Cdnjennga

And he has chosen raw.

I have been puppy sitting over the week-end while my mom is judging a water trial. The puppies are 4 weeks now and being weaned onto raw, so it seemed a good time to try Darcy out on it. He can't get enough of it. He's gone from being unenthusiastic about his kibble and taking ages to eat, to wild about raw and eating it within about a minute. He eats it in the way I am used to PWDs eating.

He has started out on primarily ground chicken with a little ground beef and organ meat added in. Not to get too graphic, but his poo looks the best it has since he came home, it's always been a little on the runny side on kibble.

So I have a question moving forward. We have lots of experience feeding the PWDs raw but a little guy like Darcy is new. So what sort of bone in product should he be eating? Only ground or should he be able to handle for example chicken wings? I'd love any advice you guys can give on keeping Darcy happy and healthy on his new raw diet!

fjm

My two tinies have chicken wings (half is a meal), lamb ribs, lamb breast bone, and anything else I can find that I can chop safely into small enough portions! I give them meat in biggish chunks, too. They certainly don't have any problems munching through them, and it all helps to keep their teeth clean.

taxtell

My cavalier king charles spaniel is a raw dog too...and about 12-13lbs.
He has a little mouth and he can gnaw through anything Flip can.
I would definitely watch him, make sure he's not a gulper, and then let him have a go at anything he might like.
I started Jack on chicken drumsticks, necks and gizzards.
When I was comfortable with those, I moved to turkey necks, pork ribs, beef ribs, whole cornish game hens, chicken breasts, beef heart, chicken quarters, etc.

When I first started the little guy, I would hold the piece while I let him tear at it, just to be sure he didn't gulp.

Good luck and way to go on the raw thing!!

I still think it is the best decision I ever made for my boys.

Cdnjennga

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'm super impressed at what our little guys can handle. I have always planned to go raw with Darcy, it's just that kibble is so easy. But now that I have seen how much he loves raw and what a pleasant experience dinner time is for him, I can't go back. I just have to be a bit more organised!

neVar

the little guys raw is pretty easy to feed and cheap- as premade is an affordable option too.

I switched to raw because my big aussie has IBS and terrible kibble allergies. Although we had food he'd do well on- he'd refuse to eat on average 2-3 daysa week! hard to keep weight on with that. Switched him to raw- and he runs circles and spins and leaps to his kennel for his food.

fjm

I feed mainly raw, with some cooked for when the friend looking after them was too squeamish. Sophy is not keen on raw heart, and liver can be messy, so those tend to get served cooked. They have both been on chicken and rice this week, due to a tummy bug, but everything should be back to normal tomorrow. Ooops - I think Sophy must be reading my mind - she is sitting at my feet murmuring "Dinnertime!, Dinnertime!" ... Back soon!

taxtell

Speaking of squeamish...*I* am squeamish about liver. My groomer (bless her) grinds it for me and puts it in big ice cream buckets. I thaw them out and then fill ice cube trays to make 'livercicles'. Much less vile.

Right now I scored some elk liver.
Of course the boys think it is absolutely delicious!

neVar

oh i hear you the livers make me just want to hurl.

I use Tripe a lot as well for the organ meat portion... smells- but it's canned and i don't have to touch it- i can hold my breath decent- but liver the texture kills me too

neVar

Oh and dont' forget heart=muscle. not organ meat Frozen chicken hearts are a favorite treat at my house

taxtell

I have a tube of Green Tripe in my freezer.
I am afraid of it.