I was hoping that jmann and anyone else that has their dog on the BARF diet could give me some info.
I am serious considering switching Beau over to the BARF diet because I think it will greatly benefit his health.
How does it compare cost wise?
Websites I was reading online say it's good to start with raw chicken (wings, breasts, etc) Isn't there a worry of Salmanela? (spelling)
How much more expensive can one expect the BARF diet to be then "regular" dog food.
BARF diet
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
by blackbear219 » Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:03 pm
Been reading a lot about the diet online at work today, and I think I'm going to go for it.
Lookin forward to gettin him started but it will probably be about a week or so before I can get the ball rollin.
My vet is supposed to be calling me today when she gets a chance, so we'll see what she has to say about it. Either way, I'm feelin pretty set on doin it.
Lookin forward to gettin him started but it will probably be about a week or so before I can get the ball rollin.
My vet is supposed to be calling me today when she gets a chance, so we'll see what she has to say about it. Either way, I'm feelin pretty set on doin it.
- blackbear219
Re: BARF diet
by jmann4 » Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:06 pm
Q - How does it compare cost wise?
A - At first it cost more because I didn't have a method of feeding down. Basically I didn't know what to buy so I bought costly cuts of meat and got the best for my dog. That didn't last long because I was going broke.
Two things that helped me save money:
1. I fed what I ate. I eat a lot of fish and steak. So I always buy a few extra cuts of fish and steak for the dogs.
2. Buy the meats that are not so popular with people. Iron steak, Chop steak, Stir fry steak (little bits of steak already cut up), and buy meat that is almost out of date and on discount.
These two things alone cut the cost of feeding raw drastically.
Q - Websites I was reading online say it's good to start with raw chicken (wings, breasts, etc) Isn't there a worry of Salmanela? (spelling)
A - Salmonella isn't a big problem for dogs because their stomachs are designed to break down bacteria that would make us extremely sick. They can handle it. A little raw chicken isn't going to kill them.
As for what to feed, I feed legs, thighs and breasts. You can feed wings, my dogs don't like them as much as the other parts.
I feed them bone and all. With thighs and breasts I cut them in half. You can feed the boneless kind if you're worried about bones. I feed those as well when money isn't a problem. Boneless costs a little bit more in my neck of the woods.
You can also cut them up into smaller chunks, steam them for a minute or two and then feed them that way.
Q - How much more expensive can one expect the BARF diet to be then "regular" dog food.
A - When you buy dog food you buy enough for a week or two. When I buy raw I buy for 2-3 months. I freeze it in a deep freezer and save it for feeding time.
Buying in bulk saves money.
Another benefit I've found is you feed less. So this also cuts down on the cost.
The number one piece of advice I can give you is go out and shop for different prices on raw foods. Try the big three first, Chicken, Meat (beef, deer, goat, etc...) and Fish.
For meat I'd go to a butcher. I avoid large supermarket's most of the time and seek out speciality markets for my ingredients. I do this for myself as well so it's really not a hassle.
There are no hard and fast rules to feeding a 100% raw diet. Experiement with different mixtures and foods and learn what your dog likes. It may take a while to get into the habit of buying and feeding raw but once you do it's worth it.
Hope this helps.
A - At first it cost more because I didn't have a method of feeding down. Basically I didn't know what to buy so I bought costly cuts of meat and got the best for my dog. That didn't last long because I was going broke.
Two things that helped me save money:
1. I fed what I ate. I eat a lot of fish and steak. So I always buy a few extra cuts of fish and steak for the dogs.
2. Buy the meats that are not so popular with people. Iron steak, Chop steak, Stir fry steak (little bits of steak already cut up), and buy meat that is almost out of date and on discount.
These two things alone cut the cost of feeding raw drastically.
Q - Websites I was reading online say it's good to start with raw chicken (wings, breasts, etc) Isn't there a worry of Salmanela? (spelling)
A - Salmonella isn't a big problem for dogs because their stomachs are designed to break down bacteria that would make us extremely sick. They can handle it. A little raw chicken isn't going to kill them.
As for what to feed, I feed legs, thighs and breasts. You can feed wings, my dogs don't like them as much as the other parts.
I feed them bone and all. With thighs and breasts I cut them in half. You can feed the boneless kind if you're worried about bones. I feed those as well when money isn't a problem. Boneless costs a little bit more in my neck of the woods.
You can also cut them up into smaller chunks, steam them for a minute or two and then feed them that way.
Q - How much more expensive can one expect the BARF diet to be then "regular" dog food.
A - When you buy dog food you buy enough for a week or two. When I buy raw I buy for 2-3 months. I freeze it in a deep freezer and save it for feeding time.
Buying in bulk saves money.
Another benefit I've found is you feed less. So this also cuts down on the cost.
The number one piece of advice I can give you is go out and shop for different prices on raw foods. Try the big three first, Chicken, Meat (beef, deer, goat, etc...) and Fish.
