Questions about raw

lizzysilvertongue

So I am getting a puppy (shikoku) and plan to feed raw and high quality kibble. There really aren't many raw options in my area besides buying people food. However, deer season is here or right around the corner. The little butcher shop that I buy my meat also processes deer during this time of year. I asked and he said most people don't field dress their own deer, so he could save me organs or other bits. It was suggested that I freeze the meat for a month to kill parasites. Is that good enough? And what organs or bits should I ask him to save? Also its completely free for me, you apparently can't sell wild deer meat and he doesn't mind. Any thoughts or advice is nice

lindsayt

Freezing wont kill everything, but heating will. I would opt to heat wild game meat personally.

Losech

Yeah, freezing doesn't kill everything. If I was unsure about a chunk of meat I'd cook it, but I do feed wild raw game every now and then.
I would love to have a source of free deer though. Take anything you can get, all the organs, especially stuff like liver, heart, and kidneys, but whatever they'll give you, take it. You can always decide later if you want to actually use it or not.

Saya

I've been told freezing kills parasites, but could be wrong.

I know the trichinosis in bear and wild boar can't be killed by freezing so I'm sure there is some other things that freezing can't kill.

I've fed deer steaks, stew meat, loins to Saya before in 2010 it was freezerburned deer meat from 2007..

I've gotten her deer liver and heart she loved it, but it was from a deer farmer.

liver, kidney, heart, pancreas, lung are organs I fed from beef and pork..

There are some parasites so be sure to check it.

I know some people who get deer scraps ribs and organs from a processor and their dogs do fine. Can always cook it if worried..

I've frozen Saya's rabbits she caught for month and fed them she has eaten them no issue she eats it all..

lizzysilvertongue

So how would i cook them, for a dog? Yeah this is pretty much a processor giving me free scraps.

Araks

Well, when I cooked for my min pin, we just boiled the meat in water, with no salt or spices. Same for the organs. We used to boil gizzards and livers, too.

Saya

If your going to cook be sure to not give any cooked bones..

lizzysilvertongue

I know the cooking the bones is a no go, thanks for making sure i knew though. I just don't wanna take any risks. The more I learn about kibble the less i care for it. Any other things you recommend about buying or trying, like vitamins or whatnot. I just wanna do right, can't ask the vet because they have science diet in the lobby

Losech

Just do whatever works. Boiling, pan-frying, whatever. I simmer or pan-fry (no extras) ground meats, but "steaks" I tend to either broil or grill. Chunks that are too big for simmering or too small for grilling either get broiled or cooked on the stovetop with a slight bit of water and a lid on the pan. If I feel like being especially nice, I'll slap some meat (usually chunks) into a slowcooker and add in a few extra tidbits. I make broth for the dogs in the slowcooker from bones, so sometimes I'll put some chunks in there for a bit to cook them up and add a bit of additional flavor to the broth.

As long as you are feeding kibble, you don't have to supplement if the raw portion is balanced. I'd normally saw add in salmon oil, but since this is wild meat, it'll have a better ratio of omega 6's to 3's and you might not need to. Factory farmed meats are low in omega 3's so it's a good idea to add them in when you feed that. Some say to supplement Vitamin E when you feed omega 3's since it can deplete the E in the body, but I only do that if I am feeding a large amount of omegas (my Shiba gets E, the other two don't) for some sort of reason like dry skin.

lizzysilvertongue

oh ok. do you get vitamin E for dogs or do you use people vitamin E.

Losech

I always use human supplements. They tend to be higher quality and lower priced than dog stuff.

shibamistress

Interesting about the vitamin E. Maybe I'll add it to Leo's food; his skin is terribly dry no matter what we do, and he is getting more fish oil than the others.

I haven't fed wild game, though certainly my dogs have eaten enough on their own of small game! I guess I thought freezing was good enough, if it was done for a month. But maybe not. When I've had to cook meat for the dogs, I just boil it, but I hate doing it because the smell of boiling meat--esp. wild game--makes me nauseous. My mom used to boil moose for us and the dogs when I was growing up (my mom is the world's worst cook), and I still can't even stand the thought of eating moose.

Saya

Salmon oil is usually recommended if you feed a lot of grocery meat..

i don't give fish oil as I give raw fish and most her meat is free ranged and grass fed except for the pork and chicken, but her lamb, beef bits, organs are grass fed.

Saya seems do fine with the diet.

Here's a post by Maya on fish oil and vitamin e good look there's natural and synthetic kind so get the natural.. hehe
http://shibainumaya.blogspot.com/2011/10/fish-oil-and-vitamin-e.html

I thought freezing game before hand kills the parasites, but maybe not? I've fed quite a few rabbits no issue yet. Haven't had room in freeze to ask for deer meat yet.

I've also fed Canadian goose, pheasant, duck, dove too after it been frozen.

Ah well.