# Why do people think feeding RAW is so expensive???



## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

I know that if you are trying to feed the premade stuff like Nature's Instinct, Primal, etc... it gets expensive really quickly...

But if feeding whole chickens, pork neck bones, beef neck bones, calf liver, etc... even just from your grocery store and not from a specific supplier or a butcher.... I've found that it saved me money.

With my 9 year old Lab/Pit/Mutt, approx 50 lbs, I spend $30-35 per month on her food, and that's when I buy from Walmart/HEB and pay full price. Which is nothing compared to what I know other people spend on food, even the cheap stuff. Or even what I used to spend on food before I switched.

When I was feeding Taste of the Wild, she would finish a 30lb bag in about a month. That's $50/month.

Before that, on Ol' Roy or Pedigree or cheap no-name brand (this was while my parents still had control over her food), one and a half to two 50 lb bags per month (free fed), usually resulted in about $30-35 per month, depending on what we were getting.


So... maybe it's just me... but I don't feel like "I can't afford it" is a valid excuse... there are other excuses that can be used. 


So... have y'all found the same thing when y'all switched? Have you found it to be cheaper? Or has it been more expensive?


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Serbrider said:


> I know that if you are trying to feed the premade stuff like Nature's Instinct, Primal, etc... it gets expensive really quickly...
> 
> But if feeding whole chickens, pork neck bones, beef neck bones, calf liver, etc... even just from your grocery store and not from a specific supplier or a butcher.... I've found that it saved me money.
> 
> ...


I pay 31.99 for a bag of Diamond Naturals about every two weeks. I looked into switching to raw but with 4 dogs average 2 lbs a day at even $1.00 a pound that is $56 per week. That doesn't include all the supplements they need to be healthy.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I just bought 190lbs of food for $140 (approx) - I could have cut the price down if I wasn't lazy and ordered the pre-sliced liver.  I feed approx 2.63lbs/day (2 female GSD's) so that is about 2.4 months of food, so about $60/month total on food for 2 dogs (not including tripe, which I add on occasion and would up the cost). I also add oil of some sort (Leyna gets Salmon, and Paisley Coconut) which isn't that bad price wise because it lasts awhile and then most of the other supplements I feed don't add too much to the cost (mostly just joint supplements for my older female, which I would be adding if I fed kibble).


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I am in a co-op so the raw is less expensive for me to feed than if I had to get it on my own. I spend about $150 per month to feed three GSD's. I don't know how that compares to kibble(I haven't bought kibble in 7 yrs)
I think the convenience of feeding kibble is the real reason people won't commit to feeding raw. And you need a dedicated freezer/fridge if you have a few dogs to feed, because buying in bulk helps reduce the cost.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> I am in a co-op so the raw is less expensive for me to feed than if I had to get it on my own. I spend about $150 per month to feed three GSD's. I don't know how that compares to kibble(I haven't bought kibble in 7 yrs)
> I think the convenience of feeding kibble is the real reason people won't commit to feeding raw. And you need a dedicated freezer/fridge if you have a few dogs to feed, because buying in bulk helps reduce the cost.


and I pay aprox $65 a month to feed 4 on kibble and I know they are getting everything they need nutritionally.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

If you don't have a Costco or Cash'n Carry near you and there are no co-ops it can be pricey. Driving to pick up from a co-op would cost $20-40 in gas because I have a gas guzzler pickup (totally necessary for where I live). Aside from chicken and turkey quarters, I have been unable to find anything under $2/lb, despite calling butchers and game processors. I would love more ideas if anyone has any. Sometimes I can score freezer-burned meat from a coworker but that's not a sure thing. Feeding my dog 100% raw would cost roughly $90/mo if I was extremely frugal and fed mostly chicken, safeway pork sometimes. I can afford that because my situation is good but I can understand why people would not want to pay that much, not go driving all over **** and creation looking for dog food. It takes way more planning to feed my dog than it does myself. 


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

shepherdmom said:


> and I pay aprox $65 a month to feed 4 on kibble and I know they are getting everything they need nutritionally.


i can eat a mcdonalds meal every day and get everything i need nutritionally. just saying!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

OTOH, I may feed raw again some day but only when I am set to take scrap from grass fed / pasture fed animals and venison. At least for now the meat in dog food is grass fed and antibiotic free. ....... I just don't trust Walmart and think they are irradiating, bleaching, whatever. I got a tomato there that sat on my counter for THREE MONTHS before it started to rot.

I don't think this needs to be a kibble vs raw thread. I you want to feed it fine. In my state they are not allowed to sell discounted meat that is just out of date.....which is one way to get affordable quality meats.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

@Kaimejo - The key for me is/was finding the wholesale distributor who serves your local grocery stores in town (I did google searches to find suppliers both when I lived in San Diego and now up in Nor Cal). My supplier will actually deliver to my business for a measly cost since they make deliveries throughout town. I also live about an hour from the nearest major city. And if I decide to pick up food myself, I just make sure I do the trip with a bunch of different errands. I also buy enough food at once to make the extra cost in gas per pound minimal.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Probably the same reason many people think it's cheaper to feed their families with value meals from fast food restaurants than to prepare the same meal at home with fresh wholesome ingredients and recipes that cut the fat, sugar and carb content virtually in half. They're not self learners, and no one has committed to teaching them. 

That, and thinking that "people" food is more valuable than "dog" food. Why would they purchase "people" food for dogs? Again, they haven't been educated. They don't understand the model of prey feeding, and aren't aware that feeding dogs on a prey diet includes feeding them all the parts of the animals that people (at least in much of the US) do not eat. Cheap parts, like the gizzards and hearts my local grocer sells at dirt cheap prices as fish bait!

And then, there are those RAW feeders who who believe their canines need fruits and veggies, and deplete their dogs' natural diet with those filler foods and consequently have to buy a heap of expensive "supplements" to meet what otherwise would be a very simple diet. And then they advocate $40 dollars for a bottle of fancy fish oil, when the dogs can get the same benefit from a $6 bottle of fish oil tablets from Walmart... Or something caught locally and tossed out on the lawn for dogs to devour . 
And they suggest "joint supplements" which are *totally* unnecessary when you're feeding RMBs. Dogs don't need expensive conjointin tablets when they're eating chicken and fish and rabbit bones. Doh. 

