Raw Feeding

[Tiggy]

I switched from BARF to Raw(prey model) feeding this year but I'm still nervous . Happy with the no vegies but nervous about feeding so much meat off the bone. I've seen people say they feed 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal. I'm still feeding raw meaty bones as the bulk of the diet. I thought excessive meat off the bone wasn't balanced . Please enlighten me.

[JulesP]

Prey model diet you are aiming to feed your dog as if it had caught its own prey so you need to feed whole animals. You can do this in parts! ie bones, meat and offal. Although your dog would probably be pretty excited if you dished up a whole cow . That is the basic theory anyhow. Meat minus bones causes a calcium problem, that is why all meat would be bad. Google Raw Meaty Bones for more info.

[puggy_puggy]

80% meat is way off.

If you are feeding a BARF diet then it is supposed to be approx 80% Raw Meaty Bones with the other 20% being made up of veggies/fruit, offal, dairy and muscle meat.

[DeltaCharlie]

I used to stick to a pretty strict 75% meat, 15% bones, 10% organs (and did so for years) until I got lazy and just started feeding lots of meaty bones. Although mine are having too much bone at the moment and I need to cut back a bit and feed more meat.

Easiest way to tell is if their poo is white there is too much bone, if it is black then you need more bone. You get used to analysing poo

ETA when I was more organised about it all I used to feed mince from the abbatoir 4 days a week (one day was often canned fish), bones (chicken wings/drumsticks/frames; lamb bones etc) 2 days a week and kidneys/liver 1 day a week. They also got a spoonful of yoghurt and raw egg once a week. That worked extremely well and it is the plan I use for puppies as they need their diets much more balanced than adults.

Like I said though, now Im lazy and there is no real order to what I feed, Ive been doing it for so long that I don't need to actually pay as much attention to it, I just know when they need different stuff if that makes sense.

Edited December 16, 2008 by DeltaCharlie

[Nekhbet]

cripes is the prey model diet the fashion now ... first everyone was raving about BARF and now THATS not good enough either

if your dog is happy on what you are feeding it why change it. I dont like the prey model diet and never will, especially for growing large/giant breed pups.

But that is only my opinion. And before anyone starts, your dogs are not wolves. They have different dietary requirements from wolves because of their breeding - size, shape, growth rate, dietary requirements, metabolic rate etc. Chuck them whole rabbits if you want an authentic prey model diet not butchers offerings.

[koolietas]

I feed based on prey model and am more than happy with feeding 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal most weeks (remember, balance over time).

As for saying if dogs are happy with what they're eating, well, I'm sure my dog would be happy eating chocolate...does that make it right then Nekhbet?

Most people throw the 'dogs are wolves' scenario in as dogs do share almost 100% the same dna, and they have the same digestive tract etc. so why wouldn't dogs eat similarly to wolves?

Please don't compare Barf & Prey Model...they are two different ways of feeding.

[Guest Tess32]

80% meat is way off.

If you are feeding a BARF diet then it is supposed to be approx 80% Raw Meaty Bones with the other 20% being made up of veggies/fruit, offal, dairy and muscle meat.

They are feeding prey model or trying to, hence the 80% meat NOT being

far off.

[jamie]

I switched from BARF to Raw(prey model) feeding this year but I'm still nervous . Happy with the no vegies but nervous about feeding so much meat off the bone. I've seen people say they feed 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal. I'm still feeding raw meaty bones as the bulk of the diet. I thought excessive meat off the bone wasn't balanced . Please enlighten me.

The whole 80/10/10 thing didn't really work out that well at my house,if I feed my boy that much meat his stools become very soft.He does much better with more bone in his diet,just ballparking %'s it's probably closer to 50-60%meat,20-30%bone and 10-20%offal.

I find that he just wolfs down meat only meals,500g will be gone in about 20 seconds flat,when I feed large raw meaty bones he actually takes 5-10 minutes to eat his dinner which I feel gives him more enjoyment and also more mental stimulation from his feed time.

