I honestly don't know. The idea freaks me out for some reason.
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I honestly don't know. The idea freaks me out for some reason.
It is not expensive if you are a bit of a scavenger. There are lots of good deals out there. I feed my 5 Great Danes for a lot less money on Raw as I did a so called 'premium' kibble. Plus, I no longer have the vet bills I used to have. Fleas and ticks are no longer interested in my dogs so I also don't spend any money on those types of preventatives.
As for the person who said they can't imagine touching raw meat.. Don't you handle raw meat for your family? Make hamburger patties? It's no different. The raw meaty bones in my freezers for my dogs can be thawed out for the family. In fact, we just made BBQ leg quarters for a cook out and I got it out of the dogs freezer!
If someone was going to be freaked out about what they are feeding their dogs, they should be freaked out at the facts about kibble. Not to mention that all the nutrients and vitamins that a kibble fed dog receives are in synthetic form. All of the original nutrients have been cooked out in the kibble making process so it is as comparable to a person being made to live on box after box after box of Total cereal. Sure you may be receiving the required nutrients to stay alive and you might even have shiny hair after eating Total cereal for 10 years. But I guarantee you would not be as healthy as the person who is eating a variety of foods. Hard to tell from the outside what is going on in the inside. We all know that fresh food is good for us. For some reason people have gotten into this mind frame that dogs should not be afforded the same quality diet.
It feels great to be able to see, smell, touch the food you feed your dog. It's a much better feeling then handing them a bowl of the unknown. Not knowing whats in there. Safe to assume it was rotted and not good enough for people though.
A great book that I have read is by Anne Martin called "Foods Pets Die For". I highly recommend that to everyone.
Anyway, it is not time consuming or expensive and doesn't require a degree in nutrition to feed a dog a healthy raw diet.
Dogs are MUCH easier to feed then humans and we are not sitting around calculating vitamins and nutrients and shopping for our families according to the needs to stay alive. We eat a variety of foods and balance happens over time. There is NO living being that eats a balanced meal at every meal. Nature never intended it that way.
Commercial dog food companies have succeeded at literally brain washing people into thinking THEY are the only ones qualified to know how to feed a dog or a cat. It is ridiculous to say the least.
Kim E.
www.eastwooddanes.com
Already do! I've only been feeding it 4-5? Days, and I already am noticing slight improvements. Roxy's teeth are looking better, and Lily's actually eating her food. So, I hope my mom doesn't make me go back to kibble, because I LOVE Feeding Raw! :)
I would love to feed my dogs raw, When im older with my old place I think I would defiantly look into it before buying a dog because I've heard nothing but good things about it and I know the dog food I feed now isn't perfect but at the moment its the only option for my dogs whilst living at home
Yes, definitely. =0) I already do, and I cannot predict the future but it would take a lot to force me to switch back! Jessica, I love Steve's Real Food. You have that in MN? It is so convenient and I love their formulas. I feed it occasionally for treats, but I'm feeding Farmore now because it costs about half as much and it has 2 more meat formulas than Steve's. I highly recommend both of these, though. Primal is very good pre-made, too! It's so easy to start off with pre-made raw and supplement with RMB's, it makes the transition much easier.
Zoomer, is $0.50 per day for 2 medium-sized dogs REALLY way too expensive?
Yeah my vet sells it, though it's just more than I can afford right now and I don't have a freezer. A freezer (larger one) is the biggest reason I'm not feeding raw at the moment. My vet believes in raw, as well as holistic medicine in addition to conventional. I'm very fortunate to have him for a vet. One of the biggest reasons that moving away from this area is hard to think about.Quote:
Originally Posted by bckrazy
I voted I already do. Even though they went 2 days with kibble (due to other circumstances of much more importance). Just because I don't feed it ALL the time right now doesn't mean I don't feed it at all.
PS, just found chicken quarters on sale for 38 cents/lb, they will be on raw all the time by tonight. (gives me some cheap meat fast until I can really go grocery shopping)
Time is my issue, nothing else. That's why I voted "No". I have many friends who feed their Golden Retrievers the raw diet and it has worked wonders with skin problems and allergies. Plus, you know exactly what you're giving them!
Logan
I need to learn to read down to the explanation before I answer the poll!!!!! :o If I had read your actual question, Amy, I would have voted yes.
I also need to learn to read WHO asked the question!!!! Sorry Jordan!!!!!
I feed a mixed diet, like most mushers. My dogs get meat, bones, fish ect four times a week or so(more often in the winter) and a working dog formula kibble the rest of the time. They always have bones available just for recreational chewing. Meat is usually wild game(moose, bison & caribou). I just started getting some beef and pork too. I get all my meat for free and pay 10 bucks for 100 pound blocks of arctic char. My food bill would more than double if I fed straight kibble.
I used to get very worked up about what people fed their dogs. Then I got Kayleigh, who had been starved by her first owner. She weighs a healthy 108 pounds now, but came to me at 70 pounds. She has major food issues that will never resolve. So I've changed my opinion and don't really care anymore. Do you feed your dog enough food every day? That's all that matters to me anymore.
When I was a kid, we fed our dogs a wide variety of junk kibbles--whatever happened to be on sale. They lived long, healthy lives. My GSD died at 16, my Irish Setter at 14. I've never fed my own dogs junk and my Hoodoo died before his fifth birthday! Sometimes *@&^ happens, even to dogs who have the best of everything!
I would like to, but like Amy... mine have VERY senstive tummies and I have to be careful what they eat. I'm sure feeding Raw would help them with that overtime but for now they eat ProPlan senstive stomach and are doing good on it. But when the "Grade your dog food" came out I did it and it mine got a "D" but ProPlan Natural Lamb and Barley got an "A", so I think I'll be switching to that!!
Curious as to why 9 people said no?
It really is the best, healthiest thing for our dogs - and it's very easy once you get a hand of it.
I voted "no" but that really wasn't accurate. I would need to learn more so my answer should be "I am not sure" but that was not an option and I wanted to vote to see how the votes were going.
Casey has such a sensitive stomach and I really am not educated enough about it at this time. I take my hat off to all of you who do it though, it is obviously better for your dog when done right and sounds like more work.
I voted no, because I, too am afraid of touching raw meat. I know it's better for your dogs and everything I just have that fear of touching raw meat. :o I may feed it someday, though once I am educated on it. if that makes sense.
Yep. I definitely would. Once I get a job I'm going to try it out.
I voted yes but that is only if I needed to for some reason. Right now my girls are thriving on their Eagle Pack and I don't see any reason to switch. Katie is a very picky eater and it took us forever to find a food that she liked and did well on and I'm not about to play with that right now.