# Alfie Goes Raw!



## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

After researching for pretty much the last 6 months until I've gone a bit like this: :crazy: I have finally made the decision to put Alfie onto raw 100%. We've been dabbling in it for the last couple of weeks with him having chicken thighs for dinner every 2/3 days and he has loved it and tucked in with levels of enthusiasm never seen with his kibble 

I'd like this thread to be a diary of sorts, mainly for my own benefit so I can keep an eye on things but maybe it might prove helpful for anyone else considering changing to raw 

Apart from the obvious reasons, ie. it being a better diet for him (in my opinion, of course), cheaper and more natural, 2 other big reasons for making the change are 1. he has never had consistently good/firm poos from the day we got him and I'm hopeful that raw will finally sort this out and 2. he recently developed what the vet thinks is some sort of allergy to long grass/nettles and has been on Piriton for the last few weeks but I would really rather he wasn't on it long term. Again, I'm hoping the new diet will help to sort this out 

We will have to approach the long term feeding requirements a little different to other breeds. Alfie, as a Dalmatian, is not supposed to eat offal as this contains high levels of purine, which Dalmatians cannot break down in their bodies like other breeds and this can cause urinary stones to form in their bladders and worst case scenario, these can cause blockages. However, I have decided that I will feed small amounts of offal when the time comes to introduce it and I am going to keep a very close eye on his urine PH levels with the aid of Litmus Paper - ideally the level should be 6.5 - 7... any higher than that and we could be facing problems and I will then re-look at the offal feeding. 

Alfie currently weighs 30kg but at 11 months old he still has more growing to do so I have decided on feeding him 1100gm per day for now. This is just over 3.5% of his current weight and is 3% of his estimated adult weight which I expect to be around 35kg. I will of course monitor him closely and adjust those amounts if necessary if he starts looking too thin or too chunky 

This is our meal plan for the next week... any comments, good or bad, are greatly appreciated. We're not actually starting until Tuesday as I have more shopping to do tomorrow for chicken chunks and mince, so I could make changes if necessary 

Day 1:
AM. 500gm chicken chunks
PM. 600gm chicken carcasses

Day 2:
AM. 500gm chicken mince
PM. 600gm chicken carcasses

Day 3:
AM. 400gm butchers pet mince (this is chicken carcasses minced)
PM. 700gm chicken thighs

Day 4:
AM. 500gm chicken chunks
PM. 600gm chicken carcasses

Day 5:
AM. 500gm chicken mince
PM. 600gm chicken carcasses

Day 6:
AM. 400gm butchers pet mince
PM. 700gm chicken thighs

Day 7:
AM. 500gm chicken chunks
PM. 600gm chicken carcasses


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

It looks good for the first week, has he had chicken bone before?


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Yep, he's had chicken thighs for dinner now about 6/7 times in the last couple of weeks and on Friday night he had 2 chicken carcasses and absolutely devoured them 

I was worried the first time he had them, would he know what to do?  but he was fabulous, got stuck straight in and moved them to the back of his mouth with ease so he could crunch down with the big strong teeth at the back


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

So, the "official" Day 1 has been a huge success 

He was a bit confused by the chicken pieces this morning at breakfast... sort of sniffed them suspiciously for a while :lol: then once he realised they were actually edible he was more than happy and got stuck right in :thumbup: Have to say, raw chicken at 0700 in the morning is going to take some getting used to... stomach was heaving ever so slightly 

Dinner tonight was chicken carcasses and as he's had these before I knew there wouldn't be a problem 




























I expected a little fuss at lunch time as he's been cut down to 2 meals a day with raw but he didn't  he didn't even seem to notice! He did have a Kong at about 1.30pm though as we needed to go out and leave him in the crate so that probably helped 

All in all, an excellent start


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Fantastic  He looks like he's loving it, and it'll be the best decision you've ever made for him


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## Jugsmalone (Apr 11, 2011)

I started buster off on some raw last week to see if he liked it, he loved it. :thumbup:

Coles had some too (he's been raw feed in the past). Buster had two turkey backs and Coles had one. 

Alfie looks like he's really enjoying his new diet. I hope it improves his allergy and it completly goes.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

SixStar said:


> Fantastic  He looks like he's loving it, and it'll be the best decision you've ever made for him


I actually feel a bit emotional watching him eat raw - am I a complete weirdo? :crazy: The excitement as I'm bringing his bowl in and the enthusiasm with which he tucks in... never ever was he ever like that with his kibble 



Jugsmalone said:


> I started buster off on some raw last week to see if he liked it, he loved it. :thumbup:
> 
> Coles had some too (he's been raw feed in the past). Buster had two turkey backs and Coles had one.
> 
> Alfie looks like he's really enjoying his new diet. I hope it improves his allergy and it completly goes.


Thank you, I'm really hopeful it will clear things up  We've been back walking in the spot where all the long grass & nettles are for the last 2 days and I haven't given him the piriton and <touch wood> no lumps (his neck came out in lumpy spots).

Hope your boys continue to love it too


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

Look`s like he`s loving raw. I would love to put my baby on raw but my family does not approve of it especially since she`s a small breed puppy. 

But I was wondering if it was okay to feed her raw once a week?
Sorry if you didnt want me asking I was just wondering hehe. 

I hope your boy does very well on his new diet


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Puppy dog said:


> Look`s like he`s loving raw. I would love to put my baby on raw but my family does not approve of it especially since she`s a small breed puppy.
> 
> But I was wondering if it was okay to feed her raw once a week?
> Sorry if you didnt want me asking I was just wondering hehe.
> ...


That's a shame  My H was very reluctant and a bit like this  when I first mentioned it to him but I managed to talk him around 

Oh no, ask away! I'm no expert (obviously lol, still on day 1!) but I've been feeding Alfie raw occasionally for the last couple of weeks and he's been having bones for months now, so I'd definitely say yes, feeding raw once a week would be no problem  Don't feed it "with" any of her normal food as the body digests them at different rates... make sure the raw food is fed as a completely seperate meal


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Puppy dog said:


> Look`s like he`s loving raw. I would love to put my baby on raw but my family does not approve of it especially since she`s a small breed puppy.
> 
> But I was wondering if it was okay to feed her raw once a week?
> Sorry if you didnt want me asking I was just wondering hehe.
> ...


Sorry to hi-jack  

I board a Shih Tzu during the summer and she has the odd bit of raw. Last year when I was testing raw out she stole a carcass off my boy:


































She of course didn't eat it all, I let her nom a bit then gave it back to poor Louie :lol:

And Sixstars Westie is fed raw. A friend feeds her Chinese Crested and Pap on raw too. It is do-able.


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

Thank you 

I might actually feed her dry food throughout the week and on weekends raw


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2012)

Looks like Alfie's loving it! I'm going to be watching this thread with interest, especially the purines bit on the off-chance there's a little spot in my future!

I feed my 5kg Westie raw (well, we're on week 3!) and love it! I love watching her eat because she's so enthusiastic  And it's really exciting adding new meats - yesterday I introduced wallaby!


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Looks as if it's going well .


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Chicken mince went down a storm this morning for breakfast  Blink and you would have missed it. Much lip licking going on afterwards and he kept going back to his bowl to check he hadn't missed any 

Wallaby? Lucky Kenzie! I'm looking forward to seeing how he enjoys other meats next week - I have half a freezer draw of tripe ready to try him with


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

After lots of research and a wonderful book `natural nutrition for dogs and cats' I`ve decided to go raw with my girl too. Alfie has inspired me lol. Will start her raw diet in a few weeks. Very nervous wish me luck haha


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Puppy dog said:


> After lots of research and a wonderful book `natural nutrition for dogs and cats' I`ve decided to go raw with my girl too. Alfie has inspired me lol. Will start her raw diet in a few weeks. Very nervous wish me luck haha


Good luck, you'll be fine  Do as much research as you can before you start, the sticky "raw feeding everything you need to know" is a great read and don't be scared to ask questions


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

We had our first blip this morning. Pet mince for breakfast (just minced chicken carcasses) which he gobbled up with delight but then promptly threw the whole lot back up about 2 minutes later 

He didn't attempt to re-eat it which I thought he would so I just cleared it away. I didn't give him anything else... don't know if I should have but I didn't have anything else defrosted anyway. He's just about to have his lunch "snack" (just a few biscuits until my zooplus order comes) and he had a few bits of hotdog out on this morning's walk and he seems fine in himself...

Should I be concerned? Was very surprised at him throwing it up because he's had chicken carcasses several times with no problems. Was even more surprised that he didn't go back for attempt 2, he normally would  I'm guessing he possibly ate it too fast but it was no faster that he ate the chicken mince yesterday morning.

Will be disappointed if it turns out the pet mince doesn't agree with him as it's only 20p per lb and I have another 19lb of it in the freezer :lol:


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

I don't think the mince was in him long enough to be disagreed with! I expect he just ate too fast. I wouldn't be worried.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Sarahferret said:


> I don't think the mince was in him long enough to be disagreed with! I expect he just ate too fast. I wouldn't be worried.


Thanks  I wasn't hugely worried but nice to have it confirmed, so to speak.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2012)

So, to sum up, Alfie goes ROAR, with delight at the diet change. 

Well, someone had to...


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

Just wondering does anyone supplement their dogs barf diet and why? 

I am considering adding kelp, ACV and yoghurt. And very occasionally Vit C and E tablets but still not sure, however defo feeding veggies


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

I add probiotic yoghurt, garlic, 'Billy No Mates', salmon oil and ACV.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

Coffee said:


> We had our first blip this morning. Pet mince for breakfast (just minced chicken carcasses) which he gobbled up with delight but then promptly threw the whole lot back up about 2 minutes later
> 
> He didn't attempt to re-eat it which I thought he would so I just cleared it away. I didn't give him anything else... don't know if I should have but I didn't have anything else defrosted anyway. He's just about to have his lunch "snack" (just a few biscuits until my zooplus order comes) and he had a few bits of hotdog out on this morning's walk and he seems fine in himself...
> 
> ...


Is he eating ok since the 'blip'?


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Sarahferret said:


> Is he eating ok since the 'blip'?


Thanks, yes he had his chicken thighs yesterday evening and no problems at all. Ate them with the usual joy and they stayed down! :thumbup:


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

Coffee said:


> Thanks, yes he had his chicken thighs yesterday evening and no problems at all. Ate them with the usual joy and they stayed down! :thumbup:


Great news that he`s fine now


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

All is still going well, Alfie is still loving everything... going to give him the pet mince again tomorrow for breakfast and fingers crossed it stays down this time 

Did have another very small blip yesterday morning though. I forgot to take something out of the freezer on Thursday night  so gave him half a wainwrights tray (had a few trays left over) for breakfast and on his walk (about 3 hours later) he did 2 very sloppy poos  Could it have been from the WW tray? Poos have been fine today, nice and firm (sorry!)...


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

You can feed frozen, mine won't eat frozen, but many others do, and it slows them down too


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## Puppy dog (Dec 29, 2011)

Coffee said:


> All is still going well, Alfie is still loving everything... going to give him the pet mince again tomorrow for breakfast and fingers crossed it stays down this time
> 
> Did have another very small blip yesterday morning though. I forgot to take something out of the freezer on Thursday night  so gave him half a wainwrights tray (had a few trays left over) for breakfast and on his walk (about 3 hours later) he did 2 very sloppy poos  Could it have been from the WW tray? Poos have been fine today, nice and firm (sorry!)...


Aww hope he`s okay now. I think it would of been from the WW tray because its processed and he`s getting used to non-processed (raw)


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## totallypets (Dec 30, 2011)

Coffee said:


> All is still going well, Alfie is still loving everything... going to give him the pet mince again tomorrow for breakfast and fingers crossed it stays down this time
> 
> Did have another very small blip yesterday morning though. I forgot to take something out of the freezer on Thursday night  so gave him half a wainwrights tray (had a few trays left over) for breakfast and on his walk (about 3 hours later) he did 2 very sloppy poos  Could it have been from the WW tray? Poos have been fine today, nice and firm (sorry!)...


I did this too, but just gave her it frozen and she ate it anyway - it just took her a little longer (not a bad thing)!! She now has most of her meals frozen unless it's something straight from the butchers as I prefer her to take her time!

