PRO'S & CON'S TO A RAW DIET

[JerryLee&Sam]

am thinking of putting my dogs onto a raw meat diet but wanted to know a few things first like...
whats the pros to this?
is there any cons to feeding a raw diet?
is it all raw?
where can i get it from?
and whats the aveage cost per day?/week/month

sorry to steal your post just thought whats the point in making another post about the sim thing sorry tho

[pangolin]

Originally Posted by JerryLee&Sam

am thinking of putting my dogs onto a raw meat diet but wanted to know a few things first like...
whats the pros to this?
is there any cons to feeding a raw diet?
is it all raw?
where can i get it from?
and whats the aveage cost per day?/week/month

sorry to steal your post just thought whats the point in making another post about the sim thing sorry tho

I'm sure no one would mind you starting your own thread, you might get a few more answers There are quite a few threads on raw feeding on the forum too that might answer lots of your questions too. To sum it up quickly for you
Pros - I find my dogs have better coats & teeth and maintain weight better on raw (Kiki's weight would yoyo a lot on kibble). Their condition was good on kibble, but I think it's better on raw - for my two, anyway. They enjoy every dinner time and as they're intelligent breeds, I think the mental stimulation of eating a meaty bone or a whole rabbit is much better than a bowl of plain kibble. I know what I'm feeding my dog and can avoid grains and other fillers that my dog doesn't need to be eating.
Cons - you're responsible for balancing the diet and giving your dog the right vitamins and minerals, and there are consequences for messing this up. Do your research and you should be fine though, there are lots of articles and guides to help so you shouldn't end up too far off the mark if you've done a bit of reading up. Also it can be a little squeamish for some people but I've adjusted to it. You need to be a little careful with hygeine but I find it easily managed, between the dogs having their own penned off area outdoors and having quarry tile flooring, I've not caused anyone in the house to get e.coli or salmonella yet!
Is it all raw - yes. Cooking bones causes a physical change that makes them brittle, thus they can shatter and do a lot of damage to a dog's inside. You should never feed cooked bones. Raw bones are a lot softer and safer. You can cook meat but it loses some nutrients. Dogs have the right kind of digestive system to deal with raw meat without getting food poisoning, as their digestive system works a lot faster than us so the bacteria can't sit around and multiply to harmful levels. If you decide to feed vegetables then you need to prepare them first so a dog can digest them - they lack the enzymes to break down cell walls so you need to break them down first, either by lightly cooking or by blending/pulverising the veg. Some dogs aren't keen on raw offal so it may need lightly cooking, but some will be happy to eat it mixed in with a meat mince or something else yummy.
Where - there are several online suppliers who sell raw food and have certain delivery routes so see if you can get a delivery in your area. The Dog Food Company, DAF Pet foods and Landywoods are a few. Otherwise lots of petshops may stop the Prize Choice range of meat. There are also some companies that do a premade raw diet, such as Darling's Real Dog Food. Butchers may sell a premade pet mince, though do find out if this is just them getting rid of scraps/offal/bone as it may not be well balanced. They may give freebie bones and things to customers for free as well. You could even start out with meat from a supermarket, though this does work out costly so if you get along with raw feeding I'd look into investing in a chest freezer and ordering in bulk from a proper supplier.
Price - I worked out a cost for someone going by the prey model diet (80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal) using DAF prices and it worked out about £1.05 a day for a 40kg dog. Prices will vary depending on how much you need to feed, supplier costs, whether you supplement with freebie bones or buy extra meat, etc. but that may give a rough idea of a price.

[JerryLee&Sam]

thank you, and thanks for starting the thread, i didnt wanna strat another about the same thing,on other forums iv had posts removed/people moaning etc just cause youve started a new post which is very sim to someone elses so didnt wanna start it just in case i ended up the raw meal lol but thank you again am gonna start looking into it an see if it will be a good thing for my dogs

[super D]

If you have questions then always post, very few threads get locked, removed etc very often, I am proud to say that the forum is very helpful,nice friendly
xx

[J&J]

I've also got a couple of questions..

What do raw feeders use as training treats?

How to swapped over to the raw diet?

Is there any ready reckners, for suggestion, mixing meats in what portions etc..

Any good suppliers in the south-west area?

The more I see about raw feeding, the more interested I've become and if it pans out cheaper to feed than I currently feed, would love to try..

[jesterjenn]

Pros - I find the dogs are healthier BY FAR on it. Jess has a super delicate tummy and raw suits her perfectly, whereas kibble goes straight through her. Their coats are shinier and softer, they don't smell, they don't fart, their poos are smaller, firmer and basically have no scent whatsoever to them, it is much more natural and most importantly of all IMO is that mealtimes are looked forward to and enjoyed

Cons - not convenient if you go away, but it all depends where you go away for your holiday. Need freezer space. Much more mucky than kibble.

You can find a load of different raw meat suppliers online. Do a lot of research as to stockists and what you want to feed. Also, some local butchers do free bones and other freebies or cheap deals for the doggies

Price - For my two (Jess is around 34kg and VERY active, and Harley is about 32kg and mellow) it costs me around £25 for about 5/6 weeks worth of feed

J&J - training treats - whatever gets the dog motivated. I generally use liver cake, cheese or sausage.

I swapped over straight from kibble to raw as Jess refused to eat kibble, so I didn't have an option. The only thing I would say with this method is that you are more likely to have an upset tummy as their tummy hasn't had chance to adjust - but this will only be for a couple of days

ETA - Just thought of another con - not many vets support your decision in feeding raw and you face a lot of critique from people (who don't know any better and believe old wives tales) about it.

[Billy Sitch]

These might be of help to you.

Raw Dog Ranch - How Much To Feed

click on spreadsheet then on the tabs at the bottom of the page

Krisannrio's Raw feeding site - Home

Every answer has been great for you and I agree with all that has been said,..I have fed raw for quite a while and would never go back to anything else.

I always say that it is not for every dog and not for every owner, both can have problems,..some dogs just cant get on with raw, some owners dont have the right supply sources, find it too much trouble or costly

Two things that are the most important,..[ and both have been mentioned] first is research, you cant do enough of it, read everything you can get your hands on,.. some are good some are not,.if you read it and would like someone opinion on what you have read then just ask us

The second is your supplier, if you cant find a steady supplier then its not going to work,.I think I am lucky in what I can get off the hills here, deer is plentifull for me,.. but you will have to look for something else,... try slaughter houses, butchers, but these are subject to where about you find them,,some are good, some will not supply you,..do you have smoke houses around you?,.. not just for meat, but fish,.. as mentioned super markets are good, always check out the `buy one get one free` and the near sell by date stand,.. we manage to top up the venison and Salmon with things like chicken, turkey, ham hocks, offal.

One think that I dont think is mentioned is that most raw feeders dont like to mix kibble and raw together, because kibble digests at a much slower rate than raw food does, and has known to cause problems,... haveing said that, there are many here who do just that and find it works,...a lot of this subject is down to your own personal choice

there are certainly vets who dont go for a raw diet,.. but there are almost as many now who will support you,.. maybe check out your own vet and see where he/she stands

Anything else just ask

[J&J]

JesterJen

I've just shown doubtful thomas (hubby Les) your costings, should have seen his ears prick up

What secrets and tactics have you've used to keep your costings down?

Please don't tell me that you have two wacking great freezers, so keep costs down by ordering a lorry full at a time.. I've only got space for a ickle (square freezer)

Sorry for Hi-jacking the thread... But I'm getting hooked on the idea..

A freezer is a good idea if you can, even an old one in a shed will help, it would help to keep costs down,...but is not nessersary if you are near a good supplier