RAW Diet Recipes

bstevenerbstevener
edited February 2010 in Food, Nutrition, & Health
about 4-5 months ago i came across a recipe for a raw meal for dogs and cant seem to find it now that i got a new computer and lost the old recipe.

it was a mix of chicken, rice, veggies, egg whites and maybe some more. anyone care to share their recipes or know the one i am referring too? i only made this one once or twice but Duke loved it and i was going to start making it again.

currently, i have been giving him a diet of kibble (purina beneful) and raw chicken, beef, or fish. i would like to start with a more complete raw diet and go away from kibble.

thanks

brian
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Comments

  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    I do premade raw.
    And I am completely grain free.
    Premade may be a tad more expensive than home prepared but less potential for bacterial contamination and much easier to achieve a complete diet.
    I use Natures Variety
    http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw
    and Primal Raw Formulas
    http://www.primalpetfoods.com/product/list/c/7

    I would encourage you to visit Dog Food Analysis http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ too, I don't like to slam brands too much but Beneful is considered a 1 star food (that is out of a potential 6) and you obviously are looking into doing what is best for your dog.
  • bstevenerbstevener
    edited November -1
    i saw that it was rated so low, which even bolsters my decision of going raw.

    the cost difference of pre-made doesnt bother me really, i just like to be a DIY kinda guy. i like taking the time to make/prepare stuff. as far as the complete diet, those are things i am researching still as well which is why i havent switched completely. although if not being a complete diet with raw food is better than the current kibble mix, then i may switch while still learning more.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    I'm with Jessica on this. I do Primal Raw & Nature's Variety along with Orijen or Acana now that my boy's old enough not to get gassy from grain free. I also give green tripe once per week, and raw chicken legs once per week. Koda also gets cow femurs cut into 2" lengths from the butcher.

    I am lucky though. I live right down the street from a pet boutique that does raw so it's easy for me to find pre-made food and quality grain free food. I don't have to special order.

    There are a lot of really cool websites on this topic. Check this one out http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Here are some sites on feeding raw. There are some good blogs too. A girl who used to be a more active member on this forum has a really nice blog on the subject and had done a remarkable amount of research on it. She even has a spread sheet she created to figure out the details of what your dog needs. I am sure if you message her at her blog she would be happy to answer any questions.
    http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawpetfood.html
    http://rawfed.com/myths/
    http://www.rawdogranch.com/

    This is Jens Blog that I mentioned
    http://theyarewhattheyeat.blogspot.com/
  • bstevenerbstevener
    edited November -1
    thanks jessica, i will look at all of those today.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    I use raw to supplement a grain-free kibble (Acana). One tip is that using a meat grinder is helpful. I let the dogs chew most of the meat and bones themselves, but pureed veggies, eggs, and organ meat are sometimes easier to grind together. That way you get the ratios just right and you can freeze them into cubes or whatever and it's easy to give the right portions.

    Also, I'd skip the grain, but that's me. I think most raw feeders do, unless their dog does better on grain for some reason.
  • bstevenerbstevener
    edited November -1
    what about veggies and grain? there isnt much in those links about feeding veggies. duke seems to enjoy them (i slice it up rather small, but will start using the food processor) and he eats that before the meat on the bone. i also give him some white rice which he seems to enjoy.

    here is what i have converted him to this week and he seems to be doing well:

    1 chicken thigh with bone
    1 egg
    pinch of oil
    pinch of garlic
    1 serving of veggie (carrot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, celery)
    1 serving of white rice

    what are your thoughts? if this serves well, i will start making it in bulk.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited February 2010
    I do not feed my dogs grain. Most dogs have at least a minor allergy to grain and it has no benefit besides bulk and flatulence. Veggies are great. When I was preparing my own I did about 60/40 ratio meat to veggies.
  • bstevenerbstevener
    edited November -1
    meat to grain or meat to veggie?

    about 2-4% of the dogs weight is sufficient right?
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Absolutely no grain ever. Dogs do not digest grain. IT just makes them fart, get fat, and eye crusties. NO grain not ever.
    I messed up as I was writing that on my lunch break (at 4 in the afternoon so I was starving) on my blackberry, and not proofreading.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    As far as portioning goes, I confess I suck at that, and my dogs are really good at self regulating (thank god). Now that I do the premade raw I literally only have to count patties or medallions.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Grain is a poop enlargening agent. If that's really what you and your dog need...
  • SayaSaya
    edited November -1
    most raw dog forums say start out with 2% of dogs weight and if he/she loses weight then up it % gain lower the % I'm new to the raw diet starting in spring so I'm still new to this..
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited November -1
    Another raw feeder/no grain person here. I feed my two Shibas and one GSD chicken backs, which I supplement with whatever vegies I happen to be eating (usually just a bit), plus various supplements (esp. fish oil). Occasionally they get other meat and their treats are grain-free kibble (usually Evo) which I keep around in case I forget to thaw the chicken or run out or what have you. I do believe it is better to give them a variety of protein, but I don't really do that very much because of the ease of the chicken--I buy it 60 lbs a month for the three dogs, which is just enough.

