The Cost of Feeding Raw?

[El_EmDubya]

That is just one dog, and we don't know what his tendency might have been towards dental disease.

With Monte we knew he had bad teeth issues, and they've been well documented on PBF. Yet 3 months on raw cleaned up the problems enough for the vet doing his root canal to comment on the health of his gums and teeth. (Yes, I was with him the whole time. I don't leave him alone at the vet's office which is why I know exactly what has and has not been done to his teeth.)

But, it isn't just me: here is a question from Raw Fit Pet survey of Raw Feeders:

Question:

What do you do to maintain your pet’s dental health? (click all that apply)
Dental care by vet
Home dental care other than raw meaty bones
Raw meaty bones
Nothing

Result:
Of the 1870 owners surveyed, 1862 owners answered the question
1632 or 88% - reported NO vet dental care required when on a raw diet

230 or 12% - reported vet dental care required at some point in animal’s life, however most indicated that the frequency greatly decreased after switching to a raw diet

Of the 1632 owners stating no vet dental care is needed
1152 – Use raw meaty bones only
115 – Use home dental care only
188 – Do nothing for dental care
177 – Use both raw meaty bones and home dental care

In addition to dogs, humans who follow Ketogenic and grain free diets also experience improved mouth health, so you might want to investigate that research if you really want less anecdotal information. This isn't just a canine issue and has far reaching implications for your health as you age.

My dogs don't need dental cleanings because I give them PlaqueOff..."

IMHO if you can't see that your dogs NEED additional products to protect them against something that a good, natural diet can easily provide, I can't really help you.

[MMSmith]

The biggest reason I don't feed raw is I have no space for a freezer. I live in a little old house that has tiny closets and no decent storage. Grr.

[MMSmith]

Sorry for the double post, but I just sat here and crunched the numbers. Based on FransterDoo's formula, it would cost me about $150 a month to feed raw. I don't find that particularly cheap. Especially since the cost of vet visits, toys, treats, supplements, etc will not vary between a kibble fed dog and a raw fed dog. I spend maybe $75 a month on kibble, and my boy eats Nutro Ultra Holistics, TOTW, or occasionally Wellness. He prefers the Nutro but I do try to give him a bit of variety.

Just my 0.02.

[mommy2kane]

A freezer is definitely a must, in order to get good deals in bulk.

Our average cost per pound is $0.53. Our chicken leg quarters are $24 for a 40 lb box (4 boxes per month) and our chicken backs are $10 for a 40 lb box (1 box per month). The quarters are ginormous, and dirty, so they get their organs from them. And the backs are more meaty/fatty than usual so it's a nice weekend meal. We supplement with Honest Kitchen "Preference" just to ensure they get all they need (one $44 box lasts 2 months for 5 dogs).

So that ends up being about $128 per month, feeding 5 dogs. We buy a month supply at a time and just portion everything out in daily feedings. That way it's easy to just pull out 1-2 bags to thaw for the day. Occassionally, we get lucky and are able to get some "extras" from friends ... I believe we got venison and pheasant last year. It ends up being cheaper for us than feeding kibble.

[Adrianne]

I feed partial raw. I feed a lot of big raw meaty bones, chicken backs, etc. When I find them cheap I buy every single one they have and they stuff them in my freezer. Denis and I plan to buy a chest freezer when we move to assist in storage and hopefully go back to a more so total raw menu. It is too costly to feed total raw here right now but that doesn't mean I save much. I still spend probably 200 a month on feed for dogs. I feed primarily dehydrated food, raw, and kibble supplements (wellness core or Go!).

[mommy2kane]

Sorry for the double post, but I just sat here and crunched the numbers. Based on FransterDoo's formula, it would cost me about $150 a month to feed raw. I don't find that particularly cheap. Especially since the cost of vet visits, toys, treats, supplements, etc will not vary between a kibble fed dog and a raw fed dog. I spend maybe $75 a month on kibble, and my boy eats Nutro Ultra Holistics, TOTW, or occasionally Wellness. He prefers the Nutro but I do try to give him a bit of variety.

Just my 0.02.

For 1 dog? So you must not have very good prices in your area. Wow!

[MMSmith]

Sorry for the double post, but I just sat here and crunched the numbers. Based on FransterDoo's formula, it would cost me about $150 a month to feed raw. I don't find that particularly cheap. Especially since the cost of vet visits, toys, treats, supplements, etc will not vary between a kibble fed dog and a raw fed dog. I spend maybe $75 a month on kibble, and my boy eats Nutro Ultra Holistics, TOTW, or occasionally Wellness. He prefers the Nutro but I do try to give him a bit of variety.

Just my 0.02.

For 1 dog? So you must not have very good prices in your area. Wow!

Unfortunately, yes. Meat prices are pretty costly. I wish I could get meat for less than fifty cents a pound, but I just don't see it happening. There aren't a lot of local or diverse sources for meat either. It's the grocery store or maybe Sam's club. Butcher shops are few and far between, and cater more to a wealthier demographic; lots of steak and primo cuts.

