The Cost of Feeding Raw?

[ChevellesMomma]

The above is true. Factor in you aren't going to buying the same meats that YOU eat. You're going to be getting things butchers throw out, you're going to be going to meat departments in grocery stores buying meats past their sell by date for cheaper, 20% of it all is going to be organ and bone, which you can dirt cheap...there's lots of factors. And in every scenario I have ever run into, raw has always been cheaper than kibble.

[BabyReba]

Having lived in three very distinct parts of the country, I can say that there are some areas where it is much harder to get cheap meats -- even organs and bones. The Orlando area, I've found, is a bit expensive when it comes to pricing of pretty much everything. If I travel west about an hour and a half, closer to Tampa, prices seem to drop a good bit for certain things. Likewise if I travel east ... the raw-food co-op here in Orlando pays what I consider to be an obscene amount for the stuff they buy in bulk. It would cost me about double what it cost to feed kibble, if I ordered through them.

When I fed raw when I lived in Maryland, it was dirt cheap to feed raw. Tons of options, lots of inexpensive options, even for very high-quality stuff. I had to work to find it, but once I did, it was definitely inexpensive, even compared to feeding kibble. Down here, I haven't been able to find a conveniently located (and by that, I mean less than an hour's drive) supplier with prices that don't make my eyes bug out.

[elegy]

My kibble fed dogs don't need teeth cleanings either. There are a lot of variables to whether/how often a dog needs it's teeth cleaned.

Yeah, my pit bulls are 9 and kibble fed, and other than having some slab fractures, their teeth and gums are great. But they're both heavy recreational chewers, and I think that helps a lot.

My Border Collie *is* raw fed. I really don't pay strict attention to what I pay to feed him because I buy his food at the same time as I buy mine (no chest freezer yet, so I buy weekly). I will not pay over $0.80/lb or so for chicken, I try to keep pork $1.50 or less, and then buy whatever else happens to be on clearance. I pay more for beef heart and beef liver than anything else (but he likes beef liver much more than chicken livers, so I roll with it).

[Team Peanut]

i buy by the ads though i do not use meats that i myself would not eat (exluding organs i don't like em) but same quality people could eat.

[kaytenmags]

i feed raw in vancouver canada, and meat is pretty pricey up here! even when chicken goes on sale for super "OMG must buy!" cheap, that's still $1/lb.

however... i feed raw because i can't afford to feed kibble. the past couple years i've worked my butt off and networked with hunters. the first year was a LOT of work. making phonecalls, sending emails, driving all over hells half acre for anything i could get. last year tho, my phone didn't stop ringing! i did very little up front work for HUGE return. once my name and number got out there, the hunters were thrilled to have someone they could call to pick up their waste. i filled my freezers and probably gave away over 2000lbs of moose/deer last fall.

it's exhausting for a few months (driving, cutting, wrapping, packaging everything), but then i don't have to think about it for the rest of the year. the only things i buy are white meat and organs.

when people ask me about feeding raw, i usually advise the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" method. if your dog does well on kibble, stick with it. my dog had constant tapass on kibble, so i gave up and fed raw. as far as expense goes, it can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. you need time or money. not necessarily a huge ammount of both. if you've got money, buy pre-made patties and it's as easy as feeding kibble. if you don't have the money, you find hunters or check sale flyers every week and stock up when things are cheap.

[El_EmDubya]

El_EmDubya, I would love to read your analysis, whether it gets shot down or not.

I'm well aware of the controversy surrounding certain scientific facts/research, and I know science is not infallible. Anything with a human being behind it has room for error and bias.

Prof. Rock Star...Dir of Research said "NO." He said the topic was too controversial and could severely restrict my employment (as a professor) down the road. Sad

[MMSmith]

El_EmDubya, I would love to read your analysis, whether it gets shot down or not.

I'm well aware of the controversy surrounding certain scientific facts/research, and I know science is not infallible. Anything with a human being behind it has room for error and bias.

Prof. Rock Star...Dir of Research said "NO." He said the topic was too controversial and could severely restrict my employment (as a professor) down the road. Sad

Damnit. That stinks. Well, I'll just have to be patient and you can write it after you become a professor