# Raw Experiment



## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

DH and I went to the store today to yet again try to find a dog food that Rocky would actually eat. Dh decided on Royal Canin because it si for GSDs. I told him if the Royal Canin didnt work then maybe we should consider raw feeding. So we strolled through the store as I explained what I could about raw (not much) We stopped by the grocery store and he picked up a pack of beef neck bones to feed Rocky for dinner. He was kind of surprised when I said you could feed raw bones.

Well he fed Rocky, Rocky at the meat and maybe one bone and walked away. So I am wondering if we picked the wrong kind of meat for him or if he just doesnt like it. 

We are currently considering either doing raw or homecooked. Just wondering how much it costs to feed raw and where you buy the meat from? What else gets mixed into their food?


----------



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

He might just need to get use to it.Some dogs don't take to it right away.


----------



## djpohn (Jun 27, 2003)

I use beef neck bones as "treats", something to keep he dogs busy. The bone is hard and not easy to chew or digest. I would start with a whole chicken cut into small portions, chicken quarters or thighs and remove the skin. These seem to be the easiest for dogs to chew and digest


----------



## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

Do some dogs just not like raw?


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I agree with GS Mom... when I started Jerzey on raw (which was just a few months ago!) I bought whole fryer hens and cut them into about 4 chunks. This is the easiest way to get the bone to meat ratio right and the bones are very soft and easy for the dogs to chew. I also removed the skin. 

I would just read through some of the posts around here and you'll be able to learn SO MUCH about the best way to approach raw feeding, esp. since a lot of new feeders have been posting lately.

I get all of my food for the grocery store... I check the ads online and go to the store every week or two to get the best deals. I buy any meat that is under $1/lb (about the same as a cheaper to mid range kibble.) Raw can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. You maybe be able to get better deals at an actual butcher but I don't have one around here that actually sells the scrap meat. 

FYI: RMB = Raw meaty bone, MM = muscle meat and OM = organ meat. Just thought I'd throw that in there in case you get confused as you start reading around the site.

If you're really serious about raw I would stock up on a few chickens and buy a cheap scale. You should fed 2-3% of your dogs ideal weight (not necessarily their current weight.) 

Keep asking question... everyone here is very knowledgeable and have helped me A TON! Good luck, I think you'll be pleased with the results if/when you do switch to raw.


----------



## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

DH seems ready to do this if it is the best thing. I will have to research it some. It just seems like it would cost a lot. He kept pointing to packages of meat and said how many meals? Um 3, I dont know LOL


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

The only way to tell how many meals you will get out of a package of meat is by the weight. It's not like 1 chicken quarter = 1 meal because each quarter can weigh a different amount.

For example, Jerzey is 80 lbs so she eats ~19.2 oz of food per meal. It's all about weight. If you're serious I would highly recommend getting a scale. I have one pretty similar to this:










It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done! Then you will want to figure out exactly what percentages of RMB, MM, and OM you want to feed (there are varying recommendations.) I feed 45% RMB, 50% MM and 5% OM. Some people feed 10% OM (with 5% being liver) and cut back on the MM, but I only have access to liver so I only feed 5%.

If you want to start with raw start with one protein source. Chicken is simple and cheap! The cheapest way to buy chicken would probably be to just buy it whole or you could buy some kind of chicken RMB (legs, breast with bone, wings, etc.) and an MM (ground chicken or breast without bone.)

Either way, you'll want to remove the skin and avoid the OM at first as it can be too rich for newly raw fed dogs and give them the runs. Start your dog on the chicken RMB and MM diet and stick with that for a few weeks; until you get consistently good poops for a while. Then, add chicken OM (chicken liver or kidney) and keep the diet at that for a while until you get consistently good poops. Once you're feeling comfortable with that you can add a new protein! I went from all chicken to feed chicken RMB and OM and switching my chicken MM to ground beef. Stick with this for a while as you have before and then you can switch again. 

The key is to transition slowly and only introduce one new protein source at a time. Variety is key! So get your hands on as many types of meat as you can. An extra freezer might help... as you might see some meat on sale that you'll want to stock up on and, trust me, the freezer fills up FAST! I'm constantly having that problem. Haha.

If you want to get an idea of what cuts of meat are what check out this thread.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

As far as cost... buying in bulk is helpful so getting an additional freezer (craiglist?) would be a good idea. Like I said before... I try to buy things that are around $1/lb. Sometimes this isn't possible but I honestly haven't bought much meat for more than $1/lb. The "Manager's Specials" (aka meat that is about to expire) is totally fine to buy and put away for your dog. Some raw feeders even collect freezer burned meat from friends and family for their dogs as the dogs do not mind the taste and, other than that, there is nothing actually _wrong_ with the meat.

I know some people are in raw feeders co-ops but I do not know much about them since I do not have one in my area. 

Based on the price of Royal Canine on Petsmarts website you're paying nearly $1.70/lb and you should certainly be able to find meat for less than that! I can, and I'm shopping at the grocery store (Kroger, Teeter, Food Lion.) If you could join a Costco or a Sam's Club you would be set! I've heard that Super Walmart has really great deals, too! (Unfortunately, I don't have one of those!) Once you start looking around, you'll see how much stuff you can actually buy for equal too and even less than the price you've been paying for kibble.


----------



## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

I think we paid $53 fror the RC today at petco.

Thanks for your help. I will have to check into this.


----------

