Look, I messed up real bad at first feeding Brutus raw meat. Saw some YouTuber toss whole chicken legs into a bowl and thought “Easy! Just dump meat!” Yeah… rookie move. Here’s how I crashed and burned before getting it kinda right.
The Disaster Phase
Started simple: grabbed cheap ground beef from the supermarket. Threw a big pile in Brutus’ bowl. His eyes lit up, inhaled it in seconds. Then… the horror show began.
- He had explosive diarrhea for two days straight. My backyard looked like a crime scene.
- Started acting sluggish. Big Rotties shouldn’t be this lazy.
- His coat got greasy and stinky real quick.
Turns out I made the classic all-meat, no balance blunder. Like feeding a kid only candy.
Figuring Stuff Out (The Hard Way)
Panicked, hit the books and pestered raw feeders online. Learned I needed to actually balance stuff like a budget. Took notes:
- Mistake 1: I dumped veggies like a salad bar. Dogs ain’t rabbits. They need mushed veggies for nutrients. Started steaming and blending broccoli, carrots, spinach.
- Mistake 2: Forgot about organs. Gross, I know. Added some chicken liver and kidney. Measured this stuff CAREFULLY now, because too much means runny poop again. Brutus gives me serious side-eye when I weigh it.
- Mistake 3: Bone content! Chicken necks saved me here. Important for calcium. No cooked bones EVER.
My freezer? Looks like a serial killer’s basement now.
The (Sorta) Stable Routine
After months of trial and disgusting error, here’s what sticks:
- Prep days are messy. Got a big tub, throw in:
- Lean meat chunks (beef heart is cheap here)
- Chicken quarters with bone
- That nasty blender veggie gloop
- Little sprinkle of organ meats
- Splash of fish oil
- Hand-mix it like meatloaf from hell. Gloves mandatory.
- Portion into cheap freezer bags. Looks repulsive. Brutus loves it.
Biggest win? His coat shines, energy is crazy (sometimes too crazy!), and the poop? Solid! Mostly. Still fine-tuning organ ratios though.
Still learning. Still scared I’ll screw it up. But seeing him demolish that frozen brick I prepped? Worth the freezer space sacrifices. Mostly.