    When I was new, I was totally stressed about how much to feed....but now I just guess, and if they look thin or fat (usually the latter rather than the former) I adjust accordingly.
  • bstevenerbstevener
    edited November -1
    sounds good. i figured that was the case Jessica.

    i have cut out the grain and added more meat and veggies.

    he had his first whole fish over the weekend while out camping. that gave him the runs sorta. his next stool and only one was liquidy and green.
  • CaliaCalia
    edited February 2010
    Just make sure that whatever raw meat you give your dog (be it fish, chicken, or cow) that it is stored in sub-zero temperatures for at least a month. There are so many parasites that can be on the meat that it can be harmful to your dog.

    Also, be careful with purchasing ground meats (as apposed to making it yourself) due to the fact that you don't know what they throw in there (sometimes parts that would otherwise be considered inedible) and the increase surface area from being ground increases the amount of bacteria on the meat. If you absolutely must purchase ground meat, get the stuff that is ground at the market instead pre-packages and ground at some warehouse.

    Personally, I think you should ease yourself into feeding raw, take your time and learn more about the potential harms and risks that raw meat can cause if not fed properly. I think for now, you should try sticking with the pre-mades that Jessica has mentioned before adventuring into real meats. There is a lot to learn with feeding raw, and something that can be very harmful to yourself and your dog if not taken in strides.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Keep in mind that you do not need to deep freeze with pre-made raw of course.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Raw can give them the runs at first. It should resolve itself.
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited November -1
    Hmmm...I know you should freeze pork beforehand, but I don't think you need to freeze chicken first, and the only way my raw diet gets frozen for a month is if I'm at the end of the month so the chicken has been in my freezer for that amount of time.

    10+ years raw feeding without a problem (or me or my dogs) so I'm actually not convinced that it is that dangerous re: bacteria, etc. My dogs eat things I DO worry about--like the birds and woodrats and snakes and lizards they catch--and even with those, they've never had ill effects from raw feeding or wildlife. I think dogs are actually pretty tough in regards to this.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    I only deep deep freeze wilder game type items venison, rabbit, etc. Although when I have gone to the old butcher in Little Italy who kills to order, I feed fresh even rabbit.

    I think deep freezing is really only a necessary component when dealing with animals where you do not know their history prior to slaughter like hunting game.
  • CaliaCalia
    edited February 2010
    "I think deep freezing is really only a necessary component when dealing with animals where you do not know their history prior to slaughter like hunting game."

    The only way you can really know the history of any food animal is if you raise and slaughter it yourself, and even then there is no guarantee that the animal isn't carrying anything. Not all places get their meat from quality ranches, so we really don't know what those animals were exposed to prior to the butcher (heck, look what happened with Mad Cow disease). There's no guarantee that any animal will be parasite free, and there have been cases of people catching worms from eating meat that wasn't fully cooked or frozen properly. Here are a few worms one can pick up from eating meat that wasn't prepared right:

    http://www.smithlifescience.com/WormNotes.htm

    And just cause they give cow and pig as an example, worms are not picky as to who their host is. There is also a risk of protozoans being in the meat, such as giardia and coccidia, that can transfer to you or the dog. And often times symptoms don't show up in a healthy person/dog, so without testing they may live inside you/dog innoticed for a very long time.

    Fish can carry many parasites (even farm-raised, though wild caught is healthier), one major one being fluke:

    http://www.merckveterinarymanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/57305.htm&hide=1


    I'm not against raw, eventually my guys will be on it. I'm just saying that there are risks when giving meat that isn't properly cared for before eating it.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    And this would be precisely why

    a) I feed pre-made raw

    b)when I do fresh raw I go to the butcher who keeps his rabbits on property you get to visit, and pick your victim (don't do this often as most of you know I am vegan and I cry every time I have done this)

    and

    c)I haven't shopped at a conventional supermarket in over 15 years, and have been vegan for over 20 years.

