Who’s feeding raw food?

[PressurePoint]

I feed my dog (since passed away who was a medium/large black lab) a mix of high quality kibble (potato duck or potato salmon) and bear meat. I grind up what bear meat I want and lay it on cookie sheets and freeze it. After it’s frozen I put it into ziploc bags and freeze it for a month or so before I feed it. She would get 1/4 cup kibble and 1/2 cup frozen bear meat at breakfast and dinner. And she had the shiniest coat I’ve ever seen in a dog. She was never skinny, she was never fat.

[elch jager]

Raw and dry food are digested at different rates in the stomach and at a different Ph. Do not mix them and feed at the same time. Alternate them and make sure you have an hour or so between raw and dry. this advice comes from 2 different vets with much experience feeding raw.

I get pre mixed raw from Surrey Meat Packers. Their brand is called Crudo. It is by far the best commercial premixed raw available in BC, and it is priced nicely... not like these boutique fancy overpriced packaged raw foods that the soy latte sipping crowd fawns over.

I have tried others as well - straight from butcher shops, as well as this new place called Simply Raw... Most butchers just give you meat - and every one I have tried has way too much fat mixed in - no offal, no bone meal, and usually no veg. Simply Raw cuts theirs with way too much water so that it is easy for them to form and cut into pucks. When you thaw it out, 30% drains off - water... their salmon is the most God awful smelling crap I have ever tried... I swear they collect rotten Chum carcasses for the food.

Good luck feeding your pooch. Raw is the way to go. it is what nature intended. I do augment with dry kibbles as treats and as a snack in order to provide some variety and additional minerals/vitamins. The Kirkland brand from Costco is actually very highly regarded and it is very economically priced.

[Iron Glove]

[QUOTE=elch jager;2352855]
I get pre mixed raw from Surrey Meat Packers. Their brand is called Crudo. It is by far the best commercial premixed raw available in BC, and it is priced nicely... not like these boutique fancy overpriced packaged raw foods that the soy latte sipping crowd fawns over.

I hope that Surrey Meat Packers have upped their game in the past 20 years or so. We used to use their stuff but when our first dog's diet had to be kept to very strict protein limits after her cancer operation I asked Surrey for their food's composition - not by ingredient but by % protein and such. They wouldn't respond.
Asked a Pet Food Retailer that we now use about it and his response was "That's because they don't know" and made some rather derogatory comments about it. We had the Vet's nutritionist put together some recipies and made our own based on her advice.
Our present dogs are kibble in the AM, Raw in the evening, works well for us and them.

[Dash]

That's an awfully high amount of protein isn't it, considering offal is very high in protein, as well? Dogs don't need that much protein since they are omnivores. They also need up to 20% fat in their diet depending on how much energy they expend so unless fatty meat is being used it might not be enough since offal generally only has 6-7% fat in it. The dog also needs digestible bones or bone meal for calcium, etc. There's no question it's definitely a science when it comes to making your own.

If you do decide to buy your raw food from a reputable source they will likely know these ratios of protein, fat, and carbs, as well as the necessary nutrients the dog needs but be prepared to pay top dollar per meal for your dog.

As mentioned, going half raw and half high quality, low filler kibble as part of your dog's diet is a good way to go. That way you don't need to worry about transitioning your dog if you're away for a few days in the bush or leaving your dog with someone for a few days and not wanting to put the burden on them to provide raw food. You can just feed them kibble for those few days with no digestive issues.

No, that's an average amount for raw feeding. A lot of people (including myself) feed what's considered a "whole prey" diet. 80/10/10. 80% muscle meat, 10% organ (5% liver and 5% excretory organ (like kidney)), and 10% bone. This is based on the natural composition of a prey animal. And adding some probiotics, fish oil and other supplements. Occasionally I'll reduce the the muscle meat and supplement some fruit and veg but my labs diet is mostly meat. He's 4 and has the best body and coat condition I could ask for. Extremely healthy and we regularly get compliments from our vet and people we meet. You should be able to purchase a ground base diet 80/10/10, 70/15/15 etc. and then add supplements as needed/desired. If you do kibble, do some research before purchasing grain-free food. A lot of them (especially some higher end brands) have been associated with higher cases of DCM (canine dilated cardiomyopathy) due to the high legume content contributing to taurine deficiency. Certain breeds are more susceptible than others.

Buster, where are you located? If you're in the Okanagan, I can recommend a raw food supplier.