# Going to start Raw Food.. Got some questions



## dimik (Nov 25, 2013)

I read the PMR diet..

The article said feed the dog 2-3% body weight total per day. My dog is 62 Pounds so lets say 2lbs of food a day. A chicken quarter leg weighs about one- two pounds. Should i only feed him One of those a day?? doesn't seem like enough food for my boy. I feed him kibbles 2 scoops 3x a day. 

Does it matter how many times a day he eats or if he eats the right amount in the morning i wont have to feed him till the next day? Or am i breaking up the meal.

SO CONFUSING!


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

It sounds like you have quite a bit more reading to do  you start with chicken backs and drumsticks for a week... You can feed twice a day. Too much raw at once will cause the runs. Then after a week or two of doing that and his poops are normal, then you can start on the chicken quarters. Then after two weeks of good poops on those, then you can start adding the organ meat which is very important. Kidneys, livers and lungs are organ meat. Heart is a muscle, not an organ. 

He will probably look a bit scrawny for a few weeks as he detoxes from the kibble. Go slow. After six weeks of starting and doing the chicken quarters and organ meats, then you can start adjusting how much you want to feed to keep good weight on him. Then you can start exploring with different meat sources like lamb, beef, rabbit, etc. 

Definitely read some more and joint that fb group I messaged you about. They are a big help!  also check out the Raw feeding section here at GoPitbull.


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

Click here and read the stickies and some of the threads  Raw Foods - Pitbulls : Go Pitbull Dog Forums


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## Stephan (Oct 16, 2013)

::::COACH:::: said:


> It sounds like you have quite a bit more reading to do  you start with chicken backs and drumsticks for a week... You can feed twice a day. Too much raw at once will cause the runs. Then after a week or two of doing that and his poops are normal, then you can start on the chicken quarters. Then after two weeks of good poops on those, then you can start adding the organ meat which is very important. Kidneys, livers and lungs are organ meat. Heart is a muscle, not an organ.
> 
> He will probably look a bit scrawny for a few weeks as he detoxes from the kibble. Go slow. After six weeks of starting and doing the chicken quarters and organ meats, then you can start adjusting how much you want to feed to keep good weight on him. Then you can start exploring with different meat sources like lamb, beef, rabbit, etc.


Just copy and pasted this into my gmail hahaha. It's a nice snapshot, in layman's terms on how to start out on raw (which I have been deliberating) :flush::hammer::roll::hug:

Luna says thanks Coach!


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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

Hi Dimik, going raw is actually a lot easier than it sounds. My boy only gets 400g of food a day, but has a ton of energy and is less hyperactive than he was on kibble. The reason you feed less is because kibble is filled with a bunch of stuff that goes in the front and comes out the back. Your boy will poop less on raw (one of the many perks )

Coach gave some good advice on starting with chicken backs. Start off with high bone content chicken. The reason for this is because it's an easy protein for your dog to adjust to. You don't have to stress about getting your ratios correct now, but once he is full adjust (6-10weeks depending in the dog) then you can start tweaking your menu for him.

I started Jones off on chicken, but introduced turkey and beef before I started introducing organs. I did chicken for 2 weeks, I gave him a really high bone percentage and didn't have to deal with runnies. (Bone firms up a dogs poop) In the 3rd week I introduced turkey and rotated turkey and chicken. In week 5 I started rotating chicken, turkey, beef. Then week 7 I started adding organs. I was able to move a lot faster than you will read on some of the forums, this is because Jones had great stools through the process. He now has a diet that is as easy to follow as a kibble diet. He gets 80% meat 10% bone 5% liver 5% other organs (more or less) I rotate chicken, beef, turkey, lamb lungs and heart (lungs and <3 are considered muscles). I decide his meals into 2 portions an feed morning and night. But I know that with older dogs you can feed them once a day and be fine. I have also read about people who feed big meals every other day.

After his detox you will be able to see how much is enough for Turtle. If he is looking pudgy reduce how much you feed, if he is looking too lean feed him more. Jones doesn't work too hard so I feed him 2.3% of his adult weight guesstimate of 38lbs.

I add an omega supp, an egg and 2tbls of plain white yoghurt every other day.

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## dimik (Nov 25, 2013)

Katey said:


> Hi Dimik, going raw is actually a lot easier than it sounds. My boy only gets 400g of food a day, but has a ton of energy and is less hyperactive than he was on kibble. The reason you feed less is because kibble is filled with a bunch of stuff that goes in the front and comes out the back. Your boy will poop less on raw (one of the many perks )
> 
> Coach gave some good advice on starting with chicken backs. Start off with high bone content chicken. The reason for this is because it's an easy protein for your dog to adjust to. You don't have to stress about getting your ratios correct now, but once he is full adjust (6-10weeks depending in the dog) then you can start tweaking your menu for him.
> 
> ...


Thanks this helps on how much/often to feed him. That's where most of my confusion was:clap:


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## rocthebully (Aug 17, 2013)

Good info katey and coach easy to understand too!


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## dimik (Nov 25, 2013)

rocthebully said:


> Good info katey and coach easy to understand too!


Yeah they must not think very highly of me so they explained it in dumb terms :hammer::hammer::hammer:


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

Lol! Believe me I read stuff for WEEKS trying to grasp everything.  there are reasons for the way everything is done. Some dogs need the full six weeks of just backs and chicken quarters before organs can be added but my dogs adjusted really well so I went with the flow. Definitely feed two meals a day when starting up. 

I had tried raw several months ago and switched back to kibble because they were looking terrible from having constant runs. Guess what the culprit was???? PUMPKIN!! Do NOT give pumpkin. It just masks another problem, doesn't solve anything. This time around NO problems


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## pookie! (Jun 20, 2011)

You guys answered perfect  I feed my 60-65lbs dog one quarter plus other meats added in because most quarters are 1.5lbs and not technically enough BUT with you just starting I wouldnt worry until you are on fully so you can add in more meats. If the quarter or chicken bit you start with isnt enough in itself you can add more of that chicken until its 1.5-2lbs.


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## Dynasty (Jan 26, 2013)

I 2nd what pookie said she knows what she doing with raw . She wouldn't steer you wrong

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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

dimik said:


> Yeah they must not think very highly of me so they explained it in dumb terms :hammer::hammer::hammer:


No no, not that at all. I felt like you did when I started, and had tons of questions. Just passing on what I now know in a way that's easy to follow. 

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## dimik (Nov 25, 2013)

Katey said:


> No no, not that at all. I felt like you did when I started, and had tons of questions. Just passing on what I now know in a way that's easy to follow.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Im just messing with you guys. Thanks for all the advice i really appreciate it!

Im worried because i keep hearing dogs can choke on chicken bones. Any insight on this?


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## pookie! (Jun 20, 2011)

Dogs can choke on kibble too. Just fyi lol. Thats why you supervise your animal when it eats and offer food items that they have to chew. I wouldnt give my 65lb dog a chicken wing and expect him not to swallow it whole, thats why I feed chicken quarters, so he has to chew (I also feed him his meals frozen because he still inhales a chicken quarter, not saying your dog will but mine does)


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## Just Tap Pits (Mar 4, 2013)

^^^^^^ truth... ive seen gage "puke" up 4 full unchewed cups of food that was a nice little ball of kibble more than once...


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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

Just Tap Pits said:


> ^^^^^^ truth... ive seen gage "puke" up 4 full unchewed cups of food that was a nice little ball of kibble more than once...


That sounds delicious! Yuk!

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## Just Tap Pits (Mar 4, 2013)

Idk ask him he had to eat it.... lol


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