Feeding dogs raw food?

[captgreg]

Question for my fellow Brewers out there! I have been contemplating feeding my dogs a raw diet for a while now, my vet is somewhat against it but I kind of feel she has to push the dog food they sell, which I don't feed to my dogs. But anyways, was wondering if any of you other dog loving Brewers out there feed your dog a raw diet? Where do you get your meat? Do you feed commercial or more diy style? I see so much different information. Let me know what you think!

 

[FloppyKnockers]

A raw diet is the best thing you could feed your dog. You can get the food at most pet stores in the cooler or at holistic vets. It is not cheap! Expect you dog food budget to double or triple depending on what you're feeding him/her now. You can also search the web for recipes to make you own. I don't feed my dog a raw diet because of the expense and time, but I do feed her some really good dry commercial food.

 

[captgreg]

A raw diet is the best thing you could feed your dog. You can get the food at most pet stores in the cooler or at holistic vets. It is not cheap! Expect you dog food budget to double or triple depending on what you're feeding him/her now. You can also search the web for recipes to make you own. I don't feed my dog a raw diet because of the expense and time, but I do feed her some really good dry commercial food.

I am feeling also that it would be the best thing for them. I feed them Orijen now which I think is one of the best dry food out there. I've read that from the pet food stores the cost will at least double, but I'm also seeing from reading about some buying meat in bulk and feeding that way and it's actually cheaper. Lots of information to digest

 

[captgreg]

Oops double post

 

[user 141939]

I have a copy of this book that I think is the book that started a lot of the BARF diet thing that is popular now...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0646160281/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Might be worth picking up or perhaps you could find a more recent one since this book has taken some criticism over the years. I would love to do this but it scares me. I would like to just switch over from taste of the wild to Origen, it's dry food but at least it's a really good one.

 

[sikkingj]

I've been feeding both of my dogs a raw diet for about five years now - the dogs never got to the vet except for checkups they are both 8 years old and in excellent health.

As for feed I feed them a lot of chicken (Costco $0.99 per pound). I occasionally throw in a raw egg, etc. I don't blend my foods, too much effort. I add broccoli or cucumbers , sliced, to the dishes. I feed 4 and 7 oz per dog twice a day. The difference in weight is due to the difference in size and activity of the dogs.

Recently the dog has been protesting the chicken, so I switch in pork ribs or ground beef, rice and vegetable for a week and they they are back on the chicken.

The first time you feed them, they will not know what to dog - drag it to the middle of the yard and guard it, eat it then throw it up and then eat it again, etc. After a week they will get it.

My one regret was not varying the diet a bit more, they don't like fish, game, etc.

It is by far the single best thing I have done for my dogs...

 

[captgreg]

I've been feeding both of my dogs a raw diet for about five years now - the dogs never got to the vet except for checkups they are both 8 years old and in excellent health.

As for feed I feed them a lot of chicken (Costco $0.99 per pound). I occasionally throw in a raw egg, etc. I don't blend my foods, too much effort. I add broccoli or cucumbers , sliced, to the dishes. I feed 4 and 7 oz per dog twice a day. The difference in weight is due to the difference in size and activity of the dogs.

Recently the dog has been protesting the chicken, so I switch in pork ribs or ground beef, rice and vegetable for a week and they they are back on the chicken.

The first time you feed them, they will not know what to dog - drag it to the middle of the yard and guard it, eat it then throw it up and then eat it again, etc. After a week they will get it.

My one regret was not varying the diet a bit more, they don't like fish, game, etc.

It is by far the single best thing I have done for my dogs...

Wow, thanks for the information! So you are under 2$ per day each dog roughly if my poor math is right. That's not bad. And looks like it saves in the long run on the vet bill end. Do you feed them outside? Do you wipe their faces and paws afterwards?

 

[MaxStout]

 

[Hamaki]

This Mrs. decided a couple of years ago that our three dogs should go this route. They were already old & had health problems. Two have died, probably no sooner or later than they would have otherwise and I did not notice any change in the quality of their lives.

Our last, a 12 year old lab, has been doing more poorly on this diet than he did on Purina dog chow. Though he was overweight before, he's lost too much and seems less energetic and less coordinated than before. I can't say it's the diet for sure but despite borderline obesity and fatty tumors he'd remained pretty agile until shortly after he went on the raw diet.

I know better than to argue against the Mrs. on this point, however, because it would result in other expensive dietary additions rather than reverting to kibble.

 

[Inkleg]

My 3 dogs and 3 cats (one Sphynx,2 Short haired) are on kibble, just easier for me right now and all are in great health.

I am good friends with a Sphynx cat breeder. All of her cats (around 20) plus her two dobermans are on raw food. Everyone of her animal are in great health too.
She gets her meat from a local company called Blue Ridge Beef.

There is a little more work involved in a raw diet. She tailors the cats food with vitamins and supplements, but just feeds the dogs straight Blue Ridge Beef. As my older dogs pass and I become a Crazy Naked Cat Guy, I'll probably switch to raw food too.

 

[AdamBomb]

My dogs don't eat raw diet alone I also feed dry.

I am an pastured poultry producer, I raise hogs, and butcher my own deer so there are a lot of raw meat to go around especially at processing time. They love the trimmings and scraps.

 

[sikkingj]

Wow, thanks for the information! So you are under 2$ per day each dog roughly if my poor math is right. That's not bad. And looks like it saves in the long run on the vet bill end. Do you feed them outside? Do you wipe their faces and paws afterwards?

Yes, I feed the dogs outside. I do not wipe faces or paws, I don't see the need and I have two children under four, never had an issue.

Having said all of that, I do clean the dog bowls, thongs and anything else that gets into contact with the raw chicken. I store the chicken thighs in a glad Tupperware container (a long one, maybe a gallon size?). I like the Costco chicken thighs because a whole thigh is about 8oz and a half thigh puts me at the 4oz mark, which is perfect for my two hounds.

Again, I think this is the best thing I've done for the dogs...

 

[TNTgill]

There is no medical benefit for feeding raw. The exact opposite may be true as dog foods are balanced for your pet and if you feed some raw meat here and a few veggies there, then there is no way that this is balanced. I am a vet and have seen problems related to raw and barf diets. I have had to remove bones stuck in the intestines and seen dogs die of salmonella and improper nutrition. You are also putting your family at risk by feeding raw foods. I never push any foods in my office however I do prescribe diets for specific medical issues (renal, liver, bladder stones etc). While we are talking about diets don't believe everything you hear about dogs and soy or wheat or gluten. There is no medical evidence that dogs have gluten allergies but if you listen to the dog food companies then every dog out there is doing poorly because they eat corn or wheat. The American College of veterinary dermatologists released a statement a few years back about dogs do not have gluten allergies.

 

[fivepointslow]

We just swapped to whole earth farms which is meat based instead of grain based. If this doesn't stop the allergy issues il go to home made food. I don't feel there is a need for strait out raw food. If I can give them meat plus other good stuff why not?
My issue is I have a lab husky mix and a jack Russell terrorist so I need to get a balance between the 2.

 

[bford]

I've done both... my two current dogs are both five years old.... we did a raw diet for a year.... from age three to four... they were on a high quality kibble before and again now...

We didn't see any improvements or changes in them.. both were in great shape before, during raw... and after....

Both only go to the vet for vaccinations...

The cost, even when buying in bulk was 2-3 times as much for us...

A good friend has two Bull Mastiffs, one is on raw and one eats kibble... the second one just didn't do as well on a raw diet so they switched back.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I know this thread is asking about raw food but I wanted to post what we feed our old girl. She likes this brand more than anything we've ever fed her in the past. We mix it with a little hot water and a couple spoons of wet food.

the kibble:
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/senior-dog/

the wet food:
http://www.avodermnatural.com/Dog_Foods/adult_lr13oz_can.htm

Whenever we have a chicken or turkey for dinner, we chop and lightly fry the liver, heart and gizzard and add that to her food as well.

 

[captgreg]

Thanks to all who have responded! I feel like the kibble we feed them now is one of the best so I think I will keep them on that now for the time being.