ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
My hunter friend brought me heart, lung, liver, and kidneys. All in a black plastic bag, half frozen. I have come a long way from not being able to touch meat. 
Just about ready to take the plunge
- Thread starter Phebe*DD
- Start date
I feed pray model too, usually once a day, but sometimes twice. I don't feed at a certain time, so they never really know when their food is coming so they don't beg and come looking for me when it's 'dinner time'.
I started with chicken as well. I am a 'purist' I guess, and do not feed kibble ever. If I do not have anything out for them, they get a day of fasting (which is good for them anyway and does not happen all too often)
For treats, I give dehydrated liver, dehydrated fruits (which they love), veggies, etc. I will use strore bought treats as well for training, but I buy 'grain free', no preservatives etc.
There is a lot of information out there on feeding raw. I belong to a couple of raw feeding forums, one being all about shelties
((I was very pleasantly surprised this weekend at an agility trial to find out how many of the instructors and agility people actually feed raw to their dogs. It was quite a high number to my surprise. ))
Good luck with the switch. I am sure it will be fine.
This is me exactly, minus the store bought treats.
Here is a great place to start learning more about feeding raw:
http://rawfed.com/myths/index.html
http://rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
SheltieChe
Forums Sage
dogs are opportunistic eaters and have been for thousands of years, they will eat pretty much whatever leftovers they can get from humans...
while we share 98% of DNA with monkeys we do not eat banana diet and I am planning to start... while dogs share 98% DNA with wolves we do not have to feed them wild lifestyle menu...
that is my reasoning and I feel that whatever rules you decide onto- it shall be right...
Che gets chicken necks in the morning/ 2 of them with skin but removed any slabs of fat/ and hamburger looking patties for dinner, mix whatever you get at home, usually I buy couple of packets of mixed veggies, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc., put them into processor, mix it up with raw egg, minced meat / beef or turkey/, add some garlic, oat bran, whole wheat bran, rice, cranberries, blueberries etc.
it is never same proportion but I cook for humans same way as well, I am pretty good cook also.
then I freeze individual patties.
I do use kibble as low to medium reward treats and have some home made treats as well as cheese and hot dogs and natural ingredients store bought ones...
my family except Che is vegetarian so pup gets his meals separate and I only use free range organic meat- would not eat anything else myself if I was eating meat ...LOL
while we share 98% of DNA with monkeys we do not eat banana diet and I am planning to start... while dogs share 98% DNA with wolves we do not have to feed them wild lifestyle menu...
that is my reasoning and I feel that whatever rules you decide onto- it shall be right...
Che gets chicken necks in the morning/ 2 of them with skin but removed any slabs of fat/ and hamburger looking patties for dinner, mix whatever you get at home, usually I buy couple of packets of mixed veggies, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc., put them into processor, mix it up with raw egg, minced meat / beef or turkey/, add some garlic, oat bran, whole wheat bran, rice, cranberries, blueberries etc.
it is never same proportion but I cook for humans same way as well, I am pretty good cook also.
then I freeze individual patties.
I do use kibble as low to medium reward treats and have some home made treats as well as cheese and hot dogs and natural ingredients store bought ones...
my family except Che is vegetarian so pup gets his meals separate and I only use free range organic meat- would not eat anything else myself if I was eating meat ...LOL
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
At my local food store last year, I found sterilite containers that fit perfectly in my fridge. (http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html?Section=Storage&ProductCategory=167#) The biggest one. They stack two high and two wide. So I can prepare several days worth of meat and throw some in the freezer if I need to. So if you are wicked organized like I am, these are perfect!
So a few weeks ago I left two of my dog with my parents, and took one of these containers of meat for their fridge. I packed WAY more food than they needed, just in case. So it turns out my dad was feeding his dog chicken out of the stash, and when my dogs went home and his dog went back to kibble, the dog refused to eat. Just looked at my dad like "aww, bummer."
So a few weeks ago I left two of my dog with my parents, and took one of these containers of meat for their fridge. I packed WAY more food than they needed, just in case. So it turns out my dad was feeding his dog chicken out of the stash, and when my dogs went home and his dog went back to kibble, the dog refused to eat. Just looked at my dad like "aww, bummer."