So, to answer your question... part self-satisfying emotion, part ignorance, and a healthy dose of pride. I always crack up when I see a dog treat recipe that contains half a dozen ingredients and 2 hours prep time. Really? That's for the owner, so she can pat herself on the back. My dogs' *favorite* all time treat??? A super cheap raw egg. No prep required, which means we can spend those two hours of "loving" time talking a long walk through the woods! Huge nutritional value, and I don't even have to crack the egg, lol. They handle that, and they clean up every last drop. I promise you, if I am holding a carton of eggs in one hand and a basket full of "cookies" baked with flour and garlic in the other... Well, my dogs will be whining and circling the hand holding the egg carton, lol!!!


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

agree the pre-made raw is expensive, but I like these as they are easy and combine everything - muscle, organ, bone & vegies.

Otherwise, raw is really cheap, I bought about 300grams of chicken hearts the other day for $1.50 and chicken carcass costs about 35cents each. Cheap.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

No, people do not always choose kibble out of ignorance. As far as the $6 "fish oil". Do a little research on the DHA and EPA content, and cut open and taste the oil inside and you will know why people spend $40 for quality fish oil.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

mspiker03 said:


> @Kaimejo - The key for me is/was finding the wholesale distributor who serves your local grocery stores in town (I did google searches to find suppliers both when I lived in San Diego and now up in Nor Cal). My supplier will actually deliver to my business for a measly cost since they make deliveries throughout town. I also live about an hour from the nearest major city. And if I decide to pick up food myself, I just make sure I do the trip with a bunch of different errands. I also buy enough food at once to make the extra cost in gas per pound minimal.


There would need to be a grocery store in town to distribute to them. LOL Nearest grocery store is 28 miles round trip.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

boomer11 said:


> i can eat a mcdonalds meal every day and get everything i need nutritionally. just saying!


lol so? I enjoy McDonalds.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

shepherdmom said:


> There would need to be a grocery store in town to distribute to them. LOL Nearest grocery store is 28 miles round trip.


But, you still make that trip to the store at some point. I used to meet the Cal Vada supplier in the parking lot at Safeway until I realized he would stop by my work. If I had to buy in Reno, I would just combine it with a trip there to buy other things. I have gotten food in Sac - which is 2 hours away from me. But, I combine it with a trip to the Bay Area so it is only maybe 15min out of the way. You just find ways to make it work. I don't really find it that difficult. 

Besides, 28 miles round trip isn't that much. I drive that far round trip to the vet. I drive that far round trip for various other errands all the time. I drive further for dog training each week.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Heres what im contending with before you judge. I have two dogs that eat two pounds a day. Chicken leg quarters I can get for $1.00 a pound. That's 60 lbs a month if I only feed that. $60 spent there. Beef heart is 1.79 a pound. If I give 1/2 pound a day per dog that's 30 lbs a month approx $51 dollars a month. Beef livers are $1.00 a pound, $5.00 a month. Giblets are 1.39 a pound. Approx $12.00 a month. I don't have access to green tripe, canned is approx $20 a month. Pork shoulder (when on sale) is 1.79 a pound, totaling another $51 per month. $189 per month. 

Earth holistic kibble is $49 per bag. Two bags a month cost $99. I'm not even sure if we use two bags a month. Right now I'm struggling with the cost of raw for two dogs. 

Do you really want to make broad judging statements? 

Or are you volunteering to pay my food bills? 

I'm struggling with my decision to feed 1/2 raw at least. Thanks for your attempt at making me feel like a moron. 

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Usually when I see someone telling other people that something they are doing is "wrong" and assume they have superior knowledge, it is because they are a recent convert and feel some need to convert everyone else. 

There are plenty of highly experienced raw feeders on the board who co-exist peacefully with kibble feeders and vice-versa. And I think it is just great when people can give helpful advice such as ways to source meat ingredients, etc. without telling people who chose a different path that they are "uninformed"

There are those of us who prefer different lines of dogs as well, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I see pros and cons in both ways of feeding.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

jocoyn said:


> No, people do not always choose kibble out of ignorance. As far as the $6 "fish oil". Do a little research on the DHA and EPA content, and cut open and taste the oil inside and you will know why people spend $40 for quality fish oil.


You're right. It not *always* out of ignorance. I'm fact, I am actually feeding mine kibble right now... For training purposes. I'm backing my dogs up off their sense of entitlement, so I am actually spending more feeding them kibble, as part of a comprehensive plan my trainer suggested. We will go back to prey at some point. But I do think it's a factor. OP asked why? And I think that's why many people don't even explore raw. They just don't know they can feed PMR less expensively. Saying they are ignorant of that fact, for a variety of reasons, is not the same thing as calling someone stupid. 

And honestly, this is what I am currently putting on my dogs' kibble:









But when that bottle runs out, they are gonna go back to sharing the same supplement I feed myself, which is the Wal-Mart $6 bottle of capsules. And I'm comfortable with that, considering we don't eat cheeseburgers or drink soda, lol!!


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

erfunhouse said:


> Heres what im contending with before you judge. I have two dogs that eat two pounds a day. Chicken leg quarters I can get for $1.00 a pound. That's 60 lbs a month if I only feed that. $60 spent there. Beef heart is 1.79 a pound. If I give 1/2 pound a day per dog that's 30 lbs a month approx $51 dollars a month. Beef livers are $1.00 a pound, $5.00 a month. Giblets are 1.39 a pound. Approx $12.00 a month. I don't have access to green tripe, canned is approx $20 a month. Pork shoulder (when on sale) is 1.79 a pound, totaling another $51 per month. $189 per month.
> 
> Earth holistic kibble is $49 per bag. Two bags a month cost $99. I'm not even sure if we use two bags a month. Right now I'm struggling with the cost of raw for two dogs.
> 
> ...


I would think being so close to LA that you could easily get those prices way down. I would call Harvest Meat and see if they deliver to your area and if not, maybe they know who does and go from there. I have found several of these wholesale places have people that "deal with the dog raw feeders."

I will say that finding pricing that made raw feeding affordable took a bit of effort at first. I spent a lot of time googling and calling.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

jocoyn said:


> No, people do not always choose kibble out of ignorance. As far as the $6 "fish oil". Do a little research on the DHA and EPA content, and cut open and taste the oil inside and you will know why people spend $40 for quality fish oil.


Indeed. The cheap stuff is cut with soybean oil anyway. 




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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Ignorant is a hot button word I should have avoided. I could have been more eloquent and simply said that I don't think people know that raw feeding can be less expensive, for the reasons I outlined 


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

mspiker03 said:


> @Kaimejo - The key for me is/was finding the wholesale distributor who serves your local grocery stores in town (I did google searches to find suppliers both when I lived in San Diego and now up in Nor Cal). My supplier will actually deliver to my business for a measly cost since they make deliveries throughout town. I also live about an hour from the nearest major city. And if I decide to pick up food myself, I just make sure I do the trip with a bunch of different errands. I also buy enough food at once to make the extra cost in gas per pound minimal.


