# Raw feeders: what is your "backup" food?



## lemonadeicedtea (Aug 8, 2011)

What's your shelf-stable food of choice in case your raw supply isn't available? I.e. electricity problems, quality issues, traveling, etc.

(Personally, I was thinking of keeping a bag of my pup's Canidae on hand, but I don't think I'll need to use it very often and don't want it to go rancid. I'm also concerned for how his digestive system would react.)

Do you just use your pre-raw food, or a dehydrated raw product?


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

kibble - Earthborn Primitive


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Not dogs, but I have Nature's Variety Instinct on standby for my ferrets in case I procrastinate a trip to the Asian market for too long.
My ferrets don't care for freeze dried raw, but Ozzy thinks it's crack. LOL


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

No back up. When I traveled, I packed a cooler. Electricity - have a generator that runs the freezer, some lights, pump and TV.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

well, luckily there is usually a grocery store within an hour drive anywhere we go...so I could get chicken to feed if I was in a fix. 
One thing I do keep, just in case is some ground meat from a processor(dog food grind) and that is my go to if I'm running low on other stuff. It is higher in fat and liver, so I try to cut it with other meat when I do feed it.
So far I've not had to tap into it, but am using it some just to rotate/keep it from getting old. I have 20# in my emergency 'fund'~ a few days worth of food for my three dogs.


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## lemonadeicedtea (Aug 8, 2011)

Konotashi said:


> Not dogs, but I have Nature's Variety Instinct on standby for my ferrets in case I procrastinate a trip to the Asian market for too long.
> My ferrets don't care for freeze dried raw, but Ozzy thinks it's crack. LOL


Haha! Well as long as it gets eaten in the end, right? 



onyx'girl said:


> well, luckily there is usually a grocery store within an hour drive anywhere we go...so I could get chicken to feed if I was in a fix.
> One thing I do keep, just in case is some ground meat from a processor(dog food grind) and that is my go to if I'm running low on other stuff. It is higher in fat and liver, so I try to cut it with other meat when I do feed it.
> So far I've not had to tap into it, but am using it some just to rotate/keep it from getting old. I have 20# in my emergency 'fund'~ a few days worth of food for my three dogs.


That's a good idea - I'll have to look into some of the blends my local suppliers offer (but I'm approaching raw info burnout :headbang.



Jax08 said:


> No back up. When I traveled, I packed a cooler. Electricity - have a generator that runs the freezer, some lights, pump and TV.


A generator would be the answer to all (or at least most of) my disaster scenarios - that'll be the next thing to research. Especially after Hurricane Sandy...


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

We feed 100% raw and don't have any kibble in the house. Like someone else said, if I run out on accident, I'll just go to a grocery store and get some salt-free chicken or some other sale meat that would make a special treat. If we had to go back to kibble, I would just use a combination/mix/blend of what we were using before: Orijen, Acana, Innova EVO and Wellness CORE. They always did well on those 4. I would buy a bag of each and mix them together in a large container, then just scoop out their servings.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Actually, it is easier for a rawfed dog to stay on their diet vs a dog that is on a specific kibble that you can't get at a grocery store. Example~ the ones counter posted, those are seldom even available at the big box pet stores. 
I wouldn't have kibble on hand 'just in case'. Especially when my dogs never eat it.


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

onyx'girl said:


> Example~ the ones counter posted, those are seldom even available at the big box pet stores.


Petsmart and Petco started carrying Wellness CORE, but you're right, you have to go to a specialty dog food store to find the other 3. Lucky for me, there are a lot of them here in Portland. I mainly frequent Meat For Cats and Dogs, which is 90% a raw/holistic/organic food store with the higher end kibbles always in stock. That's where i get all of my fish oils and supplements too. Gonna miss them when we move away.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

Backup may refer to stores closed, after an emergency. or a run on food. I am gonna get a 12 pack of canned tripe, thatd last a short while.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I guess back up in my case then would be rabbit and squirrels


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

My backup is the 24 hour Safeway up the street.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Grocery stores are my back up.... lol. 

If those are all out of meat... then we are going hunting! LMAO!


