Seriously looking into raw feeding but need ways to cut costs first

[carolinagirl58]

The most gruesome sight in the world is watching my Anatolians munch on their favorite treat....whole deer heads. Those big 'ol eyes staring back at me while the dogs chew the ears off.....ewwwwwwwww!! But they LOVE it so I just don't watch. lol.

 

[pinkfoxfarm]

whole heads are the one thing i cant do...
when i butcher my own the heads get bagged up and sent off to a raptor rehab center...i knwo the dogs and cats miss out on the brains that way but theres just something about seeing those little heads (i mostly do rabbit) generally i behead and skin/defeather (the latter simply for my own clean up sake lol) they get it whole (or the whole thing over a period of days if its large) otherwise...but i just cant handle heads lol

 

[Skyesrocket]

Can dogs be fed raw pork? Does it cause any digestive upsets?

 

[watchdogps]

Quote:
No problem at all! My dogs are eating some pork necks and ribs right now.

 

[Skyesrocket]

Thanks. I was wondering because I can't remember ever seeing dog food made with pork.

 

[i<3mych1ckens]

I feed my dogs a raw food diet. I would say the best time of year to get into it would probably be the holiday season because turkey is so cheap. I've been buying whole turkeys the past few weeks for 59 cents a pound. After a few months (maybe even weeks) they'll have no problem chewing up the thickest bones and as far a supermarkets go, turkey's far meatier than the chickens they sell.

I also noticed earlier in the thread you were discussing hunter's game. I would suggest that you make sure the game has been frozen for a while. They say it ensures that any parasite in the wild meat are erradicated. It's not a problem for humans because you're cooking it, but more of a concern for dogs.

I personally run somewhere in between TracyDr and Chicky-dees. Unlike cats, dogs are not obligate carnivores, meaning they can survive without meat. Whether or not they can thrive is another story. When considering the species of wolves it's the exact same as the species of dogs- Canis lupus. Although they look different, they are anatomically the same. It's interesting to consider the fact that in domesticity, large dogs like Great Danes have such stunted lifespans, sometimes only nine years, and this is attributed to their size. In contrast, Wolves are towering creatures that, when fed a biologically appropriate raw diet in captivity can live up to 30! This is why I feed my dog raw (he's not allowed to ever die! I love him too much--haha) It's also true that wolves really don't eat much, if any vegetation. When a wolf takes down it's prey, it eats everything EXCEPT the stomach contents. Nevertheless, I don't particularly see anything wrong with offering your dogs some vegetables. I use them as treats because it's a little icky to keep raw meat in your pocket on the off chance your dog does something good. I wouldn't allow a dog to fill up on vegetables tho, because then he won't be getting his proper supply of meat, bone and organ.

I would also suggest you find yourself a vet that is open and knowledgeable on the subject of raw feeding. There's nothing worse than a vet who is adament that you're killing your dog because he's getting too much protein, except perhaps a vet who doesn't know anything about it at all. I've had vets comment on how astonishing my dogs teeth/coat/overall health was and then do a complete 180 when they found out I was feeding him a raw diet. It's important to realize that that stigma is there and you probably won't change their minds. Many vets, upon opening practices are offered a free year supply of Science Diet to sell their customers to jump start there business. After a year of selling something, is it any suprise that many of them are loyal to the company? The unfortunate problem with Science Diet, IAMS, Beneful (eeek!) and most commercial dog foods is animal based protein is just too darn expensive, as I'm sure you've discovered firsthand. They attempt to supplement their protein content with vegetable and grain proteins, sometimes even soy. Unfortunately, these are incomplete amino acids that really aren't considered complete proteins. The dogs symply can't absorb some of these amino acids and this leads to defficiencies. In addition, dogs are notorious for eventually developing allergies to wheat, soy and corn which can cause skin rashes, itching, bad breath and far worse.

I commend you on your interest in raw feeding. It may be more effort, but it's also far more fufilling knowing you're doing everything you can for the health of your dog.

 

[Skyesrocket]

i>3mych1ckens,

Thanks for the informative post. Out of curiousity I have to ask....are you as knowledgable about human diets?

 

[i<3mych1ckens]

Um...no. lol. I dabbled in being a vegetarian for a while, but the incomplete protein thing I talked about is true for humans as well. You have to really vary your vegetable proteins in order to get all the amino acids you need. I ate a lot of beans but I'm not much of a fan of rice or any other grain or soy, and I got really sick. Now I'm a pescatarian (I'll eat fish but no other meat). So in a way, I learned firsthand how accidentally not getting balanced protein can make you deficient. Other than that, I'm way more knowlegeable in cat and dog nutrition.

I worked as a kennel tech at an animal hospital and then at a pet store for a while and was constantly doing research to adequately answer customer's questions.

 

[watchdogps]

I<3mych1ckens - thankyou for a great post! As a die hard raw feeder for 12+ yrs, I love love love running into people who do know so much about it! I love switching people over too, but it always nice to see others who are already as crazy as me!

 

[pbjmaker]

My problem will be getting the hubby on board as well. Right now they get Diamond Naturals. My allergy dog still looks horrendous.

I had some good proof for the hubby the other day. - Tucker got into the chicken feed which has whole oats in it the other day. He had an almost entirely oat poop log come out the next morning. I was like "see they don't break stuff like that down!" It was very little "poop" material and very recognizable oats.

The bones make me the most nervous. My MIL's bichon choked to death about 1 1/2 years ago on a piece of gristle (no bone)

But then Tucker threw up again today, so something in his diet needs to change.

ETA: Tucker is not the dog with allergies. He just randomly throws up his entire stomach contents on occasion. This just started a month ago. Everytime we think he has quit he does it again just to prove a point