Can you describe in more detail how you made those connections? I have done all kinds of google searches for wholesalers, processors, even slaughterhouses but the only thing that comes up is Cash 'n Carry two hours away. Is that the best there is? I called a local company who does meat processing and they claimed they did not actually own the meat so they couldn't sell me anything that wasn't part of their normal product line. 

People keep talking about finding meat for less than a dollar per pound, and I have just never seen that where I live.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Kaimeju said:


> Can you describe in more detail how you made those connections? I have done all kinds of google searches for wholesalers, processors, even slaughterhouses but the only thing that comes up is Cash 'n Carry two hours away. Is that the best there is? I called a local company who does meat processing and they claimed they did not actually own the meat so they couldn't sell me anything that wasn't part of their normal product line.
> 
> People keep talking about finding meat for less than a dollar per pound, and I have just never seen that where I live.
> 
> ...


Have you tried visiting in person? Ask your friends, your neighbors, anyone and everyone in your social circle. Make an in person connection. You can't get the best deals over the Internet  

Also, try the international markets. In person 


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

It depends on where you get your meat from. If I went to my regular grocery store and I worked in the parameter of $55 dollars for a bag of dog food that covers me for a month, I'd barely be able to cover a week worth of RAW. If I were to do RAW properly and from a grocery store, it would be about $250 or more...just on red meat and chicken alone. Now, I've found a butcher that is willing to sell scrap meats or meats within date, but they can't keep on the shelf for a fraction of the price, but I would still spend $150 a month, and that's not getting the special things like Tripe, RMBs, Vitamins, Non red meat/chicken, and all the other things to make a RAW/BARF diet complete.

I wish RAW/BARF were more cost effective, but it's just not, to me. I can get a very high quality bag food and supplement with RAW/BARF (1 or 2 complete RAW/BARF meals a week, all the RMBs he can handle) and be well under $200 a month. I want to do RAW, it's just not financially in the cards.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

mspiker03 said:


> Besides, 28 miles round trip isn't that much.  I drive that far round trip to the vet. I drive that far round trip for various other errands all the time. I drive further for dog training each week.


Easy for you to say.  28 miles is lot of gas and more than doubling my feed costs on top of that. 

I'm not convinced feeding raw is the correct way to go anyway. There are just too many variables you have to get right. I'm afraid I would miss something important and make my dogs sick.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

JackandMattie said:


> Have you tried visiting in person? Ask your friends, your neighbors, anyone and everyone in your social circle. Make an in person connection. You can't get the best deals over the Internet
> 
> Also, try the international markets. In person


This is a good idea and I have visited local places in person, but apparently I am not using the right language. If I say "do you have any scraps I could give to my dog?" I get handed a bag of knuckle bones.

"Do you have anything else?" 
"No." 

Or I ask for a specific cut of meat that I know should be cheaper, and they don't have it. I haven't tried the Asian market yet though.

Like I said, there are a few coworkers I can score meat from, but not reliably. I don't have friends because all of my time is taken up by work, family, and hobbies. My extended family is on the other side of the country. Too bad because many are farmers.


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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

Didn't mean to upset anyone.... I personally have found raw to be cheaper as have my friends who have switched, from all sorts of brands. I should have realized more how much location plays into meat prices.

I don't think anyone is an idiot, moron, or any other term for feeding kibble, because it works for them. I personally like to know exactly what my animals are eating, but I do understand convenience, cost, etc.

I should have figured in other people's location. I rarely ever pay under a dollar for my meat, and I personally have found that my dog eats a LOT less when on raw, so that's probably messing up stuff too. I'm expecting a $50-$70/month food bill for my new puppy, but bc she's a larger and more active dog. But that's still less than if spend on a quality kibble, and right about the same as the low quality kibble.... But I guess that's just my experience, not the way it is for everyone....


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## robeangyalchen (Aug 11, 2013)

Where i live chicken is 325 Rupees / $3.25 per kilo, and $1=100 Nepali Rupees. Chicken Breast is 500 RS = $5 and neck, leg (paws) and liver are 75 RS kg = $ 0.75.

Pedigree Kibble is 4200 RS for 10 kg = $ 42.

I do not feed him RAW or kibble...i give him kibble for morning..1.5 cups and few raw Chicken paws may be 100 grams.

at mid day he gets buff knee bones ( chewable bones around knee caps?? dont know the exact word for it) for snack, size of an adult fist.

in evening he gets 2 bowls of rice and 500 grams of boiled chicken meat, with neck and whatever bones it has.

In total, per month i feed him around 5,000 RS = $500, i do not feed this because it's cheaper, it's just matter of convenience.

I have fed him only kibble and tried converting full RAW, the threads were very helpful, but i found his poop better and he seemed healthier with this routine..

so yes, not everybody does it beacause its cheaper or just because of ignorance 

ETA: there are so many things i would like to do after learning from here but could not beacuse of various reasons, for instance, i would like to feed him salmon oil but i can't get it here and couldn't buy online because of no credit card or paypal in Nepal, i couldn't even buy a Frisbee here lol


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Kaimeju said:


> Can you describe in more detail how you made those connections? I have done all kinds of google searches for wholesalers, processors, even slaughterhouses but the only thing that comes up is Cash 'n Carry two hours away. Is that the best there is? I called a local company who does meat processing and they claimed they did not actually own the meat so they couldn't sell me anything that wasn't part of their normal product line.
> 
> People keep talking about finding meat for less than a dollar per pound, and I have just never seen that where I live.
> 
> ...


I have never visited any place in person until I picked up the meat (unless you count the Asian market in San Diego that I went to). I just googled *insert closest large city* meat distributor and also *city* meat wholesale and then called. I also think when I moved to Nor Cal I saw several meat delivery trucks around town and called them for pricing. Once in San Diego I saw a meat truck and I was like "need my phone - need to get this number now!" It really became an obsession to get low prices...


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

shepherdmom said:


> Easy for you to say.  28 miles is lot of gas and more than doubling my feed costs on top of that.
> 
> I'm not convinced feeding raw is the correct way to go anyway. There are just too many variables you have to get right. I'm afraid I would miss something important and make my dogs sick.


So, it really isn't about the 28 miles or the cost. And that is kind of the point of the original post by the OP. Gas here in the mountains is just (if not more) expensive than NV (I plan my trips to NV to get gas!) and I have to drive over the hill to get places and my SUV's don't get stellar gas mileage. And we are far from being rich. 

