I would say it is better to consult and get the proper guidance from a Vetenary doctor about the diet of the puppy with regular intervals, otherwise the diseases may evolve during certain intervals and that may lead to the death of your puppy. lewis diet book"
Raw Feeding?
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I'm in the UK so I suppose not much help - I do feed raw and the meat costs me approx ?4 a day for 8 dogs. There are of course many other costs in the way of biscuit,vegetables and supplements.
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Many people buy in large quantities in groups to keep the price down, but I have found I can order smaller quantities from my local butcher for a similar price. I can get a 40 lb box of chicken (necks, wings, or backs) for $22.00. So that is like 0.55 USD/lb. I feed two dogs right now and that lasts me a while. I only feed raw one meal of the day, typically. Plus you can go to Sams or Costco and get relatively decent prices on large packages of chicken, etc.
There are a number of Yahoo raw groups for local areas where you can coordinate with others to buy in bulk.
Thanks, and $0.55/lb is GREAT. I like the idea of feeding raw, but if i cant supplement the cost the dog would be eating more money then me.
haha :D. I think I'm going to join Sam's once the dog comes home. I wish I had that connect. haha. I'll look into group buying in my area. -
Thanks, and $0.55/lb is GREAT. I like the idea of feeding raw, but if i cant supplement the cost the dog would be eating more money then me.
haha :D. I think I'm going to join Sam's once the dog comes home. I wish I had that connect. haha. I'll look into group buying in my area.And just call around to local butchers too and even ask at the grocery stores if you can order meat in bulk (typically 40 lb boxes from what I can gather). It might be easier than you think. The challenging part with bulk is that after you get it, you have to repackage it all, which can take a chunk of a few hours to do it. I use a vacuum sealer, which works pretty well.
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So you can just buy packages of chicken and beef or pork, lamb at the grocery store or butchers and give it to your dog??? If so, are there certain cuts of meat to use/avoid?? I am soooo new at raw food- love the benefits to it but am intimidated by it not knowing what is consists of doing, buying etc…I should state that I would likely do a half/half diet of raw and high quality food- I just have to see if I can wrap my head around the do's and dont's...
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Chelsea, I truly suggest you read up on raw food. But you can start your dogs off on chicken wings.
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Chelsea, I truly suggest you read up on raw food. But you can start your dogs off on chicken wings.
So, Ive never done the raw thing…. Is food illness not an issue? do you literally go buy a package of raw ground beef and just dump it in the bowl?
I feed grain free across the board and have heard of the raw meat and egg treats called silk something.... i think, but I was always worried about them getting sick.....
And... I thought chicken wings were bad for dog if they get the bone? Do you have to debone all this meat?
I havent done any research on raw feedings, so learning here.
Also - when a dog whos been on grain free kibble for all 5 years of his life, if i was to switch over to raw, would this make his tummy hurt? would is cause digestive upset? pain?
thx!
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I feed raw meaty bones. Chicken wings, chicken backs, turkey necks (a favorite!) are my staples.
Dogs eat dead things, poop, cat poo etc. If the raw meat is not contaminated, they handle it without problems. Remember, raw is all dogs ate til the last hundred years or so. It takes many thousands of years to change on a molecular basis, so internally they can still handle raw foods like their wild relatives. That said, some recent research is not supporting they are HEALTHIER than kibble fed dogs, but they are not worse either. I still think raw is better.
No, do not debone. Just raw meat is not good, they need the calcium and balance. Also, the powdery poop is a plus, lol.
http://www.the-happy-dog-spot.com/raw-diet-for-dogs.html is fairly good though I do suggest you read billingshurst and others. I THINK I gave all my raw food books away but if you are serious about feeding it, I'll look and see if I have any left and give whatever I find to you.
Btw, I give 5 wk old puppies chicken necks, move them up to chicken wings by the time they are 8 wks old. I fed my geriatric Rottie who had liver/pancreas/intestinal issues raw from the time she was 4 and they gave her 6 mos to live. She lived to 13 1/2, which is ANCIENT for a Rottweiler.
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Yes, I second what Debra said..chicken backs, turkey/chicken necks are huge favorites at our house. I do feed only meats as well..but only sparingly as the bones make up for the calcium and the chew factor dogs crave to have. I also add very small amounts of veggies, like ground up carrots or green ben, raw as well, about the equivalent found in a stomach of a preyed animal..if that makes sense. The main concern with shopping for meats/bones is make sure it is just plain meats and bones, no added solutions, like sal or flavorings..fillers or the like..it is junk for us and it is absolutely junk for the dogs.
My dogs thrive on it, very nice clean teeth, breath that smells fresh as supposed something died in their stomachs..and nice shiny coats.
Just google RAW diet for dogs, BARF diet and you should find more information that you care to shake a stick at…and ask questions if you have any. -
Just a side note or 2 - first, make absolutely certain you do not contaminate surfaces especially with raw chicken. Chickens carry all sorts of bacteria, including salmonella, and it can be transmitted from surfaces, hands, etc, to humans.