SheltieChe
Forums Sage
yeah bummer it is, who wants to eat kibble after yummy chickens...
Che would do pretty much anything for his chicken necks... it took us no time at all to teach him stay command on chicken necks alone...
DogIsMyMantra
Forums Enthusiast
Kind of late to the party, but another prey-model raw feeder here. Well, franken-prey...the only whole prey Bella has gotten is quail. The bulk of her bone comes from chicken and pork back ribs, but she gets all kinds of other boneless meats like duck (hearts, necks), rabbit (heads mostly), pork (shoulder, loin), beef (tripe w/spleen, brisket), turkey (necks, wings), mackerel and bison.
I use a coarse ground beef 'organ' mix (heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, gullet and trachea) since I found it very hard to get a good mix of organs for an 11 pound dog by just cutting off pieces myself.
I also add fish oil (with vit. e of course) and kelp sometimes. I'm not a real heavy supplementer, but believe that even high quality modern meat is deficient in omega 3s. I also don't have a whole lot of iodine in the franken prey items I feed, so I supplement with kelp for that.
As far as treats go, I typically just pan cook some chicken or beef strips with garlic. However, I don't have a problem with using certain store bought grain-free treats (Wellness Pure Rewards, Evo's Wild Cravings Herring Treats, Jones Gourmet 100% liver treats, Wolfies, etc...)
I use a coarse ground beef 'organ' mix (heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, gullet and trachea) since I found it very hard to get a good mix of organs for an 11 pound dog by just cutting off pieces myself.
I also add fish oil (with vit. e of course) and kelp sometimes. I'm not a real heavy supplementer, but believe that even high quality modern meat is deficient in omega 3s. I also don't have a whole lot of iodine in the franken prey items I feed, so I supplement with kelp for that.
As far as treats go, I typically just pan cook some chicken or beef strips with garlic. However, I don't have a problem with using certain store bought grain-free treats (Wellness Pure Rewards, Evo's Wild Cravings Herring Treats, Jones Gourmet 100% liver treats, Wolfies, etc...)
Best Decision I Ever Made!!
Well, what can I say...everyones pretty well gawked over how well it works for their dog!! Caliber started his raw diet at 6 months, and Replyka started at 6 weeks...they day I brought her home! Both cold turkey! Now - with Rep still being a puppy, she had raw at night and kibble during the day(for training purposes - much less messy!) They eat once a day - usually in the morning, if not in the afternoon when I have my break for school. The boy doesn't agree with it, but it works for them, and they don't seem to mind!
The reason I switched was because Caliber had really flakey skin, and a really dry coat(like straw...yuck!)and was very itchy, so I started with fish oil capsules, which helped the skin, but his coat was still like straw...after i switched, that fixed it! Teeth are pretty clean as long as i give them a raw bone to knaw on once or twice a week...
I don't know what you have available to you, but there is always a way that works for you. For me...as a full-time student, 2 dogs and a b/f who really doesn't pay much attention to detail when it comes to feeding, I buy my food pre-packed and in bulk. Some of you may know of it, but it's called Mountain Dog Food. It comes in 3lb or 5lb blocks. A great alternative if your'e worried about preparation - altho - feeding raw isn't as time consuming as some may think. I also buy Healthy Paws products too!
And I never knew that Green Tripe was so hard to find. I drive aboue 35-45 minutes for all my food(it's a store dedicated to the RAW food diet, and all natural products) and they ALWAYS have it in 1lb blocks...and I'm able to buy about 4 or 5 at a time. Smells awful but I LOVE feeding it to them...because I know it's so good for them. I usually only put in a couple ounces every two or three days tho, because it's so rich, and not to easy on the wallet!
