Raw and puppies

[Nudibranch]

Not having much luck with this on the internet so interested in informed opinions!
I've fed raw for a long time and seen big benefits in terms of appetite, coat health, teeth etc. I buy the complete minces (DAF, Southcliffe, etc) and feed occasional eggs, fish and so on.

We are viewing a pup later this week, a second collie as companion and possibly worker. However a lot of the online info either doesn't mention puppies and raw, or is fairly anti-raw full stop. I don't know what he's being weaned onto yet but I imagine a regular food. My main concern is bacteria I guess - is raw ok for puppies or not?!

 

[skinnydipper]

https://www.prodograw.com/shop/raw-dog-food/raw-puppy-food/

 

[skinnydipper]

Here is another: https://www.nakeddog.co.uk/our-selection/raw-meals

 

[Annette4]

I've not had a puppy since we switched to raw but I know lots of breeders who wean to raw and their puppies thrive.

 

[Highmileagecob]

A little off piste - I started an eight week old kitten on raw food. He is now five months old, still raw fed with the occasional pouch of wet food, and given full fat milk to drink. No problems. Hundreds of tigers can't be wrong.....

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

A little off piste - I started an eight week old kitten on raw food. He is now five months old, still raw fed with the occasional pouch of wet food, and given full fat milk to drink. No problems. Hundreds of tigers can't be wrong.....

Where do tigers get their full fat milk from?

 

[Esmae]

Cats are lactose intolerant.

 

[SOS]

I’m not a raw advocate BUT only because so many people just bang some raw meat down and think that’s it. Pets have nutritional requirements and if you aren’t willing to feed a complete food with them you need to work them out yourself.

Because of the nutritional requirements of a puppy I would feed a raw, complete food from a raw supplier rather than just meat. Calcium imbalance is a serious issue for puppies, both too much and too little can be detrimental.

Bacteria wise, a puppy’s immune system is weaker than an adult dog and their gut will need time to adjust. I would recommend transferring to raw very slowly from the food they leave the breeder with - 10% a week. Feeding raw always has a higher risk of E. coli and other bacteria’s developing*, but to be honest if the puppy is mixing with the other raw fed dogs and therefore their saliva and sometimes (as much as we don’t want to think it!) bodily fluids, it will be exposed to that anyway.

As always with raw, be incredibly strict on hygiene, no bowls left down, washed after every meal, wash your hands after touching the dog and no face licking!

*note: all dogs will probably have a healthy level of E. coli but raw can invite “bad” strains or high levels.

 

[planete]

The only thing that worried me about feeding my pup raw food was that the first raw food carnivores get has already been in the stomach of the parent and is partially digested by salivary and stomach secretions. I do not know how long it is before they are handed food carried in the jaws instead of the stomach?

I had to feed Dylan raw from the day I got him as he refused everything else but he was already fifteen weeks old.

 

[MissTyc]

The only important thing to know about raw feeding puppies is that they cannot excrete excess calcium, so you have to be hyper vigilant about feeding a max 10% or even less of bone. Excess calcium is very damaging in puppies (it isn't in most adults; insufficient calcium is of course also a problem for development!). If you're feeding completes, then use only the best brands and feel free to do a day of just tripe here and there as it has a lovely calcium/phosphate balance. You don't need to buy "puppy completes" as they are the same thing more finely ground. Equally, don't feel "guilty" for not raw feeding your pup if that isn't right at this time. I had one pup, 6 years ago now, who I raised to 6 months on a high quality kibble because my adult dog at the time was on a specialist raw diet of 99% entire carcasses and I didn't have freezer/life/emotional space to run a secondary diet. He is just as healthy as any of pups raised on raw.

 

[Dexter]

You can put the puppy straight onto raw food, they dont need the transition period adult dogs do. I've always fed the pups on decent branded complete for the first couple of months then transitioned over to the normal stuff my adult dogs get as they get a bit older

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

This thread is incredibly useful: https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/raw-feeding-everything-you-need-to-know.111437/

Bear was on raw from a small puppy, I swapped my current two onto it because they had constant diarrhoea on kibble, I tried various brands. As you’re feeding completes, I’d say go for it.

 

[Nudibranch]

Thanks all, lots of useful links!
I think I'll just switch to raw once the food from the breeder runs out.

 

[Supercalifragilistic]

Our current pup (12 weeks old) arrived already weaned onto raw by his very experienced breeder. He’s on a raw complete and seems very well on it. As others have said, you just need to be very vigilant on hygiene.

His poos (small, good consistency, almost no smell) are a revelation compared to the other puppies we have had, which were fed on kibble.

Our adult dog will be switching to it too when she finishes her current kibble bag.

 

[satinbaze]

I recommend Ian Billingshurst book “grow your pup with bones” takes you through from the pregnant female and onto weaning and puppy feeding. I raised and reared litters with the help of this book

 

[splashgirl45]

Our current pup (12 weeks old) arrived already weaned onto raw by his very experienced breeder. He’s on a raw complete and seems very well on it. As others have said, you just need to be very vigilant on hygiene.

His poos (small, good consistency, almost no smell) are a revelation compared to the other puppies we have had, which were fed on kibble.

Our adult dog will be switching to it too when she finishes her current kibble bag.

