What color is this kitty cat?

[dainerra]

no the proportions are the same no matter the breed. just the total amount fed is smaller for smaller dogs. you want to feed 2-3% of the dogs ideal weight daily. So, for a 9lb dog with average metabolism, you would feed just under 2/10s of a lb daily or about 3 ounces. then you raise or lower the amount you feed based on how the dog is doing on that amount. So, the 9lb dog would need 2.5 ounces of muscle meat, .32 ounces of bone, and .32 ounces of offal if you feed the 80/10/10 prey model.

On the other hand, my 78lb GSD would eat 2.34 lbs of food a day.

So, you would need a lot less freezer space simply because you would need less meat. Depending on your area, raw can be cheap or expensive. When I lived in WV in a farming and hunting community, it generally cost me $10 a month to feed 2 80lb dogs. Here, it would cost me $70 a month to feed 1 dog.

 

[Shellybean02]

Okay, I'm going with 80/10/10 for Mella. And about the fur and feathers on whole prey? Can she have it?
Never mind, I read about it. I hope I can find a way of buying small quantities efficient for me and my dog!

 

[dainerra]

Never mind, I read about it. I hope I can find a way of buying small quantities efficient for me and my dog!

small quantities are never cost efficient. you can order in bulk and only have to do it every 6 months or so.

 

[Shellybean02]

I was thinking of getting a mini fridge just for Mella's food. My mom won't get upset about the dogs food taking up half of the space in our fridge, or having to squeeze whole dead animals in with our food...

 

[dainerra]

it might be big enough if you can go grocery shopping several times a week. meat doesn't have a long fridge life

 

[Shellybean02]

Are there such things as mini freezers? lol

 

[Shellybean02]

There are mini freezers! I should get one... Last question: I plan on feeding 2.88 oz a day, and I planned the schedule(whole prey and proportional; more whole prey since I can't really measure 0.144 oz of liver every day!) - how do I tell, from her behavior, if she needs more food added to her diet(as opposed to her just begging for table scraps)?

 

[dainerra]

There are mini freezers! I should get one... Last question: I plan on feeding 2.88 oz a day, and I planned the schedule(whole prey and proportional; more whole prey since I can't really measure 0.144 oz of liver every day!) - how do I tell, from her behavior, if she needs more food added to her diet(as opposed to her just begging for table scraps)?

with liver, I generally just give a tiny bit once or twice a week. the good thing about raw is that you don't have to be 100% precise on every single meal - balance over the course of a couple meals. If the dog eats a big meal on Monday, the eat a littel less on Tuesday. Liver is super rich so I feed it very

sparingly- it can give horrid diarrhea. kidneys, brains, etc are also good source for organ meat
you tell if they need more food by gauging their body condition. Feed for about a week on each amount (unless you see a dramatic shift in body weight) before changing the amount.

 

[Shellybean02]

I planned to give her:
Monday - proportional chicken in morning and night
Tuesday - whole quail
Wednesday - whole rat or mouse(depending on weight)
Thursday - whole sardine(s)
Friday - proportional rabbit in morning and night
and start over again. I figured whole prey would give her enough organs, because it's naturally proportioned. Also much simpler in my opinion. Therefore I'm giving it to her more often than not. I hope it will be good for her (will add in small quantities of treats... did I mention that in a previous post? Sorry!)

 

[dainerra]

be careful with sardines. if they are in oil, can cause pancreatitis. if in water, many have a lot of salt.