# hubby says NO chicken & NO pork / Bravo pricing?



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Hi there,

Hubby is all for feeding raw, we are currently using the dehydrated raw cuz I can't handle handling raw meat ... bleck .. yuck ... gross and eeeeuuuuu!

Anyway, we purchased a pkg of stew meat that we're adding occasionally to the dehydrated (so I don't have to cut it up). When I mentioned I've seen people here feeding chicken and pork he freaked out, said NO NO NO chix NO NO NO pork because of the potential for salmanella and trichonosis (sp?). 

I'm not trying to talk him into it or anything, I'm very happy to go back to dry w/canned and some goodies, this raw stuff is not what I'm used to so I'm having a hard time switching over. It also looks like I'm feeding my dogs green baby oatmeal or something when I feed them the dehydrated, very weird looking stuff which does NOT have any resemblence to meat whatsoever, but I guess that's ok because otherwise I would have trouble handling it. I've gotten looks from the furkids "what is THIS in our bowls????" 

He wanted me to ask about the chix & pork, you apparently aren't all afraid you're going to kill or make your dogs sick by feeding chix and pork, so what do I tell him?

Anyone have a price list for Bravo foods? I can't find any pricing on their web site, no way to buy online yet they say they deliver ??? This stuff makes me a little nervous because there's been at least one recall on it.

And where do you all get your frozen "chunks/blocks" of food that I've read in a post or two?

I checked at Walmart over the weekend after some suggestions on another thread to check w/your store ref getting reduced priced "sell by" dated meats ... found out Walmart freezes theirs and donates to "Feed America" so can't get it from Walmart. Have another couple of stores to check with but we're in a small town so resources limited.

Thanks!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I buy Bravo, and it's pretty reasonable..haven't checked their site lately re: pricing..

They should have a list of distributors in your area..or check Oma's Pride (also located in CT but have distributor list).

Do you have a Pet Supplies Plus in your area?? They have a freezer with what they call "medallions" size of raw food, and for the life of me I can't recall the brand name.

I get the raw and mix it with dry Sojourner Foods, (looks like oatmeal, cook up a batch add it to your raw plus I add pumpkin and brown rice)..

You can feed raw ground up chicken (bought in supermarket) I don't normally feed Pork, chicken is what I use mostly.


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## Woodreb (Oct 27, 2008)

I think the raw product that Pet Supplies Plus sells is Nature's Variety Raw Medallions. I bought it to try for Caleb and Aodhán. I mostly use a kibble, but add a little raw for variety.
I thought the Nature's Variety was rather expensive.
I've used Primal Chubs and that costs me  (on average) $12 - $18 for a 5 pound chub (block), depending on the protein source.
I think Ruth says that she can get 10 pound chubs of Bravo that average about $1.65 a pound but she has to have that size special ordered. The stores normally stock the smaller chubs.
I'm also in CT, don't know how these prices would translate to where you are.


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## smyke (Sep 24, 2009)

"I can't handle handling raw meat ... bleck .. yuck ... gross and eeeeuuuuu!"

Are you and your hubby vegetarian? why are you so afraid of handling meat?


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

No, we're not veggies, it just grosses me out. You probably wouldn't like seeing my steak on a grill - it more resembles a hockey puck than anything else is the family joke.

So, what do ya all do to make sure you're not opening your dog up to salmanella or trichonosis with chix and pork? This is what hubby is most concerned about and he's got me pretty scared to feed it, too, so I haven't yet.


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## DrDoom (Nov 7, 2007)

Dogs are almost completely resistent to salmonelle because of their short digestive tract. I feed primarily chicken quarters as my RMB's, and Bear has no problems. In fact the number of people on here who feed chicken is huge.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

It would get very expensive to feed more than one dog, if all you fed was the prepackaged raw. 
I feed mostly chicken as well, it is still cheapest to feed. 
I get a nice ground beef grind from a local processer(looks just like hamburger), I don't touch it, just scoop it out into the bowl.
Let your hubby know that there are sooo many rawfeeders out there, and you never read of them getting ill because of the diet.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I agree with Jane, it would get very expensive with premade. Unless you have $ to spend, I would never do it because the $ per lb. prices tend to be ridiculous.
You pay for that convenience.

As for bacteria... I haven't been sick and I've been feeding raw for oh... 4 months?
If it bugs you, you can feed them outside or in their crates. Raw usually doesn't sit in their bowls for very long.

Last night I gave the dogs ground beef and chicken livers, mixed with yogurt and pumpkin. They also got some supplements. 
Everything was gone in about 15 seconds.








I always say "If you guys just learned to slow down, you might enjoy it more!" but they don't listen! 
The turkey wings/chicken/pork hearts take them longer to eat, but it never sits for long. 

I wipe the counters off with water/white vinegar. I don't clean their bowls often or wipe down the crates much and everyone is fine.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I've fed raw for 2.5 years (over 3,500 lbs of food, yikes), which includes chicken and pork, and no problems. I believe trichonosis isn't really an issue here in the US.

