# Raw Food for Dogs?



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Found a video on raw food for dogs from a Vet on UTube.

Makes a lot of sense. 



 It is about 14 minutes long. Very informative.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

good stuff Linda, when are you starting?


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I have not done any research at all, I have no idea what goes into a diet.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Linda you can find recipes online, but I would get a consult with someone like Sabine , to customize it to your dogs. Even freezed dried is a big step up .


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

What is the average price monthly when going to raw food? I need a poll!


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

pays for itself down the road I bet.


----------



## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

Commercial or home prepared raw? I currently do commercial raw for one of my girls (she's lactating so she needs the extra nutrition) but am going to take the plunge to do home made raw for the rest of the pack after I find a meat grinder. From my current research home made raw can be even cheaper than a high quality grain free kibble depending on your source. Just depends on the source where you get your meat and what model of raw diet you follow: BARF, whole prey, prey model etc..

Here are some further links on raw feeding. Even a calculator for how much meat a month.. https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=116

I also feed Primal to the one. Tried Stella & Chewys, which is just expensive but doesn't go as far. Always, a plus when they coconut oil is already added to the food. Primal has a food calculator. Cheaper to buy the bigger bag of patties as a 6 lb bag of 12 patties for start at $30 where I'm located. The 3 lb bag of 48 1 oz nuggets go for start at $20. The cheaper formulas to go with are the chicken, beef, turkey/sardines & lamb. Venison, Duck, Quail and Pheasant are considerably more expensive.

http://www.primalpetfoods.com/

Hope this helps


----------



## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I feed commercial raw to both of my dogs. Every day they get a mix but I usually buy the same brands, OC, Primal, Stella and Chewys and Vital Essentials. I also give them pumpkin, squash and sweet potato. I know I could do a better job with the diet consulting Sabine and maybe home cooking so that's something I need to look into doing. I hedge by feeding the variety that their diet will be balanced. Interestingly they never have stomach issues even though they eat something different every day.


----------



## showelott (Oct 12, 2012)

I'm following the whole prey model raw diet. There is a Facebook group and a yahoo group Raw Feeding (RF) that I've found to be an invaluable source of info


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Can I give a chicken leg once in awhile to see how they would do? I have not approached my husband with the boys going raw food. I just want to take it slow... is this possible?


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

HavaneseSoon said:


> Can I give a chicken leg once in awhile to see how they would do? I have not approached my husband with the boys going raw food. I just want to take it slow... is this possible?


I don't feed raw on even close to a regular basis, because of my immune system problems. However, once in a while, I feed Kodi a chicken neck when I'm roasting a whole chicken. He LOVES them, and it sure doesn't seem to have hurt him at all. I just have to wash his face, chest and front paws VERY thoroughly when he finishes, so it's kind of a big deal... not something I'd want to do twice a day!!!


----------



## showelott (Oct 12, 2012)

@HavaneseSoon From the research I've done, it seems like it would be better to try all raw for a period of time and then evaluate how the dogs are doing. I've found that when I first switched over to raw, that the poops get a little runny before evening out again.

Lizzie eats about 1.5-2 pounds of food a week. Depending on the cost per pound of what I"m buying that works out to be around $4-10 a week. Many raw prey feeders feed wild game and all sorts of other things they get for free. And most buy meat on sale at the grocery store for under $1 a pound. We are an all organic household, so we spend a little more for our food. 

And many folks who feed raw also factor in the cost of fewer vet visits - no need for teeth cleaning, among other things.


----------



## steveoly (Jan 27, 2011)

I recently switched over to commercial raw for the boys and have tried both Stella and Chewys and Primal. Right now, Digs gets 6 oz a day and Odie gets 8 oz a day. We may adjust these portions going forward. It hasn't quite been a month since we've started the new diet, but it's about five of the 6-lb bags per month or about $150-160 for both of them per month.


----------



## jillnors2 (Apr 12, 2007)

> I'm following the whole prey model raw diet. There is a Facebook group and a yahoo group Raw Feeding (RF) that I've found to be an invaluable source of info


 I feed Prey Model Raw, I belive feeding Raw saved my dog's life. She was having autoimmune issues and hair loss 6 months ago, you can check out her agility video in the agility section to see how she rebounded- and all hair grew back


----------



## Miss Paige (Apr 4, 2008)

I feed Natures Variety Raw Medallions. I feed 2 oz in the AM & 2 oz at the PM feeding.


----------



## Ridersmom (Jul 3, 2013)

Hello all. I am new to the forum, and although I don't have my new furbaby yet, I have spoken with the breeder and she has been using a mix of commercial dry (Horizon Legacy Chicken which is produced in the province in Canada that I live in, and is all natural), along with raw chicken and fresh vegetables and fruit. She tells me that she has noticed a significant difference in her dog's coats and teeth, that the enzymes in chicken and the bones keeps their teeth squeaky clean and of course the raw vegetables help with this too. And she has never had any problems with upset tummy or other.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ridersmom said:


> Hello all. I am new to the forum, and although I don't have my new furbaby yet, I have spoken with the breeder and she has been using a mix of commercial dry (Horizon Legacy Chicken which is produced in the province in Canada that I live in, and is all natural), along with raw chicken and fresh vegetables and fruit. She tells me that she has noticed a significant difference in her dog's coats and teeth, that the enzymes in chicken and the bones keeps their teeth squeaky clean and of course the raw vegetables help with this too. And she has never had any problems with upset tummy or other.


While dogs like raw veggies and fruit, and it doesn't hurt to feed it to them (with a few exceptions like onion, grapes and avocado) they cannot digest them easily from raw either. Plant material must be broken down, either by cooking or pureed in a blender for dogs to really benefit from the nutrients in them.

Also, the term "all natural" doesn't really mean anything. Kibble, by its very nature is highly processed. I don't have anything against kibble... I feed it too. I just don't like meaningless marketing words. Your kibble may be a great quality product, but you can't tell from that wording.


----------



## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

I fed raw food to my previous Hav also. 

Now that I have a new fur baby, I'm wondering about the use of raw food with puppies. Would folks who have researched this suggest a mixture of high quality puppy kibble and raw food for a youngin'? I was just thinking that stuffing ground raw food mixed with kibble into a Kong might help with my ex-pen crying issues.


----------



## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

DebW said:


> I fed raw food to my previous Hav also.
> 
> Now that I have a new fur baby, I'm wondering about the use of raw food with puppies. Would folks who have researched this suggest a mixture of high quality puppy kibble and raw food for a youngin'? I was just thinking that stuffing ground raw food mixed with kibble into a Kong might help with my ex-pen crying issues.


I've fed raw to my puppy since bringing him home. My breeder sent me home with a bag of kibble which was a decent brand to help with the transition, but by the second day my pup was picking out the kibble and leaving it on his placemat. I stopped with the kibble earlier than I planned and he didnt have any stomach issues. For the treats you have to find what he loves, for mine its chicken. My friend's dog loves the pure bites liver treats.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

go raw but do it right.


----------

