question about raw-kind of

If his stomach can handle it, then it shouldn't be a problem.  If you are planning on adding it regularly, then I would balance it with calcium.

If you're looking to put weight on him, you might look at using satin balls for a short term solution.  I played with the recipe some to make it a  little less grain heavy, & a little nicer for the skin for Cher.  I have been feeding it for about 10 days, & the improvement in her coat is amazing.  She has gained weight as well, but that wasn't my big concern when I started her on it. 

Thanks Amanda......   I have been adding some crused egg shells to the chicken or turkey I have been preparing for him..... so I could do the same.  

I did make him some satin balls a few weeks ago....still have some in the freezer....but what I am really trying to do is just add some fat to his diet.....so I was going to do burgers on meal....          he got two today with some potatoes and carrots..... and of course he loves it. I cooked it just a little...could still see the red in it.... not sure if you consider that raw or not.

I did notice yesterday and today...not that long after he eats the burger...he is smelling at his butt.....I suspect it gives him a little gas.

I, too, think that's fine. I've been feeding Shadow Blue Buffalo Wilderness, recently. And right now, he's gnawing on a raw deer bone, though it wasn't fed at the exact same time as the kibble. Nor would I worry about. I've known him to, and have seen him doing so, eat cotton rats, live. That's one of the reasons I don't quibble so much over him eating raw. He get's live and raw on his own, sometimes. But it keeps critters out of the yard.

 I've mixed raw and kibble in the same bowl, many times, with no issue, but I do NOT have bloat prone breeds.

I have fed raw close to mealtimes as well as with their normal meals. I don't worry too much about it, as they've never had an issue.  I think fruit digests at a different rate than other foods, and I know many people (myself included) who eat it with their meals with no issues, so I'm not too worried about the kiddos, unless they develop some sort of digestive upset

ETA that I don't feed raw daily, though, so there's that to consider as well

 Bugsy's diet is fairly mixed - some raw meals, some home cooked (leftovers + meat/bone usually) with kibble as a mainstay.  It hasn't been an issue for him.  The other night I had leftover sweet potato and green beans so I mixed that with canned salmon and added some kibble to make up the calories.  Just extra nummy to him :-)

I certainly wouldn't worry about the fat in a hamburger or any ground meat but Bugsy has no issues with pancreas or other digestive problems.  Even his kibble is high fat + he gets oodles of fish oil and if his skin gets flaky I add coconut oil.

One of the local vets recently did a seminar on dog foods and allergies.  She herself is a great believer in raw, but because of travel convenience, also feeds grain free dry foods.  This gives you the option, if you are travelling with your dog,  of switching to the convenience of dry food without having to worry about it upsetting the dogs systems - which we all know can be very messy and disruptive.  The dry foods are fed in the morning as they take longer to digest and travel through the system and the dog can burn off the carbs druing the day.  Raw diet is fed in the evening meal. Raw diets can be suplimented with vegetables like peas and carrots, yams, potatoes, etc. I have found that since I began following this policy, my quiet, fussy, little girl's attitude toward meals has radically improved, as has her energy level. The local pet food stores and some of the butchers sell a variety of raw dog foods - chicken, beef, lamb, mixed, and with suppliments.  Look around for what will work best for you.  I personally don't like lamb as it seems to make my dogs breath smell. Other people dont have this problem. Just make sure your thawed supply of raw food is kept well chilled and that you clean up well afterward.  You can always put tomorrows or a couple of days worth of raw in a container in the fridge to thaw.

dyan

and the grease started coming out, it was in a little too long.   But I didn't want to give hm that grease..sure don't want to make him sick but yet I wanted him to have the burger for the fat.   Not sure what to do about that. 

Dyan, I just rinse them off before I give them to Willow--but I always cook ground meats thru. 

Cooking the meat defeats the purpose of feeding raw.  Cooking destroys the majority of the nutrients in the food and changes the structure of the fat (actually making it greasy) .  I have only heard of animals getting food poisoning from eating processed foods - like commercial dog food, not from eating natural occuring foods such as unprocessed meat and eggs.

Yes, you do need to clean up well afterward as humans are the ones who are susceptible to the bacteria from handling raw foods. Mind you, the more we sterilize and clean, the less tolerance and resistance we develop to bacteria and germs and the stronger the bacteria and germs get.