Hi

I am considering (early stages) of moving to a BARF diet for my two pugs. They currently eat a dry diet plus half an egg a day. When i see them walk up to a bowl of dry food it is slow and calm and unexcited. The morning meal with half an egg in creates enthusiasm and excitement and i want this for them!!! I understand complete gives them everything they need but have a couple of questions on raw.

Do the dogs seem to prefer it? Does it take longer to eat as it has bone content?

I am reading up on it carefully before i embark but with small dogs, has anyone any experience of weight loss/gain on it? Is it just as good for a small breed as a large?

I know there are dozens of posts but i havent seen these questions answered so hope you dont mind.

It's a big decision isn't it!!

I can only comment on the sheer enjoyment the dogs get, try to imagine 5 dogs and 3 trays of chicken wings, the boys would take theirs and run into another room (where sometimes they would sneakily hide them and wait until the others had finished before miraculously producing them and settling down to slowly eat them in front of the others - what teases!!)

even now with just the one dog, Leah takes delight in taking them out of her bowl one at a time and running with them in to the sitting room and throwing them on her bed, and she will wait until she has 3 on her bed before starting to eat them!! she is so funny!!

I feed a mix of home prepared, raw and commercial - I believe variety is just as important.

I can't answer your specific queries, good luck, I'm sure you and your dogs won't be disappointed :)

I can only agree with dearlady. My dogs love it the difference in their attitude between raw and complete is impossible to compare. As for small breeds my 7lbs pom/chi is totally raw fed. I have had  no problems with her so far and dont anticipate any. She eats exactly the same as my gsd only scaled down. The rough rule of thumb I use is 2-3% of food to body weight as a start point. Then just like your own diet you get the idea if they need more or less if they need to gain or lose weight to remain stable. I also add fish usually tinned sardines and pilchards  in oil or tom sauce some cooked veg only because mine wont eat raw, cottage cheese natural yoghurt raw egg baked beans. In fact most unprocessed food you would eat. I am not a slave to weighing and measuring or exactly how often but offer them a varied diet,  all types of meat (except pork) in any form minced chunks or carcasses and as it comes, obviously samler bits for the little one. Although she will have a chew at a marrow bone . If you have a look at raw meaty bones website or Kisannrio gsd  the will give you some idea too
Mine wont eat offal unless it is in the form of liver cake or lightly cooked. I dont tend to include potatoes pasta or rice as I dont think it is necessary but I know the true barf feeders do . I more or less follow the raw meaty bones theory
Have ago i am sure you doggy will love it and be healthy too. I wouldn't change now and would do it with any breed I had big or small
Yes it does take a bit longer to eat, I guess its like us eating a bowl of soup instead of a juicy steak and every bit goes including liking the bowl , My gsd usually eats outside because he likes to take his carcasses and bones on to the grass to eat. Mia eats on a piece of vet bed  in doors she is much tidier! I didn't notice any particular changes in weight other than up but both were very young when I swapped so that was right for their deveolpment

Thanks, that is interesting.
I think i will read up a little more on it. I think it is one of those things that once you start it is easy but i am yet to convince OH who thinks it is something else to worry about and no one will want to look after the dogs if they have to faff around with fresh foods.

I even got asked, "if they eat raw dont they get a taste for blood, won't they want humans next!!!".

I need to think a little longer. In the mean time i might start reducing the complete and topping it up with some chicken wings, bones and fish. I have to be so careful with weight with pugs.

What age do you start them on raw as well. I have a 12 week old pup too.

O yes i forgot to say I only have one leg and nibbles at the ankle of the remaining one LOL

The going away argument is pop into sainsburys and buy a bag of basics chiken some pilchards and get some frozen mince from the pet shop for a short time its no prpoblem just add things to your normal shop. its not as if you are asking them to cook it. Pack it into meal sized bags then you have ready meals.
Have alook at Krisannrio gsd she weans them straight to raw. I know you can and many do but wouldn't want to give advice as I have know experience. Are pugs particulay with weight problems as opposed to other breeds. I must say the reading and research I did on Chihuahua's made me expect alsorts of feeding problems, hypos .choking and that was on complete's let alone raw. I was very worried. I didn't think I would see her grow up.I worried every time she shivered 
I dont know if Mia is unusual but she wasn't keen on complete but went straight for the raw and has stayed there.
My daughter keeps making comments about pugs and how we need another small breed LOL

With pugs weight goes on sooo easily! They love food which is why i feel i am depriving them taking away their enthusiasm by feeding them just dry.

I havent tried either on any raw. I didnt realise they could have egg shells till last month! Mind, my adult pug picked out all the shell and left it neatly by her bowl.

Time to start with a chicken wing. I am sure it wont harm the pup. He just wants things to teeth on at the moment.

As for your daughter, she has taste! Sounds like she is crying out for some pug love :)

I think sge is going to have a little "toy" pack when she is older all the signs are there

My dogs LOVE a raw diet.  I give them a few meals a week of dry complete food and they take some convincing to eat that.  Their raw food they enjoy with much more enthusiasm, particularly bones :)

As for raw diet for pups... My basenji came to me at 8 weeks having had a complete diet with some cooked chicken and i switched her over to the raw diet gradually and by 12 weeks she was mostly on raw food.  She absolutely loves it.  She is 15 weeks now, she will eat chicken wings & carcasses, rib bones, tripe, meat mixes, kidneys/heart and anything else i offer her.  Since my dogs have been on a raw diet i've not had a single fussy eater!!

I recommend it 100%!

> Is it just as good for a small breed as a large?

Hi, i have large breeds but my puppies are weaned straight onto raw and will be eating raw meat at about 3-4 weeks old and i have had no problems at all with such small puppies so small breeds would cope fine i am sure.

All my adults are fed raw and they thoroughly enjoy every meal, the carcasses are very satisfying for them as they have to work a little at their food. i am sure your pugs would love a chicken drumstick or wing and some rib bones, give them a try and see what they make of it.

good luck with the new diet

Hi,

I have started my year old Sibe on Barf diet about a month ago now and she is doing marvellously. I fully understand the anxieties and uncertainties that you have right now. I've joined the Britbarf group at Yahoo and they are a great bunch. Very helpful and understanding group of members (just like this group, of course!). I also find that the owner's 'file' extremely helpful too.

Yes, it is a big step but it is one you will never regret once you've got the hang of !

HTH.

My Boxer was very uninterested in food from when I first got him at 8 weeks old. Some days he would eat and other days just ignored what I put down for him. I changed to BARF about 8 weeks ago and now he loves dinner time. He sits and whines when it's food time now. He never did that before and when I'm preparing his food he looks longingly at his bowl!

If I give him chicken drumsticks he takes them into the garden, hides them under leaves and mud then goes and finds them and walks around the garden looking all proud of his kill! Eventually he takes great delight in chewing and crunching them up.

I would definitely say that he enjoys his food so much more than when he was on dry complete food!

Rosie