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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2011 10:05:09 GMT -5
Loki stole the entire bag of FD duck, stashed it under the sofa and proceeded to eat 1/3 of it. I think he likes duck I haven't tried the rabbit yet and the venison I know he likes but I wanted to introduce one protein at a time this time. Going to get a duck at the grocers and start making soupie and chunks from it, it is sort of expensive but one duck should be a lot of meals for him I think? Since he's been doing so well can I start putting some bone pieces in there yet? I know weight bearing bones are too tough but if I take a hammer to chicken thighs to break them up will that be ok or should I skip it all together? The secret to getting him to like a new protein seems to be to let him stash it. Naughty = Tasty! ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 11, 2011 13:34:59 GMT -5
Loki stole the entire bag of FD duck, stashed it under the sofa and proceeded to eat 1/3 of it. I think he likes duck Ya think??? ;D Little monkey And yes, you can start doing bone. I'd go for something like chicken wings, chicken necks, or even cornish hen instead though. Those bones are MUCH easier. If you do wings, segment them, cut lengthwise betweens the two middle bones, and smash up the drumette bone.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2011 13:48:34 GMT -5
Sweet, CGH are on sale again. I'll pick some of those up too. Chicken necks are hard to find here, I need to hit up the ethnic markets. What about chicken feet? they look nasty as all get out but are they any good? Still trying to source hearts too.
~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 11, 2011 14:14:11 GMT -5
Definitely good! Not so much for bone, but tons of good cartiledge in them, and it gives them something to chew on While you are at an ethnic market, check for lamb and pork hearts as well. Both very good.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2011 16:36:23 GMT -5
I've gotten really awful about posting! Loki is eating big chunks with bone in them now He loves duck, is warm towards chicken and I'm still working on a third protein. I picked up pork to try. Last night and this morning he ate 6 ozs of bone in chicken and duck! After that fall back he's really picked up the pace on the switch! His weight is steady at 3.25lbs and activity is, well, he's driving me crazy so I think his activity level is just peachy (As I type this he's sitting on my head like a hat, I got my hair done today and I think he likes the smell) Trying to figure out a 'goal' menu. I have the recommended percentages but I don't understand how that translates into actual bone... is it weight or meals? Some of the bone he isn't likely to eat because they are weight-bearing right? Like the ends of the chicken thighs? I smashed em up real well with the ha58mmm/9//\\ <- guess who typed that? *hammer so maybe he can eat them? Still can't find hearts, I have one stashed in the freezer from our TDay turkey. He still gets FD to snack on during the day so I can be sure he's getting >some< taurine. Just in case, how long can he go before I'm causing harm? Should I get the powdered kind until I can find the real stuff or will the FD cover our bases until then? Think I'm overwhelmed right now because I'm trying to portion up the duck and it's sort of daunting! I've never cut up a duck before! ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 16, 2011 17:02:38 GMT -5
Oh wow!!! I think we need to look at getting his diet balanced now with heart and organ, and get him a menu plan that's fantastic!!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2011 13:28:13 GMT -5
Loki is still eating chunks, last night he got chicken breast cut into 1.5" wide strips, he wasn't impressed but he ate it. With duck it's gone by morning, this morning there is still half the chicken I put in there. Today we're going to work on pork (ground, it's how I bought it) and his organs for the week. I remember you said no more than 3 oz of liver a week, does that make up the 10% of his diet? I know I should find more organs but I'm having issues finding anything other than beef. Grr! Where do gizzards fall? muscle meat? Also, duck is soooo fatty, should I be including the skin and all of the fat with his duck meals? I know both are good but it just looks like a lot when I portion it out. If I do give all that fat I assume I should cut back on his EVOO treat? Right now he's taking the two proteins raw, with duck/chicken/vension FD for day time snacking. I want to keep him on the FD for snacking so that if something happens it's easier for a sitter to feed him. My primary sitter would be my mom and she gets confused easily.
