Feeding new puppy

Feral_Moon

Just got a new puppy and been advised to start feeding her on Gentle dog food. She's been eating cooked chicken, mince, rice, eggs etc since weaned and we want to start introducing raw food at some point too. What age is best to start feeding raw? She's 9 weeks old now.

TIA

GwylimT

What breed is she, really her breeder should have told you this, personally at 9 weeks she is far too young to be homed.

Many breeds vary so hopefully someone in the know will come by, but personally I would be asking my vet as well at her first check.

yellowbear

I have a Lab. We picked her up at 9 weeks old. She was fed on Bakers (bleurgh!) and some stuff from Holland. She was on raw within a couple of days and has been ever since. She had no ill effects at all. She's 18 months now.

krlyr

9 weeks isn't too young to be rehomed - it's about getting the right balance between enough time with Mum, to learn good habits from a dog, and going to the new owners within the right socialisation window to be exposed to "real life" (walks, vehicles, sounds around the home, etc.) before they leave that vital window.
http://www.thepuppyplan.com/

Raw can be started at any age - many pups are weaned onto raw food if the breeder is a raw feeder. Fantastic quickstart guide here
http://dogsdinner2.webs.com/quickstartguide.htm

And specifically for pups here
http://dogsdinner2.webs.com/feedingpuppies.htm

The Facebook group "Raw Feeding UK" is a good resource too.

Vets can be very mixed on their attitude towards raw feeding. Mine aren't fussed - they've never raved about or recommended it to me, but neither have they criticised it. I've told them I've raw fed when it's been relevant (for example, raw fed dogs have some slightly higher blood test results - so it was necessary to point out when one of mine had a thorough blood panel), and they've tailored advice towards it (e.g. what meats I'm best feeding post-anaesthetic, e.g. raw chicken or fish which is easier to digest) but that's about it.

Some vets can be very anti-raw feeding though, and will tell you all about the dangers of it - often without any actual evidence to back it up. Considering vets get one or two lectures in their entire veterinary education about nutrition (usually organised/funded by big commercial pet food companies!), I choose to take their views with a pinch of salt, unless they can back up their opinion.

Feral_Moon

Thanks everyone, just back from the vets and we've been advised to start feeding her on raw straight away. She will be having raw meat mixed with Gentle pellets 4 x per day and then either a raw chicken wing, piece of turkey neck or meaty bone per day for now.

Feral_Moon

krlyr wrote: »

9 weeks isn't too young to be rehomed - it's about getting the right balance between enough time with Mum, to learn good habits from a dog, and going to the new owners within the right socialisation window to be exposed to "real life" (walks, vehicles, sounds around the home, etc.) before they leave that vital window.

Thank you for this, it will be very useful indeed as we start to socialise her and expose her to new sights and sounds. She's a GSD so very keen to learn and quick to pick up on things. She's already learnt where her bed is, her water bowl and her cuddly toy and will already ask to go outside to toilet. Her first night with us went without a hitch and she didn't whimper even once! :T

Sorry had to delete your link as it wouldn't let me keep it in the quote as I'm a new user.

mtbbuxton

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Thanks everyone, just back from the vets and we've been advised to start feeding her on raw straight away. She will be having raw meat mixed with Gentle pellets 4 x per day and then either a raw chicken wing, piece of turkey neck or meaty bone per day for now.

Please double check with the Raw Feeding community, but I was always told by friends that feed it, that raw meat and cooked meat products i.e. complete dry foods should be fed at different times. The reasoning is that they are digested at different rates and so feeding them in separate meals reduces the chances of tummy upsets.

Wishing you many happy years with your new family member

M x

Feral_Moon

mtbbuxton wrote: »

Please double check with the Raw Feeding community, but I was always told by friends that feed it, that raw meat and cooked meat products i.e. complete dry foods should be fed at different times. The reasoning is that they are digested at different rates and so feeding them in separate meals reduces the chances of tummy upsets.

Wishing you many happy years with your new family member

M x

This dry food is different to any others and is easily digested. I can't put links but if you google Gentle dog food they have a website.

sheramber

mtbbuxton wrote: »

Please double check with the Raw Feeding community, but I was always told by friends that feed it, that raw meat and cooked meat products i.e. complete dry foods should be fed at different times. The reasoning is that they are digested at different rates and so feeding them in separate meals reduces the chances of tummy upsets.

Wishing you many happy years with your new family member

M x

While this is always getting stated nobody has ever come up with any proof that raw and processed food should not be fed at the same time.

In fact many people do feed both at the same meal.

Or you can feed one meal of kibble and the next of raw.

mtbbuxton

sheramber wrote: »

While this is always getting stated nobody has ever come up with any proof that raw and processed food should not be fed at the same time.

In fact many people do feed both at the same meal.

Or you can feed one meal of kibble and the next of raw.

Just sharing what I'd been advised of. It's the mixing of cooked and raw meat products I've been told to avoid, so you can mix raw meat with a meat free mixer biscuit, but not a Complete kibble. As you say, it's easy enough to feed one meal raw and one meal kibble. I have many friends who raw feed and it's just what they've always done/said. A lack of storage space has always prevented me from feeding BARF so I only have 2nd hand knowledge rather than personal experience, hence my suggestion to get advice from those with the relevant knowledge.

In this instance, I'd much rather perpetuate a myth - if that's what it is - rather than say nothing and have pup end up poorly.

M x

krlyr

I believe the idea is that dry/commercial food takes longer to digest - therefore mixing raw and dry, you slow down the digestion of the raw food too. This means it can sit around the gut longer than it would on its own, giving bacteria a chance to multiply (normally the strong stomach acid and short digestive tract would prevent issues with things like salmonella etc.)

Personally, I raw-feed and sometimes use dry food as treats, and have had no issues, but it's something to bear in mind.