Can I ask which raw complete you are using as my whippets poos really smell bad and I feed Wolfworthy raw kibble

 

[Supercalifragilistic]

Can I ask which raw complete you are using as my whippets poos really smell bad and I feed Wolfworthy raw kibble

It’s Bulmers complete https://bulmerdogfood.co.uk/product-category/dog-food/frozen-meat-produce/complete-minces/

 

[Annette4]

Can I ask which raw complete you are using as my whippets poos really smell bad and I feed Wolfworthy raw kibble

I feed a local suppliers complete and naturo when we're camping and have lovely smell free small poos from the two whippets and the pug x.

 

[kidsandponies]

Please could I ask when would you introduce ribs etc to a puppy?

Raw feeding is completely new to me and I think I have tied myself up in knots a bit with reading some conflicting stuff whilst trying to read up and learn more.

We bought home a GSD puppy 3 weeks ago now who had been weaned onto raw, when I say raw, he was on a mince made up at the local butchers containing lots of different meats.

We live locally so I have managed to secure a regular supply of dog mince from the same supplier and have introduced chicken wings, veg and raw egg to his diet (so a typical day he is fed 250g mince am and lunch, 250g chicken wings pm). Pigs liver is used sparingly as a training aid. I understand variety is they key to raw feeding so when should I start introducing ribs (lamb/pork), can I do that now or should I wait until he is older and his adult teeth are through?

Trying so hard to get this right but naturally worrying I’m not getting the balance right!

Thank you!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Please could I ask when would you introduce ribs etc to a puppy?

Raw feeding is completely new to me and I think I have tied myself up in knots a bit with reading some conflicting stuff whilst trying to read up and learn more.

We bought home a GSD puppy 3 weeks ago now who had been weaned onto raw, when I say raw, he was on a mince made up at the local butchers containing lots of different meats.

We live locally so I have managed to secure a regular supply of dog mince from the same supplier and have introduced chicken wings, veg and raw egg to his diet (so a typical day he is fed 250g mince am and lunch, 250g chicken wings pm). Pigs liver is used sparingly as a training aid. I understand variety is they key to raw feeding so when should I start introducing ribs (lamb/pork), can I do that now or should I wait until he is older and his adult teeth are through?

Trying so hard to get this right but naturally worrying I’m not getting the balance right!

Thank you!

My bil’s puppy swallowed a rib he dropped, the vet wanted to operate! We told him to give it a few days, he was fine. If you can chop them smaller, I’d be tempted to give small amounts. My old supplier used to do lamb breast too.

Read the stuff on the links/groups people have posted up thread, they’re very reassuring.

You know the basic balance is 80:10:10-meat:boneffal, but my lot don’t do well on that much offal, especially liver. Go easy on fish too!

I’ve just ordered from a new supplier called Middleton Raw Dog foods in Manchester but free delivery (!!). Should be here today. My OH found them on eBay, which struck me as bonkers. I use a local supplier normally but don’t have OH muscle or time to go today, off to get some euros for my school trip.

 

[Goldenstar]

My friend bought a puppy from a well respected breeder of type of dog it was weaned onto raw
It never thrived .
Long story eventually it was diagnosed with chronic salmonella , extremely vulnerable people in the house had been put at huge risk by the puppy .
They where very lucky someone did not die if I got a raw raised puppy I would be testing to make sure it was safe to have in my home .

 

[kidsandponies]

My friend bought a puppy from a well respected breeder of type of dog it was weaned onto raw
It never thrived .
Long story eventually it was diagnosed with chronic salmonella , extremely vulnerable people in the house had been put at huge risk by the puppy .
They where very lucky someone did not die if I got a raw raised puppy I would be testing to make sure it was safe to have in my home .

Thank you. I’ve not heard of testing to make sure it is safe, do you mean some sort of test on the puppy?
We are very careful to wash all bowls as soon as they are empty, to disinfect the bottom of his empty crate where he eats and not to handle him for a while after he has eaten to hopefully reduce the risk.
I hope he is a fit and healthy puppy, he certainly looks and acts well. Such a minefield.

 

[kidsandponies]

My bil’s puppy swallowed a rib he dropped, the vet wanted to operate! We told him to give it a few days, he was fine. If you can chop them smaller, I’d be tempted to give small amounts. My old supplier used to do lamb breast too.

Read the stuff on the links/groups people have posted up thread, they’re very reassuring.

You know the basic balance is 80:10:10-meat:boneffal, but my lot don’t do well on that much offal, especially liver. Go easy on fish too!

I’ve just ordered from a new supplier called Middleton Raw Dog foods in Manchester but free delivery (!!). Should be here today. My OH found them on eBay, which struck me as bonkers. I use a local supplier normally but don’t have OH muscle or time to go today, off to get some euros for my school trip.

Thank you! I’ve just found a supplier fairly local to us so will look into completes, I don’t think I am feeding enough (or enough variety) of organs.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes from a poo sample.

 

[Morwenna]

My 5 month old lab has not been doing great on kibble so I want to try her on raw. I picked up a couple of packs of a complete mince (puppy version) today but is it best to transition her gradually to it or just make a clean break from kibble? Each manufacturers website gives different advice so any real life experiences welcome!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I’d swap gradually but quickly, iyswim. Add the mince to less kibble than normal and swap the lot within a few days. Monitor poo!

 

[Annette4]

I did a straight swap with my guys onto a boneless mince (tripe) then gradually introduced bone.

 

[Morwenna]

Thanks. As I’ve got with an all in one mince and I’ve decided to go with a more gradual changeover. She had her first bit of raw this morning and wolfed it down so fingers crossed.