rdobbie, oh. my. goodness. If all three of your dogs go missing... it wasn't me
they are too cute for words... Chance is just beautiful and bless your heart for bringing them into your home! We need more people like you in the world.
Best way to introduce raw is to start slow. I changed all 3 of mine over cold turkey, and they adjusted fairly well. It did take a few months for them to adjust entirely, so don't be surprised if it does take some time. Only "disaster" I had with my kids was about two weeks into it when I started adding too many different proteins at once and I came home to...
well nevermind haha, let's just say... NOT pretty!
I started with poultry (mainly because its cheap here!), and now 6 months later they have also had beef, lamb, elk, bison, rabbit, deer, and pork. I still use alot of poultry as the staple in their diet, mainly because its cheap around here, but I like to switch it up and offer them variety by adding in beef etc. my little fella eats all novel proteins (i.e. rabbit etc.) as he has severe food allergies. For my big gal, I like to give her chicken quarters, backs & necks, livers etc. I can usually pick them up for less than $1.50/lb (which is my max) at any day of the week in the grocery store.
The cost of raw really depends... it can be expensive if you are buying all your meat from a grocery store or a pet store that sells raw frozen patties. If you know any hunters, butchers, etc. that will help you cut down on costs. You can also do little things like make your own veg mixes (if you choose to add vegs to their diet - not everyone does, and that is fine). Some people also feed 1/2 kibble and 1/2 raw. I started doing it about 2 weeks ago, as it cuts down on my cost, plus I just don't have the freezer space to take advantage of acquiring large quantities of meat
Just remember if you continue to feed kibble don't feed it at the same time as raw, as it will cause some stomach upsets.
Good luck with the switch! Oh, and having three large dogs you will surely enjoy the reduction in poop! Dogs on raw have smaller poops as the body digests more than it does on kibble... plus the feces usually turns a white chalky color after some time and will disintegrate!