Also, if you have a dog with Fanconi, be aware that Dr. Gonto is not in favor of feeding raw - no specific concerns, just that these dogs are dealing with enough and he's concerned about the bacterial overload being just one more thing for their systems to deal with.
I do know a lot of people who feed raw, and as Debra says, while they may not be healthier dogs, it does seem to make sense… That said, we feed commercial, premium foods, and our dogs have done fine. So I'd say it's simply personal preference.Terry
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Ayo was, or I should say is because we have only been trying this for a few weeks and I dont know if he is going to stick to it, BUT… I started mixing raw ground beeef, with his kibble. I basically just try to get the amount of kibble I want him to eat and mix it with some ground beef and he loves it and is doing great with it. He really doesnt like his kibble though, so if there is more kibble than meat he wont eat it. He is doing great on it though, gained some weight, and ( and I cant believe im about to say this) his poo looks healthier!! He used to go kind of soft always and now its .... better.. I have noticed he is a little more energetic though... dont know if it has anything to do with it !!
I dont know abut going totally raw though, i just feel like, the kibble has a balanced amount of a lot of stuff he needs, that i cant measure or know if I am supplying him with on a totally raw diet. -
My boy puppied on raw, then went to kibble, then back to raw, then again to kibble during his 7 years of life thus far. Although I've done a lot of reading, I'm definitely no expert, but everything I've read seems to say one shouldn't mix kibble and raw, especially in the same feeding, because the different digestion times between the two can cause tummy troubles. Although it sounds like your Ayo is doing well on a mixture, dmey, you may want to do some research and keep it in mind.
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I have read that, and I don't… but I truly doubt it is factual. We and dogs eat all sorts of things at once. Think about a wild canid eating a rabbit... you got meat, bones, partially digested stomach contents.
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I agree with Debra - naturally a dog mixes all kinds of food. This puts me in mind of something called an Atkins Diet which I believe suggests that protein and carbohydrates should be eaten at different meals.
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Atkins doesn't so much separate as very much restrict carbs. That said, I just read research that high carbs OR high fat doesn't seem to be medically an issue, but high both disastrous (humans not dogs).
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Like I said, dmey, do some research and make up your own mind. When I was feeding raw (prey model), feeding both together was a big no-no. (But then feeding any kibble at any time was a big no-no.) As was feeding vegetables as a staple, which are considered fillers and of no nutritional value.
IMO, if your dog is doing okay with the mix, keep on keepin' on. Most dogs will do okay on just about anything. They're scavengers at heart.
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Hi, please help
I need your advice as experienced raw Basenji feeders
I got my Basenji girl yesterday and she is on kibble at the moment (she will be 10 weeks on Monday)…so I am planning to switch her on raw feeding. I've red two books about it and I can't wait to start BUT I went to veterinarian today and she sock me with some (stupid) advices; first of all I'm from Croatia and here this is still strange feeding :S
So, she tried to convince me NOT to feed raw; she said that there are 2-3 dogs per month who needs operation because feeding with bones :S and that this is dangerous! That chicken bones are dangerous...That I need a lot of supplements if I decide to do that..vitamins and calcium! I now for fish oil, some veggie bulk and eggs, garlic, apple vinegar..but calcium!
Also, she said that I need to go on urgent operation for umbilical hernia but I found out from friend of mine (Tisa thanks) that this is common for Basenjis
Please, give me advice about it. I suppose that all of this is not true?!
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1. Umbilical hernias are common, but some do require immediate surgery if they are not securely tied off. They can indeed rupture. Get a 2nd opinion but do it fast.
2. I like raw feeding, but it does take work and making sure you balance it. If you would like some good web sites, glad to provide links.
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Thanks, please send me links
And yes, I'll go for 2nd opinion on Monday…but here is hard to find one who is familiar with Basenji beed :S
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If you feed raw with the correct proportion of bone (i.e., not just meat, but also bone and organs), you should still be giving your dog the appropriate amount of calcium. When my dogs get raw (we don't do raw for every meal, but about 30-50% of their diet is raw), they always get pieces with bone. And sometimes I cook meals for them too, but I've learned that they need added calcium in the form of powdered bone meal (something like this) or egg shells crushed and ground with a mortar and pestle.
I have yet to hear of a raw-fed dog that's had to go to the vet for an operation because of splintered bones in their stomach. I've heard of dogs that have chipped their teeth on bone, probably because they were being fed inappropriate pieces (i.e., weight-bearing bones). But cooked bones are the concern, not raw bones.
I am not an expert on raw feeding by any means, but this is what has worked for us.
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Exactly, cooked bone are a problem, raw are not. While as with everything, things can happen, but it would be very rare in my opinion that you would have splintered bones, that is what happens with cooked bones.
As far as the umbilical hernia goes, again, very rare that it needs to be "fixed" immediately. I would suggest if you are going to go back to the same Vet that you arm yourself with material about Basenjis and umbilical herinas. I would venture to guess that at least 75% have them in various sizes.
