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Courtney
12-30-2005, 09:11 PM
I thought maybe some of you would like to know what I buy and how much it costs when I go shopping for the dogs. I got off work early today and got a pedicure and then headed for the Fiesta - perfect afternoon if you ask me!!!

I got:

-Beef heart for $5.16 total. I got 14 meals out of all that, coming to 37 cents per meal.

-One whole Spanish Mackerel (the guy was surprised I did not want it gutted or anything!) for $3.74. I got 5 meals out of that, so that is 75 cents per meal.

-A package of chicken drumsticks and thighs for $4.88. I got 11 meals out of that at 44 cents a meal.

-2 whole ducks for $6.05 and $6.60 each. I hadn't seen these before so I grabbed two. I got 14 meals out of the two ducks so that works out to 90 cents a meal.

-Pork shoulder for $8.42. I got 12 BIG meals out of that so that comes to 70 cents a meal. That is actually on the expensive side for pork. I bought it pre sliced then just cut the slices in half - just easier for me instead of whacking up a big huge cut of pork.

-I splurged on goat - $4.79 a pound and I got $6.18 worth. It is basically 3 big pieces that will be bigger meals for Po. At $2.06 a meal that is pricey but it was nice and fresh and he will enjoy it!

-I also got a goat head for $2.79! It is SO GROSS but I figure it will be a special New Year's Day treat. Bleeechhh!!

So you can see, raw does not have to be expensive! Things can be had cheaper especially if you buy in bulk.

Total for today I spent $43.93 and got 59 meals. That averages 74 cents a meal. That figure is high for me as today I got the duck and goat which are more expensive than I usually buy.

Well I know I enjoyed this little math lesson!! I hope it can help some of you thinking about doing raw.

JanUet
12-30-2005, 09:17 PM
That is pretty cheap.

My question is......How much do you feed them?

How do you get 14 meals out of 2 ducks? Do you let them eat it for 20 minutes and then take it away for another day? Do you do the same for the rest of the meat?

Lisa
12-30-2005, 09:20 PM
Thank you Courtney! I have to do the math on the Raw premix. I know it is more expensive than kibble, but still not outraggeous. It costs us about $15.00 per week for a bag for the 2 dogs. So that is about $1.07 CDN per day....and I agree, I am so happy we made the switch, thank you for all your help and advice.

Goob
12-30-2005, 09:21 PM
Well I know I enjoyed this little math lesson!! I hope it can help some of you thinking about doing raw.

I read this post to the Prof and he has confirmed that your calculations are correct. He also wants to come over for dinner.

Courtney
12-30-2005, 09:24 PM
I calculated the meals as I was dividing things up. It took me about an hour to repackage everything. I put each meal or 2 meals in a ziploc, then put each meat in its own labeled grocery bag and stuck it in the freezer. So when I feed I just have to pull out one ziploc per dog to thaw and voila.

Jen
12-30-2005, 09:29 PM
Goat head? :vomit: Are we gonna see video of that one ;) :faint:

Seriously, if I had the outdoor space I'd switch to raw. But Tasha is doing ok on Evo, good energy, coat and weight, so for now its ok.

twodogslong
12-30-2005, 11:00 PM
How do you cut every thing up. I have been sticking to turkey necks and stew beef or soup bones and ox tail, because it is pretty easy to divide.

Do you feed the dogs twice a day? And approx. how much, like say 1/4 to 1/2 cup of meat (if it was off the bone.)

The reason I ask, I am so embarrassed, today I had to take Daphne to the vet and she weighs 14.5 pounds. She is a mini dachshund. I am at my wits end she gets 1 small turkey neck in the am. And about 1/4 cup of stew beef cut up small, with about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin in the pm, and we go on an average of about 2 one mile walks per day. Her weight will not budge.

I even had the Dr. check her thyroid a few months back. She is as happy as can be and healthy (just a sore throat) for now, but I do worry about her future health because of her weight.