We started feeding raw because my male had allergies. I was spending $100's in vet bills, allergy shots, meds, etc and nothing helped. Within a month of feeding raw, all itching stopped. The transition from begging them to eat their kibble to dancing around for each meal was the icing on the cake. Their coats improved, their energy improved (lots of energy, but a more settled energy) and no more vet bills. And less poop to clean up! It made me a believer. Paisley will never eat kibble in her life - I would rather home cook if it came to that.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I have a food sensitive dog. The two cheapest proteins are out for us (chicken & pork). That makes raw feeding more costly for sure. 
Like Shaolin, if I had to buy beef hearts, livers and such from the grocery I wouldn't be able to afford raw.
I started with honest kitchen, which is very pricey. 
I got lucky and discovered Blue Ridge Beef Raw diet products. I can get a 30 lb. box of ground beef mm or venison mm with 10 % bone for $51. They have a Natural mix product that is beef mm/om & green tripe. That's $51 for 30 lbs. I prepare a blend of half natural mix and half meat with bone. 
That makes my food bill roughly $102 a month for one dog. That doesn't include when I tried rabbit @ $5.30 a lb. She at it for a few meals so I bought more only to have her turn her nose up at it  She won't touch quail either. 
It doesn't include canned sardines (she won't eat raw fish);the rmb; Salmon oil and treats. Yes, I buy a lot of treats for training and tracking/nose work games.
My picky eater won't eat American cheese; she isn't fond of hotdogs (all beef kosher at that). Even treats are an expensive purchase because they can't have chicken or pork in them. 
Some days she will eat kibble as training treats. I try to get free sample bags for this. 
She's stopped growing for the most part and just needs to fill out so, I'm hoping we will be cutting back from 2lbs a day to about 1.5 lbs. soon. That will help cut the bill a little bit. 

_So...this is why I'm one of the people that says *"feeding raw is expensive"* compared to many of you._ I find the money because she does so much better on raw.


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## Okin (Feb 27, 2013)

I have not been able to find a coop in my area yet. I did check at Krogers they are the large grocery chain in my area the cheapest meat I found was huge containers of chicken legs and those were 1.50 a lb. Everything else was more expensive. I'm looking at other options still. I did find a breeder that sells a pre made in bulk starting at 2.00 a lb about 45 minutes from me. That would cost more than the kibble I feed but not by a huge margin. I figure once I start I can get some hunter buddies to give me some deer and talk to a friend with a farm about getting some stuff from him. I still have not found a way that it works out to be cheaper though.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

That has been part of the formula for me. If I were prepared to cultivate good wild sources and farm scrap sources from natural farmers I would jump. I won't buy the antibiotic laden factory farmed "meat" I can buy at the grocers for cheap and wonder about the nutritional value of animals raised to maturity at high speed on diets designed only for rapid growth and a very short life. What is missing in that grocery meat? particularly if I am not going to give vitamins (and many synthetics are made in China), and some level of vegetable matter (and yes, I think wild canids do eat small amounts of fruit and grass).

So for me, right now, the bulk of my dog food is a rotation of kibble containing New Zealand Lamb (grass fed) and Venison (grass fed) and Domestic beef (grass fed) with some small quantities of domestic chicken and pig ingredients and that is why. We actually buy lamb for our own consumption at whole foods as our primary source of red meat (why lamb from new zealand is cheaper than domestic beef baffles me) - but as humans we eat far less "meat" than our canine counterparts.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Depends on the kibble you're feeding and where you source your raw, I suppose. 

I feed about 3/4 prepared and 1/4 whole raw, so it is a bit more money, but it's worth it. I don't have a lot of time to bargain hunt, so I find this is easier for me, plus they deliver to my home.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

mspiker03 said:


> I would think being so close to LA that you could easily get those prices way down. I would call Harvest Meat and see if they deliver to your area and if not, maybe they know who does and go from there. I have found several of these wholesale places have people that "deal with the dog raw feeders."
> 
> I will say that finding pricing that made raw feeding affordable took a bit of effort at first. I spent a lot of time googling and calling.


And I've made a giant effort. So much so that I've spent entire days calling places. Harvest meats would be great if they had a price list so that I can budget, but they don't. When asked about specific items, the lady on the phone was rude and unable to quote me the prices

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

mspiker03 said:


> So, it really isn't about the 28 miles or the cost. And that is kind of the point of the original post by the OP. Gas here in the mountains is just (if not more) expensive than NV (I plan my trips to NV to get gas!) and I have to drive over the hill to get places and my SUV's don't get stellar gas mileage. And we are far from being rich.
> 
> We started feeding raw because my male had allergies. I was spending $100's in vet bills, allergy shots, meds, etc and nothing helped. Within a month of feeding raw, all itching stopped. The transition from begging them to eat their kibble to dancing around for each meal was the icing on the cake. Their coats improved, their energy improved (lots of energy, but a more settled energy) and no more vet bills. And less poop to clean up! It made me a believer. Paisley will never eat kibble in her life - I would rather home cook if it came to that.


Well basically it is the cost. Even though I am afraid to get something wrong I'd be far more willing to try it if it wasn't so darn expensive. Sorry! As I said I pay about $65 a month for four dogs. If I could get pre packaged raw that I know was nutritionally sound for that then yes I would do it. (think Sojos) I'm not about to go to my local grocery store and buy cheep meat and do trial and error on my babies. They deserve better than that. What they do get is a raw egg or some raw chicken livers as a topper and the local grocery store butcher always has some nice marrow bones cut up for me for treats. 

Oh and I'm over an hour away from Reno. Don't think the gas is cheap in the small town I live in. I've got a northstar v8 which not only drinks gas but requires premium. Fun to drive by not very economical. 

I'm glad raw works for you. Kibble works for me. My dogs have shiney coats, bright eyes and visit the vet once a year for their check-up.


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## Montu (Oct 9, 2012)

I would imagine prices of Raw vary greatly depending on where you live.

Maybe we are just looking at it wrong but it seems it would be slightly more for us than just feeding orijen...now the other side of that is I'm not sure if i want to take on feeding raw..it seems like a lot of work and my dog is doing great on orijen


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Serbrider said:


> So... maybe it's just me... but I don't feel like "I can't afford it" is a valid excuse... there are other excuses that can be used.
> 
> 
> So... have y'all found the same thing when y'all switched? Have you found it to be cheaper? Or has it been more expensive?


