mcboxer Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Buy ready made or make it yourselves at home? As i browse through these posts i see that some barfers recommend ready made foods from greenpet or vets all natural etc. So I'd like to find out from all BARFers why they buy/make it? What they think are the benefits /drawbacks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula- Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Homemade because: - I know exactly what's in it - Far too expensive to buy ready made for me (big dogs) - I like to make a mess in the kitchen Drawbacks: - The mess in the kitchen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katetk Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 (edited) Homemade - I know what is going in it - only have the one dog (small) so it doesn't take that long - have got the prep down pat now so there isn't much mess, Set up three BIG bowls along the bench and a glass of wine for me 1. KG mince in each vege and other stuff other in the other to put in processor, puree, bag and freeze. Done and done. Drawback - REALLY annoying if i forget to buy freezer bags . Edited December 21, 2004 by katetk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I have fed pre-made stuff for conveience occasionally, but much prefer to make it myself. One of the big reasons I feed my dogs the BARF diet is I know exactly what they are getting. Buying pre-made stuff cancels that out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcboxer Posted December 21, 2004 Author Share Posted December 21, 2004 But how do you know that they are getting the right stuff? Everything I have read seems so complicated and precise. A pinch of this no more than twice a week, a teaspoon of that once a fortnight, this no less than once a week , this amount of that once each day :shakehead: It seems you'd have to have a separate meal for AM and PM and for each day. My dogs get bones, raw meat, eggs,sardines, rice, pasta but they also get commercial dry food. But it's all very unplanned. raw meat and dry food each day is a given, but the others are added when i think " hmmm....the haven't had an egg for a few days , I'll add that in tonight" I did feed only BARF for about 6 months, but I never felt confident that they were getting all that they needed. One of my dogs had a (skin redness) reaction, to one or more of the vegies, but although i tried through a process of elimination, i never found out what it was. It was only a month or so after i quit all vegies that the skin cleared up. Some breeds need more protein, some less ;) more of this at that age, less of that at this age :rolleyes: I do agree with the natural feeding in theory, but as I said i failed to come up with a regime that was realistic in terms of preparation , for me( i like to make a weeks or two worth and freeze it ), and that i felt confident my dogs were getting all that they need at each stage of life. So i suppose this is a longwinded question. How long did it take you to come up with your current menu? was it by trial and error? or breeder recommendations? is it the same every day? Do you supplement the diet with additives? how long have you been barfing? If you don't buy it already prepared do you measure meticulously and change for different stages of growth, fitness, etc? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I buy the barf patties as I have small dogs and they have ingredients that I cannot get like green tripe. You can get a variety Such as Kangaroo, chicken, lamb, beef, or combination I will not use the Vets all Natural as it is mainly grains you add to meat and my dogs cannot have grains. I do make my own sometimes but I do no think it is a good or I mix it with the patties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcboxer Posted December 21, 2004 Author Share Posted December 21, 2004 L.B. where do you get the BARf patties? I've seen some meat vegie -like little meatballs- in supermarket, but haven't been game to try them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Barf Patties, Look like large hamburger Patties made by Bigdog foods exactky to Ian Billinghurst's requirements you get 12 to a pack so it comes out to me for 50cents a dog. Very good pet or vet supply shops have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katetk Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 mmm shall have a look out for these me thinks it may actually work out cheaper for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I feed a more prey based type of Barf. My dogs, 3 of various sizes, get raw lamb flaps and chicken carccass's as their main diet. A couple of times a week they get mackeral and eggs and that's about it. Often I buy beef heart, chicken livers, chicken necks, beef mince to vary their diet. I'm not up to handling tongue or green tripe but all other types of raw meat/meaty bones I will feed. Only vegies, grains they get are from any leftovers from our plates. It's very simple and all I have to do is freeze it in the right amounts for daily feeding and remember to thaw it out. Very little mess. I feel this is closer to a true Barf diet than just mince and vegies and grains. Dogs(wolves) have never eaten a lot of vegies and grains, though that can be hard to believe from all the books etc that are around. Do a google search and read as much as you can and decide what's best for your dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caffiend42 Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 A bit of cooked white rice is ok, eh? And what about mashed potato? I've read somewhere that potato peelings are to be avoided, or is that ok? And same for carrot peelings? And I've seen garlic is good and garlic is bad too, and same for grapes? :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I