Raw Pet Food

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

I buy chicken backs by the 40# case, which is the bulk of their diet. I then supplement with beef heart, kidney, liver and egg. When salmon are cheap, I buy whole fish for them. They get everything whole, so bones and all. Oh, and they love sardines packed in water.
For snacks, I have a freezer of venison carcass and lamb neck. For me, I buy meat at the grocery store that is marked down, we get a couple bucks off when it's got 2 days or less on the expiry date.

Some things to be cautious about; salmon must be frozen for 24 hours before feeding for risk of worms (forget the type). Pork should be frozen (deep freeze) for 30 days to kill any potential parasites (forget this type too ).
My vet did express concerns over dogs licking kids after eating for bacterial contamination.

I wouldn't buy the premade stuff since I don't know what goes in it, and it's more than double what my cost is now. For average consumer, it might be about the same cost as store bought meat.

So I guess the concerns about contamination are not a real concern if you don't have kids?

For those of you who were feeding kibble and then switched to a RAW diet, how did you do so? Slowly or just all at once? My puppy is somewhat allergic to his current food anyways, so I was going to just basically switch over all at once for his morning feeding and keep feeding the kibble at night and then eventually just do one feeding of the RAW a day.

Any other advice? I think we have decided to make our own. Still feel a little nervous about getting it right...I think because all the sites I have read and all the advice here actually make it sound so much simpler than I thought it might be.

[Diana]

I will defrost 1-2 days worth of meat at a time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. I feed twice a day, both portions on the small side. When it comes time to defrost more food I use a new container. I let them clean their bowls really well and then give them a wash at least once a week.

You can switch your dog to raw right away with little to no effect (i have never seen any). Just be sure not to feed too much or they get backed up (raw food barf is pretty gross).

I still let my dogs kiss me, but not right after a meal. And keep in mind too that their poops could contain salmonella and stuff. I think if you follow proper meat handling precautions then you will be fine

-Diana

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

So I guess the concerns about contamination are not a real concern if you don't have kids?

For those of you who were feeding kibble and then switched to a RAW diet, how did you do so? Slowly or just all at once? My puppy is somewhat allergic to his current food anyways, so I was going to just basically switch over all at once for his morning feeding and keep feeding the kibble at night and then eventually just do one feeding of the RAW a day.

Any other advice? I think we have decided to make our own. Still feel a little nervous about getting it right...I think because all the sites I have read and all the advice here actually make it sound so much simpler than I thought it might be.

Well, I wouldn't let my dog lick my face immediatley after eating chicken (mostly), and common sense goes a long way. Kids are more susceptible I imagine because their faces are at licking height and perhaps they're not as tolerant to bacteria as adults.
To start out, I'd feed mostly boneless chicken for a few days, until the dog builds up higher enzyme levels. After that, you can start feeding more bone, different meats, etc. Some are richer than others, ie; venison, moose (most game).
Getting it right is pretty simple, I keep containers in the fridge that I rotate from frozen to thawed. Wash the bowls well afterwards, and if feeding large pieces that they can carry away, make sure you clean up the eating area, or the crate, wherever they eat.
I live on my own and have a large yard, so I often just hand them a chicken leg/back and let them run out in the yard with it. Bad days, they eat in their crates, and I spray it down afterwards.
More work than kibble, sure, but worth it for those of us that, well, think it's worth it

[my2rotties]

I just switched them cold turkey. Believe it or not, they had no issues with it at all. If my dogs get into my client's dog's food, they do get sick though.

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

So I guess the concerns about contamination are not a real concern if you don't have kids?

For those of you who were feeding kibble and then switched to a RAW diet, how did you do so? Slowly or just all at once? My puppy is somewhat allergic to his current food anyways, so I was going to just basically switch over all at once for his morning feeding and keep feeding the kibble at night and then eventually just do one feeding of the RAW a day.

Any other advice? I think we have decided to make our own. Still feel a little nervous about getting it right...I think because all the sites I have read and all the advice here actually make it sound so much simpler than I thought it might be.