Raw Diet And Poop

[KickReturn]

My boy is now happily on raw (Mountain Dog Food, http://www.mountaindogfood.com/).

 

He is eating the Turkey, fruit and veg mix (without added bone). On our morning walk his first bowel movement of the day is literally dry and crumbly. The second is hard like cold plasticene and the third is "normal". He will have a fourth bowel movement that is normal during either his afternoon or evening walk. He seems to have no discomfort and is very regular. His extras include a raw egg, a can of Sardines or Tuna, plus about half a pound of Turkey neck every day.

 

Question - should I be concerned about the dry and crumbly for his first deuce of the day or is this OK?

 

FWIW he looks fabulous and has great energy.

[Guest DragonflyDM]

perfectly normally from MY experience… you may want to give him more access to water. But Boomah’s poo is like that too.

[Guest wylie_coyote]

Ours usually get drier/crumbly deuces when they have a more "bone heavy" meal. Pretty normal. If it seems a little too dry, we'll add in some extra organ next feeding.

[Josie]

normal in my experience too! welcome in the wonderfull word of raw fed dog poop!

[Trihounds]

Totally normal. If your dog is pooping 4x a day on raw, you'll want to watch his weight closely to ensure you aren't overfeeding. Our 4 hounds have been raw fed for years and each go twice a day, max. The content of the raw may have something to do with it as well - ours don't get fruit and veg. An 80 lb hound at it's ideal weight should receive 2-3% of bodyweight, depending on a host of factors like food ingredients, activity level, requirement to increase or reduce weight, etc. It's just a guideline.

 

If you find poops are too dry every time, a little extra organ meat or non-bone meats will help.

 

Raw fed dogs generally drink a ton less water than kibble fed.

 

I am really glad you are happy with the raw food. It has been a major blessing for us, too!

[racindog]

Normal with mine too. Isn't raw fed poop wonderful?

[KickReturn]

Thanks everyone. I am glad to hear we are on the right track.

 

The four to five bowel movements per day is indeed impressive. I don't think I am over feeding. He gets one pound at breakfast and another pound at dinner. With the added Turkey neck, fish, and eggs, it adds up to about 2.5 to 2.75 lbs per day.

 

I am not worried about his weight. He is looking lean an cut. He weighs just under 90 lbs with some ribs showing. His lean physique and active bowel may be the result of his level of exercise which is very high. Three to four hours of walking daily plus running when he feels like it - about twice a week.

 

Anyway he loves his raw diet and we would never go back. Sometimes I do throw in some raw beef from the grocery store if he is having a particularely busy week.

 

The only other thing we add is Kelp and Coconut oil.