Raw Feeding- Now with Pictures!

[Erin puppy]

MlizGr

Hehe! Payton has been LOVING the pork shoulder I picked up for him. Am I the only one who finds it super amusing to feed little dogs huge things to watch them work on it?

Also, my coworkers are even starting to keep an eye out for fresh roadkill for my dog. They know only to call me if they see something new on a road they drove the day before, so we get plenty of fresh stuff that way.

I've never tried it so I have no idea. I did watch a video of little dogs picking off a lamb head once though, and it is amusing but I guess I never found it within my budget. I don't ever buy stuff with bones too big for her to eat cause they'd be wasted, spare a couple as chew toys.
:[ I'm going to get my dog sushi order next week though so that will be good to try out.

the that's hilarious

[FireKattana]

Eri fox

Lol no, that's not it. I'm sure they just used 3% because the starter amount really is 2-3oz and they used the higher end, 1) to be safe rather than sorry and 2) so you will order more.
Every animal will do best on an amount that suits them personally, it may be less than 2%, it may be more than 3%. the 2-3% thing is really just a guide and owners should know and watch their pets enough to figure out what they do best on.

Well,
I suppose if I get the 6oz pre-measured daily meals,
I could see how much he eats,
And split one "day" up over a longer period of time if needed.
I just like the idea of convenience ^^
*Is so lazy*

[Payton Leeroy]

Eri fox

MlizGr

Hehe! Payton has been LOVING the pork shoulder I picked up for him. Am I the only one who finds it super amusing to feed little dogs huge things to watch them work on it?

Also, my coworkers are even starting to keep an eye out for fresh roadkill for my dog. They know only to call me if they see something new on a road they drove the day before, so we get plenty of fresh stuff that way.

I've never tried it so I have no idea. I did watch a video of little dogs picking off a lamb head once though, and it is amusing but I guess I never found it within my budget. I don't ever buy stuff with bones too big for her to eat cause they'd be wasted, spare a couple as chew toys.
:[ I'm going to get my dog sushi order next week though so that will be good to try out.

the that's hilarious

I have a friend with a shepherd who will get what Payton doesn't eat of the bone. The last "Big" thing I got him was a chicken though, so he ate those bones. I've got a few rabbits now too, and a squirrel he'll get once he's done with the pork shoulder. I'd love to find him a head though. Doubt it would really be that expensive since most people wouldn't buy them.

[Erin puppy]

MlizGr

Eri fox

MlizGr

Hehe! Payton has been LOVING the pork shoulder I picked up for him. Am I the only one who finds it super amusing to feed little dogs huge things to watch them work on it?

Also, my coworkers are even starting to keep an eye out for fresh roadkill for my dog. They know only to call me if they see something new on a road they drove the day before, so we get plenty of fresh stuff that way.

I've never tried it so I have no idea. I did watch a video of little dogs picking off a lamb head once though, and it is amusing but I guess I never found it within my budget. I don't ever buy stuff with bones too big for her to eat cause they'd be wasted, spare a couple as chew toys.
:[ I'm going to get my dog sushi order next week though so that will be good to try out.

the that's hilarious

I have a friend with a shepherd who will get what Payton doesn't eat of the bone. The last "Big" thing I got him was a chicken though, so he ate those bones. I've got a few rabbits now too, and a squirrel he'll get once he's done with the pork shoulder. I'd love to find him a head though. Doubt it would really be that expensive since most people wouldn't buy them.

they aren't very expensive, but since meat mostly is priced by the pound, I gotta get more (edible parts) for my money. like.. it makes more sense for me to buy $7 of beef that will last 3 weeks than pay $3(making this up) for a head that would only be like a days worth of meat and no edible bone. sad
lucky you have raw friends, lol. I can't even tell my roommates, they are the kind of people who would freak out and would probably start to treat me worse than they already do. we are not close at all.

by the way, I know we aren't experts, but in your opinion if my dog got ground meals 5 days a week with a whole fish on Saturday and a chicken foot + an egg on Sundays, do you think that one a week chicken foot stuff would be enough to keep her teeth clean?

[Erin puppy]

FireKattana

Eri fox

Lol no, that's not it. I'm sure they just used 3% because the starter amount really is 2-3oz and they used the higher end, 1) to be safe rather than sorry and 2) so you will order more.
Every animal will do best on an amount that suits them personally, it may be less than 2%, it may be more than 3%. the 2-3% thing is really just a guide and owners should know and watch their pets enough to figure out what they do best on.