Here is how the last week has gone as far as raw meals: Mon 10/12: Chicken chunks Tue Chicken Chunks Wed Chicken Chunks and Bone in! Thurs Chicken bone in chunks and duck wings (broke up) Friday Duck chunks and duck gizzard/kidneys (Im not sure what they were, looked like kidneys but Ive never gotten a kidney in a 'giblets' pack) Sat Duck bone in Sun Chicken and duck chunks (duck bone in)
I know this needs some SERIOUS work! Hopefully I can add pork to the list and some other meats again after my brother goes hunting again.
so, after this wall-of-text... where do I go from here? LOL
~Kelli
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2011 11:15:09 GMT -5
Ground Pork is a success! He's not into it as much as duck but it's a third raw protein at least I also found out why he's been iffy on his chicken lately. A clean out this morning of his stash area revealed tons of duck jerky (not jerkyed duck thankfully!) Little noodle has been holding out! ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 20, 2011 14:18:48 GMT -5
Oh what a brat ;D glad the pork went over well! You can try him on any cut of it
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2011 10:45:24 GMT -5
For the last few days Loki has been eating boneless chicken chunks with organs and ground pork. He decided liver was litter box fodder so I've been trying all ways to get it in him. He used to love it, now he wont eat it. It's always something!
Last night I tried duck heart with chicken chunks. He ate around the heart. This morning I took another one and ran it thru my food processor with duck meat and fat and a little bit of water. He ate 1oz and that was with me 'coaxing' him before he was done. How many hearts should I aim for a week?
~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 22, 2011 13:50:16 GMT -5
As much as he'll eat? ;D I do one to two meals a week of heart. With the liver, was it a different type, or even brand? That can make a difference. For the heart, just keep working with him. It's a stronger flavour, and will most likely take him a bit to get used to it.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2011 16:57:34 GMT -5
Good news! Just talked to our regular butcher - he's ordering us 2-3lbs of chicken, turkey, and pork hearts and it could be about the liver - I packaged all of the livers in 3oz portions and put them into one large container so some of them are duck, some chicken, and some turkey. Loki also finished off the rest of his heart soup by himself. He's having turkey neck and pumpkin tonight. ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 22, 2011 21:32:05 GMT -5
That's likely what the problem is with the liver then. I bought a different brand of chicken wings and everybody turned their respective noses up at it And that's one heck of a score with the butcher!!! Hopefully you've found a stable supply now
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2011 11:04:14 GMT -5
Phew! Christmas! Because I knew I would be busy I portioned up all of Loki's dinners in a big bowl so all I had to do was scoop 'n serve. Our kitchen was overrun by last minute baking. I have to say he loved it being served this way and I may do it more often! I chunked chicken, duck, turkey, liver and the last of my hearts, most bone-in but some boneless, mixed it all together with the duck fat. So his meals were a bit of this, a bit of that, and he ate every little bit of it. He is doing so well on raw! and he LOVES turkey necks, I beat em up with a hammer so they weren't whole, they looked kinda big on one end. He got cuddled by my family (my inlaws live across the street and he visits their house often so no one was a stranger) There were comments made about "Someone must have had a bath cux they dont smell like a ferret" NOPE! No Bath! Teehee! I talked to our butcher yesterday, my hearts were supposed to be on the truck that came in last night so I'm just waiting on a phone call to come get em. His activity level is great, his weight is creeping up over 3.25lbs, and he looks bright-eyed and fantastic. You can see intelligence in his eyes, which isn't something I noticed before on kibble (It might have been there, I just hadn't noticed) But I swear he is getting smarter. My chair in the man cave is close to the only door in and out. He knows we make this mysterious portal open and close by the odd stick thing half way up it. so he likes to climb on the back of my chair and reach out to the handle, trying to figure it out. I'd say another week or two and he'll have it. So, summing up where we are at: Proteins he eats (incl bones): Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Pork (No bones in this) Organs: Heart and Liver (Need more! I need to talk to my butcher again) Currently he gets two meals a day, sometimes 3, in each he eats anywhere from 2-4 ozs, occassionally 6oz overnight, and there is generally something left over. He still gets FD but it's not free-eating, I use it in his foraging toys now. Now: Poops. He had a pure white poop and sort of loose. Not grainy. I assumed it was bone but I thought it would be more formed? On Christmas he had diarrhea once. Normal colored to slightly yellow. This could be stress or he got into something right? I try to be careful but it was Christmas and we had stockings being opened everywhere so there is always the chance a candy got stashed. I cleaned out his stash area and didnt find anything that isn't normally in there (toys) Activity both days was pretty normal, Christmas day he played hard and crashed hard but I expected that, Santa spoiled him I'm still concerned about the poops - should I increase pumpkin? Those were the only two off stools, and his only two accidents outside his box. Everything in his litter box looked normal for him. ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Dec 27, 2011 11:18:17 GMT -5
The white poop was from fat- nothing to worry about And it sounds like he's doing fantastically well! Can you write me up a menu of what he will usually be eating for the week? Don't have to do it immediately, but something to keep in mind for the new year. He's about ready to graduate
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