Because they usually get the same thing all the time(lo fibre chicken, turkey, beef, and plain chicken - all of which has their fruits and veggies in them) I suppliment with fish oil, kelp and garlic powder every day. I also buy kangaroo, duck, lamb, rabbit, pure organ, and other fun meats like that as a treat now and then, and just add my own veggies to them so they don't get "bored" of the same food! Chicken backs they get whenever I can get my hands on them...I can't get them in town, and the store I buy my food from runs out within the first day or two of recieving them, and they actually just got turkey neck which they absolutely LOOOOOOOOOVE!! they're big enough that I can just divide them into three, and give a chunk to each of my two for a whole meal!
I also pre-pack my meals(it's much easier than having to weigh everything everyday) and it's great if you have an emergency and you need to drop the "kids" off somewhere...all your babysitters have to do is thaw overnight and plop in in their bowls! It's also handy for those in your household who don't feel comfortable handling the food or don't feel they can weigh the food out properly! It's my 13 day ritual! the ziploc containers are perfect for the amount I feed...which is about 5oz per day(but now that the summer is here and agility and flyball training is picking up, they'll get more)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=381747&id=503765166&l=816f2fb0e6
Yes....I made an album! LOL
Now that I am done my novel, I will say this..........have fun! You'll never go back to kibble once you start!(Unless you HAD to of course!)
Well, what can I say...everyones pretty well gawked over how well it works for their dog!! Caliber started his raw diet at 6 months, and Replyka started at 6 weeks...they day I brought her home! Both cold turkey! Now - with Rep still being a puppy, she had raw at night and kibble during the day(for training purposes - much less messy!) They eat once a day - usually in the morning, if not in the afternoon when I have my break for school. The boy doesn't agree with it, but it works for them, and they don't seem to mind!
The reason I switched was because Caliber had really flakey skin, and a really dry coat(like straw...yuck!)and was very itchy, so I started with fish oil capsules, which helped the skin, but his coat was still like straw...after i switched, that fixed it! Teeth are pretty clean as long as i give them a raw bone to knaw on once or twice a week...
I don't know what you have available to you, but there is always a way that works for you. For me...as a full-time student, 2 dogs and a b/f who really doesn't pay much attention to detail when it comes to feeding, I buy my food pre-packed and in bulk. Some of you may know of it, but it's called Mountain Dog Food. It comes in 3lb or 5lb blocks. A great alternative if your'e worried about preparation - altho - feeding raw isn't as time consuming as some may think. I also buy Healthy Paws products too!
And I never knew that Green Tripe was so hard to find. I drive aboue 35-45 minutes for all my food(it's a store dedicated to the RAW food diet, and all natural products) and they ALWAYS have it in 1lb blocks...and I'm able to buy about 4 or 5 at a time. Smells awful but I LOVE feeding it to them...because I know it's so good for them. I usually only put in a couple ounces every two or three days tho, because it's so rich, and not to easy on the wallet!
Because they usually get the same thing all the time(lo fibre chicken, turkey, beef, and plain chicken - all of which has their fruits and veggies in them) I suppliment with fish oil, kelp and garlic powder every day. I also buy kangaroo, duck, lamb, rabbit, pure organ, and other fun meats like that as a treat now and then, and just add my own veggies to them so they don't get "bored" of the same food! Chicken backs they get whenever I can get my hands on them...I can't get them in town, and the store I buy my food from runs out within the first day or two of recieving them, and they actually just got turkey neck which they absolutely LOOOOOOOOOVE!! they're big enough that I can just divide them into three, and give a chunk to each of my two for a whole meal!
I also pre-pack my meals(it's much easier than having to weigh everything everyday) and it's great if you have an emergency and you need to drop the "kids" off somewhere...all your babysitters have to do is thaw overnight and plop in in their bowls! It's also handy for those in your household who don't feel comfortable handling the food or don't feel they can weigh the food out properly! It's my 13 day ritual! the ziploc containers are perfect for the amount I feed...which is about 5oz per day(but now that the summer is here and agility and flyball training is picking up, they'll get more)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=381747&id=503765166&l=816f2fb0e6
Yes....I made an album! LOL
Now that I am done my novel, I will say this..........have fun! You'll never go back to kibble once you start!(Unless you HAD to of course!)