Raw Pet Food

[Aquattro]

Sure, just make sure a good 8 hours has passed since the kibble, you want to make sure it's fully digested. This is from things I've read, tho, never done it myself. I think some others here have....

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

Oh goody goodness! I've been debating this with people often! Its simple scientific fact!

Steve could you please cite the source? Not only is it usually required .... but I would love to reference it myself! Thanks!

man, that was from about 40 sites. just type in organic food regulations.. you'll be reading for months.

Steve

[RobynR]

I called our local butcher, they make up to 200lbs of dog food base per week (which is pretty impressive for the smaller community I live in), they use ground beef mixed 50/50 with beef heart. Not exactly what I was looking for, but it's something. It was 2.49 per pound, which seemed reasonable to me, less expensive than purchasing the products individually from the IGA or SuperValu we have locally. So you may want to at least inquire at a butcher.

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Do I need to go as far as getting meats from a butcher or are there enough meats available at a regular grocery?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by RobynR

they use ground beef mixed 50/50 with beef heart.

I would say you'd want to expand on that though, just straight beef isn't enough. You need organ meat (liver, kidney, anything weird you can find) as well as bone. I'd also add in some other meats, chicken/pork/fish, etc.

[Diana]

I read your never supposed to mix meats? unless you meat rotate them... and I also read something somewhere about pork being bad?

let me find this article


-Diana

[Diana]

Ah, found it. Its not so bad, just need to take an extra step to freeze it:

"I've heard about trichinosis and pork. Is it safe to feed pork? As with many other food items, feeding pork is purely a personal choice. But yes, it CAN be fed, safely. Some dogs do very well on pork and others don't (loose stools). If you'd like to feed pork but are afraid of possible trichinosis, it is recommended that the pork be frozen, at Zero degrees F for 3 weeks, to kill the flukes. The incidence of trichinosis is actually fairly minimal in most places now (particularly in inspected meats). Many have fed fresh pork (pork necks, being a favorite) without any ill side-effects. Be aware of smoked pork necks, as they are slightly cooked from the smoking process. Pigs feet can also be fed, but are very high in fat...something you may want to avoid if your dog needs to lose a pound or two."


From this site, its an excellent read:

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm


-Diana

[Aquattro]

Ya, I mentioned earlier about freezing pork for a month. And salmon for 24 hours

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by RobynR

I called our local butcher, they make up to 200lbs of dog food base per week (which is pretty impressive for the smaller community I live in), they use ground beef mixed 50/50 with beef heart. Not exactly what I was looking for, but it's something. It was 2.49 per pound, which seemed reasonable to me, less expensive than purchasing the products individually from the IGA or SuperValu we have locally. So you may want to at least inquire at a butcher.

Thanks, I am going to look into this for sure.

Last night I fed my cats some raw chicken and boy did they love it! I didn't want to overdo it but after the small amount I gave them, they were chasing me around and crying for more...crazy because my cats never beg for food!

It was easier than I thought with the cats because they are pretty clean and ate all the food in one place and also cleaned themselves well after. I doubt if I had kids that I would allow my cats to eat raw chicken in case they went and licked them after eating. For the cats though, I think this will just be a treat a few times a week to supplement the EVO they usually get.

I was surprised to see and hear how many of the bones the cats ate!

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by RobynR

It was 2.49 per pound, which seemed reasonable to me, less expensive than purchasing the products individually from the IGA or SuperValu we have locally. So you may want to at least inquire at a butcher.

that would make my dog eat better than I do , at about 130 bucks a month that would not be a cost effective answer. you can make it yourself and put more variaty into it and probably get down to a little over 1-1.50/ lb.

Steve

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I started my pup out tonight with 2 chicken wings, some chicken liver and fish oil. No veggies yet as I am still trying to figure out which to use and how much.

I will keep you guys posted on how it goes. I have to admit after watching how fast he eats the chicken, I am a little worried about the bones! Is there anything to worry about? Some the bones are so small and look like they could easily get stuck in his throat or puncture something.