Royce is still doing great!

[MyBirdIsEvil]

I haven't completely switched him to raw yet. Not because I'm scared, but because I haven't gotten the chance to buy any meat for him yet and I don't wanna run out of deer meat for him. (My b/f would probably be mad If I fed him tenderloin, lol). Plus I know deer every single day isn't really a complete diet.
So I've been feeding him kibble in the morning and raw at night for 4 days now.
What I've noticed:
He LOVES his dinner, unlike the kibble, which he'd usually just nibble at unless he was really really hungry. He's actually been eating the kibble better too, I guess because he's getting more variety and he's not bored with his food.

Not constipated at all (this has been a constant problem since we got him), no runny stool either, which I've noticed is sometimes a problem for other dogs that start on raw.

No red eye. He's had problems with his eyes getting red and irritated and they seem to have cleared up already.

No pacing. I think the %100 kibble diet must have been giving him gas, because he's always been a pacer, he'd just walk around in circles constantly. We didn't think it was a health problem, since he didn't seem in pain, but now that I think about it that is a symptom of a gassy dog. He hasn't been belching much either. He does once or twice right after he eats, but not throughout the day like normal, and he IS still on some kibble so that could account for the fact that it hasn't completely stopped.

that I don't jinx him for posting about how good he's doing so soon, lol.

I do have another question though. Is it ok to buy liver, gizzards, hearts and those type of organ meats at the store for him to eat? I know storebought tripe is too overprocessed and doesn't really benefit them like the unprocessed tripe I've been reading about, but what about other storebought organ meats?

[Scott_B]

Originally Posted by MyBirdIsEvil

Plus I know deer every single day isn't really a complete diet.

Thats the thing, it doesnt have to be a complete diet each meal. Alot of people if they get a big load of say deer or pheasent or whatever will feed that and that alone for a few weeks. If you have to go a week just feeding deer, it wont hurt your pup. The idea is balance over time. Say a two or three week period. Try and fit what you believe they need into that period, but if you cant, dont worry too much about it. Just remember, each meal doesnt have to be balanced.

Originally Posted by MyBirdIsEvil

I do have another question though. Is it ok to buy liver, gizzards, hearts and those type of organ meats at the store for him to eat? I know storebought tripe is too overprocessed and doesn't really benefit them like the unprocessed tripe I've been reading about, but what about other storebought organ meats?

They should be fine

[barkley21]

Organ meats are fine to buy at the supermarket....and they're usually super cheap. We bought a big package of chicken hearts the other day and it only cost a little over a dollar! And since organ meats only constitute approximately 10-15% of their diet, that package will last a while.

But do stay away from the bleached tripe at the supermarket. You may want to check at your local pet food stores for the green tripe (that's where we get ours).

[technodoll]

a note on organ meats (kidneys, liver, sweetbreads), in large amounts they often cause loose stools, so better to feed only a bit with each meal for a few days to get the recommended amount down without "butt problems", LOL! Gizzards and hearts are considered a muscle meat, so they can be fed as regular meat.

that is great news MBIE! royce sounds like he was meant for raw! and as the others said, "balance over time" is the key... you can start giving whole raw eggs (serve frozen for a special delight!), whole raw fish, any meats and bones you can get your hands on for a good price, and pretty soon you won't want to feed kibble anymore when you see the benefits... bye-bye gas, goopey eyes, bad bowels, bad breath, etc

[barkley21]

Ooops...my bad. TD, thanks for pointing out that hearts and gizzards are muscle meat and not organ meat.
I've still got sooooo much to learn from you all

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Gizzards and hearts are considered a muscle meat, so they can be fed as regular meat.

I can get those MUCH cheaper than most meat, so it's nice to know I can get those and mix them in as meat.

I can also get ground turkey rolls for 79 cents a pound, I buy them to make chili and I didn't even think about feeding them to Royce until earlier today, but they're fairly lean and I'd just have to give bone with them, correct?
I can get whole chickens for the same price, but they include bone so it actually comes out more expensive as far as how much meat I get, and I already have A LOT of rib bones here to feed. Of course I'll get some whole chickens too, but the ground turkey definately comes out cheaper meatwise.

as the others said, "balance over time" is the key... you can start giving whole raw eggs (serve frozen for a special delight!), whole raw fish, any meats and bones you can get your hands on for a good price, and pretty soon you won't want to feed kibble anymore when you see the benefits...

Lol, I keep forgetting that I don't have to feed the exact right formulation of meats/organs/bones per day. I'm too used to reading kibble ingredients, it makes everything else seem too easy.

Thanks to everyone for the info.