Hopefully it was just the WW that caused it,. Maybe trying him on something frozen when you've got something defrosted ready will put your mind at ease over whether Alfie will eat it that way.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks all  Will definitely try him on a frozen meal soon, might be a good thing if it slows him down. Apart from the thighs everything else is gone in the blink of an eye


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Bit of an update for anyone who's interested 

He will not touch the pet mince in any way or variation  thawed, raw or stuffed in a carcass - it's not the end of the world though, there's so much variety I can give him, even just on chicken, so I'm not too concerned.

He had tripe this morning for the first time and he loved it :thumbup: However, on his walk approx 3 hours later, he did another sloppy poo  could it have been from the tripe? Bit of background - he has always been a dog to poo up to 3 times on his walk with each one getting progressively softer - the vet told me this was quite common, that he was clearing himself out, so to speak, so he could get on with the important business of sniffing, playing, etc...! I was never 100% happy about it though and really hoped that feeding raw would clear this up once and for all.

Maybe I'm being impatient and it WILL clear up but he needs more time  Or if it was just from the tripe, should I avoid that again? It's planned for his breakfast next on Friday so I guess I'll wait and see how poos are on Friday morning's walk!

In other news - managed to get 2 rabbits from the butchers today  so they're in the freezer ready for next week


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

If it makes you feel any better, Louie's softens as he gets onto his 3rd.. It's just become normal for us. At least I can pick the first two up.


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Tripe (Green) does loosen stool a bit but we don't find it an issue. If you do you could always give a chicken back with some tripe. Output is also likely to be very dark. Don't forget to take things slowly.

How are the urine PH levels?

Will add this here as you may have missed it, in case you are interested. Dietary and animal-related factors associated with the rate of urinary oxalate and calcium excretion in dogs and cats - June 2012

Unfortunately I don't have access to the full article but may be of interest to you especially if you know people who can access it in full.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks both 

SLB, glad to know it's not just Alfie 

Goblin, I suspect it might not have been the tripe then as it was a paler brown colour (sorry!). Am taking things very slowly  He was on 100% chicken last week and I'm introducing tripe this week... he had it this morning and it's planned for 2 more meals this week. All being well I will be introducing rabbit next week. That is correct isn't it? One new meat per week?

Only took delivery of the litmus paper strips today so am planning on starting to test the urine from tomorrow. Am hoping that will give me a good idea of what is 'normal' for him and then when we do eventually introduce offal I'll have something to compare it to.

Thank you, I'll have a read of that now


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## totallypets (Dec 30, 2011)

I'd feed him a smaller portion of tripe with 1 or 2 chicken wings or a carcass depending on how much Alfie eats in a meal and the same when you introduce offal.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Well, he had tripe again Friday morning (but completely forgot about giving him a carcass with it ) and no problems at all  In fact, we've had no runny poos at all since Tuesday :thumbup:

I do suspect I am getting ever so slightly poo obsessed though :crazy:

It's almost 2 weeks now since we started Raw and I couldn't be happier. His cost feels softer, he smells 100% better (I was saying a few weeks ago he was a bit stinky and could do with a bath but now he smells delicious!) and his breath never seems to have that 'staleness' to it anymore 

I was planning on introducing rabbit next week but is it possibly too soon? Should I continue with mostly chicken and maybe increase the amount of tripe for another week? Or just start him on the rabbit next week?


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

The way i did it, was add a new protein in each week IF they were having a few days of solid stools before hand. If they sempt to be still getting used to it, i.e having the runs or overly constipated then i'd wait a bit longer


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

A couple of pics of a couple of this week's meals 

Tripe (OMFG, the smell )









This morning's breakfast; chicken pieces and a chicken carcass:


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

Glad it is all going so well! I can't answer if it is too soon for rabbit. Some dogs adapt more quickly than others. When I started raw feeding I didn't know about the advice to introduce new things slowly, so she just got plunged in, but was ok with it all.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

pogo said:


> The way i did it, was add a new protein in each week IF they were having a few days of solid stools before hand. If they sempt to be still getting used to it, i.e having the runs or overly constipated then i'd wait a bit longer


Cheers pogo 

That makes sense. Our new week doesn't start until Tuesday so if all is well on Poo Watch for the next few days then I'll try the rabbit this week. Am ridiculously excited about this  :lol:


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

Coffee said:


> Cheers pogo
> 
> That makes sense. Our new week doesn't start until Tuesday so if all is well on Poo Watch for the next few days then I'll try the rabbit this week. Am ridiculously excited about this  :lol:


Ah the good old poo watch


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

pogo said:


> Ah the good old poo watch


My neighbours must think I'm demented... I shoot out into the garden as soon as he adopts the "stoop"  and then call through to H while doing this: :thumbup: "LOVELY AND FIRM"... :lol:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

All is still great on the poo front  so this evening he has had rabbit 

He seemed a bit bemused at first, just licked it for ages and kept looking at me like "what do I do with THIS?" but once he actually got a taste of it he was well away :thumbup:

It's not as big as it looks, it's been gutted so the inside was hollow:










I think I'll ask the butcher to chop them in half in future so I can give one half with a chicken carcass as at £3.00 a go they're a bit expensive for one meal


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Whole rabbit is the only thing the BW refuses to eat . Donated the last stinky lot to Sailor .


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Dogless said:


> Whole rabbit is the only thing the BW refuses to eat . Donated the last stinky lot to Sailor .


No way 

Saying that though, this weirdo won't eat pet mince but he loves chicken carcasses (which is what the pet mince is, just carcasses minced up) :crazy:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

All is still going really well... am introducing pork this week (week 4) :thumbup: My fantastically helpful butcher can get pigs trotters for just 20p each  so I have an order of those to collect on Thursday. Unfortunately he's had some problems with his rabbit supplier lately so he has no rabbits at the moment, which is a shame as Alfie loved them 

However, I'm going to do a DAF order next week when I get paid so will order some rabbits then from them. 

I'm not sure if Alfie looks like he's put a bit of weight on since starting Raw  I've asked friends and family and no-one seems to think he has so maybe it's just me  I'll be a bit dismayed if I need to cut his portions down as he has seemed more hungry since being on raw 

I'll take some photos later (he's sleeping right now) and post them on here and you guys can give me your honest opinions


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

First taste of pigs trotters today and an instant hit 

The butcher said he would have "some" for us this afternoon... H went to collect them and there was a bag of 25  Good job Alfie likes them  Freezer is now full to bursting so think I'm going to have to leave the DAF order for a couple of weeks...


