What's the best raw feeding book for beginners (new pup on raw feeding).

I've been thinking about putting the new pup on raw food as it seems to the best thing for them. However I was not going to bother as it's the first pup I've had for over 20 years and I figured the breeder would be feeding dry food.

Well I figured wrong! She feeds dry with mince when they're pups and then feeds raw after that, so I guess I have no choice I've been given the boot in the backside I needed!

Obviously I'll be bombarding the breeder with questions, but in the mean time has anyone got any good recommendations for a raw feeding book for beginners?

I've heard about "Give you dog a bone" and was going to get that, but then someone told me there was a book by the same author about raw feeding for puppies! Any ideas on what is best?

Oh and anyone know of a supplier in the north east??

Don't worry that last bit was a joke! Even I know there won't be a supplier in the NE!

could it be

Grow Your Pups with Bones: BARF Programme for Breeding Healthy Dogs and Eliminating Skeletal Disease , Ian Billinghurst

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...565919-2610309

the only other one i can find by him is The Barf Diet: For Cats and Dogs
Ian Billinghurst

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...565919-2610309


ive not read any of them so cant tell u if they r any good

good luck

None don't read book Or at least I decided not to on this subject because they are only the ideas of one author.

I joined raw feeding lists instead and found their help invaluabe to get me started, your not getting only 1 opinion that way

Try BritBarf for starters...A woman on there made everything clear to me and made it all very very simple.

Thanks Jenny!
The thing is if it was an adult dog I'd probably do what you suggest, but cos it'll be a pup I'm worried with her growing and getting everything right feeding wise etc!

I've joined a couple of lists but TBH they just confuse even more. Everyone has their own opinions and I never know what to do for the best!

I have no doubt the billingshurt books are good but I found them way to pricey for me and after hearing what alot of people recomend I thikn he advocates to much bone in the diet which you need to be very very careful of with puppies as you don't want to give to much calcium. Adult dogs **** out the excess but puppies don't and they absorb what they are given and you can cause issues with bone development. Billingshurst says over 60% rmb and he recomends the rmb to be of 50/50 consistency...50% bone at 60% of the diet is way to much bone.

If you join Britbarf they explain it very well and it makes scense.

Also don't be swayed into only doing things the 'BARF' way raw feeding is not only 'BARF'...'BARF' is the new fangled way of feeding raw meat and bones to dogs with a silly name and is only one guys way. People have been feeding raw meat and bones long before he wrote his books

If you are worried about it because of feeding a pup then read the post I just made above regarding to much bone

Are you a member of BritBarf yet? If so here is a link to a post I found very useful http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BritBarf/message/19862

Yeah I am, just never posted! Just going through the archives now.

Ok

I would just get stuck in and ask lots of questions that's what I found worked best and everyone was only to pleased to help out.

The biggest factor in feeding raw is the variety and getting the meat and bone ratios well balanced, I find the offal and veg part easy but it was the meat and bone part that got me most confused as I did not want to over do the bone content.

Remember to use their 'search' tool just type in whatever it is you are thinking about (raw feeding related of course ) and see what has been said already...I think there are far to many messages to try to read through all of the archives to much but I made a token effort before I bombarded them with q's I must admit.

The best book I`ve found Rip is Richard Pitcairns

http://www.drpitcairn.com/books/pitcairn_book.html

I had 2 pups who`d been v poorly when I changed to raw feeding, OK they weren`t so young at 6mths but still pups none the less
He doesn`t do bones but uses pure calcium or substitutes like egg shells & he gives you recipes with table of contents for all foodstuffs of protein, carbs, potassium, etc, everything is worked out in those tables & you have options to mix & match a whole variety of foodstuffs as well as the given recipes. He does use a wide range of grains & pulses, mine have never had a problem with those either

He also has sections on health with alternative remedies & lots of other useful stuff, I found it a great help & still refer to it today

I also have the billinghurst books grow your pups with bones & one of his others, very good but I also think he gives too much bone, which I`ve always felt uneasy with, maybe cos I started with Pitcairn. Whatever reason tho, mine have done well with lesser bone & more meat than he suggests

With my litter of pups that were weaned onto raw I did take bits from Billinghurst such as ch/wings but I also used Pitcairns recipes WITHOUT ANY kind of calcium supplements as they were having VERY meaty bones. As soon as they could manage I had them off wings & onto thighs/drumsticks then onto whole legs

Good luck with your pup, sure he`ll do just fine

just add remember its balance over time, not every day