How much raw to feed?

467 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Nicole579, 1 mo ago

Nicole579

My Vizsla is 24 weeks old and I have been feeding him a mostly raw diet. (Commercial raw from pet store. Northwest Natural and Steve’s real food). Some days I also feed canned food and use kibble for games/treats.
I’ve been feeding him mostly raw since I brought him home at 7 weeks old and I’ve been following this feeding chart I’ve included below. I used to feed him 4 meals a day but transitioned to 3 meals at 4 months old. Past few weeks we’ve had troubles with his stool. It’s almost never solid , very soft runny and sometimes has diarrhea at night. I have to wake up with him few times in the middle of the night to go outside. I am wondering if I am feeding him too much?? I noticed if I feed him less his stool is better but I’m worried I’m under feeding him according to this chart. I already feed him less than the chart recommends since I give him treats throughout the day. He doesn’t look overweight at all and he is 38 pounds currently. Can anyone offer any insight on feeding amount for raw/wet food for puppies at this age please? I should also mention besides the stool he seems perfectly fine. Has appetite, ton of energy, etc.

thank you!
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TrumpetBlast

· #2 · 1 mo ago

From my own experience and from what I've gathered on here, the poo dilemma is ongoing, whether feeding raw or not. My girl had her own issues the first two years of her life, and when I found a raw pre-made that worked, I was ecstatic. She had consistently firm poops and no tummy issues. Then I couldn't find it anymore...😒
So sometimes it just takes a little (a LOT) of tweaking before you find the right menu. My girl tolerates lamb really well. Just added duck into the rotation (which was off limits previously) and she's doing great. Salmon (kibble or raw) seems to give her the runs, although it made her coat beautiful when she was on it. Start from scratch and add things slowly back in to find out what doesn't sit well with her.
Nowadays our 45 lb female gets approximately 3 cups a day raw, split into two feedings. This is a hybrid diet with two additional cups of kibble (Zignature Kangaroo ATM) mixed in. Also a handful of training treats, because training is ongoing (single ingredient treats like dehydrated liver or Good Dog from Costco).

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rayhoagland1

· #3 · 1 mo ago

Speaking from personal experience of over 60 years with many breeds - last 20 years Vizsla. Unless you have a very unusual circumstance, stick with known commercial dry kibble feeds - Blue Buffalo, Purina and others offer everything your dog needs to thrive. My 7 yr. old 44 lb. F. Vizsla maintains good form with 1/2 cup morning & 1/2 cup evening, with very light supplements of yogurt, leftovers such as fresh cooked veggies, chicken, oatmeal, eggs, cream of wheat, whole grain pasta, salmon skins, etc. Occasional Milk Bone treats (Toy size) - reward for acts of exceptional behavior. She gets moderate daily exercise chasing balls, frisbees and the like (her reward for pooping "on command"). Never a poop problem with one exception. (a week-long bout of E.coli caused diarrhea picked up at a dog park). She looks and acts like a well behaved two year old. If she looks thin or "porky", I adjust the amount of kibble by 1/4 - 1/2 cup per day as needed. Don't get swayed, romanced, fooled or misled by all the "hype" about so-called exclusive and specialty foods. It will cost you $$$ and your beloved V. his/her well being.

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tiki and stormy

· #4 · 1 mo ago

I started and quickly abandoned raw food for my two Vs when they were 5 and 7. They kept vomiting and didn’t seem to like it so much. Back on their regular kibbles they were fine and we saved a lot of money….

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Nicole579

Discussion Starter · #5 · 1 mo ago

Thanks everyone for your responses! I ended up calling my vet because the diarrhea was not stopping, every night we had to go outside multiple times 😭. They did a fecal test and turns out he tested positive for Giardia. They gave him medication and diarrhea stopped, poops are back to normal.

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