Well,
I suppose if I get the 6oz pre-measured daily meals,
I could see how much he eats,
And split one "day" up over a longer period of time if needed.
I just like the idea of convenience ^^
*Is so lazy*

lol wow, yeah raw has been a lot of work for me, but getting easier as I go xD
and ordering these 10 lb complete bulk patties is the laziest I've gotten, it's got the bone and organ included!

I'll be doing the same thing I do with the ground beef I've been feeding. I save and wash sandwich bags. and I just eye ball her daily amount and put it in the bags. then into the freezer, just got to remember to put the next day's into the fridge so it will be thawed, that way I can break half of it off for the morning and feed the rest in the evening. I feed my dog two meals cause she's small and along with being prone to low blood sugar, she got the hunger pukes in the beginning and that's stopped.

[FireKattana]

Eri fox

lol wow, yeah raw has been a lot of work for me, but getting easier as I go xD
and ordering these 10 lb complete bulk patties is the laziest I've gotten, it's got the bone and organ included!

I'll be doing the same thing I do with the ground beef I've been feeding. I save and wash sandwich bags. and I just eye ball her daily amount and put it in the bags. then into the freezer, just got to remember to put the next day's into the fridge so it will be thawed, that way I can break half of it off for the morning and feed the rest in the evening. I feed my dog two meals cause she's small and along with being prone to low blood sugar, she got the hunger pukes in the beginning and that's stopped.

I got a response from saddogsushi.
She said that small dogs require more food % per lb,
And that 2% isn't enough for them to be fully healthy...
The exact quote was,
"With small dogs it is never 2% - I need to adjust that [on the website] and make it clear. 3.2oz would never be enough, if anything I would start with 6 oz. If we need to adjust up or down we can."
I'm willing to take their word on that,
And see how much my cat eats.
(And see if he loses some weight.)

And I end up buying freezer bags for myself,
And just using them for my cat too.
But my freezer doesn't seem to work right,
And meat goes bad (IN MY FREEZER)
Several weeks before it should.
Stupid self-defrosting freezer.

[Erin puppy]

FireKattana

Eri fox

lol wow, yeah raw has been a lot of work for me, but getting easier as I go xD
and ordering these 10 lb complete bulk patties is the laziest I've gotten, it's got the bone and organ included!

I'll be doing the same thing I do with the ground beef I've been feeding. I save and wash sandwich bags. and I just eye ball her daily amount and put it in the bags. then into the freezer, just got to remember to put the next day's into the fridge so it will be thawed, that way I can break half of it off for the morning and feed the rest in the evening. I feed my dog two meals cause she's small and along with being prone to low blood sugar, she got the hunger pukes in the beginning and that's stopped.

I got a response from saddogsushi.
She said that small dogs require more food % per lb,
And that 2% isn't enough for them to be fully healthy...
The exact quote was,
"With small dogs it is never 2% - I need to adjust that [on the website] and make it clear. 3.2oz would never be enough, if anything I would start with 6 oz. If we need to adjust up or down we can."
I'm willing to take their word on that,
And see how much my cat eats.
(And see if he loses some weight.)

And I end up buying freezer bags for myself,
And just using them for my cat too.
But my freezer doesn't seem to work right,
And meat goes bad (IN MY FREEZER)
Several weeks before it should.
Stupid self-defrosting freezer.

she's right about small dogs eating more percent of their weight, that's because they have high metabolism. but I was feeding my dog 4-5oz a day and she started to put on weight, so I'm cutting it back a little now. I also cut back to make room for treats and chews and things like that.
and it's true, things don't last as long in a self defrosting freezer.

I don't know how much food your cat will require, I only wanted to point out that if you ever do want to separate his daily portions yourself, you can save a lot of money ordering their bulk patties (if they even work for cats?) cause the bulk patties are 1.99/lb.

[FireKattana]

Eri fox

she's right about small dogs eating more percent of their weight, that's because they have high metabolism. but I was feeding my dog 4-5oz a day and she started to put on weight, so I'm cutting it back a little now. I also cut back to make room for treats and chews and things like that.
and it's true, things don't last as long in a self defrosting freezer.