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## jourdan (Jul 30, 2012)

Grocery stores are my back up except when we are moving in which case I'd feed him Blue or Nutro. 

Once we are back in the states we will be breeding feeder rabbits for dog food. I am also taking up archery (I don't like guns but more power to you gun owners) and we will be hunting for dog food as well. Between my husband, my brother in-law we should be able to keep a good stash of food handy. 


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## acillaton (Jun 17, 2010)

If I would need backup food (air travel, etc.) I would go with Honest Kitchen. They are nice dehydrated raw food.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Ziwipeak.


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## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

I feed mostly raw whole food from the supermarket. If I can't get that, then we have big big problems.....

I do usually have some kind of high quality grain free kibble around...Usually Orijen or Acana, something like that. My dogs think it's cookies.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Grocery stores are my backup as well. I don't keep kibble around since it would go bad before we ever needed to use it and when traveling it's pretty easy to get to a grocery store if we run out of something. I usually pack a cooler and will prepackage the meals if it's a short trip (weekend) or if someone else is watching him to make it easy for them. Otherwise, I just calculate how much meat we would need and pack the cooler with frozen meat packages.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Canned mackerel. I know how crazy grocery stores get around here during hurricane season and such. 

My uncle once got in a fight over the last can of menudo on the shelf....all the other canned goods were gone, and they must have been desperate , because....canned menudo? BLECH!

So I know how important emergency supplies are so I won't have to just rely on the grocery store in case of emergency.


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Canned tuna and sardines.


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

Canned jack mackerel, Evo canned dog food and, if it gets really bad - hunting.


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## lone Ranger (Nov 29, 2012)

In my experimenting, Raw plus kibble does not work... Raw comes out the exhaust in dark short sausage bits but the kibble light brown in runny..

I expect that is from different digestive rates. But on a Raw Diet, what is wrong with a whole high grade kibble meal? My dogs think it is a different treat and will hog into it if given the chance.. Maybe because it is different, but my dogs had their heads buried in a bag of Nutro stored in the garage yesterday, thought it was great!

I know long term the Raw is better, but what about a high grade kibble as a back up? For that matter what about the variety of a kibble once a week?
Just asking, I know there are Raw Purists, just trying to be practical, I mean face it Raw diet is a bit of a pain.

Especially when on the road, a week of kibble? Open to your chastisement now...


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Oh yes I forgot about canned fish. I usually have a can of mackeral or sardines on hand and will use that if nothing is defrosted, along with an egg and whatever veggie we may have on hand.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

We keep grain free kibble on hand for the occasional "oh crap, forgot to thaw something" mealtimes. What brand it is varies as we tend to get different formulas/brands based on what was on sale, had a coupon for, etc... Right now there's Merrick in the bin. Previous was Fromm and I don't remember before that.


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## lone Ranger (Nov 29, 2012)

*CHRIS WILD: Thank you for that...* 

The best dry kibble I can find here is Nutro Puppy, All Natural Chicken and Rice. First ingredient is dried chicken meat, second is rice.. Far better looking than the Royal Canin or Science Diet... 

So is there a problem with rice, like wheat and the rest of the fillers... ??

*I am considering that as the backup, road trips, or "Crud forgot to defrost" syndrome...* :wild:

Does that pass your muster? Kind regards, lone Ranger in Oz


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

For occasional use, even once a week, I don't think it would be a problem. No more than it's a problem if I occasionally stop at McDonalds or have a candy bar. But then I'm the same way with treats. They get whatever they like, is relatively cheap, and not from China. If it's somewhat poor ingredients I don't really care because it's just treat. We spend a small fortune feeding 6 dogs a very healthy raw diet, so that occasional hot dog or Milkbone or even a whole bowl of kibble isn't a big deal.


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

Many people feed raw in the morning and kibble at night - and their dogs have no problem with it.

Many people feed raw once or twice a week - and their dogs have no problems with it.

I have nothing against kibble - QUALITY kibble that is.

I just know from experience with MY dogs that ANY type of kibble is not good so I chose never to feed it.


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