I used to feed a bit more pre-packaged when I first started out and until I was confident in what I was doing (about 50/50 with store bought meats). Now, I only use pre-packaged when we travel (I go back to 50/50). It is just too expensive for two large dogs. Buying in bulk saves so much money. You get used to handling the meat - we buy plastic food handling gloves at Costco.


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## Yukon (Aug 12, 2009)

I'm the one who usually gets to cut up the pork hearts and turkey wings. I do it in the laundry room sink with my bare hands. I just make sure to wash up thoroughly and clean the sink well. I've bought meat in bulk at Costco for several years so I was used to handling it. My suggestion is to just make yourself do it till you get used to it with gloves or not.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Starting out with premade, as MSpiker mentions, is also what I did. Then you quickly get used to handling the raw means yourself very easily-- you simply make yourself do it a few times, then it's a breeze! Dogs' digestive tracts are designed for eating raw meat, and the microorganisms associated with that. Bacteria hasn't time to set up shop with such a short carnivore digestive tract, and, a dog's mouth-tummy-gut all have strong enzymes that help cut down bacteria. Safe to feed raw meats!


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## meisha98 (Aug 27, 2008)

Sometimes I order the dehydrated raw on-line. I get frozen raw at two different pet supply stores near me. Stella and Chewy's is one line and Nature's Variety. I can get NV either freeze-dried or frozen. It is expensive so I add it to kibble or give one meal a week of total raw. I do give them raw ground beef, turkey or chicken sometimes broken up in the kibble also. All natural kibble (Merrick's, EVO Red meat , Wellness Lamb, ZiwiPeak). I juggle the kibbles and raw and they eat, look good, have great stools and lots of energy. It isn't total raw so they don't have pea-sized stools but I don't mind as long as they are healthy- just part of owning a dog (or two).


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

*Re: hubby says NO chicken & NO pork / Bravo pricing?*

Scout eats a premade raw called Common Sense. I don't worry about her health from eating raw, but I do not want raw meat all over the kitchen/house potentially making people sick. So she eats in the kitchen on a placemat to catch any mess she slurps over the edge of her bowl. The bowl then gets rinsed and put in dishwasher and the placemat goes in the laundry. Just a little extra cleanup to make me feel better









Her premade comes in 3 pound chubs, so it still has to be handled... I have not tried but maybe it could be done with a spoon or other utensil of some sort. 

If you do decide to do a premade it helps the price if you can do bulk orders. Maybe you know others in your area that would also like to feed raw and could get together to place a large order.


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

Trichonosis has (I believe) been eliminated from domestic pigs in the USA...there are really not any concerns about feeding raw pork. Salmonella as mentioned is really not an issue either. My dogs eat outside or in their crates, no real worries about cleanup that way!

I am really bad about handing meat too, but luckily my husband is happy to chop up whatever I ask...our packaging sessions consist of me pointing out a certain type of meat, telling him how much I need of it, confirming the weight, and holding the bag while he puts it in....rinse, repeat!


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I hate dealing with raw poultry, but I just do it since it is better for my dogs. I have been feeding raw for 10.5 years to everything from 2-8 dogs at a time. I have weaned 4 litters onto raw and started a number of puppies and adult dogs. Never had a problem in the dogs or me.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

About the ground chicken, is that strictly the meat or are bones and innards ground up in that, too?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Here is the info on the Bravo chicken ingredients: http://www.bravorawdiet.com/products/original/original_chicken.html

The price just went up and it's about $2/pound now. It's cheaper than Honest Kitchen and NV and Stella and Chewy's.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

*Re: hubby says NO chicken & NO pork / Bravo pricing?*



> Originally Posted By: phgsdTrichonosis has (I believe) been eliminated from domestic pigs in the USA...there are really not any concerns about feeding raw pork.





> Quote:
> The dramatic declines in trichinae in pigs reflect changes in the industry. Historically, trichinae infection in pigs was associated with feeding of raw garbage. Major inroads were made into trichinae infection with the advent of garbage cooking laws passed for vesicular exanthema (1953-1954) and the hog cholera eradication program (1962). Of equal importance has been the movement to high levels of biosecurity and hygiene under which most pigs are now raised. Still, opportunities for exposure of pigs exist and some precautions should be implemented (see below).
> 
> Despite the fact that trichinae is rare in today's industry, pork still suffers from its legacy. Today, the trichinae issue is a question of perception versus reality. Dramatic declines in prevalence in pigs and the extremely low numbers of cases in humans are largely unrecognized by domestic consumers who still raise questions about "worms in pork". Further, lack of a trichinae control program creates problems for fresh pork in international markets despite the extremely low prevalence (essentially zero in intensive management systems).


http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm

There's a chart at the bottom of the page that you might find interesting as well.



