I'm lazy so I haven't gone back through the posts.

The more I read about raw, the more I would like to go partial with the boys. Is this possible? Right now, going full raw is not possible. I tried feeding ox tails to the boys but it was a disaster. Choking, bad tummy aches, and barfing. I read you feed chicken wings for treats is that good to start with?

Do any of you use venison?

Just don't feed biscuit and raw at the same time as one meal.

chicken wings are an excellent treat, 3-4 for tea maybe, or you could try a couple of pork ribs, a slice of lamb breast, even a chicken quarter when you get a bit braver, I use venison as it's an excellent low fat meat for Ollie but also very expensive unless you've got very nice friends

Yes of course it's possible, lots of people feed kibble in the morning and fresh food in the evening, or at weekends! I do so myself....

I think the occasional chicken wing as a treat would be a good start. The bone in oxtail is quite hard and would be difficult for dogs unused to raw bones, so that might have been the cause of the trouble. Starting with meat only is easier on the digestion.

I started with beef mince, mixed with cereal flakes, carrots and oil - a very old fashioned style of feeding. When I saw this was ok I started with chicken necks as a soft meaty bone - wings would do just as well. Later I added the occasional calf bone - more bone than meat there, but still quite soft.

If you're feeding partially raw I woudn't feed too much meaty bones, as this might cause trouble with some dogs and they don't need these large amounts of calcium anyway. Try to get hold of some green tripe and feed this once or twice a week - nearly every dog loves it and it's quite easy to digest.

I do occasionally feed minced venison in the combination meals, would do so more if I had a good source for it. I think this would be great - no residues of medication or extra hormones. I'll try to find a butcher who will get me some neck or breast meaty bones in the next hunting season; I'd love to feed this!

There is an abundance of deer (massive over population) in the midwest. Deer hunting is big in November and December. They are not viewed as bambi around here I had one run in front of me and had to hit it. I was driving an MG midget. They are the cause of hundreds of car accidents every year. Millions of $ damage. They come into town running amuck through store front windows and have to be shot. They can't be tranqed; the stress is too great and they die anyway (the meat is then ruined for any consumption).

Good to get the great tips. I just think this would be a great extra for the boys. Giving them a little more to look forward to. I'm lucky, I allready have a freezer! I like mixing it up for them. Would I want to eat the same thing day after day??

I don't feed kibble or minced meat.
My two girls have no problem eating any raw meaty bones.
Ox tails are their fav treat They have great golden poos after they have eaten Ox tail . Mostly I feed them soft bone ie chicken Belly pork with bone in breast of lamb Rabbit. Ox tail is a much harder bone but is a great tooth cleaner once a week
There were issues when i first fed them raw but we learnt very quickly.

I personally wouldnt feed kibble in the morning and then raw
at night . My opinioun but the reason I feed my two raw meaty bones is that I dont like the idea of feeding them dried processed food so I wont feed this. I only feed Raw Meaty Bones no grains,fruit veg or supplements my two are coming up to 2 years old and are looking great.
Feeding Raw is just as easy has pouring some kibble into a bowl once you get into it.
Your dogs will get used to eating Raw.
Don't worry they have teeth that were made to chew their food .
It is really down to you
If you prefer to feed them Kibble and raw i would say give them a few chicken wings as a treat.

Mine are partial raws here

They get JWB kibble for brekkie as a light snack, some lamb spine/ribs for lunch, and tea can be pilchards, trotters, chicken wings or ox tail. Variety is the spice of life - I may move completely to raw at some point, for now, the dogs are happy with either/or.

Then you should be able to find good sources of venison locally - I envy you. However I found it strange when I was touring the States - there seemed to be an abundance of deer as you say, but never could I buy any in a shop, be it a huge upper-class supermarket or a local butcher shop. Who gets to eat it all? I adore eating venison, but it is terribly expensive here if you don't know any hunters personally!

About the oxtail and other RMB: of course it's fine if the dog can deal with it, but all dogs are not the same. I know quite a lot of people who are partially feeding raw, both personally or from a large forum, so I was just generally speaking. For a dog used to kibble, feeding very soft bones only at the beginning works usually best. Of course there are individuals who can deal with really hard bones from the start, but quite a lot of them will react the way angell has described. So, if one already knows there might be trouble, one should start the dogs on softer bones as chicken wings, necks and carcasses or calf or lamb breast, depending on what is available. Time enough to introduce harder bones later on.

What kibble lacks is mainly high value meat, not minerals, so it makes sense to feed meats without bones too if you can get it. It is a fact that meat alone is easier on the stomach of a sensitive dog than bones, so it can serve to get a delicate stomach used to digest raw stuff.

Judging from people seeking advice on forums, the combination of kibble and too many bones can lead to trouble frequently. A good kibble will give rather firm stools, bones will firm them up further, and so it can lead to constipation. Dogs fed on commercial dog food only will often show adverse reaction to the occasional bone - I've had one such, and another who had no trouble at all, so I think one should always be guided by the individual dog and not on iron principles.

Anyway, angell, don't give up on fresh food, but take it gently if your dogs are of the sensitive kind.


PS: I bought some oxtail on special offer once (it's very expensive here) and on her first piece of it was the only time Rhian has vomited bone so far, even though she had been used to chicken necks and calf bones. There was no trouble with the other two pieces later , but I made sure they were not going onto a completely empty stomach!

mmmm venison, I feel guilty giving it to Ollie when it could be happy in my tummy instead

I don't think you would find venison for sale in the states unless it is farmed Elk. I guess food safety issues. And that is very expensive and found only in specialty butchers shops, gourmet stores or high end restaurants.

If you want deer meat around here you must know somebody who hunts and they legally can only give it to you. Can't buy it. Or, if you come across a fresh road kill, you can get permission from the sherrif to take it.

Each citizen can buy two "deer tags" one for rifle one for bow. So, if the hunter wants to get more than his limit, he buys two for the wife, two for each kid over 16 that has taken their hunter safety course. If you were born after 1956 you have to take a hunter safety course.

It is becoming very fashionable for ladies to hunt now and there are special ladies classes to teach how to finish a deer, tan hides, etc.