Raw food for pets - BARF diet

[Copper'sMom]

Those of you who feed RAW, tell us everything you know about it, how to go about it, how to prepare, store and whatever else may need to be done to the food in order to serve it to our dogs!! Where to buy it, what to look for and whatever else you can think of we may need to know! I'm sure I'll have dumb questions even after all your info is here!

This is my new thread about RAW so my other thread about cheaper dog food(http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=26579) didn't get hijacked with all this new info!!

I, myself, don't like touching raw meat because it just grosses me out , but if it's good for my babies, then I'll do it for them! I'm not a big meat eater either, so my knowledge of meat preparation and storage etc. is minimal - ok so are my overall cooking skills but hey, that's what take out is for!!!!! LOL

Let the lesson begin!!!

[technodoll]

there is so much to tell, yet so little! All i can say is that, after doing it for over two years now and knowing plenty of other folks who do, too - man, is it ever eeeeaaaasyyyy. all that hoopla about bacteria and veggie mush and storage and mess? it's just that: hoopla!
i started out with the BARF model and not only was it time-consuming, it gave my boy the runs: it was too complicated. He unfortunately was one of the 5% or so of dogs who just does not like raw food, so he's been on kibble for 6 months now and you know what? his coat is crappy, his teeth are yellow, and when the summer rush is over he is going back on raw whether he likes it or not.
So, i have now adopted (loosely!) the prey-model diet, my 7-mth old girl loves it and in fact i cannot get her to eat a fruit or a veggie no matter what i do to it, LOL! she just looks at me like but moooom, i'm a carnivore!
Storage: a little chest-freezer, and a plastic bin in the fridge for the defrosted stuff. i clean it every couple od days when i think about it. no big deal, no human food touches it.
Buying meats: i found a couple of butchers who have good prices on staples like beef heart, organ meats, ground beef, & goat. Green tripe i buy from holistic petstore. I check the weekly sales flyers for good deals on turkey, chicken and pork. Eggs are always cheap and i stock up on canned fish at the dollar store. My dogs rarely like raw fish, so i've stopped buying it. I also add plain yogurt, cottage cheese, olive oil, canned dog food, etc to the diet. And because i believe variety is the key to a healthy diet, my girl often gets a frozen whole-wheat bagel or slice of bread to snack on, sometimes with peanut-butter or cream cheese. Both dogs looove this oh and a couple times per week they get plate leftovers like pasta, soup, meat bits, cheese etc mixed in their dinners.
some dogs like their meats lightly seared, or room temp, or semi-frozen, or completely frozen. The warmer the weather, the colder they like their food. really up to you to experiment in what your dog likes, it's really fun too.
And for those who think all this is time-consuming... Once per month, it takes me 30 mins for a round-trip to the butcher's, and another 2 minutes to dump everything in the freezer. About 4 times/ week, before going to bed, i pull out stuff and let defrost in a big bowl on the counter overnight. Breakfast = select a piece of meat/ meaty bone, drop in dog's bowl, put bowl down, store the rest in the plastic bin in the fridge, wash hands.
OK i'm sure you have questions, i don't have time right now to write a book, LOL - ask away!

[Puppyluv]