If the dog can't tolerate chicken and only can eat beef and lamb, like mine, you can bet it's more expensive, especially if you are not so enthusiastic about cheap meat that has been pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormone. 

Trying to feed "clean" meat is very expensive. 

I don't consider it an "excuse" if that is all the dog can eat, but is above the owner's budget.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

When I was researching and contacting breders when looking for my last GSD, I recall talkig to a few who stated their puppies must be fed raw diet. I thought omg these GSD breeders are freaks! I found my GSD and fed kibble like I had every other dog I had owned. After trying multiple kibbles for my EPI boy, he only one that he tolerated well was Chicken Soup and of course his added enzymes. Dog food was organic and probably middle of the road quality at $60 bag including Ontario's rediculous taxes. For those of you in the U.S.A. , you are blessed with much more reasonably priced products. It amazes me that some here can feed 4 dogs a quality kibble for a total of $65 a month. Here in Ontario I don't think you could feed Old Roy or Dog Chow for that cheap.
With Gus I was educated by his breeder of the benefits of the raw diet. I saw her dogs in such great condition, both very young and very old. She gave me multiple contacts and suggestions on how to find locally as well. I priced kibble (Orijen) and for a 30lb bag it was $85. I did my price comparison of raw to Orijen. I buy some ground premade ground Beef/Heart/bone, turkey/bone, lamb/bone, $18 box in patty form and I sourced much on my own with a combined cost of $65 a month. Feedsentials and SHEA oil supplements both of which last a long time so the actual cost is minimal.
For those looking for cheap sources, here is what I did.

1. Hit up all family and friends...post on your facebook and twitter accts that you will take any and all freezer burnt meat. If any are hunters, ask for all their organ meats and scraps. My brother saved all the deer scraps as he was cutting down his deer. I ended up with 40lbs of quality meat scraps. I took all the hearts, liver and kidneys of 6 deer. Ribs, and bones I can't aleays identify LOL...all FREE. Many people who hunt clear out their game meats from last season before refilling with fresh, take it all.

2. Look for some of the smaller local slaughterhouse places. There you can try for hearts, liver, lung, trachea, pancreas, kidney and tongue. There will be a fee but usually minimal. I now get even cheaper as I am a regular customer. Heart (Beef)$5. Liver if available $3. Pancreas $2. Green unwashed tripe $10 (20-25lbs).

3. I find pigs feet at local grocers for $2 (package of 3 halves). Liver if I need for usually $2-3 per package. Pork Hocks $3 for 2 large. Sometimes you can find really cheap chicken backs if they are at best before date.

4. Look for chicken farms/and or processors as you might be able to get frames very cheap and by the box. I now get full boxes of chicken frames...about 30lb per box for $4 a box.

5. Look for game farms and ask if you can pick up scraps. I recently made this contact and hoping to get a variety of uncommon meats ie. bear, buffalo, etc. all again for FREE!

Sorry for such a long post......I am now a believer that raw is the best possible diet for a dog. I find it very easy to prepare. The onky down side per say is you will need a freezer dedicated for dog food.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

jocoyn said:


> That has been part of the formula for me. If I were prepared to cultivate good wild sources and farm scrap sources from natural farmers I would jump. I won't buy the antibiotic laden factory farmed "meat" I can buy at the grocers for cheap and wonder about the nutritional value of animals raised to maturity at high speed on diets designed only for rapid growth and a very short life. What is missing in that grocery meat? particularly if I am not going to give vitamins (and many synthetics are made in China), and some level of vegetable matter (and yes, I think wild canids do eat small amounts of fruit and grass).
> 
> So for me, right now, the bulk of my dog food is a rotation of kibble containing New Zealand Lamb (grass fed) and Venison (grass fed) and Domestic beef (grass fed) with some small quantities of domestic chicken and pig ingredients and that is why. We actually buy lamb for our own consumption at whole foods as our primary source of red meat (why lamb from new zealand is cheaper than domestic beef baffles me) - but as humans we eat far less "meat" than our canine counterparts.


Nancy, just wondering what brands use grass-fed beef in the food? Orijen? Or something else?

I have Mikko on a grass-fed diet and over time have found some reasonably priced resources. In order to keep it reasonably priced, I buy grass-fed beef hearts and tongue, and various organ meats, from a farm in Georgia (I think it's about $4/lb when factoring in shipping). I buy duck necks ($2.50/lb) from a Florida company and whole rabbits and ground rabbits ($4-5/lb) from a farm a couple of hours away, and then wild caught fish from the local market ($2/lb). 

Nancy - message me if you want info on the grass-fed beef farms that I order from.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Serbrider said:


> I know that if you are trying to feed the premade stuff like Nature's Instinct, Primal, etc... it gets expensive really quickly...
> 
> But if feeding whole chickens, pork neck bones, beef neck bones, calf liver, etc... even just from your grocery store and not from a specific supplier or a butcher.... I've found that it saved me money.
> 
> ...


I am one of those "I can't afford it" maybe it was the financial time I was in, but it was much more expensive than I expected it to be. and here's why:

We started Titan off with Chicken quarters and ground meats. He LOVED the ground meats, but wouldn't touch the chicken. Switched to chicken neck and turkey necks.. after much advice and trial and error.. Titan wouldn't eat raw poultry of any kind unless it was ground.. and even then turned his nose up to ground chicken some of the time. That forced me to get the only cuts he would eat.. pork and beef, some lamb on occasion. The issue for me was him wanting the more expensive cuts and being that we don't have a local butcher.. God knows I tried to find anyone! I had to use the grocery stores.. not walmart, but ones with a butcher.. Because they were part of a store, they wouldn't cut me many deals on things. Only on occasion. This caused me to look at prepackaged raw.. blue ridge was the company I went with.. when switched to that Titan bagan to drop weight like no other, ending up in him being fed upwards of 4-5 lbs a day.. Not to mention, he wouldn't eat the raw organ meat either unless I ground it with the ground meats, which I wasn't entirely opposed to but did get annoying on occasion.

Later learned it just wasn't the diet for him. he was too picky and literally wouldn't eat for DAYS.. I'm not talking tough love and he would eat.. he went almost 6 days without food until I changed it. (drank water, super active and healthy otherwise) Just wouldn't eat. So that's why it was expensive for me.. no local butcher, no help from the grocery store, a picky eater and lower income at the time. 

