I believe a raw canine food diet plan is the healthiest diet plan for many dogs.
However, changing a canine to homemade raw canine food is an overwhelming process, as well as in some cases it assists to discover from somebody who’s been there.
I interviewed blog writer Rebekah Ward of My Rotten Dogs on exactly how she feeds her three dogs a raw diet.
Rebekah has three wolfdogs (wolf hybrids) named Neeko, Bruce as well as Faolan. She feeds them a prey design raw diet plan including approximately 80 percent meaty meat, 10 percent bone, 5 percent liver as well as 5 percent other organs.
Feeding three big dogs a homemade raw diet
That Mutt: Why did you choose to begin feeding your dogs a raw diet?
Rebekah Ward: We had constant GI problems with Neeko (she was our first). She was riddled with worms when we got her, she was “free to great home” from an “oops litter.” We fought worms with her for a number of months, then when she was about five months old she contracted Giardia. That was fun. She had a purchased of gastroenteritis at about 10 months old.
Once all of that cleared, she would still have diarrhea on a routine basis as well as couldn’t keep weight. I was concerned about Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency because of her German Shepherd canine heritage. I dabbled a bit with some industrial raw when is was just her, Nature’s range as well as Primal, however never exclusively.
We embraced Bruce, as well as while he didn’t have the GI problems Neeko did, he had soft, mushy poops on different top quality kibbles. He had his very first typical poop the day after I fed him as well as Neeko each half of an oxtail for dinner. At that point, I began feeding half raw, half kibble. I would provide raw for breakfast as well as kibble for dinner. I fed that method for about four months before changing to full raw.
TM: would you feed the exact same diet plan if they were not wolfdogs?
RW: Yes. A buddy of mine feeds her working bloodhounds raw. They shine. one more buddy of mine has a GSD whose parents are both from Europe. She likewise flourishes on it. I believe it is the perfect diet plan for many dogs.
TM: Did you have any type of issues when you very first began feeding raw?
RW: I was so anxious about cannon butt! I fed bone in every meal a number of weeks. Bone firms up the stool of a raw fed dog. Some dogs need a bit bone with each meal, all dogs are different.
I was concerned about correctly balancing it, which is why I fed half kibble as well as half raw for a while.
I was concerned I wasn’t feeding them enough, or as well much. I was concerned about improved meats, meats that have a broth or sodium service added to them for flavoring, therefore driving up the sodium content, which can cause diarrhea in dogs.
TM: What are some methods you save money on raw food for three big dogs?
RW: I belong to a regional coOp, www.rawpaws.org, as well as purchase in bulk, which drives down the cost per pound. I have buddies as well as household who search as well as share the riches with me, as well as who likewise get in touch with me when they have freezer burnt meat.
I shop markdowns, managers’ specials, etc. A regional grocer, Marsh, has their pork butts as well as shoulders on sale for $0.99 to $1.29 per pound about when every 4 to 6 weeks. When they do, I stock up.
TM: Where do you get many of the “meaty meat” for your dogs?
RW: Beef heart is one of my meaty meat staples. I can get it with my coOp, from a regional butcher, at Meijer or Walmart, as well as at a regional ethnic market. The most affordable location is about 35 miles away, a meat processor, where I can get a 60-pound situation of beef heart for $0.89 per pound.
I feed venison as frequently as I can get it.
Turkey hearts as well as turkey breast pieces are offered with my coOp many of the time, for $ 0.69 to $1.10 per pound.
I am likewise a huge fan of eco-friendly tripe for meaty meat. I purchase it from the coOp as well as from wwww.mypetcarnivore.com. My Pet Carnivore is a regional raw feeding business with phenomenal owners as well as outstanding products. a few of their stuff can be pricy, however I splurge on them every when in a while. As discussed above, I stock up on pork butts as well as shoulders when Marsh has them on sale.
TM: Where do you generally purchase organ meat?
RW: I get the bulk of it from Raw Paws or My Pet Carnivore. MPC sometimes has exotic organs, like ostrich as well as bison liver, which I purchase when I can. Raw Paws routinely has pork, beef as well as sheep liver for best around $1.00 per pound.
I likewise routinely purchase beef as well as pork kidneys, as well as goat as well as lamb spleen from Raw Paws, all for $1.25 per pound or less. I go with about 8 to 10 pounds of liver, as well as 8 to 10 pounds of “other” organ per month.
TM: Do you ever get criticism for feeding your dogs raw? What is your common response?
RW: Honestly, no. My vetis supportive of it (love you Dr. Baker!), as well as many people are just curious about it. I have yet to run into somebody who provided the “you are killing your dogs” speech.
TM: Is there anything else you believe people ought to understand about raw feeding?
RW: If you are feeding big or several dogs, purchase a devoted freezer. It makes buying in bulk easy. One doesn’t have to run out as well as purchase a brand new one for a number of hundred dollars. They are easily offered on Craigslist. I have a 14-cubic-foot upright that was spotless as well as three years old when I bought it for $100 from Craigslist. I have a 7-cubic-foot freezer that was somewhat dented however clean as well as completely working that I bought for $50 from Craigslist.
Do research. There are several methods to feed raw, as well as I am a fan of all of them. Kibble supplemented with raw, half as well as half, premade/commercial raw, dehydrated raw (Sojos, The truthful Kitchen, etc.), BARF, the listing goes on.
Figure out which style works finest for you as well as your dogs. If it is not simple as well as pleasurable for the owner, it will likely be provided up on. In my opinion, some raw or fresh/homecooked food is much better than none.
Thank you, Rebekah!
How about the rest of you?
What concerns or guidance do you have about feeding a canine a raw diet?
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