Raw Diet for Puppy

I want to make it clear that the pre-made raw suggestions that I made were just that - suggestions, not recommendations. 

My thanks to those of you who actually provided suggestions.
 
Those of you who were edited have been pm'd to explain the why.
 
 

Question about raw fish.  I read somewhere on the net that uncooked fish destroys vitamin b in the body.  Is this true? 

ORIGINAL: janet_rose



[color="#000000"]One big thing to remember is that wild canine pups eat the same things that their parents eat.  The parents may start them on small items (mice instead of deer), but it is basically the same diet.  However, pups may eat mostly regurgitated food at first, of course. [/color][font="times new roman"][size="2"][font="times new roman"][size="2"][size="2"][/size][/size][/font][/size][/font]

Lets not get into wolves are not dogs again. What percentage of wolf puppies survive in the wild? Also, a raw diet of chicken wings is NOT the same as a whole prey diet. If new2puppies wants to feed her puppy a whole prey diet, then I'll back off and say great, go for it. Most people aren't comfortable feeding their dog whole rats, rabbits and quail however, and at almost 10 bucks a pound after shipping (I know, I have snakes to feed) its not cheap either.

There is a Yahoo group on pups!
 
[linkhttp://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawPup/]http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawPup/[/link]

I've got a 7 month old puppy that I started on raw at about 3 months.  In the beginning, I used a lot of the Bravo (ground, pre-made) mixes and started with chicken  (not necks) and turkey necks.  The first couple of times she had chicken I held it so that she would be able to gulp it.  She quickly figured it out.  I was a bit nervous at first because she's the first puppy that I've had on raw but she did fine.  I wish I knew about the raw puppy yahoo group!  Now she eats whatever the other dogs get - some Bravo, but otherwise whatever RMBs I can find cheap.  I keep the Bravo on hand mostly because it's easy to thaw when I've forgotten to take something out of the freezer.  It's horribly expensive though and I hate to buy it.  I've never tried any of the other pre-made raw foods mostly because Bravo is made about 15 mins away from me and I know the owner of the company and I trust what I'm getting from them.
 
Honestly, I've never done that math and I'm not sure if kibble or raw costs me more.  My dogs eat half and half most days.  Some days all raw, somedays only 1 meal raw.  Actually, one dog does it all kibble because I had recurring GI issues with her on raw.  I'm pretty sure that if I tried harder I could do raw for much less than I spend now and that it would cost less than kibble.  It takes work though. 
 
Good luck with your puppy.  I think going right to raw is a great decision. 
 
I think that this book is a pretty good resource (not sure if it's in the post with all of the links):  [linkhttp://www.rawmeatybones.com/]http://www.rawmeatybones.com/[/link]
 
 
 
 

Thanks guys for all the links. I have already been researching for the past couple weeks. It's a hard decision because I hear mixed opinions on the subject. I think I will start out with kibble and switch to raw around five or six months.

Lets not get into wolves are not dogs again. What percentage of wolf puppies survive in the wild? Also, a raw diet of chicken wings is NOT the same as a whole prey diet. If new2puppies wants to feed her puppy a whole prey diet, then I'll back off and say great, go for it.

Misskiwi67, no one was suggesting that chicken wings are the same as a whole prey diet or even that a diet of just whole chickens is adequate.  New2Puppies was asking if chicken wings were OK "as the first meat".  He (not she) didn't even say that would be the whole meal. 
 
All members of this forum are welcome to offer information and opinions on raw feeding.  "Backing off" sounds like you think this is some kind of competition and it isn't. 

As a vet student how about telling us what raw diet you think is appropriate for a beagle pup?  Are any of the pre-made raws good for pups?  If so, what size pups?  If not, why?  What do you think of the raw diet for pups on the B-Naturals site?
 
I would also be very interested in what the Yahoo group of vets and related professionals (link below) says about feeding pups a raw diet, but one needs a "vet association registration number (or the like)".  As a vet student maybe you have a number that might qualify for that group?  The list is about "educating and re-educating the vet peer group about appropriate raw diets for dogs and cats."
[linkhttp://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawVet/]http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawVet/[/link]
 
I agree that this thread is not the place to discuss dogs being domesticated wolves or the reasons for fatalities among wolf pups.  [sm=devil.gif]   [sm=wink3.gif]

New2Puppies, I would still love to see pictures of the pup no matter what you feed!!  When do you get him/her?  Have you picked a name yet?

Question about raw fish. I read somewhere on the net that uncooked fish destroys vitamin b in the body. Is this true?

Spotty, I am not ignoring you.  I don't know anything about that.  I was hoping that someone else would answer you.

ORIGINAL: janet_rose
As a vet student how about telling us what raw diet you think is appropriate for a beagle pup?  Are any of the pre-made raws good for pups?  If so, what size pups?  If not, why?  What do you think of the raw diet for pups on the B-Naturals site?

I'm not a big fan of single-purpose "all life stages" foods, but since its a beagle pup and not a large breed, a raw pre-mix or pre-made diet would be OK with me. Don't get me wrong, I think raw diets are amazing when done properly, but not everyone is capable. I'M not capable...

The problem with this situation is that the OP is new to raw, new to puppies, and raw has a HUGE learning curve, and by the time the OP learned to shop, balance, and feed a raw diet, the very critical early months of this puppies development would be over.

Its my personal opinion that the OP should wait until the pup has reached its maximum growth and then feed raw. IF she is pleased with both making the diet at home and the results she sees, then she can try feeding raw to her next pup.

Its my personal opinion that the OP should wait until the pup has reached its maximum growth and then feed raw. IF she is pleased with both making the diet at home and the results she sees, then she can try feeding raw to her next pup.

Misskiwi67, in case you missed that post, the OP has decided to wait awhile.  I am sure that New2Puppies would really appreciate it if you referred to him as "he", rather than "she".  [sm=beret.gif]   It is nice to have another male on the forum!!
 
Shhhhh!!  Our moderator is scared of snakes, so don't tell her I like the beautiful snake in your profile.  [sm=wink2.gif]

I think I will start out with kibble and switch to raw around five or six months.

New2Puppies, since you are going with a commercial food, check out the feeding program here:
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/articles/feed_program_for_small_and_medium_breed_puppies.htm]Blackwatch Feed Program For Small & Medium Breed - [/link][linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/articles/feed_program_for_small_and_medium_breed_puppies.htm]Puppies[/link]
[linkwww.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_small_and_medium_breed_puppies.htm[/link]>http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_small_and_medium_breed_puppies.htm]www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_small_and_medium_breed_puppies.htm[/link]

I like the beautiful snake in your profile.

I thought it was a lizard?? Isnt it??

I thought it was a lizard?? Isnt it??

Edie, you are talking about her avatar.  If you go to her profile, you will see a different picture.