How do you feed raw? what to feed? how to store? where to feed?

[Jennifer Goaring]

Maybe this will catch the attention of some newbie raw feeders or curious maybe raw feeders and we can help them out :)

So I am still a newbie too actually... but I have been reading LOTS on the rawfeeding yahoo group and I bought a book and have read a few different websites.  But I still have lots of questions some days too.

So Sammy is almost 8 months old.  I started on raw when he was about 5 months old.  We got him at 4 months old and he had been eating Wellness Puppy Mix 5.  I found I was topping it with people food and treats all the time but worried that my treating him wasn't good for him and I couldn't get him to eat kibble alone (even just putting it out again and again for a couple of days with no other goodies).  I researched different kibbles and all the web stuff about kibble led to lots of sites about raw diets.  So it took off from there.  I do really get the concept that a dog digestive system really can't be that far off from its non-domesticated ancestors... it really makes sense to me.  I grew up hearing about how my parents dogs had caught another rabbit or mole or bird or whatever and had eaten it and I thought -- man, if they can handle that stuff, I am sure my dog can handle human grade raw meat.

One pet store got me started with supplement ("just to cover my bases") which given he is still a puppy seems like and OK idea to me... but I don't think I really need it.  I also buy some local pre-made ground raw that has organ meat and bones ground up in it -- just because I don't really like handling organ meat and this ground stuff is easy to add supplements like the vitamin stuff of salmon oil capsules.

I buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store... started with big packages of bone in chicken thighs -- perfect puppy size first raw food -- plenty of meat on it and easy to handle bones.  He took to it right away.  I have since gone to buying whole chickens (88 cents / pound!) and chopping them up myself and the freezing portions in freezer bags.  It is a good way to save money -- but takes some work.  I also just buy bone in chicken breasts when they are priced right.  I buy steaks when they are marked down (like a couple days before the expiration date) and have tried a bit of pork also -- pork ribs were a good option.  The pet store had rabbit legs and we did that -- but they were probably pricey -- at the time I was just trying things out.

So a typical meal is some of the pre-made ground beef mixture and some sort of chicken part (like a breast with bone in).

or

a nice piece of steak and some pork ribs.

If I am feeding the ground stuff I let him stay in the kitchen.  If I am feeding a complicated piece like a quarter of a chicken, then I send him out to the back porch so he doesn't drag it around the house.  So sometimes I decide what to feed him based on the weather!  It has been raining a LOT lately.

I have tried things like salmon bones and skin from a canned salmon and a raw egg, shell and all and he likes that stuff too but I don't think to do it regularly.  We have had no stool issues so far and the only vomiting issues came after turkey necks... which I just won't give again -- too much connective tissue and bone I think. 

the yuck factor is still there for me too and I have been doing this for 3 months!  I wish I felt like homecooking was a better idea because it would smell better and not ick me out so much -- but I just don't see how cooked food will work his teeth like the raw does and I really don't think dogs need much in terms of veggies and carbs and such.  Just my opinion though.

Ahh... it is LATE.  I can't seem to adjust off of night shift this week.  SIGH.  Hope this help some -- would love to hear more ideas!

[Laura, Ruby & Sam]

The dog trainer we've been working with recommended we feed Ruby her food frozen. She said it gives them an activity and feels good on teething puppies gums.

Our daily feeding looks something like this:
Breakfast:
1 or 2 frozen chicken wings, or a chicken back

Snack:
1 or 2 spoons of unsweetened yogurt, or beef brisket bone, or raw or cooked egg

Dinner:
chicken of some sort, or mince mixed with pureed vegetables, or (and I know this sounds gross) I take lamb trimmings (from the butcher very inexpensive) press them into a log shape and freeze them in sandwich bags-- I just tried for tonight making them with pureed veggies mixed in-- it's like a lamb popsicle. Omigod, I can't believe I just said that. eeewwwwwww.

But I will say, Ruby isn't a very food oriented dog, she turned 5 mos. old today and she's is probably more of a solid one meal per day girl. She doesn't tend to eat two full meals and it's starting to become a waste.

I'm not sure, if you end up changing to one real meal per day-- do you do it in the morning or evening?

She also has "treats" --we do a little 10 minute training each evening and I use dried banana chips, cheese, diced apple, or store bought liver treats for that.

I would love more ideas, I'm not too sure what types of bones are the good ones....

[Jennifer Goaring]

I don't feel like Sammy has this huge appetite either... but he definitely cleans his bowl 2 times a day and my trainer says it is better to keep them feeding twice per day (and for her, that goes for adult dogs also... she also advocates raw feeding). It makes sense to me. If you do that formula where you feed 2-3% of the dog's adult weight (more like 4-7% for puppies, active dogs, smaller breeds) in raw food -- then for a say... 50# dog you are feeding 1 to 1.5 # of food per day... and that seems like a lot to give all at once.

Of course, having said this -- I haven't once measured his food! I know the ground/pre-made raw I get comes in 3 # chubs so I know 1/3 of it is a pound and I use that as an eyeball method of figuring things out -- but really we just throw things in a bowl and go for it. So in terms of getting all the right "balanced" nutrients... I just try to feed some variety and different parts of the animal. We bought chicken hearts and gizzards yesterday (talk about ewww! but he thinks they are yummy treats... how weird)

The frozen idea is a good one... may try that out some this summer when it gets warmer.

[Robert Johnson & Joan Milligan]

Our Angus (4 1/2 mo) likes beef neck bones as a chew bone. He will work on it for hours... better than a peanutbutter filled kong! I give it to him frozen straight from the freezer. Our butcher in Virginia cuts them @ 1 inch thick (lots of meat!), but in Texas we get them packaged, cut @ 1/2". Couldn't make it without 'em. Remember to toss it when well chewed as it will get very hard after a day or so, and will begin to smell awful!

