Comment to 'Feeding a Raw Diet'
  • I spent a LOT of time trying all these different raw feeding methods. I have a trainer/breeder who feeds whole prey model. 1 of my dogs come from a breeder of over 65 years under her belt who feeds human grade items with a lot of supplementation.  Plus a lot of other ways suggested here or there. None of them worked perfectly.  I have one dog who will barf in the early a.m.  Another that will yak up bone he hasn't totally chewed, it goes back down & he's fine. Over the last 28 years, I have finally found a way that seems to work for my dogs.  I am sharing because it's from reading what others do that I learned how to do what I do & kept experimenting until I found the right balance.  (My vets may not really be pro raw but have told me not to change what I do so... there is that).

     

    So here's what we do...

    In the a.m. we feed a piece of chicken, turkey, beef, venison, lamb, etc... with bone in (bone, skin (minus feathers or fur). This helps with the muscles, teeth, gums, jaws, etc...  a ladle of dog soup (more on this later), 1 raw egg.
    ******** we do not feed pork or bear in any form (cooked or raw)

     

    p.m. 2 ground meat patties (more on this later), 1 ladle of dog soup, & any supplements needed based on the dog. A handful of alfalfa/Timothy grass pellets by Standley for horses.  (Yes, I have spent HOURS on the phone with the people at this company & this grass is very very carefully handled so it's safe & yes I have tested it/had it tested. It tested clean).

     

    - Dog soup:  1 pound cheap ground beef boiled in a large soup pot.  Add 2-3 tablespoons parsley (dried or double it for fresh), 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 heaping spoon of minced garlic (yep, I know I will get slapped for this but I've been using garlic for 25 years with dogs with no ill consequences)
    I use a food processor & shred 4 large carrots, 1-3 apples (cored & seeds removed)depending on their size, & the rest of my food processor is filled with shredded potatoes (regular but will occasional add 1 sweet potato).
    All of this goes on the stove top & is brought to a boil. When the veggies are about half done I add ONE of the following: 1 pound of pasta, 2 cups of washed rice, 2-3 cups of organic oatmeal, or 3 cups barley  (these items are ROTATED & not used all the time.  Still trying to find a source for the ancient sorghum grain
    ****** my crew is very active & when I don't use the dog soup... my dogs get so skinny they go beyond what is just lean & hard.  So I have tested & fed without it. I end up feeding ridiculously amounts of meat/bones & the dogs coats get off. With this soup... gorgeous, not too lean but never fat dogs

     

    Meat Patties:  We bought a Weston meat grinder that is capable of grinding soft bones (chicken, rabbit, duck).  Meat & veggies are rotated & often depend on what's available but here is a general idea of the blend:
    10 pounds ground beef
    5-6 pounds apples (cored, seeds removed)
    6 pounds carrots  (raw carrots & cooked carrots provide some different things)
    6-8 ounces flax oil
    Brewers Yeast (I just liberally sprinkle throughout the mix, around 1/2 pound in this much meat mix
    20-30 pounds chicken/turkey with bones in whack it down so it fits through the grinder slot & let Mr. Weston do it's job.
    2 bundles of fresh parsley
    1 head of one of the following: broccoli, cauliflower, or equivalent of other dog safe veggie or fruit, or a pound of kale.
    Either a package of chicken livers, hearts, gizzards, or a pack of beef liver, heart, other beef, sheep, goat organs. Beef GREEN tripe is a treasure trove of enzymes for dogs but you gotta have a strong stomach to deal with it (do not use the bleached stuff in grocery stores... they killed it with the bleach).
    This recipe can be adjusted to suit your dogs' needs.  I take cookie sheets, cover with wax paper. I've weighed the portion from my ice cream scooper & it equals 1/2 pound so I portion it out like that, flatten them a little & layer. Freeze, then bag them until used.
    -I don't use dairy except for 3 days after I give heartworm preventative or dewormer. Seems to help the gut deal with any flora & fauna murdered by the dewormer/anti-heartworm. I will give keifer or goats milk from time to time.

    Since we've hit this mixture of how we do things... I have had no early a.m. runs to the door before the one dog gets sick or anymore dogs yakking up part of a chunk they didn't get chewed up.  And they still get raw meaty bones that are not meals but canine dentistry tools. Maybe someone might find some benefit in what we do. I know people who shared what they do have surely helped us solve some dog feeding issues.