I don't know how much food your cat will require, I only wanted to point out that if you ever do want to separate his daily portions yourself, you can save a lot of money ordering their bulk patties (if they even work for cats?) cause the bulk patties are 1.99/lb.

The bulk patties should work for cats.
I just wanted to start out with the pre-measured
So that I can really see the amount he should be eating.
I'll probably move to ordering by the pound
After a month or two of pre-measured.
It's funny,
The person I was emailing back and forth with
Was actually recommending that I buy per pound, too.
(You would think they would want more money o.O)

[Freiflug]

I just started my cat Loki on a raw diet today. Of course, he's not going cold turkey-- I have to ween him into it, but he hasn't hesitated in partaking in his sample today at all! For the past several days, I've been working at a holistic animal clinic that works with homeopathic remedies and acupuncture, as well as Ozone therapy, and listening to the doctor as well as the clients vouch for this pet lifestyle has been a total 360 on my set of mind! My college never taught me these things and it's pretty amazing. I'm going to try and find a good balance of supplements, green veg and raw meat that he likes, as well as some raw egg now and then for a treat. It's amazing what a raw diet, some bones to chew on, and minimal vaccination can achieve.

[Payton Leeroy]

Eri fox

they aren't very expensive, but since meat mostly is priced by the pound, I gotta get more (edible parts) for my money. like.. it makes more sense for me to buy $7 of beef that will last 3 weeks than pay $3(making this up) for a head that would only be like a days worth of meat and no edible bone. sad
lucky you have raw friends, lol. I can't even tell my roommates, they are the kind of people who would freak out and would probably start to treat me worse than they already do. we are not close at all.

by the way, I know we aren't experts, but in your opinion if my dog got ground meals 5 days a week with a whole fish on Saturday and a chicken foot + an egg on Sundays, do you think that one a week chicken foot stuff would be enough to keep her teeth clean?

Eh, I have some people who freak, but most of them are pretty good with it. Helps that I know quite a few other people who feed raw as well, including my aunt who raises rabbits for her dogs.

I'd suggest doing ground as rarely as possible. Payton's teeth start seeming nasty if he hasn't had to work them even two or three days, but then brushing does help with that too. May I ask why you're looking into feeding ground so often? You should be able to find pork shoulders, beef hearts and tongues and such for fairly cheap if you're willing to shop around and ask butchers if they can order crazy things.

[Erin puppy]

MlizGr

Eri fox

they aren't very expensive, but since meat mostly is priced by the pound, I gotta get more (edible parts) for my money. like.. it makes more sense for me to buy $7 of beef that will last 3 weeks than pay $3(making this up) for a head that would only be like a days worth of meat and no edible bone. sad
lucky you have raw friends, lol. I can't even tell my roommates, they are the kind of people who would freak out and would probably start to treat me worse than they already do. we are not close at all.

by the way, I know we aren't experts, but in your opinion if my dog got ground meals 5 days a week with a whole fish on Saturday and a chicken foot + an egg on Sundays, do you think that one a week chicken foot stuff would be enough to keep her teeth clean?

Eh, I have some people who freak, but most of them are pretty good with it. Helps that I know quite a few other people who feed raw as well, including my aunt who raises rabbits for her dogs.

I'd suggest doing ground as rarely as possible. Payton's teeth start seeming nasty if he hasn't had to work them even two or three days, but then brushing does help with that too. May I ask why you're looking into feeding ground so often? You should be able to find pork shoulders, beef hearts and tongues and such for fairly cheap if you're willing to shop around and ask butchers if they can order crazy things.

because it's not just ground beef, I'm talking about a complete and balanced prey model style ground mix. S.A.D dog sushi has it available for 1.99/lb which actually saves me a lot of money because it includes everything already as opposed to buying everything separate and also has all the organs I would never find at the store. I don't know how finely ground it is... didn't bother to ask. but will find out soon.

but you're right, the teeth cleaning thing probably would not be as good on ground...
but she also gets her antler and bully sticks. I guess I could give her some whole pieces every now and then... urg. it just doesn't seem to be in my budget to have this ground mix AND whole meat. I'd have to choose one or the other, and I like the ground mix because it makes me feel like she's getting everything she needs as opposed to right now, she doesn't seem to be thriving on the meat I'm able to afford.. chicken wing pieces and beef, plus some liver and kidney.

