Raw Feeders

[KitKat]

Do the juicers also take out such things as apple seeds? or do you have to remove them first? or by hand afterwards?

[Erny]

Do the juicers also take out such things as apple seeds? or do you have to remove them first? or by hand afterwards?

Let the whole lot go through. Admittedly I cut out pumpkin seeds before juicing, so I'm not sure how they'd go, being a larger type seed. For a normal healthy dog, I don't believe there's any problem with dogs eating pumpkin seeds though.

[KitKat]

I thought such things as apple seeds were a problem due to them containing arsenic? os some such?

[noisymina]

I'm not a juicer newbie. I had a National for 25years before I bought this one.

Just a warning to those out there who have not yet bought one - it's a fairly big outlay to end up with a crappy one like I've got. :D

Kit Kat - I do quarter the apples and cut out the seeds.

[Erny]

I thought such things as apple seeds were a problem due to them containing arsenic? os some such?

Oh .... sorry if I was wrong. Kal doesn't eat apples, but earlier family dogs we had used to eat our cores, no problems. Still .... I guess back then we did a lot of things wrong that we shouldn't have.

[KitKat]

Hehehe yeah...my dogs ate apple cores and grapes! I've just slowly gotten paranoid with the "don't feed this" thing (tho they still occasionally share things with me that they perhaps should have, but it's never much of whatever it is). So was just curious is all :D

[Erny]

Well, I did a quick google and yes, apple seeds come up in serveral "don't feed" lists due to various toxins. The lists/info I've scanned over don't give much more detail than that.

OT: Oh ....... and definately no marijuana for your dogs, ok? (That's on the "don't feed" list too). I can just imagine everyone's dog packing up their bongs. :D

Also, "pennies" (manufactured from 1980 onwards). I don't know if our cent coins contain the same substance (ie zinc) but apparently a dog even swallowing one coin can become very ill, if not die. (After they've packed up their bongs, they tuck their money away too. )

[caslero]

My dogs get raw meats and bones some vegies and kibble Atm,but i want to give true barfing a go to see how my dogs go on it.

i have three dogs whose ideal weights are 30kg and 37kg and 40-2 kg two very active and one not so active

I have had a look at some sites about barf feeding, and well i'm getting infomation overload lol

if anyone can give a few sample meal plans would be great

My Dobes are 32kg (bitch) and 38kg (dog) and have been raw fed for over 4years. A sample of their meals would be as follows ie: today they had....

AM: 3 chicken wings

PM: 1/2 lamb flap and 4 wings

(plus some offcuts from my dinner)

other sample meals are:

AM: 1/2 tin mackerel in oil

PM: 1/2 lamb flap and 1 chicken carcass

AM: 1 chicken carcass

PM: 1 chicken carcass and 3 wings + 1/2 tub of natural yoghurt

AM: 6 chicken necks

PM: 1/2 lamb flap, 3 chicken wings, 1/2 tin mackeral in oil

AM: 1 raw whole egg

PM: 1 chicken carcass 1/2 lamb flap and 3-4 chicken livers

AM: handful of beef/lamb/pork (whatever is available) mince

PM: 4 chicken wings, handful of beef mince and slurp of vegie mix

AM: 1 chicken carcass

PM: 2 chicken thighs, 1/2 lamb flap, diced lamb heart

I rarely feed vegies (approx every few weeks or so - just get some bok choy and defrosted frozen mixed vegies and put in blender with a whole raw egg and a teaspoon of crushed garlic - pour this mix over evening meal). Both dogs get given pears, apples, carrots and leftovers as snacks. Most meals are based on chicken and lamb - both are very active dogs (we are on acreage) so are fed accordingly.... I don't weigh food - if they look a bit thin, I up their intake and vice versa. Both are supplemented with 3,000mg of fish oil daily (3 x 1,000mg capsules) and 500mg Vit E capsule every second day.

Hope this helps

[Russkie30]

Well those photos are beautiful, she has go the most shinest coat, in fantastic condition

I have to admit I get a bit overloaded with barf and quantities etc, so I just try to do my best.

I think what gets me is the quantities are I feeding them enought etc. I know my girl definetly needs to loose like 3kg

but my 9 month old boy is in fanstastic condition and I am always getting comments on how nice he looks

[cactus]

I thought such things as apple seeds were a problem due to them containing arsenic? os some such?

Oh .... sorry if I was wrong. Kal doesn't eat apples, but earlier family dogs we had used to eat our cores, no problems. Still .... I guess back then we did a lot of things wrong that we shouldn't have.

The dogs dont crush the seeds in their teeth, so its no problem, but if people blend the apples and it then contains crushed/ground seeds, the toxins would be able to enter their system. My dogs love an apple or a pear as a treat now and then

My BARF is more like Lillysmum's- except all the raw meaty bones are from fowl.

[cavalier_resue_QLD]

I am a VERY devoted BARFER. This diet applies to both my own CAVALIERS and those that I have in rescue.

I must add though, that never ever EVER do any dogs in my house eat ANY food product, whether that be Meat or meat product, dairy or fresh produce that IS NOT ORGANIC FREE RANGE.

No meat comes through my door even that isnt organic, same with the goats milk, the eggs the fruit and vedge and yoghurt that all of my dogs eat. It is so so so important in my mind anyhow as I do not put into my own body foods that are full of nasty chemicals and steroids, many of which are carconogenic.

Absolutely everything MUST be organic in my opinion.

