HD and Raw food

[EnlightenedOne]

Has anyone seen a correlation between raw and HD because of the calcium content in the bone?

[rottcrazed]

If you are feeding the correct ratio of muscle/organ/bone to your pup, the calcium content will not be too much, nor will the protien levels.

If you are feeding just bones, egg shells and a lot of yogurt you may well have a problem, but a raw diet fed correctly will not give a dog too much or too little of anything.

Kristi

[EnlightenedOne]

Where should I go to find the correct ratios? Thanks Kristi! :)

[rottcrazed]

Good rule of thumb is starting with Dr. Billinghurst's BARF Diet plan which you can buy books for and/or google and find his website - really good place to start.

Kristi

[EnlightenedOne]

Will do Kristi.....thanks!

[EnlightenedOne]

I have started feeding raw. I am feeding my boy two meals a day. Utilizing the information I have gathered I am feeding chicken for the first 2-3 weeks till he becomes acclimated to this food. My breeder has warned me that they have had problems with HD and raw. Taking into consideration that I am feeding about 3lbs of chicken(2chicken legs w/ skin, chicken breast) are the two bones in the leg sufficient?

[brutus'mother]

The rule of thumb is 80%meat, 10%bone and 10% organ with half of that being liver. A good way to judge if you are feeding too much or not enough bone is to keep an eye on the stool. Too much bone will result is hard crumbly stool and not enough will result in loose stool. Remember the percentages listed above are an average balance over time. If you try to meet those percentages with every meal you are making it much more difficult that it needs to be.

[EnlightenedOne]

Thanks! I will remember this.

[kina]

I've been feeding raw for about 5 weeks now and I'm finding that it's very easy to feed too much bone (mainly coz its cheaper), so I just try to feed as much meat as poss (because 80% is quite a lot) and then when I feed chicken carcass or veal necks with organs it evens out my bone content.
Also be careful about what bones to feed, don't feed weight bearing bones of large herbivores (eg femur from a cow) as these can crack teeth, and I also avoid bones that have been cut by the butcher that leave a sharp edge.
I'm having so much fun feeding my boy raw, his breath is great and I think I've worked out that he's allergic to chicken as he got an itchy chin and face, I'm still waiting for the doggy odor to vanish, he can be a bit smelly sometimes, and I have to deal with the gas when he eats a new meat. We'll get there in the end though!

[EnlightenedOne]

We have been on the first few days of raw and the diet is chicken for the next 2-3 weeks. I am feeding one organic chicken leg and the rest chicken breast(boneless.) I do this twice a day totally 3lbs of meat. Along with 4 squirts of salmon oil. I believe I am on the right path. :)