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

I get charged for my trotters :sneaky2:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

SLB said:


> I get charged for my trotters :sneaky2:


How much?

These were 20p each which I was over the moon with


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Coffee said:


> How much?
> 
> These were 20p each which I was over the moon with


About 6 times more than that for one. My butchers are rubbish!


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

SLB said:


> About 6 times more than that for one. My butchers are rubbish!


Oh no, that's expensive


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

We're now 4 full weeks into Raw and everything is going fantastically  I'm finally starting to relax a little but I'm still planning his weekly menus as I don't quite trust myself just yet not to, to just wing it and "grab something from the freezer" the way the more experienced folk do it 

I've introduced a new meat per week as advised... so far we have chicken, tripe, rabbit and pork. Am wondering now what to try next? Was thinking lamb ribs perhaps? Any comments or advice on that?  Won't be this week coming as 1. the freezer is full to bursting and 2. am a bit skint  

Changes I've noticed already are his coat is softer, his breath is cleaner smelling and he smells much better, just generally less "doggy" and more pleasant. He seems a little calmer and more content too but I'm not sure if that's because of him being neutured at around the same time as we changed to Raw...

This week's menu for anyone who is interested (oh, I've stopped weighing everything now unless it's something new as I'm getting to know the weights of packs of mince and carcasses etc...)

Monday
AM chicken mince
PM 2 x chicken carcasses

Tuesday
AM 1/2 pack tripe & 1 chicken carcass
PM 1 pig trotter

Wednesday
AM 2 x chicken carcasses
PM 1 whole rabbit

Thursday
AM 1 pack tripe
PM 1 pig trotter

Friday
AM chicken mince
PM 1/2 rabbit & 1 chicken carcass

Saturday
AM 1/2 pack tripe & 1 chicken carcass
PM 1 pig trotter

Sunday
AM chicken mince
PM 2 chicken thighs

Any comments or opinions gladly received 

Had to laugh the other day... my H commented that Alfie had eaten tripe 2 mornings on the trot. "I hope he doesn't get bored with having that 2 days running" he said. I reminded him that before he went onto Raw he was having the same thing EVERY morning and EVERY night


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Sorry to appear needy  but would really appreciate some experienced Raw feeders' opinions on Alfie's menu... just to reassure me I'm still doing it all okay really


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Looks fine to me; if his poos are fine and he's happy and you are noticing positive changes then you must be on the right track!

Lamb ribs seem like a good next step; introduce them slowly as with everything else and I'm sure you'll be good.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Dogless said:


> Looks fine to me; if his poos are fine and he's happy and you are noticing positive changes then you must be on the right track!
> 
> Lamb ribs seem like a good next step; introduce them slowly as with everything else and I'm sure you'll be good.


Thanks Dogless 

Oh yes, forgot to say in my other post... poos are perfect :thumbup: Well, you know... as perfect as poos can be :lol:


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

I looked at it and thought it perhaps had too high a bone content. However, I had been reluctant to say that as all dogs are different. If his poohs are good, then I think it is fine, if they are hard or crumbly, maybe there is too much bone.

The other reason I didn't initially comment is that most of my immediate thoughts were over-ruled by remembering he is just starting on raw.

So I guess my thoughts in summary are that for a beginners, you are both doing well, but you might _possibly_ want to reduce the bone a little and add a bit more meat. Just my thoughts!


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Sarahferret said:


> I looked at it and thought it perhaps had too high a bone content. However, I had been reluctant to say that as all dogs are different. If his poohs are good, then I think it is fine, if they are hard or crumbly, maybe there is too much bone.
> 
> The other reason I didn't initially comment is that most of my immediate thoughts were over-ruled by remembering he is just starting on raw.
> 
> So I guess my thoughts in summary are that for a beginners, you are both doing well, but you might _possibly_ want to reduce the bone a little and add a bit more meat. Just my thoughts!


I thought that it was high bone content initially too - but so is Kilo's diet because as you say all dogs are different.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

Dogless said:


> I thought that it was high bone content initially too - but so is Kilo's diet because as you say all dogs are different.


Yep, mine too has more than 10%, probably more like 20-25%, which is kinda why I was hesitant saying it, but some of the days on the above menu look nearer 50%. But I don't think there's a problem with that either as long as poohs are healthy


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks both 

I completely hear what you're saying re: the amount of bone and I admit yes, his diet is a touch bone heavy. I've considered this myself, to reduce the bone and increase the meat but his poos are great 99% of the time. Yes, he will occasionally (maybe once a week) have quite a crumbly one but he never seems to have trouble going so I didn't know if that was reason enough to reduce the bone content


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## dvnbiker (Dec 2, 2009)

you will find that over time you will work out what works for your dogs, I have two that do better on a higher bone content than one of my boys so he will have chunky meat whilst the other two may have a carcuss. You will get there over time and believe me in no time at all you wont even think about it.


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

I will say my two have a bone heavy diet alot of the time but thats suits them better then say bone every other day!


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks all, it's really helpful to get your opinions  Interesting too how many of us seem to feed our dogs quite bone heavy menus 

Am not as skint as I first thought this week  so have been to the butchers this afternoon and bad news, no rabbits still  Poor Alfie! So, bought some racks of lamb ribs instead and also some belly pork.

Stupid question alert  but as he's had pigs trotters for the last week or so, can I assume he'll be okay with the belly pork too and just go straight into giving him that? Or should I treat it as a 'seperate' meat and introduce slowly?


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

If he has been fine with trotters and no belly upsets then i'd give the belly pork


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

pogo said:


> If he has been fine with trotters and no belly upsets then i'd give the belly pork


Excellent, thanks Pogo 

Even though it's a meat he's already had just in a different form, would you suggest leaving the lamb ribs until next week perhaps, just to make sure the belly pork agrees with him?


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

I would add in either the ribs or belly pork this week as a meal then i'd give the other next week, no point rushing things


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

pogo said:


> I would add in either the ribs or belly pork this week as a meal then i'd give the other next week, no point rushing things


I thought so too... thanks again, really appreciate the advice 

Need to go and do some alterations to the menu now what with the lack of rabbit and adding in the belly pork  Yes, it's stuck on my fridge so I know what to take out every morning and evening!


