[Mac'N'Roe]

Okay, not a debate. Just curious who feeds raw or wishes they did? I know a few of you already, but I'm sure there are a few that i'm not aware of.

[Canadian Dog]

I don't, but the more I'm reading, I'm definitely getting interested - sounds expensive though. Somehow I can't imagine feeding Molly human grade food, chicken legs, pork, steaks, etc. Have been concerned about money (or lack thereof) my entire life.

At least you know what your dogs are getting when you feed them raw. Hope you get a lot of responses to this thread.

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by Mac'N'Roe

Okay, not a debate. Just curious who feeds raw or wishes they did? I know a few of you already, but I'm sure there are a few that i'm not aware of.

I've been feeding prey model raw for 6 years, but of course you already know that.

[TeddieXRuxpin]

Ted eats raw ocassionally. He was eating more, but since I have to sit with him and hold it so he doesn't eat the bone whole (been there once don't want to do it again)..It's become to much over time. If I were able to just give him raw I would without any hesitation.

[MyRescueCrew]

I do now, after months and months of research. My head was spinning when I first started, though I have quickly gotten used to it. I started Jake on raw about 3 weeks ago. I use Nature's Variety pre-made, and I add in other fresh meats, like fresh chicken and ground turkey. I saw great results in Jake -- he's lost weight, he has more energy than he ever has, beautiful coat, and no more itching!

I was so impressed, I started Bo on raw 2 days ago, and I am starting Callie on raw tonight. In this coming week, I plan to put Katie on raw as well. Audubon and Blue will follow in the future, however they are both large dogs (Audubon is 50+ pounds and Blue is 70+ pounds) so I want to wait until I transition to my new job next week and a bit more money is coming in.

[RawFedDogs]

[QUOTE=Canadian Dog;352940]I don't, but the more I'm reading, I'm definitely getting interested - sounds expensive though.[quote]

It's no more expensive then feeding a premium or middle grade kibble. I feed 2 Great Danes and 2 cats on around $70/mo.

Somehow I can't imagine feeding Molly human grade food, chicken legs, pork, steaks, etc. Have been concerned about money (or lack thereof) my entire life.

It will take you a few months to learn how to buy food for your dog. It's somewhat different than buy groceries for humans.

At least you know what your dogs are getting when you feed them raw. Hope you get a lot of responses to this thread.

It's the ONLY way to know exactly what your dog is eating.

Originally Posted by TeddieXRuxpin

Ted eats raw ocassionally. He was eating more, but since I have to sit with him and hold it so he doesn't eat the bone whole (been there once don't want to do it again)..It's become to much over time. If I were able to just give him raw I would without any hesitation.

No need to hold his food. I have never done that. He is supposed to eat the whole bone. If you mean he is swallowing the bone whole, you are feeding too small of bones. Feed larger ones.

Don't expect dogs to chew food to a mush the way humans do. It's not the way they work and not the way they are designed. They simply rip, tear, and crush until the pieces are small enough to fit down their throat. Amazingly large pieces of meat/bones can fit down a dog's throat. When I feed my Danes a chicken quarter, they crunch it 3 or 4 times the swallow it whole. It's no big deal, they do it several times a week. Occasionally they don't crunch it small enough so they bring it back up and chew a few more times the re-swallow. Sometimes they will steal a chicken drumstick from one of the cats and swallow it without chewing. Again, no big deal.

Again, if your dog is swallowing whole bones, feed larger bones. I wouldn't feed any but the smallest of dogs things like chicken necks or wings.

[Mac'N'Roe]

Originally Posted by RawFedDogs

I've been feeding prey model raw for 6 years, but of course you already know that.

Yep, I pretty much knew you did

Raw is intriguing to me. I am interested, but like I'm sure most dog owners...I'm not quite sure about taking the plunge. I like the idea of KNOWING what is going into my dog.

I'm curious about the whole bone percentage thing. I know you say that it usually works itself out. How do you know what percentage your dog is getting? How do you know when a bone is big enough that it would be safe to give? Why would a smaller bone (chicken wing) be dangerous to a larger dog?

Like a chicken quarter. This has bone right? How do you know what percentage of the quarter is bone vs meat? More questions...but I gotta run. B-day dinner

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by Mac'N'Roe

Raw is intriguing to me. I am interested, but like I'm sure most dog owners...I'm not quite sure about taking the plunge.

It took me a year to decide to feed raw. I thought about it, decided against it, saw something else, looked into it again, decided againt it and finally saw something (I can't remember what) and decided to give it a go. Thats a big reason I post about raw now to help cut down on that year of indicision.

I'm curious about the whole bone percentage thing. I know you say that it usually works itself out. How do you know what percentage your dog is getting?

I just don't worry about it. The exact amount isn't critical. Feed anywhere between 5% and 30% bone and your dog will be ok. He would probably be ok if it were even more bone. Excess calcium is excreeted through the kidneys. If you are curious USDA has a web site where you can look up all the nutrional information on each animal part by part. The site is at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Enter the word "raw" into the search criteria. For example, "raw chicken", "raw beef", etc. This site will tell you the percentage of bone in a particular part. For example, a chicken quarter is 35% bone.