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Both Matey and Checkers eat 2x a day, 8oz Bravo chicken blend with occasional eggs and chicken necks at each meal. Sometimes they are a bit frozen. They do have a fair amount of treats - crunchy all natural biscuit types, or stuffed frozen kong and bullies and cow ears to supplement their huge appetites! They are both lean. My vet is totally on board with the raw plan and always tells me how great they look at a perfect weight. Everyone I know that is aware of the dogs mealtime menu crack up because I don't eat meat!

[Aimee Santa Monica]

Thanks for posting this !  I am a newbie with 2  young (5 mo old) doodles.  I am interested in this whole raw diet thing.  I wonder if the transition would be like regular dog food weaning?  I worry about the stool. It has taken us a few weeks for our Ayla's stool to be normal, since she is new to us and her kibble food change, plus meds from gigardia.      I will try adding some ground raw meat for starters.  :)

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

just make sure theres 12 hours between feeding raw and kibble. Raw digests really fast, whereas kibble takes alot longer. if the raw sits in the digestive system with the kibble it will be there too long and start to go rancid

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I do a mix of raw and kibble with Cooper (shes now 2) My cats were fed raw for almost 7 years. When Cooper was little she was on straight raw, but then both DH and I got work in a holistic pet store (raw food, premium kibble, natural cleaners and medicines etc etc) and we get free kibble. We are not in a position to turn down free kibble! So all the animals went on 100% kibble (Cooper get Orijen, the cats get Now/Go). Well, their breath has gotten stinky, and their fur, while still soft, isnt as good as it used to be. Cooper certainly poops more and the cats poop is WAAAAAAY more stinky. So, we both got a pay rise recently, and decided to do a mix of raw and kibble. We find it easier to give them raw on our days off (I have thur/fri, DH get fri/sat) so they all get raw 3 days a week. Once a week Cooper gets a turkey neck or bone (sometimes still frozen) and tripe. We give Cooper 20-25% veg. We buy Club Canine and buy it in 4.5kg packs (chicken with bone, buffalo 50/50 meat/organs, herring or salmon, and mixed juiced veg). We semi-thaw it and portion it up into jars then re-freeze it. Buying such big packs makes it much cheaper, plus its a local company (well, 8 hours drive away, but sold in many places where we live). . We have a big chest freezer outside. We feed the raw inside, apart from bones and tripe, Cooper gets those outside!

[Kimmy & Chewie]

You should read this file attached called "Suggestions for Starting Raw Feeding" which I downloaded from the RF group in Facebook. It think it's very detailed and helpful.

 

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

Thanks Kimmy 

That was really useful!

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

Kimmy,

Which RF group in FB do you belong to?

Cindy

[Kimmy & Chewie]

Dear Cindy, The group in FB is called Raw Feeding (RF)

The profile picture of the group is of some organs (liver and hearts)...a bit gross I know :)

Warning: the admins of this group is uncompromising when it somes to raw (no BARF, no kibble, no veggies at all)and runs a very tight ship, but they are knowledgable and answers every questions in detail.

here's the screenshot of the group description and mission for you...

-Kimmy

[Melanie and Girls]

This is a great group!! I'd love to share our story.

We are huge advocates of BARF Feeding. We breed goldendoodle puppies and all of our puppies get weaned straight from Mom to raw meat. We begin with ground beef or chicken and then move to chicken wings and on to backs and necks after that.

We are in Canada, and our meat is more expensive up here ($1/lb is the best I can do), so backs and necks are our staple, and we add beef in various forms as I can find it on sale. (typically 1-2x/week). Note: Even at $1/lb, based on the recommendations on dog food bags per brand, the only thing cheaper is the discount brand "junk" at the grocery store. So, if you can get your meat cheaper than that, kibble becomes "rich man's food" (ha ha).

Our program for how much to feed is: 10%-15% of a puppy's weight and gradually drop that number as they grow until it is at 2%-4% of a full grown dog's weight. If you do the math, 10-15% of a 10 lb puppy is 1 to 1 &1/2 lbs per day. When your dog reaches 50 lbs, 2-4% is still 1 to2 lbs per day. This makes the math of how much to feed easy: No matter how old your dog is, take the # of lbs on the package you bought, and divide it between that many days. (example: a 10 lb package of chicken drums will last you 5-7 days) This way, you are not having to "weigh" your food.

What we then do, with an idea of how long the food should last, is we feed more per meal than we anticipate the puppy or dog will eat. ie: 2 lbs in the bowl in the morn. Whatever is left over, we top up the bowl again for the evening meal, and just keep "topping up" (in a clean bowl, and rotate the "old" meat to the top of the bowl so they pick that first). As long as we're somewhere close to finishing the package at the end of the week, then we're good.

Much like in the wild, dogs do not eat the same amount each day. They will feast for a few days, then are content to go for awhile on small meals. We see this a lot in our dogs. So, if your dog is not consistent in quantity - relax. Just try to have it 'close' every few weeks.

We have ALWAYS demand-fed our dogs right from weaning and we have never had a problem with overeating. Just like humans, we believe dogs eat to meet nutritional needs. If you eat "empty" food, then you're hungry again because your body is looking for nutrients. If your dog eats kibble, he is looking for more nutrients and just keeps eating. With BARF, the nutrition is there, so Rover stops eating when he's had enough.

We love to support people transitioning to BARF feeding and have a portion of our website dedicated to it. If I can help answer any questions, please feel free to message me!!