raw feeding questions

[happydogs]

Hi there, we have recently changed our 2 dogs to a raw food diet. we are currently feeding them mountain dog frozen raw food. it is either chicken or turkey, course ground with bone in and contains veggies and fruits, we also occaisionally give them the meat and bone only variety of the same brand.

I just wanted to be aware of what to look for if the dogs were to become infected with salmonella or anything of that nature due to the raw feeding as there seems to be a lot of concern with that. We are very careful with cleaning their bowls, replacing the water after they have eaten and drank, not feeding raw food over 2.5 days old in the fridge, and their food never sits out for more than a few minutes, they wolf it down pretty quick!

also are there any other immediate problems that come to mind that we should watch for given their new diet.

the dogs are Mikki a 1.5 yr old bijon-****zu, the other Scooby, is a 3 year old bijon-terrier cross and are absolutely loving the new food!

[LavenderRott]

Doggy digestion is much different then people digestion. The chances of your kids getting some type of bacteria from their food are slim. I feed my girls raw, and haven't given it a second thought. And since I buy chicken and such from the grocery store, their chicken isn't always the freshest, sorry to say.

Raw has done wonders for my girls. My senior rottweiler has more energy then she has had in years, sheds less and looks fabulous.

[Shelby]

I would like to feed my dogs raw, but not sure where to start?? Is it expensive? I feed them chicken carcasses and wings, kangaroo tails or meaty bones twice a week, but is it good for them to have bones all the time?

[alpha sheltie]

Salmonella shouldn't be much of a concern. Remember, bacteria is everywhere. Some sites even say that kibble has been found to have Salmonella (or maybe it was some other kind of bacteria?).

I used to feed raw. The only reason why we don't feed it anymore is because it got too expensive feeding two dogs when we couldn't buy bulk. Once we get another freezer, we're going back to raw. I also used Mountain Dog Food. I didn't feel comfortable making my own meat/veggie mix so I figured that was a good alternative. Do you feed bones as well (as in, JUST bones. Not the pre-mixed one)? What I did was, I'd feed the mix in the morning, and bones at night. Then a couple times a week, I'd throw in some organs and eggs. The dogs did amazingly on it. I can't wait til I get them back on raw.

I would like to feed my dogs raw, but not sure where to start?? Is it expensive? I feed them chicken carcasses and wings, kangaroo tails or meaty bones twice a week, but is it good for them to have bones all the time?

It depends on how good a shopper you are. Obviously, it's better if you can buy bulk but if you feed just one dog and don't buy bulk, it's not too bad. We spent roughly $4 a week feeding two (medium-sized) dogs (and that was with premade stuff). Some butchers give bones out for free. There's a butcher around here that has beef bones cut according to the dog's size and they're absolutely free.

Bones should be a regular part of the diet. So yep! It's great if you can feed bones often.

[LavenderRott]

My friend Carina, wrote a book called "Raw Dog Food" that is available through dogwise.com. It is a wonderful book for beginners. (And no, I don't get cash for recommending her book! LOL!!!)

[GsdDiamond]

I thought feeding them any sort of boned food, other than the larger bones they can't splinter, was bad for them? I see here, though, that a few of you are feeding chicken parts (wings and carcases). Is this good for the dog?

[happydogs]

Originally Posted by Shelby

I would like to feed my dogs raw, but not sure where to start?? Is it expensive? I feed them chicken carcasses and wings, kangaroo tails or meaty bones twice a week, but is it good for them to have bones all the time?

Hi shelby, you should look on the internet for info, you can type raw feeding into a google search or anything like that. Interestingly there are a lot of sites from australia, and a number of vets there with raw feeding sites. Seems the Austrailian vetrinary community may be more accepting of the raw diet! Another searchword you could use is the acry "BARF".

Cheers!

PS congrats on the silver in baseball...aargh!!

[happydogs]

Thanks all for your input. It's comforting to speak with others who have had some experience with the raw diet. I have only been feeding the mountaindog mix with bone in and not whole bones except for the occasional smoked bone as a treat. Is the whole bone raw intended to replace a mixed meal?

Cheers

[Shelby]

Thanks everyone for the information.

Happydogs, when I feed my dogs meaty bones or chicken carcasses, it replaces the mixed meal.