Switching To Raw

[Guest DHamm]

Hi all. I'm the new proud owner of my first greyhound, London. We have only had him for a few days, but are already in love with him.

 

I have made the decision to put him on raw food. Since my cats are already on raw food, I'm quite comfortable with it. I have started him on chicken leg quarters, with the plan to introduce other meats later. I'm trying to stick to one protein until he adjusts to keep an eye on any reactions. I added a spoonful of cottage cheese and some puréed veggies as well. I also gave him some Forti-Flora to help his tummy adjust to the new food.

 

I noticed today that he had thrown up a little, (several hours after eating), and just a little bone came up, plus some yellow bile. Hubby said he did try and eat some plants in the garden this morning. Tonight he got boneless chicken thighs, some soft boiled eggs, and cooked sweet potato. On our walk this evening, his stool was much darker and a little runny.

Of course I'm concerned, maybe overly so, but I would love any input from anyone.

 

Thanks!

[RedHead]

Dogs will sometimes vomit up larger bone bits in bile, especially when they are first getting used to digesting them. My greyhound has occasionally done this if I give him ribs or larger turkey bones. I have never had a problem with it (I know lots of other people who occasionally have this happen as well with no ill effects). The poops could be off just because of the varied foods your pup is eating (like the eggs, sweet potato, etc.). Boneless meals can sometimes cause looser stools. I wouldn't be too concerned unless he seems sick or doesn't want to eat. Keep things very simple for the first week or so (1 or 2 things) and see how things progress. If you can feed slightly smaller bones, that might help.

[Guest LittleGreyAnnie]

It's quite common for some dogs to throw up or have loose stools when switching diets, regardless of what type. Usually after 2 weeks the dogs are used to what they are being fed and they should be fine onwards. If he is otherwise acting normal and healthy, I wouldn't be too concerned. As suggested above, try feeding smaller bones and slowly progress bigger until it's all good

[locket]

In my experience, when switching to raw, as it is highly digestible, the dog gets hungry faster. Hence the yellow bile, but don't worry this will adjust itself within a few days.

Dark runny stools means not enough bones

[XTRAWLD]

I never had issues during the switch, even when I was feeding whole over ground. Oddly though, it's common for Ryder to bring up bone after having a leisurely chew on a smoked cow knuckle.

 

I wouldn't be alarmed yet, and while runny is a sign of not enough bone, it is also a sign of potentially too much organ. Ensure you are feeding appropriate ratios so your pup has the right nutrition. 80/10/10 works well.

[Trudy]

You've also only had him a few days, so he's likely still adjusting from what he was being fed at the adoption kennel to moving to a new home and other new stuff.

Keep the meals simple until he's adjusted to his new home a bit and then start adding other things into his meals.

[Guest DHamm]

Thanks so much for the responses. I feel much better now.

He is still throwing up small pieces of bone, but it's really just a small amount (maybe 1/8 cup), and well after I feed him (5-6hrs). He seems happy and healthy.

 

I am giving him a bone in thigh, bone in leg as well as a boneless thigh twice a day (about 1 1/2lb total for the day, fed Am/Pm). He lost 7lbs since was neutered, and I am trying to get him back up to his racing weight. Plus a bit of liver.

 

Which brings up another question. I understand the 80/10/10, but how do I know what % a meat is? I have tried checking the USDA food composition, but not quite sure how to decipher it. Is there some base guideline that you could refer me to?

 

Thank you.

[XTRAWLD]

I'd say the bone in thigh is a good ratio of 80/10, just throw in a little chicken heart and you're good. Ribs are more boney, so if you have a small one, add some more other meat only portion to it, and a chicken heart. Little chicken hearts are the perfect size - bless those chickens. I would just treat meat as a plain the 80 if it doesn't have any bone in it. It's really not a perfect science, but as long as there is more meat than bone and organ, it's good. Tripe can double as organ and meat portion too, just don't feed it solely daily or the nutrition will dip. Chicken backs are cheap as are the hearts, your meat is where it will get pricey, pork is a good alternative for just meat and no bone.

 

You might also find this calculator useful to help weight gain - http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

 

Also for weight gain, consider making Satin Balls. If you search the forum you are bound to find the recipe somewhere.

[Guest DHamm]

Thanks so much!!! I appreciate the help.