Raw Meat

[LEY8R]

Hello, I have just joined the forum and have started my Italian Greyhound on a raw meat and bone diet. She will not eat any vegetables or fruit though. Reading through the comments it seems that this is ok. Can someone confirm this for me please. Also, I am getting a puppy soon, 9 weeks old, and would like to know if I can begin the raw food diet immediately or if I should hold off until she is older.

Thanks

 

[MaryK]

Hi and Welcome

Italian Greyhounds can, from what other people have told me, be a bit 'fussy'. Just make sure she gets ALL the necessary vitamins etc. Raw meat alone doesn't always have all dogs need. I feed raw meat mixed with other dog food, but not every day.

Make sure the bones are RAW - cooked bones can splinter and cause massive problems, but I am sure you already know that

Also check out the forum for home made treats, there are some excellent, easy to make, recipes there which are wonderful for training and just well treating your dog because you can


Check around the health forum, I am sure you will find ALL the help you need. Or start a new thread if you don't.

With your new puppy (I'm soooooooooooo jealous adore pups) don't change her/his diet immediately from what she/he has been having with the breeder. This can give a young pup an upset tummy. Make the change gradually, slowly does it, nothing too sudden.

Again check the puppy advice forum and health forums, or start a thread there. I just know you will get all the right advice, you've come to the right forum

PLEASE photos of your dog EVERYONE here LOVES PHOTOS OR VIDEOS. We wanna see your doggy please

 

[MaryK]

Your doggy is BEAUTIFUL that face and those eyes

 

[Pawbla]

Depends on who you wish to believe.

First of all, welcome!

Second, there are many opinions on dog's diet. There are the people who say kibble has all a dog needs, there are people who say RAW diet has all your dog needs (RAW diet includes: meat (muscle), offal, and bone), there are people who say BARF is all your dog needs (bones and raw food), etc.

Frankly: whatever works for your dog. Just make sure to have regular check ups, regular blood analysis, etc until you know it's working for your dog. If your dog doesn't eat vegetables, make sure you are correctly following RAW diet: Meat and bone percentage varies (watch your dog's stool, if it's too soft, too little bone, if it's too hard, too much bone) and you need to add 10% organ meat and 5% liver.

You might want to add a vitamin supplement if you're not sure.

A good place to figure out nutrition is boxerworld/dogfoodanalysis. I don't even have a boxer and I enjoy their articles very much. (I hope this is not against the site rules? It's just a recommendation)

 

[sara]

What I've heard is the top raw food diet is 80% muscle meat (this includes heart) 10% bone and 10% Organ (with 5% of that being liver) There is a forum specific to dog food, with a section specific to raw feeding and BARF http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/

I do not feed a raw diet, but I have done a ton of research on it.

 

[Anneke]

Hi and welcome!!

Like Pawbla says, it's what you believe.
In the wild wolves eat meat, organs and bones. In the organs are half digested fruits and vegetables, the prey has been eating. In that the wolf gets what ever it needs. But a wolf will also eat fruit and plants.
I know our dogs are not wolves but their digestive system is not different.

My dogs don't eat uncooked vegetables either, or fruit. They do when it is cooked, though.
I feed my dogs kibble, but two days a week they get meat. I don't have the stomach to feed Barf, so I get ground meat that has ground bone in it. It is a special blend made for dogs, with all the nutricions they need.

I have been told, that changing a dogs diet to meat is no problem, not even for a pup. But if your pup is not used to having meat, you might want to gradually change to meat in a weeks time. Keep an eye on her stool, because it might get soft while she is adapting. Normally it should be soft for just a few days.