# Puppies and barf diet



## RangerC (Jan 23, 2013)

I can't quite believe it but Barney joins our family in 2 weeks and 4 days. 

Anyway, food...... I have always been evangelical about what we eat as a family, consequently, want the best for my new pup. He will be part of the family so I don't want to feed him rubbish. I am very keen to try a barf diet and have found a very good supplier that is not too far away - Manifold - who I can collect from so don't have to pay delivery charge. Budget is a big consideration but I reckon I could do it for not much more than a tinned food diet.

Should I give barney a chance to settle down for a few weeks and feed what the breeder was feeding or just jump straight in there with a change of diet. 

My instinct says to give him a few days to settle then introduce a bit at a time. I do know some dogs who don't take to a raw food diet though - what are your experiences? should I limit what he has until he is older? Most barf suppliers have 'puppy food' so does that mean I should just give minced food for the first few weeks (assuming he takes to it!)?

What I don't want is to be spending my first few weeks with him worrying he is going to choke to death or I am starving him. So many questions.....


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

I think I'd maybe give the kibble for a few days until Barney has settled in. A puppy needs 4-6 % of their body weight in food over 3-4 meals. Maybe feed the last meal of the day as your mince on the first day you introduce the mince, if he likes it increase your barf meals over the forth coming days. Your pup will manage a chicken wing, but don't leave him with it on his own, he needs to learn to chew the bone, I'd hold the tip of the wing with kitchen roll, this can replace a meal. Good luck I'm sure he'll love it. 
Mine both love raw and have had chicken wings from being little ..... Can't remember how I introduced the food though, you move on and forget xxx


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Betty was on kibble fir quite a while before I switched to raw. As she was on it by the time I got Ted we put him on it straight away with no I'll effects.


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## RangerC (Jan 23, 2013)

Did you get ted when he was 8 weeks old Colin?


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine had their first raw chicken wing at 8 weeks and they thought they were in heaven! They weren't much interested in the breeders kibble so I switched pretty much to raw straight away with no effect on their stomachs at all.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

See how your puppy is. Max was very thin, totally uninterested in kibble and had the runs. As advised on here I made him home cooked chicken, rice, yogurt and he loved that. Once his poo had firmed up I put him on a complete wet food, which he also enjoyed. But at the back of my mind was raw feeding. I dropped some raw stewing steak on the floor and he pounced. From there I fed him raw. He hasn't looked back!


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

RangerC said:


> Did you get ted when he was 8 weeks old Colin?


Yes he was 8 weeks and started him on natural instinct puppy..


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## Chumphreys (Oct 1, 2011)

Sorry can't really help as Malie was fed on raw by the breeder,we just continued.
What I can say though,is that she loves it 
XClare


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