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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    How many times per day do you feed?

    So, the raw is going well with the boys! Knock on wood... We are trying beef this week. Last week was liver. I just cannot believe how small their poop is! Unbelievable, really.

    I read that people on raw often feed once a day. I am feeding twice a day. What does everyone else do?

  2. #2
    House Broken
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    Yeah! The reduced stool is a really cool benefit. We feed twice a day. I have heard of some who feed just once but I thought it was when they gave them something big beyond a normal meal like a goat's head or some big boney thing they really had to work on. We haven't gotten to the point where we would give them a big huge thing like that. We have found that their stomach's empty faster than with kibble and a few times when we were late with their meal we had some bile vomiting.
    Last edited by shelly; 08-14-2014 at 06:33 PM. Reason: spelling

  3. #3
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    Labradorks, you didn't give a week of liver meals??? Liver should only be about 5-10% each day or one meal a week.


    With raw feed dogs they are receiving such a high quality protein with vitamins and nutrients that are the most easily absorbed and utilized that flexibility can be done with meal times, unlike kibble. I know it is often recommended and suggested to miss some feeds every couple of weeks when you feed raw...Also it is said that they don't experience the sheer hunger for the next meal like kibble eaters.


    I feed twice a day and have changed from feeding the main bulk in the evening to now feeding the main meal in the morning....it's working really really good. It has fit in with my gradual change to feeding more consistent with the raw meaty bones philosophy rather than the BARF style. It also works because of the average size/weight of the raw meaty bones means usually no preparation, just serve straight from fridge.

    My next progression will be to attempt to occasional skip a meal or vary the time schedule. However my recent changes have surprised me in that my lab only needs to have a small meal in the evening and she is very satiated.


    Congratulations on your transition to raw...it's a journey in the first year with sometimes moments of hesitation, but it is so worth it.

  4. #4
    Real Retriever
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    Twice a day for us; wouldn't dream of only once a day....these dogs are too active and their stomachs are literally empty by dinner hour.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog shellbell's Avatar
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    Twice a day....mine are just used to that and prone to hunger pukes if they have empty tummies too long. Sometimes I will feed a large hunk of something, and then just subtract a couple ounces from the next few meals to make up for it

  6. #6
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Georgie View Post
    Labradorks, you didn't give a week of liver meals??? Liver should only be about 5-10% each day or one meal a week.


    With raw feed dogs they are receiving such a high quality protein with vitamins and nutrients that are the most easily absorbed and utilized that flexibility can be done with meal times, unlike kibble. I know it is often recommended and suggested to miss some feeds every couple of weeks when you feed raw...Also it is said that they don't experience the sheer hunger for the next meal like kibble eaters.


    I feed twice a day and have changed from feeding the main bulk in the evening to now feeding the main meal in the morning....it's working really really good. It has fit in with my gradual change to feeding more consistent with the raw meaty bones philosophy rather than the BARF style. It also works because of the average size/weight of the raw meaty bones means usually no preparation, just serve straight from fridge.

    My next progression will be to attempt to occasional skip a meal or vary the time schedule. However my recent changes have surprised me in that my lab only needs to have a small meal in the evening and she is very satiated.


    Congratulations on your transition to raw...it's a journey in the first year with sometimes moments of hesitation, but it is so worth it.
    No, not a week of liver, but adding liver gradually to see how they do. :-)

    My guys do not vomit from empty stomach and we occasionally skip meals, usually if we are out late. It happens about twice per month, especially in the summer. No problems. And they are used to it.

    Another thing I've noticed is that their energy levels are really consistent now. I know that when I eat too much sugar ir processed food I have bursts of energy then a crash. I wonder if that's happening with them?

    They are doing really good not gulping or anything weird.

    Tomorrow I pick up more beef items to try -- heart, liver, and kidney plus recreational bones -- as well as some fish to try the following week. Next order will be turkey, then pork, then lamb. Just to make sure they handle it all ok.

  7. #7
    House Broken Aerodogs's Avatar
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    I feed twice a day because I don't feel once daily feedings would be conducive to my dogs active lifestyle. I know many PMR feeders who feed once daily, but these are generally bulk meals and dogs who are not actively training on a daily basis. My boy eats roughly 4% of his body weight in the off season, feeding that in one meal would increase risk of bloat and deplete his energy stores by the afternoon. In my opinion, it's no different than children having better cognitive skills after eating breakfast and then sending them to bed after dinner to help replace the energy stores utilized during school activities.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aerodogs View Post
    I feed twice a day because I don't feel once daily feedings would be conducive to my dogs active lifestyle. I know many PMR feeders who feed once daily, but these are generally bulk meals and dogs who are not actively training on a daily basis. My boy eats roughly 4% of his body weight in the off season, feeding that in one meal would increase risk of bloat and deplete his energy stores by the afternoon. In my opinion, it's no different than children having better cognitive skills after eating breakfast and then sending them to bed after dinner to help replace the energy stores utilized during school activities.

    Your thinking is more consistent with feeding kibble and also thinking their metabolism is like humans. Also, bloat is specifically related to the dynamics of kibble and from the research I have done is not a problem with raw feeders. Remember those on prey and raw meaty bones with NO carbohydrates can have a meal size that may weigh the same but is very small compared with a BARF style diet or kibble.


    My dog does a significant amount of training, exercise, play and walking on an empty stomach where her main meal was 24 hours prior. This mimics nature and is consistent with feeding a raw diet.....they expend a lot of energy in the search for food.


    Try some adjustments, you may be surprised!! Also, having a slight hunger makes a healthy dog more active in training rather than the opposite.

  9. #9
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I used to feed twice a day, however, he started being miserable eating the veggies.

    Now I feed once a day, the same amount I used to feed in the evening. He eats all of his meal without complaining. He has also lost weight and looks perfect to me now.

    So once a day works better for us and I will stick to it.

    I feed BARF.
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  10. #10
    House Broken Aerodogs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Georgie View Post
    Your thinking is more consistent with feeding kibble and also thinking their metabolism is like humans. Also, bloat is specifically related to the dynamics of kibble and from the research I have done is not a problem with raw feeders. Remember those on prey and raw meaty bones with NO carbohydrates can have a meal size that may weigh the same but is very small compared with a BARF style diet or kibble.


    My dog does a significant amount of training, exercise, play and walking on an empty stomach where her main meal was 24 hours prior. This mimics nature and is consistent with feeding a raw diet.....they expend a lot of energy in the search for food.


    Try some adjustments, you may be surprised!! Also, having a slight hunger makes a healthy dog more active in training rather than the opposite.
    We will have to agree to disagree. I have been feeding PMR raw diets to various breeds for well over ten years, read the research studies, versed in the pros/cons of feeding once daily vs twice daily and have experimented with various feeding practices and found what works best for my dogs. Their metabolism is not like humans (it was simply a metaphor to put the aptitude for cognitive function into perspective), and bloat risks greatly decrease with a PMR diet, but is still a concern, especially with larger meals and I personally know two raw fed dogs who have bloated just this past year, one typical stomach torsion, one (my dog's full brother no less) developed intestinal torsion in which only 1% survive and he's had numerous surgeries to try to lead a normal life again. I'm not going to argue which is better, because I know Dane people who feed once daily and it work for their dogs. My dog's, however, function reliably and show a fast recovery following exercise when provided two meals a day and I refuse to be "one of those" raw feeders who turns a blind eye to certain functions that remain a possibility despite feeding a very species appropriate diet.

 



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