Guys, I need help!
I started Circus and Lugia on a raw food diet about a month ago. So far, it's been good, many people reassured me that I could achieve a balanced diet as long as I feed the proper ratio of bones, organs, and meat. Just tonight I decided to calculate the girls' nutritional needs using the 2006 NRC dog requirements. I found that they're only getting about half of their magnesium and zinc requirement (I can meet their zinc needs if I start buying raw green tripe, which I intend on doing so this week). But no matter what, I don't think I can meet their magnesium needs without going over their caloric needs by a significant amount.
They get a fairly varied diet, including beef heart/liver/kidney, ground beef, pork loin/rib tip, chicken parts (I don't give necks though, am I supposed to in order to meet iodine requirements? Is the thyroid still present in a chicken or turkey neck?), sardines, whole raw eggs, and 1-2 oz of Stella & Chewy's raw patties daily (either their fish or lamb formulation). I currently supplement with salmon oil, vitamin E, and glycoflex.
HALP - how am I going to meet their magnesium needs? They're super active, too, which is why I'm so concerned that they're deficient in Mg. Which supplements do you guys prefer?
I started Circus and Lugia on a raw food diet about a month ago. So far, it's been good, many people reassured me that I could achieve a balanced diet as long as I feed the proper ratio of bones, organs, and meat. Just tonight I decided to calculate the girls' nutritional needs using the 2006 NRC dog requirements. I found that they're only getting about half of their magnesium and zinc requirement (I can meet their zinc needs if I start buying raw green tripe, which I intend on doing so this week). But no matter what, I don't think I can meet their magnesium needs without going over their caloric needs by a significant amount.
They get a fairly varied diet, including beef heart/liver/kidney, ground beef, pork loin/rib tip, chicken parts (I don't give necks though, am I supposed to in order to meet iodine requirements? Is the thyroid still present in a chicken or turkey neck?), sardines, whole raw eggs, and 1-2 oz of Stella & Chewy's raw patties daily (either their fish or lamb formulation). I currently supplement with salmon oil, vitamin E, and glycoflex.
HALP - how am I going to meet their magnesium needs? They're super active, too, which is why I'm so concerned that they're deficient in Mg. Which supplements do you guys prefer?