# Dog losing weight on raw



## NellRosk (12 April 2014)

Started her on raw a few weeks ago (the nutriment one) and feeding her 3% of her body weight. She's lost a bit of weight and is looking a bit lean, did anyone's else dog do this too? Don't know whether to up her intake or if she's just reaching her optimum weight. She's an active wee thing, a pug x JR but her ribcage is starting to look a bit greyhoundy!


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## Bosworth (12 April 2014)

i feed raw,and to be honest I never bother weighing the food, I just go by look of my dog.If she is losing weight then increase the amount you give her, and add in oily fish. It may be that she burns off more than average, so just increase it.


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## PorkChop (13 April 2014)

I agree, I feed mine by eye.  Feed more fatty meat and oil, tripe is good for putting on weight.


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## gunnergundog (13 April 2014)

Have just had a quick google at Nutriment and see that it is a frozen prepared product with a high (67%) moisture content......I think possibly, therein may lie your problem. 

I generally feed by eye but have weighed out food in the past; however, I feed raw, as in source the meat myself and prep any other contents separately, so there is minimal water content....in comparison that is.  I feed things like chicken necks and carcasses, ribs, breast of lamb, kidney, liver, lites, trotters etc etc.

I am guessing that much of what you are feeding is moisture and so you could up the feed volume or consider prepping/sourcing the food yourself.

Read the labels VERY carefully.......the chicken variety has an awful lot of beef in it!  (No good if your dog has an allergy to beef, or you're trying to feed a particular protein source only.)  Also, on the cover of the beef product (the one with the picture of a boxer dog) it says it contains bone;  however if you read the product description it specifically says no bone!

I'm afraid this would set alarm bells ringing with me, but then I am a commercial pet food cynic!


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## NellRosk (13 April 2014)

gunnergundog said:



			Have just had a quick google at Nutriment and see that it is a frozen prepared product with a high (67%) moisture content......I think possibly, therein may lie your problem. 

I generally feed by eye but have weighed out food in the past; however, I feed raw, as in source the meat myself and prep any other contents separately, so there is minimal water content....in comparison that is.  I feed things like chicken necks and carcasses, ribs, breast of lamb, kidney, liver, lites, trotters etc etc.

I am guessing that much of what you are feeding is moisture and so you could up the feed volume or consider prepping/sourcing the food yourself.

Read the labels VERY carefully.......the chicken variety has an awful lot of beef in it!  (No good if your dog has an allergy to beef, or you're trying to feed a particular protein source only.)  Also, on the cover of the beef product (the one with the picture of a boxer dog) it says it contains bone;  however if you read the product description it specifically says no bone!

I'm afraid this would set alarm bells ringing with me, but then I am a commercial pet food cynic!  

Click to expand...

Thank you for this!! I'd definitely put it down to this then, the food does seem very wet. I only got a supply of it to start her off on and I'll start replacing it with meat and bone once it's gone. 

Another thing I've noted is a complete change in temperament. Has anyone else noted this after feeding raw? She's a lot happier and calmer, seems more loving towards me and she's not being lead aggressive to other dogs like she usually is!


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## honeymum (13 April 2014)

Definitely up the amount of food you give if she's looking a bit slim. Also most dogs tend to calm down once they are on raw due to there being less additives than kibble.


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## Cinnamontoast (13 April 2014)

Just up the amounts or add chicken wings, for example. I'd rather a dog were lean than fat and maybe she's just balancing out to what she should be? Tricky to go by weight when she's a cross and JRTs can be wildly different sizes. Post a pic from above so we can see her waist and the side.


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## Fides (13 April 2014)

Forget the commercially prepared stuff - for a small dog chicken wings are perfect
(Mine have turkey drumsticks from asda at 88p). Feed veggie table scraps and you have the whole diet covered  BARF for dogs is like DR Grass for horses


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## NellRosk (13 April 2014)

cinnamontoast said:



			Just up the amounts or add chicken wings, for example. I'd rather a dog were lean than fat and maybe she's just balancing out to what she should be? Tricky to go by weight when she's a cross and JRTs can be wildly different sizes. Post a pic from above so we can see her waist and the side.
		
Click to expand...

That's what I was wondering! Okay I'll take some pics tomorrow when she's not asleep, she's currently snoring her head off!


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## NellRosk (13 April 2014)

Fides said:



			Forget the commercially prepared stuff - for a small dog chicken wings are perfect
(Mine have turkey drumsticks from asda at 88p). Feed veggie table scraps and you have the whole diet covered  BARF for dogs is like DR Grass for horses 

Click to expand...

Great thanks! I'll get myself down to the shops in the next few days.


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