Raw Diet

Elmo the Bear

Does anyone else feed raw? We've recently switched our seven on to the "BARF" (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet and the difference has been astounding..

... no more sloppy smelly poo.. clean teeth and fresh (as fresh as a dog can be) breath. They also seem brighter in themselves and the older dogs certainly seem livelier..

We have minced meat / bone / veg mix and they have raw meaty bones (ribs, chicken wings, turkey necks etc). A few essential oils and the odd bit of cottage cheese etc to liven things up. Our food bills have dropped from around £130 a month to about £80 so we're happy on that count too

Anyone else???




... forgot to mention treats. They have little dried fish and love 'em ... more omega 3 and 6 which can only be a good thing ............

bryony

i used to feed teddy barf but he now has orijen dry food in a treat ball and i cook him home cooked dinners at the moment but dose have a chicken wing here and there, no better food than a natural one

Tess

We feed our two setters on raw too, and have been doing so for about 8 months. We had long since given our dogs an occasional raw chicken wing or drumstick as a special treat and to clean teeth, but we made the total switch soon after we got our new puppy, Tess, because we could not find a commercial food that worked with her digestion. Our male too, was having some troubles off and on with his system and I'd realized that every time he had a problem and I gave him raw food, his system settled right down. Well that made me realize it made sense to just go raw all the time!

Our dogs have done very well on raw. They both put on weight, which they needed to do. Before they would turn away from their kibble or canned food halfway through the meal. Now they like their food, at least most of it. Our boy does not like to eat his veggies! Sometimes I "trick" him by feeding him veggies that he thinks are people food, ie make it look like my leftovers!

I still feel like a beginner with the raw though. I worry about getting them enough vitamins and minerals. I've tried some supplements but those seem to give them troubles. Fortunately their tastes are expanding. They now both will enjoy almonds, blueberries, cooked veggies that we are eating, left over fish and so forth. Most of their diet is based on poultry, but recently I've discovered a source for fresh tripe as well as canned tripe. I also buy beef heart special order from the local grocery store.

Our dogs eat a LOT. The male is 43 pounds and eats about 30 to 35 ounces a day. The female is 32 pounds and eats about 25 to 30 ounces a day.

I'd love to hear any tips you might have... ?

Mikey

Orijen and cooked food at my house too!! I am biased but I must say I approve lol

Mikey

I've done extensive reserach on home made diets, and this supplement is the only one the veterinarian community says sets the bar. You may have to get your vet to order it for you, but this is what I'd suggest.

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DeeSpark

Any tips on convincing my mum. Since shes the main care taker of the dogs. At the moment they have pedigree, and it's actually the only kibble they seem to really enjoy. But I know what food they're REALLY love. It's just convincing mother. She would think : they're just dogs. they wouldn't sell it on the self if it was bad for dogs (which a lot of the cheap stuff they get is) . I don't want to have to buy meat just for them.

I guess I'll just slowly bring it up. If she rejects the idea, which she probably will, I guess I could just show her heaps of research on the health benefits.
I can just see the joy in my little munchkins eating this diet everyday. Maybe she'll be all for the idea. I hope so.

Criosphynx

you'll probably have better luck convincing her to buy better kibble than a cold turkey switch to raw....then when she see that difference over time, perhaps you can try again?

Tess

Hm... tips to convince.
I think the best "ice breaker" book I've read is this one by Tom Lonsdale
It actually worked on my Mom, and she HAD been horrified when she had seen my dogs eating raw chicken. The crunching of bones gave her the creeps! But now she feeds her dog raw, so you never know!


And here is another one that talks about just adding to a kibble diet, some fresh meat etc one day a week to really make the dog healthier.
There are great resources out there.
Just try an Amazon search for Dog raw diets, etc. and you'll come up with lots of options.

Oh, you might also show your Mom the dog food analysis of pedigree here
Click on any of these to read the details
Dog Food Reviews - All Products - Powered by ReviewPost

Good luck!

zora

All our chihuahuas get Raw chicken/bones. Sometimes ground, or cut up with scissors. They also get supplements, chopped greens, sweet potato, Beets, carrots, marrow bones, Liver raw and cooked and Diatamacious earth.

Tess

VERY lucky dogs! I bet their teeth are white and their health is excellent!