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

There was a spot called Alfie with his owner wrapped round his paw
She thought she'd feed raw; stuck a menu to the fridge door 
Now she's a geek and has street cred no more .


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Dogless said:


> There was a spot called Alfie with his owner wrapped round his paw
> She thought she'd feed raw; stuck a menu to the fridge door
> Now she's a geek and has street cred no more .


Love it :lol: :lol:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

This week's menu:

Monday
am 2 chicken carcasses
pm lamb ribs

Tuesday
am chicken mince
pm pigs trotter

Wednesday
am 1/2 packet tripe + 1 carcass
pm belly pork

Thursday
am 1/2 packet tripe + 1 carcass
pm 2 x chicken thighs

Friday
am 2 x chicken carcasses
pm belly pork

Saturday
am 1/2 packet tripe + 1 carcass
pm lamb ribs

Sunday
am 1/2 packet tripe + 1 carcass
pm pigs trotter

Using up all the tripe mince this week as have finally managed to order some tripe chunks from Prize Choice. Not my preferred choice to be honest, would have rather got a whole tripe from DAF but they don't deliver to me  and Raw 2 Go were out of stock.

Alfie had lamb ribs tonight for the first time and thought all his birthdays had come at once :lol:










For anyone interested and aware of the purine issues Dalmatians can face... I've been testing his urine for the last week with litmus paper and am pleased to report that out of 10 tests, 8 of them have fell within the healthy range for a Dally of between 6.5 - 7 ph.

So, now I know the ph level that he is currently at I'll know what to look out for while we introduce offal in another few weeks


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

About to start week 7 of raw and I can honestly say, I am still 100% commited and happy with this and have NO regrets at all. There's been no problems or issues at all and I really think that's because I researched this so extensively before hand and also the fact that I've took everything really slowly where introducing new meats are concerned 

This week's menu:

Monday
am. tripe chunks
pm. lamb ribs

Tuesday
am. chicken mince
pm. rabbit

Wednesday
am. chicken carcasses
pm. chicken thighs

Thursday
am. tripe chunks
pm. chicken necks

Friday
am. chicken carcasses
pm. belly pork

Saturday
am. tripe chunks
pm. lamb ribs

Sunday
am. chicken necks
pm. pigs trotter

No new meats being introduced this week due to severe lack of freezer space :lol: am planning on giving some heart the week after. Lovely butcher does it for 50p per kg  Am planning on giving the heart in small portions, so will give it with some tripe probably and substitute 100gr of the 500gr tripe portion for 100gr of heart as I've read heart is quite rich and should be introduced slowly to avoid squirty bottom issues 

For anyone who remembers my problem with the pigs trotters - he wouldn't eat them after gobbling up the first couple  I had a few suggestions to slice/cut them down the middle to expose the meat inside so I did that tonight and it worked a treat :thumbup: so thanks to whoever suggested that 

I hope I'm not boring anyone with this thread  I'm aware there haven't been that many replies lately but I'm finding it useful for myself, so I can look back on what we've done, what he's eaten and when, etc...


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## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

Coffee said:


> No new meats being introduced this week due to severe lack of freezer space :lol: am planning on giving some heart the week after.* Lovely butcher does it for 50p per kg*  Am planning on giving the heart in small portions, so will give it with some tripe probably and substitute 100gr of the 500gr tripe portion for 100gr of heart as I've read heart is quite rich and should be introduced slowly to avoid squirty bottom issues
> 
> For anyone who remembers my problem with the pigs trotters - he wouldn't eat them after gobbling up the first couple  I had a few suggestions to slice/cut them down the middle to expose the meat inside so I did that tonight and it worked a treat :thumbup: so thanks to whoever suggested that
> 
> I hope I'm not boring anyone with this thread  I'm aware there haven't been that many replies lately but I'm finding it useful for myself, so I can look back on what we've done, what he's eaten and when, etc...


 I paid £1 for 2 lamb's hearts weighing 300g at my butcher (the only ones they do) . Even Raw To Go's heart is £3 per kilo.

Glad the trotter thing worked out .

Raw feeding's great isn't it .


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## Sprocker Dave (Jun 30, 2012)

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for starting this post. I'm just starting on the raw journey and your post and the replies are helping ssssooooo much. 


:thumbup:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

DirtyGertie said:


> I paid £1 for 2 lamb's hearts weighing 300g at my butcher (the only ones they do) . Even Raw To Go's heart is £3 per kilo.
> 
> Glad the trotter thing worked out .
> 
> Raw feeding's great isn't it .


Ahh, now I remember  It was you that suggested cutting into the pigs trotter wasn't it? Thanks so much for the tip :thumbup:

My butcher is lovely, I know I'm really lucky! He gives me 20 chicken carcasses for £1.00 and pigs trotters for 20p each too.

I've just got quite excited at dividing up a 2kg bag of tripe chunks into 500gr portions - that's how bad feeding raw has got to me :lol:



Sprocker Dave said:


> Just a quick note to say thank you so much for starting this post. I'm just starting on the raw journey and your post and the replies are helping ssssooooo much.
> 
> :thumbup:


Aww you're very welcome, I'm really glad it's been helpful


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## PennyGSD (Apr 16, 2012)

I'm still following this, and all the new raw feeders experiences with great interest.

My own dog has such a sensitive stomach that raw is a no go for us at the moment:mad2:, beyond the odd tiny bit thrown at him on a very occasional basis as a treat followed by a few days of extremely nervous poo watch, but I know that any future dogs I have will be trialled on raw the moment they walk in the door.

I'll certainly be a raw expert on paper at least by then!

Can't wait for the next instalment about Alfie.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

PennyGSD said:


> I'm still following this, and all the new raw feeders experiences with great interest.
> 
> My own dog has such a sensitive stomach that raw is a no go for us at the moment:mad2:, beyond the odd tiny bit thrown at him on a very occasional basis as a treat followed by a few days of extremely nervous poo watch, but I know that any future dogs I have will be trialled on raw the moment they walk in the door.
> 
> ...


