Feeding Raw???*Videos added Pg. 2*

[critter crazy]

I dont want this to be a huge argument, I am only looking for help/Suggestions. I have been seriously thinking about feeding my two boys raw.
What is the best type of meat to feed?? Chicken, pork, beef, other???
what are the best parts??
how much would you feed??
do you feed with bones or without??
how do the costs compare to premium dog food??
how much prep time is needed??
What is needed to prep food??
Can I feed other things besides just meat?? veggies, grains??


Thank you for you help, in advance!

[.sarah]

What is the best type of meat to feed?? Chicken, pork, beef, other???

All of the above, and anything else you can find!

what are the best parts??

Everything!

how much would you feed??

It differs for each dog. 2% of their body weight is a good start, and then you can adjust it depending on if your dogs are gaining/losing weight. Here is a calculator: http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

do you feed with bones or without??

With, you cannot balance the diet without them Your dog will tell you how much bone - constant loose stools mean they need more, constipation means they need less.

how do the costs compare to premium dog food??

This depends on what type of deals you can find. I COULD feed for cheaper than what we were paying for dog food, but I choose not too because when they were on kibble the vet bills were much higher. Now, I have all that money to spend And actually, because the vet bills are non-existant now (except for Buck's emergency), raw is costing me much, MUCH less than kibble was.

how much prep time is needed??

In the beggining, I was really slow. I've gotten it down to a science now, though On some days, it will take me 15 minutes or so, but usually, it takes me 5 minutes or less. I take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it, and hand it to the dogs the next day. If it's something I need to cut up into meal-sized portions, that's when it takes me about 15 minutes, or sometimes a little more. It's really not that bad.

What is needed to prep food??

A good knife, sometimes a cleaver (I've gotten some big turkeys that I've had to use it on), a cutting board (I use a seperate one from the one we cut veggies on, just because ...), and a place to thaw the meat. I thaw it in a bin on the counter. My "bin" is actually the vegetable drawer from our old fridge that we took to the dump. It works great, and I'm sure a small storage bin would work well also. This keeps the sink free (especially since we usually have dishes in it ... haha) and the counter clean.

Can I feed other things besides just meat?? veggies, grains??

You CAN, but I don't. There are many different types of raw. I personally believe dogs are carnivores so I never feed either of those unless if they are getting a treat - like my pizza crust, or a carrot.


Good luck! Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

[critter crazy]

Awsome!! thanks for the info!! Sounds simple enough. Do you mix the meats up?? for instance one day chicken, the next beef ect...or do you just feed what you have on hand?? Like right now, i have tons of pork, as we just had a pig butchered, and there is tons of it, I wouldnt eat.

also, what about organ meats?? are those fed occasionally or regularly???

now if I was to start them on Raw, I am assuming like any food change, I would gradually change them over. slowly adding raw in with their kibble??

what if the dogs dont like it?? is that common???

[.sarah]

I feed what I have on hand, but I try not to feed too much poultry for a long period of time, only because my dogs' coats start to get dull, so I can tell they do better with some other things thrown in. Like right now, we have tons of chicken - just purchased 150 lbs of it. They've been getting that 3-4 days a week, but I give them red meat on the other days.

I tend to feed through something now-a-days, instead of cutting things/seperating things into baggies and feeding something different each day like I used to do. I have a 20 lb boston butt roast in the fridge, and I am going to feed through that soon, so they will get that four days in a row (they are fed 5 lbs a day between them all).

Organ meats I feed whenever I remember to, haha. They should make up about 10% of the diet, but that is just an estimate. About 1/2 of that should be liver. If I see a package of liver when I'm picking out their next meal, I might choose to get it out and feed it as well

With raw, it is better to switch cold turkey. Mixing raw and kibble does not work well for some dogs. I did that once (by accident - mom fed them kibble and I fed raw) and they all got a huge bout of diarreah ... in the house. A good idea though when switching is to stick with one meat source for a week, then add another, then another - all should be added very slowly to avoid stomach upset and also watch for any intolerances to a specific meat.

Some dogs don't take to it right away. I would leave it down for 15 minutes and if they don't eat it, pick it up and try again later. You can do this for several days (trust me, it's harder on the people than the dog) but don't go past 3-4 days. A healthy dog will not starve itself (cats, on the other hand, will, so don't try it with a cat). Also, if they turn their nose up several times, you might try a different meat.

[critter crazy]

Thank you so much! It all makes perfect sense! You have been most helpfull! I am sure once i decide what i am doing, i will surely have more questions! I guess for now, i should finish up the 40lb bag of dog food i just bought! he he he he!

[lute]

critter crazy, I'm so glad you posted this topic. I recently started feeding raw and I found out a couple new things. Thanks .sarah for all the useful info!

[Reachoutrescue]

critter crazy, I'm so glad you posted this topic. I recently started feeding raw and I found out a couple new things. Thanks .sarah for all the useful info!

I totally agree. I was a little confused to about the amount and types of food, but a lot of people on PT and this thread have really helped me. Thanks CritterCrazy and everybody else...

[.sarah]

No problem guys! This is one of my favorite dog subjects so please do not hesitate to ask anything!

Reachouttorescue - Sorry I haven't replied to your PM yet, I've been meaning to

[Reachoutrescue]

Reachouttorescue - Sorry I haven't replied to your PM yet, I've been meaning to

Don't worry, take your time....I still probably have looooooots of questions as I want to do this Raw Diet thing right.

[critter crazy]

critter crazy, I'm so glad you posted this topic. I recently started feeding raw and I found out a couple new things. Thanks .sarah for all the useful info!

You are welcome! I was a little leary of posting this topic, since most of these types of threads, turn bad quick, but It is a risk I am willing to take!!

[borzoimom]

Very good information sarah- and critter crazy- I will pm you later this morning.. ( and reachoutrescue and critter- I got you pms.. let me find the coffee pot.. lol.. )

[borzoimom]

No problem guys! This is one of my favorite dog subjects so please do not hesitate to ask anything!

Reachouttorescue - Sorry I haven't replied to your PM yet, I've been meaning to

And its my favorite subject too. Those that want to feed this- this should be the area for help or ideas or advice..
Sarah- I reread what you wrote- and you all are NOT going to believe this out of me- but I have only one little thing else to add! It looked very concise to me- and I applaud your post!!!
Reachoutrescue- puppies are fed at 5-10 percent of body weight. This is to not only account for growth, but also to keep ahead of the weight increase. I also weigh my pups once a month and adjust from there. A large breed dog is at closer to 10 percent ( danes, borzois, saints etc..) while a Cavalier might be at 5 percent until 7 months old..

[borzoimom]

Opps- I do add a small amount of beta carotine veggies. I chop it up and put it in the processor with raw egg.. Sweet pototoe, yellow squash- or carrots are the favorites. ( hottie likes kale.. lol... go figure..)

[critter crazy]

Opps- I do add a small amount of beta carotine veggies. I chop it up and put it in the processor with raw egg.. Sweet pototoe, yellow squash- or carrots are the favorites. ( hottie likes kale.. lol... go figure..)

call me dumb, but is a food processor like a blender?? or is it a totally different thing?? he he hehe! I know, pathetic isnt it??

[borzoimom]

call me dumb, but is a food processor like a blender?? or is it a totally different thing?? he he hehe! I know, pathetic isnt it??

Well a blender doesnt work as well as it takes things from the bottom.. I mean something like this.. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4292039 or this http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2593958