B.A.R.F. 101

[kendall]

Buffalo is great for them Grace. And they love it. I would feed more of it but Fat Bastard is allergic .

I don't know WHY that made me laugh so hard but it did. I think I even snorted once. (aren't I charming)

$30 for ONE pound!? I'm gonna stop complaining. I got 1/2lb of ground bison for $5 at our grocery store. I could probably get it cheaper if I drive to Cheyenne and go to the ranch.

[stella]

hmmm....cheapest I can get it is 2.79 per pound.

[pblove]

adoptashelterpit wrote:

The benefits of BARF/Raw are enough to make me never want to go back to kibble, EVER. My maggie hardely sheds, her energy level is great, but she also has a larger attention span/better concentration so she is easier to train, and MUCH more well behaved. I have definitely notices a HUGE improvement in her behavior since feeding BARF.

has anyone else noticed this??
why do you think this is???
I jsut started readng all the psits again and missed this the fiorst time.
Paige is very hyper and I wonder fi theis wouldhelp ehr to calm down and concentrate better?
I went to the new local(family owned stores in this area only) grocery store last night, the meat cutter said that they can get anything I ask for. They already have several customers ordering cases of chicken backs and wings for their dogs!

[doberkim]

why is it like that? in some ways, its like kids:

the kids eating sugar nonstop, are on sugar highs, they are hyperactive, they cant focus, they cant do anything. their sleep schedules are off, etc.

you feed them healthier, and they get "better".

dogs can have similar responses (in a dog way of course) to carbs and the sugars found in kibble.


-kim, who is too tired to read this entire thread

[doberkim]

thanks again guys. i already seperated into baggies so we dont give him as much. he takes to it all really well, and he will keep eating so i wasnt sure what was enough. i dont think he will get more than 2lbs a day. again thanks a lot, we appreciate the feedback.

are you feeding him bones too? where is he getting calcium? you said you took the meat off the bones...



you are feeding a puppy, yes?

puppies should be fed either 10 % of their CURRENT weight, or about 2-3 % of their ADULT weight - which actually should be about the same thing over time.

all feeding estimations are just that - estimates. the prior statement made that confused you all (the cocker and pit one) is false or the poster just made a mistake. you dont go by breed, or anything else. you look at the individual dog, their current condition, their exercise level, if they are growing or need to lose weight, and go from there.

bowie is 95 lbs and mya is 74 lbs. mya weighs LESS than bowie, but eats MORE to maintain her weight. they get essentially the same amount of exercise - its just that bowie's metabolism is slower.

[pblove]

I have been feeding Innova, Canidai and Wellness, alternate every third bag. I add steamed meat, chicken and jack mack to the kibble.
so here is my queston, here are my dogs. their weights.
what would you start them out with on raw?

Paige, pit bull,almost 3 yrs old, hyper maniac, weighs 50 pounds, perfect weight now, lots of play, exercise and obedience classes

KaTee, beagle, sheltie, border mix, 26 pounds, 10 years old, very active, lots of exercise running the farm day and night. hs had tow bouts with lymes disease and an old injury/surgery to let]g after bing hit by atv, (before I rescued her)

Pinocchio, jrt/chi mix, 4 yrs old, little over weight, 12-13 pounds, moderate exercise, nut case, severly abused and has crooked, funky legs from bad breeding, (before being rescued agan)

[barbponys]

I have been feeding Innova, Canidai and Wellness, alternate every third bag. I add steamed meat, chicken and jack mack to the kibble.
so here is my queston, here are my dogs. their weights.
what would you start them out with on raw?

Paige, pit bull,almost 3 yrs old, hyper maniac, weighs 50 pounds, perfect weight now, lots of play, exercise and obedience classes

KaTee, beagle, sheltie, border mix, 26 pounds, 10 years old, very active, lots of exercise running the farm day and night. hs had tow bouts with lymes disease and an old injury/surgery to let]g after bing hit by atv, (before I rescued her)

Pinocchio, jrt/chi mix, 4 yrs old, little over weight, 12-13 pounds, moderate exercise, nut case, severly abused and has crooked, funky legs from bad breeding, (before being rescued agan)

I would do a variety. If the meat cutter can get you whatever you want? try a bunch of stuff. Rabbit, chicken, beef, lamb, venison, elk.......... if you have hunters in your area? You might be able to get trimmings too. Get some salmon oil and kelp for supplements and start experimenting.

Paige would get a pound a day

KaTee would get about half a pound and

Pinocchio a quarter pound.

Those are 2% figures but you will have to go by the dog. Like I said earlier, Fancy weighs in at about 54# and eats 4-5% of her weight. Her motabolism is insanely high and she needs a lot more food. Let their bodies tell you how they are doing not the scale...........

[pblove]

Thank you again barbs!
I am going to see the meat cutter/manager in the morning, will be able to get prices too I hope.
I have to take my car in for emmission test tomorrow, it is in the same area where the buffalo farm is, am going to see if he is there, as I know he has to have lots of scrapes he does't use, especailly bones.

[barbponys]

Very welcome. , good luck. Hope you can get some great deals.

[chance's mom]

yes chance is eating bones as well, i just wont give him the real thin bones, since that last post i stopped taking the bones out. and he is 6 mos old and 50 lbs. so i feed him 2 times a day with veggis and enough meat to last him over i think. he gets about 3 % his body weight a day.

[buckaroo]

What about cats? Does anyone feed their cats BARF? If I'm going to start Buck on it, I'll have to start the cat as well.

Any tips? What are the differences between feeding a dog BARF vs. a cat?

[barbponys]

I feed Riva BARF. Slow, slow slow. Cat's do not require much vegetable matter at all. As a matter of fact I don't give any to him at all. He won't touch them anyway. He loves the kelp so he gets everything he needs in that. He's been eating it for a couple of years now and started off just eating beef. Won't touch anything pre-ground, likes the beef cut into slices. He loves rabbit and will eat an entire leg, bones and all if given the opportunity. Some don't take to raw well at all. It's taken him 2 years to start eating poultry, he now gets part of the ribs with meat attached.

When you make yourself dinner, if you are having chicken, offer him some. Just a piece or two. The same with beef or turkey. I would steer clear of pork. It may take time for him to eat any at all. If you feed him canned food you can mix a little pre-made raw into it, they tend to be ground kind of into a pate type consistency like the canned food. Over time cut back on the canned......... Good luck.

[pblove]

chicken gizzards, what are they, organ meat? are they good or not to feed?

[barbponys]

Organ meat and great to feed.

Gizzards
liver
lung
kidney

All organ meat. Heart is muscle.

[Noriko525]

ok, so I've read this thread all the way thru now, and I'm going to go back and read it all 2 or 3 more times and hopefully by then I will understand how in the world to start this BARF diet.

(Pat, I might have some questions when I come in to see you )