Aww that's nice to hear  Glad to know I'm not talking to myself  :lol:

Alfie had the prize choice tripe chunks this morning for breakfast for the first time - he'd previously been having the PC minced tripe but I really wanted to get away from the minces as they don't give him any sort of stimulation and plus they're gone in 30 seconds flat and he's looking for more  He loved the chunks :thumbup: licked the bowl completely clean and was licking his chops for about 20 minutes afterwards!


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Week 8 menu 

This week's meat of the week is lamb heart. They're a lot smaller than I expected, only weighing just over 100gr each so he'd need about 5 for a full meal, which I think would be too much in one go... so am going to slowly introduce them alongside a couple of other meals.

Something I've realised as the weeks have gone on is that Alfie needs a lot more than the recommended 10% bone to keep his stools firm. I've noticed that following the days where he's had very little bone that he can be sloppy. Even with the level of bone he eats his stools are never too hard or crumbly or difficult to pass. As I've been told before, all dogs are indeed different, with different needs 

Monday 
am 2 chicken carcasses
pm 2 chicken thighs

Tuesday
am tripe
pm 1 carcass / quarter leftover rabbit and 1 small lambs heart

Wednesday
am chicken necks
pm belly pork

Thursday
am tripe
pm pigs trotter

Friday
am 2 chicken carcasses
pm lamb ribs

Saturday
am chicken necks and 1 small lambs heart
pm 2 chicken thighs

Sunday 
am tripe
pm pigs trotter


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## totallypets (Dec 30, 2011)

Poppy would be very jealous if she could read, I have to confess that she doesn't get such a varied diet as Alfie. I'm sure though now that lamb doesn't agree with her. Will give it another go, but a breakfast time instead of dinner time (not good at 5am the next day)! 

Have been given a few grouse today so will be brave and give her one tomorrow for breakie and see how it goes!


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

totallypets said:


> Poppy would be very jealous if she could read, I have to confess that she doesn't get such a varied diet as Alfie. I'm sure though now that lamb doesn't agree with her. Will give it another go, but a breakfast time instead of dinner time (not good at 5am the next day)!
> 
> Have been given a few grouse today so will be brave and give her one tomorrow for breakie and see how it goes!


It has taken 2 months to build up that much variety though 

Oooh lucky you... no freebies to be had around here sadly. Hope Poppy enjoys it


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## toryb (Jul 11, 2011)

This is a brilliant thread...so so helpful! :thumbup:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

So, we're about to commence week 9 and I'm ready to introduce liver :scared:

Am more nervous about this than any of the previous meats due to a. all the horror stories I've read about dogs either hating it or it giving them squitty bums  and b. Alfie's issues with purines.

I think I'm as prepared as I'll ever be though. I've been testing the PH of his urine for the last month now so I know what his healthy levels are. I've chopped 1lb of liver into varying sized pieces and I know to start with a tiny bit...










Am planning on giving one small square from the bottom tray on Monday. All being well, then giving 2 squares on Wednesday and 3 on Friday. Does this sound about right? Alfie will eventually need 350gr per week of liver so I would like to feed this in one go, one meal per week. How long should I take to build up to this amount? I'm guessing at least 3/4 weeks? Gradually giving a little more each week?


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

I started with about 50g and just doubled each week until I got to the 450 - 500g meal that Kilo gets once per week so your plan sounds good to me BUT Kilo doesn't get the runs with it so I'd guess you'll have to gauge how he is; I know some folk have to feed it split into several meals.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Dogless said:


> I started with about 50g and just doubled each week until I got to the 450 - 500g meal that Kilo gets once per week so your plan sounds good to me BUT Kilo doesn't get the runs with it so I'd guess you'll have to gauge how he is; I know some folk have to feed it split into several meals.


Great, thanks Dogless 

Poo permitting then  I'll see how he gets on.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

My dog is fine with a liver meal, many dogs can only tolerate it in small amounts without getting the runs, so you will need to see how alfie gets on. Mine never had a problem with liver, before I fed raw, she had occasional liver meals as a treat, I didn't know anything about introducing it slowly. Kidney on the other hand went straight through when she had that as a meal so I had to build that up!


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Sarahferret said:


> My dog is fine with a liver meal, many dogs can only tolerate it in small amounts without getting the runs, so you will need to see how alfie gets on. Mine never had a problem with liver, before I fed raw, she had occasional liver meals as a treat, I didn't know anything about introducing it slowly. Kidney on the other hand went straight through when she had that as a meal so I had to build that up!


Thanks Sarah 

Kidney is next on my list... probably in about a month or more when (hopefully) liver has been established :scared:


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## toryb (Jul 11, 2011)

Good luck with the liver...it scares me!! :scared:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

So... first day of liver and so far so good :thumbup:

He had a tiny little square of it in his tripe this morning and I'm not sure he even realised it was there or that it was something different but he ate it and that's the main thing  Am now on poo watch... if there was going to be any unpleasant reaction could I expect this today? He poo'd on his morning walk, was perfect as always (!) and that was about 3 hours after breakfast...

Quick question - should I be holding off introducing any other meats now until liver has been well established? I'm assuming the answer to that is 'yes' as if there are any bad reactions I wouldn't know if it was the liver or the new meat causing it would I? Thought I'd better check with the experts though 

Lovely butcher has some fabulous, huge beef hearts available at the moment and he said he would portion it up for me in whatever weights I need it so think I'll get some this week and keep them in the freezer as he doesn't always have them and knowing my luck, if I asked for them in a few weeks he wouldn't have any


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## toryb (Jul 11, 2011)

Was he ok with the liver??


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

toryb said:


> Was he ok with the liver??


Hi, thanks for asking 

Well... I think so 

He had a tiny bit on Monday and all was fine. Then he had a slightly bigger bit on Wednesday and again, all was fine I thought. But then he had 1 small but sloppy-ish poo on Thursday and another one Friday. After the sloppy one on Thursday I decided not to give him anymore liver on Friday (as was my original plan) but he has had another bit this morning.

Good news is he seems to like it!

Am not sure if these 2 sloppy poos are because of the liver or not as 1. the times/days he did them don't really match in with when he ate it and 2. both days he also did 2 small, 100% firm poos too and I thought if liver was going to cause poo problems it would be for every poo.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Haven't been around much for the last few weeks (lots of busy stuff going on at home, won't bore you all with it ) but there's not much to report anyway 

It's 3 weeks since I started Alfie on liver and we're still going very slowly as towards the end of week 2 I increased the amount slightly and instant runny poos. So went back to smaller amounts and have only gradually increased them in the last 3 days again. He's up to 4 medium sized (3cmx3cm) pieces 3 or 4 times a week now, woo-hoo! 

