[carrieandcricket]

So many question. I read the thread and it said that I should start her with bone-in chicken. That's fine cause its not expensive and we get ours from a butcher cheap. I know with some foods you have to mix do you with the raw diet? Or can we just go straight to it? Her teeth aren't healthy so can I cut some of the bones in smaller pieces? Cause no way is she going to get a chicken breast in her little mouth. She is too small. Also I would rather mix the food myself than buy pre made. Recipes?

 

[20887]

You can get chicken wings instead of bone in breast... They are easy for them to crunch through. You start raw cold turkey because it digests at a different rate than kibble, so you can't feed them together.

 

[carrieandcricket]

I'm not good with a calculator. She is small maybe 2 or three lbs. I think a whole wing would be too much. I can cut and freeze the rest not a problem, but when I start integrating the organs can I also add some carbs? I don't need her losing weight.

 

[Kaila]

Are you referring to mixing the food to gradually make the switch from one to another?

Personally, I've never bought into that theory. In the very beginning, Teddy used to get slightly loose stools when I switched his food, yes. But I kept doing it. I'd wait a week or two until he was used to one food, then switch brands or flavors on him. I did it pretty rapidly for a few months while he was young. Now he doesn't get a stomach ache if I switch his food, just like you don't get a stomach ache if you eat chicken for dinner tonight and a hamburger for lunch tomorrow.

I don't feed raw myself. I tried pre-made raw (Instinct) but Teddy didn't like it. So I can't help as far as recipes.

I don't think that they need to get the entire chicken breast into their mouth. From what I've read, you usually start with chicken or turkey necks and wings. Those bones are much smaller and chewing on the bones really helps with teeth.

Also.. I can recommend a good enzyme dental spray if you're interested. It's called Leba III and it's sold on Amazon.com and GWLittle.com for around $50. Works great and lasts a long time. Just two sprays a day without food or water 30 minutes before and after each spray. It works wonders.

Here's how his teeth look while using the Leba spray consistently:

Here's how they look (today) since I ran out of the spray two weeks ago:

You can see how the top of his canines is turning yellow again. His breath has also been much more sour.

 

[Blue Chi]

My Gunner is still a pup. He's 6 months old. I started him on raw about 6 weeks or so ago. I'd say for the past month he's had no carbs. I feed him straight raw and Ziwipeak (which is just a premade dehydrated raw). And he's gaining weight like a crazy man! When we got him at 10 weeks old he was a 2 pounder. He's up to 4.9lbs!! So don't worry about that. She'll gain weight as long as you're giving her enough. Let's just say she's 3 lbs. You should be feeding about 3-4% of her body weight to maintain. If you want her to gain, do a little more. So if she's 3 lbs, then feed her about 1-2 oz of meat daily. If she's not gaining like you'd like, feed a little more. Just adjust as you see it's needed.

Prey model raw is extremely easy. No mixing. The main concern is just getting the right proportions of 80/10/10. Since ur girl is so tiny, you may have to cut big chunks of meat into bite size pieces. And you'll be surprised at how she will be able to chew through bone. Especially smaller ones from a chicken. A leg bone may be harder. Especially with bad teeth. If you find she does have difficulty, just put the meat in a baggie and smash with a hammer. She'll get better with the bones as she gets more experienced with raw and her jaw muscles strengthen.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Have you read up on it? Does it eat enamel away?

 

[Blue Chi]

Kaila, wow, those pics are awesome! I need to get some of that. But it will have to wait til after Christmas since it's so expensive.....
So what is the spray? Is it basically just enzymes? If that's all it is, I actually make my own out of fruit. So maybe I could just use that. Now you got me thinking......

 

[20887]

You can cut the wings into 1/3s... That is what I do.

 

[Kaila]

Kaila, wow, those pics are awesome! I need to get some of that. But it will have to wait til after Christmas since it's so expensive.....
So what is the spray? Is it basically just enzymes? If that's all it is, I actually make my own out of fruit. So maybe I could just use that. Now you got me thinking......