> Quote:
> October 13, 2008 — Harry Snelson
> 
> The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to establish a voluntary trichinae certification program for U.S. pork. While Trichinella is extremely rare in the United States, APHIS' voluntary certification program is designed to enhance the ability of producers to export pork and pork products overseas. The European Union and other foreign markets require Trichinella testing for all imports of fresh pork and fresh pork products.
> ...


http://www.aasp.org/news/story.php?id=3257


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

*Re: hubby says NO chicken & NO pork / Bravo pricing?*

I buy the 3 of the 10 pound "tubes". In chicken flavor.
Its $51.00 here in CT.
Why wouldnt you want to feed raw chicken?
I dont think dogs can really get salmonella.
I alo feed Kilo 4 raw eggs a day.
Hes fine


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

*Re: hubby says NO chicken & NO pork / Bravo pricing?*

You may be able to find a butcher who will grind up meat for you; then as Jane says, you just scoop it out. Yes, you can have some types of RMB ground up too. I have a local butcher shop, but even the butcher at my grocery store will grind up meat if I give him a day's (or so) notice

I feed my kids poultry -- turkey, duck, and chicken. I keep things very clean. They eat out of clean bowls each meal and no food-borne illness to report in several years of feeding raw. 

BTW, if you're worried about salmonella, then it's not just chicken that carries it. It can be found in turkey (any poultry), beef, and other kinds of meat. It can also be found in eggs, unprocessed milk, and even water. You might even catch it from a pet turtle or bird. It's rather ubiquitous.

The key is that we use safe practices, feed our dogs the safest food we can get, and clean up well. That keeps our dogs safe and us, as well. 

I think it also helps to feed variety. If we're sending a variety of foods down our dogs' GI tracts, then the chances of any one food contaminating them severely are less likely. Can it happen? Sure. But it's far less likely. I'm super cautious (ok, paranoid







) so pork is the one meat I just cook. I wait til it goes on sale and just slice and toss all the meat into a baking dish with a bit of olive oil, a bunch of super healthy kitchen spices (garlic, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc) and bake for 45 minutes. 

When it's done cooking, I have food for several days. The dogs LOVE getting cooked meat for a change. Everything else they get is raw, so the loss of a few enzymes and vitamins isn't something I worry about. I'd rather keep pork in their diet (in a way that I'm comfortable) cooked than eliminate it entirely. 

It works for us, and that's what's important.









ETA: I think dogs CAN get salmonella. I would never start a raw diet with a dog that is sick, geriatric, or otherwise immune-compromised. But a healthy adult dog (or a thriving puppy) should be able to tolerate raw meat.


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/GIk9fel/Salmonella.html
Ugh thats like the best thing I could find out about salmonella.
They can get it, but its rare. And the same thing you said
3K9Mom -
"ETA: I think dogs CAN get salmonella. I would never start a raw diet with a dog that is sick, geriatric, or otherwise immune-compromised. But a healthy adult dog (or a thriving puppy) should be able to tolerate raw meat."


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

> Originally Posted By: Riley's MomHe wanted me to ask about the chix & pork, you apparently aren't all afraid you're going to kill or make your dogs sick by feeding chix and pork, so what do I tell him?


Tazer eats roughly 10 ounces of raw chicken, pork, beef, etc. per day. Has done so for over 8 years now. That's over 1,800 pounds of raw chicken, pork, beef, etc. that he has eaten.

Winnie eats roughly 8 ounces of raw chicken, pork, beef, etc. per day. Has done so for over 8 years now. That's over 1,400 pounds of raw chicken, pork, beef, etc..

Kaynya - 8 ounces per day for 2.5 years (since she was 9 weeks old). That's almost 500 pounds.

Sasha and Mauser have both had roughly 500-600 pounds of raw stuff in the past year.

None of them have been sick from it.

Sadie looked like this when we adopted her and switched her immediately to raw:










Within just a couple months she looked like this:


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

What does he think wolves eat in the wild?
Kibble?
My grandmother fed all her dogs raw meat and NEVER brought them to the vet in the old days. She had a GSD that lived to be like 17!
Google salomnella in dogs, read up on it. Give it to your husband, have him read it.
Its so rare for them to get it.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

WOW! Thanks everyone for taking the time to post all this info, you're a great help. 

I bought some chix today and hubby cut it all up before he left on his trip. We put some in the freezer as I don't plan on giving them chix every day. I have enough in the fridge for a couple of days. 

Hubby was very happy to hear chix is ok so we'll start w/that. I'll see if I can't get our meat market to grind for me, that would be a great help. 

As for what does he think wolves eat in the wild? That isn't part of the conversation because wolves live in the wild, they eat what they eat. Granted dogs are related or descendants ... whatever. These are domestic dogs and because of that and because our foods get processed and all of that, it's not exactly the same thing. Maybe close but not exactly. 

Gonnna go check out some of the links ya all were so good to post. Thanks!


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