Raw Feeding - where to start??

[linzi1904]

I'm sure that there have been other posts about this in the past but I was just wondering if anyone could give me any advise on whether to switch to raw feeding my nearly 3yr old neutered male GSD. He has always been a fussy eater and recently seems to have been having trouble with dry itchy skin and I've been wondering whether switching to raw could help with both of these issues. I've tried to look it up on the internet but there are so many different views on it, it's so confusing My main questions are:
how to change over - cold turkey or gradual?
where to source the food - butchers or pet store?
how much would it cost? (the only estimates I can find online are either years old or from America)
what things to feed and what not to feed?
I appreciate it's a lot of information to fit on here but even if anyone can recommend good websites, etc that would be great.
Many Thanks

there was a post earlier you might find useful
http://www.mygermanshepherd.co.uk/fo...nightmare.html

[LOVEGSD]

I too am a recent convert but everyone on here is sooo helpful!

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by linzi1904

I'm sure that there have been other posts about this in the past but I was just wondering if anyone could give me any advise on whether to switch to raw feeding my nearly 3yr old neutered male GSD. He has always been a fussy eater and recently seems to have been having trouble with dry itchy skin and I've been wondering whether switching to raw could help with both of these issues. I've tried to look it up on the internet but there are so many different views on it, it's so confusing My main questions are:
how to change over - cold turkey or gradual?
where to source the food - butchers or pet store?
how much would it cost? (the only estimates I can find online are either years old or from America)
what things to feed and what not to feed?
I appreciate it's a lot of information to fit on here but even if anyone can recommend good websites, etc that would be great.
Many Thanks

There are many threads on raw feeding to help you, but to answer your questions,... I would change over slowly, maybe every other meal for a while,... but would not mix raw and dry in the same meal,..slowly reduce the dry meals

Source food from suppermarkets lots of stuff there, any meat is good, buy it on the bone, try to get a ballance between meat, bone and offal,... kidney liver etc,.. heart is muscle so is a meat not offal,... you can try butchers, but many dont give dog food anymore,.. try anywhere you can ...slaughter houses, fish mongers,.. fish is at least equal to meat for dogs,... get as much varity as you possibly can, the range is only limited by what you dog will not eat,..[ you can always look up whats not good for dogs on the net other than meat ]

I cant realy offer a price as I get my venison from the hills here and I dont pay

There is no way of saying if it will help the dogs skin yet

Use the `search` and research, thats the best advice there is, its not for every dog or everyone

[claire_88]

I went to my local butcher today and got the following:
Chicken carcasses,
Kidneys, liver and hearts,
Meaty bones
and on order is green tripe.
the total for this was £11 (including the tripe).......... just an estimate for you to work on
p.s i have a pigs head if you want it!

[Zak]

I get tripe from my local Kennel gate, they have a freezer at the back of the shop. It comes in 484g bags frozen and they are just 75p

They do chicken, turkey and beef as well but I only get him the Tripe.
He has full chickens from Tesco often cooked at the moment because he is in his cage and its not as messy.

Fish is great for them, nice shiny coat. Zak has lots of fish. You can get tins of tuna for as little as 40p from Tesco and Morrisons (make sure you drain the brine though)

Mince Tesco value 800g packs are good too, £1.90

[jesterjenn]

how to change over - cold turkey or gradual?
I went cold turkey with Jess as she stopped eating kibble for 5 days, so I didn't really have a choice with her, and with Harls, he was weaned onto it.

where to source the food - butchers or pet store?
I source mine from somewhere called TPMS. It's a raw dog food supplier. If you look for these sorts of suppliers, they will be cheaper than supermarkets and butchers. Abbattoirs are good places too, but I've never got my stuff from there.

how much would it cost? (the only estimates I can find online are either years old or from America)
To feed my two (about 33/34kg each), for two months, it costs me £22.

what things to feed and what not to feed?
Any meat and bones that agrees with your dog. Start by introducing one or two meats at a time to see if they are intolerant or not to this, then add as and when you feel the time is right. Fish is brill, but not essential. Harley doesn't, and can't eat fish and his coat and health is brill

I appreciate it's a lot of information to fit on here but even if anyone can recommend good websites, etc that would be great.
A website I found particcularly good was Krisannrio's Raw feeding site - Home

If you google though, there is LOADS of information out there. Also, lots of conflicting information, so you need to do lots of research and decide what's best for you and your dog.

[linzi1904]

thanks everyone so much for your help, i'm still working my way through the massive amounts of info on the WWW about this but it has been a big help to here from people who actually raw feed

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Zak

I get tripe from my local Kennel gate, they have a freezer at the back of the shop. It comes in 484g bags frozen and they are just 75p

They do chicken, turkey and beef as well but I only get him the Tripe.
He has full chickens from Tesco often cooked at the moment because he is in his cage and its not as messy.

Fish is great for them, nice shiny coat. Zak has lots of fish. You can get tins of tuna for as little as 40p from Tesco and Morrisons (make sure you drain the brine though)

Mince Tesco value 800g packs are good too, £1.90

Rich, please dont give Zak cooked chicken bones,...when you say full chicken often cooked it sounds like he is getting the bones as well,...the bones become very brittle when cooked, and you run a high risk of the bones doing damage, as they can spliter easily

[Zak]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Rich, please dont give Zak cooked chicken bones,...when you say full chicken often cooked it sounds like he is getting the bones as well,...the bones become very brittle when cooked, and you run a high risk of the bones doing damage, as they can spliter easily

Hiya Stuart,

I never give him cooked chicken bones sorry for the confusion. I always take all the meat off the chicken for him and put it on a plate. Then go through the plate double checking nothing got past the first time before I give it him.

Takes me a while but he wuvs his Chicken

Although last week he has two lots of chicken fillets hehe

Thanks for checking though