Also,if you feed all of their meat 'off the bone' you will also be missing out on a lot of the teeth cleaning benefits that come from dogs pulling/tearing/ripping the meat off the bone themselves.I try and feed a large VERY meaty bone around once a week.

At the moment I'm feeding Bosco the following and it's working out great:

Monday:Roo tail + roo meat

Tuesday:Chicken frame filled with beef heart and lambs liver and kidney

Wednesday:Roo tail + roo meat

Thursday:Chicken frame filled with beef heart and lambs liver and kidney

Friday:Roo tail + roo meat

Saturday:Chicken frame filled with beef heart and lambs liver and kidney

Sunday:Fresh sardines or salmon frames

He also gets a chunk of apple or pear here and there,a few frozen raspberries on most days,an egg every couple of days and occasional table scraps.Once a week I substitute one of his regular meals for a HUGE lamb shank (around 1kg),he gets a real workout stripping all the meat off one of these and obviously he enjoys it a lot!.

Jamie

[jamie]

But that is only my opinion. And before anyone starts, your dogs are not wolves. They have different dietary requirements from wolves because of their breeding - size, shape, growth rate, dietary requirements, metabolic rate etc. Chuck them whole rabbits if you want an authentic prey model diet not butchers offerings.

Nekhbet,

Although while I agree that there are some differences between wolves and domesticated dogs,as someone who cannot afford to feed whole rabbits to my dog,would you agree that feeding raw meaty bones,whole fish and offal may be closer to a dogs natural diet and maybe more appropriate than say kibble or even minced meat and bone with stuff like fruit/vege/yoghurt added?

[moggy]

Do chicken necks count as bones? Sophie has beef mince, chicken necks and raw egg mixture. She really crunches those necks.

[jamie]

Do chicken necks count as bones? Sophie has beef mince, chicken necks and raw egg mixture. She really crunches those necks.

I think chicken necks are great for small dogs

[Tiggy]

Good advice about stuffing the chicken frames :D .

[Nekhbet]

As for saying if dogs are happy with what they're eating, well, I'm sure my dog would be happy eating chocolate...does that make it right then Nekhbet?

Most people throw the 'dogs are wolves' scenario in as dogs do share almost 100% the same dna, and they have the same digestive tract etc. so why wouldn't dogs eat similarly to wolves?

I mean if your dog is happy, healthy and doing well on the current diet then why fiddle because someone else has a 'new theory' on what the dog should be eating. As I said there seems to be a little lack of true education and a lot of fashion following ...

oh BARF is fabulous, oh no fillers just RMB, vege pulp etc

Then Orijen came along WELL lets all jump on that bandwagon ...

Now a few people are running to PPs range of 'grain free' foods

and now we have the 'Prey Model' diet

A dog is not a wolf and has not been for a while. Thousands of years of breeding AWAY from a wild model does not mean your dog is a wolf or needs its diet. Guess what? Theorys say the first dogs that were domesticated were scavengers around human camps and ate anything. Dogs and wolves still do eat everything, they will scavenge, eat grass, fallen fruit etc so putting them on a meat/bone only diet IMO it is rediculous and not a true prey model if you want that. As I said just my opinion anyway but not directed at those people who's dogs have GENUINE health problems are require a diet in order to fix it.

ETA

I dont like most commercial foods, especially those supermarket 'glorified chook feeds' but i've had dogs since the day I was born. My parents knew no better and fed cheap foods as a base but the dogs got all the scraps, off cuts etc. My dogs now, I wish I could afford RC again but are on a diet of chicken carcasses, rice and veges plus any scraps from the kitchen. They are not just surviving on the diet they look pretty good actually after being on it for a few months. You would probably be suprised what a dog could live rather well off, and all poos are nice and solid, even crumbly, no doggy smells, skin conditions or farty bums :D

Edited December 17, 2008 by Nekhbet

[jamie]

Good advice about stuffing the chicken frames .

Thanks.I've found it to be a good way to add richer items like heart and offal and still keep his stools firm.These meals are actually his favorite meals of the week,he really goes nuts for them.

Jamie