Raw food diet (dogs)

[Mikey]

I changed my dog over to a raw food diet, 3 or 4 weeks ago, and he's a changed animal. I can't get over his response now to food of all kinds. When I'm preparing meals in the kitchen he's alert automatically thinking its for him, while before when he was on dry biscuits he was non plus'd about all food, left food in his bowl and didn't have the energy levels he does now. This is saying a lot too as he's a springer spanial, and never stops running when loose.

I've been feeding him mainly chicken up until now with the occasional egg thrown in. I think he's ready to progress so have spoken to a butcher today about meat scraps, and he said to call in about 4.30 and I can have whatever he's got.

So my question is for all those that feed their dogs in this way what do you give them?

I understand the ratios of meat and bone etc, but what do you ask of your butcher, scraps, fat, gristle, bone, liver, heart kidney?, and what don't you give them. There was a really good link from TS I think on one of the other threads but I can't find it now, I thought I'd bookmarked it.

Also do you feed your dogs vegetables, my boy loves carrots but what else is ok to feed? I know I should avoid broccoli, but are there any other no no's.

Finally, what kind of response do you get from your vet, my boy will be going in for his first annual checkup in a couple of weeks. Do you tell your vet you feed raw, or do they frown upon it?

Sorry lots of questions....

[darcyvuqua]

I've been looking into this diet for my ridgeback it's meant to do ridgebacks a world of good I'm going to watch this thread closely!

[bearded bloke]

Yep,was deffo a TS post Mikey,my old dog used to have a small version of whatever I was eating including any veg & fruit,wasn't keen on orage segments by was very keen on grapes.

[ancee]

Wish I could afford to do it, but my two are enormous and I would have to buy a full cow or two every week!

[bearded bloke]

Mikey,was it something like .....

Weigh your dog to learn how much raw food to feed each day. The amounts of ingredients in raw food diets are based on weight. Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinarian who advocates raw diets for dogs, suggests feeding amounts that equate to between 2 to 3 percent of a dog's body weight, or about 1/2 lb. of food per 25 lbs. (11.3 kg) of body weight. Puppies should be fed no more than 10 percent of their body weight or 2 to 3 percent of their ideal ADULT body weight. Remember that more active dogs will eat more than a lazy dog. Most raw feeders use this guide:

Approx. 80% muscle meat with fat
Approx. 10% Organs
Approx. 10% Raw meaty bones. (also give raw meaty bones as treats throughout the week).
Green tripe can make up 15% to 18% of overall diet.
Eggs – Once a week, preferably raw, the white and the yolk.
Feeding these proportions isn't required everyday, but instead can be balanced out throughout each month. Variety is the key.

taken from .. How to Make a Raw Food Diet for Dogs: 10 Steps - wikiHow

[Bren In Pots]

Mikey here's two sheds post :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1151302

[Mikey]

I don't think it was that link, but that is certainly the percentages BB.

I'll have to see what else they sell later on this afternoon, does anyone feed neck, fries, snout, head, trotters, marrow, brains? I have a good cleaver so I've no aversion to slicing and dicing.

I can buy frozen chicken portions for about £1.60 a kilo, so I'm going to find out what they can supply at around the £1 a kilo and work my way up from there. The scraps they said I can have for nothing as they have someone who collects them once a week. I'll have to see what that entails later.

[Mikey]

Thats the one Bren, excellent. The thing that has surprised me most his how little water he drink now. I used to fill his bowl daily now I have to empty the mostly full bowl daily.

I guess that the problem with dry food, you have to hydrate a lot more.

[Glutton4...]

Firstly, DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG GRAPES. EVER!

Please please PLEASE do an internet search before feeding anything for the first time. Just because it is there, and they will eat it, doesn't mean it is ok.

My Butcher sells bags of chicken wings, as he has several customers that buy them for their dogs. He also saves me any chicken carcasses he has, but I do have to chop them up, as one of mine will pig her food down, and I worry she'll cause herself problems. I have also started buying liver and heart to mix in, as there isn't much meat on the carcasses, and I don't like them having just bones.

On rare occasions, if I'm short of meat, because I've forgotten to defrost some, they get a handful of their old dry food and a bit of tinned ch@pp!€ as a change. I always make sure I have some for emergencies - a bit like keeping two ready-meals in the bottom of the freezer for emergencies!

My non food-orientated Dog, who I used to have to cajole into eating, now comes up to me and asks for his grub, and does that silly dance that they do.

I have also found they had much more energy at the start, but it's settling down now, and you're right about the water. Mine drink a fraction of what they used to.

[Glutton4...]

I have been told they only get the vitamins out of cooked veg, not raw. But my Mum has heard the opposite, but I haven't looked into it yet. I have also been told not to feed them pork, but haven't yet researched that, either.

Now mine are settled on the Raw, I am reducing their ration, gradually.

The cost is higher, the time taken to 'do' their food twice a day is greater, but I'm happier feeding them food that I recognise, rather than an unrecognisable mass-produced product.

I only have to poo-pick my garden twice a week, instead of daily, too!

[Travellers]

Hi, I have a 5 year old working strain, English Springer Spaniel bitch. I get meat trimmings, weekly from my local butcher, and she is fed raw, as well as a couple of handfuls of biscuits, and has never had a days illness. Prior to her I had two springer dogs who were fed the same, only injections were the usual booster jabs once a year. they lived to 15 and 16. You can see what they are eatiing, not so sure what goes into tinned dogfood.

[Glutton4...]

OK, I've been g**gling.

Pork is OK in moderation. The risk of worm problems is low nowadays due to better animal husbandry, and the UK was always a far lower risk than in the USA where the problem was more prevalent. Trim off the fat, where possible, as excess fat consumption is linked to Pancreatitis.

No cooked bones.

No Onion, Garlic or similar, as these can cause anaemia.

No Tomatoes, Avocados or Fungi.

No Grapes, Raisins, Peaches or similar (stone fruit).

No citrus fruit - Oranges, Lemons etc and no Apple pips/seeds.

Most other veg is fine, raw or cooked.

We're all learning!

Happy g**gling...

[bearded bloke]

Why no grapes ??????????????????? my dog lived to 17 1/2 years

[darcyvuqua]

Why no grapes ??????????????????? my dog lived to 17 1/2 years

This forum would be a lonely place if were all feeding grapes to our dogs

[Bren In Pots]

Why no grapes ??????????????????? my dog lived to 17 1/2 years

Our collie was the same she lived to be just over 18 years and ate everything apart from uncooked prawns and orange peel.