I just started raw a little while ago, so I'm still lerning. I've read about 8 books and 20 websites on it, but I stil have sooo much to learn. I'm pretty similar to technodoll, except that Layla adores fish, so I include raw fish in the diet, most of the time you can find this pretty cheap from a fish monger, but a month or so out of th year, prices do rise, so stock up when there are sales! (having a deep freeze is an asset!) I also give Layla veggies, but that is because she looooooovves them! zthey are by no means a major source of calories, more of somethig to chew on.
Layla doesn't do that well on chicken beef or pork (what is interesting, is that commercial dog fod with these meat in it gives her a HORRIBLE allergic reaction, where as these meats when served raw, only give her a minor reaction) So I stick to fish, lamb, duck, rabbit, venison and of course eggs. These are deffinately more expensive meats than chicken pork and beef, but it is still cheaper than kibble. (I get my food from a couple of butchers and mongers depending on the meat). I don't grind my bones, 99% of the time, bones don't need to be ground, only if your dog has certain medical conditions.
I keep a small rubbermaid container in my freezer with the portioned meat/fish in it. Then I have another one in my fridge, set up so that there are two of the same size stacked up (no lids). The inside container has small holes punched in it so that if the defrsoting meat leaks any liquids, they fall into the second container and the meat isn't sitting in a pile of liquid. This makes it a little easier to deal with.
I don't eat a lot of meat either, so I really only work with Layla's meat. So long as you keep your counters, fridge and freezer, dishes and hands clean, you shouldn't have to worry about pathogens.
While I was researching, I found this product http://www.bravorawdiet.com/ which is prepackaged raw. I see no need to use it because Raw is so easy. But if you're really squeamish about the meat, it might be an idea.

[BoxerRescueMTL]

Everything they said! Oh and check out ethnic grocery stores and China town for variety and good prices. Variety is key, don't get stuck in a rut of feeding the same thing all the time. Green tripe is an excellent source of nutrition and it is cheap cheap cheap. I get my green tripe from http://www.poshnosh.ca as I do my harder to find meat/bones/carcasses like bison, venison, quail, pheasant etc. I like to use white vinegar in a psray bottle to clean, it is all natural, inexpensive and kills everything. I also feed more of a prey model style, in that I tend to feed carcasses w/meat and organs and not really many veggies etc. Although the dogs do get treats and food from the table all the time.

[meb999]

very interesting thread!

How do you keep your dogs from dragging their food everywhere? The minute I give Buster a bone, he runs away with it...I can't imagine what he would if I gave him a whole carcass

Also, do you clean your dogs face after he eats, so he doesn't kiss you with his bacteria tongue? (sorry if these are stupid questions...)

[technodoll]

you can feed your dog in his crate, or designate a "feeding area" with a mat, for example, some feed outside and some feed in the kitchen, up to you to show your dog where he is allowed to eat

and no, i do not wash my dog,s face after she eats, her mouth takes care of any bacteria... she's free to kiss me anytime and nobody has ever gotten sick. (don't you know... dogs love to lick their privates, their dirty feet, the floor etc when you'Re not looking and then they come and kiss you? THAT is worse, LOL)

[BoxerRescueMTL]

I have a bunch of old towels that I throw down and the boys are used to having to stay on them now. Of course they still try to make a quick get away once in a while, but I catch them and put them back. They rarely try anymore. I don't wash their faces after, butI don't get too close after either - especially after tripe!!! heehee..I'm not worried about their bacteria kisses.

[Puppyluv]

Not stupid at all Meb! Funny you should ask about the dragging the food around, as just a few days ago, I started a thread on that one. (Eating on my carpet). Layla would take mouthfulls of food over to my carpet and eat it there Technodoll made a great suggestion that solved the prob entirely: go buy a couple of those carpeted door entrance mats (the big ones), put her bowl next to it, and it has become her area to eat the food. I have a couple so that I can rotate (one is in use, one is being washed/dried, one is clean).

I've only ever had to wash layla's face when she first started out, and she would get juice all over her. I usually give her paws a good wipe after, but we usually go for a walk shortly after, and she goes for a swim and cleans herself off.

