I never had to switch one from kibble to raw. But it is easily doable.

Just a reminder....do not feed raw & kibble together.

The pup is currently 4 weeks old, and I'll be picking him up at 8 weeks. I'm not entirely sure he's on solids just yet, but am sure he'll be moved into kibble, not raw.

When I mentioned pureed meats, yes I meant raw. I was thinking it may be good to do if/when I prepare a batch for later feeding, like prepackaged meals =)

OMG! I'm so glad you said that about the kibble and raw mixing as that was pretty much going to be my phasing

Would it be a better idea to stick with kibble as he grows and change to raw later?

I would say that THK (such as Embark) with add-ins is a wonderful bridge to all raw, and safely balanced for growing puppies, for a new owner who is new to raw. (If the ad-ins are limited in proportion to the package directions, the diet will be balanced.) http://leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm

For example, you could gradually switch to THK from kibble by using cooked add-ins so as not to be mixing raw with kibble, and then switch from the cooked add-ins to raw add-ins (such as chicken backs, as Mara suggests: my favorite starter RMB).

Anne's suggestion of a pre-made raw is great too.

I would plan any switch carefully so that kibble and raw were not in the gut together.




eta

Like everyone else, I urge against a food change along with all the other changes of his move to his new permanent home. "I would also allow the pup to stay on the breeders food for a couple of weeks to at least settle in to his new home before changing his diet. In order to avoid putting too many stressors(changes) at one time on him."


Edited by Connie Sutherland (10/20/2011 10:21 AM)
Edit reason: eta

THK has several kinds that have meat already in them - I use Thrive and it is chicken and quinoa. So that is already a balanced diet even for puppies (I called and asked about that when I started giving it to my dog when he was little). So if you give that along with chicken backs and ground meats, you are doing well. A chicken back, if it has some meat and organs still stuck to it, is a really nutritious thing!!

 Quote: Lori Hall

THK has several kinds that have meat already in them - I use Thrive and it is chicken and quinoa. So that is already a balanced diet even for puppies (I called and asked about that when I started giving it to my dog when he was little). So if you give that along with chicken backs and ground meats, you are doing well. A chicken back, if it has some meat and organs still stuck to it, is a really nutritious thing!!

Absolutely.

Embark, Thrive, and Love are the three recommended for puppies.

They are all complete in themselves, but most dogs will benefit from add-ins per the package amount range. The food is within the correct calcium:phosphorus, or Ca:P, range whether it's on its own or with add-ins within the box instruction amount.

I'm with Lori on the chicken backs choice, because of the cartilagienous (don't try looking that up) and the nice bonus kidneys attached.

But yup, you could switch from kibble to THK with no add-ins at all, waiting until all kibble was out of the gut before starting to add the RMBs.



The meatless one (Preference) is really more for food-allergic dogs (allergic to one or more of the common protein sources) who need a specific novel protein (novel to the individual dog).