I never quite believed that liver really needed to be introduced as slowly as is advised but I definitely do believe it now  

I'm hoping within another couple of week we'll be up to the amount he needs weekly so can then move onto something else. Those beef hearts are waiting very patiently in the freezer for their turn.....


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## sazzle (Sep 10, 2011)

Well done on your post Coffee.

I have been feeding raw for 12 months now, but it is still very interesting reading your diary. Im glad Alfie has taken to it so well. :

We still pooh watch after 12 months.:thumbup:


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## toryb (Jul 11, 2011)

Glad alfie is still doing well!! :thumbup:


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

A little bounce for Dexter 12 

God, haven't updated this for ages  just going out now, but will do an update later for anyone that's interested


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

So... a bit of an update 

Everything is still going really well. We've had no real issues or problems and I still feel that putting Alfie onto raw was the best thing I ever did for him.

It took me almost 6 weeks to fully transition him onto liver  I had to take it really, really slowly but apart from a small blip at the beginning when I tried to go too quickly it's all gone fine. He now has his 300gr of liver per week spread over 3 meals of 100gr a time... he has this along with chicken necks for 2 reasons... 1. he doesn't actually seem to like the liver than much and mixing it in with the chicken necks seems to help him eat it better and 2. I discovered that eating it on it's own gave him the squits 

I introduced beef heart a couple of weeks ago and it's a firm favourite :thumbsup: which is great as it's probably the only beef meat I can afford at the moment 

He still needs a lot more bone than 10% but that's Alfie. I've tried cutting the bone amount down and he instantly gets soft poos. So I'll stick with what suits him and his needs right now.

This week's menu, to show the variety he enjoys now:

Monday
AM - 2 chicken carcasses
PM - belly pork

Tuesday
AM - chicken necks and liver
PM - 2 lamb hearts

Wednesday
AM - chicken 1/4
PM chicken carcass and beef heart

Thursday
AM - tripe
PM- 1/2 rabbit

Friday
AM - chicken necks and liver
PM - chicken 1/4

Saturday
AM - tripe
PM - pigs trotter

Sunday
AM- chicken necks and liver
PM - lamb ribs


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

So pleased that you persevered and Alfie is just spotty on it .


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

So, it's took since June but now Alfie is fully, 100% raw 

He now has everything I want him to have (apart from venison, which I'd love to give him but prices are just silly... but hoping to get some from MVM next month) and while liver and kidney aren't exactly his favourites, he will eat them 

For anyone that's interested and remembers... I still test his urine twice a day, every day, to keep an eye on his PH levels as an indicator of whether urinary crystals could develop and I'm delighted to report that there's been no issues at all... it generally falls between 5.5 and 6.8 which is spot (parden the pun) on 

This is his menu at the moment:

Monday	
AM	Tripe & Kidney
PM	½ Rabbit


Tuesday	
AM	Chicken Necks & Liver
PM	Carcass & Beef Heart


Wednesday 
AM	Chicken ¼ 
PM	2 x Lambs Heart


Thursday	
AM	Tripe & Kidney
PM	Pigs Trotter


Friday 
AM	Chicken Necks & Liver
PM	Carcass & Beef Tongue


Saturday	
AM	Tripe & Kidney
PM	Lamb Ribs


Sunday	
AM	Chicken Necks & Liver
PM	Pork Ribs


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

Just a question out of curiosity about raw feeding but i thaught it was really bad to give dogs chicken bones?? or is that just if they are cooked??

Sorry just me being stupid! :blush:

I was given raw bones for my 2 once, and they didnt touch them. They are weird!! 

Glad Alfie is enjoying his new diet.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2012)

LouLatch said:


> Just a question out of curiosity about raw feeding but i thaught it was really bad to give dogs chicken bones?? or is that just if they are cooked??
> 
> Sorry just me being stupid! :blush:
> 
> ...


They are dangerous when cooked, raw is fine


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

New Puppy Mum said:


> They are dangerous when cooked, raw is fine


Ahh thats ok then, was confusing my brain! It doesnt take much!!


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

Well done Alfie for being a good boy for mum


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

One of the things I really love about raw feeding is the smell of him, or lack of. He just smells clean and he feels so nice to touch, so soft. I was stroking my friend's dog earlier and she stunk, it was really bad  and her fur was really greasy and left my hand feeling horrible


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## laurahair (Apr 21, 2011)

we are just starting on raw here and this thread is very useful 

Just wanted to ask, when you say chicken carcass I assume it is literally the bones with very little meat left on it? The ones you can order from places like DAF? I gave Tess 2 chicken drumsticks and a chicken breast last night, more drumsticks this morning and was thinking 1/4-1/2 a chicken later today.( No idea how much bone she will need but on kibble her poops are only firm-ish at best, and she goes 4-5 times a day so hoping for an improvement there.)


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

laurahair said:


> we are just starting on raw here and this thread is very useful
> 
> Just wanted to ask, when you say chicken carcass I assume it is literally the bones with very little meat left on it? The ones you can order from places like DAF? I gave Tess 2 chicken drumsticks and a chicken breast last night, more drumsticks this morning and was thinking 1/4-1/2 a chicken later today.( No idea how much bone she will need but on kibble her poops are only firm-ish at best, and she goes 4-5 times a day so hoping for an improvement there.)


Hi 

The carcasses I get are pretty meaty but I know it can vary depending on where you get them from. I get mine from my butcher but yes, they're the ones you can order from DAF and other raw food suppliers. I tend to feed them mostly *with* something non-boney like beef heart or tongue as they are pretty bone heavy.


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## laurahair (Apr 21, 2011)

Coffee said:


> Hi
> 
> The carcasses I get are pretty meaty but I know it can vary depending on where you get them from. I get mine from my butcher but yes, they're the ones you can order from DAF and other raw food suppliers. I tend to feed them mostly *with* something non-boney like beef heart or tongue as they are pretty bone heavy.


thank-you, that clarifies it for me  I am going to town on monday morning to sweet talk my favourite butcher  he is EXTREMELY generous with dog bones and trotters so hopefully it might extend to chicken carcasses, necks etc


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Really pleased things are going well. What are others reactions on feeding raw outside of this forum?