For meat I'd go to a butcher. I avoid large supermarket's most of the time and seek out speciality markets for my ingredients. I do this for myself as well so it's really not a hassle.
There are no hard and fast rules to feeding a 100% raw diet. Experiement with different mixtures and foods and learn what your dog likes. It may take a while to get into the habit of buying and feeding raw but once you do it's worth it.
Hope this helps.
- jmann4
by moto1320 » Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:07 pm
It can be as cheap if not much cheaper than kibble. As far as parasites what not, just don't feed the dog anything that you wouldn't throw in a pan and cook up. If it smells questionable- don't feed it.
A guy on a Dogo Canario board I get on once in a while shared the experience with his local grocery. He asked the butcher what they did with the chicken that wasn't sold by the "sell by date". He said that they just toss it and he asked if he could pick it up for the dogs and the guy agreed. So, he went and picked up 100lbs of chicken for free and froze it. Add in the cost of veggies and he was feeding his dogs for about 5 bucks a week. These are 120+ pound dogs too.
A guy on a Dogo Canario board I get on once in a while shared the experience with his local grocery. He asked the butcher what they did with the chicken that wasn't sold by the "sell by date". He said that they just toss it and he asked if he could pick it up for the dogs and the guy agreed. So, he went and picked up 100lbs of chicken for free and froze it. Add in the cost of veggies and he was feeding his dogs for about 5 bucks a week. These are 120+ pound dogs too.
-
moto1320 - Regulator
- Posts: 3057
- Joined: Thu Dec 25, 2003 9:20 pm
- Location: NC
by blackbear219 » Tue Jul 20, 2004 1:23 pm
Cool, thanks guys.
There is a local (what I like to call) "ghetto-mart" in town that has a small meat counter, I'm gonna stop in there and see if I can score some cheap meat.
I caught a 31" stripped bass off the coast of cape cod this weekend and accidently left the meat there...dammit, that woulda lasted for several meals!
jmann, what about vegetables? I read on several sites that people will blend vegetables and mix it in with the meat (to replicate vegetation that would normally be found in a prey's stomach)
So do you do any vegetables or other supplements like oils or herbs?
There is a local (what I like to call) "ghetto-mart" in town that has a small meat counter, I'm gonna stop in there and see if I can score some cheap meat.
I caught a 31" stripped bass off the coast of cape cod this weekend and accidently left the meat there...dammit, that woulda lasted for several meals!
jmann, what about vegetables? I read on several sites that people will blend vegetables and mix it in with the meat (to replicate vegetation that would normally be found in a prey's stomach)
So do you do any vegetables or other supplements like oils or herbs?
- blackbear219
by jmann4 » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:01 pm
Personally I don't feed many veggies. Every blue moon I might give them a little carrot or some kelp. Other than that it's 100% meat and fish. Another reason I don't feed my dogs veggies is they don't like them. None of them. I have to put very small amounts of carrots when I feed them otherwise they won't eat the meal.
- jmann4
by blackbear219 » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:25 pm
I sent this PM to jmann but then I decided I would post it here just in case anyone else might be able to find this thread useful in the future.
Hey jmann,
on my way home from work yesterday, I picked up some cheap steak and chicken from that ghetto mart that I mentioned in the thread.
Gave Beau a little over a pound of steak (I cooked the rest of it and ate it myself
) and an egg for dinner. He scarfed it down, loved it and it seemed to keep him satisfied for several hours.
However, he woke me up probably 3 times between about 3am-6am because he had to take a dump. He had the trots.
I know switching a dogs diet, even if it's just from one brand of kibble to another, can cause them to get the runs until they get used to it...so is this normal? anything I can put in his food to maybe help his bunghole not catch on fire?
Hey jmann,
on my way home from work yesterday, I picked up some cheap steak and chicken from that ghetto mart that I mentioned in the thread.
Gave Beau a little over a pound of steak (I cooked the rest of it and ate it myself
) and an egg for dinner. He scarfed it down, loved it and it seemed to keep him satisfied for several hours.
However, he woke me up probably 3 times between about 3am-6am because he had to take a dump. He had the trots.
I know switching a dogs diet, even if it's just from one brand of kibble to another, can cause them to get the runs until they get used to it...so is this normal? anything I can put in his food to maybe help his bunghole not catch on fire?
- blackbear219
by jmann4 » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:07 pm
blackbear219 wrote:However, he woke me up probably 3 times between about 3am-6am because he had to take a dump. He had the trots.
I know switching a dogs diet, even if it's just from one brand of kibble to another, can cause them to get the runs until they get used to it...so is this normal? anything I can put in his food to maybe help his bunghole not catch on fire?
roflmao
This is normal and can last up to 3 weeks. When I switched Angel over I had a hard time staying with it because her poo looked like toxic waste (smelt that way too). It was very hard to clean up out of the yard and was, well, simply gross.
She got regular in a week or so and has been fine ever since.
I would keep an eye on it though. Make sure he gets plenty of water as well as the poo's takes it's toll on them.
- jmann4
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests