Help with Raw

Not that one is required to, but butchering a bird, or whatever else you're eating or feeding, will give you a whole lot of insight and info that doesn't come with the prepped and pre-packaged pieces.

Rice in the diet is fine,..within reason. It works, I've used it. I still use it occasionally. As far as making the dog feel more full,...ok, true, however, the whole making the dog feel full concept is a self-defeating one. After all, just like our stomachs, a dog's stomach will shrik or expand depending on the amount being packed into it. Feed the dog and yourself less, but higher quality and the same amount of calories and you'll all have smaller stomachs and still feel full. If you keep expanding the stomach with rice for the sake of feeling full, you'll have to keep filling the enlarged stomach with something in order for the brain to get the "I'm full" message.

Here is where I find rice useful.

If I'm feeding high fat/high energy cuts/tendons, high marrow, pork organs, etc. the dogs can sometimes get loose stools. Adding rice helps "bind" things and keep the stomach and stool on an even keel while allowing them to get the benefits of the meat.

If it is extremely cold, slightly above room-temperature rice can really help outside dogs cope. However, to this rice I add fish oils, fat trimmings, raw eggs, etc to help balance that grain overdose.

Another good choice in hard weather is stale bread. Get loaves cheap/free from the market/bakery. Rip the bags so that they dry out and harden or spead them out in a hot oven for a few seconds to knock the moisture out of the bread. It will keep much longer- plus, you do not want to feed moist moldy bread. A few slices balanced with a little appropriate /fat oil goes a long way on a cold day. If your dogs are indoors and warm,....you really don't need rice in a raw diet. But hey, if you have leftover rice and the choice is between feed it to the dog or the trash can,....give it to your dog. It really is a sin the food that people waste for no good reason. However, to that rice, add some of your saved up fat trimmings, your leftover veggies, some appropriate oil, etc. Balance it out, and watch the skin and eyes for allergies and reaction.

As far as variety, more power to ya. However, look out there for the cheapest cuts you can find. No, you're not being a tightwad, it just so happens that most of those cheap/discard cuts are the best for your dog's raw diet.

And, again, if you have to choose one base food,...chicken backs, chicken backs and more chicken backs. When I first started out, I used to purchase the hundred dollar plastic tub of supplement from a good kennel/trainer. While speaking to the owner I told him I was getting into raw feeding etc. He told me that that was how he fed his personal dogs, then he told me the best places to buy forty-pound boxes of backs, then he said "save the money you're spending on this protein powder and just feed more backs instead." He was right.

In any case, I'm not downing anyones raw diet. All I'm suggesting is that you really ask around and not just go with what sounds good or looks the most loving and complicated. Most times the easiest and cheapest with a little common sense added works best. With that said, chicken quarters are fine in a raw diet, however, if that is your base meal more than a day or two a week your dogs probably won't keep good weight or good coat without a lot of extra work and supplementation.

 

Well, looking at your diet, it is easy to figure out why his coat did not improve, he lost weight and didn't respond well. As a staple, leg quarters are not appropriate.
Rice without a fat/fish oil will destroy your dog's coat.
Dogs like cottage cheese but it doesn't seem to do much for them unless you feed a whole lot of it.
Save the boiling, crush the egg and shell throw it in...just don't it every day,..because that too can negatively impact coat.

Backs are a much better and cheaper base, even if you have to special order the big box.

Feed the cheapest smallest fish you can find,...whole. If the dog is finicky, put the fish in the freezer, cut into small pieces and add to rice with a little oil and egg.

There's nothing wrong with a good dog vitamin.