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Going back to Raw!

Dublin

Well-known member
Im going back to Raw with Sparky, recently on the fish based diets (Fish4dogs & arden grange white fish/potato -aka sensitive) he's put on a bit of weight & although not fat he's not his slender self!

So, while taking my friend up to Belfast zoo on tuesday I stopped by a pet warehouse & picked up packets of prize choice frozen pet mince (chicken, chicken & liver,beef, tripe, beef & tripe, chicken & tripe, rabbit & white fish) & filled as much of my new freezer I had room for!! (Mark wasnt impressed!!!)

Unfortunatly the shop is an hour & a half away from me but I worked out the amount I bought will last both dogs aprox 60 days so I wont have to go up too often.

For some reason Cassie dosnt do too well soley on RAW so she'll just be getting a bit of the mince along with her Royal Canin Mini Mature & she'll be just fine!

So since wednesday Sparks has been off kibble & back on the raw - with salmon oil & mixed veggies added too & is loving it! Hopefully he'll be back to his svelt self soon!:)
 
Hi Sonia
I have always wanted to try raw but being a stupid male I havent a clue about how much and how to feed it ,ie do you boil it ,gaive it as it is or any other way and the veg is it fresh or boiled and an indication of how many grammes of what pls .

Thanks
brian
 
Brian you're not a stupid male!

With the 'Prize choice' brand http://www.prizechoice.co.uk/ I bought (which is only avalible in the UK - which is why I had to go to Northern Ireland!!) it actually gives feeding requirrements on the back of the packs - but it's a bit vaigue (sp) as it says small dogs 250g - which I actually give Sparky less as it seems an awfull lot to be honest (over half a 400g pack) - but I think it's because it dosnt say to give mixer - which I dont use I give frozen (thawed) mixed veggies - I thaw them & give Sparky apros a heaped tablespoon per meal. To be honest im not great at weighing things so I tend to give what I think looks about right to me then see the results & see which way the dog is going weight wize & adjust as needed. (If im using dry foods I do initialy weigh them though!)

It can be boiled if you want (my mum used to microwave it!) but I thaw it (on the side not in the microwave as that part cooks it & that can be a problem) & feed it that way (as if its in any way cooked Its not raw anymore & raw 'aparently' is easier to digest.

So it's dead easy - leave the pack out overnight (I put mine in a air tight container as it can smell a fridge out when thawed - especialy any variety with tripe!!) & it's thawed in the morning & ready to use! The 400g pack lasts 3 days for Sparky & cost me 89p - my friend works in a pet shop in England & says they sell it for 70p a pack as they buy it in bulk. There are other brands that are good too - my mum used to buy 'Bambers' & 'Forthglade' http://www.forthglade.co.uk/default.asp (for some reason that dosnt show the frozen stuff only their cooked 'menu' varieties which are very good too!)
 
Brian - the pre-mixed raw diets over here in the U.S. have guidelines printed on their packaging. Here is an example, like many companies they have it on their web site http://www.primalpetfoods.com/education/calc

Sophie weighs 20 lbs (9 kg) so I feed her 7 ounces (198 grams) per day, and divide that into two meals. I don't cook it, the veggies are already in the pre-mixed (hence the term 'pre-mixed') and I make sure it has ground bone, or one can add calcium to the diet for their bones. I'll also give her an egg once a week, and a bit of yogurt occasionally if she's in the mood. I also give her a daily multi-vitamin and her Omega supplements.

My favorite brand has no carbohydrates (usually potatoes) and she does fine. http://www.omaspride.com/ Here they describe the preparation process.
 
I bought a couple of prizechoice freeflow mince meat packets about a year ago, after one meal my Mum banned them from the house :eek: we can manage handling raw chicken, beef, lamb etc, but these are something else... Dublin will prob agree you need a strong stomach to go near!!:D
 
I have always wanted to try raw but being a stupid male I havent a clue about how much and how to feed it ,ie do you boil it ,gaive it as it is or any other way and the veg is it fresh or boiled and an indication of how many grammes of what pls .


brian



Brian if you want find out more about feeding a raw diet there is a group called BritBarf, there you will be able to ask many questions and also get a idea how much to feed.
There are also a number of brilliant books you can read. If you want any more info just pm me.

Nanette
 
Brian - your dogs have such beautiful coats already, that if they aren't having any health issues, I would say stick with kibble if it's easiest for you. Raw feeding is a bother, IMO.

Our last dog (Shih Tzu) was 100% kibble-fed, lived 16 years, and developed skin issues in his old age. He had no other health issues. Perhaps switching to raw would have helped, but I didn't know about raw feeding before we got our Cavalier. With all of Sophie's allergies, I think this is why her breeder feeds raw and suggested it. I'll bet Sophie's parents have allergies. My breeder stop communication with me when I started inquiring about allergies. Hhhmmm.....

I would keep Sophie on at least a 50% kibble diet, if I didn't think some of the ingredients are the cause of her itching and scratching. It seems to get worse with kibble and there are too many ingredients in it for me to figure out the trigger. She has almost no scratching with the Oma's Pride raw mix diet, as it has very few ingredients beyond the meat & bone.

We have to take our own convenience factor into the equation when making feeding decisions. Especially if the dog is not suffering health issues. I don't enjoy cooking for myself and the DH, so I'm certainly not going to cook for a dog. The raw mix is as much work as I'm going to put into it, and it is a bit of bother. Figuring out proportions on a BARF diet is too much for this old girl who prefers to eat out or carryout as often as possible. ;) I'm so grateful for the raw pre-mixed diets.
 
I bought a couple of prizechoice freeflow mince meat packets about a year ago, after one meal my Mum banned them from the house :eek: we can manage handling raw chicken, beef, lamb etc, but these are something else... Dublin will prob agree you need a strong stomach to go near!!:D

I actually dont find feeding the 'minced' raw meats a problem (& I was a veggi for 12 years!) Handeling the raw chicken wings, hearts & liver can be a bit icky though! The packets of mince I keep in an airtight container & leave to thaw on the kitchen side over night & then cut into portions with a knife once thawed so there isnt too much handeling to be honest.

Another thing to add is that Sparky wears a snood round his ears when eating his raw food for hygene reasons - but he dosnt mind coz he knows the good stuff is on its way!!:D

Ps - my mum was the same when I lived at home too!!!:smile:
 
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