I used to feed Royal Canin but pup had skin problems so thought a change of diet might help. I have been reducing the Royal Canin and am now only feeding this at breakfast time. The other two meals being 3/4 lb chicken, minced beef and diced pork,these being cooked and 3oz of pedigree mixer, each meal. I suplement this with live yoghurt and omega 3.
I purchased some Quistel shampoo from a groomer and she advised that the high protein in the Royal Canin Maxi Junior was probably the culprit for the problem skin. She says that the Royal Canin Adult would be better.
Now I am totally confused. Am I making things worse by feeding all this meat. Surely meat is all protein? She is thouroughly enjoying her new food regime and poops have been more solid as well. She is still hyper active but at 9 months old I guess only to be expected from a GSD pup.
Can anyone help with my confusion. At what age should I reduce her meals to 2?

I tend to reduce my dogs to two meals a day at 6 months of age (I also have them on adult food by this age as they are a large breed). Are you feeding any bones or just the meat? Hopefully Thome (or others who feed raw) will be on here at some point to give you some advice re. the diet. There are several books you can buy about the BARF diet if this is the way you want to go. Personally I have Billinghurst's books but have adapted them to suit my breed. I'm currently feeding Naturediet as I am having trouble locating a good supplier but will put both of mine on a full BARF diet at some point.

Has your groomer studied canine nutrition or is she just repeating what is commonly believed?

Skin problems can be caused by all sorts of things, lack of oil, food intolerance, food allergy, inhalant allergies, topical allergies.......... the list is endless, ......................

I do wonder if your dog is obtaining an adequate calcium intake on your present diet?

What is her overall calorie intake for the day, mineral and oil content adding the commercial and home made foods together?

Not a clue as regards calorie and mineral content. How complicated you make it sound. I have been putting 1/2 teaspoon of ground egg shells for calcium. I have also been giving a large meaty raw bone once a week. I have been reluctant to feed more bones due to the controversy over splinters. I tried adding vegies but this made her bowels a little loose so have discontinued. With Anal Gland problems loose bowels were the last thing we wanted.

I am only feeding Royal Canin once a day at the moment due to a gradual change and not intending to stay with this. 

If your young dog has loose movements and since you are feeding cooked food anyway have you considered trying Naturediet?   If the regular or lite versions do not work they have a new one called Herbal Sensitive Gold which is formulated specifically for dogs with digestive problems and sensitive skin.  

Stacey

No her bowels are great now much better than when she was on Royal Canin.It was just the veg that made her loose. When I discontinued the veg they returned to norm. What is Naturediet. Is it a suplement of a food in itself?

Hi Gaby,

I assume you are in the U.K.  Naturediet is a complete moist food.  Nothing artificial.  Very simple food and all ingredients are suitable for human consumption.  No fillers, no additives, no derivatives and the closest thing I've found to home cooked meals for dogs.  (Actually, the product looks and smells better than many human ready meals!) They have a web site <http://www.naturediet.co.uk> if you are interested in trying it.   You can also buy Naturediet at Pets at Home.

My dogs absolutely love it and I switch between varieties with no problems whatsoever.  They have two different ranges and a number of different varieties.  Below is the one I thought you might be interested in trying for her, but I personally think they are all excellent in comparison to other foods.

Herbal Sensitive Gold: A blend of ocean fish (cod, haddock and plaice) with lamb tripe and specially selected herbs; cleavers, nettles, dandelion, garlic, golden rod, sage  known to soothe and aid digestion and help with sensitive skin.
Ingredient list: Fish, lamb tripe, potato, carrots, brown rice, seaweed and herbs. Vitamin A 1250 iu/kg, Vitamin D3 150 iu/kg, Vitamin E 30mg/kg

Stacey