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  1. #1
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    Default Info on raw feeding

    It seems like there are always questions about feeding raw so I'm going to post this info as a reference.

    Why raw? Dogs are carnivores. Their teeth are designed to tear meat and crunch bone. My dogs eat meat, bones and organs and that's it. There are many ways to feed raw -- you can buy premixes or even follow "recipes" to the letter or even grind veggies for hours -- but feeding big whole cuts of meaty meat is easy, cheap, and FUN! It helps clean their teeth and gives them a mental workout too.

    I highly recommend you read "Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones" by Dr. Tom Lonsdale. It is available at amazon.com for about $10. A great read!!

    Links with more info:

    http://rawlearning.com/

    http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding

    http://www.rawfeddogs.net/

    http://dogaware.com.hosting.domaindi...ng.html#co-ops


    There are many ways to feed raw, but I feed what is called "prey model" where you feed big cuts of meat on bone, organs, or even whole prey when possible such as whole chickens and fish. There is also BARF where people grind things, feed only necks and/or backs of chickens, and pulp up veggies...but let me tell you I am lazy and can't be bothered to do all that. The prey model way is much simpler. I go to the store, buy meat, take it home and cut it into individual portions, then freeze it till I am ready to feed. When I feed the day's meal, I take the next day's out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge. Easy, right?

    Now you may ask, is it expensive? What about germs? Etc. Please check out the links, especially the rawfed.com/myths one. All do a super job of explaining.

    Benefits: Lean dogs; small odorless poop; clean teeth; no dog breath; no dog odor; dinner is a workout and exercises the dogs' jaws and brains; and it's FUN! It is a great way to bond with your dog. It is fascinating to watch them work at a big piece of meat. I sit outside and enjoy mealtime with my carnivores almost every day.

    I measured food when I started feeding but don't anymore. I just chop things up so they are about as big as my hand and/or fist. You will want to keep an eye on your dogs' ribs and waist. If they get skinnier, feed more. If they chunk up, just start feeding less. You should be able to see a waist behind the ribs and feel the ribs but not see them.

    It does require a bit of research and reading to start feeding raw. Join that yahoo group, subscribe in digest form or just read the posts at the group web site, and just soak up all the info. You will learn how people feed, and what people feed. You can ask questions too but you will learn a lot just by reading. And of course you can ask questions on the DLC too.

    Happy feeding!

  2. #2
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    Default

    We are raw feeders!! My pack loves it. They eat meat, bones, organs, and raw eggs. We did this because of severe skin allergies in my 2 largest dogs (the shepherd mix, and the Heinz 57) -- they both got to the point where they were chewing themselves to death, and had large patches of zero fur and raw skin.

    We spent TONS of money trying to fix their allergies, but only had success when we took them off of kibble.

  3. #3
    puppyluv Guest

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    The thought of my dog eating raw chicken and then licking all over my son gives me the creeps. Don't you have to worry about salmonella contamination?

  4. #4
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    I have fed Raw for about 3 years now. We have never had a problem, but we don't have a little one either. My guy Pogo has severe grain allergies and constantly had yellow barfies (every morning and night). As soon as we made the switch he has never had a problem again. It's really not for everyone and if you have a normal healthy dog, there is nothing wrong with a good quality kibble.

    ..POGO....PIXEL.....P’NUT....PEPSI

  5. #5
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by puppyluv
    The thought of my dog eating raw chicken and then licking all over my son gives me the creeps. Don't you have to worry about salmonella contamination?
    Dogs aren't susceptible to salmonella like humans and I seriously doubt there would be any left in their mouths after eating.
    Patrice and the Houston Duo

    DREAM Dachshund Rescue

  6. #6
    Jen Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lisa
    My guy Pogo has severe grain allergies and constantly had yellow barfies (every morning and night). As soon as we made the switch he has never had a problem again.
    My Tasha had the same problem. Evo kibble and Nature's Variety raw medallions have worked wonders!

  7. #7
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    Default

    Hi! I'm new around here I posted in the new member section and could really use some raw feeding help.
    We already feed my 3 cats raw. We buy it in chubs from Blue Ridge Beef and add kitty bloom supplement. We have to drive up to West Palm Beach every few months and stock up. They have been eating it for about 2 years and ate mostly a chicken mix that we made ourselves a couple years before that.
    My question is how long after puppy comes home should I start making the switch? He will of course be accustomed to his kibble and I don't want to switch things up too much right away. BRB also has wonderful mixes for dogs as well as whole pieces...what is good for a baby doxie to have? Thanks!!!

  8. #8
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    I don't feed raw, and am not sure if it's appropriate for a growing dog? But in general, you wouldn't switch from a puppy food to an adult food of any kind until they're at least 6 months old, and then it has to be a slow transition. There are others on the board who do feed raw, so they'll probably be more helpful .
    Paula & Buster
    & my s Maxe, Alex, Wendal, Jules & James, Patti, Ferkel and Heidi,

    "The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can."

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    The best place we found for raw feeding advice is to join the Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding
    and another good site is http://primalpooch.com The raw diet has done wonders for our dogs & cat, and I can vouch for its benefits & ease.

  10. #10
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    I feed raw but have never done the transition with a dog younger than 18 months. If your vet is knowledgeable about raw feeding, call him/her. If not there are a lot of good resources on the internet strickly about raw feeding.
    Patrice and the Houston Duo

    DREAM Dachshund Rescue

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