[OzChi]

Hopefully all you raw experts can give me some advice on what age it is appropreate to switch my puppies on to an all raw diet

I have a 10 week old and a 20 week old. I transitioned them from the yucky food the breeder had them on (supermarket brand canned food and advance puppy kibble) to Eagle Pack Wholistic select canned food and Canidae grain free kibble (the kibble is free fed) plus a joint of a chicken wing in place of a meal 2x per week.

I want to transition them to 100% raw as it just makes sense to me and my little girl has bad gas all the time so something is not working for her

I'm just worried that by feeding raw they may miss out on something in the way of essential vitamins and minerals while they're growing. I'm willing to put in the time to get the ratios right and prepare their food myself, I just need some advice/reassurance on making their diet nutritionally complete.

I live in Australia so there is limited access to pre-prepared raw food like Ziwi Peak (which is crazy because New Zealand is right next door!?!?). There is pre-made BARF at my local pet supply store but it's the stuff with ground vegies in it and from what I've read that isn't required for dogs.

Has anyone fed raw from puppyhood and had no nutrition issues?

I'd appreciate any advice on this. i really want to give my little ones the best start in life coz they deserve it!

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

There are many people who feed raw to expecting mom and then to the pups.

I switched my English Springer Spaniel to raw when we brought her home at 10 weeks old, she will be 5 in a few weeks. She is as healthy as the proverbial ox and has never had any issues.

Spacely, the chi, was switched as soon as he came into our home and again, no issues. Well, apparently we prevented an issue since if he eats anything other than raw, he has incredibly toxic gas. My husband jokes that is probably the reason he was dumped, his previous family probably fed him kibble and could not take the fumes any longer.

 

[OzChi]

Aww poor Spacely! I'm glad you've found something that works for him. My husband and I carry around the little one down the front of our hoodies and dressing gowns (she sometimes needs some time out from her over enthusiastic older brother) and with her gas trapped in there it really hits you in the face! There is obviously something not agreeing with her, she gets a really bloated tummy after she eats too. My other pup is only 10 weeks older than her and he never had these issues, even on the yucky supermarket brand canned food from the breeder.

For puppy's do you add supplements to the raw food or also feed a good kibble or is it just 100% raw with the meat/bone/organ ratios mentioned in the intro to raw thread?

 

[Blue Chi]

You can just go straight to raw at the right ratios. From my reading, I think the only thing you have to do different is the amount you feed a puppy. I think the quote is 3-4% of body weight is the amount you are supposed to feed daily. A puppy is more like 10% of their body weight OR 3-4% of their expected adult weight.
My 5 month old chi eats almost the same amount as my 2 year old 22 lb Boston Terrier! And he looks perfect.

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

Based on Spacely's body weight (just under 7 lbs), he should get about 4 oz of food a day if I feed him 3.5% of his body weight so that is where I started him (we think he is about 19 months old)

He lost weight so I upped his food until he maintained his weight. He actually eats 5-6 oz per day now and holds his weight nicely. His 43 lbs "sister" eats right around 14-16 oz a day to maintain her weight but eats less in the summer.

With a puppy, I would start like Blu Chi suggest and then adjust as needed.

And while raw did not totally clear Spacely of his gas issues, it is now occasional rather than daily...thank goodness. Who knew such a little dog would cause such a big stink??

 

[LostLakeLua]

You can go straight to raw at their age. I had Tequila started on raw at I want to say 9 weeks. Her only tough part was chewing bone since she was so tiny. So we either put the bones in a bag, covered with a towel and tapped a few times with a hammer to crush it and make the pieces small enough for her to swallow; OR give egg shells. But by 14 weeks already she was a champ at crunching through chicken necks!
If you think about it, pups in the wild (wolves I mean) eat raw right after they're weaned. Momma just has to eat it first and soften it, then regurgitates it for them. So it's just... slightly digested raw, LOL.

 

[OzChi]

Cool, I have some time off over Xmas/News Year so I will get out my caluclator, scales and freezer bags and go to town. I'm lucky that i live 10 mins walk away from a big Asian market where you can get pretty much any type of meat (including lots of offal) for ridiculously cheap prices. I get 2kg of chicken wings there for $5 - half of what I pay when im lazy and just grab them at the supermarket