A MUST READ!!! for those who want healthy dogs

[Franklin Phil]

I need read all this again, but looks like these books are gonna be on my list.

Also, if there's any way I can help, just ask.

[Boondog]

OK bit of a long story, but here in the UK last november there was a gas explosion on my row of houses in Irlam, manchester, after being out of our home until May, a week before we were due to go back home, The gas company turned our gas on.

Whilst we were at our temp residence we got a call from a neighbour (who was back already) stating that our house smelt like it was a rotten egg factory. IT was a gas leak from house - as a result of the main blast it transpires, however the guy there from the gas company who had to come and take up my front garden (back in April) was advising me about the BARF diet, and that his two pedigree dogs - cannot remember the breed, but they were big things, were on Barf and that he was spending in UK terms £40 a month on two dogs; he statred everything you have, and ever since i have been pondering it, however it's making that leap of faith.

I'm fairly sure i'm going to switch, i just need to educate myself correctly, in the main for my sake, cos i know the dog the dog will eat anything.

[Elyse]

Well I would feed Suka RAW, but it is too expensive for us and he doesn't take to it too well. (He likes it, but he has diarrhea after.)

[Smiler]

I would be worried about feeding raw depending on the source of the raw. Modern farming methods can create built in issues...and certain foods need to be cooked for the goodness to be extracted by a dog's stomach.

I feed Harley a mixture of food. He gets at least one marrow bone a week, sometimes two. He gets a set of lamb bones each week to demolish. He eats raw beef sometimes steak every 4 or 5 meals. He'll eat all of our left overs, and I've got in the habit of buying an extra chicken breast for him too. He'll have cooked chicken (no cooked bones ever) every roast, in fact, he'll have some of whatever our roast every time. He has a nature's diet self contained healthy meal every other day too. Last night he had four high quality sausages with his kibble. He'll have grilled sardines, mackeral, tuna...and occassionally a little salmon but I can't give him too much of this as it can make him a little loose. He'll have organic carrots to clean his teeth. He loves polishing off our vegetables, especially roasties probably due to the fat. He often polishes off 3-4 scrambled eggs for a lunchtime snack, and he is reguarly given cooked meat slices as little treats and rewards...he eats as good as we do!

I think that for a healthy dog we should feed them according to their biological needs, which is on human left-overs with the occassional raw to simulate the self caught....and keeping the diet as healthy and natural as possible, giving them every opportunity to process the foods properly so cooking what needs to be cooked.

I think there are problems with the BARF, also with raw, also with leftovers, also with bought ready made food. There are also pro's with each. For this reason I look to feed Harley as varied a diet as possible without missing out on the basics of nutrition. Mind you...shouldn't we be doing that too?

Interesting thread - I'll have a look at those books too, thanks!

Best regards,

Smiler

[Franklin Phil]

@Smiler Hey Gary. I think most people can remember a time in their life when they had dogs that existed on entirely commercial food. That is all I was brought up as a child to do. Therefore as an adult I did the same. I look back over my history with dogs and I see every one with some health issues. Of course some were much less healthy than others. I remember many trips to the vet over the years with dogs that had rashes, skin problems, ear problems, plagued by an itch that eventually become raw...

All I know for sure is I've been feeding BARF (I hate that acronym) for 4 years. Over that time I have for the first time in my life, got dogs that are the picture of health. Not one single trip to the vet in four years (except for shots). Not one health issue at all!

Your skepticism of uncooked meat is ironic. I'm totally skeptical of anything other than the food my dogs have been on. We track their weight and if any adjustments are needed, then we adjust.

However Gary, it DOES sound like you're feeding your dogs well too.

[Smiler]

Hi Brian! Fully understand your post...

If you read my post again I do feed Harley raw meat...the beef, the bones, the lamb...the chicken is often raw too. I do make sure of its quality and source though, how it has been stored - it helps thath a friend of mine is an award winning butcher though lol!

hope you are well

[Matthew]

I couldnt get into the raw diet, I figured if I feed my dog the best commercial dog food, how much better is Raw? I couldnt find cheap meat in my town, I got chicken quarters for a dollar a pound, but I needed other fillers and it came out to alot. I pay 50 dollars a month on dog food now(puppy is cheaper then adult food). If I can make a raw diet for 50 a month I wouldnt mind, but I couldnt. Unless anyone has a simple reciepe to help me get started? I would be greatly happy.

[Franklin Phil]

I couldnt get into the raw diet, I figured if I feed my dog the best commercial dog food, how much better is Raw? I couldnt find cheap meat in my town, I got chicken quarters for a dollar a pound, but I needed other fillers and it came out to alot. I pay 50 dollars a month on dog food now(puppy is cheaper then adult food). If I can make a raw diet for 50 a month I wouldnt mind, but I couldnt. Unless anyone has a simple reciepe to help me get started? I would be greatly happy.

Hey Matthew. I understand. Where are you from? I actually found a huge meat wholesaler in Seattle called Plymouth Poultry. They will sell to the dog fooders though for cash. I buy frozen chicken backs for about .46 a pound. I usually buy 80#'s at a time for my three monsters. 80 pounds will last almost a month and that's less than $40. Now there is a lot of other ingredients that you put together to make the part we call the mush, but this gives you an idea. In about a week I'll be making a months worth of mush for the dogs. I'll let you know what that ends up costing.