do my own, I do thou, use a supplement, that I have found really helps and is a lot cheaper than some other supplements. Feeding my dogs works out to cost about 60cents a day, compared to $1.20 per day for high premium manufactured dog biscuit. My dogs look great on BARF, just have to find the balance of not allowing their love handles to get too out of control. I like minced chicken backs as it has the bone as well as gizzards, add heart/liver sometime during the week, sardines, eggs, frozen vegies a bit of Omega oil and the supplement. I did use Apple Cidar Vinegar but found my girls crusty nose came back on that, so deleted it from the diet. My other dog is on Turkey necks and Advance Turkey adn Rice adding vegies etd, the dog does better on this than chicken mince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I buy bulk meats and make it up as i go along basically. At the moment the boys are getting a lot of turkey, chicken and lamb as I go to a butcher that supplies such nice and cheaply...in the freezer at the moment are...chicken frames and pieces, turkey necks and bums and i think there are a couple of bags of lamb offcuts underneath all the rest :rolleyes:. I do up there vegies with whatever is available at the time and mulch then and freeze them. The pup still gets milk every other night or so, and my older boy gets a bit of watered down milk the same nights as a treat. Yogurt get thrown in every couple of nights and other nights sardines get tossed in as well. The boys still get kibble occasionally but it's not a whole meal, and usually only if i have forgotten to defrost something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 A bit of cooked white rice is ok, eh? And what about mashed potato? I've read somewhere that potato peelings are to be avoided, or is that ok? And same for carrot peelings?And I've seen garlic is good and garlic is bad too, and same for grapes? :rolleyes: Yeap cooked rice and mashed potatoes are fine... but in absolute moderation. My kids get a meal of rice once a fortnight, mixed with legumes (baked beans are easiest). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloverfdch Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 The boys still get kibble occasionally but it's not a whole meal, and usually only if i have forgotten to defrost something. Yep thats what my kids got tonight, bad me did not defrost anything for them. I make my own, at least i know what they are getting and the skin allergies are not as severe anymore. They get a variety of meats, bones, and organ meat. Sardines a couple of times a week and egg about once a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 You dont need to be a kitchen wizz or a rocket scientist. Once again Im amazed at how ,because of the crap put out by dog food companies people have to worry more about what they feed their dogs than they do their kids. Dont cook for your dog , if they get rice or potato make it the left overs not something you've gone out of your way to make especially for the dog . You dontworry about your diet being balanced and giving you all you need or if you do you take a viatnmin pill now and then You understand that feeding yourself and your kids means you have to feed variety. Sometime you grab Macdonalds and other days you snack on chips and twisties. 70 to 80 percent of this diet is raw meaty bones So just throw your dog a bone ,soft bones that they can get a feed off like chicken , lamb flaps etc . This covers all of your amino acids, most minerals and some vitamins Then look at whats soft or a bit off in the back of the fridge, fat out of the frying pan or griller, soft over ripe fruit , raw eggs, table scraps etc . Buy a juicer You drink the juice and give the dog the pulp When you do your vegies save the peels and the bits you cut off the broccoli stalks etc and cook em up lightly and mix em with whatever else is going. And the best way of being sure you're doing it right and the dog isnt missing out on anything is to give em a childrens multi vitamin. They dont really need it but it makes you feel better and cant do any harm. When Ian billinghurst started out he was brilliant and his books are still the best starting point for anyone starting barf but the patty thing has become a method for him to make money and in my opinion its a bit overrated especially for people who only have one or two dogs. The Tom Lonsdale site is good , less commercialised and less mess and fussing with healthy dogs as the outcome. I make my own because its cheaper. I make up my own patties as I have so many dogs and table scraps wont go that far but everytime I make em they ar different and Im really against making them up or feeding a dog to a set recipe . Even if you feed commercial dog food changing brands often is the key to having a healthier dog . You know you cant put everything you need into every feed It why you go shopping and buy a variety of foods and why every meal is different so just do the same for your dogs.The less you cook for them, and fuss over what they are going to eat the healthier they will be as long as you give them a variety of different foods,the less processed the better. Peanut butter sandwiches are the equivalent to Maccas around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 hmmm Peanut butter sandwiches. Thank you Steve for reminding us again we do not have to be rocket scientists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Just to answer an earlier question - Raw potato - peelings or otherwise - is NOT ok. Cook them first. Carrot is ok - just wash well - use a little vinegar in the washing water if you wish. There is at least one thread on the subject of what not to feed and reasons are given there also. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now