I'm nto saying I could never afford it, but with Titan so picky, I mean really.. what dog doesn't want chicken, HA. He'll eat veggies like a champ though.. I'll never be able to figure that one out.. but I digress.. that is why it was expensive for me. We feed kibble now, BB was it for a time, then Nature's recipe and with recent health issues, Fromm is where it's at now, lol.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Saphire said:


> When I was researching and contacting breders when looking for my last GSD, I recall talkig to a few who stated their puppies must be fed raw diet. I thought omg these GSD breeders are freaks! I found my GSD and fed kibble like I had every other dog I had owned. After trying multiple kibbles for my EPI boy, he only one that he tolerated well was Chicken Soup and of course his added enzymes. Dog food was organic and probably middle of the road quality at $60 bag including Ontario's rediculous taxes. For those of you in the U.S.A. , you are blessed with much more reasonably priced products. It amazes me that some here can feed 4 dogs a quality kibble for a total of $65 a month. Here in Ontario I don't think you could feed Old Roy or Dog Chow for that cheap.
> 
> 31.99 for a 40 # bag of Diamond Naturals at the Tractor Supply. If I can't get to Carson its 34.99 at the Big R. Still not horrible.
> 
> ...


I give frozen pigs feet as the occasional chew treat. $1.50 - $1.99 per pound. About the same for beef feet. I recently saw they had packages of pork maws for about the same. 

Anyone know what the heck are pork maws and are they a good treat?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Another issue with feeding raw is the total inconvenience of picking up the order from wholesalers! We are dealing with a snowstorm (once again) tomorrow and the place I ordered from won't be able to come this far west to do the delivery....and I'm not keen on driving so far east to meet them. Phone tag between a few of us finally has it settled, but it is not easy to get these once a month orders organized.
And hopefully I can get my order at training next weekend in between the snow events.

Running to the pet store to buy bagged kibble is the easiest way to feed for sure.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Just to check, I called Harvest meats today. Heres my break down

1) I must pick up in National City. 166 miles one way. Approx 1 tank of gas round trip. $80

2) shopping list for 1 month:
60lbs RMB 
30lbs MM
20lbs OM
10lbs liver

Turkey necks 40lb pack- $40
Chicken leg quarter 40lb pack- $40
Chicken heart- 40lb pack $35.60
Chicken thigh- 40lb pack $75.60
Beef kidney 30lb pack- $22.50
Chicken liver 40lb pack- $31.60

Rmb- $80 for 1 1/2 month
OM- 54.10 approx 2 months
MM- $111.60 for 1 1/2 months

Total is: $245.70 for 1 1/2 months. 
Plus gas- $325.70

The grocery bill to feed my family for one month: $300. And that's for four humans. 

You really want to tell me that raw is cheaper?

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

So, serbrider, please tell me when you will be paying for my order, and I will gladly pick it up. 

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

And not to be snarky, but its about 425% more expensive for me to feed raw. I think I have a valid reason

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

Umm, tons of snark there. I had mentioned that I found it cheaper FOR ME. I was wrong in assuming it would be cheaper for everyone, though I still would personally rather know exactly what I feed, so I will be sticking with RAW no matter the cost. Personally.

No need to be rude.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I will also feed raw....until I can't afford to do so. My dogs won't die from eating kibble, I hope.


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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

onyx'girl said:


> I will also feed raw....until I can't afford to do so. My dogs won't die from eating kibble, I hope.


I don't think dogs will die. And I know due to various reasons (usually caused by a lifetime of kibble), a lot of dogs cannot eat raw diets and need at least something cooked.

I'm thankful my dog has no adverse reactions to pork or chicken... and I know that causes my bill to be less than if she did have adverse reactions to them.

I do buy the more expensive "organic" varieties of meat, same ones I would buy for myself, and buy most of my organs (since I can't get them at the grocery stores) from my school's meat lab. My 50 lb elder dog just eats a TON less when she's on raw, and maintains a very good body condition. But I also have a friend who feeds a 80-90 lb 2 year old mastiff only about a half pound to one pound more than I do... also fed raw.

I was basing these costs off of my personal experience and the experience of everyone I knew who also fed raw, either always or who switched, and for all of them, it's been cheaper than feeding a higher quality kibble, and for some, cheaper than feeding even a low quality kibble.

I obviously didn't factor in all of the variables... and I honestly wasn't trying to. Having a harder to feed dog who has trouble with various proteins, that's a valid excuse that I don't consider to be directly related to price, even though it is. Location... sure, that can cause variables in price.

But yeah. I will still feed raw. And I hope others will at least consider it... but then do what is best for them and their dog. Raw or not.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

For those who have found good deals through connections with farmers and butchers, what terms do you use to describe what you are looking for? Have you had any luck approaching people at farmer's markets? Does it help to buy some "human" meat from them first so they don't think you're looking for a handout?

Organ meats, off-cuts, offal, soup bones? 

I'm having trouble communicating with people what I want. I know there have to be people around here that do have things like head meat and pancreas, since I'm in cattle country, but not sure how to talk to them.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Serbrider said:


> I don't think dogs will die..


Dogs have died from eating kibble. I got Onyx in '06 and the recalls began at the same time. Nutro was one of the first for massive recalls but it was too late...dogs were dying. My sister had Onyx's littermate and the puppy got very sick and died after being at the vet for several days. Parvo was ruled out, and the Nutromax food was the suspect. 
At that time, I decided to research nutrition and went to raw. Never looked back.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

erfunhouse said:


> Just to check, I called Harvest meats today. Heres my break down
> 
> 1) I must pick up in National City. 166 miles one way. Approx 1 tank of gas round trip. $80
> 
> ...


There shows a distribution place on their website for LA as well - I would call that location (might be a different name, but still on the harvest website). I believe you can pick up there (at least when I mentioned it to someone else on the forum it seemed to be that they could). Never thought you would travel to SD.

Link to LA: http://www.harvestmeat.com/los-angeles-california

And I am not trying to tell you yeah or nay on if it is cheaper, I am just trying to help since it seemed like you wanted to feed raw and I wanted to try and help you get it for less. I figured you may end up in LA for other errands and some point and could do joint errands to save gas.

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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

Because of all of this, I went back and started looking at my local RAW food provider (grass fed beef, free range chicken, etc). By going off of what they have available and going for only whole bones and stuff and not ground "chubs" as they call them, if I had the freezer space to do bulk, at 3-4 lbs a day (1/2 for cat, 3/4-1 lb for older dog, and 2 lbs or so for the new puppy), I'd end up with a one time order of about $350, would last me about 3 and a half months... and that's with all the more expensive and higher quality items for variety (like a lot of beef, venison, tripe, turkey, and some salmon, a lot of the other items I wanted weren't available), I ended up with an average of $100 a month for all three of my animals.

