Anyone feed a "raw diet" to their dogs?

Question

I have a 5mo. old Husky and currently feed him Orijen. I would like to try the raw diet on him and see if he likes it (I am sure he will). I have found lots of information, but a lot is contradicting. Anyone know how much I should feed him? He is 35lbs right now and 5mos old. What should I feed him...diet suggestions or recipes?? Please help! Thanx!!

Answer 1

Starting a raw diet can be confusing at first, but once you get going there's nothing to it.

Here's some sites for more information on raw diets;

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm.........

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.htm...

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html.....

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html.....

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&m...

Also check "rawdogs" over http://www.livejournal.com The main page is full of great resources, and if you join the group, they'll be more than happy to help you get started.

By the way Ashley, my dogs get raw chicken nearly everyday, since its readily available and affordable. Never had one problem with it. They get turkey, rabbit, liver of various animals, and I get tons of freebies from butchers and friends as well. My dogs couldn't be happier or healthier.

Answer 2

You are going to get so many different raw diets you head will spin. I feed a prey-model raw diet which consists of roughly 5% liver, 5% other organs, 10-15% edible bone, and the rest is meat. This does not have to be fed daily and can be given over the course of a week or month (i.e. some beef meat one day, a pork kidney the next, and maybe a nice bunny the next day). I feed whole prey when possible which is soooo much easier. My dogs eat everthing except for the intestines (their choice). The recommended GUIDELINE for feeding is 2-3% of ideal ADULT weight. Some need more, some need less. I have two shepherds that get 2%, one shepherd who gets about 3%, and one mix who only gets about 1.5%. I don't really bother with numbers and just feed according to how my dogs look. If a dog is thin, more food. If a dog is fat, less food. I do not grind anything. Dogs come with their own grinders also known as teeth. Feeding this way keeps my dogs incredibly healthy with shiny coats, clean teeth, and no doggie breath or coat odor. For more information, join the group rawfeeding (link provided) and read the information sent. There are several husky owners and a couple of husky breeders (both show and performance huskies) so they can help you if you want information from someone with your own breed.

Answer 3

Great thinking. Go for it... it's much simpler than you might imagine.

I second Erica Lynn's suggestion to check out the Yahoo! group RawFeeding
http://groups.yahoo.com/rawfeeding

Start off by buying a whole chicken, hack it in half, and hand it to the dog. Yes, your 5-month old can handle it, bones and all, and it really is that simple. After a week, slowly add in more variety like beef and pork, and start including organs like liver and kidney and heart and other creative parts. Again, important thing here is to add new things SLOWLY. The larger the pieces you feed the better, and just aim for around 2% a day of your dog's projected adult weight. Don't worry about all those diets that have you grinding this and adding that -- if you're going to feed naturally, just feed naturally.

The other thing I was amazed to discover when switching from kibble to raw diet was that I pay LESS money buying real live meat, plus the benefit that my pack is so much healthier.

Here's another link with answers to lots of common questions:
http://rawfed.com/myths

Answer 4

The balance in starting on a raw diet is feeding enough so the dog does not inhale it's dinner but also feeding light to ensure your dog doesn't get the runs. when i started i was feeding waaay too much and my dogs had the runs because of it. a 35 lb dog would probably do well on a chicken thigh once a day depending on the dog's build and correct weight. But i would probably start with a leg quarter (The leg and thigh together) so that the dog learns to chew up the food and doesn't try to inhale it.
i feed an amount i think is appropriate and after a week i feel the body. if the dog feels too thin, i'll up the food for a while, if it's gained weight, i'd feed less. make sure to get a good variety of protein sources along with a variety of body parts to ensure that you're getting everything your dog needs. i've been feeding raw for two years now after having exhaustive talks with others about raw and i love it. there is a raw food group on yahoo that is great for answering any questions you need. do a search in the groups on raw fed dogs and you should find it.

Answer 5

Go on www.germanshepherd.com...there is a forum section, there is a whole section on the Raw Food Diet.

If you post a question, the people on the site are very helpful, and will walk you thru it. Many of the GSD owners also have huskies (the breeds compliment eachother).

I have learned that my dog just loves raw turkey necks, outside of course...real cheap..5 for $1.00.

Answer 6

Did you ever tested Eating for Energy (120 raw food diet recipes) procedure? Start at this site : http://www.StayEatingRaw.com/Online . This will absolutely save everyone!

Answer 7

The best information to get about feeding your puppy a raw diet is to talk to your vet. They will know the does and donts on what to feed your puppy. After all it is a puppy and they dont have as a strong amune system as an adult dog. But i do know one thing Dont give your puppy raw chicken, dogs tummies are as senitive as ours, unlike cats who can eat raw chicken and not get sick, dogs can not, so dont give him or her raw chicken.

Answer 8

Nope, I feed them a real diet...