Raw feeding help please

[Jan D]

About 12 days ago we changed Bobby over to a raw diet. We went straight over to Nutriment and have been giving him 150g twice a day (about 2% of his body weight daily). He has had a lot of anal gland issues and one of the reasons for switching him was to help out in that respect. It does seem to have helped as he's not constantly stopping on his walks and straining and the output is considerably less

He does however seem hungry and I was wondering whether we are giving him enough. He is a very active dog and runs and runs when he's out for a 'walk' and he's a very anxious dog too. We weighed him last Sunday and intend to do so again this Sunday. He isn't overweight and we can feel his ribs but so far he doesn't feel bony. We have just finished giving him the trial pack of Nutriment and I have now just ordered 20kg of the chicken variety as it was the least expensive but now I have read that chicken may not be the best for anal gland issues. Do we need to give him different varieties of Nutriment to ensure he has a varied enough diet? Also are there any snacks we can give him? He's not keen on carrots. We have been trying to avoid things like gravy bones and his favourite Aldi Marrowbone Rolls to give the raw food a chance but when he's looking like he's starving is there anything we can try? Thank you

[PollySpaull]

Hi Jan, how old is he?

[bizzylizzy]

I'm no expert but think, if he's getting plenty of exercise, you could give him a bit more. Humphrey 's younger than Bobby (18 months) and I've been giving him 2.5% but have now decided to give him a bit more as I think he needs it. Its trial and error really but if you're weighing him regularly, it wouldn't hurt to try a little more, if you feel he's putting too much on, you can always cut it back again. Another possibility is to add bulk - extra vegetables or fruit for instance, either cooked or finely grated/liquidized. As "reward" treats, I give bits of low fat cheese, chicken, sausage etc and as a snack I buy dried tripe (bit smelly though) or dried meat strips and he's allowed a couple of little biscuits.
Humph does luckily like carrots but he also eats pieces of courgette or apples, melon or banana which you can try.
I DIY it, as I can't get Nutriment etc here but do try and offer as much variety as possible as I think, rather like with us, the more different things the get, the less likely they are to have any deficiencies.
Hope that helps.

[Blueberry]

Edited: because I see you have Bobby's date of birth in your signature 
You could also phone Nutriment for advice, they were very helpful when I contacted them.

[Jan D]

Thanks for the replies.

Bobby will be 6 in August. He's never carried a lot of weight and looks good at his 15kgs. Lots of it must be muscle (just like me lol - I wish!)

I might try adding veg to his food. He's not keen on bananas or apples but I haven't tried courgettes or melon althoough no he's starving he will probably eat almost anything - he ate some frozen peas I dropped today! I think I will weigh him on Sunday and if he's doing ok I will up his food a bit. It is honestly gone in 10 seconds when we put it down!

If he's having the Nutriment i.e. the right proportions of meat, organs, bone etc would it be wrong to give him a chicken wing now and then as a snack? Maybe I will get some different varieties although he literally inhales the food and I'm certain he can't taste it at all! I will try the dried tripe and meaty strips too - where do you get them from please?

Thanks again

[Blueberry]

More veg will probably just make him poop more, as veggies will fill him up but pass straight through.  Yes to chicken wings & bones for snacks though.  Blue loves them, a couple of times a week!

[lescef]

I feed my two Nutriment. I rotate chicken, beef, turkey and salmon flavours but there are others to choose from. My two only weigh 10+kg so one pack is enough for them. You could give him 3% with him being active. I give chicken wings twice a week as breakfast. When I gave Nutriment and a chicken wing Maddie came down with colitis,  which may have been a coincidence! Or too much bone!
Maddie has anal gland problems so I'm bulking out her meals with pureed green veg - sprouts and cabbage, it should be cooked not raw so it doesn't pass straight through.
I think cockers are always hungry?

[Patp]

We have recently had Jinley's anal glands removed after 18 months of problems.  Hers went from having no problems for 4 years to impacted, mis aligned often infected glands that must have made her feel dreadful.

