A few of you saw that I was considering putting Callie on raw so I thought I'd post the questions I still have and later update this thread to say how it goes.

Currently, Callie is 4 1/2 months old and 26 pounds.

She had demodectic mange as a result of a poor immune system. Raw appeals to me because I'm already doing all I can to improve her immune system and it's not working. I hear raw is great for the immune system and I know several of you have first hand experience with that.

When I got her, she was on Purina but I had decided before picking her up to put her on Wellness so I slowly switched her over. At first, she picked the Purina out and left the Wellness. Some tough love showed her she had no choice, she was going to eat the Wellness. So now I think she only eats that because she has no choice. Lately she's been leaving food in her bowl, which is strange since she's always quick to finish every bite. This morning she didn't touch her food at all. I want to say this is mainly due to teething as she's mostly gums right now and I'll know more after I try wetting her food tonight. I'm just thrown because she still happily eats treats and chews on bones or anything else she can "steal."

She's had a daily multivitamin since the day I brought her home. (1) Does name brand matter?

She has never had consistent stool and I've had her since 8 weeks. One day they're firm, the next they're loose. I was playing around with switching to Wellness Core until I looked into feeding raw. (2) Do you think feeding raw will encourage consistent stools? (I know you're not psychic or anything but if anyone's experienced it that'll help.)

I'm a vegetarian and so I have not a single clue how to shop for meat. (3) Are there things I should avoid when shopping at the supermarket? And which is better? Supermarket or butcher?

(4) Is bacteria/salmonella/e coli something to be concerned about and how do I avoid it? I would hate for Cal to get sick because of bad food.

(5) Clean up? What should I use to clean the floor or anything else? I'd most likely get her on a place mat since she drips water every where too. I toss her bowl in the dish washer from time to time. When feeding raw, would I have to do this after every meal? Or does handwashing with dish soap and water do the trick?

She likes to steal the Chihuahua's Nutro (lamb flavored). (6) Is this because it's poorer quality than her food and so "junk food" or do you think it could be the difference in meat? This is more an opinion question, I guess.

(7) Did you notice a difference with your pup when switching to raw?

( Switching diets unsettles me. What would be easier on her stomach: switching cold turkey or gradually introducing raw?

I probably won't switch her until after I'm completely sure her mange is under control/her treatment is done. She's got 4 more tubes to be used (one a week).

Sorry this is so long. I ramble.

I'm going to be short-winded because baby girl will not stay quiet for long so the short version from me:

1. Brand name doesn't matter but make sure you use a good multivitamin, they are not all created equal and a good number aren't worth your time. I recommend Nupro, Wholistic Canine Complete, and Missing Link as far as supplements go.

2. Raw fed stools should consistently be small, firm, and white. So in answer to your question, yes. If something is off then adjustments most likely need to be made in one form or another.

3. Avoid meats with additives such as seasonings, herbs, spices, salt, etc and you should be good to go. I would avoid anything that seems to come from a questionable source. Supermarket meat often has some sodium added and you can always give the meat a good rinse or soaking in water to help remove excess sodium.

4. You do not have to worry about it making Callie sick. On the contrary the bacteria can make the people in the household sick so do clean surfaces that the meat touches just like you would if you were handling/cooking raw meat for people.

5. I use antibacterial kitchen cleaner, same stuff I use to clean my kitchen when I cook for my family. I hand wash the dogs' bowls in antibacterial dish soap.

6. My guess is she likes it because it appeals to her more which is typical of lower quality kibbles, very much like the "junk food" analogy.

7. Definitely noticed plenty of positives after switching my dogs to raw. Cleaner teeth, fresher breath, better body condition, leaner and more muscular, to name a few.

Every little bit helps! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I'm pouring myself into research right now but it always helps to hear it from people who have experienced it rather than just loaded webpages.

Playing around with numbers (because I'm OCD) and I think Callie's old enough to do 2-3% of her current weight. 10% of her weight would be feeding 2.6lbs daily (41.6oz) and that seemed like an awful lot. Especially since I'm assuming she'll be between 50-60 pounds at maturity, probably closer to 50. That would mean getting between 1lb and 1 1/2lbs daily.

So for her right now I'm assuming 1 lb (going to be measured in oz from here out) daily.
She'd need 12.8 oz of meat daily and 1.6 oz of bone and organ. Anyone else with 4 1/2 months old feeding about this much? Well, 5 months by the time I switch her. And I'll recalculate based on her weight at that point of course.

As far as meat to bone ratio, how do I know how much bone is in the meat I give her? I know the general rule of thumb about watching her stool and I'll do that, I just didn't know if there was a way to guesstimate before I feed her and cause possible stomach upset. I plan on starting with chicken since that's easiest. Is there a general part of the chicken I can get that's about the right ratio? (Like is going with thighs a safe bet, just until I get a better idea of her specific needs?)

I am pretty OCD so it's possible I'm overthinking this. Feel free to tell me to stop thinking if you'd like.

There are some parts that are more bone heavy than others and you will get a feel for it as you venture into it. I think there are some sites that give you a good idea of how much bone is in the different parts. I don't worry about it so much in each meal and strive for balance over time. I will even feed some meals that have no bone at all on occasion and everything turns out fine so long as things are balanced over the week. And don't worry, most people worry when starting raw and worry about amounts and percentages and getting it all right, only to mellow out once they've got a good system going and realize it's not an exact science and that with plenty of variety and parts in the diet they will be fine. Better to worry and overthink things than not care enough to learn the basics.

Thank you so much! You've been very helpful.

Callie starts raw tonight! I'm very excited!
I'm headed to the butcher after work to see their prices. Trying to avoid grocery stores but might head there too just to shop around.

Is there anything wrong with starting with Turkey as the first meat? I'm just thinking with the time of year, turkey is going to be on sale. I thought I read somewhere not to start with poultry but I can't find that anywhere now.

You can start with turkey, but keep in mind turkey bones tend to be bigger and harder than chicken bones which is why I personally would start with chicken. But there is nothing wrong with delving into raw feeding with turkey if you so desire.

Okay, thanks Val! I'll likely start with Chicken I just thought I'd ask before I head out to the stores.

Well our first meal went great! $35 got me two weeks of food but that wasn't smart shopping. The butcher was on the phone and said 10 lbs of chicken breasts for $10 so I jumped at that offer. Turns out it was $20 and the menu said so. Oh well. Lesson learned. Still, $35 isn't bad when I'm used to $55 a bag of food for the same amount of time.


Anyhow. I also got legs and a whole chicken. Liver too but that's being held off until she's ready for organ.

She loved it! Tonight she got 8 oz of the chicken back with bone. I needed to help her a little to show her how to eat the thing but she caught on quick. I also had her at on a placemat and she seems to already grasp that the food has to stay on that mat or I take it away. She did get angry with the other dogs if they got too close but that was expected. She had no problem with me handling the chicken, taking it away, making her sit to get it back or petting her while she ate. I think we had a very positive first go and she's got two weeks worth of meals separated out in the freezer ready to go.