Now I know many people will be shaking their heads at the thought of the cost, however organic food is premium food, concentrated food and a smaller amount is needed. People ask me how the hell I have CAVALIERS that have gone 15 years, well ................I FEED ORGANIC ONLY!!!

If nothing else, AT LEAST feed organic offal, afterall it is within the organs and under the skin that all of the chemicals lay in an animals body.

Kyla BVSc (nearlly lol)

QLD CAVALIER RESCUE

[noisymina]

I FEED ORGANIC ONLY!!!

Great, but actually getting access to it is another story - at least where we live.

[Rom]

About 15 yrs ago before I'd heard about barfing, had an old red cattle dog that needed to lose some weight and vet suggested that we reduce her meal size by 1/2 and make up the bulk with grated raw carrot. Just this simple change alone apart from helping her lose weight, we saw some improvements in her coat, less incontinence probs, she was more active and showed more spark, less probs with grass seed allergies etc. Then found out about barf and decided to go the whole hog. Haven't looked back since. Rescue dogs that we fostered recovered from skin probs, improvements in arthritis w/o medication, found that old dogs are less likely to get that old dog smell...none of our dogs really get that doggy smell..they smell more like leather than the doggy pong you get on processed foods.

I basically give the raw meaty bones and then if I'm cooking vegies or using the other permissable barf ingredients in something I'm cooking for us, I keep a blender on the bench and throw the raw barf ingredients in that for the dogs as I go. So our dogs bascially get a selection of whatever we're having only raw. But its freshly prepared every day. I do however try to follow the following formula:

50%RMBs

10% organ meat

30% fruit and veg

10% other stuff eg raw egg, yoghurt, fish, cottage cheese etc.

I also add to the blender a bit of garlic and brewers yeast.

[SkyesongTollrz]

My dogs are not fed as per BARF but as per a prey model: essentially, the canine diet is modelled on the following:

My dogs are fed once daily...but Molly gets a tiny breakfast of kibble

I fail to see how you can call this a prey model diet. A prey model diet would be throwing a sheep into your backyard and letting the dogs go for it. When that's done, you throw out another carcass. You may be feeding a partially raw diet, but it's certainly not prey model.

[Hazz]

Lillysmum means theoretical (diet modelled to emulate what would be consumed in natural state), not actual practical implementation.

Though I've no idea why the kibble ?

[SkyesongTollrz]

Actually, in true prey model feeding, she certainly wouldn't be feeding the juiced up vegetables and fruit. It's nothing more than a modified BARF diet.

[Hazz]

True point Skyesong

[NorthernStarPits]

About 15 yrs ago before I'd heard about barfing, had an old red cattle dog that needed to lose some weight and vet suggested that we reduce her meal size by 1/2 and make up the bulk with grated raw carrot. Just this simple change alone apart from helping her lose weight, we saw some improvements in her coat, less incontinence probs, she was more active and showed more spark, less probs with grass seed allergies etc. Then found out about barf and decided to go the whole hog. Haven't looked back since. Rescue dogs that we fostered recovered from skin probs, improvements in arthritis w/o medication, found that old dogs are less likely to get that old dog smell...none of our dogs really get that doggy smell..they smell more like leather than the doggy pong you get on processed foods.

I basically give the raw meaty bones and then if I'm cooking vegies or using the other permissable barf ingredients in something I'm cooking for us, I keep a blender on the bench and throw the raw barf ingredients in that for the dogs as I go. So our dogs bascially get a selection of whatever we're having only raw. But its freshly prepared every day. I do however try to follow the following formula:

50%RMBs

10% organ meat

30% fruit and veg

10% other stuff eg raw egg, yoghurt, fish, cottage cheese etc.

I also add to the blender a bit of garlic and brewers yeast.

Thanks Rom I think thats pretty much the formula that i will be starting with,its basically the same as they get now but i do feed kibble atm,will probably replace the kibble with carrot ect, the thing thats getting me is How much i feed them, i guess it will be trial and error for a while until i work out what they need ,my older dog could loose some weight as he has an allmost crippling injury that he probably wont ever fully recover from.

I start on it soon, the last bag of kibble is allmost finished The gobblegutzes..

[Norskgra]

The starting point is to try them on 3% of their boby weight or the weight they should be. It is trial and error but if you start feeding them at 3%, you can then adjust it up or down until you feel it is right for each dog.

[O-Ren]

just for clarification:

Raw meaty bones- do thiese include like Lamb Ribs- you can buy a whole lambs ribcage at the supermarket- my dogs love them and i have often alternate kibble for a segment of ribs

im only feeding kibble again cos of money constraints, lack of a large freezer AND i was worried i wasnt doing it right

they get chicken wings and necks after every meal which is either kibble or alternativly ox tail or lamb neck or lamb ribcage

but i do want to go back to total barf now that im more financially stable, and have managed to get access to a freezer

i love the concept of RMB being a big part of the diet as i too was getting sick of opening up pet mince and smelling fermented fruit or finding weird blue and purple Unidentifiable objects in wot was suppost to be strictly beef or roo- when i go back to bark i wont be buying mince rather buying the meat and having it minced or micning it myself

but can u guys give me some examples of different RMB unless wot i have sed above is esactly that?

i also give O-Ren fish oil omega 3 tablets daily- in only 2 weeks of taking them i already have her almost trained, i say take your pill, and she basically lets me put it on her tongue and she will swallow it, soon i hope to have her taking them from my hand

question- i was giving her 1000mg daily, but i notice that others are giving 3000mg, she is about 16kg active border collie- wot would you recommned