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

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!

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

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

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

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what are the best parts??

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Everything!

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how much would you feed??

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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

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do you feed with bones or without??

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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.

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how do the costs compare to premium dog food??

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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.

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how much prep time is needed??

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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.

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What is needed to prep food??

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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.

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

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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.

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???

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.

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!:eek: he he he he!

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! :D

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Originally Posted by 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! :D

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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...

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 :p

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Originally Posted by .sarah

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

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

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Originally Posted by 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! :D

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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!!:D

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.. )

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Originally Posted by .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 :p

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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! :eek: It looked very concise to me- and I applaud your post!!! :D
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..

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..)

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Originally Posted by 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..)

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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??:D

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

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??:D

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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

All the suggestions here are good ones.
This is one of the best raw feeding sites I've found.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/
Have fun!

critter crazy- I pm'd you a easy receipe..

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Originally Posted by borzoimom

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

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Ahhhh.......Now i get it!!!he he he hehe!! was a little slow this morning!:D Needed my cappuchino!!!

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

Ahhhh.......Now i get it!!!he he he hehe!! was a little slow this morning!:D Needed my cappuchino!!!

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They might even have one of those machines too.. lol..

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Originally Posted by borzoimom

They might even have one of those machines too.. lol..

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Got one of those for christmas!!:D

Maybe browsing the "what did you dogs eat today" thread would help give you some ideas.

Okay guys, i have one more day left of Kiblble! Then it is RAW time!! I have set aside a seperate section in the freezer for the dogs food, and have all the packages labled. I will start off with one type of meat first, see how they like it, then go from there. I am excited! woohoo!!!!:D

That is why I pm'd you with one receipe. With a single meat source, you will be able to tell if that source works. I am here for you if you need help.
Remember to do a fast before you start. That will clear the kibble out the intestine and bowel. What I have found is even just a half meal of kibble the night before- which is 12 hours on a light meal is suffiecent. Then light on the raw the morning of..

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Originally Posted by borzoimom

That is why I pm'd you with one receipe. With a single meat source, you will be able to tell if that source works. I am here for you if you need help.
Remember to do a fast before you start. That will clear the kibble out the intestine and bowel. What I have found is even just a half meal of kibble the night before- which is 12 hours on a light meal is suffiecent. Then light on the raw the morning of..

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Okay! sounds good!

I am posting for you two videos of feeding raw I did this morning. Now keep in mind- there are a ton of possiblities in feeding raw, so this is more instructional to ease your mind ' yes- I am doing this right.." lol
One thing I didn't was I also add the missing link vitamins with glycosamine on top of the yogurt on the mixture. ( sorry about that..)
Hottie likes sweet pototoes or yellow squash- but they are out of season, and not good quality in my mind as I like natural veggies verses those made in high process centers.
Sorry for the frog in my throat- not enough coffee yet.. lol..
Here is the first one- the meat is not chopped up yet so you can see what the meat is in pounds judging by your eye. A leg and thigh quarter is roughly a pound. Your saint would get 1.5 pounds. .. But this helps to show you what a pound looks like. The one bowl that is smaller than the others is femkas- and she is a hair over 3/4 of a pound because she only weighs 85 pounds.
Here we go- video one View My Video and the second- View My Video
I will post one more video of how the finished product looks in the bowls.

Thanks Michelle! One question, you were saying you hadnt cut up the chicken yet, how small do you cut it up??

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

Thanks Michelle! One question, you were saying you hadnt cut up the chicken yet, how small do you cut it up??

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Here is a finished video. This should answer this question- if you notice- Galinas and Femkas- the ones in the middle the pieces are smaller. View My Video and one more video for the heck of it... lol.. View My Video

Awsome!! zubin looked so happy!! he he he he!! hat was very informative! I greatly appreciate the time you have taken to help me with this!

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

Awsome!! zubin looked so happy!! he he he he!! hat was very informative! I greatly appreciate the time you have taken to help me with this!

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It is no problem at all. Remember- that is just one receipe- but its easy to do. Also my dogs have no problem with chicken.
When I first started raw, I felt lost but determined. Only two breeders I knew did it, my sister and my mother.. Its now bigger but at the time it was confusing but easy once you see someone do it..

I am glad the videos helped.. ;)

bump- here you go pm people.. its on page 2...

Well the first Raw feeding has gone without a hitch! The boys are loving it! I was realy worried that they wouldnt like it, but they do! I am so happy. Yay, for healthy food!!:D

by the way, they gobbled it up quicker than any dry food they have ever eaten, i have never seen so much enthusiasm!

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

Well the first Raw feeding has gone without a hitch! The boys are loving it! I was realy worried that they wouldnt like it, but they do! I am so happy. Yay, for healthy food!!:D

by the way, they gobbled it up quicker than any dry food they have ever eaten, i have never seen so much enthusiasm!

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I have been told that two of my dogs were picky eaters- Femka really bad- uh huh- they finish it faster than the males.. lol..

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Originally Posted by borzoimom

Here is a finished video. This should answer this question- if you notice- Galinas and Femkas- the ones in the middle the pieces are smaller. View My Video and one more video for the heck of it... lol.. View My Video

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Thanks a lot for that... Jenny was beside me, and now my leg is covered in drool. :p

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

I was realy worried that they wouldnt like it

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Are you out of your mind?! lol. Why would they not like meat? hahaha. I can't imagine... :p

I think Jenny is protesting kibble... :p

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Originally Posted by GreyhoundGirl

Thanks a lot for that... Jenny was beside me, and now my leg is covered in drool. :p



Are you out of your mind?! lol. Why would they not like meat? hahaha. I can't imagine... :p

I think Jenny is protesting kibble... :p

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actually Duke was my concern. a few months ago, i had dropped a raw peice of chicken on the floor, while preparing dinner. Duke sniffed it and walked away! I was dumstruck! I thought he would do the same when I tried feeding raw.

I fed them Pork, and they loved it! I will continue with the pork for a while, then try another meat. I eventually will try chicken.

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Originally Posted by GreyhoundGirl

Thanks a lot for that... Jenny was beside me, and now my leg is covered in drool. :p



Are you out of your mind?! lol. Why would they not like meat? hahaha. I can't imagine... :p

I think Jenny is protesting kibble... :p

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opps- sorry about the drool greyhoundgirl.. lol..

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Originally Posted by critter crazy

, i had dropped a raw peice of chicken on the floor, while preparing dinner. Duke sniffed it and walked away!

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:eek: It wouldn't even have hit the floor here!

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Originally Posted by GreyhoundGirl

:eek: It wouldn't even have hit the floor here!

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thats how it is with cooked food here!

But what are the opinions on use of venison or other game besides the lack of fat with in the meat.. :confused:
I have not hunted for years but have a in-law that does and gives us venison every fall. It goes into jerky since I am the only one that eats it in our house...
I am just curious, and I know that changing the meat may cause upset too.. And I am also curious on the issue of parasite from the wild game.

Let me step back now.. I am hoping this does not get off of the subject for wich it was started..

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Originally Posted by corgieguy

But what are the opinions on use of venison or other game besides the lack of fat with in the meat.. :confused:
I have not hunted for years but have a in-law that does and gives us venison every fall. It goes into jerky since I am the only one that eats it in our house...
I am just curious, and I know that changing the meat may cause upset too.. And I am also curious on the issue of parasite from the wild game.

Let me step back now.. I am hoping this does not get off of the subject for wich it was started..

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I dont think anyone would jump on you for asking a question! Heck it is a good one, cause i dont know the answer myself! I think it is a fab question, and I will be waiting patiently for the answer!:D