[BulldogMom]

Hi all! My puppy is 8 weeks and I’m wanting to get away from the dry dog food and feed him a raw diet. I’ve been researching for hours and I cannot find a good raw recipe to start him on. It seems like everyone just feeds in whole rather than mixing… I did find one recipe with ground beef and rice but I’m wanting something with chicken, veggies, fruit, etc. Can someone PLEASE help me? I have no idea where to start. I need some recipes, a menu, something! I’m feeling absolutely discouraged. I was looking for something I could freeze in bulk rather than spending a ton of money on whole chicken, turkey, etc. for different days.

He’s an 8 week old American bulldog.

Thanks in advance!

[Akari_32]

Check out the Raw Feeding Community on Facebook. They have helped me a ton for both my cat and dog. Lots of people have growing pups on there, too.

[mountainhound]

Rice is not a part of a raw diet, a lot of people do the prey model style because its easier, no grinding or blending veggies (most dogs dont need veggies)
Look info facebook groups and also this website which is a good starting guide to feeding raw, or you can always get some premade from a petstore like bravo, primal or vital essentials. http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf

[lovemypuppy]

I switched my puppy at 10 weeks to a commercial raw diet. She’s been on it for only a week but already appears healthier. I chose Primal Formulas because there are 8 different formula options, it’s convenient (pre-portioned into 1 ounce nuggets), it is rated for all life stages with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1, and the ingredient list is commendable, IMO, with all veggies being organic and the addition of fish oil, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil. The only supplements that are added are zinc, copper, and selenium – the rest is all food derived.

[pugmomsandy]

The book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Becker/Beth Taylor utilizes veg and some fruit and also has a vitamin/mineral recipe. Her recipes use 75% meat mix with 25% veg mix. It’s a good read even if you don’t decide to use the recipes.

[Aspen A]

Bulldog Mom, I’m with Steve’s Real Food and we sell pre-blended raw dog food, but it sounds like you are wanting to mix your own. Just be careful to make sure your dog is getting all of his trace minerals and a good, healthy nutritional balance – it takes a lot of research, which is why some people choose to do something like Steve’s so it is done for them, so good luck! There are lots of resources out there to help you. Definitely recommend Dr Becker’s book. It is great.

[crazy4cats]

Hey Guys-
I only feed my dogs raw a couple times per week. I usually feed either frozen or freeze dried. When I was on the Primal website doing some comparisons, I ran across this statement:

It is important to only serve Primal raw foods when completely thawed. Frozen foods can be difficult for animals to digest. Never microwave any pet food. Microwaves cause the fat molecules to radically change, making fats less digestible, and ultimately they can become harmful to your pet’s long-term health.

I often forget to thaw out the frozen nuggets and mix them in their kibble partially frozen, not really thinking much about it. According to their statement, feeding it frozen can be tough on them.

Any thoughts on this?

[Aspen A]

IMHO yes, I think it is a little more work for your dog to digest it because the cold absorbs heat from their body, but I feed my dog about equally frozen and thawed. He tends to overeat the thawed and throw up more, but frozen he has to chew so it keeps him from eating to quickly, which is a benefit. There was once that he had a big frozen meal and he came to me shivering because his body temperature had dropped, which is definitely in the con section, but I don’t think most dogs are so delicate that it is going to give them issues. I think partially frozen is fine. Sometimes I will put out his next meal to thaw in the fridge when he is eating his last meal, which is a decent way to keep track of it and make sure it has time to thaw. But the overall point I am trying to make is that I don’t think it makes that much difference, especially if it is only a couple of times a week and partially frozen. Here at Steve’s Real Food we don’t worry about it at all.

[crazy4cats]

Hey, thanks for the input. That makes sense. I can totally relate to trying to slow down their eating. I have two male lab mixes that are litter mates. They tend to eat as fast as they can so then they can go “help” their brother finish theirs. So thoughtful, lol!

The Primal site almost made it sound like it was harmful to feed if not totally thawed. Thanks, again.

[Aspen A]

Not having eaten it myself, and not being a dog, I couldn’t say, but it seems like it would be more enjoyable thawed…Steve’s Real Food kind of looks like burrito meat, but I always say, the closer mexican food looks to dog food the yummier it is…

[crazy4cats]

Agreed! I think our feed store may carry Steve’s. I’ll check it out.

[Anonymous]

I don’t do raw feeding, but I thought that you folks that do, might be interested in this:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-roundup/?mc_cid=fe3be7b7d0&mc_eid=cb2524c2fa
Brought to you by Dogs Naturally Magazine, this conference will be led by some of the world’s best veterinarians and canine nutrition experts – live from your computer, anywhere in the world!

“This LIVE, ONLINE and INTERACTIVE event will deliver more health boosting diet plans and ideas for your dog than you can shake a stick at! An amazing opportunity for learning and networking”.

[Author]

Posts