Feeding Raw

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How healthy is feeding raw? Is it healthier than regular food? Just how expensive is it?

[binka_nugget]

I firmly believe it's the most natural diet we can feed our dogs.

Dogs do differently on different foods but anytime I've heard of the diet going wrong, it turned out to be a mistake the owner made. That's why I think it's a great diet to feed ONCE the owner has researched enough. My dogs have been fed raw for a few months now and I'm starting to see greater changes.. especially in their coats. They were great before but now they're just gleeming and amazing! It blows my mind because I thought they were healthy before.. but now.. their coats are just unbelievably beautiful!

It can get expensive feeding raw.. depending on how you feed it. You can feed premade, premade bulk, bulk from a butcher/supplier, etc. You can also feed things that are readily available in your area, or the more "exotic" meats.. for instance, I recently bought 44 pounds of chicken backs/necks for $29, 10 pounds of beef for $10, and 10 pounds of buffalo for $20. That amount of food would last us forever! But I also choose to feed things like rabbit, goat, elk, llama, etc.. which is why I pay a little more than some. But in the long run, most raw feeders end up paying less because of less vet bills and medical problems.

[bckrazy]

First: Yes, way healthier, if fed by an owner who has done their research. Compare feeding a dog bunches of corn, starches & by-products to feeding a kid candy & chips... the natural diet for dogs, and the healthiest for their system, is raw meat & bones. That said, it is better for a dog to be fed a premium, high meat content kibble than an unbalanced raw diet.

Some huge improvements I've seen with Gonzo on all raw is thicker, shinier, lower-shedding coat, great teeth (like, great! without brushing them), odorless breath, higher stamina, way less hyper energy, better muscle development, weight loss (he's perfect now), smaller odorless poops & only twice per day, less barking/neurotic energy, no more itchy paws or ears, etc. Of course it will vary from dog to dog, and sometimes it's hard to notice the changes if they happen gradually, but if fed properly almost ANY dog's health will be much improved.

Like Ashley said, you can balance food over time... such as chicken one week, beef the next week, turkey the next, etc. I mix a lot from day to day. The meats I buy are fairly inexpensive. I still use pre-made as a staple (Farmore), which costs $2/lb. The raw meaty bones that I get are usually under/around $1/lb, verrry rarely over $2/lb. Supplements are very cheap, as are organ meats, and veggies & fruit which is fed occasionally.

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Wow! I'm definetley going to talk to my parents about feeding raw and show them this thread

[CathyBogart]

Check out the rawdogs group on livejournal if you get a chance, lots of good links and knowledgeable people.

http://community.livejournal.com/rawdogs/profile

[wolfsoul]

Visa's overallness has improved so much since we switched to raw. I found it so difficult making her gain weight in kibble, and she didn't enjoy eating. On raw she is the perfect weight and she LOVES her meals. Her skin and coat have improved incredibly, her behaviour is better, she has more energy, her breath doesn't smell, her stools are nice and firm and REALLY SMALL. She just loves her food so much. I have pictures of her freezer contents, I'll have to post it eventually.

[tonidaly]

i didn't want to start a new raw thread cause there are so many on raw. i've been reading all the various threads on raw diet. I am not debating the fact that a raw diet is more natural and nutrious for a dog. I have a couple concerns and it would be great if anyone was interested in addressing it:

1. A dog in the wild would eat raw food. But, the meat we purchase has been processed. Who knows what all has been done to it. The animals have probably been pumped with steroids and chemicals. i don't know that i trust it to be safe for my dogs. (probably isn't that good for me, but i guess i feel better since i cook it).

2. Of course i would feed them outside, but i have concerns about bacteria and germs being spread wherever they eat and contaminating my home.

Does anyone else have (or had) these concerns? Any input would be appreciated.

oh, and i live in a fairly small city in florida, so we don't really have "butcher shops." i buy my meat in the grocery store.

[binka_nugget]

1. A dog in the wild would eat raw food. But, the meat we purchase has been processed. Who knows what all has been done to it. The animals have probably been pumped with steroids and chemicals. i don't know that i trust it to be safe for my dogs. (probably isn't that good for me, but i guess i feel better since i cook it).

I worry about this myself.. but then again, I don't think most kibbles use non-medicated meats. It's still a big step up. You can also just buy the non-medicated meats at your local store.. though I'd imagine it'd get really expensive after a while.

2. Of course i would feed them outside, but i have concerns about bacteria and germs being spread wherever they eat and contaminating my home.

I used to worry too! But now I realize that as long as you use common sense, there will be very little risk of cross contamination. My dogs are fed inside. Kai eats in his crate, Kaedyn eats on the kitchen floor. I'm about to pick up a couple dollar store carpet pieces for Kaedyn to eat on because he seems to prefer carpet, and I won't have to keep mopping the floor after he eats. I just make sure to always wash my hands after handling raw meat, and I don't allow puppy kisses after meals anymore.

[vinjashira]

Visa's overallness has improved so much since we switched to raw. I found it so difficult making her gain weight in kibble, and she didn't enjoy eating. On raw she is the perfect weight and she LOVES her meals. Her skin and coat have improved incredibly, her behaviour is better, she has more energy, her breath doesn't smell, her stools are nice and firm and REALLY SMALL. She just loves her food so much. I have pictures of her freezer contents, I'll have to post it eventually.

I have just switched to raw so I haven't noticed anything different with Snowy except for her stool which is a lot less than usual. I fed Snowy raw salmon the other day and her breath was really bad after that only for a day though.