Feeding my 8 week old puppy raw from the outset.

I'm due to collect Harry at the beginning of September, with that being said I'm looking to get everything in place in regards to starting him off on a raw diet. I understand the concept and breakdown of the BARF diet however there is a few things I'm unsure about and no doubt I'm asking at the rite place with you staffy guru's.

- he's on royal canin puppy food at present so I'm looking to implement just one protein at a time.
- what sort of ratio in regards to meals/portions do I go for? Is that all depending on the dogs weight
- I've also been informed to start on 3 meals a day and drop it down to 2 after around 6 months.
- does a raw food diet give all the nutrients needed for my pup to grow into a healthy dog.
- do I need to add vegetables?
- is there any diet plans you can recommend
- do I need to weigh my portions

Like I say I'm really new to this and all I want to do is give my dog the best from the beginning, when asking these questions I have thought to myself some are common sense but as a newbie I'm looking to cover all possible angles in regards to starting on raw.

All feedback is appreciated. Good or bad I'm grateful thanks in advance

Sorry, I didn't spot this earlier.

First thing, I'd ask the breeder to let you have/or buy a small amount of his current food and keep him on that for a week or so. It's going to be a big enough change when you get him home and I'd let him settle before making a big change to his diet. Don't change his food until you're really happy that he's ready for it.

As always with raw, yes you want to start on one protein (normally chicken or turkey) for a couple of weeks. Tripe is also great for pups. Then add in protein sources one at a time, easy ones to start off with (fish, then duck maybe). I would avoid offal until he's at least 6 months old, and then go extremtly slowly. It's very rich and can give them the squits very easily. Liver is the worst, so hold back on that for a good while.

Definitely at least 3 if not 4 meals a day - there's a reasonably good weight guide here:

https://www.naturesmenu.co.uk/advice-centre/feeding-guidelines/puppy-raw-feeding-guide

but I always say you need to feed for condition, rather than absolute weight. If you just go by weight you'd end up over feeding a fat dog and under feeding a starving dog. Make sure Harry is good condition (feel but not see ribs) and adjust if necessary. You might want to weigh portions to start off with but you'll soon know what is right without weighing.

Make sure you feed bones. Small wings and neck bones are good for pups. Do supervise to start off with till you're sure he's got the hang of it.

Supplement wise, seaweed is great. You can buy tubs of the stuff for horses quiet inexpensively. You can feed bits of fruit and veg if you like - there are various schools of thought on whether they are needed but a little here and there won't hurt. Just avoid grapes, tomatoes, raw potatoes and avocados.

The other tip I'd say is to read stuff on the internet with a sensible hat on. There are a lot of people who are blindly wedded to a view simply because it sounds good. So you'll hear people who say you should never ever feed x or always feed y, but when you look at it there is no basis. Read as much as you can, sensibly. Raw doesn't have to be complicated but it can be if you make it that way.

Hope that helps!

yes, i would definitely start with 4 meals a day, reduce to 3 at 12 weeks & then to 2 at 6 months. Whether you stay on two or reduce to one at about a year old us up to you. I'd also agree that you should keep your pup on what it's used to for tge first week or 14 days.

I would agree to be careful with liver, but nit to leave it out completely - it's an extremely important part of raw feeding & contains essential nutrients. i'd start with just a small amount, twice a week & then built it up to the following percentages...

80% meat, 10% bone & 10% offal (50% of which should be liver).

I would be more careful with the offal in the early months. I know a lot of sites say you have to have x% but I find that very rigid. Offal, especially liver, can cause upset tums in quite a few dogs and I personally think it is better to have a well settled digsestion rather than stick to a rule. Yes, it is good to include it when you can but I would perfer to go slowly and gradually.