New to raw

[FurryMom]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to this forum and new to feeding raw. I started feeding our dachshund puppy (13lbs and 9 months old) on raw about 3 weeks ago. Right now he is only eating chicken quarters. He gets the leg one night and the rest the next night. I have offered chicken liver and he won't touch it. I know that chicken quarters aren't a balanced diet and don't really know where to go from here. He is so stubborn ! He won't touch the meat or bone with his paws. He simply refuses to "hold" it. When I hold the leg for him he eats the bone and tears off pieces of meat, then spits them out. I have to cut the meat off the bone to get him to eat it. After he finishes the meat I give him his bone. I bought 2 cans of sardines, but have no idea how much to give him. I'm sure the whole can would not be good for him, but feel like just a few wouldn't be enough for him. I have read and read, until my eyes are crossed and get the idea of feeding raw, but no one has really suggested any ways to get a dog to hold his meat and tear the meat off the bone to eat it, not spit it out! If I lay the leg on his towel he looks at me like I am crazy. I can't feed him only chicken much longer and am at my wits end with what to feed next. I know beef and green beef tripe, liver, hearts, turkey necks, gizzards and other kinds of stuff. I don't know what kind of bone-in beef to feed him. I'm scared he will break a tooth on cow bones. I am going to go to a butcher tomorrow to see what organ meats I can get. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get him to eat them? Could I blend them with something and puree them, maybe some veggies? I don't want to go back to kibble. He started not eating the Lotus, Canidea and Innova I was feeding him. The breeder had him on Science Diet and I refused to feed him corn based food . I'm sure I have given more food away than he has ate. I have so many questions and I'm at a loss . He is true to his dachshund temperament! Please help me !!


Thanks,
Amanda

[LavenderRott]

There is a business called "My Pet Carnivore" that sells balanced, ground meats in 1 and 2 pound packages for very reasonable prices. All of their meats, unless otherwise specified are ground with muscle meat, bone and organ meat so they are complete. You would have to check to be sure but I do believe that they deliver to your area once a month. If you meet them at a delivery point, then the "shipping" cost is only $10. They have a fine ground option for several different types of meat if your pup doesn't like to chew up whole bones.

Eggs are also a good source of calcium - a whole, uncooked egg including the shell.

You could also google Lew Olsen. She is a canine nutritionist. She has a website and her newsletters are VERY informative.

[Loki Love]

I wouldn't be too anxious to start the liver just yet - I'd introduce more proteins first Besides, Loki hates liver and kidney.. and anything else closely resembling organ meat. We freeze bits of it and he downs them frozen with some cream cheese Spoiled boy!

I also wouldn't recommend any kind of bone-in beef meals - maybe a beef rib for a rec bone, but my beef meals are all boneless; whether it's ground beef or just roasts, etc.

How many lbs (or oz) per day are you feeding right now and how did you calculate it? You can do the same for the other proteins you will introduce.

Unfortunately I don't have suggestions for eating of the chicken quarters - if you wanted, you could buy a cheap grinder and try grinding them up and seeing if he prefers it that way?

[FurryMom]

He doesn't have a problem eating bones. He loves the chicken bones. It's the meat and organs he has issues with. I guess he is a texture eater, like me . I will try freezing the organ meats and serving them up with some cottage cheese. He loves yogurt and cottage cheese. He will devour the meat if we go to the dog park. He gets ravenous! No suggestions on getting him to touch his food with his paws. He is so dainty! Jeez !

[FurryMom]

Oh yeah, I don't weigh his food. I read that a piece of meat about the size of their head is about right. I give him as much as he will eat. When he stops eating the meat I give him the bone. Feeding him is such an ordeal. But, I won't give up! Mommy knows what's best!!

[Loki Love]

Originally Posted by FurryMom

Oh yeah, I don't weigh his food. I read that a piece of meat about the size of their head is about right. I give him as much as he will eat. When he stops eating the meat I give him the bone. Feeding him is such an ordeal. But, I won't give up! Mommy knows what's best!!

I've never heard that before - the head and meat thing..

I have always gone with the 2-3% body weight (although I know it is different for puppies - I can't help out there). We have Loki on more than the 3% though because he's still a skinny skinny boy. He eats anywhere from 3-5 lbs per day!