[ankromjw]

Originally Posted by technodoll

there is so much to tell, yet so little! All i can say is that, after doing it for over two years now and knowing plenty of other folks who do, too - man, is it ever eeeeaaaasyyyy. all that hoopla about bacteria and veggie mush and storage and mess? it's just that: hoopla!
i started out with the BARF model and not only was it time-consuming, it gave my boy the runs: it was too complicated. He unfortunately was one of the 5% or so of dogs who just does not like raw food, so he's been on kibble for 6 months now and you know what? his coat is crappy, his teeth are yellow, and when the summer rush is over he is going back on raw whether he likes it or not.
So, i have now adopted (loosely!) the prey-model diet, my 7-mth old girl loves it and in fact i cannot get her to eat a fruit or a veggie no matter what i do to it, LOL! she just looks at me like but moooom, i'm a carnivore!
Storage: a little chest-freezer, and a plastic bin in the fridge for the defrosted stuff. i clean it every couple od days when i think about it. no big deal, no human food touches it.
Buying meats: i found a couple of butchers who have good prices on staples like beef heart, organ meats, ground beef, & goat. Green tripe i buy from holistic petstore. I check the weekly sales flyers for good deals on turkey, chicken and pork. Eggs are always cheap and i stock up on canned fish at the dollar store. My dogs rarely like raw fish, so i've stopped buying it. I also add plain yogurt, cottage cheese, olive oil, canned dog food, etc to the diet. And because i believe variety is the key to a healthy diet, my girl often gets a frozen whole-wheat bagel or slice of bread to snack on, sometimes with peanut-butter or cream cheese. Both dogs looove this oh and a couple times per week they get plate leftovers like pasta, soup, meat bits, cheese etc mixed in their dinners.
some dogs like their meats lightly seared, or room temp, or semi-frozen, or completely frozen. The warmer the weather, the colder they like their food. really up to you to experiment in what your dog likes, it's really fun too.
And for those who think all this is time-consuming... Once per month, it takes me 30 mins for a round-trip to the butcher's, and another 2 minutes to dump everything in the freezer. About 4 times/ week, before going to bed, i pull out stuff and let defrost in a big bowl on the counter overnight. Breakfast = select a piece of meat/ meaty bone, drop in dog's bowl, put bowl down, store the rest in the plastic bin in the fridge, wash hands.
OK i'm sure you have questions, i don't have time right now to write a book, LOL - ask away!

Hey I see you are an akita lady. Me too. This is my second one and nothing like my first one. Just like people, different huh.

[pick]

Sow let me see if I get the point: clean well the raw, select the kind and amount of bones and let them accustom to eat slowly raw food and all everything will going to be just fine is that all for begining?

Is there any age to start or can I started to feed in any time?

[SamIam]

Some puppies are fed raw right from weaning at the breeder's. As long as the diet is carefully balanced to support health and growth you can start a puppy with no problems.

[Masha]

Check out: www.rawmeatybones.com it has a lot of info on raw feeding which I used when i switched my guy to raw. A puppy can eat raw meat too, so can kittens. My sister's kittens have been raw fed since 4 months old.

[schoolmommy3]

Shilo was started on a raw diet 4 days ago. This morning he has a bloody poo. It is bloody as he is pushing I think. Any thoughts?

Blessings,
Tracey

[Scott_B]

ok, a bit of history. What have you been feeding for the last 4 days? What kinda pup are we talking about here?

[technodoll]

yes... how old is your dog, and what exactly has he eaten the past few days? anything besides raw (treats, sticks, cooked bones, etc)? how is his health otherwise? how is his poop? the more info you can give, the more we can help these things can and do happen, bright red blood is a sign of colon irritation of some sort and would require a day's fasting (if your dog is old enough) to give it a break and some time to recuperate. this also happens with kibble or eating all kinds of things, so don't panic

[Scott_B]

Have you fed any liver? Feeding too much liver too soon can create dark redish stool that may apear to be bloody.

[schoolmommy3]

Shilo is a 16 week old miniature daschund cross. He has been VERY healthy so far. The poo is bright red, and is drops after some diarreah. It is mixed with mucous, and some runny stool.

He did have some liver last night, but this is blood. He has been eating chicken with crushed bone. Interestingly, he did pass a piece of plastic with
sharp edges, about the size of 1cm square. He has still had some bloody mucous since passing this. Otherwise he is happy, playing and being the adorable little brat that he is.

I hope this helps!

Blessings,
Tracey