[Pemphredo]

I want my puppy to be eating the best. After looking on sites and doing research I think raw may be the way to go. advise? good recipes? how much to feed how often? My puppy is under weight right now and having a lot of feeding issues. She is 6 weeks and 3 days old. She is 4 pounds 5 ounces. I found a video on youtube that looks simple to make. but IDK ... I don't want to mess up. I am so worried about her getting the runs... that is my hugest fear. we have been battling the runs...her poops were just fine. she was doing great. she was laying logs. it was perfect.... then I decided to start training her and bought her some dumb dog treats :doh:.... I cut the treats into real real small bits and only gave her 3 small tick tack sized bits.... I didn't want her to have too many because I didn't want her to get the runs.... :no: I was woke up at 10pm to her crying and poop all over the floor and her.... :yuck: it messed her tummy up so bad. she got the runs like no other. then she refused to eat or drink after that. it was not a good situation. I gave her some pumpkin which she LOVED and her poops are better now. not 100% yet but better. but ok here is the video I found. is how this guy is making it look right? would you recomind his method?

any advise would be great please.

 

[Florabora22]

I know nothing about raw, but I'd worry about a dog that young getting sick from bacteria or something. Her system is probably really vulnerable still. There are several members here who feed raw so I'm sure they'll chime in.

 

[IowaGold]

I feed raw and have sucessfully raw fed two puppies. BUT I was an experienced raw feeder before the pups came along (I had been raw feeding for about 5 years before dog #2). In the beginning there is a lot of learning and mistakes. An adult dog (or even a mostly grown pup) is much more forgiving of these mistakes. I worry when a person's first raw feeding venture is a pup.

I'll be honest, I didn't watch the video you posted (short on time) so I can't comment on it. Over a dozen years into raw feeding I find it very easy to do, but it's hard in the beginning. It takes time to find out where to get everything to make sure you have balance.

When I raw feed pups I feed 3 meals per day (21 meals per week). Last time I made a spreadsheet so I wouldn't forget which meals needed to be raw meaty bones, muscle meat, and organ (and so I wouldn't get into a rut with just one species of meat). I ended up with the following percentages: ~60% meat (including what was on the bones I fed), 15-16% bone, 14% organ meat, and just under 5% each tripe and eggs. My bones were mostly chicken necks, but also turkey necks, pork ribs, rabbit, and duck. My muscle meat sources were venison, fish, and heart (plus the meat on the bones). The organs were a ground mix of 50% liver (3 or 4 species), 25% kidney, 12.5% brain, and 12.5% spleen. I am much more careful with young pups to make sure that they get the complete variety of the diet on a weekly basis (with adults I work more on a monthly basis).

Please take a lot of time to fully research this. Read lots of books and talk to lots of raw feeders. It is not as easy as it looks, especially with a pup.

 

[Pemphredo]

yeah I don't think I am going to just jump right in to it for sure. I am to scared to so I want lots advise before I even try it. Thank you so much for your reply IowaGold. What brand puppy dry food would you recommend in the mean time?

 

[IowaGold]

That is a question for the main nutrition board! I haven't had to choose a puppy food since #1 was a baby (he just turned 14!). If I were to choose one I personally would go with one of the more natural meat based ones. Fromm, Evo, etc., etc. There is no one food that is perfect for every dog so you may have to do some trials to find one that works for your pup.