Raw diet for puppies

[Chaos]

Hello, just joined the Forum as I’m about to collect a new Border Collie puppy. Since the last time I collected a puppy was almost 15 and a half years ago, I assume a lot has changed. My particular concern is diet and I have heard much in praise of a raw diet. He’s being fed what seems to be a fairly low quality kibble by the breeder and I’m of course aware of the issue of switching. He’ll be 12 weeks when I pick him up and am just interested in the experience of others.

[Dottie]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Regarding transitioning to raw food, this discussion might be helpful. Generally it is thought that pups should be kept on the food that they came with for a little while, just until they are settled in their new home.

If you decide to change the food, have a look at the Dog Food Directory because there is a lot of choice these days. Choose a complete product because the pup will have everything it needs and you won’t have to add anything. Once you have decided on a particular company, contact their customer support for advice.

Feeding raw meat safely demands some commitment from the pet owner re safe handling and infection control. For Public Health England guidelines see here.

[Chaos]

Thank you. I would only feed a complete raw food, I have heard too many stories of problems with the DIY methods unless one is an expert. I’m not convinced, I must be honest, but was interested to know what others think. When my last dog was a puppy a raw diet was only for the very committed owner, who was often regarded as somewhat eccentric! I have had three dogs live almost 47 years between them so imagine what I’ve fed them doesn’t do too much harm!

[Dottie]

You clearly did something right as they all lived into double figures. The arguments for raw feeding are very persuasive but as you say, dogs can and do live long and healthy lives when fed by alternative means.

You can use the Dog Food Directory to source a good product. I usually use the filter for no red ingredients and clearly labelled because then it returns results of the better foods. We have a thread here about what to look for when choosing a good dog food and there is plenty of information on this website.

Hopefully you will get more replies from people who raw feed their dog.

[Rebecca Forrest]

I now feed my dog on raw, as the dried food did not agree with him I did try lots of other foods, like butternut, which was expensive , pure which is one you make with adding warm water, and tinned food,  and he has a sensitive tummy, so I was running out of idea's. there was no other choice but to be brave and I contacted Sammy from Luna and me, she put my mind at rest, and this is the food he does best on. He is also skinny so he needs the added fat that is in raw.
As Dottie says it is best to keep to the food he is on until he gets settled in, and then look for another one.
Luna and me is very good, they are made into patties so easy to use, but there are others on the market.  I hope that you have fun with your new puppy.

[COASTER]

Raw feeding is easy & I would always feed same instead of dry extruded kibble.

Common sense applies........If you can prepare a roast dinner from scratch without ending up with food poisoning you should be ok.

Wash hands after handling uncooked meat and keep bowls and utensils clean innbetween feeds etc.

To start off simply feed decent barf (with veg added), raw complete products,

Nutriment, wolftucker or paleo ridge are good start or longer term use product brands.

The last pup  to arrive here went from kibble to raw within a week straight swap no issues.

You can buy puppy only raw barf products but IMO it's not worth the extra cost if there is a premium charge for minor tweaks to composition.

[Tinyplanets]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Lots of great advice already. I feed mostly raw and have found that, as with other types of food, some suited my dog more than others. I have always gone for the raw completes. If you try one that doesn't suit, it doesn't necessarily mean another brand wouldn't. I found that some with added things like peas, led to weight loss and excessive elimination. This might be a plus for someone who is watching a dogs weight however.