New to Raw/Barf and could use some tips!

[VeatchsMama]

So I've been doing some reading about Raw diets and I'm simply amazed! It's unbelieveable how much of an improvement it can make on our little furballs. But I don't know where to start! What ingredients do you use? What are the basic must haves? What should you avoid (other than the obvious toxic foods)? What about supplements? Oh boy! Any pointers, recipes, tips would be great!

I have a 35 pound lab corgi mix. He is a hunting retrieval dog and part time love bug. He's a little picky and I've noticed some foods make his skin itchy and his fur patchy around his toes. Otherwise very healthy and loving dog.

[BarbaraClark]

I could use these answers, too! Lol.

[Scarlett_O']

My dogs and cats are PMRaw fed. Meaning that they get Meat, Bone and organs (Pretty much EVERYTHING from an animal!)

I have 2 Border Collies, 1 Pug/x, 1 Mini Doxie and 2 cats.
My Mum also has, with my help, 2 French Bulldogs and 1 cat on PMR, and one 15 year old Lhasa Apso on PMR+veggies(dont ask!LOL)

We have, so far, not needed any supplements, as we have been given TONS of "old"(freezer burnt, from 02-06!lol) coloured fish(meaning trout, salmon, ect...not white fish) and being able to feed that had kept away the need for fish oil...which is what most raw feeders need to add(unless feeding a majority of grass feed meats!;))

We have, since late May, fed the following proteins(Ive gotten lucky with craigslist/kijiji/freecycle hauls...and the fact that my boys can eat anything given to them! ) Chicken, turkey, beef(adult, day old calf and veal), pork, elk, deer, pheasant, chucker, duck, goose, Llama, goat, lamb, rabbit, mutton, trout, salmon and Im pretty sure Im forgetting 1 or more!LOL

We went out(well to craigslist) and bought a stand up freezer our....hmm....I think 3rd week in, as I KNEW this was how our dogs and cats where going to be living long term and I "NEEDED" to be able to get as much as I wanted!LOL (So for me that was a "must have"! But my Mum feeds their 4 with just their over-the-fridge freezer, which is also used to feed 4 adults...so not always a must have!) I also, have NEVER once used a knife(saw yes, knife no) while prepping...I find my kitchen sheers are my BFF when it comes to prep work, so for me they are a must have as well!

Your in the US, so as long as your getting pork that is fit for human consumption then there really isnt anything, meat/bone/organ wise, that you will need to avoid...just go nice and slow...it isnt a speed race, know your dog and what he/she needs and can handle and jus take everything nice and slow!

I would HIGHLY suggest looking over www.preymodelraw.com...it is written by a few different AMAZING members from here...and has GREAT how to get started guides!

And also, IMO, if your dog doesnt NEED a barf lifestyle(like mentioned in this part of PMR.com: When is Prey Model Raw NOT ideal? | Prey Model Raw) then dont bother...we are feeding CARNIVORES and as long as you are feeding properly(and they dont have underlying health issues, which is the reason my sister's dog gets veggies also) then all they need is meat/bone/organs!

[xellil]

This was written by folks here. It tells you the reasoning behind PMR and instructions for getting started as well as a ton of other good stuff.

Why PMR? | Prey Model Raw

Oh, Scarlett already did it. Sorry. But that's the one!

[Liz]

Please read the links posted as they are full of great information. I feed PMR as I don't believe my dogs need dairy, grains or vegetable matter. They are thriving on meat, bone and organ. My dogs were doing okay on kibble, no allergies or big problems but they smelled like dogs, had bad breath and teeth that needed constant cleaning, and it was difficult to keep weight on some and get weight of others. We have 7 dogs. I was spending $140.00 just on kibble and that was a mid grade kibble. On raw I spend no more than $125.00 per month, sometimes less, their teeth sparkle, their breath is fresh, no doggy odor, they have nice consistent energy, beautiful coats, great skin, they fat ones are lean and muscular they scrawny ones are muscular and healthy. They love their food, and I know exactly what they are eating.

You start out with one protein at a time and slowly add proteins until they can handle all of them easily - some take a little time because they are richer.

We feed, chicken (all parts) turkey necks, hearts and whole turkey (November), pork neck, pork ribs, pork roasts, pork heart, beef all parts, lamb lung, trachea, emu, mackarel, sardines, duck necks (only duck I can afford)pigs feet, and beef and lamb liver. We grab venison whenever we can and geese from friends who hunt. We also get reabbit occassionally. I try to pay less than $1 per pound for any meat and most averages out to about.60 - .75 per pound.

Find meat processors who will sell to private parties, join a co-op,talk to hunters and wild game processors, and build a list of suppliers. It is well worth the initial effort.

[monkeys23]

Yes read the links posted above, they are a great guide!

I feed a lot of beef since my family raises it (heart, tongue, liver, kidney, etc.). Most rmb's are chicken quarters, but I'd love to get a cost effective source for duck/turkey necks. I do buy turkey thighs once in a while. Pork necks are a big hit here, but some don't like to feed them. Deer/elk/pork provide boneless variety to balance out all the beef. I just got some lamb hearts and livers since we butchered the ones we sold locally recently, most of the lamb offal went to a paying customer though. Green tripe is also a great addition.

I feed twice a day and shoot for fullfillnig the 80/10/10 ratio over the course of the week.

[cprcheetah]

You have gotten some EXCELLENT advice. The things I avoid are meats of other carnivores, bear meat and wild boar meat, other than that I feed a wide variety of meats, chicken, turkey, whole prey mice, beef, venison, bison, pork, fish, lamb and more. I strive for balance and balance their diets weekly. When you start you want to start with boney meals, every dog is different, Zoey my 4# chi couldn't handle more than 2-3 boney meals per week, Ziva can handle it more often as can Shellie, but when you start it's a good idea to feed bone in meals every meal for the first few weeks.

Supplements, I give Salmon Oil & Vitamin E as my 'basic' supplements. Then Zoey because she has lots of issues also gets Melatonin for alopecia, The Missing Link (for hair growth), Bragg's ACV and a Probiotic daily. But most just supplement with a fish oil and Vit e.

[hmbutler]

I know it was very daunting to begin with, but following the How To Get Started guide on the previously linked PMR website was my biggest help. As you go through, introducing new proteins and what not, you really do pick up on a lot. Plus you will spend more time here reading little bits and pieces of info along the way. You're best bet, if you decide to feed PMR, is just to begin with that guide and follow it as closely as possible - the MAIN key being TAKE IT SLOW! Even my iron guts labrador got a case of the runs when I introduced some proteins too suddenly, so slow and steady is definitely the key. And don't worry about what you don't know yet, you will honestly pick it all up as you go along.

If someone gave you ALL the information you will ever need for raw feeding, right here in this thread, it'd be too much info to handle in one hit and you'd probably reconsider the whole idea, thinking it's going to be too much work, but it's really easy once you get into the swing of it

Also, the guide is very helpful, but don't stress if you can introduce proteins quicker or slower than outlined - it's purely a guide, every dog is different. I'm in week 12 at the moment and still haven't introduced beef (in the guide, this happens around week 6 or 7 I think) because each time I do, Duke gets the runs. I think I'm still feeding too much in one meal, I really need to just be doing 10% of his meal as beef, then no beef the next meal, etc, increasing it as he adjusts, and I haven't even bothered buying any organs yet! So I'm still a long way off the 80/10/10 ratio (Duke seems to need a bit more bone than 10%, but we're still in transition, it could be a long time before he only needs 10% bone).

So yeah, my best advice is to follow that guide, and just chime in with questions as they arise don't stress right now with what organs to feed or what beef is best, just get the basics down first

And Good Luck!!

[xellil]

I know it was very daunting to begin with, but following the How To Get Started guide on the previously linked PMR website was my biggest help.

You are so right. It sounds like alot of stuff, but really it's buy a piece of chicken, and that's it. Then you work on any tweaking later on.

[magicre]

it was daunting in the beginning....especially that first piece of chicken back or whatever we started with ,....

thoughts of please don't let my dog die, oh doggies ( insert names here) please chew...not even caring that dogs don't chew....

how can i possibly feed THAT to my dogs...

i know it went against every thing i was taught...

but, it was a new dawn for us here ... a new age....

and one chicken back led to another, which led to turkey, which led to pork, then fish, then beef and organs and off we went...to great teeth, wonderful fur, younger acting old dogs...

and then i don't know about the others, somehow it didn't seem so daunting anymore....there is such a support system here....

and it really comes down to give dog meat/bone/organ.....

in the end, it gets easier and easier.