[cdonahue89]

our local pet store put on their sign that they carry raw diet stuff now. dh & i both have wanted to feed beamer raw, but im under the impression that you can't just feed regular meat from the grocery store..

can anyone direct me to any websites about it or let me know what its all about? just like, what they eat, if it is cheaper than dog food (canidae is what we feed her now) & benefits/your personal experience?

thank you!!

 

[Lauri & The Gang]

Chels,

You can check out my website:

Raw Dog Ranch

It has lots of information on how to get started.

I buy all my stuff from the same suppliers that the grocery stores do. It's all human grade products.

There is more to it than just feeing "meat from the grocery store" - but it's not hard to figure out.

Here's what my guys are getting this week:

Breakfast - Bravo premade chicken, turkey or rabbit mix or chicken necks

Dinner - pork hearts and beef liver

Benefits:

Less stool - dogs process the meat and bone more efficiently than grains
Less smell to the stool - a BIG plus with my two new foster puppies
Better health - this is just my opinion but on my website you'll read about the changes I saw in my dogs
Less shedding - another BIG plus with Shepherds!

Hope this helps!

 

[cdonahue89]

thank you! do you find it to be cheaper than kibble? i pay 8.99 every week & a half for the 6lb bag of canidae chicken & rice.

checking out your site right now!

 

[tracyc]

Just chiming in with a "second" on Lauri's site as a terrific primer on how to do a homemade raw diet.

Many of us are able to feed our dogs this style diet for about $1 per pound of food (plus labor!). A GSD eats about 2 pounds a day. So that means about $14 per week. But you may be able to find better deals, buy in larger bulk, etc. But I think you will not be able to feed raw for under 90-cents a day, if that's what you're paying now.

 

[Amaruq]

I fed Pro Plan before I switched to raw and I am now spending about a 1/3 LESS per month on raw. And this was back when I never paid over $25/a bag for PP.

A lot depends on your local suppliers and options there but I seldom buy from a local grocery store. I drive 70+ miles one way to get MUCH better prices. I also have 2 chest freezers dedicated t the dogs. When I find deals I drop a lot of $$ but it lasts a long time. BTW I have 6 dogs, thus the number of freezers. I actually own 4 but my parents are using one and I have a lil chest freezer for me. To defer some of the gas costs I combine my dog shopping with my Dad's Dr appts which are in the same area. When I buy from a co-op I toss a couple dogs in the van and we go herding on the way.

Many people are able to find enough good deals from their local grocery stores and some Wal Marts have some really good deals too.

 

[cdonahue89]

i really think we want to try it but it seems like a lot of space is needed, & right now we don't have the space for an extra freezer. =( i think we mihgt have to wait until we move into a house with room for a freezer just for her food.

 

[Amaruq]

With one dog you would not need a huge freezer. A small one would hold a lot of grub. It would also depend on what bulk options you have available to you to determine how much space you would need to store it. If you have an upright maybe you could arrange one shelf for his food? If a chest freezer perhaps one little corner?

 

[cdonahue89]

i will have to talk to dh. the pet store advertised now selling raw food, does that mean bulk do you think?

 

[mspiker03]

I would assume that the pet store is selling pre-packaged (and ground) raw food which tends to be more expensive than buying "regular" meats from either a grocery store or buying in bulk. A chest freezer does come in handy and enable you to buy in bulk, but I do know someone who does it with just one freezer for her and her dog.

 

[DancingCavy]

I fed my 45-lb Mutt raw for about a year with just the freezer on top of my fridge. Yeah, it got a little cramped and crowded and I couldn't always cash in on great deals, but it worked. (I now have a 5.0 cubic foot chest freezer for her meat alone.)

The stuff you'll find at pet stores and vet clinics is premade. Usually ground meat, bones, organs, some veggies, and supplements depending on the brand. While there is nothing wrong with feeding your dog premade raw, it is expensive! Especially for large-breed dogs. It's much cheaper to shop around at the butcher's, ethnic markets, Wal-Mart, and the grocery store. However, making it yourself does require a bit more thought, preparation, and research.

 

[The Stig]

Originally Posted By: mspiker03 ... but I do know someone who does it with just one freezer for her and her dog.

Hehehe ... Melissa might be referring to me.

I do not own a chest freezer, just the modest freezer compartment of my not-very-big fridge you typically get as a renter. I have a 8 month old German Shepherd and a cat, both whom are naturally raised in my home.

I can fit - no joke - at least 60 lbs (with a little room to spare for special deals at stores) worth of food for my animals, while still having enough space to store the humans' food (meat, frozen veggies & fruit popsicles). The trick? Instead of using the icebox to store ice, it now contains the human portions. If packaged right, and packed efficiently, one can fit quite a lot in that seemingly small space.

Certainly, it does not store as much as a chest freezer. Still, for its size, I'd say it is quite impressive. It does allow me to enjoy bulk prices to a certain degree to keep the animals and my pockets happy.

~ Rei