Dog Community

Question regarding raw feeding

Posted : 3/28/2010 8:06:12 PM

First off, I am new here and look forward to talking with all of you and swapping information.

OK. I have a boxer and an Akita. Jake is the boxer and Kane is the Akita. They are both 5 yrs old. I am really wanting to feed them raw and have been doing quite a bit of research on it. I understand that they need to consume 2-3% of their ideal body weight. Jake is 80 lbs and Kane is 115 lbs. They are both at their ideal weight. So with them both combined, at 2% of their weights, this would be 120 lbs of raw food per month. Now, this is where I get confused. I am currently feeding them Diamond Naturals, and between the 2 of them they put away 60 lbs a month. And this is feeding by the guidelines on the back of the bag. Now, why is it that I feed so much less of the kibble, and twice the amount of the raw diet, which is obviously more nutritious than the kibble? Am I calculating correctly?

Thank you in advance.

Rott-n-GSDs

Posted : 3/28/2010 8:10:42 PM

Kibble has the water removed (dehydrated) and it's compacted into a little nugget. Raw weighs more because the water is still in there. :)

sjhoag

Posted : 3/28/2010 8:32:11 PM

Thank you for the quick response rott-n-gsds. That makes perfect sense.

Does anyone know of a raw diet that is light on the pocket book? We are on a bit of a tight budget right now and spend only about $45 a month average on kibble on the two of them. I was hoping to find a raw diet for about the same price. But I doubt it is going to be possible.

Rott-n-GSDs

Posted : 3/28/2010 9:05:58 PM

A raw diet can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. There is a lot of free/cheap meat that can be found by posting want ads on Craigslist, Kiiji, Freecycle, etc. or simply stopping in at your local grocery stores, meat market, farms and processing facilities. A great place to go is a taxidermist: venison is SO healthy to feed and a taxidermist usually has the neck meat, since they only need the cape. Supermarkets often sell meat for very cheap the day before it's due to expire. Places like Sam's Club have good prices if you buy by the case.

I feed three dogs raw prey model style (73 lb GSD, 67 lb GSD, 83 lb Rott). If I were to get NO discounts whatsoever on meat, I pay approximately $1.00 per pound for chicken, $1.50 per pound for pork, and $2.50 per pound for beef (the three staple foods I use, but I do also occasionally throw in turkey, lamb, etc. I feed venison whenever I can get my hands on it). A monthly bill (again, with no discounts) would be approximately $200 per month. With discounts, I've had months where it's as cheap as $35-$40.

sjhoag

Posted : 3/28/2010 9:20:34 PM

Thank you! You have been extremely helpful and I know of a taxidermist not far from here. I never would have thought of that. Heading out tomorrow with a plan and gotta renew my Sam's Club membership. Thanks again Big Smile

Spazzy

Posted : 3/28/2010 9:22:30 PM

Ive never fed multiple dogs a raw diet, but Ive done the math and it is cheaper for me to feed my 70lb dog raw than a high quality kibble (Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, etc) The trick is to find the store with the cheapest price for bulk meats near you, and if you can get to know the butcher and ask if there are any special deals you can get. Some will help you, others wont. If you're lucky you can get a good price on all the "leftover" stuff ("bad" cuts that people dont want, bones, any parts that wont get used)

Also in a lot of places its usually cheaper to buy whole chickens than chicken parts (legs, thighs, wings, etc). At the store I buy most of his meat from whole chickens are .69 a pound, and cut up legs or thighs are over $1 a pound.

ron2

Posted : 4/4/2010 9:30:29 AM

Another person who can give great advice on feeding a mix diet of kibble, raw, and slightly cooked food is Glenda. She has six GSDs, each averaging around 90 lbs body weight. And she and her hubby are working stiffs living on a tight budget.

Some of the other solutions I have heard of is forming or being part of a meat-buying co-op with other raw feeders. The more you can buy in bulk, the cheaper it is. The fun part comes from rendering or chopping the meat, yourself.

My friend, John, is an avid deer hunter and gives me some of the bounty he harvests. And he does it all himself, usually at his dad's place. He will dress and drain and carve up the carcass himself. Does his own grinding. I have received backstrap, brisket, loin cut, leg muscles, ribs, and he gave me main leg bones for Shadow. My return to John is that I will smoke the meat he gives me. He used to give the ribs to his dad's dogs, which have nearly always been fed raw. But I smoked some ribs one time and he liked them so much that my cost is now to smoke the ribs for him whenever we get the chance.