BARF/Raw Meaty Bones Diets for Pets

[ericad]

Update:

I defrosted some chicken for the dogs. Buddy sniffed and walked away for 2 meals. So I tossed in some organ meat, didn't help. I sprinkled grated cheese over it - he licked the cheese off then walked away.

But the puppy, OMG. I gave her a chicken neck and that girl tore into it like she just summoned her inner coyote. She crunched happily through all the bones and polished it off in under 10 minutes and I found her licking the floor and whining for more! So later on, I gave her Buddy's leftovers (which I took away from him after 10 minutes and stuck back in the fridge) which was mostly boneless cubed chicken with some organ meat (I thought maybe the bones were freaking him out) and she cleaned that up too. She was so excited about it she jumped all over me and fell butt-first into her water bowl She won't touch her dry kibble (Innova puppy food).

So this afternoon, for lunch, I tried a large piece of bone-in chicken. I let Lilly eat hers while Buddy watched through the gate. When she ate what she could, I gave Buddy her leftovers and he spent 5 minutes licking and smelling it and then he gobbled it up! So either he ate it because he wanted to take her food, lol, or because he saw her doing it and the lightbulb went off like, "Oh, I'm supposed to EAT this?"

So we're making progress!

 

[ericad]

Oh, and I also asked our vet about it today (took Lilly in for a check up) and she was very open to raw diets. She said some dogs are too food sensitive and it''s not for everyone, but that she thinks it''s just fine health-wise. She thought a well rounded diet of mainly raw meaty bones combined with some grains and fruits/veggies (including occasional table scraps too) is very good for dogs, certain to satisfy or exceed their nutritional needs, and far better than kibble in general.

She said if the animal is enthusiastic about raw meaty bones, and loves it the way Lilly does, then she is telling me that this is right for her. But if the dog is not embracing it (like Buddy wasn''t, until the most recent attempt this afternoon) then he may just need a different option.

Sounded very sensible to me.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Erica, how fantastic that you found a vet who is open to the raw diet!!

I can relate to the transition between kibble and raw--our 5-year-old pooch was unsure what to do at first as well. I remember giving him a turkey neck and he just held it in his mouth for a couple of minutes. He could not understand that he was supposed to crunch on the bone. This went on for a few days before he started to "get it". When we brought the pup home, who has only had raw and is a VERY HEARTY eater, that''s when it really sank in for my older boy. The 5-year-old has always been a picky eater, so I wasn''t surprised that he didn''t devour his food at first, but he sure does now!

Good luck!!