Anyone ready to make the switch to raw? Still doing research?

I'm about to go into detail about what my dogs are eating right now, but keep in mind if you're planning to switch, don't just copy this right off! Hopefully you came across this link: Switching to a Raw Diet.

Start off slow. The biggest mistake most "newbies" make is to add too much variety too soon! The result? A very rough transition that involves lots of midnight trips outside. So, start slowly. Pick one protein source and feed that for about a week (or more—it depends on your dog!). Many people start with chicken because it is an easily digestible protein source that is relatively inexpensive and is easy to get. But if you want to start with something different, like pork or beef, then by all means do so. Make sure to pick a raw meaty bone that is suitable for your dog. If you have a Chihuahua, try a chicken thigh. If you have a Golden Retriever, try a chicken quarter.

Picking one protein goes if you are feeding whole cuts of meat, or a pre-made commercial raw food. I've fed all my foster dogs a raw diet and I've gotten this switching thing down now, I think!

First, I fast the dog for a day. I won't feed the dog the day I get him, then he'll get dinner the next night. I start with chicken and feed that for about 2 weeks. For the first few days, I remove the skin. This makes it a bit easier to eat, and often helps ease the transition. Don't worry about supplements, unless you already give them, or veggies just yet. Like the post says, GO SLOW!

After a couple weeks, or less depending on how the dog is doing, I'll add a second protein in. For me, it's usually green tripe, but it doesn't much matter. I have found that dogs new to raw might not do great on more rich meats like beef at first, but it all depends on the dog. After a few weeks on two proteins, I'll add a third, and so on. Strive for variety over time, as in over a week or month, not every day.

If your dog has an upset stomach at any time, just go back to fasting for a day. Stools may be loose but that doesn't always mean the dog has diarrhea - that's when they have to go a lot, and/or can't hold it. Raw-fed dog poop will be different from what you're used to, most likely. If you're hanging out on the Yahoo raw feeding group, there will probably be lots of discussion about stuff like this. :)

Another common thing I've seen is regurgitation - food comes right back up. Often dogs aren't used to eating cold foods, so you can warm the food first in warm water - just DON'T microwave it!!

One last note before I get to the menu. Of course raw feeding is not for everyone! I'm just trying to help out those who may be interested. If you don't want to feed raw, then don't! If you do, give it a try! There will always be those who are anti-raw, be them your friends, or your vet. My regular vet wasn't all gung-ho about it at first, but she sees how great my dogs look and realizes I'm doing right by them.

All three have had bloodwork done in the past year and everything looks great - not necessary to do, but nice to know! Additionally, now we see a holistic vet too, who recommends raw, so it's nice to have the extra support and guidance from her.

Ok, enough rambling, let's get to the meat!

Day One



Protein: Ground turkey and canned salmon
Cost: About $2.50 for the turkey, $2 for the salmon. I didn't measure out these meals by weight, just divided the food up among 5 bowls. Probably a little more food than the dogs should get in a day, but you can adjust the next day's meal so they get a little less and it evens out.
Cost per dog: 90 cents, not including the supplements.



Isabella and Fred enjoy the selection!



Po, who eats inside, wonders when he can come out and scrounge for more!



The supplements - optional!

Fish oil and vitamin E: I give these for reasons listed here on dogaware.com.
Stress-free Calmplex: From Springtime Inc. Just for Maceo and Fred, who are a bit of nervous Neds sometimes. I may not give this every day, but have been tossing it in lately.
Acti-Flex 4000: Yes, it's a horse supplement. They make a dog version, but the only difference is an added beef flavor. I bought the Acti-Flex online here - it was recommended on the DFW raw feeding list. I gave a loading dose of 1/2 tsp per day for 5 days, and now they get 1/4 tsp once a day. That's for dogs 25 pounds or less.

Day Two

Protein: Chicken
Cost: Varies, but always less than a dollar per pound. I buy legs or thighs.
Cost per dog: At 50 cents a lb, which is probably more than I paid for this batch, 12.5 cents or so? Chicken is cheap!

Chicken is easy to feed! I just dole it out like so:



And they crunch it up like so!



Day Three



Protein: Emu
Cost: $2 per lb
Cost per dog: 50 cents

Since this is one of the pricier foods I feed, I decided to measure. Each dog got 1/4 lb, except for Fred, who got a bit more. (Maceo got chicken today as he's pretty new to raw and I didn't want to introduce this protein yet.) I've had this scale for a while, and it works great since you can just stick the bowl on there and calibrate.



Today, I also added pureed veggies to the meal, because I finally got around to actually pureeing some more. I think this batch has spinach, green beans, carrots, yellow squash, celery and an overripe banana.



I've only been doing veggies for a couple months and only at the suggestion of our holistic vet. She's big into food therapy as a part of Chinese medicine and gives me tips on what veggies to use at what time of year, and things of this nature.

To be honest, it's kind of a pain in the butt and the dogs aren't really into the veggies! If you want to feed veggies, great. If not, I think as long as the diet is balanced otherwise (bones, meat and organs, with variety among sources), you will be fine.

Of course, I'm not a licensed veterinarian or nutritionist, nor do I play one on TV. Know your dogs and do your own research too, and you'll be off to a great start!