Go Back   Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca > Discussion Groups - mainly cats and dogs > Dog food forum > Feeding raw food to dogs & cats - B.A.R.F - RMB - Homecooked diet

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old October 6th, 2008, 01:01 AM
Aimster's Avatar
Aimster Aimster is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 125
New to Raw Food

I just started my dog on raw about 2 weeks ago or so. I'm feeding him a pre-made raw food, it's a very good quality food from what I'm hearing. He loves it and seems to be adjusting to it fairly well. I am however concerned with the frequency, size and colour of his poops. He's only going twice maybe 3 times a day, it ranges from really small to almost average and the colours vary from light brown to yellowish.

Also, with his meals I feed him chicken backs, is that considered a raw meaty bone or should I be buying something larger?


Thanks!!
__________________
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened."
Anatole France

Proud Parent of:
Kip - Female, DSH Cat
Moxy - Female, Lab Cross
Dagan - Male, Husky/Malamute Cross
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old October 6th, 2008, 09:08 AM
luckypenny's Avatar
luckypenny luckypenny is offline
Doggie Wench
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: St. Philippe-de-Laprairie, Qc
Posts: 11,812
Is there already bone and/or bonemeal in the pre-made raw? If so, adding the chicken backs to his meals may be too much bone in all. Normally, we don't feed more than 10-15% bone to our dogs (not a pre-made diet). What is the consistency of your dog's stools? Are they hard and crumbly? Along with very light colored stool, this is another indication that you may be feeding too much bone as well.

Can you list the ingredients of the pre-made food?
__________________
"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -Will Durant
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old October 6th, 2008, 07:36 PM
pitgrrl's Avatar
pitgrrl pitgrrl is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MTL
Posts: 1,199
One thing about raw, in addition to Luckypenny's very good advice, is that poop colour will vary depending on what you're feeding.

This probably verges on too much info for some, but I really wish someone had told me the following when I started feeding raw:

chicken = lighter, often yellow-ish poop
beef/bison = very dark brown
turkey = reddish brown
duck = dark brown
lots of organs = very dark/almost black and sometimes soft

Also, because a raw diet doesn't contain fillers of any kind, your dog is using a lot more of what it's eating, hence the reduction in waste. As LP mentioned though, if your dog is straining, the stool is white and/or very hard and crumbly, you're feeding too much bone.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old October 6th, 2008, 08:44 PM
erykah1310's Avatar
erykah1310 erykah1310 is offline
Blue eyed funny farm
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 5,595
ahh the poop measurements.
a pre made raw meal has everything to balance for the day.
Now, I myself do not overly concern myself too much about daily balancing for the dogs, so long as over a short period of time it works out.
If you are feeding chicken backs along with the premade raw, then odds are there is going to be too much bone content causing some pale or white cement stools.
BUT.
I find that chicken backs are excellent toothbrushes so on nights when the gang gets some CB's I cut back on some of their regular portion sizes.
Not making it completely balanced, but better than dry stools.

You'll find with raw feeding stool becomes very important, its the raw feeders measuring "log"
__________________
Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyways. ~John Wayne
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old October 8th, 2008, 12:23 AM
Aimster's Avatar
Aimster Aimster is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 125
I don't have the orginal packaging but I believe it is 80% meat, organs and bones in the patty and the rest is fruit and vegetables and currently I'm feeding chicken. I was supposed to by chicken necks and backs in a formed patty but they didn't have any when I was purchasing it so I bought straight chicken backs.

The idea with the chicken necks and backs is to substitute one patty for one of the regular meal patty to cut back on the cost but still get nearly the same amount of food or at least that's how the woman at the store explained it.

With what you've all said, I'm wondering if I'm feeding too much bone then. He was definitley straining with his poops the first few days, I thought he was constipated, thought it might have been normal. His poops are definitely lightish coloured still, not coming out rock hard but they do crumble by the next day.

I wish there was more of a breakdown of how much is going into it. Perhaps I can contact the company and see if they can provide more specific portion information.
__________________
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened."
Anatole France

Proud Parent of:
Kip - Female, DSH Cat
Moxy - Female, Lab Cross
Dagan - Male, Husky/Malamute Cross
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old October 8th, 2008, 07:32 AM
pitgrrl's Avatar
pitgrrl pitgrrl is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MTL
Posts: 1,199
Are you feeding Urban Carnivore?

If so their website has pretty good info about each of their products, ways to combine them, etc.....
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old October 8th, 2008, 09:17 AM
TulipRoxy's Avatar
TulipRoxy TulipRoxy is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 312
You could always try adding a bit of meat and or a bit of organs when you feed the chicken backs, that would bring the phosphorus back into check.
__________________
Miranda
Tulip Roxy Nelly
Sencha and Alaska
Come Visit Us! http://myminizoo.wordpress.com
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old October 8th, 2008, 08:49 PM
Aimster's Avatar
Aimster Aimster is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 125
Pitgrrl, I'm feeding Legacy. It's a local company, two butchers that decided to switch to making raw food after one of their dog's got cancer and they made the switch to raw and helped her live another year. I've only heard good things about their food, the top seller at the store where I purchase from.

TulipRoxy, I usually feed the chicken backs with their meal but the pieces are smaller than the palm of my hand. Think it will make a difference?
__________________
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened."
Anatole France

Proud Parent of:
Kip - Female, DSH Cat
Moxy - Female, Lab Cross
Dagan - Male, Husky/Malamute Cross
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old October 9th, 2008, 09:05 PM
TulipRoxy's Avatar
TulipRoxy TulipRoxy is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 312
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimster View Post
TulipRoxy, I usually feed the chicken backs with their meal but the pieces are smaller than the palm of my hand. Think it will make a difference?
You could feed the patties and the other meal feed chicken RMB's and occasionally include something else such as egg, beef, lamb, chicken, yogurt, canned salmon or mackerel.

Also I would ask where you bought the food what they reccomend

Good Luck
__________________
Miranda
Tulip Roxy Nelly
Sencha and Alaska
Come Visit Us! http://myminizoo.wordpress.com
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Forum Terms of Use

  • All Bulletin Board Posts are for personal/non-commercial use only.
  • Self-promotion and/or promotion in general is prohibited.
  • Debate is healthy but profane and deliberately rude posts will be deleted.
  • Posters not following the rules will be banned at the Admins' discretion.
  • Read the Full Forum Rules

Forum Details

  • Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
    Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
    vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 0%).
  • All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:58 PM.