Courtney
12-31-2005, 12:50 AM
Answering questions...

I eyeball all the portions. Theoretically since Napoleon weighs 12 lbs and should be getting 2 to 3 percent of that per day he should get 1/4 or a bit more each day. I also estimate based on the whole size of the items I buy -- say the ducks are 3 lbs each so I know I should be getting 12 meals out of each duck - I actually got less so maybe I am over-eyeballing or at least feeding closer to the 3 percent. I also eyeball based on size....if the item is flat I make it as big as my palm or bigger...chunkier items I'd do about the size of my fist. Generally I feed as big as possible to minimize gulping and really give the dogs a chance to WORK at tackling the food (like you saw Dax do in that video). And because of that I only feed once a day.

Some items are bigger meals than others. The chicken drumsticks and beef heart meals aren't as big as the pork or goat meals. The duck is all sizes - wings are small but the breast/back are pretty big pieces.

Really, I think the pet food companies have brainwashed pet owners into thinking that it is difficult to feed your pet correctly - it is NOT! Nothing has to be exact. If you feed something big one day, feed something smaller the next, or even nothing at all. If your dog is skinny, feed more; fat, feed less. Go for variety in meats and in body parts. No veggies needed. Meat, bones and organs are it. I don't hear any complaints from the doggies and they for the most part look great. Napoleon (sorry to brag) looks fabulous. His coat is a deep black, he has no dandruff, no odor, and his fur is SO soft. He is trim and muscular. Dax is looking better now that we got rid of the worms!!! And I will be interested to see how quickly Dewey trims down on the raw.

Oh and yes I have a meat cleaver. Handy for whacking! I also use kitchen scissors to cut meat.

Uh if you can't tell, I LOVE RAW FEEDING!!!

Patti - do you really feed turkey necks? Those are huge!! That's a big bony meal for my crew. I usually even divide them in half....

twodogslong
12-31-2005, 01:30 PM
Patti - do you really feed turkey necks? Those are huge!! That's a big bony meal for my crew. I usually even divide them in half....


Yes I do, I try to feed Daphne the smallest ones and Gateway gets the larger. Should I consider that a meal? I look at that as a snack, because there is not very much meat on them.

Your post has helped me, I am going to get a good cleaver and I do have some of the meat shears. I will try to present Gateway with chicken again and see if he takes to it.

The other thing Gateway does if he is not 100% into his meal, he carries it around the house. Its cold to feed outside right now, but even when warm he stands at the door crying to come in (with his turkey neck) he prefers to eat on my oriental carpet. So I spend the entire meal chasing him from room to room putting a towel under his meal.

I know I know I am crazy that Cesare Milan (the dog wisperer) would have allot to say about me.

jenfer
12-31-2005, 01:43 PM
Goat head? :vomit: Are we gonna see video of that one ;) :faint:


:ditto: how are you gonna serve it? :confused: :scratch:

Courtney
01-01-2006, 05:34 PM
I served the goat head today and it was a BIG hit! Po loved it! And would not share!

Anyway, Patti yes I think the turkey necks are a rather large meal! That plus 1/4 cup of beef is probably a lot of food for little Daphne...

Chrystyna
01-01-2006, 05:56 PM
The other thing Gateway does if he is not 100% into his meal, he carries it around the house. Its cold to feed outside right now, but even when warm he stands at the door crying to come in (with his turkey neck) he prefers to eat on my oriental carpet. So I spend the entire meal chasing him from room to room putting a towel under his meal.


My sister in law lives in WA and is a dog breeder, trainer, groomer (i.e...little miss dog guru) and she feeds their dogs in the house (raw). The rule there is if you get off the rug with your food the food is immediately taken away. She said she only had to do it a few times before they figured out staying on the rug = belly full & getting off the rug = starving! Maybe you could give that a shot. I know it's heart breaking to take their food away, but it might help!

Courtney
01-01-2006, 07:12 PM
Yep, they can be trained to eat in one place...crates without bedding are also good places to feed!