# Raw Diet for 3.5 lb Yorkie



## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi everyone, I have been reading through a bunch of the raw diet threads and I can't believe I didn't research it sooner! I was thinking of getting another dog as a companion for my Yorkie so I started looking at the dog forums, and now I am here 

Anyways, I bought some Nature's Variety Chicken Medallions last night to start transitioning her to the raw diet. I will give it to her tomorrow for dinner, 25% raw and 75% old food right? The portions seem so small, just 1.5 medallions a day for her, is that normal? She is currently on Wellness Canned with a little bit of Orijen kibble mixed in. As great as these brands are, worrying over the processing and other things associated with canned and dry food is just not worth it. I feel like going raw is easier than stressing about my dog's health. I will give you a little background on my dog just in case that helps anything.

I got Lila from a breeder about a year and a half ago, she will be 2 years old on February 22, 2012. The breeder is AKC registered, did all the necessary testing on the parents, and fed Canidae grain-free, which is pretty good I think considering what many people feed their dogs. Since then she has been on Innova, TOTW, and now Orijen. She has had no medical problems, exercises by playing everyday, walks three times a week. 

I really want to do the raw diet with her, but I worry that because she is so little if I mess up the bone/meat/organ ratio it could hurt her more than it would a larger dog. Am I just being paranoid and irrational? Also, what raw meaty bones could I give to her as a treat? The only thing I could think of is chicken necks, but I would like to be able to offer her some different RMBs in the future. 

I would love to hear from some small breed owners who feed their dog homemade raw.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

You don't need to transition to raw, though if your dog tends to have a very sensitive stomach it may help. Otherwise just make the switch completely. Portions are small, you only need to feed 2-3% of your dog's ideal weight per day. 1.5-2 ounces per day should be fine but if you notice weight loss then increase the amount you feed. Little dogs like yorkies might need a bit more as they spend more energy. Those little legs have to move a lot more to go anywhere compared to bigger dogs.

Are you planning to stay with commercial raw (like Nature's Variety), or to go prey model raw where you buy things like whole chickens, pork, organs, etc? With balancing the meat/bone/organ ratio, most people aim to have balance over the week or the month. Balancing each meal is really tough. I feed once a day, and 3-4 times per week my dogs get a meal with bone such as chicken parts or a turkey neck or fish. The other 3-4 days are meat meals like beef heart or pork roasts. I add their organ a couple times per week (I figured out how much they need per day, multiplied by 7 to get how much per week, then divided that number by 2 to get how much I feed if I give it twice per week), and I also give an egg once or twice a week.

You don't need to feed small food to a small dog. If you go prey model you can put down a whole big chunk, like a pork roast for example, and let the dog eat off of it. It's a good workout and keep them busy. Take it away when she is done or when she's eaten about what she needs for the day. You'll have to know your dog, she may stop when she's full or she may try to just keep eating. Overeating can cause tummy upset or possible more serious problems like bloat. I let my huskies eat off of big pieces sometimes, one stops after she's full but the other doesn't so I trade up by offering her treats while I remove the meat. I weigh the meat before I give it to them so I know how many meals it will last through. My dogs each eat 1 lb per day so if, for example, I put out a 2lb piece (which is enough to last for 2 days) and the dog eats the entire thing, she won't eat the following day. If she eats 1.5 lbs, then the next day I give the remainder plus another 1/2 lb. It all balances out


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

> walks three times a week.


I hope you mean 3x a day. Otherwise, you will eventually be posting about a very hyper bored dog that chews everything. Dogs - no matter how small - need exercise and exposure to the outside world.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

You need to do a lot, LOTS more research before making your own raw. Try googling and looking at websites first before doing it.

As for the NV medallions, forget the transitioning thing and go straight to raw (none of my dogs ever had problems with this). And yes, 1.5 medallions for a 3lb dog sounds about right. Cadence used to get 3-4 medallions a day and he was 9lbs at the time.


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## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

She walks three times a week but that doesn't mean she doesn't get exercise everyday. I play with her and run around the back yard and neighborhood everyday, and she never is hyper or chews things she isn't supposed to. She does get exercise everyday, and she does go outside everyday. Walking isn't the only form of exercise.

Okay I will just switch to the NV medallions completely instead of transitioning, she doesn't have any stomach sensitivities that I know of, plus she avoided her wet food this morning and just ate the small bit of medallion. I will give her the rest of the portion. After 2-3 weeks of the chicken I can add in another meat right? And then 2 weeks after that another one? Also, do I stick with only the brand Nature's Variety or can I rotate with Primal and other brands like that?

I do hope to switch to the prey model diet eventually, but I will wait and do tons more research. I would feel better making the homemade food when I understand WHY there is a certain amount of bone, organs, meat instead of just how to put it together.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

There is nothing cuter than a tiny dog with a huge chew, don't be concerned fitting the size of the dog to the size of the meal. She will eat properly if the chew is difficult enough, put the chew back into the refrigerator for later. Just don't get stuck on feeding loads of bony stuff is all. I doubt chicken necks could be much of a tooth cleaner, they just don't take long enough to eat. Try a single pork or beef rib instead, they are tastier than chicken as well. A turkey neck is in about the same proportion to Max as a chicken neck is to your dog and it only takes him 10 minutes to get one down. 

Agree about the amounts. Max needs 8-12 ounces a day and it seems like nothing. Some of his meals seem bigger than others, he got a pile of chicken gizzards the other day that seemed like plenty of food but a chunk of meat looks way too small. Tiny dogs can need more than 2-3% of their body weight and huge dogs can need less, that is just a general starting spot.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Hi! I love seeing another active Yorkie on here.  My boy is a bit bigger than your girl, he's my 16lb'er.  He's a skinny thing though, believe it or not, and full of muscle. 

I have been feeding Acana grainfree for most of his life, taking a few months break to try something else, but ended up back on Acana as it's what I was always happiest with. 

I have decided to try pre-made raw again, a few times a week at least. I fed it a bit in the past and I never transitioned. I just gave it to him. He was fine. He's 16lbs and I plan on giving him 6 nuggets a day of Primal - which is approx. 2% of his body weight. We just started again today though so can't really tell yet if it's going to be too much or too little - I just keep an eye on his body condition usually. With kibble, he gets 2/3 cup per day of Acana (with a spoonful of Weruva wet food). He will still be getting kibble/wet about 2-3 days a week, with the other days being Primal (for now anyways). Oh and he's very active. He runs a LOT, walks 5 days a week for 30 minutes to 1 hour, swims all summer long, walks up hill with me every day, dog park 2-3x a week, etc, etc, etc.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

I switched my 13lb 10 month old puppy to prey model raw about 2 months ago and I'm so glad I did. She LOVES it and she's doing beautifully with it. It was scary the first time I heard her crunch through bone but she really seemed to know what to do with it and how to eat it. There's a Yahoo group you might find helpful for your research. I've found the members to be an incredibly supportive and helpful group. Most questions get quick, thorough answers and they have a ton of links for researching PMR. I've learned so much just reading other newbie's questions and seeing the experienced PMR feeders' answers. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Butters is doing half Nature's Variety Instinct Raw (rotating with Chicken, Beef and Bison), and half on raw meat - I give her 2 medallions in the morning now, and I'll give her a hunk of a piece of chicken for her for dinner (I don't have time in the morning to supervise her when she's eating RMB as closely as she needs to be) - she ate about half a chicken thigh before getting full, and ate EVERYTHING - bones, and all! She really liked it. 

I think the key with the prey model is just make sure that over the course of a month, she's having a variety of parts of animals - so you can have a range of chicken necks, chicken wings, chicken thighs, beef livers, beef ribs, hearts, pigs feet, pork loin, etc etc. I personally don't throw a whole chicken down for Butters cause she has a really hard time tearing the bones, meat, and limbs off - she's a really light chewer, and it takes her 30 minutes just to get through the chicken thigh. I just cut them like how they would at the butcher - the thighs off, wings off, breast in half, head and neck off, etc. Sometimes the grocer will have the entire chicken raw, but cut up already for you ! I bought one of these at Loblaws, and it was fantastic. 

Nature's Variety also sells chicken necks, but they're so ridiculously expensive - I would definitely consider going full prey-model and go to the local butcher for much cheaper meat.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

Prey model raw isn't as hard as people think it is. Its mostly about understanding what the dog needs (80% meat, 10% bone, 5% organ, 5% liver), and adjusting to fit your dog. For example, Bryna gets about 15%-20% bone in her meal, or else she has cannonbutt. Once a week she gets a meal that consists of 1 chicken thigh, and about .5lbs of organ/liver to make up for the weeks organ/liver requirements. (organs don't have to be fed at every meal)

PMR is the best thing that I could have done for Bryna. She has grain allergies, and putting on weight was always an issue with kibble. She's no longer sickly looking, her teeth are amazingly bright, and she's full of energy. 

Sometimes I wish I had a small dog... feeding a 3lbs dog PMR would be so incredibly cheap. *jealous*


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