Hi,
I am new to this and Dr. Jeff suggested I post this request. So here goes...
I have a 3 1/2 year old Great Dane, who we are treating for a skin issue. However, part of his profile is that he is a picky eater with loose stools. He has been a grazer for most of his adult life. He has been on kibble with some tinned food, but I have been trying to switch him to "real" food. I have experimented with cooked food and doing it slowly, but he is annoyingly picky. Recently, I experimented with some frozen raw food, and while I was only giving him a small portion every other day, he loved it. As he has now almost stopped eating every other food I give him (home cooked, tinned, Honest kitchen stews) and eating about 1/2 the amount of kibble he usually would, I started giving him raw food more consistently in the morning to see if he would continue to eat that, and he did. So after only a few days of his eating almost nothing except the small raw food offering, I took a chance today and gave him a full breakfast of raw food -- 4x8oz patties! I have no idea if his digestion can handle this, but he is one happy boy. He looked so satisfied and laid down in the sun and looked like a lion that had just been fed and wanted a nap.
I am concerned about this, as I have no idea how to switch his diet, but I went by my gut that he is clearly choosing to eat what he needs, and since that is the case, hopefully his body can manage it. If today ends badly, I will back off the amount of raw food and introduce it more slowly. I will also be adding some mitomax Probiotic.
Regarding the change to raw I have no idea how much to feed. He was eating a 1 or 2 tins of dog food and 8-9 cups of kibble a day. Right now I am going off the package for raw food, which at 145lbs. says he needs 4.5lbs of raw food a day. I feel if his digestion and absorption of nutrients improve so will the volume of food he consumes. At least I hope so! I would like to think he will be able to eat all foods: however, right now my focus is on this switch to a raw diet. I am flying by the seat of my pants here, so any advice, thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I am new to this and Dr. Jeff suggested I post this request. So here goes...
I have a 3 1/2 year old Great Dane, who we are treating for a skin issue. However, part of his profile is that he is a picky eater with loose stools. He has been a grazer for most of his adult life. He has been on kibble with some tinned food, but I have been trying to switch him to "real" food. I have experimented with cooked food and doing it slowly, but he is annoyingly picky. Recently, I experimented with some frozen raw food, and while I was only giving him a small portion every other day, he loved it. As he has now almost stopped eating every other food I give him (home cooked, tinned, Honest kitchen stews) and eating about 1/2 the amount of kibble he usually would, I started giving him raw food more consistently in the morning to see if he would continue to eat that, and he did. So after only a few days of his eating almost nothing except the small raw food offering, I took a chance today and gave him a full breakfast of raw food -- 4x8oz patties! I have no idea if his digestion can handle this, but he is one happy boy. He looked so satisfied and laid down in the sun and looked like a lion that had just been fed and wanted a nap.
I am concerned about this, as I have no idea how to switch his diet, but I went by my gut that he is clearly choosing to eat what he needs, and since that is the case, hopefully his body can manage it. If today ends badly, I will back off the amount of raw food and introduce it more slowly. I will also be adding some mitomax Probiotic.
Regarding the change to raw I have no idea how much to feed. He was eating a 1 or 2 tins of dog food and 8-9 cups of kibble a day. Right now I am going off the package for raw food, which at 145lbs. says he needs 4.5lbs of raw food a day. I feel if his digestion and absorption of nutrients improve so will the volume of food he consumes. At least I hope so! I would like to think he will be able to eat all foods: however, right now my focus is on this switch to a raw diet. I am flying by the seat of my pants here, so any advice, thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
