HI i am thinking of changing my dogs over to a natural diet. I am looking for a good common sense book that is easy to follow on the subject of raw feeding. I have phoned my vet for any leaflets on the subject but what a surprise they do not have any and do not really  promote raw diets (well i suppose he gets plenty of money out of people with pets on a commercial diet, plus all his little incentives of the reps of these companies) and another question my old boy is now 10 is he to old to change him over ?
  

By far the easiest book to read I think is Kymythy Schultze's Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.  As for age, well I changed my old boy over when he was 12 (he is now 14) although I only give him raw meaty bones every so often as he can find those difficult to pass.  The bulk of his bone comes from that included in his raw meat mince.

I agree with Annie ns, Kymythy Schultze's book is very good as is Ian Billinghurst's The BARF Diet. I changed my lot over to raw feeding middle of last year, the youngest was just over a year old, the oldest nearly 14, and I've had no problems with any of them, apart from trying to slow down a very eager Hamish with the bones!

Hi,
Good move i say, we put our Boxer on BARF at about 4 months and have not looked back since, the book we used is 'Give Your Dog A Bone' by Dr Ian Billinghurst. Good luck ;-))

yes I agree "give your dog a bone" it is a great read mine is very well used

Yes I have 'Give Your Dog A Bone' and also 'Grow Your Pups With Bones' - both Ian Billinghurst both excellent books full of useful info!

I agree with the others book recommendations,you can never have enough nutrition books imho :D Other good ones  are: Raw dog food;make it easy for you and your dog,By Carina Beth Macdonald AND work wonders,by Tom Lonsdale.I think the latter as well as his other books are available free online, on his site.

thanks for that everyone definetly food for thought(lol)

Hi do any of theses books give there own feeding guide

I feed what suits me and my dog,it will give you ideas for meals

I mean weight wise .

It does give suggested amounts in the Ian Billinghurst books for a puppy which is about 10% of the puppy's weight, but I haven't seen the amounts anywhere for older puppies or dogs. 

In Kymythy's book there are a couple of pages of approximate amounts just to give a very loose guideline.  Like any kind of feeding, individual dogs will need varied amounts.  You need to be careful not to overdose on things like cod liver oil though as Vitamins A and D in excess are toxic.

I have the same problem with how much raw meat to add.  My two are fed twice a day, meat is usually added to the tea time meal and am often not sure whether I am adding too much meat.  They are doing fine weight wise, they stay between 5stone10 and 6stone which according to guidelines this is what they are suppose to be, but it seems such a lot of meat.

I read somewhere that a dog of about 70lb should be fed between 1lb and 1.5lb but it didn't state whether that was just meat.

Any thoughts?

When I started feeding raw I had a lot of help from an American breed specific forum they told me that the weight of food to feed was meat bone and Fruit and Veg so my dog who weighs 38kg had 2lb of food a day which includes his meat bone and veg

Yes it is important to get the meat and bone ratio correct, too much meat without bone can cause problems, too many oils as Annie mentioned can also be a problem.  It's also important to feed enought fruit and veg too! 

I think if you are going to feed raw and you choose BARF then it's a good idea to buy the books as it is important to get it right.

I agree with you maria and I have bought the books, I have a shelf full.

Mine have oats, fruit, veg, supplements, oils as the books suggest.  The only thing I can't seem to get my head around it the quantity of meat to add.  If the meat i give them has no bone with it I add bonemeal as suggested.

With regards to amount of raw food to be fed to an adult dog the general guideline is 2-3% of it's body weight adjusted up or down to suit the individual dog and the level of activity it is involved in.

I started feeding raw to my large breed at 8 months old using 3% as my guide and have now cut it down to 2% (he is 16 months old now) - he is a very active dog and has an hour off lead plus another hour road walking each day and this amount keeps him in great condition.

Puppies are normally fed either 10% of their actual weight or 2-3% of their predicted adult weight (the former percentage is the one I would personally use as it is then worked out on an actual weight rather than an average for the breed).

>If the meat i give them has no bone with it I add bonemeal as suggested.

Not if they are also getting dry food,but it also depends how much meat you are giving in the first place. I dont know that there are any hard and fast rules to how much meat you can add whilst also feeding dry food,it's a difficult one thats for sure!. I feed timberwolforganics,a couple of their  formula's are designed to have raw meat added at around 25%.Mine get more meat/fresh food than they do commercial food,i couldnt tell you how much as i dont measure it,but my dogs also get rmb's on a daily basis which also provide calcium,such as chicken wings/necks,ribs etc.

Hi,
I dont wish to come across smart or clever but i hind sight the amounts are easy! Just keep a close eye on your dogs weight/condition, if they look like they are getting plump then lessen the amounts, if their coats are looking dull increase the oils a little and so on, you should not be able to see their ribs but they should be felt easily, watch your dogs waste line, it should always be visible. Our Boxer is now 14 months now and been on BARF for a year, staple food is raw chicken wings and lambs ribs about 70%. I took her to the vets for her booster last week and weighed her, 25kg (4 stone) her breed standard adult weight is 28kg! It is more that a little worrying when you first start but with plenty of research and a deep breath it is prob the best thing you will do for your dogs.
                             Very best of luck to you.

Hi when pulping veg and putting it in the freezer does this need to be fully thawed before feeding as a friend of a friend said now and again she give it to her dogs straight from the freezer. 

I give it thawed but if I forget to get it out in time they have it as a veggie ice lolly :D

I wait until it's thawed!

When the weather is really hot I give it partly thawed,Travis also loves frozen watermelon in the summer

I do not know do i start a new thread or can i continue? well here goes i have done a little raw feeding reading and the amount for a gsd is recommended at 1,1/2 lb a day but is this meant to be just meat or a mixer and or fruit and veg . I think it is time to make a move as she does not seem to be satisfied on her complete meal she wolfs it down in no time and then she is looking for things to steal, she has been on a variety of different meals from cheap as chips to the more expensive one's. I am hoping that a raw diet will satisfy her more .

As Boxer boo said above keep an eye on their waistline if it starts to disappear cut the amounts. Above all keep it simple, it makes life much easier and more rewarding.

Hi i am just wondering what oils do you give and what quantity, as i have bought cod liver oil and i have been told to get linseed or flaxseed oil but i thought that they are the same thing ? karen

I give Fish Body Oil rather than CLO, Vit E, Evening Primrose Oil and Garlic.

Hi,
Totally agree with  Cava14Una.
Fish liver oils are not really usable as they are too high in vitamins A and D and can easily overload your dogs system. Vegatable oils, Corn or Soya Bean Oil contain a nice balance of both the 'Essential Fatty Acids Omega 3 & 6' ', (used in children with ADD to improve concentration levels)
  Omega 6 helps promote healthy skin, reproduction and growth:  Omega 3 helps fight againt nervousness, poor vision and learning problems, and the oil gives your dogs a nice shiney coat, (3 birds with 1 stone you might say)
Get yourself a copy of "Give Your Dog A Bone by Dr Ian Billinghurst" worth every penny!

Re feeding amount:  2-3% of the dogs (ideal) bodyweight.  It's a starting point/guideline, of course give more/less according to the need of the individual dog