akitas Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 As I could get hold of a brilliant freezer a while back (thanks to freecycle ) I decided to change my dogs to raw meat now. Can anybody point me in the right direction please? Websites with information, places where I can order good quality meat. How much fruit and veggie the dogs need and do I need to liquidize it??? (Read that somewhere) Thanks for all your help. Ursula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I am by no means an expert but have been feeding mine raw for over a year now - and won't be going back!!! I buy my meat/bones etc mostly from Landywoods http://www.landywoods.co.uk/ Several of the monces they provide come with minced veg mixed in - very handy because 2 of mine won't touch it unless it is mixed with meat. I started off feeding my lot approx 2.5% of their body weight each day and worked from there depending on whether they were gaining/losing weight. I feed a variety of meats/bones mainly beef, lamb, chicken & rabbit (one of them can't have chicken so has more of the other ones) and decide which one to give them depending on the consistency of their poo - if it is hard make sure they get a veg mix mince - if loose - more bones (never really a problem here). Mine tend to get lamb breast a couple of times a week, veg mix 3/4 meals a week and straight meat minces or chicken portions/wings the other meals. They also get big marrow bones every couple of weeks to help clean their teeth. Before starting raw feeding I had a dobie with a very deliate tummy that was regularly very loose, a saluki who would not eat for days on end, despite being very underweight, because she didn't like dog food, and a pointer with horrendous colitis on a regular basis because he apears to be allergic to pretty much everything!! Since raw all 3 are fab - plenty of energy, great coats, healthy happy dogs who enjoy their food and look forward to meal times, Hope this helps, I'm sure there will be someone more knowledgeable along soon!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 There is a really informative and helpful group on Yahoo called Britbarf that are always happy to answer questions and they're very knowledgable. Britbarf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 There is a really informative and helpful group on Yahoo called Britbarf that are always happy to answer questions and they're very knowledgable. Britbarf They are a great bunch, have helped me alot with all my questions when I changed my lot over! I will most definately not be changing my lot ever back to 'normal' feeding...I don't stick to BARF to the letter but have adapted a diet that suits mine. I buy my food from Albion Meats (Landywood don't deliver to me) and they've been brilliant, and the money I save it amazing!!!! I do also get alot of extra's from Tesco's and such...I buy my fish from there (Tesco's value packs) and the chicken wings (although Netto have them on offer at the moment so have stocked up from there!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudi Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Try and find a website that keeps thing simple! I found some of the information out there bewildering but maybe I'm stupid I go to Landywoods for my meat and bones. I tried AMP but they cut things like chicken wings and turkey necks up into small portions which seemed to me to defeat the object of the dog chewing, I asked them why and if they could supply whole wings and necks but they never replied. I also buy whiting and canned fish such as pilchards and tuna. I find that it's best to liquidise vegetables because dogs don't chew them and they can just pass through without having any benefit. All I do is buy cheap frozen veg, let it defrost and then squidge it using a hand blender, alternatively feed cooked veggies and you can use all your leftovers from your own meals, gravy, pasta, rice, veggies, meat scraps etc. My dogs have two bone free days a week, fish twice a week, offal twice a week (heart, kidney and cooked liver for training treats) and I just make sure that I feed a variety of minced or chunked tripe, beef, lamb, lamb ribs, chicken wings, chicken carcasses, turkey necks on the other days so they have a balanced diet over time. Sometimes I use a vegetable based mixer or mix porridge oats with water which, for some bizarre reason, they love with pilchards (yuk). I supplement once or twice a week with SA37 vitamin and mineral powder, fish oil and evening primrose just to be on the safe side If I think about it when I'm in the supermarket, I buy natural yoghurt and cottage cheese as they love it and I put the odd egg in with their meat. They also get marrow bones once every couple of weeks. Like Kimba's mum says - you have to adjust the diet to the individual dog, some dogs can have loose stools if they have too many veggies, some can't take too much bone. I'd definately start feeding bone such as chicken wings in small quantities, along with other meats and veg and build up to bigger portions as you go. It's a very satisfying way to feed your dogs and you can experiment with different things to see what your dogs like eating If you go to Landywoods, they do have a minimum order charge of £50.00 which is a lot of meat to store when a block of tripe only costs about 22p! Make sure you have loads of food bags available because their chicken wings, for example, arrive in a big bag but if you freeze them like that, they are impossible to break up. It's worth letting them defrost a bit and taking the time to divide them up into smaller portions, then you can just whip them out of the freezer the night before and they are ready for the next day Not wanting to put you off feeding raw but there can be very occasional regurgitation especially if you feed a large amount of meat and/or bone or something new. It's nothing to worry about and they generally eat it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Not wanting to put you off feeding raw but there can be very occasional regurgitation especially if you feed a large amount of meat and/or bone or something new. It's nothing to worry about and they generally eat it again Oh yeah...and the slimey poops!!! (Or was that just my lot???!! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akitas Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Thanks for all your replies. That is really helpful. Max has a very delicate tummy and usually very loose stools. I tried so many different foods with him now that I want to take him off the dry food. Mine have their drum sticks or chicken wings once in a while and bones for their teeth, but no raw meat on a regular basis. I will look up all the links. Thanks a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebe Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I feed my 2 on raw, but I do cheat a bit , I feed the natures menu frozen, tripe, chicken heart etc, and the blocks of tripe lamb rabbit. I also use chicken wings for George, Ty wont touch them, and although Ive too ordered from Landywoods, AMP is only down the road from me so its faster and cheaper. Id never ever feed them commercial food again, they both look amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 They are a great bunch, have helped me alot with all my questions when I changed my lot over! I will most definately not be changing my lot ever back to 'normal' feeding...I don't stick to BARF to the letter but have adapted a diet that suits mine. I buy my food from Albion Meats (Landywood don't deliver to me) and they've been brilliant, and the money I save it amazing!!!! I do also get alot of extra's from Tesco's and such...I buy my fish from there (Tesco's value packs) and the chicken wings (although Netto have them on offer at the moment so have stocked up from there!) I order from Albion too. Jacky do you order the chicken necks from Albion? Mine think they are great. I do tend to order the complete mince which they eat as though they've never been fed before. I have that because its got offal and veggies mixed in too. Mine will not eat raw fish. Might have to take a trip to Netto this afternoon for the wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I order from Albion too. Jacky do you order the chicken necks from Albion? Mine think they are great. I do tend to order the complete mince which they eat as though they've never been fed before. I have that because its got offal and veggies mixed in too. Mine will not eat raw fish. Might have to take a trip to Netto this afternoon for the wings. No I tend to buy my chicken from Tesco's or Netto's, thought I might try the necks this time though. The offer at Netto's is 25% extra so it's approx 12 legs/wings for £1.29 (I think). I've been lucky because I have 4 dogs they've put me down as a breeder so I get a little extra discount too! I get the standard boxes, my lot are great for eating vegi's so I puree my own (got a great friend who always gives me whatever she's grown in her greenhouses!!). It did take a while for them to eat the raw fish, I dribbled abit of olive oil on it to start with, now they love it..mixed with rice and vegs! I buy the Tesco' value frozen packs which have 8 pieces of fish in, so they lasts 2 meals (I don't like to give them too much fish in one go). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Canis-Equus~ Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Lots of dogs wont eat raw fish, and of the ones that do, a large number of them will vomit them back up...... Try tinned fish, i use glenryck pilchards in tomato sauce..... my lot love this (i dont really love them till the fish breath wears off though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly1712 Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 You seem to have loads of useful info here already so not much I can add...other than to say I swapped to BARF about 3 years ago and won't go back. Our old dog, now at the Bridge, had back eczma and it cleared it up and gave him a super coat. Our greyhound has always had a sensitive stomach but he seems fine on BARF. I can agree with Canis Equus - dogs don't seem to like raw fish so we cook it and he has pilchards or tinned tuna in the mornings. His main diet is chicken wings and thighs, occasionally liver and beef or lamb mince with added veg of all kinds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathyw Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 ermmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmI have noticed lots of 'complaints/tummy upset type things' that my two sometimes have. I have long thought about changing their diets (they have Burns) but I have never eaten meat myself and worry that I would find it difficult to handle raw meat. Also do you introduce it by adding it to their normal dirt gradually or do you just give it to them when you decide to change over? No way could I handle raw fish or cook it so could I leave that out? Elsa and CB both come from land-locked counties so I doubt their direct ancestors would have ever seen a fish let alone caught and ate one. As you can see I am dithering but please don't send me to web sites - I only trust the people on here and you don't confuse me. ( I have visited a few of those sights) and it turned me off. Way toooo much detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I feed both! mine have a 24/7 supply of Omega Tasty complete biscuit food and then have raw chicken wings (they won't touch the necks),breast of lamb,hearts and other raw meats as their meal. They are all fit and well with shiny coats,nice poo and plenty of energy and i don't have to keep worrying over whether the diet is balanced or not. I know "they" say that you shouldn't add anything to a complete food but I have fed this way for donkeys years and it has suited all types of dogs that have come in as rescues as well as my own. So I stick to my tried and tested method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I feed both too. For brekkie they have either complete or natures menu/naturediet and for their evening meal I either make a 'stew', cooked mince with pasta/rice/veg or they have raw. I give them chicken wings and either lamb, beef, pork, chicken or turkey mince. I vary this as they sometimes have tripe or rabbit. They don't like raw offal so they have a cooked offal meal once a week, they also have sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce once a week and an occasional raw egg. I do worry sometimes that they have too many types of food but it does seem to suit them and they look well on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts