# DIY Raw food quality....



## VizslaMama (Feb 15, 2012)

Hello – I hope this doesn't double post, having computer issues. 

I have read in books and on internet sites about making sure the RAW food we are feeding our dogs is Human Grade or Fit for Human Consumption. 

How do you know if the RAW food we get from local Meat markets, wholesale butchers is of good quality? They could just say it is? 

I currently feed pre-made-packaged meals (Chicken, Turkey, Beef) these include veggies/ little fruit, oils, along with a few RMBs mostly chicken backs/necks, lamb necks from the same source basically for convenience but this is getting very expensive as our pup is almost 55lbs. Our monthly bill is well over $100 and I usually buy two month worth so you can imagine the cost! Even with the 10% discount this place offers at the beginning of every month it is still pricey for someone who has a dog that weighs over 50lbs. If we ever want to get another dog of a similar size, well, the price to feed two dogs this way would be outrageous! If I have done my numbers right, I can almost cut that price in half or more by buying from a fairly local place. 

When people ask what we are feeding him (they notice how muscular and lean he is and his coat really shiny, I say RAW. They say, really!? Then they ask how much we spend a month and I am a little embarrassed to tell them that it is almost more expensive than Kibble for a dog his size. For a little dog this would be no problem. I would love to BRAG that I spend the same or less than the standard kibble! I love feeding RAW and will never feed kibble but would love to have my wallet back : ) 

Now that I have rambled, back to my main reason for posting this. 

I recently got a GREAT price list for RAW pet food from a local Meat Market/Wholesale source that is fairly close to us. They have a lot of variety and what seem to be great prices. Like I said above, potential to cut my monthly bill in half or more. 

I am mostly curious about pork, beef, and couple misc products. I understand every butcher/wholesaler is different, and quality of meat varies but your thoughts on these items in general would be helpful. Whether you have fed it or stay away from it. So far Copper can and will eat anything and everything so feeding a variety is possible. For anyone in my area who may use this source I am referring to Hyland Packers– in Stoney Creek.

Here are a few items I am curious how you know if the quality (questions to ask them?) and if I should feed it: 

Pork – spleens, kidneys, liver, hearts, bellie trim, neck bones etc

Beef – liver, spleen, kidneys, hearts, rib bones, lungs, trachea, beef tripe, mech. separate bnls beef, 50/50 beef trim, 65/35 beef trim, 80/20 aged beef trim(also comes in ground), 85/15 bnls beef, 90/10 bnls beef, 95/5 bnls beef etc

Misc – coarse ground bones, fine bone dust, lamb tripe

I am so used to feeding the convenient packaged meals that my creativity with RAW food has laid dormant. I’m sure I am over thinking this and I should dive in and not worry but I still have to ask. 

Thanks!
Courtney


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

are you in america?

if so, unless it is a store that sells ungraded products, nowhere here is it permitted to sell 4D proteins of any kind.

so we have prime, choice, select....select is of lower quality than prime, but it is cheaper and is still human consumable.

we try to give our dogs as much grass fed/grass finished product as we can, but that's not always possible due to financial constraints.
having said that...there are local farms who sell beef to those interested.....

plus, if we can't feed grass fed/ grass finished proteins, then we supplement.....with omega threes....in some form.

one thing i would not feed is fine bone dust or coarse ground bones.....the idea is to feed edible bone, such as pork ribs or chicken which has nice edible bone or lamb with nice edible bone or goat.....

lamb tripe is very nice and i would buy it. definitely.....i have smaller dogs, so i need edible bone that i find in pork, lamb, and goat....as i don't feed chicken...

i think the 65/35 trim might be too fatty, even though fat is good, but i could be wrong here....and i'd stay from mechanically separated beef trim...

necks are good as long as they are whole or cut better than we get them from our grocery stores....the bone saws make for jagged edges....

basically, when you switch from premades and grinds, what you're going to feed is protein/bone/organs.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Alot of the food I get for my dogs says it's not for humans. My Pet Carnivore gets its beef from a farm in Michigan and I don't believe they make sure their meat is "approved" for humans. And the chickens come with heads and feet attached, sometimes they still have some feathers on them, etc.

Now, I don't so much mind that because the meats in the grocery store are so pumped up with crap it's not good for my dogs anyway. I'll take farm-raised meat. 

I would feel alot more comfortable with something other than pre-made ground because you can actually see it. And, it's a ton cheaper, like you say. 

And feeding ALL parts of an animal is quite gross and weird and fun at the same time. Nothing like seeing your dog running around with a chicken head in her mouth and an eyeball dangling around her feet.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i will never get my wallet back and i feed full on raw....i'm not typical, because i do have smallish dogs...


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

xellil said:


> Alot of the food I get for my dogs says it's not for humans. My Pet Carnivore gets its beef from a farm in Michigan and I don't believe they make sure their meat is "approved" for humans. And the chickens come with heads and feet attached, sometimes they still have some feathers on them, etc.
> 
> Now, I don't so much mind that because the meats in the grocery store are so pumped up with crap it's not good for my dogs anyway. I'll take farm-raised meat.
> 
> ...


i think my pet carnivore does use human consumable...thing is....it's expensive enough to have the usda certify the food, let alone the cost of getting it graded....and that's why it's not human consumable..but for a bunch of labeling that humans must have and dogs don't need.

we'd probably be better off eating food from my pet carnivore. 

or the dog sheep that i bought from a local farm for my dogs....


