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This is exactly what I've been looking for. People with experience with Raw Diets. I have a German Shepherd/Rottweiler named Zeus. He's a 100 pounds and currently on Blue Buffalo Large Breed. I was planning on switching him to Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is the equivalent to a raw diet but after reading more books on it..I'm more inclined to just prepare it all on my own. But to be honest..I don't know where to even start!!!

I have the book "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schultze" She explains a lot but I'm not sure how much to give. Or what to give. What kind of raw meat should I give? How much should the meat make up of the diet? Raw bones? Should I grind them up finely and pour it on the food? Vegetables/Fruits? Supplements? I don't know where to start but I want to.

I really need some help. Please if anyone has any websites or tips. Experiences. Pros/cons of this diet. Let me know!!! Thanks in advance.

That's a lot of questions- and I'm not able sadly to answer them all right now. Also, each person's opinion is just a bit different on this topic.

Start with the book you have- and the reccomendations in it. Amount to feed, I forget the general rule of thumb, but for my dogs that are about 25 lbs each- they get fed 3/4 of a pound of food a day raw. Each dog is a bit different. I try to keep my dogs on the leaner side as well.

I do not grind bones when I do raw. Yet, I stick mostly to chicken and turkey. It took me a bit to get to that point though and I started out grinding bones and/or ommitting bones and using bone meal instead.

I will try to post more later, but really, don't think of feeding raw as an "each meal has to be perfect" type thing. It's the diet as a whole that needs to balance out.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

Yeah it was a lot of questions, lol. I'm just hearing so many different things from people. One side people are against it and telling me I can ruin his stomach. Then other people swear by it and I'm all for it. I just don't want to do any damage. The only concern I have about the bones are any injuries from it. If they splinter or anything. I read the whole book. She lays out a plan for a dog of 100 pounds but says you only feed them one day? Does that sound right? I don't think he'll be happy with one day of eating. Thanks for trying to answer all my questions I just want to do right by this raw diet.

Are you sure it's not "once per day" that she recommends? Many raw food diets do suggest a day of fasting to let the body clear itself out. I haven't heard of any that promote only having a dog eat once a week. Once a day maybe, but once a week? That is unusual. Maybe the recipe is for a week's worth of food for a 100 lb dog?

There is a ton of conflicting info about how to do a raw food diet. A website [www.dogaware.com] helped me sift through most of the info. Ultimately, it's your own dog's response to the diet that means the most. My older shiba doesn't do well on cold uncooked food. That doesn't mean she has a full kibble diet though. I do cook for her. I just have to modify things and steam veggies and such. I do my best and she has gotten much healthier with her new diet vs. strict kibble. Trust your instincts and your dog. Use a basic predator model for your diet and it's hard to go wrong.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

That's what I meant. Once per day. =P I just don't know if that's enough for him. When he's on Blue he doesn't over eat but when it comes to the real fresh stuff it seems like he's never ending with it. He can eat and eat.

This is what her plan consists of:
Pets weight: 100 pounds
Raw meat: 1 1/2 - 2 cups muscle meat (plus organ meat or egg)
Raw bone: 2-3 turkey necks
Vegetables: 1/4 - 1/2 cup pulped
Kelp/alfalfa: 1 tablespoon
Cod-liver oil: 2 teaspoon
EFA’s: 1 ½ tablespoons
Vitamin C: up to 6,000-7,500 mg

It doesn't sound too hard. I read it over again and I'm starting to get the hang of it. But I don't want there to be any problems as far as nutrition goes. Zeus can be picky. He might not want to eat the bones and he isn't into vegetables...at all. What if he just eats the meat? I'm worried about how she said they have to eat the whole diet and if they don't it's unbalanced and can cause problems. I'm torn but thank you for your replies and help. I appreciate it a lot, Chelle.

Feeding once per day- the theory is that the gut does better when it has time to be empty between meals. Most predators do not eat regular meals. So by that logic, feeding even once a day is not entirely needed. I find though that my dogs (who did eat kibble much of their lives) do prefer their twice a day feedings. Meat takes time to process in the stomach- different than kibble- so your dog may be fine on once a day feedings.

I don't know what "EFA's" are (fatty acids?) and where you would get them. Vegetables- does the diet spell out which type? I do steam my veggies and grind them up with the meat- my dogs also do not knowingly eat veggies. Although my older dog is learning to enjoy them. When veggies are steamed, they are easy to hide in other things. I use about 5% to 10% organ meats with my muscle meats. I do weight things out instead of using cup measurements. 8 oz in a cup generally works and even weighing things out isn't the most accurate because everything has water in it. Yet, I'm one of those that "heaps" cups so it's easier for me to not over feed when I stick to a number.

No diet is 100% complete and balanced- not even kibble diets. Each of my dogs are a tiny bit different on what they need overall as well. So, start with what you have. Play around with the ratios if you need to. If you are worried, you can add some of the home made mixes to the diet (Soujourn Farm's Europa for example) as another suppliment to the diet or Nature's Variety raw meat patties. Don't get hung up on the day to day stuff.

Picky eaters- if your dog doesn't like the diet- give it a week and see if he warms to it. Don't do anything like add something better and more appealing to coax hin into eating it. If it doesn't work after a week of putting it in front of him and removing it after 15 minutes, then it won't work. Your dog may have some sensitivity to a food item or an upset stomach. Play around with the recipe at that point- use turkey instead of beef, or lamb, or pork, or if there are hunters in your area- venison.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

EFA's are essential fatty acids. And she said to use BOTH above ground and below ground vegetables and that they should be pulped. She said to NEVER use just the above ground or just the below. I have to mix the two together. She also stated in her book not to do the same thing everyday. To switch it up for him.

What she says makes sense to me it's just getting my dog to eat it that I see being a big issue here. And I'd love for him to do it. I think this is the best thing for him, but Zeus is Zeus. He's picky and wants things his way.

I think I'm worrying way too much, lol. I can't help it though. This is new to me. Any dog I've had has been on kibble and I just got my eyes open about dogs proper nutrition so I don't really want to mess it up, you know?

I'm just going to try raw. Give him some time to adjust and see. If he goes for it. WOO! If not..I'll get him on Blue Wilderness and see how he does with it and I'll mix fresh food in with it as well. Thanks so much for all the advice and help!! You've really been a life saver, lol. =)

I have found that sometimes the pickiest dog stops being picky on a home meade diet because their stomach feels so much better.

I think you've figured out the basic principles on raw feeding, now embrace it and go from there. If you are very worried start with one meal a day as raw, and the other meal is your kibble choice (best of both worlds in a way).

Keep us updated on how the transition goes. Grab some probiotics from the pharmacy to help the transition go smoother.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

I'll be sure to keep you all updated. I might even post some before and after pictures. Thanks again Chelle!

You can make your life a lot simpler by simply adding meat & water:

http://perfecthealthdiet.ca/store/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=29&osCsid=249497604b9a766f46e907d8a13beb21

based on the Volhard wholistic diet: http://www.volhard.com/pages/ndf-2.php

Throw Zeus a couple of chicken necks to start with (a couple of times a week and ONLY after his meal) and work your way up to larger chicken bones, ALWAYS raw, NEVER cooked.

I've done the whole crushing of the veggies, measuring and weighing - OY! enough! This method is so much simpler and it's simply the best dog food in the world.

Good luck!

Christina