Raw food

[JKramer]

Those who feed ready made raw food.
What brands do you use?
Whats your dogs favourite meal?

I am using Natural Instincts, natures menu and Nutriment.
Bought a selection from each to see what they like.
My two dogs love the tripe and the beef range.. not so keen on the duck but they would eat it.
However, they would turn their noses on the nuggets, maybe they prefer the more meaty meals as the nuggets contain veg?
But when I add veg/carb to their meat, they would eat the whole lot.. Strange dogs!!!!!

One thing I noticed for all brands is that the mince is cheaper than the meat meals.
Do you think its made from lesser quality cuts, less meaty and has more offal in it?

And when you buy raw, do you look for human graded ingredients or does that not bother you?
I have seen some mince for around 80p/lb or less but I am pretty sure its not human graded.

I am using Nutriment and the minute. I am really happy with it and have no concerns with the quality.

I haven't used many other manufactured raw diets so am going here on comparing to Prize Choice which I have used and what I have read about other meats.

The main thing for me as a give away ia no unpleasent smell at all, even in the tripe ones. Yes, stick your nose right in there and you can smell tripe but it doesn't have that stinks the freezer out smell an unsealed pack of prize choice has.

When it is defrosting, the liquid that needs stiring back through isn't water or even watery blood, it is just blood.

Prize choice, was watery (never saw blood come out of the meat), mushy and a pretty unpalatable smell. Not horrific but a bit 'blah' of you know what I mean. I have never ordered from DAF so perhaps unfair of me to comment but I have seen some comments that some of their meats can be on the stinky side. That puts me off straight away as I have to share our freezer with the dog!

I have no such concerns with Nutriment as is looks and smells good and is well packaged. I would rather pay a little more for this. In the grand scheme of things I am still paying no more than for a good quality diet such as Nature Diet. It costs 6.30 a week to feed my dog Nutriment factoring delivery and the fact that as a little dog with a high metabolism he is on 3% too.

I would ask your butchers if they do pet mince. A lot of butchers make pet mince from off cuts and chicken carcass for under £1 a kilo and it is obviously all human grade meat.

6.30 a week..... very jealous.
I use up a 1kg tub every day so it all adds up.

8kg Border Terrier on 250g a day...it is a lot easier with a small dog even storage wise as I can get a months worth in one freezer drawer!

Oh and flavour wise mine seems to prefer chicken and lamb flovours. Pork is one of his favourite meats if I do my own.

He isn't at all keen on Nutriment Beef which I think is because of the heart used, he never has liked heart. But to be honest, I suspect a potential health issue which, after we have had tests and spoken to the vet, may mean cutting beef from his diet anyway.

Mine are 8kg and 12kg, they are still young (9 and 5 months) so they are eating a bit more than 2 - 3%. They also get scraps of meat when I am cooking.

For owners who have a couple or more large dogs, feeding raw must cost a bomb.

I think that is when you buy a chest freezer and go buy meat without worrying if it is stinky or well packaged for 45p per lb because it isn't going in with yours!

Oh and with regards to meat quality and smell...just remember that when you open a can or bag of kibble you are dealing with the finished polished up product...they could have used rotting slurry for all you know!

My puppy is 10m old nd 42kg at present so yes a large fridge freezer and prep area in the garage has been a god send on feeding her a fantastic food of raw.

I buy natures diet plus some butchers bones, heart and offal. I also have a couple online like daves doggie diners to buy hooves and extras from.

I do mix some veg due to weight gain in a muscular breed but will cut that out in time, ie when she isn't a growing pup.

I spent £11 for this week plus extras I already have I he freezer from bulk buying, she is currently knowing on a bone that she dug up from weeks ago plus some pre frozen tripe she buried

Binning dry and wet dog food was the best thing I ever did and we have a big girl (Rottie) she loves her food and we both enjoy looking foe bargains and unusual finds

Oh in the red corner - what breed do you have? Must be a giant!

My 20month old is about 56kg, and has 3lb a day....I use a combination of DAF minced and chunks, supplement with chicken legs, beef bones.

He also has egg yolks, cottage cheese and yoghurt, twice a week.

I use the Prize Choice blocks, 1 each morning and evening.
I did use the bags in the summer but that was feeding frozen. In the winter months I defrost and feed at room temperature.

I have to avoid beef as it causes upset tum, but the others are fine.

She is a Rottweiler and a big girl due to neglect and me over feeding her with raw when we rescued her.

All working well now I am feeding at 2% instead of 5% (puppy weight) morrisons is fab for cheap offal and meaty bones.

I Los feed raw eggs and tinned fish once a week.

Sh had marrow bone (puppy teeth and bone removed once marrow eating, she lurves me this evening)