How do you know when a bone is big enough that it would be safe to give?

I don't remember what size dog you have a chicken quarter is a good size for most dogs. A chicken back or breast is ok to feed most dogs also. Some people feed their dogs 1/2 chickens.

To answer your question ... give him a particular part ... if he swallows it whole, don't give him that again. I would be careful with drumsticks, thighs, wings, and chicken necks.

Why would a smaller bone (chicken wing) be dangerous to a larger dog?

For giant dogs like mine, it really doesn't matter. They regularly swallow pieces much larger than a chicken wing or neck but for medium size dogs, the way a chicken wing is shapped with the moving parts and all, they could possibly get lodged in the throat. I've never heard of a dog being seriously injured by one but I've heard of some owners being scared half to death. Chewing is an important part of a dogs health and well being so anything you feed him that he just swallows whole is not as good as something he must chew.

[heidiann]

*Raises hand* We do...since December, 2007.

[rosemaryninja]

Sigh. I used to feed raw...now I don't anymore, but I really wish I did.

[Mac'N'Roe]

I'm not sure if you'd call them medium or large..they are all about 55-60 lbs at a good lean weight. Large maybe? So, with them being basically they'd each require approximately 1.1 lbs food per day? Is this right? 8-9 ounces?

Originally Posted by rosemaryninja

Sigh. I used to feed raw...now I don't anymore, but I really wish I did.

If I may ask, why can't you anymore?

[poodlemom]

My two standard poodle girls eat raw, since the dog food recalls.

I have had no problems, and the "skinny" one has put on a few needed pounds. My younger gal was just in for a checkup and rabies shot, and the vet pronounced her at a "perfect" weight.

[rosemaryninja]

Originally Posted by Mac'N'Roe

I'm not sure if you'd call them medium or large..they are all about 55-60 lbs at a good lean weight. Large maybe? So, with them being basically they'd each require approximately 1.1 lbs food per day? Is this right? 8-9 ounces?

For the entire meal, the dog should be fed 2-3% of its body weight. Whether it's closer to 2% or 3% is reliant on your dog's metabolism, activity level and things like that.

Going with rough averages - 58 lbs being a healthy weight for them, and 2.5% being the percentage of that body weight that worked for them - it would be about 1.45 lbs of food (meat, organ and bones). Of this, about 10% should be organs, 10-20% bone and the rest should be meat. So that's 0.15 lbs organs, maybe 0.2 lbs of bone and 1.1 lbs of meat.

If I may ask, why can't you anymore?

It just got way too time-consuming. I always say raw isn't as much of a hassle as it's often perceived to be, and I still believe that, but at the end of the day it still takes a lot more time and effort than just scooping kibble. My local food sources don't even stock enough meat at once for me to buy a month's worth of food, so I have to buy and package weekly. I'm at work 10-12 hours a day and top of spending time with my family, walking the dogs for an hour...I just need to save time where it will hurt the least.

I still fully believe that a raw diet is the best thing you can feed your dog and I continue to recommend it to everyone who can afford the time. I will inevitably return to raw when my lifestyle is more accommodating.

[Kathyy]

I have been feeding one dog raw for a few months now. I started both my dogs on homecooked because of the food scares and health issues last year and started him on raw bones this year going all raw very gradually.

He loves it. He is a medium sized dog that acts like a toy dog in way too many ways. A chicken neck did get swallowed whole but caused no trouble. I love the way he bites to break the bones up before swallowing his chicken wings. He doesn't do as good a job with chicken legs as he does with pork ribs and scapulas, there are some white bits in his poop with the chicken legs.

He weighed 33 pounds for years and now is over 40 pounds. So the original 12 ounces have been dropped back to 10 ounces of carefully weighed out bony meat, meat and organ. Okay, he cleans up after his sister and gets lots of treats besides that. But the meals are carefully measured!

His coat is really black this year and longer than it has ever been. His teeth are whiter although even homecooked improved his teeth. His attitude is better. He is a spooky suspicious dog and while it could be maturity he is now eight years old and that seems late to achieve serenity. Okay not serenity less spooky.

[briteday]

Originally Posted by Mac'N'Roe

Yep, I pretty much knew you did

Raw is intriguing to me. I am interested, but like I'm sure most dog owners...I'm not quite sure about taking the plunge. I like the idea of KNOWING what is going into my dog.

I'm curious about the whole bone percentage thing. I know you say that it usually works itself out. How do you know what percentage your dog is getting? How do you know when a bone is big enough that it would be safe to give? Why would a smaller bone (chicken wing) be dangerous to a larger dog?

There is a good sticky at the top of the food section on the forum with loads of websites to read, get informed, and then decide which type of raw feeding plan is best for you. Then most members end up coming back here to ask questions and those of us who feed raw are happy to help.