The ingredients are:
INGREDIENTS: Distilled water, Ethyl alcohol 25%, Lamiaceae & Rosaceae in trace elements.

I've tried other dental products for dogs (dog toothpastes, food/water additives, foams, different sprays, etc.) and nothing worked as clearly as this. Some even made it worse. Within 2-3 days of using the Leba per the instructions, the hard yellow plaque on his teeth softens to a stinky yellow goo that can be scraped off with your fingernail. That's when I start brushing his teeth gently with a toothbrush and water. Underneath the gunk, his teeth are shiny and white.

Sorry for accidentally giving false information-- the spray does not CONTAIN enzymes. It STIMULATES enzymes in the dog's saliva to dissolve plaque. I think Brody's mom uses a similar product called PetzLife?

Leba III Dog Teeth Cleaning Spray

A miracle formula dental spray, Leba III, for home pet periodontal cleaning that actually turns your dog's teeth white in a matter of weeks in a all-natural way! LEBA III is a "miraculous" herbal product that will not damage enamel and has no side-effects. Spray formula makes daily use easy and safe. No more anesthesia for your pet or outrageous teeth cleaning bills. LEBA III is a dog teeth cleaning system that will save your dog from the most common health problem in dogs, periodontal disease.

Leba III should not be used with any other dental product such as toothpaste during the treatment cycle. This will dilute and possibly negate the effectiveness of the formula.

Testimonials tell the story best:

"Leba III works by stimulating the enzymes in the saliva and gradually cleaning away the plaque buildup that can lead to periodontal disease. The product not only does away with home brushing but also helps protect your pet from the trauma of undergoing anesthesias for a professional cleaning." - Tim Hockley, President of Animal Wellness Magazine

I think you probably could do without brushing all together but I still brush Teddy's teeth. I bought a human toothbrush for babies and I use only water on it while brushing. I find it helps to get the plaque off even faster, and the spray helps to keep it off. In addition to the spray and toothbrush routine he gets deer antlers and bully sticks to chew which help to keep the plaque down, but that's only a very small portion of his dental routine. (I can tell because if I run out of the Leba spray like I just did even a ton of chewing on his part doesn't seem to keep the plaque from returning.)

PS: A word of warning though. My mom bought the Leba spray for her dogs but she was lazy about using it. It barely did anything for them. Don't bother getting it if you know you're not going to stick to the twice a day routine at for the first few weeks. You won't see much (if any) change in her teeth if you're only using it once a day or skipping days fairly often. But when you use it according to the directions, it's awesome.

 

[sjm]

Are you referring to mixing the food to gradually make the switch from one to another?

Personally, I've never bought into that theory. In the very beginning, Teddy used to get slightly loose stools when I switched his food, yes. But I kept doing it. I'd wait a week or two until he was used to one food, then switch brands or flavors on him. I did it pretty rapidly for a few months while he was young. Now he doesn't get a stomach ache if I switch his food, just like you don't get a stomach ache if you eat chicken for dinner tonight and a hamburger for lunch tomorrow.

I don't feed raw myself. I tried pre-made raw (Instinct) but Teddy didn't like it. So I can't help as far as recipes.

I don't think that they need to get the entire chicken breast into their mouth. From what I've read, you usually start with chicken or turkey necks and wings. Those bones are much smaller and chewing on the bones really helps with teeth.

Also.. I can recommend a good enzyme dental spray if you're interested. It's called Leba III and it's sold on Amazon.com and GWLittle.com for around $50. Works great and lasts a long time. Just two sprays a day without food or water 30 minutes before and after each spray. It works wonders.

Here's how his teeth look while using the Leba spray consistently:

Here's how they look (today) since I ran out of the spray two weeks ago:

You can see how the top of his canines is turning yellow again. His breath has also been much more sour.

teddy's got some nice lookin teeth!!! :thumbleft:

 

[Kaila]

teddy's got some nice lookin teeth!!! :thumbleft:

Thank you!

