Updating Diet Information

[Napathedoodle]

Hi All!

I'm in the process of trying to update Napa's diet.  I had been feeding a home made raw combination that was somewhere between "processed" and raw meaty.  He was getting a organ (but now I'm concerned my "organ" was a "meat"), meat, and veggie combo for breakfast and a rmb for dinner.  He was getting as much variety as I could find in my supermarket - which was really just pork (very small amounts), beef, chicken and turkey in whatever type was on sale - ground, chunks, etc.  His organ had been, depending on availability, beef heart or chicken gizzards and hearts.  I did try liver (or kidney, can't remember) once.  It was very slimy and from Walmart and Napa refused to eat the entire meal that had touched it!  

I'm trying to get his diet under control again.  Due to my schedule, I had to transition him to Nature's Variety for the past few months.  Nothing against Nature's Variety, but I can feed him cheaper with homemade than store bought!  I've joined Yahoo's RawFeeding, RawChat, RawPuppy (because we're adding a puppy to the family this summer! - just another reason to get this sorted!), and the Carnivore Feeder Supplier lists but I feel like I'm on information overload!

I'd love to know, if you're willing to share, what your recipes or guidelines are that you're using!  Or if you're using a cost effective way of feeding "store bought", I'd love to know!  I've been tossing around Darwin's, which is still expensive - but would be delivered to my house!  I've also been tossing around feeding a "mix" in the morning - from Darwin's or something similar - and a rmb for "dinner".  Any thoughts?

Thanks so much, in advance, for your help!

Kristen & Napa

[Joy & Buddy]

Kristen,

I feed Darwin's to Buddy part of the time and he seems to do well with it. I, too, am looking to transition to a homemade raw diet, but have had to keep using the prepackaged raw because of time constraints.  At times, I get Bravo (or some other kind) turkey chubs that are only meat, and add in raw vegies, sardines, kelp, sometimes some tripe for probiotics.  Darwin's is fairly cost effective for prepackaged--and it is very convenient to have it come to the house.

[Napathedoodle]

I'm glad someone else is using Darwin's!  I had used them a long time ago (probably about 2 years).  The only concern I had at the time is that Napa seemed to always be hungry.  So, I ended up increasing his meal size to an unbelievable amount!  But, I was just feeding Darwin's.  Now, Napa's a bit porky - read very porky! - so, now I'm on a hunt to get him back into "raw form" like he was when he first started the diet!  I've also noticed that the things that had cleared up initially have come back with a vengeance!  Eye goobies, ear wax, scooting!  Plus he's lost that "slim" shape he initially had!

[Napathedoodle]

What a great reply!  Thanks!  I'm so torn between going the RMB and an in-between.  I'm going to pm you!

[Jen and Annie]

I'm with Andrea.  We do feed twice a day, but only because our girls act like they're starving at night and end up waking SUPER early for their breakfast.  So for us, we feed breakfast around 8AM, and then dinner around 5PM.  It helps us to get some sleep.  But truly, just so easy.  Our base is chicken quarters, but I do get beef rib bones for them to tear the meat off of about twice a week.

We do feed veggies (I agree not necessary, but the girls like it) - and what I usually do with the veggies is:

Food processor with 2-3 bags of 1frozen (but cooked) veggies.  I add garlic powder, as it really helps to keep the fleas off of them, and the girls like the aroma of the garlic.  I also add seaweed and flax meal for additional fiber and omega-3.  I put blobs of my veggie mash onto a cookie sheet and freeze the blobs.  Once they're frozen, they go into a tupperware in the freezer, and the girls get one 'blob' with their dinner.  *(I do the same with canned pumpkin in case we get a bout of the runnies). It ends up making about 2-3 weeks worth of their veggies at a time.

I think liver and kidney is disgusting, and smells AWFUL (like pee!) but the girls like it - so I cut chunks and also freeze the organ meats, to toss them with their dinner.  Basically I do everything frozen except their RMB's which I thaw because I think it helps them to chew the bones better.   

 

Andrea - I'd like to see that chart too!

[Jen and Annie]

I personally would not eat horse, but I know that my dogs would if given the chance so it doesnt offend me.  I found a farmer who agreed to save all of the 'butcher house floor' scraps for me, the next time he has a steer go in.  We will buy a sampler pack of meat for ourselves, and he'll throw in the 20-30 lbs of organs and meat scraps for free.  Good deal if you ask me!

[Joy & Buddy]

I have a question about raw meaty bones: when I have tried turkey or chicken necks, Buddy sniffs them and maybe licks a bit and walks away.  I have heard it is maybe not a good idea to feed necks.  Thoughts?  Also, when Buddy was on kibble--now almost 2 years ago--he was allergic to chicken. So I am hesitant to try him on chicken raw, but it would make feeding so much easier.  Does anyone have any thoughts about this?  Many thanks!

[Jen and Annie]

Necks have a high bone content so we dont use them as a base for meals.  I have used them as a supplement before, if we weren't getting enough bone in the girls diet, or when they eat chicken breast, I will also throw them a neck to make up for less bone.  I've been known to use neck bones as treats at times. 

I've read that for dogs hesitant to take raw meat, you can sear the meat for 15-20 seconds on each side (no more than that) to encourage them more - although I wouldnt do that with the necks, as you might risk cooking some of the bone inadvertently - bad idea to give a dog cooked bone...  but you know how good seared chicken smells - same idea with the dogs.  And I think you would only need to do the searing trick the first few meals, and then they recognize the meat as their food - and you no longer need to do it. 

As far as the chicken allergy, I'm not sure whether I would try it. How were you able to identify the chicken allergy?  By switching kibble to a new formula?  Or did a vet do a test on him?  If you identified the allergy by switching kibble, I might give chicken a try - the kibble has so many ingredients that could have been the culprit.  But if a vet tested and confirmed a chicken allergy, I might try something else...

[Joy & Buddy]

Thanks so much.  We didn't test, just switched kibbles, but all the kibbles with chicken produced the same loose stools.  But then, so did other kibbles, finally, that were fish or beef.  So perhaps I will try it.  I'm guessing the best place to start might be a chicken thigh/drumstick or chicken back.

[Jen and Annie]

An additional note on 'cost effectiveness' - ask your local butcher or supermarket if they provide a quantity discount or case price - we have been able to get case prices on many things in the past (backs, quarters and stripped breasts).  Up to 20 cents off per pound.  Of course you would have to have the freezer space for this, but I find that it never hurts to ask.