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Question about RMB and Switching from Commercial to Homemade

2K views 17 replies 5 participants last post by  TiaMarie 
#1 ·
Hello! Last time I posted about my Oakley he was in rough and poor shape <here>

I appreciate all the advice and information I've found here from you guys, and I know that Oaks is very happy too!
He was covered in oozing scabs and welts on his head and ears and always sick and always SCRATCHING and CHEWING! Now he has a few healing scabs left but overall doing excellent.

We've been eating Stella and Chewie's brand raw beef frozen patties. He gobbles them up and I never have to lure or bribe him to eat food like I used to. Cost wise it is not the best way to feed an 85# pup. However what I thought was allergies has cleared up almost 90% (minus the few healing scabs and the occasional scratching) so I've been experimenting by adding some raw meats (chicken, pork, and sardines) with luck stools have stayed pretty good and no excessive itching other than the occasional scratch here or there (he used to scratch 24/7).

I am looking to transition to making my own raw meals for him now but I'm very nervous about RMB because he tends to scarf down his food like no tomorrow, mainly because my cat is a jerk and likes to watch him eat- so even when the cat's locked up or he's fed in his crate he still is paranoid.

I would like to purchase a grinder so I can make patties similar to the chewie's brand because they are easy to thaw and feed, and I don't have panic attacks over him eating. I would also like to start the cat on raw and this would likely be the easiest way to feed him as well. My mom has two cats with health issues and has offered to help me invest in a meat grinder in return I make her patties for her cats after she supplies the meat. Is there a good brand out there that can crush raw bones?

Another question I have is my local meat supply offers certain meats (liver, heart, kidney, rabbit, goat, etc.) but only as frozen products, can I grind these frozen as well or do they need to be thawed? I worry about thawing, grinding, and then re-freezing. The goal is to make a month supply of food at a time.

TIA!
 
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#2 ·
Last time I posted about my Oakley he was in rough and poor shape <here>

He was covered in oozing scabs and welts on his head and ears and always sick and always SCRATCHING and CHEWING! Now he has a few healing scabs left but overall doing excellent.

We've been eating Stella and Chewie's brand raw beef frozen patties. He gobbles them up and I never have to lure or bribe him to eat food like I used to. Cost wise it is not the best way to feed an 85# pup. However what I thought was allergies has cleared up almost 90% (minus the few healing scabs and the occasional scratching)

Hip Hip HOOOOORAY!!!!! :happyboogie::happyboogie::happyboogie:

Moms :)
 
#3 ·
Begging for raw scraps :)
You can see he has some scaring in his ears, and along the edges they are scalloped and missing fur. I don't know if the fur will ever grow back on the edge of his ears, they are pretty scared over :(
I have been bathing him with water/ACV as a natural way to manage yeast/bacterial balance on his skin so he doesn't get infections from scratching. I spray him down completely to drip dry every other week, and locally daily to manage and prevent infection. I've saved $800 in vet bills since we went raw.
 

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#4 ·
I would like to purchase a grinder so I can make patties similar to the chewie's brand because they are easy to thaw and feed, and I don't have panic attacks over him eating.

I would also like to start the cat on raw -You must be VERY careful with cats because of the Taurine levels. I would suggest that you purchase Dr. Karen Becker's book: Real Food For Healthy Dogs & Cats" where she shows you how to make a meat mix, vitamin mix and add other nutrients to make a complete balanced diet for cats/dogs-and this would likely be the easiest way to feed him as well. My mom has two cats with health issues and has offered to help me invest in a meat grinder in return I make her patties for her cats after she supplies the meat. Is there a good brand out there that can crush raw bones?
If you are going to be grinding things such as chicken thigh bones or heavier bones you will need at least a 1.5 horse power grinder or larger HP!

This is what the review of a LEM #32 1.5 HP Meat Grinder says: "excellent for grinding small chicken bones for pet food" This machine weighs 75 pounds.

"Construction High-volume meat grinding calls for a rugged appliance that can handle challenges such as sinew, gristle, and bones. The feed chute should be sizable enough to accept larger chunks of fully or semi-frozen meat without clogging or jamming. If the meat grinder is electric, the motor should be powerful enough to force meat through an auger feeder and into a choice of different grinder blades. There is some disagreement among meat grinder owners about construction materials. Some favor stainless steel. Others believe that aluminum makes a better housing."




So, be careful of what you purchase.

Moms:)
 
#6 ·
If you are going to be grinding things such as chicken thigh bones or heavier bones you will need at least a 1.5 horse power grinder or larger HP!

This is what the review of a LEM #32 1.5 HP Meat Grinder says: "excellent for grinding small chicken bones for pet food" This machine weighs 75 pounds.
Thanks for the heads up!