    That said all means of feeding are not without risk.When we look at the options, IMHO opinion raw has the healthiest results. And pre-made raw seems the safest (this has been reinforced to me by my dogs nutritionist). But then again she calls kibble "bags of death" so she has what most would call extreme opinions. It is not inexpensive by any means. However if it increases the life and health of my dogs, I personally think it is worth the expense.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Found this article:

    http://www.rawfed.com/myths/parasites.html

    Can't vouch for the information, but it is interesting.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    For anyone who is worried about parasites go with pre-made raw. It has been flash frozen, and is totally safe. Rather than fish, I would start off with Nature's Variety Organic Chicken. It may be a little bit easier on the stomach to start off with. I'm a little iffy about feeding a raw fish that I just caught. I may have cooked that one up. You just never know.

    Hey Jessica,
    I just go to my aunt's house. She'll kill me a rabbit anytime. lol. She's my own Little Italy. A 4'11" beast!
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited November -1
    As other people have said, there are always risks, so I think each person has to weigh those risks and benefits for themselves and their dogs. I haven't investigated the pre-made raw as much as I could, simply because when I started it was really hard to get. And it's quite a bit more expensive than the chicken I feed them. The chicken is from a good local butcher, and is good quality.

    I freeze pork and fish before I feed it to them, but they don't actually get either of those things that often.
  • MirkoAiMirkoAi
    edited November -1
    I recently started looking into feeding raw diet. My friends and family all feed "bag of death" food (HAHA i like that vet Jessica) and have had many problems with the dogs health. Skin, hair, and poop problems... A total of 7 dogs all having problems on a variety of dog foods. Why in the world would I ever want to feed my dog/puppy "Bag of Death?" I might as well throw my money into a river and hope for better results. I now have sooo many sites bookmarked. It is all definitely overwhelming and kind of confusing. Good thing I have time for figure out a good plan before I actually have to feed a puppy. One topic everyone does bring up is price. I found one website that has a 12oz bag of Chicken pre-made for $27.00. So from my understanding a dog of about 40lbs would be feed about 14-15oz a day (broken down in to two 7oz meals daily, correct?) If my thinking is correct it cost over $27 a day to feed a dog of about 40lbs?!
    I also found this website: http://www.darwinspet.com/darwins-raw-dog-food/ an opinion on their food.
  • montanadoglovermontanadoglover
    edited November -1
    Remember that whatever you feed, you don't have to feed just that food exclusively. You can feed one thing for breakfast, something else for dinner and get a nice variety to your dog by doing that. Many people feed the raw in the evening and a good quality kibble in the morning while they are busy getting ready for work. Or you can feed something every other day. They say getting even a little bit of raw into your dog is good for him, but it does not have to be his entire diet.

    My Nature's Variety raw patties average around $25 for 12 8-oz patties, 6 pounds to the package, depending on what protein (and I feed all six proteins, changing every week). My two dogs split one patty a night, for six nights, but they are light eaters, one being 14 years old and the other being small. It doesn't have to break the bank to feed just a little of the commercial raw, and use something else for their morning meal, like Honest Kitchen (the dehydrated food) for instance. If they were bigger or more active dogs or needed more food, I would probably add some canned food to their raw patty to make a little more. That way I never have to feed more than 6 patties a week.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    That math sounds off. I think I figured it was about $2.50/day to feedj Koda raw premade.

    Let's see, Koda is 50 pds. (Yes he's a big Kai. Biggest out of his siblings.) He eats around 1-1 1/4 pds per day. That website says that it's $2.60/pd. for chicken and vegetables. So it would cost me $2.60 to $3.25 per day to feed Koda that food.
  • MirkoAiMirkoAi
    edited November -1
    OK that sounds better. It was hard figuring it out because I couldn't find a website that actually carried the raw pre-made. They all offered it to distributors and of course the distributors didn't have prices on their website. $3.25 isn't a bad price to ensure the health of your dog. Montana how much do your dogs weight? Do they only eat at night? I was reading one website (which of course now i can't find) mentioned the option of splitting the total recommended oz in half and feeding once in the morning and at night. I believe it said to give ground soft stuff in the morning and RMB in the evening. Wish i could find the darn website!
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited November -1
    I feed my dogs chicken backs mostly. I buy 60 lbs a month for three dogs....two shibas (one 40 lbs, one 30 lbs) and a 100 lb GSD. It costs me about $50 a month.

    I do add supplements: Solid Gold Sea meal and either a fish oil or simply fish oil capsules. They get table scraps too, incl. veggies for those that will eat them (my male Shiba will not eat veggies).

    Still, overall, feeding raw is cheaper for me than feeding a grain free kibble (and my GSD has serious grain allergies).
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