Would anyone like to talk about the Raw Food Diet for dogs?

[Millie1]

I've looked back over old threads but still have a few questions! The 'variety' element of the diet and rotating foods - would someone be able to tell me what their dog gets over the course of a week or 10 days so I can get an idea of just how much variety is required?!

I've had a look at the Natural Instincts products and I'm guessing they're not unlike other brands in that the meats come packaged in 400/500/1kg packs. If you have defrosted a pack, then unless you have a big dog, do you spend the next 4-5 days feeding the same meat? The Natural Instincts website says not to refreeze if fully defrosted - which is fair enough.

What quantities for a small dog (Border Terrier?). When we get him I'm sure he'll still be on 3-4 meals a day - is it okay to split the raw food down like that or should I mix some dried food in? His breeder feeds all her dogs raw food and I'm pretty sure that it forms at least part of the pups diets at the moment too although she will have introduced some dried food before we get him.

Cost effectiveness? Is it cost effective compared to a complete food (ie. Whites, Fish 4 Dogs etc) or does it work out more expensive? And, finally, how many months supply do you purchase at once? Oh, last one, do people buy from Natural Instincts and, if not, well where do you get yours?

Thanks!

We feed raw, but it is follow the raw meaty bones prey formula in that the majority of food if fed in large chunks on the bone. It is cost effective in that the majority of food is raw chicken frames and we get 20 kilo for £5. We only have two dogs at the minute, a standard poodle and toy poodle. They eat this raw chicken frames (very meaty with organ meat attached) every day with the addition of raw eggs in shells twice a week, raw minced tripe twice a week, liver once a week, tinned pilchards once a week and some table scraps.

We don't aim for a balanced diet daily as in the wild this would not be possible but do include the variety over a week. I'd say for us it is very cheap probably less than £18 a month. Sorry I can't give any advice about commerical raw as the only thing we buy frozen is the tripe at 79p a pack from Jolyes.

we use prize choice

it's bloody marvellous. stays in the freezer so only sticks after cooking. mixed with some biscuit.

for a small dog, maybe half a brick a day? i don't know..my dog is big but since spaying only needs 1 brick a day.

I use Natural Instinct Puppy for my 7 mos collie puppy. She gets 150g in the morning, 150g at lunch and chicken wings in the evening. She gets Natural Instinct 5 days a week. One day a week I give her fish fillets (Sainsbury's economy frozen) and on the other day she gets a 50/50 mixture of green tripe and pure chicken mince (also from Natural Instinct). The tripe and chicken come separately and I bag it up in portions before it defrosts completely. I have to say the green tripe smells absolutely bleuurgh, but my two go mad for it!

I would like to use a greater variety of meaty bones but in my bit of North London even the butchers think you are a loon if you ask for chicken necks/ backs or lamb ribs. I have seen these online but you have to order a large amount and I don't have the freezer space at the moment.

In terms of cost, I don't notice a real difference between the cost of their dried dog food (Royal Canin and Orijen). Natural Instinct Puppy is expensive, but I only use it for 5 meals during the week. The tripe is cheap and you could probably get cheaper chicken mince at a supermarket. I expect to reduce costs further once I become a more confident BARFER and purchase an extra freezer!

Thanks for all the info - I'll have a look at websites and meals tomorrow but for now, bed is calling!!

I'd love to, have been looking into BARF but am bamboozled by info

Can I come back tomorrowcwgwn I'm not sontired?

most of my dogs diet is chicken carccasses. we pay £2 for a 13kg box, and go through 1 box a week on average. we offer some fruits and veg through the week, i hide them over the garden so they have to look for them and search them out. they have a raw egg each a week, liver once a month, and am considering adding tripe soon. we started slowly and intoduced one thing at a time, as they had dicky tums for the first few days which wasnt nice, but now they poo easy to clear up poos. their coats look fab and the farts arent as bad now.

we used to feed them james welbeloved and a 15kg sack would last 3 weeks.

so raw feeding two labradoodles is def cheaper than dry complete foods.

Can I suggest if anyone is having problems finding raw food for dogs to contact greyhound men as they will have a wealth of knowledge of local suppliers. Usually greyhound stadiums will have a raw meat man who will trade meat on race night. You will need a freezer (second hand from gumtree or freecycle) but usually the quality is good as are prices. I find butchers reluctant to supply raw meat for dogs and they really should have a license for this. If anyone is interested there is a raw meaty bones list on yahoo, they will give details of suppliers all over the UK.

mine is for soup cough

Great - thank you!

i am BARFing.. as of tonight

starting gradually, but my two had raw chicken wings for tea this evening. they looked rather suprised at first but soon got the idea. i was a bit concerned that our terrier did not seem to do much chewing but all seems fine so far (touch wood)

have read lots, and the advice out there seems to be very contradictory so in the end have just taken the plunge using a mixture of what i have read and what i feel makes sense. i am planning to give their kibble in a morning to ease the transition. feel quite nervous !

Hiya, I've got a Patterdale Terrier so similar size to a border. Hes kind of on a half raw diet. He has complete biscuits in a morning, just cos i don't have time. But in an evening he will have something that's not your traditional dog food.

We get economy mince in bulk off the butcher and freeze it in 100g portions then just defrost on the day. We cook it with some form of carbs so either rice/potato/pasta and veg mushroom/carrot/sugarsnap peas/left over bags of lettuce,but NOT onion and mix it with some gravy. He bloomin loves it! You can also cook all that in bulk and freeze and just defrost on the day you want them to eat it.

In the past he's also had blended up chicken livers with veg and rice. Yum yum yum

And as i make alot of home made food I know what's gone in it, so he's quite partial to shepherds pie, spag bol and steak and ale! lol

Since being on 'proper' food in the evening his coat is alot better, his behaviour has improved, his teeth are clean and most importantly he hasn't put on any weight because of it