I've been searching out for Dr. Becker's book, I couldn't find it for less than $75! The list price is $24! I will keep searching. I have found this book.
I'm looking for a cat specific book but some of the research I've done online suggests that it just needs some tweaking.
 
#10 ·
Try this:

Ozonated Olive Oil: purchase a quality product here: http://shop.puro3.com/puro3-ozonated-olive-oil/ this is a topical ointment.

" used extensively for treatment of a large variety of skin ailments for human beings and animals.
Cuts, abrasions and burn wounds are healed, as are herpes infections, eczema, secondary infections caused by AIDS, fungal infections (like athlete’s foot), fistulae, decubitus, leg ulcers, gingivitis, haemorrhoids, vulvo-vaginitis, acne, bee-stings, insect bites and mycosis. Ozonated oil is an effective adjunct treatment of -- inflammations of the skin (dermatitis) and is very effective against bacterial infections caused by staphylo cocci, E. Coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- in comparison to some antibiotics available for treatment. Rashes, sunburn and other irritations of the skin react very positively towards treatment of the same with ozonated oil. Many companies use a cheap coronal discharge ozone generator that can lead to contamination. For purity and quality, a cold plasma ozone generator should always be used.
When absorbed into olive oil, ozone is bound into the molecular structure of the oil in the form of ozonide compounds. In this manner ozone is “stabilized” and ozonated oil has a relatively long lifetime of three to six months (minimum) when stored at low temperatures (keep in refrigerator)."


Moms:)
 
#9 · (Edited)
#13 ·
I had to purchase a grinder for RMB's and have been very happy with this one: Tasin TS-108 Electric Meat Grinder::Stainless Steel::Raw Pet Food Making
Be sure to register with the company for $5 off.
Also, you will need a food grade silicone spray and I ordered this from Amazon
This grinder is very nice if you are NOT grinding bones. ;) But it may grind chicken BREAST bones sufficiently.

In the Manuel, #16 says: "DO NOT attempt to grind hard bones, nuts or other hard items."

Moms :)
 
#14 ·
The link to the grinder has this in second paragraph:
Tasin Meat Grinder also works well for making RAW pet food diets too! Customers have found that it can handle many of the soft bones such as chicken, rabbit, duck and other small fowl. Turkey on the other hand is a much harder bone and is not recommended to be ground in this grinder. ....


So, yes #16 in the manual is correct it will not handle hard bones. I use it for chicken and have had no issues.
 
#16 ·
" Why do you need to grind food RMB? "

you don't -- but it does make it easier to store volumes of chicken in the freezer .
The frames take a lot of space .

the ground stuff you can bag or put into containers that lay flat and don't stick together (frames do).

you can put 10 pounds of ground into the space of maybe what 2 frames might take up.

plus when thawed you can massage in whatever supplements and oils the dog is getting which completes the
dietary needs.

I have my frames . And I have my ground which has bone and heart and liver and organs . I take a tennis ball sized "meatball" use the supplements and then cram it into the frame . Easy delivery system .

my dogs usually get a sheep's head 2 to 3 times a month . No problems.

So a mature GSD can deal with bones including pork and turkey necks and soft ribs .
 
#17 ·
Ok, That makes sense. Space is a huge concern. I've started looking for a deep freeze. Frankly, I am just slightly overwhelmed with some of the contradicting information I find on the Internet regarding feeding raw:
1. Should I add vegetables or not?
2. Should I add supplements or not?
3. How much should I feed a puppy (2-3% of their weight, or the adult weight)?
4. Should i feed green tripe or not?
It seems like for every opinion there is a contradicting one. I initially looked at purchasing a ground food mix from one of the local suppliers. Then my GSD mentor (RAW feeder as well) told me I should stay away from buying anything that has already been ground up. Frankly, I am pretty confused about this whole thing. I fed my previous GSD raw but somehow it seemed easier with her. Plus it helped that we used to leave really close to a small meat processing shop. I used to get all kinds of stuff for free during the hunting season.
 
#18 ·
I just get anxious about feeding raw bones. Today I fed my first RMB meal to Oakley. He loved it, I held onto the chicken wings as he chewed. He tried to swallow one whole :| I saw beef neck at the local supermarket and almost grabbed it... I wasn't sure if that was a good bone or too thick? I fed two chicken wings and some beef heart for lunch. He still gets the commercial patties at two other meals but I'm slowly transitioning. Also we are still eating 3 meals a day. He will be 10 mos old in a week and a half. I am thinking of switching to two meals and instead of lunch a small snack like eggs or sardines to tide him over until he seems set with two meals.
 

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