Which, since I only feed canned food to my cat, and only high quality grain free canned, and him being 15 lbs and slender (he's just a big cat), with each can averaging around $1 each, and he'd need 2 each day, that's $2/day or $60/month... just on him.

And at least $50-100 on bags of high quality grain free dog food for my current dog and the puppy.


So... while I will admit it might not be so for others, and might not be the same depending on my location, feeding raw has saved me money with my crew. Would save me more if I had a bigger freezer... but I make do with what I got.


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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

onyx'girl said:


> Dogs have died from eating kibble. I got Onyx in '06 and the recalls began at the same time. Nutro was one of the first for massive recalls but it was too late...dogs were dying. My sister had Onyx's littermate and the puppy got very sick and died after being at the vet for several days. Parvo was ruled out, and the Nutromax food was the suspect.
> At that time, I decided to research nutrition and went to raw. Never looked back.


Well, I meant if you're feeding a high quality kibble from a well respected company. Dogs will and can die on raw as well, usually due to blockages or nutritional deficiencies due to a lack of proper nutritional balance (not the fault of RAW in the case of nutritional deficiencies, but the feeder), but both cases are far less than in the case of most if not all kibble.

But the average dog with an average stomach strength can survive on almost all kinds of kibble... provided it's not full of toxins and carcinogens (which most of the cheaper brands are). Not necessarily "thrive" like with raw IMO... but definitely live and survive.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

I did call. Was told I would have to pick up in National City. 

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

Let's look at a simple example.
2# raw per day per dog
Feeding 5 dogs
Equals 10 pounds per day
Average cost of raw 1.00 per pound IF YOU ARE LUCKY
$10 per day @ 30 days per month
$300 per month on dog food for 5 dogs.
Sometimes chicken quarters are on sale for .79 per pound. Pork shoulder 1.39 per pound
Compared to Origen, it's probably cheaper. Compared to Viand or Fromms not so sure.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

erfunhouse said:


> And not to be snarky, but its about 425% more expensive for me to feed raw. I think I have a valid reason
> 
> Metro 10/2005-5/2013
> Sabo 3/2013-now
> Kia 1/2014- now


lol all i heard was snarky. no wonder you cant find good deals 

im sure for the average person raw is just as expensive as the best kibble or even more expensive. to me the trade off of a higher price + more hassle is well worth it for a healthy dog. its not just reading articles and studies about how healthy the dog becomes. people feed raw and can literally see the changes right in front of their face. after you get that type of real world results, its tough to go back to kibble (especially after you get use to the small balls of poop)

i'll also add that even if raw is more expensive, you save on things like dental care. every time they eat raw its like they are brushing their teeth. a dog with a healthy immune system is less likely to get sick and can fight of diseases better. maybe theres a reason wolves dont have ticks hanging all over their body. just things people dont think about.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Ok. I give. I'm an ignorant snarky owner who does a 50/50 mix of raw and kibble and my dog isn't getting the best. You win. You're an awesome owner who is feeding the greatest stuff in the world. 

Now that was snarky. When I'm not being called ignorant I'm actually a nice person. What I don't take kindly to is some stranger assuming that I'm am ignorant dog owner who feeds CRAP just because it's more convenient. 

Metro 10/2005-5/2013
Sabo 3/2013-now
Kia 1/2014- now


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

erfunhouse said:


> I did call. Was told I would have to pick up in National City.
> 
> Metro 10/2005-5/2013
> Sabo 3/2013-now
> Kia 1/2014- now


Maybe contact the person in this thread and see who they talked to (IOs mom and maybe the other person gold ahold of them as well??). They seemed to have no prob buying out of their LA location. They didn't mention having to go down to SD/National City.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/feeding-our-puppy/391506-raw-feeding-ventura-county.html


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I feed twice daily but would do the same if i fed kibble.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

Kaimeju said:


> For those who have found good deals through connections with farmers and butchers, what terms do you use to describe what you are looking for? Have you had any luck approaching people at farmer's markets? Does it help to buy some "human" meat from them first so they don't think you're looking for a handout?
> 
> Organ meats, off-cuts, offal, soup bones?
> 
> I'm having trouble communicating with people what I want. I know there have to be people around here that do have things like head meat and pancreas, since I'm in cattle country, but not sure how to talk to them.


A lot of times, farmers are LOOKING for people to take offal and organs off their hands, as they're not an easy sell through co-ops and farmer's markets. Echo is allergic to beef and chicken, which makes feeding exclusively raw VERY expensive until we can raise our own animals this year... we have a deal with a farmer where he unloads his pork and lamb organ meat to us at a pretty deep discount. It's easier for him than spending the time finding someone else to buy it, and it ensures that none of it goes to waste.

I'd just approach them and ask what they usually do with their organ meat and such. I guarantee you they won't think it's weird- people who raise their own livestock aren't easily phased


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## Airman1stclass (Jan 12, 2014)

Saphire said:


> I feed twice daily but would do the same if i fed kibble.


Did you start your dog on raw food diet as a puppy r waited until it was a bit older? Also when your dog is a pup, aren't you supposed to feed it 3 times a day.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

Airman1stclass said:


> Did you start your dog on raw food diet as a puppy r waited until it was a bit older? Also when your dog is a pup, aren't you supposed to feed it 3 times a day.


all of your basic questions can be answered if you just did a simple search instead of hijacking this discussion....


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

My dog was weaned directly onto raw by the breeder so he has never been fed kibble.

We have and continue to feed twice daily from the beginning.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Airman1stclass said:


> Did you start your dog on raw food diet as a puppy r waited until it was a bit older? Also when your dog is a pup, aren't you supposed to feed it 3 times a day.


A lot of your questions can be answered by reading through this website. Lots of very good information.

Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

I would love to be able to switch to raw full time. However, I have a euro sized refrigerator with an even smaller freezer. In order for raw to come out affordable for me I'd have to buy in bulk and I just don't have the space to freeze all that meat.... short of sticking it outside in the snow! 

For now we feed kibble with yogurt/oils/eggs during the week with a 'fish wednesday' dinner, and raw on the weekends.

Plus, I only need one 40lb bag of Victor Select kibble per month to feed both my boys. That's $27.99 per month on kibble dog food. Even if I had the storage space I think raw would be pricier than my current kibble costs. (shrugs)

I think we're all just trying to do our best by our pups.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

*Hey, people. No reason to be rude. If someone posts in the wrong forum or the wrong thread than just send a notification and we will fix it. 

ADMIN*


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I moved Airman's posts to a new thread and deleted the posts that had nothing to do with this thread.

