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Post by bextull on Apr 13, 2013 13:20:43 GMT
Introduce new, slowly and VERY gradually AA. BT- I wish you would stop repeating the advice that people have giving in previous posts...it is becoming slightly annoying! I know we all learn from one another but this is verging on juvenile arrogance! AGREE AGREE AGREE!!!!
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Post by petitsfilous on Apr 13, 2013 15:24:01 GMT
BT- I wish you would stop repeating the advice that people have giving in previous posts...it is becoming slightly annoying! I know we all learn from one another but this is verging on juvenile arrogance! AGREE AGREE AGREE!!!! LOLOLOL
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 13, 2013 20:40:41 GMT
Ok, so I might stick on the following for the first few weeks; Chicken & Beef............ It would be something like this..... Monday | NM Chicken Nuggets | Beef Chunks | Tuesday | Chicken Mince | Beef Nuggets | Wednesday | NI Chicken | Blended Nuggets & Beef Mince | Thursday | -----NI Beef--- | --------Chicken Mince------- | Friday | Same as Mon | Same as Mon | Saturday | Same as Tues | Same as Tues | Sunday | Same as Wed | Same as Wed |
Do you think that is OK? And can I add Coconut Oil straight away? (I will look up the thread on coconut oil) When introducing new meats, do I say add a different meat in one meal a week, and see how she gets on? I guess (based on the amount left) she will be finished her kibble in about 10 days time now
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Post by bextull on Apr 13, 2013 20:46:38 GMT
Where are the bones? Or am I blind!?!? I don't see why you couldn't add the coconut oil from the beginning..... When I added new meats I just chucked them in the bowl one day, never put any thought into it really (expect for offal, that was done slowly)
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Post by Rubyroo11 on Apr 13, 2013 21:02:10 GMT
That looks much better....you only have two different types of meat there much easier to see if anything causes any problems. I would add the coconut oil from the get-go, you could also invest in some salmon oil ( I know NI say that it contains salmon oil but you don't know how much they have put in and I like to add my own anyway)... Bextull is right....bones? are you not planning on feeding bones?.....I would give chicken carcasses until your dog has some experience with bones...Nurturing by Nature or Manifold Valley Meats do chicken carcasses and these are much better than the chicken carcass PIECES that NI are selling....just a suggestion
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 13, 2013 21:29:38 GMT
Hi bextull & rubyroo11 Yes, I know, I need to include some more bones.........I am going to go and talk to my butcher this week. If I was sticking to beef and chicken, ideally I need to use beef and chicken bones, right? Or does that part not matter? I am in Ireland so I am not sure that anywhere based in the UK would deliver here......maybe my butcher might have chicken carcasses? How about a raw beef marrowbone? I'll let her chew on the end bits and then when she gets down to the middle part (where it gets really hard and they might break a tooth on) then I'll remove it. Also, I know I can easily get poultry necks (but was concerned about the size?) Otherwise Turkey backs looked OK, but I'm drifting from chicken & beef then. These are all from my raw food suppliers, so I will see what my butcher has too.
Apparently it's between 10 - 20% of body weight in bones weekly, I think? Which works out at about 6kgs if Amber is 40kgs? Also how about, beef ribs, chicken wings or thighs? What do you find is best, particularly when the dogs are new to the whole raw bone thing? My plan was to give her a marrow bone each day, freeze it overnight, then back again during the day. Would this be OK? How long can I keep the marrow bone for? I may replace some of her meals for more boney type ones, but like I say I am going to see the butcher and will work from there. Other can Coconut Oil (and I'll look up about salmon oil too) is their anything else that you find to be particularly good? Thanks
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Post by Rubyroo11 on Apr 13, 2013 21:37:45 GMT
I would only use beef marrow bones as recreational bones so do not include these as meals....turkey backs would be perfect as they are poultry bones....turkey necks are good as they may be slightly smaller but do take some crunching so another good bones....once your dog is getting used to the bones try and introduce some ribs or spines...lamb spines, necks, lamb ribs and pork ribs are all good for cleaning the canine teeth as well as being good chewing work out.
