Please Help Me: for those feeding raw.

[FoxyWench]

who said 20%?
i said a tiny slice, and sams got 5-10%

[Mulligan]

Thanks so much for that Foxy. I am new here and have been reading like crazy. I've been hemmin' and hawin' about going full raw (started with NV medallions first).

Your post is just the info I have been looking for. I know there are lots of other posts to read through, but this is so concise and detailed. I also loved the link. Those dogs are very lucky to have such caring people raising them.

Earlier tonight I gave our little guy his medallions. I had been very skittish about raw because, well, it's raw. I kept thinking he's so little (Scotty/Maltese mix), how could he ever eat a whole chicken leg? How could he crush the bone? Plus it's yucky. Well, as I was getting ready to cook dinner for us humans in the house, I decide to try it. I gave him a chicken leg out on the deck. First he smelled it and licked it and then he...went to town!!! He chewed the skin and meat and then crushed the bone. The crunching sound was so cool. He was finished in about 2 minutes. It was a sight to see. The best part is that I wasn't squeamish at all. It looked so natural and I felt so proud, of both of us-lol.

So, your post comes at the perfect time. Thanks again and good luck to all those starting raw. If I can try it, you can too.

[DanL]

Midnightbirdgirl said 20%.

[FoxyWench]

wow, Dan, thanks for pointing that out, i completly missed that! wow, blonde moment for the redhead i think.

Mulligan: thanks, i wish the chis would be more enthusiastic about raw, id love to switch them over, they enjoy their recreational bones, and love an occasional wing, but otherwise they wont touch it. im kinda hoping once they see the dane pup eating raw they'll decide they want it too, but if not, ehh, there happy and healthy on kibble and the occasionall raw treat im ok with that lol.
its amazing though especially with the little guys, i thought the same! lol

[Melissa_W]

Thanks for the additional points, sam!

[fillyone]

I never thaw in the microwave.
Bone in meat it's not a good thing to cook that bone!!!
I have in a pinch thawed in the sink with some barely warm water.

[midnightbirdgirl]

Originally Posted by DanL

Good info, but no way should 20% be organ meat. A couple ounces 2-4 times a week for a large dog, maybe 1-2 times for a small dog.

We do about 20% organ meats, Our Vet and other sources have suggested so. She does not have a loose stool, so I am assuming she is doing fine. We have been doing raw since she was 10 weeks old, she is now a year.
We do not do BARF, we do PREY-MODEL diet.
MBG

[midnightbirdgirl]

Originally Posted by fillyone

I never thaw in the microwave.
Bone in meat it's not a good thing to cook that bone!!!
I have in a pinch thawed in the sink with some barely warm water.

We thaw on 30% and the bone is never warm. Always take it out before it is thawed all the way. Once you get the hang of it, it isn't a problem...threw away a bit in the beginning though!!

I would never ever give her a cooked bone.
When in doubt, I toss it out.
Since all meats, including fish must be frozen first, and we feed twice a day, the mic is a must for us.
MBG

[Mulligan]

Originally Posted by FoxyWench

Mulligan: thanks, i wish the chis would be more enthusiastic about raw, id love to switch them over, they enjoy their recreational bones, and love an occasional wing, but otherwise they wont touch it. im kinda hoping once they see the dane pup eating raw they'll decide they want it too, but if not, ehh, there happy and healthy on kibble and the occasionall raw treat im ok with that lol.
its amazing though especially with the little guys, i thought the same! lol

I hope he keeps liking it. I have to go to the store in the morning for some meaty bones.

I am trying to imagine your chis with a dane pup, especially as he or she gets bigger, and bigger and bigger-lol. You are bound to have fun.

[FoxyWench]

Originally Posted by Mulligan

I hope he keeps liking it. I have to go to the store in the morning for some meaty bones.

I am trying to imagine your chis with a dane pup, especially as he or she gets bigger, and bigger and bigger-lol. You are bound to have fun.

Lol, i figure i have 1 extreem (my smallest is 3lbs) why not have another lol. hey it could be worse i COULD be getting an english mastif lol.
the scary thing is, i know already, my 3lb male and 5lb female will STILL be the king and queen of the house, they already tell the 30lb cocker off when he gets too boisterous lol.

___

to adress the microwave issue:
personally i would never even partially thaw in the mircowave, its as safe to just thaw in the refigerator over night (for both meals of the day) or even on the counter top. (though we'll be a fridge thaw family thanks to our cats insistence that he take 2 bites out of ANYTHING left on the counter and the fact that a danes head can clear a counter within months lol)
but again, its amatter of personal preference, i just worry i would over cook and being im a college student i cant afford to just throw out meat lol.