As Lisa said - notify the Admins when there's a problem. There's no need to get nasty.


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## _Zero_ (Sep 1, 2013)

I would love to feed raw but where will live the cost IS prohibitive, and it's not just an "excuse." We regularly get only two types of protein: chicken and beef, with prices averaging around $3/pound (or more, based on the time of year). We do get turkey near Thanksgiving and Christmas, and occasionally pork, but these occasions are relatively rare. Further, though it's easy to store meat during winter (free freezer!) summertime is hard. We have limited access to electricity and what we do pull off the grid is very, very pricey. So much so that we DEFINITELY wouldn't be able to buy in bulk and keep a chest freezer cold all summer.

That being said, I'm sure someone adventurous might be able to hack it with wild foods, if they were a good shot and got lucky with the permit system. We've been gifted deer bones a few times, but my guy doesn't do well with moose or salmon, so we're stuck with what we have. I feed a high-calorie, good-quality canned diet for around $100/month. He does very well on it and it doesn't break the bank.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

in alaska id catch about 20 20 lb salmon and thats alot of free food. even here in Il I can get 5 per night.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

volcano said:


> in alaska id catch about 20 20 lb salmon and thats alot of free food. even here in Il I can get 5 per night.


I'm so jealous! We have bull, rainbow, and lake trout here but I'm not great at catching the big ones. Steelhead too but there are so many regulations on catching salmon here. Where in Alaska are/were you?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Serbrider said:


> So... maybe it's just me... but I don't feel like "I can't afford it" is a valid excuse... there are other excuses that can be used.


How many dogs do you have? I have 3-5 dogs at a time. 

I live in a city and would have to spend a lot of time driving out to rural places to find the best deals, but even then it means buying in bulk which I cannot do because we don't have a chest freezer. I was given one by a friend but my house is 80 years old and I couldn't add another appliance to the circuit in the basement and also had some issues with the electrical out in the garage so I ended up giving the freezer to another friend who does raw (and already has TWO other freezers). It is absolutely cost effective for multiple dogs* in bulk* assuming one has good sources for protein and has *storage space *available. I can get smaller amounts of meat/bone/organ nearby for about the same price as kibble, but for me it's definitely NOT cheaper. 

I get great deals on the dog foods I use through frequent buyer programs, wholesale, and having a good relationship with a local store. I do supplement raw but it is usually free stuff given to me (know a lot of deer hunters who will dump their "old" venison each season).

I travel at least once a month for dog events and I carry a lot of equipment for my team so there is no space for coolers. I installed a cargo rack on my van but due to the way my van is designed, it was so low that it was scraping the ground when pulling out of drives and also bouncing. Luckily I was able to sell it for the price I bought it for (since I put it together) after a long trip where it held a large cooler and was constantly scraping. My weekends are spent traveling and competing with my dogs, not driving a 3 hour trip to the nearest raw food supplier (who sells good stuff but it's absolutely not cheaper than what I currently feed). We also go on an extended trip every summer and are not near any city/town. Electricity is not always guaranteed and it can be 85-95 and humid. I'm not driving an hour a day just to keep refilling ice in coolers so my dogs can eat their steaks while the people survive just fine on Ramen noodles and trail mix.

For me it is not cost effective or practical. If I had 1 dog or even just 2, I would probably do it. Like I said I DO supplement raw (and table scraps...my dogs eat a wide variety) and I firmly believe a balanced raw diet is the *best* but not everyone gets the *best*. My dogs have always been healthy with the foods they are given and I refuse to use the majority of foods available (or anything with corn, soy, wheat, gluten....). I mostly use foods from smaller companies that are prepared in the US and have good reputations (no recalls).

Saying "can't afford it" is not a valid excuse is like me saying anyone who isn't doing Schutzhund with their GSD because they "can't afford it" is not making a valid excuse. We all have our priorities. Mine are spending the $$$ on training, competing, and other good quality equipment and supplies for my dogs rather than someone else telling me I'm cheaping out if I don't feed 100% raw.


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

The closest co-op option for me would be in Orlando, which would cost toll fees and gas and I don't drive so I would have to get someone to drive me. Another option would be ReelRaw and other sites online and the cost of shipping is something to worry about too; especially, if they send it when you aren't home to receive it. 

Luckily, the only dog I have to worry about at this point is my sister's dog that I help out with by buying the food since she doesn't know anything about quality food.My sister's terrier mix is on a good quality kibble. When its time for me to get my own dog, I may do half raw and half kibble.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I haven't read all the responses because I haven't logged on for a while. 

I spend just over 100 a month on 1 dog that is 85 lbs. But I *could* feed cheaper if I choose to feed just chicken and other meat once in a while. 
My dog gets venison, tripe, beef, chicken, and wild boar / goat (if available) every week. 

I bought a bag of Orijen one time, I almost had a heart attack with the price tag.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I can't even afford to eat meat myself every day, lol! Not the really good stuff: the meat that comes from sources I trust - free of all the growth hormones and abx and whatever else, fed who knows what - with whatever pesticide residues...??? I limit my consumption of regular grocery meats for that reason. Paranoid? Maybe. Maybe not.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I'm just trying to do simple math and I can't get it to work...

4 lbs a day. 30 days a month. That's 120lbs a month. OP claims he can get GRASS FED BEEF and FREE RANGE CHICKEN for $100 a month. Please OP, share who your provider is because you're getting meat that usually sells for at least 5 times what you claim it would cost you "in bulk."

This is what usually happens when we do "estimates" and don't actually list out the costs of all the different things necessary for something. I know that each time I have a small home improvement project to do and think its going to cost me $50, it ends up being $100.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Yup. In the meantime, until I win the lottery, I'll be hoping that there isn't too much mercury in my fish-based kibble. Lol.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Even with estimating, the OP's $35 per month for 1 older 50lbs dog is on the high side comparing to what I pay per month for 4 dogs that are a lot younger (two under 2 years old, very active and eat a lot), three are a lot bigger. Considering how much the OP's dog eats, s/he is paying more per pound than I am.

Just like people shop around for raw sources, do the same for kibble if that's what you feed. I rarely pay full price for a bag of kibble. The puppy food Legend is eating has been 50% off for the past several weeks. Last week I got a 30lb bag of my adult food for 50% off. Every 11th bag is completely free. I also send in UPC codes for $10 off coupons. Luckily the two brands I feed (California Natural and Fromm) are my local store's favorite brands so there is almost always a sale. And these deals do not require road trips to find farm sources or prepared raw drop off points, the store is between my work and my home.


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