I do not go by % for bony meals but go by the poos...softer poos add more bone, hard poos add more boneless minces and offal. Another thing about raw feeding is you will become obsessed with poos...these are a good indication of what is going on with the diet.
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Post by Rubyroo11 on Apr 13, 2013 21:38:29 GMT
Dorwest Keepers mix and vitamin E 200IU are the other things I add.
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Post by bextull on Apr 13, 2013 21:42:25 GMT
I do not give beef bones, far too dense for my liking. I used chicken bones only starting out. I get carcases every now and then from the butcher, along with a variety of other stuff (usually I make guesses as to what the hell it is) If you cant get them, buy a whole chicken. Break it up, 2 legs, 2 wings, chicken breast meat and then the carcase remaining. Its not too hard to do, you will need a nice set of knives though. For getting the legs off as oppose to killing yourself trying to cut the bone I usually twist the legs and the joint pops out of the socket and then I get a nice clean cut through the meat. Leaving me with some nice stuff.
You dont have to supplement anything so thats really up to you. I like to add some fresh garlic every now and then, I give coconut oil and I am looking into apple cider vinegar, fish oils (not specifically salmon oil. I used to use salmon oil though), rice bran oil (vit e, for the fish oils) and seaweed. (Need to find supplier for this though)
I have yet to find a UK company willing to ship to Ireland , and I image it would be $$$.
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 15, 2013 13:43:49 GMT
Thanks for all the great information. As Amber is off form this week (some sort of injury to her leg) and also seems to be more stressed than normal (not quite sure why) Anyway, we are going to wait until she's back to normal again so she doesn't get put off raw food, (because we wouldn't want that) so although we'd have finished her kibble this week we may get a little more from the pet shop (just a small bag) to give her for the weekend and then start her next week. I may still get her a raw bone as I have heard chewing is a good stress relief... I will still go to the butcher though and start organising everything, then hopefully she'll be better by next week and ready to start her new raw food!
I am really excited to switch her over now, and I think she's going to love the whole raw food thing, probably won't touch kibble again after that......
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 15, 2013 17:06:42 GMT
Ooh, hope her leg gets better and she soon becomes less stressed... I woner why she's stressed out? Anything happened that you think could have made her a little more stressed than usual? Will you ever be moving Holly onto raw also AA? Bextull and Rubyroo11: Sorry.
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 16, 2013 10:31:28 GMT
Amber is chilled out a bit more today, almost back to her usual cheeky self! She saw the Vet yesterday so is much better now. Holly will be moving onto raw at some stage, but has a huge bag of kibble to get through yet, and she doesn't eat much so it's gonna take her a while (although the Cavalier puppy will help her out ) But yes, hopefully we will be having all our dogs on raw by the Summer. Except Bramble of course, because we are given food for her, which is dry kibble.
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 18, 2013 16:05:26 GMT
Amber had a marrow bone to chew on this morning which she thoroughly enjoyed. Her teeth are really clean just after one chewing session! I've been looking into supplements, and am going to get some Coconut oil. Also considering Dorwest Keepers Mix - is it good? I am going to give her fish so probably won't give her any sort of fish oil etc. As she will be getting some of the complete pre-prepared stuff as well I would be thinking just the Coconut Oil - and maybe Dorwest Keepers Mix. Do you think the keepers mix would be the best one to go for out of the dorwest herbs range? Any other good supplements? Thanks
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Post by petitsfilous on Apr 18, 2013 16:12:12 GMT
As you know I highly recommend Dorwest Keepers Mix
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Post by AnnaAmber on Apr 19, 2013 18:58:45 GMT
I am going to get her some coconut oil and looking into the dorwest herbs keepers mix too. I have got her some chicken legs and beef chunks to start her on (she begins raw on monday) I am going to get some stuff from the raw food suppliers Monday afternoon. We have a bone at the moment and are going to get some more on Wednesday (all the butchers in our area only have bones in on a Wednesday!) Not long now
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