The Dogmother Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Sorry that I've been slow to catch up on this... been off-forum for a bit As L_B says, my dogs (and the cats) have always been on raw; I get my supplies from the local butcher, who is only too happy to mince up and freeze their off-cuts, offal, heart etc for me, they also chop up lamb ribs and freeze chicken carcasses for me. I just ring up on a Wednesday and ask for what I will collect on that Saturday. No, I don't feed a full BARF diet to them, but they do get additional stuff... a raw egg each per day, and then when I remember, they get frozen peas, Dorwest Herbs Keeper's Mix, and areal treat is to have tinned pilchards in tomato sauce! It costs very little, and they thrive on it. If you are looking around at various food, do avoid anything containing wheat/gluten like the plague as they can't process it very well. I feed them their mince in a bowl of a morning, and bones on a towel in the kitchen. The Lurcher Link forum has lots of threads about raw feeding (some are in the chat section, which is members only) and you will see that you can get into it to whatever degree suits you. Have fun, and enjoy your raw feeding journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Well Nutriment has passed the Loki picky-paws test with flying colours! Yesterday the furry tyrants had chicken and this morning they've had beef, and Loki's well and truly had his nose down in both. Cleo and Tozi seemed to like it as well, but they're not hard to feed. The Nutriment looks much finer-ground than Honey's, which probably suits a cat's tiny teeth better. So far, very much a paws-up in favour, but it will be interesting to see what Loki makes of the salmon flavour as, although a cat, he doesn't much like fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Well that's great news....... I am sure he well like the salmon....... When we were using natural instinct mine were not great fans of duck and fish..... strange isn't it????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 1. There's hardly any salmonella in chicken anymore2. Can't speak for dogs, but cats have a much shorter digestive tract and much harsher stomach acid, so things survive less and pass quicker. Exactly the same for dogs too. Any bugs that might happen to survive the stomach acid are usually passed out t'other end before they can do any damage. And in terms of kitchen hygiene (just in care anyone was wondering) it's the same principle as preparing and handling raw meat for your own consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Some more plus points are... Your dog will smell less generally Their digestion will be better (no wind) Their poos will be MUCH smaller, dry and easy to clear up No smelly poos at all The harder poos mean that their anal glands are able to empty properly, so far less chance of any problems there. Over the years, I have had various rescues which I've moved over to raw, and the immediate change in their dental and digestive health, and their coat is visible. What is less visible is that they recover much quicker from any injuries; A friend does 'dog physio' on my two (and many other dogs) and swears that she can tell, without asking the owner, whether a dog is raw fed or not by the responsiveness of their muscles, tendons and ligaments, and their healing rate.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 A friend does 'dog physio' on my two (and many other dogs) and swears that she can tell, without asking the owner, whether a dog is raw fed or not by the responsiveness of their muscles, tendons and ligaments, and their healing rate.. I know you've said this before, and I really do find it fascinating! I suppose it would be like a performance athlete trying to compete on a diet of ready meals. It's about getting the right nutrition for the right job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 That's a good analogy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I have been trying this with my Schnauser and she's not keen at all 3days in and she has eaten very little should I just persevere with minced chicken or try something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 You could try increasing the aroma to make it a bit more appealing, either by giving the meat a very quick zap in the microwave, or pouring a little warm water over to make a 'gravy'. Trying a different meat is an option - is your dog a picky eater generally and likely to turn her nose up at other meats? If so, you could end up working your way through various meats without much joy! And if you want to persevere with raw, then by all means keep offering minced chicken - she will get hungry enough to eat eventually! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Are you just giving her just plain minced chicken or a branded product??? I think it's unusual for them to refuse it. I know when we went on it they suggested doing it in increments.... I'd persevere or use a pre prepared product as they tend to have more flavor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Have you tried stirring a raw egg into it? Mine go mad for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thank you all.Will try raw egg at tea time.She is picky and with kibble it would sit in her crate most of the day and she did eat it sometimes during night.Obviously I can't have raw stuff sitting at room temp.Tried her with neck and minced this am .She took necks and buried them And left mince. the mince is natures best and I have a pack of chicken and liver.She must be eating some she left us a present overnight and it was just a few rabbit droppings.My book has just arrived so will be reading it later.Work wonders Tom Lonsdale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Raw egg worked a treat,with liver and chicken,ate fair amount.Thank you for tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Work Wonders is a good book and makes everything sound wonderfully simple (which it is!). Some of the Internet forums make you feel like you need a science degree to feed your dog When you read the book you will start to think, 'Is it really that simple? I can just sling some meat down?' The only thing to be aware of is that Tom Lonsdale very much advocates feeding whole chunks of meat and bone (as opposed to minced meat) which of course is the ideal, but the raw industry in this country does tend to be centred around minces. Just don't get too hung up on that and you will be fine! If I could feed exclusively whole prey/meaty bones I would, but the reality is I wouldn't be able to feed the variety needed, so minces are just fine Oh and if you can find the supplies of kangaroo, ostrich etc he suggests feeding in his book, do point me in the right direction (he is Australian) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Yes, it's a good book. Am sat here listening to my two chomping away on their lamb ribs - happy dogs L_B is right, some folks get really into it and do the whole BARF diet thing with set percentages of various bits and pieces.. can't be doing with making my life hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Loki picky-paws astounded me by really liking the Nutriment salmon . He doesn't like fish - won't eat tuna, salmon, even cod from the chip shop (which Tozi would give his soul for, if he hadn't already traded it for roast chicken ) - but he ate the Nutriment salmon. This morning he turned his furry nose up at the Honey's rabbit, which used to be his favourite - picky-paws living up to his name . What's left in the dishes of cat food is put out for the hens, who decided they definitely didn't like salmon. Local blackbirds swarmed over it to such an extent that even the crows didn't get any! Many thanks to Mercedes55 for pointing me and mine in the Nutriment direction . Raw food, formulated specially for cats, that Loki picky-paws likes. Add to that the fact that it's considerably cheaper than the current brand and we're on to a winner I do love the Omlet forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 One happy cat today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 you've got yer IMG tags mixed up Missus! Bless the Fogster, kiss his ears from me. I'll have to buy a slab of that to try on my two - it would be good to keep in the freezer for emergencies when I forget to order supplies Coincidentally, this has been posted on the lurcher forum: A talk by holistic vet Nick Thompson. A Raw Food Diet? How to keep our pets healthy and happy by feeding a naturally balanced diet. Wednesday 16th April. 7pm Cleeve Village Hall . BS49 4PH Ticket price £10 to include refreshments. (the OP has details if you can't find anything about it on the web.. I can always get their details for you if you're interested) This man is well thought of in hound circles, shame it's mid-week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 He looks like he is guarding the food and saying "Mine, all mine! Mwaha!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 What a great photo of Foggy, guarding his precious treasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Love the photo. It does look like "mine, all mine"! All for one and that one's Foggy - paws off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
