Am I doing this right - raw menu

I feel like I should just get this, but I'm still feeling unsure about what I am doing and it is stressing me out a little ... and every time I read anything about raw diets it keeps saying that you have to get the nutrients/calcium/phosphorous balance right for puppies and then a stupid lady yelled at me about raw and then Chiquito wouldn't eat today and now I'm all and thinking of changing to BARF patties. Rant over.

This is what Chiquito has had to eat for the past few days

Today
Morning - egg with turkey mince (didn't eat it), lamb heart, liver
Afternoon - the egg and turkey mince again (still didn't eat it), a chicken drumstick
Dinner (yet to serve) - the egg and turkey mince again, kidney, beef chunk
Kong - rice and a little bit off the chicken drumstick

Yesterday
Morning - vegetables and turkey mince (didn't eat this), piece of beef heart, half kidney, liver
Afternoon - half turkey neck, vegetables and turkey mince (didn't eat this)
Dinner - beef chunk, pork pieces and two fish oil tablets
Kong - rice and bits off a chicken drumstick again

Day before
Morning - egg with salmon (skin, flakes and juice left over from the day before) and rice
Afternoon - chicken drumstick, piece of beef heart
Dinner - beef chunk, turkey mince, liver
Kong - vegetable mix and beef juice

Does that sound right/balanced etc?? Do I need to add vitamins/minerals/nutrients of any kind?? Should I do the fish oil every day??

How long have you been feeding raw now?

It looks very much like he just doesn't like turkey mince! Some dogs don't like any type of mince at all - Dempsey doesn't!

You don't need the vegetables at all. And you don't really need to feed meat & offal every day, as long as they get offal a couple of times a week.

Have you looked through this site.......

http://rawfed.com/myths/preymodel.html

It certainly won't hurt to add some salmon oil to his food.

Sorry Kell, I wouldn't have a clue, I'm sure one of our raw experts will along shortly though

Thanks Caryll and Kathy

Caryll wrote:How long have you been feeding raw now?

He has been on half raw/half dry pretty much since he came home with me, full raw for three/four weeks now.

Caryll wrote:It looks very much like he just doesn't like turkey mince! Some dogs don't like any type of mince at all - Dempsey doesn't!

It does seem that way, though he adores beef mince

Caryll wrote:You don't need the vegetables at all. And you don't really need to feed meat & offal every day, as long as they get offal a couple of times a week.

He will be happy to hear about the vegetable - they are not a favourite of his. Offal as in the liver/kidney only a couple of times a week, meat as in heart only a couple of times a week as well?

Caryll wrote:Have you looked through this site.......

http://rawfed.com/myths/preymodel.html

It certainly won't hurt to add some salmon oil to his food.

Just had another read through that link - thanks Caryll, there is so much information out there that is conflicting. Regarding the salmon oil - this is instead of the fish oil correct? Can you suggest a good Salmon oil? (He loves salmon but I can't get a salmon oil at any of the pet stores here so will need to order online).

Thanks again

I try and make it as simple as possible and having adults I can feed once a day helps with that

Cut the veg and rice out he doesn't need them and save your self some time and money

I do one meal of offal a week but on a rotation, so one week liver then next kidney the next spleen etc

I balance their diet and ratio over about 8 weeks rather them trying to do it every day or week, and this is more natural

I also feed as much whole animals as I can but when I'm not they get something with a bone in some sort of boneless meat and then the once a week swap meat for offal and that's it

Grrr autocorrect :/

Thanks Ella .. I am still unsure as to how to get the ratio right!! Can I do the rotation meals with Chiquito or does he need more balance each day being a puppy? Also, do you do bone everyday?

Also, in regard to the whole animals ... I can get whole rabbits from the local pet shop, would these be okayto feed? Not sure what other whole animals I could get other than this.

Yes you don't have to do it everyday and neither do the ratios have to be exact

I give bone everyday 99% of the time as it suits the boys but they don't get constipated but some dogs will

Yes whole rabbits are great! Have a look for whole heads, squirrel, guniea pigs, whole birds things like that

Thanks again Ella

Re: the fish/salmon oil .. how often should I give this? Also I have read a lot about adding vitamin A and B and flaxseed - needed? (most of the raw shops here sell a multi vitamin with these plus things like garlic etc in them ... though most have calcium in them - and I believe you are not supposed to supplement calcium in pups)

Sorry again for all the questions!

i alternate with salmon and fish body oil, but i do give alot of oily fish, so i only give the oil if i haven't got any fish in. I only give once or twice a week but i give it with vitamin E as the oil depletes the body of vit e

Flaxseed oil isn't very good for dogs as they have a hard time 'digesting' or converting it into beneficial stuff

I do not give calcium as that would throw out the calcium, phosphorus ratio that you get from their food

Yes they get garlic for fleas, but not vitamin a or b