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Goblin said:


> Really pleased things are going well. What are others reactions on feeding raw outside of this forum?


Pretty poor really which I still find hard to deal with  I have friends and fellow dog walkers telling me it's disgusting and weird  Oh and the best was "it's not natural"... what, so feeding hard little processed biscuits IS?  The best was when a fellow walker commented on Alfie's teeth and how soft his coat was and asked me what I fed him... you'd think the answer was "fresh new born babies" from her reaction.

I haven't actually got anyone in real life to discuss raw feeding with, no-one I know supports it at all. I just thank goodness for this place, another forum I go on and a raw feeding group on facebook


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

laurahair said:


> thank-you, that clarifies it for me  I am going to town on monday morning to sweet talk my favourite butcher  he is EXTREMELY generous with dog bones and trotters so hopefully it might extend to chicken carcasses, necks etc


Best of luck 

Having a helpful butcher makes ALL the difference when you feed raw!


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

Coffee said:


> Pretty poor really which I still find hard to deal with  I have friends and fellow dog walkers telling me it's disgusting and weird  Oh and the best was "it's not natural"... what, so feeding hard little processed biscuits IS?  The best was when a fellow walker commented on Alfie's teeth and how soft his coat was and asked me what I fed him... you'd think the answer was "fresh new born babies" from her reaction.
> 
> I haven't actually got anyone in real life to discuss raw feeding with, no-one I know supports it at all. I just thank goodness for this place, another forum I go on and a raw feeding group on facebook


You do know it's disgusting and your killing your dogs don't you know :wink:

Bloody weirdo


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## GingerRogers (Sep 13, 2012)

I was actually amazed when I breached raw feeding with hubby, I thought he would roll his eyes and go oh another bloody dog fad. He is totally behind me on this though. Just about to go out and meet collie owning friend, I might mention it to him :devil: see what he says.

Feeding new born babies, lol.


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## Spotalot (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi Coffee

Thanks so much for starting this thread, its really really helpfull.
All in all I don't think I'm doing too badly then.....I've just ordered some urine dip sticks, wish Id thought to test before I started raw, but better late than never.

I notice on your menus you don't add occasional eggs and shell or cottage cheese or yoghurt!
Is there a reason for this?

One thing , I find Daisy still grazes on rough grass when she can, its not a huge oroblem till she has it hanging from her bum and panics :scared:

Also dreading any vet asking what I feed as I've yet to find one that agrees with raw, have you?


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## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

Spotalot said:


> Also dreading any vet asking what I feed as I've yet to find one that agrees with raw, have you?


I've never told my vet I feed raw, however my daughter-in-law mentioned it last time she was there. Vet said "I don't agree with raw feeding". Poppy is due her booster in the next week or two, not really looking forward to any ensuing conversation, I'm sure vet wont have forgotten, it's a small practice.

By the way, my groomer breeds dalmations and has raw fed for over 15 years. I know she doesn't feed offal as I once asked her to share a 4kg bag of liver (or maybe it was kidney ) with me and she said dallies can't have it. Anyway, she used to use Landywoods but has recently changed to Natures Menu although not sure which range.

Good luck with your raw feeding.


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Hi Spotalot 

I do now feed eggs... 2 or 3 a week. I don't feed the shell though as he won't eat it  I don't feed any cottage cheese or yogurt as he doesn't need them and they're not what I'd consider to be species appropriate foods


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Spotalot said:


> Also dreading any vet asking what I feed as I've yet to find one that agrees with raw, have you?


Raw Food Vets » Find a Raw Food Vet shows quite a few.


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## Spotalot (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks again Coffee 

And thanks for that vet link Goblin.....looks like there is just 1 in Essex


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## Spotalot (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi guys

Just an update really to say that Daisy dalmatian is still doing great on raw.
I'm still using natural instinct minces as I like the varieties and have found a local supplier which makes them cheaper.

She has mostly chicken/ turkey/ lamb/ tripe/ salmon and duck minces on rotation
But now have added chicken wings/ carcasses, , lamb ribs and back and breast, chicken 
Chunks, white fish chunks and my least favourite ( too bloody) beef chunks.
Also cottage cheeses and eggs and shell.

Havn't added any extra offal as such but a couple of the minces contain some liver and also spinach apples and sweet potato

One question for Coffee though if she's still around.
She dosn't drink very much now, when she was on kibble she would empty the bowl, so I now add water to her minces, but her first wee is very concentrated and her ph levels when I dipstick are consistently 5.75, which I understand as being a bit high, I know it should be neutral at 7....any thoughts on this?


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Spotalot said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Just an update really to say that Daisy dalmatian is still doing great on raw.
> I'm still using natural instinct minces as I like the varieties and have found a local supplier which makes them cheaper.
> ...


Adding water to her food, to float, is a good idea and a great way to make them take more water  Dogs do drink less on Raw though, that's perfectly normal. 5.75 isn't worryingly high and I would always expect the first wee of the day to be more concentrated. I would start testing a later wee too just to give you peace of mind. I did twice a day for many months


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

I would test a later wee as well as first one of the day is most concentrated which is why its the one the doctors always want and the best one for pregnancy tests
Sounds like she's doing really well.

Mine are all raw fed, I don't add water to their food (not dallies) and they drink little water. Barely a bowl between seven of them a day


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## Spotalot (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi guys
Good idea testing later in the day.
Her PH levels are more like 6.75 mid afternoon.
I will keep checking on and off , but its made me worry less.
Dosnt help when I think she's doing so well and people tell me she can't live completely on a raw diet as its too high in fat and protein and that you shoukd do half and half at different ends of the day.....screaaaaaam.....


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## Coffee (Jul 31, 2011)

Spotalot said:


> Hi guys
> Good idea testing later in the day.
> Her PH levels are more like 6.75 mid afternoon.
> I will keep checking on and off , but its made me worry less.
> Dosnt help when I think she's doing so well and people tell me she can't live completely on a raw diet as its too high in fat and protein and that you shoukd do half and half at different ends of the day.....screaaaaaam.....


Just nod and smile and carry on with what you're doing


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