Does Anyone Feed Raw?

[MonicanHonda]

I'm just asking because it seems to be popular on Dogster...

I wouldn't mind doing this, but Delta can't have organ meats, which is a big part of raw...

And I'm also wondering what you feed your pups. We have both pups on Chicken Soup. But Remy might have an ear infection, and I don't really want all the grain for the pups, so I'm switching Remy back to TOTW and I'm going to switch Delta to TOTW Pacific streams when she's old enough.

I'm just worried about the purine factor. Everywhere I look says salmon has the same purine level as chicken, so I think it should be okay. And it's 25% protein, which is a little high for dalmatians, but I figure if it's low/medium purine, then protein level shouldn't matter too much. All that matters is the purines, not the protein.

Can you tell I'm a bit obsessive. I spend a lot of time looking for a good food. Lol But I think a lot of good foods are really expensive. 40 dollars for a 30/35 lb bag is about as much as I'm giving... (on a budget of sorts... low on money Lol!)

This is all so stressful, sometimes I just want to go back to Nutro... (What the breeder wants us to feed) because all her dals do great on the lamb and rice... ugh.

[luvofallhorses]

On another board I belong to a lot of them feed TOTW Pacific Stream. Also I think it's for all life stages. Not sure on a dalmatian's diet though so I can't help you out there. I know they are prone to allergies though. I would go with whatever you can afford.

I could never feed raw plus it's not cheap. Some people think kibble wares down their teeth and do raw because it keeps their teeth clean
(bones and such). PM Kfamr I believe she may have some experience feeding raw. Not sure if she feeds it now though.

[MonicanHonda]

Yeah, I don't think I have the money to feed raw. But everyone there just obsesses over how bad kibble is. It can make you go insane. Lol I just need to stop. Hahaha. I still am thinking about giving maybe a chicken thigh a couple times a week just to keep teeth clean. It kinda freaks me out though, Lol, I hate raw meat, and I get kinda sick of it after I cook it for myself. LOL

Oh, and it is all life stages, but apparently that still doesn't mean its good for puppies... lol maybe I'll start rotating her now on it so she still gets some puppy stuff from another food. WHO KNOWS! lol

[luvofallhorses]

Where do you get your dog food? Maybe the store can help you out.

[Asiel]

I've been feeding raw for ages and I don't think I could ever go back to kibble. I don't understand why people think it's so expensive, most of the raw meat I get comes from the butchers around here. When hunting is in season I can fill freezers for a year with what I get from the hunters . I do buy chicken on sale but only because I like to vary the meals. I can honestly say that it doesn't cost much more than a few hundred a year to feed 3 dogs raw and only because I buy the chicken and more organ meats.

[MonicanHonda]

I would say it would be more expensive because I don't know of butchers/hunters around me. Oh, and I live in an apartment so I don't have a big freezer. And, the thought of them not getting enough nutrients just scares me. Because I know you give them their nutrients over a week and not a day. So much to learn. Lol

I've been researching homecooked (because dalmatians have the whole purine thing) and basically the diet would consist of mostly rice and some lamb or chicken. But not a lot...

[Seravieve]

We currently feed Blue Buffalo, Chicken and Brown Rice or Sweet Potato and Fish. But man.. All three are having some serious gas problems right now. It just seems to be this bag of food. We've fed BB for 4-5 months now.. so we're not sure whats up with the smellies. Going to be getting them some plain yogurt to add in.. see if that helps.

And the only way we can afford to feed BB is with coupons, coupons, coupons. We've been buying BB coupons on eBay and then stacking them with Petsmart ones and stocking up when its on sale. A little work.. but they get a better food. We save at least 50% with the coupons.

I'm interested in feeding raw.. but I don't think it really would fit our lifestyle or budget right now.

[MonicanHonda]

Coupons on ebay?!? Sweet!

Chicken soup was 37 or 38 dollars at PSP. But I found a feed store that has it for 31 dollars and it's on sale now for 29.99.

TOTW is like... 42 dollars at PSP. But at the feed store it's 38.

If anyone has a feed store by them, I would recommend checking it out.

[Queen of Poop]

Cali and Diego eat raw. They love the Amore Rabbit/Salmon mix.

[binka_nugget]

I used to feed raw but switched back to kibble due to time constraints. It can work out to be comparable in price if you're a good shopper and have extra freezer space. The dogs are currently on Acana and are doing pretty well on it. My only complaint is that Keeva is verrrrry gassy on this food but activity levels and general health are good for all three dogs (one competitive sport dog and two couch potatoes). They all did a little better on raw though. Coats were a little better, I didn't have to worry about teeth, it was easier to give supplements to the older dogs, didn't have to pick up dog poop, and everyone's weight was better. I was able to get weight off the Shelties a little easier, and it's a little easier to keep weight on my Malinois. The downside was the time it took to keep things in stock since I went to lots of different suppliers. It also took a little more time to prepare their meals, making sure food was defrosting, bagging meats, etc. I plan on switching them back to raw after a little more shopping around.

Don't feel bad about feeding kibble Feed whatever works for you and your dogs. Supplementing with the occasional raw bone sounds like a great idea.. you still get the benefit of clean teeth!

[MonicanHonda]

Thanks guys. And binka_nugget for making me feel better. lol

[Freedom]

I think you already know this but . . .

I use Dr. Harvey's Veg to Bowl. And have made my first batch of Spot's Chicken Stew from The Whole Pet Diet, by Andi Brown. OMGosh, the pups AND THE CATS love that stew!

[MonicanHonda]

Actually, the spots stew would be very good for dalmatians.

For a 50 lbs dog it says it would need 5 cups a day. How much does the whole pot make, do you know?

Oh, wow. A pot makes 8 cups... That would be like a whole chicken a day. That's kind of a lot. Lol

[Freedom]

Seeing as I had to make for 14 pets, I used 2 whole chickens. It says 2.5 pounds of chicken (that is bones, skin and all) so I was just above that. They were small chickens.

Deboning was the worst part of the whole job. It didn't say to remove the skin, but I did take out most of it. Just the thought of all that skin was making me gag.

I think I put in more water and chicken broth; that was the only thing I didn't specifically measure. The rolled oats and barley help absorb that.

I have 3 huge casseroles in the freezer. Using a fourth, I keep it in a pitcher in the fridge. I just walk around with the pitcher and put it in their bowls. No way I got "5 cups." More like 3 gallons!

It is going to last me at least 3 weeks!

Oh, and you can use it as a "liquid" over dry kibble. That will stretch it out, and help make sure they take in enough fluids. (Important for the cats). So if you have a kibble you like, that would also work.

[MonicanHonda]

Could I possibly, if I figured out calorie contents and such, feed half that, half kibble? Dalmatians need lots of liquid also, so I always have to add water to her kibble.