posted 01-20-2004 04:13 PM         

I tried to give it to her on the deck, but she carried it out into the yard. It quickly got all coated with dirt and leaves and I thought, "Ewww!" but she didn't seem to mind.

So then I gave her a chicken wing. I watched her to make sure she was chewing it up and not swallowing it whole. She had to coat it in dirt as well (mmmmm, shake-n-bake!). But then I was cold so I came inside and watched through the window. Then I left for a moment and when I went back outside, she was crunching down the last of it. I hope she chewed both of them well!

Now I don't know if I should feed her more tonight or not. I have heard dogs will tend to overeat when first going to raw. I'm not quite ready to go totally raw, but I have a bunch of NV in the freezer and another turkey neck and a lot of chicken wings.

I need veggies and things. And to figure out how much and when. I may bring the bag of Natural Balance kibble back. I haven't opened it yet and she still has some of her Healthwise left.

posted 01-20-2004 04:49 PM         

Raw chicken bones and raw beef bones are okay. (And other bones - lamb, rabbit, etc.) They clean the teeth and provide a ton of nutrition that a dog needs. They also provide exercise for the jaw and neck and shoulders, as well as mental exercise. Raw meaty bones should be 60% of a dog's diet and given every day.

"Give You Dog a Bone," by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, is a good place to start if you want to read more. I also liked "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats," by Kymythy Schultze.

Do NOT try to feed a raw diet without doing your own research first. From what I read, it is very easy to feed a dog "correctly" and it can be economical as well - but you need to know what you are doing.

posted 01-20-2004 04:52 PM         

I need to figure out amounts and stuff, and start looking for bargains on meat and bones.