Raw Food and 8 Week Old Puppies

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by Ashton44, Dec 5, 2018.

  1. Ashton44

    Ashton44 Registered Users

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2
    Hello All!

    I will be getting my English Lab Pup on December 21st, and I am starting to get prepared! My biggest area of study right now is nutrition, specifically with raw food.

    The puppy is currently on Kibble with the breeder and I plan to switch him over cold turkey. I've been reading numerous articles and watching all sorts of videos on the topic, but I'm still not 100% confident on how to make sure I get my new pup everything he needs in his diet.

    I plan to start him on raw chicken wings, as the traditional Chicken Leg Quarters will be too much for an 8 week old pup (from what I've read). In everyone's experience, what other options do I have besides chicken wings to give my pup while he is younger with his milk teeth? There are plenty of articles out there, but I have had a tough time finding articles with practical examples of what to feed young puppies, how often, and when.

    Some specific points I am looking for:

    1. Most cost effective, yet all around nutritious raw food for my puppy
    2. How long do I need to break up the bones with a hammer
    3. Any tips from you experienced raw feeders!
    4. Thank you!!!!!
     
  2. Jo Laurens

    Jo Laurens Registered Users

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2018
    Messages:
    1,603
    Location:
    Jersey, Channel Islands
    Hi Ashton -

    I'm really glad you've decided to feed your pup raw. I fed raw too, although it took a lot of research and convincing before I switched - but I am 100% glad I did, from the results in my dogs.

    So...

    Puppies have very specific needs in terms of things like the calcium to phosphorus balance, and other vitamins and nutrients. It is incredibly important during the rapid growth phase of puppyhood to feed a good and well-balanced diet and it is NOT easy to do this if you are new to raw-feeding as well. (It's actually quite hard to do.).

    I would recommend you feed a pre-made raw mince, which will have all the nutrients he needs to grow. Personally, I use Nutriment: https://www.nutriment.co.uk They have a puppy food available but from 12 weeks onwards they recommend cycling in some of their 'adult' foods after each puppy Chubb, to provide variety. Nutriment contains organ meat, muscle meat, ground bone and a small amount of veg and other superfoods like spirulina.

    You can also buy really large beef bones from the butcher (raw) for him to chew on. The bigger, the better, because the more he will be encouraged to learn from a young age, to gnaw on the outside of bones, rather than attempting to eat the actual thing. (Which can cause blockages and tooth fractures.)

    Once he has grown into adolescence, and if you still wanted to, you could do more research into feeding your own raw diet.

    Personally, whilst I feed raw, I am not a fan of feeding bones - where the bone itself is intended to be eaten, rather than gnawed on the outside of. This is because one of my dogs got a tooth fracture, chewing on a bone, and required about 2 hours of dental surgery on a molar to extract it. I've also heard of dogs eating chunks of bone which then get puked up or cause blockages inside, and I consider it too much of a risk for my dogs.

    (This kind of complexity is why it took me ages to switch to raw - I turned off completely from the whole idea of it, after experiencing some of the dangers. It took me ages to re-engage with it and to find a way to feed it which I consider to be safe and yet still give the dog the benefits of a raw diet - the best of both worlds!).

    Finally: One thing just to flag up before you get your pup, is to think about how you will train, if you are feeding raw. I usually advise people who are feeding kibble, to use their puppy's meals to train their dog with. This isn't possible or hygienic if feeding any sort of raw (including pre-made). So again, this is one of the obstacles I've had to overcome in switching to raw.

    One idea is to feed part of your puppy's diet as Ziwipeak - which is an air-dried raw food which you can handle and train with, just like a kibble. I'd suggest using the pre-made raw mince to stuff Kongs with, for example - so your pup is working hard for it - and then to also use some Ziwipeak for training purposes.
     
  3. Cupcase

    Cupcase Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2014
    Messages:
    335
    I brought an 8 week old puppy into my home, he was fed the crappiest of crap food and managed to feed him 4 times a day on raw. I also managed to train him and I never went near a pet shop.
    He's 4 years old now. I managed to feed three children on homemade food, without relying on some manufacturer's processed food.
    If you are on Facebook, I recommend joining a raw feeding group, I'm only on one raw Facebook page now but they have files that help with feeding puppies on fresh food.
    Mine started on chicken thighs but a pup transitions faster than an adult.
    My then pup was fed the same as my adult labrador just more of it, at one point he was on just under a kilo of food a day.
    I diy, I ask around for food from my butcher and anyone that shoots. I get pheasant when in season, at one Point I fed grey squirrels but at the moment I'm being lazy and using the supermarket and my butcher.
    The main meats I feed, are lamb, beef and pork, I buy bags of chicken wings from the supermarket and count them for the bone. Fresh fish is bought from the supermarkets and when they don't have any, I use tins of fish in tomatoe sauce.
    Both dogs get fresh whole eggs twice a week as well as any other protein I can lay my hands on.
    I had been feeding fresh to 2 adult dogs for a couple of years before getting a pup, but if you can get someone to do a bit of hand holding in the beginning, within a few months it gets easier and you will grow in confidence. There is an awful lot of scare mongering regarding feeding a fresh diet to dogs.
    I only broke the bone for a couple of weeks just until I was certain that this tiny puppy wasn't going to gulp them down.
    Last year I kept track of how much I paid for everything I paid for food and it came to £30 a month for 2 labradors, I'm now at £45 a month.
    If you Google Ann Ridyard her website gives loads of information on feeding a fresh diet to dogs.
     

Share This Page