[Perdu Ame]

My ferret doesn't seem to like meat. He was given to us by a family member and all he will eat is Walmart Ferret Crunch that has some some fruit kibble in it along with some chicken kibble. He leaves the chicken kibble parts until last... I tried chicken ferret treats before and he wouldn't take them. But, when we used to live in an apartment he knew how to get onto the counter and would always try to run off with apples and bananas. My mother once unknowingly dropped a potato on the floor and found it under the couch when cleaning almost all eaten up. He will also beg for grapes and raisins... sad

[Payton Leeroy]

Eri fox

because it's not just ground beef, I'm talking about a complete and balanced prey model style ground mix. S.A.D dog sushi has it available for 1.99/lb which actually saves me a lot of money because it includes everything already as opposed to buying everything separate and also has all the organs I would never find at the store. I don't know how finely ground it is... didn't bother to ask. but will find out soon.

but you're right, the teeth cleaning thing probably would not be as good on ground...
but she also gets her antler and bully sticks. I guess I could give her some whole pieces every now and then... urg. it just doesn't seem to be in my budget to have this ground mix AND whole meat. I'd have to choose one or the other, and I like the ground mix because it makes me feel like she's getting everything she needs as opposed to right now, she doesn't seem to be thriving on the meat I'm able to afford.. chicken wing pieces and beef, plus some liver and kidney.

Ah, I actually have a ground mix in my freezer. I don't use it often, but in a pinch it's great! Maybe you could look at using the ground one week, then some big food another week that she'd have to work at. Or a couple days of each. Honestly though, you should be able to afford both if you want. Your dog isn't eating any more either way, so if you can find meat for the same price as her mix, pick it up as an addition to the mix she gets.

[Payton Leeroy]

Perdu Ame

My ferret doesn't seem to like meat. He was given to us by a family member and all he will eat is Walmart Ferret Crunch that has some some fruit kibble in it along with some chicken kibble. He leaves the chicken kibble parts until last... I tried chicken ferret treats before and he wouldn't take them. But, when we used to live in an apartment he knew how to get onto the counter and would always try to run off with apples and bananas. My mother once unknowingly dropped a potato on the floor and found it under the couch when cleaning almost all eaten up. He will also beg for grapes and raisins... sad

I've heard Ferrets get very locked in on one food. The way to teach them to eat meat is to blend their dry kibble with just a little bit of meat, then slowly give them a little more meat each day, till it's mostly meat that they're getting. Then you can try blending less and less until they're getting solid foods.

[Erin puppy]

MlizGr

Eri fox

because it's not just ground beef, I'm talking about a complete and balanced prey model style ground mix. S.A.D dog sushi has it available for 1.99/lb which actually saves me a lot of money because it includes everything already as opposed to buying everything separate and also has all the organs I would never find at the store. I don't know how finely ground it is... didn't bother to ask. but will find out soon.

but you're right, the teeth cleaning thing probably would not be as good on ground...
but she also gets her antler and bully sticks. I guess I could give her some whole pieces every now and then... urg. it just doesn't seem to be in my budget to have this ground mix AND whole meat. I'd have to choose one or the other, and I like the ground mix because it makes me feel like she's getting everything she needs as opposed to right now, she doesn't seem to be thriving on the meat I'm able to afford.. chicken wing pieces and beef, plus some liver and kidney.

Ah, I actually have a ground mix in my freezer. I don't use it often, but in a pinch it's great! Maybe you could look at using the ground one week, then some big food another week that she'd have to work at. Or a couple days of each. Honestly though, you should be able to afford both if you want. Your dog isn't eating any more either way, so if you can find meat for the same price as her mix, pick it up as an addition to the mix she gets.

Yeah... they sell whole quails on there website too, they are expensive but I will have to email and ask if they are really whole with their insides and all, cause I think they are, but I'm not sure.
I could give her one of those every now and then...
I mean, do you consider that something she has to work on? (they are tiny birds) She doesn't get big stuff for reasons I stated earlier, but she takes forever on what she does get. eg. she's eating a chicken wing drumette right now before I go to work. and she takes forever to eat her whole raw mackerel on the weekends.
I'll have to see what I can find that will be work for her to eat.