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

magicre said:


> i think my pet carnivore does use human consumable...thing is....it's expensive enough to have the usda certify the food, let alone the cost of getting it graded....and that's why it's not human consumable..but for a bunch of labeling that humans must have and dogs don't need.
> 
> we'd probably be better off eating food from my pet carnivore.
> 
> or the dog sheep that i bought from a local farm for my dogs....


Exactly! they probably make double the profit because they don't have to go through USDA channels to sell their meat, as long as they label it dog food. I wish I could figure out a way to get a franchise of that place.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

*Raw*

Wow, I would definitely switch to whole foods. We feed 7 dogs for $140.00 or less per month. I just got 125 pounds of chicken backs, 80 pounds of turkey heart, 30 pounds of pork heart, and 20 pounds of chicken feet for $100.00 Plus our freezer was still half full! Next month I will only be getting sardines! so will only be spending $75.00. I buy through our coop and restaurant suppliers. We also get lamb lung and trachea directly from the local butcher. It is all human grade so even though I would love to feed organic I am content with this as it is what we can afford. We feed 9 - 10 pounds per day!:smile:


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

All meat for human consumption that is processed commercially is graded and inspected by the state or by the USDA. State inspection regulations must be at least equal to those of the USDA. The minimum grade sold in human markets is select (beef). This is the quality you buy off the grocery store shelves. Choice, top choice and prime and reserved primarily for restaurants. Standard is the grade below select. 98% of lamb grades prime. All grade standards are based on fat content (marbling) of the meat. An easy way to check the quality grade of your meat is to evalate its. marbling. Additionally, in order to sell meat, even off your farm, you must be licensed and, at a minimum, have your facilities inspected and submit a a written operating procedures document. I'll try to post more later if I can find my Meats text book.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

I spend about $75.00 per year to feed my 12lb Doxie.

I couldn't be happier plus I save much more than that by avoiding dentals.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i dont pay a cent for meat chicken,pork,beef,turkey,cornish game hen and its locally farmed. our grocery store is local and it has its own "meat" program basically they buy from local farmers and in the summer the 4Hers pigs,cows,chickens and turkeys and whatever they toss out every week (which is usually about 80+ pounds) they give me and more often then not if they have a package of meat get a hole in the wrap or is almost to the experation date i get it. ive gotten family sized packs of thighs,drumsticks,t-bones,pork roasts,turkey breasts,sizzler steaks,chickens wings.
we have another grocery store in the next town im going to talk to about there meat trimmings see if i can have theres too.


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## VizslaMama (Feb 15, 2012)

I am in Canada.

Thanks so much for everyones thoughts! 

This won't be so hard after all!

Courtney


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

xellil said:


> i wish i could figure out a way to get a franchise of that place.


me too!!!!!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

what about oma's pride? can you get a franchise from that?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I don't know what Oma's pride is. I will look it up.


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## BoxerParty (Nov 9, 2011)

VizslaMama said:


> I am in Canada.
> 
> Thanks so much for everyones thoughts!
> 
> ...



I'm in Canada as well (Vancouver Island). You'll soon learn that our American counterparts get enviably low prices on their meats, but even I manage to feed my two Boxers for under $200/month, and they are eating 4% of their projected adult weight a day at present.

Good luck!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

BoxerParty said:


> I'm in Canada as well (Vancouver Island). You'll soon learn that our American counterparts get enviably low prices on their meats, but even I manage to feed my two Boxers for under $200/month, and they are eating 4% of their projected adult weight a day at present.
> 
> Good luck!


It's all relative, isn't it? I remember when we drove from Indiana to Texas and I refused to get gas in Illinois because it was $1.29 a gallon and that was just price gouging!! Now it's $3.59 a gallon here and I wish for those days of less than $2 a gallon 

And the Europeans think we have it good, because their gas is $7 a gallon.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

xellil said:


> And the Europeans think we have it good, because their gas is $7 a gallon.


That's exactly what I said when I first came to the US, "Good God, what are you complaining about Man?", in relation to petrol prices. Gas is so CHEAP here, it really is.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> That's exactly what I said when I first came to the US, "Good God, what are you complaining about Man?", in relation to petrol prices. Gas is so CHEAP here, it really is.


I'm going to try to remember that next time I have to spend $40 to fill up my little Focus, and I am doing it every three days! It could be worse, it could be worse, it probably WILL be worse.


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## creek817 (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm American, living in Australia, so I've experienced both - I thought it was out of control when Diesel was $5/gallon in the US. Now it costs me $80 to fill up my Nissan Maxima here in AUS!! 

Went meat shopping last night for Dobby, even beef heart was $5/kilo....I'm really glad he's only one dog and he's little!


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## BoxerParty (Nov 9, 2011)

xellil said:


> It's all relative, isn't it? I remember when we drove from Indiana to Texas and I refused to get gas in Illinois because it was $1.29 a gallon and that was just price gouging!! Now it's $3.59 a gallon here and I wish for those days of less than $2 a gallon
> 
> And the Europeans think we have it good, because their gas is $7 a gallon.



Exactly. Gas here is $1.20+/litre. (1 gallon = ~3.8 litres, so that's about $4.50/gallon). 

We can only work with what we have. It doesn't matter if you (@#%@$%...) Americans can get beef for under $1/lb, because I can't. So I adjust my expectations to the reality of pricing in this market. I stock up on beef that's under $4/lb and chicken/turkey that's under $2/lb, and I take anything I can get for free. (And then I dream about transferring to Stanford... :biggrin: )

I also like to tell myself that what I spend on meat for the dogs, I make up for by getting free health care. :wink:


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