 

[Brodysmom]

Those are some nice chompers Teddy!

As for raw recipes ..... Here's a sampling ....

chicken meat chunks
1/3 of a chicken wing
a section of chicken neck

Do chicken only until transitioned and stools are good and she's eating well. (Read the raw sticky forum, lots of good links and info there).

Once you start adding other proteins, you can go to pork or beef ....

a chunk of roast or steak
pork or beef rib
pork riblets

There are really no 'recipes' other than varying the meat (chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goat, turkey, bison, etc.) Later on you will add in organs.

Remember that an ounce is about the size of an ice cube or a tablespoon. It's really really easy to overfeed. Start slow. Start with chicken only. I personally like and recommend cornish hens, which are just small chickens. The ones in my store are 16 ounces, so that's a pound. Whack it up into about 8 chunks and there you have 8 meals of 2 ounces each. A great place to start. And couldn't be easier.

You can start off by peeling off fat blobs and skin, but you will eventually leave that on. Make sure to feed bone with the meat at first as bone serves as fiber and keeps stools firm. Just plain meat will cause loose stools. Bone is essential, always raw of course.

I stay away from ground meats. There's no dental benefit. And they have a greater surface area for bacteria. But feel free to cut a corner off the steak you are grilling for supper, or the roast before you stick it in the crock pot, etc. That makes feeding your dog almost 'free'. In addition to being the healthiest diet possible.

Continue to read and learn. Ask questions as they come up. We will help you.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Oh wow thanks for all the great advice! That's wonderful!!!!!! I can't believe she chewed a bully stick blew my mind. She won't chew rawhide. Now once I start with the organs when she is ready, do I mix it or just give it to her?

 

[Brodysmom]

Organs come last. Probably a month in or so. I started out with cornish hens, then went to chicken (same thing really), then pork, beef, turkey, and bison. I occasionally can get rabbit or lamb or goat, so use that when I can find it. Asian markets are great! They have lots of meaty parts that are perfect and usually are relatively cheap. Hispanic markets are good as well, lots of good organ selections when you get to that point.

And no, you don't need to mix with anything. Just thaw and feed. Some dogs like room temp meats better than straight out of the fridge, so you can float in a baggy in hot water to warm it up a little if she prefers.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Great. Yes the hispanic markets are where we go. The meats have less additives in them than the ones in other grocery stores. I notice when I make chicken or hamburger not as much water. I think she is gonna love this. Now I cant wait to get started! Have to go to store first. lol! We actually don't have chicken in the house right now, and that's a big first, but I wanna do this right. Anyone have any idea where I can get some inexpensive kitchen scales? I mean they don't have to be fancy, just accurate.

 

[mellawson]

Do you have a Dollar tree there? If not Walmart has them for just a couple bucks usually.

 

[Brodysmom]

Try walmart for kitchen scales? Or ebay?

I understand the excitement of getting started!

Don't be surprised at how little an ounce is. About the size of an ice cube. Remember that raw food is completely bioavailable.... no processing, no additives, no fillers. It's just exactly what she needs. Meat. Bones. Organs. That's it!

 

[carrieandcricket]

We bought my soon-to-be 14 yr old son a pellet gun. My husband is going to take him hunting. It was neat when I saw we could feed her rabbit because that and squirrel is what they will be hunting. Is anyone familiar with Dently chews? The web-sight says high quality, but I can't find a site on how to rate treats.

 

[20887]

We bought my soon-to-be 14 yr old son a pellet gun. My husband is going to take him hunting. It was neat when I saw we could feed her rabbit because that and squirrel is what they will be hunting. Is anyone familiar with Dently chews? The web-sight says high quality, but I can't find a site on how to rate treats.

Do you have an ingredient list for the treats?

Also, I got my kitchen scale at Walmart

 

[jesuschick]

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