Trying to switch to raw

[Keira25]

Have an 8 1/2 year old Newf that I just started introducing raw to. She loved the chicken mix from Oma's that my sister gave me. I gave her a turkey neck tonight. She was extremely confused, but finally started chewing it. It took her a long time to eat it, she chewed and chewed, but it took her awhile to make any progress. This sounds weird but, she has always had small teeth, the vet has commented on it in the past. My sister's GSD gobbles the necks down in nothing flat. I've been doing a lot of reading about raw, but even though this may sound ridiculous, after the turkey neck experience, could she maybe not handle eating chicken? Or am I just being a crazy Newf mother?

 

[Jeannie]

Sometimes it will take them awhile to figure out what to do with raw bones. Give her some time and she will be gobbling (pun intended) them up in no time.

 

[R Taft]

My dogs are slow eaters, I much prefer the slow eaters to those that try to swallow in a hurry.........I have to put Katy seperate when we give out bones, because she takes forever and drives the others nuts. They have finished and she is still going

 

[mrsnamsherf]

My newf Sam, who seems to have normal teeth, eats his raw slowly. My Lab could down a chicken quarter super fast. Crunch, crunch swallow, and it was gone. Sam, however, who is obviously much bigger, takes a bit longer, and he has been on raw for over two years. Sounds like your girl is doing just fine. :sunflower:

Marie

 

[Keira25]

Thank you all! I'm making the transition and feeding her kibble just in the morning. After she eats, she just stares at me as if to say, Where's the good stuff? If she does alright the rest of the week, I may just go all raw this weekend. I just wanted to be home in case she had any digestive upsets with the switch.

 

[luvmynwfy]

Sounds like everything is going well to me. I fed my Timber raw for over 9 years, she was a 'crunch crunch swallow' kind of Newf. In the last 2 weeks I've switched River over from Kibble to raw. She is definitely a slower eater. So far, the only RMB she's had are chicken backs and drummlets. I'm starting her on turkey necks tomorrow - so we'll see how long it takes her. Our girl loves her food too!
all the best,
Marina

 

[jane]

When I started mine on raw, Roger and my bichon, Sassy, knew what to do right away. Merlin was confused. In the beginning, he took forever to eat turkey necks, leg quarter's etc...Now he eats faster than all of them. Some I know, that feed raw, say their dogs are just slow eaters and prefer taking their time.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

I've been doing some reading on raw and from what I've read you can cleaver the bones at first or take a mallet to them just until they get used to chewing it. I gave Zeke a chicken wing last week and he scared me with his two cracks and down the hatch, So I will take the cleaver to it before I give him one again. Normally with kibble they don't chew so it is a transition.