As far as bone to meat ratio, a few tidbits to remember... poultry is almost the perfect ratio and a great place to start since it is an easy protein for most dogs to process initially. Once you get started then I suggest you take notice of your dog's stool every once in a while (I'll admit in the beginning I went out with my dogs every day!). If the stool is hard and white chalky then they are getting a bit too much bone. If the stool is runny, dark then they are getting a bit too much meat. And it's not something that you need to adjust every day. If they happen to have a meal with a lot of bone one day, that's ok. But you watch for trends. I don't think any of us (even me who is a biochemist by trade) figures out exact ratios or the exact contents of the food we feed. But since I have easy access to labwork I have taken the opportunity to be sure that my dogs are healthy in every way (chemically). If their results are in the correct range then I feel they are getting a balanced diet.

As far as cost I find raw feeding to be cheaper than premium kibble in my area. There are very few good kibble products here for $1/lb. Yet even though I don't have any great resources, besides the sales at the grocery stores and the "almost expired" bin at the grocery, I have been able to feed my dogs for under $1/lb...and that's including some special needs such as paying a butcher to grind some stuff for my two gals with missing teeth.

Easy?...I think feeding raw is just as easy as feeding kibble. I will admit that I tend to be a very organized person. So when I find a great sale at the grocery I bring it home and portion it out right away into containers that feed one meal each for 3 dogs and a cat. So each evening I pull out whatever I need from the freezer for the next day and keep it in the fridge to defrost. I open one container in the morning and dole out the meals, same in the evening. I actually find kibble to be more trouble since I don't have places that sell the premium stuff nearby and it's a chore to go buy kibble.

[Willowy]

My dogs get one raw chicken quarter each once a week, mainly for their teeth (and for a treat). Sometimes a whole 2-pound fryer chicken, if they're on sale. They like that.

I am intrigued by the thought of going fully raw. But.....I'm decidedly NOT organized, so it would be hard for me, I think, and I'd have to get a deepfreeze (my freezer isn't so big). Also, because raw meat is mostly moisture, the dogs need more of it than they do kibble....so even if I can get raw for less than a $1 a pound, the kibble would still be cheaper altogether. And the thought of buying meat for 3 large dogs, their combined weights over 250 pounds, is daunting. Plus I hate handling raw meat.....ick ick ick. I don't even eat meat at home, not even cold cuts. OK, I think those are all of my excuses .

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by Willowy

I am intrigued by the thought of going fully raw. But.....I'm decidedly NOT organized, so it would be hard for me, I think, and I'd have to get a deepfreeze (my freezer isn't so big).

A big freezer is definately a big plus. I buy most of my dog's food in bulk. Tomorrow I am going to order 170lbs of raw dog food. It will cost me around $60 or $70. I never know exactly because prices fluctuate.

Also, because raw meat is mostly moisture, the dogs need more of it than they do kibble....so even if I can get raw for less than a $1 a pound, the kibble would still be cheaper altogether.

Thats not true. Even with the moisture factor you will probably feed less raw food than kibble. Kibble has A LOT of filler. I feed raw for much less than a good kibble cost. I will warn you that it takes months to learn how to shop for dog food and to line up sources. The meat I'm going to order tomorrow will probably have an average cost of around .50/lb.

And the thought of buying meat for 3 large dogs, their combined weights over 250 pounds, is daunting.

Hehe, I have 2 dogs with a combined weight of around 300 lbs. I also feed raw to 2 cats.

Plus I hate handling raw meat.....ick ick ick. I don't even eat meat at home, not even cold cuts. OK, I think those are all of my excuses .

Well, thats something you will have to learn to handle. If you can handle a chicken quarter, you should be able to handle most anything else.

[rosemaryninja]

Originally Posted by RawFedDogs

Well, thats something you will have to learn to handle. If you can handle a chicken quarter, you should be able to handle most anything else.

Hehe. I remember having to handle fish roe sacs. Possibly the first occasion in the whole time I fed raw that I actually felt squeamish. Great source of Omegas though...

[Mac'N'Roe]

Originally Posted by briteday

There is a good sticky at the top of the food section on the forum with loads of websites to read, get informed, and then decide which type of raw feeding plan is best for you. Then most members end up coming back here to ask questions and those of us who feed raw are happy to help.

Thanks briteday. Yep, I've read all those stickies before...although it's been a while. I'll freshen up on it and think about it some more. I think the prey model diet is the way I would go.

[reynosa_k9's]

I feed raw as well. Other than the overall better health of my crew, cleaner teeth and no more doggie breath I really love the next-to-nothing messes in the yard to scoop up now. Before I could nearly fill up a bucket each night when on 'do-do duty' and that was with 'premium' kibble. Now what I scoop up, every two or three days, barely covers the bottom of the bucket and I'm cleaning up behind 6! (1 xxlg, 3 large and 2 med.)

Jihad
and the raw fed pound puppy crew.