She is also raw fed so here is my opinions. Xx

Raw is a great way to go and I found that a chicken wing for breakfast (they are about 50% bone content) was enough to keep poops solid without being constipated.  The rest of her meals were made up of different types of  meat (heart, tripe, lamb, beef) with a weekly addition of sprats and one of liver and kidney. I feed 2% as she is not very active and since being spayed I am trying to keep her weight down.  If you have an active hungry dog I would be tempted to increase to 3% and reduce it to 2 1/2% later.

 The problem with raw feeding and anal gland issues is whilst the consistency is right it lacks bulk which will help glands empty naturally during a poo.

You can add bran (although this made Jinley itch) or mashed sweet potato and carrots.  Psyllium Husks were also recommended to me but I don't know now how much I was told.

The only thing as well is that if the glands are misaligned the chances are they will rarely empty naturally.  Good luck though xx

[bizzylizzy]

Sorry, I don't live in UK, but I'm sure a good pet food supplier will stock the dried tripe etc, or maybe someone else might know

[Jan D]

Thanks to you all for the replies.

Today was weigh-in day and he's gone from 14.7kg to 14.1kg. He looks good at 14.1 but obviously we don't want him to continue losing weight. We are feeding him a third of a pack of Nutriment per meal so that works out at about 2.4% of his new body weight. We gave him a beef rib bone today ( he had about half before we removed it from him) as an additional extra- first one  and because I know bone can constipate them I have cooked some carrot and butternut squash to add to his tea in the hope that will counteract the constipation. I guess only time will tell but I figured that if we give him the raw and also a few treats like the odd chicken wing but try to give him veg with his food too maybe that would work based on what you guys have suggested.

Pat - do you give Jinley a chicken wing every day? I was thinking of giving them maybe a couple of times a week.

We have noticed a quite dramatic impact in the pooping department. As I mentioned before he is a very anxious dog and before switching to raw he would poop bits at a time but continue to do phantom poops for his entire walk stopping every few seconds sometimes. Since switching that has stopped. He still does a few little ones maybe stopping five or six times but the phantom poops have stopped which is brilliant. I will try the cooked green veg too.

Thanks again, Jan (& Bobby)

[phoenix]

VIrgin Coconut oil is easily digestible and good for adding calories. You could start with a tiny bit, and go up to a quarter of a teaspoon.  It will also help with lubrication!

[Patp]

Yes Jinley has one a day and it suits her.  She has no other bone.  I buy all of my meat and fish from the supermarket and frozen tripe from a pet shop.  Butchers in the UK cannot sell green tripe from their premises, not sure what your regulations are but a friendly butcher will keep you in ox heart.  Nutriment might already contain bone, in which case an extra chicken wing a couple of times a week might suit.  Larger bones, other than duck or turkey necks, chicken carcasses and lamb ribs  I class as recreational bones as they can be harder to eat and digest.

If you find Bobby constipated you could give a tin of sardines in Olive oil especially if your main food is a balanced combined food that includes bone .  Don't feed the ones in brine. 

It all sounds complicated but it isn't once you get used to it.

[Blueberry]

Nutriment does contain bone, and I found it made Blue's poop very firm.  (Which I considered a good thing).  He's on Natural Instinct now, which I believe (from the change in his habits) contains a bit less bone.  I only give him a chicken wing or thigh a couple of times a week, and very occasionally a lamb shank as a replacement for a meal - he goes wild for those!  They are great for keeping him busy if we are taking him somewhere.

[bizzylizzy]

Nutriment does contain bone, and I found it made Blue's poop very firm.  (Which I considered a good thing).  He's on Natural Instinct now, which I believe (from the change in his habits) contains a bit less bone.  I only give him a chicken wing or thigh a couple of times a week, and very occasionally a lamb shank as a replacement for a meal - he goes wild for those!  They are great for keeping him busy if we are taking him somewhere.

Do you give Blue the thighs whole? only  I read somewhere that they can be harder than wings and more likely to splinter but don't actually know if that's correct? (I'm such a worrier, I know!). What about turkey or other poultry - does anyone know?

[Blueberry]

Yes, I give him whole wings, thighs, and whole lamb shanks.
He had the turkey wings raw at Xmas, but I don't think I would risk turkey thighs, they would be a bit too strong, I think.  Chickens are slaughtered so young, I don't think the thighs get chance to do much weight bearing.