# Feeding ZP + raw chicken?



## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Okay, so we are highly considering switching Gemma over to ZP. We have a sample on the way to see if she will eat it. If all goes well and she will take it, I was wondering if it would be possible to feed her a mixture of ZP and some raw chicken several times a week? The reason I ask is because raw chicken wings and thighs are much cheaper than ZP. I would feed her entirely fresh raw, but all other meats here seem to cost more by the kilo than ZP does. So I'm wondering if feeding part ZP and part chicken would be an okay diet. The ZP would be so she still gets the benefits of darker meats. I was thinking like 1/3 of her weekly meals would be fresh chicken. Is that too much chicken? Any thoughts or suggestions on this?


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

That's what I do. I feed Ziwipeak and then a chicken wing 2 - 3 times a week.


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## Onyx (Nov 28, 2011)

This is pretty much what I do. I feed Ziwipeak and about 2 - 3 times a week I feed a pork rib. I don't use something with edible bone because I believe it's a little excessive with calcium since Ziwipeak already has plenty enough.


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

LOL, sorry I was so short - I am at work and shouldn't be online! had to stop and answer the phone.

I feed Ziwipeak alone to Taz - 1 1/2 tbsp twice a day. Charlie gets 2 tbsp of Ziwipeak plus 1 tbsp of kibble twice a day. His stool is too soft on Ziwipeak alone and he has anal gland problems if I don't give him a little kibble.

Three meals a week they share a chicken wing instead of the Ziwipeak. I give the wing tip to Taz, bone and all, the middle section to Charlie, bone and all. Then I cut the meat off the drumstick part and share between them. 

I am very happy with their health and appearance. They are a good weight, have nice glossy coats and pretty, clean white teeth. I also give them a bully stick once a week or so. I should brush their teeth more often but so far they are doing okay. I need to work on that.


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

I think that would be fine, especially if you are mixing the two.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks, girls! Yes, I thought that ZP was already really high in calcium and phosphorus so I didn't think I should feed her chicken bone too. I would just be feeding cuts of the meat. She tends not to really eat when I give her meat directly on the bone anyways. She chews and licks it for a long time but hardly consumes anything by time she leaves it. It seems like she can't chew through the tough skin on the chicken wing to get it off.

So, Missy, it would even be okay for me to feed ZP and chicken mixed together at the same time?


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

You can definitely feed the raw chicken with the ZP. Mine get about a desert spoon of ZP with about 25g of raw meat for dinner, just plain ZP for breakfast. Just be sure to be really vigilant with portion sizes as it's really easy for them to put on weight with both raw and ZP.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

OzChi said:


> You can definitely feed the raw chicken with the ZP. Mine get about a desert spoon of ZP with about 25g of raw meat for dinner, just plain ZP for breakfast. Just be sure to be really vigilant with portion sizes as it's really easy for them to put on weight with both raw and ZP.


Okay, great! Thanks for the info. I will have to look up how much is enough for her weight and age. She's 2.6lbs and 5.5 months.


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

Winnie is 3lb and 5 months and he has 1/4 scoop of ZP in the a.m and about a dessert spoon of ZP at night with about 25g of raw meat. I like to add some ZP to the raw meal for consistency of poop!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

OzChi said:


> Winnie is 3lb and 5 months and he has 1/4 scoop of ZP in the a.m and about a dessert spoon of ZP at night with about 25g of raw meat. I like to add some ZP to the raw meal for consistency of poop!


Ah, thank you so much for giving me an idea of what to feed. So Gemma will probably be about the same measurements at the moment, give or take a little.


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

> Ah, thank you so much for giving me an idea of what to feed. So Gemma will probably be about the same measurements at the moment, give or take a little.


I only feed Winston a smidge less than the other 2 so sometimes I mix up the bowls because they don't really look different and he just doesn't finish it all (he's not a piggy like the other 2). Start Gemma off on the above quantity and if she doesn't finish it just cut her back by a few squares of ZP until she's finishing it but still hungry for her next meal. You can also give her an egg for a meal or just a little bit of an off cut from whatever you're having to give her a bit more variety if you want. I'm currently doing pork and turkey (they always seem to be cheap at my supermarket so I take advantage) plus an egg or two and a bit of salmon from my portion before I cook it (that's only once a week). No beef because Chloe is allergic but you can do that if you eat it yourselves and it's convenient to just cut a bit off, 25g is a tiny amount so it will barely make a dent in your meal. Not totally necessary though as the ZP is balanced.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

OzChi said:


> I only feed Winston a smidge less than the other 2 so sometimes I mix up the bowls because they don't really look different and he just doesn't finish it all (he's not a piggy like the other 2). Start Gemma off on the above quantity and if she doesn't finish it just cut her back by a few squares of ZP until she's finishing it but still hungry for her next meal. You can also give her an egg for a meal or just a little bit of an off cut from whatever you're having to give her a bit more variety if you want. I'm currently doing pork and turkey (they always seem to be cheap at my supermarket so I take advantage) plus an egg or two and a bit of salmon from my portion before I cook it (that's only once a week). No beef because Chloe is allergic but you can do that if you eat it yourselves and it's convenient to just cut a bit off, 25g is a tiny amount so it will barely make a dent in your meal. Not totally necessary though as the ZP is balanced.


Okay, will do. Gemma doesn't eat a lot so I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't even eat as much as you feed Winston. I free feed her right now because she was never eating when I put her food down at meal times, so it will be interesting to see how I'll get her to eat in the morning without the raw mixed in. I know she'll go for the raw because she'll take a raw chicken wing no matter how much she's had to eat. She loves raw meat.

We don't actually eat any fresh raw meat ourselves, it's pretty pathetic. We eat frozen chicken breast that's sodium enhanced and every once in a while we get something like pork or hamburger on sale. I used to eat so much fresh and organic meats when I lived in the U.S. and now we can barely even afford hamburger here. We are not so well-off. So, Gemma will have a better diet than we do, lol. But she comes first.


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

I sometimes forget how lucky I am to live in Australia where all our meat is hormone free and pasture raised and relatively cheap. We also have lots of lovely fresh fish. The other day I got over a kilo (about 2.5lb) of sardines for $5. We had a big meal of them and the dogs got 2 meals out of them and I actually had to throw about 10 of them out because I didn't think they would last another day in the fridge without stinking it out (I probably could have frozen them but after filleting and cleaning as many as I had I could not bring myself to do the rest). I'm spoilt but I do really appreciate it!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

OzChi said:


> I sometimes forget how lucky I am to live in Australia where all our meat is hormone free and pasture raised and relatively cheap. We also have lots of lovely fresh fish. The other day I got over a kilo (about 2.5lb) of sardines for $5. We had a big meal of them and the dogs got 2 meals out of them and I actually had to throw about 10 of them out because I didn't think they would last another day in the fridge without stinking it out (I probably could have frozen them but after filleting and cleaning as many as I had I could not bring myself to do the rest). I'm spoilt but I do really appreciate it!


Wow, that is wonderful. I had much nicer, affordable meat where I came from in the States as well. I realize now how damn lucky I was living there! Now I'm just dying to get back for the holidays and taste fresh, organic, hormone free meat. And FISH! I haven't had fish since I left NINE months ago. I lived on an island and fish was part of my weekly diet. Ugh, there is so much that I miss.


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