I wish I knew some hunters, or better yet, had time to hunt. Growing up, I hunted and fished a lot, and I lived in a much more culturally diverse area, so there were tons of butcher shops and local meat suppliers.

[mommy2kane]

Wow, yea... we head to DC about once per month to stock up. That's the closest we could find for the best price. Luckily, it's still only about 30-40 minutes for us.

[MMSmith]

I think Nashville would be my best bet (I'm in Knoxville), so it's 3 hours away. I'm always searching for a good source of meat, and I do supplement kibble with fresh, human-grade foods as much as I can. Henry is a goat in a dog suit; this morning he scarfed down some broccoli and carrots with his kibble. I have birds, too, so I always have a lot of diverse veggies in the house. Whenever I'm cooking with chicken or beef, I set some aside for him prior to seasoning or cooking. He loves it. Goat-dog will also eat tuna fish out of the can if you let him.

[El_EmDubya]

OMG, you're in the South...LUCKY!!!

You need to target small ethnic markets and tell EVERYONE you are looking for connections with hunters.

It will initially take a little work, so put your hiking boots on, but you'll meet some great people and you'll get a view of the cultural underground.

I'd be willing to bet that you'll be under $1/lb within 3 months.

[MMSmith]

OMG, you're in the South...LUCKY!!!

You need to target small ethnic markets and tell EVERYONE you are looking for connections with hunters.

It will initially take a little work, so put your hiking boots on, but you'll meet some great people and you'll get a view of the cultural underground.

I'd be willing to bet that you'll be under $1/lb within 3 months.

I would have to find meat that is priced an average of $0.25/lb, otherwise it is not cheaper than a high grade kibble.

[Team Peanut]

OMG, you're in the South...LUCKY!!!

You need to target small ethnic markets and tell EVERYONE you are looking for connections with hunters.

It will initially take a little work, so put your hiking boots on, but you'll meet some great people and you'll get a view of the cultural underground.

I'd be willing to bet that you'll be under $1/lb within 3 months.

I would have to find meat that is priced an average of $0.25/lb, otherwise it is not cheaper than a high grade kibble.

wow 25 cents a lb would be a dream . depending on the protein source most of my meat is under $1 a lb sometimes a little more. now to find lamb or rabbit or anything that is not chicken or turkey you are not going to find under $1/lb. that
in the long run raw is cheaper. though depending on your comfort level a lot of people get free meat on craigslist.

[MMSmith]

I don't think it would ever be cheaper for the dog I have now. He's a 5.5 year old houndy mutt, with a pretty low energy level. He plays and walks with me, but most of the time is pretty chill. He's my teddy bear. Although he'll never be ripped and dreamy-looking, I do keep him pretty lean. His metabolism also doesn't seem particularly quick. So he doesn't eat much.

Maybe if I had multiple dogs that would eat a substancially larger amount of kibble per dog, then raw might be cheaper. But I don't understand the argument that it's cheaper in the long run. I know that raw feeders claim their dogs are healthier and have fewer health problems. But that sounds pretty anecdotal to me. I would have to see multiple studies on dogs that had similar genetic backgrounds fed different diets to believe that. If a dog is genetically predisposed to epilepsy, addison's disease, HD, etc, diet isn't going to prevent or lessen the cost of vet care. There's also the possibility of genetically healthier dogs on a certain diet, in which case it's easy to argue that it's a better diet. But I would have to see someone compare apples to apples.

And like I said before, I would still spend the same amount of money each month on supplements, treats, toys, accessories, and all that jazz. I'm not saying that raw food isn't better for my dog. He loves meat. I know enough about wild canines to realize it's a much more natural diet. I'm just questioning cost. I would love to feed raw, but I really don't think I could save myself money.

[El_EmDubya]

I'm just questioning cost. I would love to feed raw, but I really don't think I could save myself money.

If that's honestly how you feel, why not just feed Beneful? You'll save money and your dog will probably live to at least 10.

Really if cost is the ONLY measure in your decision-making, raw is not for you. Let's be honest, raw isn't for everyone...

[Team Peanut]

why would you supplement on raw?

you know i don't need any studies to tell me that my dog is healthier fed raw then he was on kibble. MY dog could not process kibble he was always having some sort of issues but since going to raw he is completely different for the better finally.
you won't find studies because the canine nutrition is such a controversial debate. I prefer my own dog and his exerpirences over something i can read any day. you are talking genetics over food realted issues. completely different. that is like saying you have a family history of heart disease and you eat nothing but junk food and end up with heart disease yourself, well i was going to get it anyways over having the same history of heart disease and making healthy dietary choices for yourself, you lessen the chances of heart disease occuring in yourself. If you make healthier choices then the body is healthier. Processed anything is always a bad choice over natural in both people and dogs.
honestly when i am making financial choices for MY dog i forgo things like toys (which he has waaay too many of as it is) to give him a healthier diet that has him doing better then he ever has in his life and he was on good kibbles before just can't handle processed foods.

raw diets are not for everyone. they take a lot of time, dedication, and a little understanding of what to feed and when and intuition into you own dog and their individual needs. For my one dog I spend about $65 a month getting him different proteins. Prior to going raw I was feeding him Orijen...its comparable prices for me.