[gizooty]

well mine are all on the BARF...
and now i can get 25lb of minced chicken or tripe, or chicken necks or carrcusses for £10
thats sooooooo good..

what do you lot pay? and how do you think your pets do on it, compared to that HORRID tinned rubbish thats full off additives/water and watever else they can find.. ahha

[Caralou]

I've not got dogs, but did briefly try raw food diet with the cats as I thought it may help Thorsy puss who has digestive problems. Sadly it made him worse as he struggled digesting it and so I had to stop and remain on sensitive biscuits (they dont get tinned wet food as that can cause him to be hospitalised it makes him that poorly so I make them wet food from scratch and have a vitamin supplement for it (SA37 - great for dogs and cats if making home pet food) and it works wonders on his tummy). Although raw meats didnt work for him I have heard that for some cats and dogs it can do wonders for their health. Rubellite on here I think feeds a raw food diet so she'll know prices and can chat away with you about it  

[joyfull]

Years ago I used to feed my GSD on raw minced tripe but she came down with skin problems as there was something lacking in her diet. Rubellite feeds hers on raw meat including carcuses etc and hers are doing wonderful but they have been bought up from day one like that - I must admit we never had any stomach problems when on raw (GSDs are known for having delicate stomachs). Tinned stuff is horrible and the two dogs I have now (Newfoundland x GSD and a Neapolitan mastiff) are now fed on dry food and doing fine. Good luck with BARF.

[gillie]

"I've not got dogs, but did briefly try raw food diet with the cats"

Please tell me more!  Our cat has taken to refusing tinned cat food and dried food though he is obviously hungry and relishes meat and table scraps.

Cheers,

Gillie

[gizooty]

gillie, i have my 4 cats on this also..
they mainly get the minced chicken and carrsusses,, they go NUTs for it,... and their coats.. WOW... soo lush..

[poppies]

Hi when we got Rosie our springer she was 5 months old and fed that horrible meat? thats shaped like a sausage, it came out looking  the same  way - sorry,  she was really thin tried loads of different foods - gradually, once she went on raw she has gained weight her teeth are perfect, she has chicken wings, liver, lamb breast, mince,rabbit , sardines, raw eggs and lots of raw bones, but  she wont eat heart or kidney's, it sounds expensive but you sort of collect it in the freezer so dont have to replace everything at once.

And the good thing is only tiny poo's

[Parsnip]

Hi when we got Rosie our springer she was 5 months old and fed that horrible meat? thats shaped like a sausage, it came out looking  the same  way - sorry,  she was really thin tried loads of different foods - gradually, once she went on raw she has gained weight her teeth are perfect, she has chicken wings, liver, lamb breast, mince,rabbit , sardines, raw eggs and lots of raw bones, but  she wont eat heart or kidney's, it sounds expensive but you sort of collect it in the freezer so dont have to replace everything at once.

And the good thing is only tiny poo's

Ah yes, less waste!

When we got our Parson, the breeder recommended that we fed him the Barf diet. I couldn't find much ready made up stuff, only that frozen c**p they sell in Pets at home. He turned his nose up at it. I tied raw mix stuff from the buthcer, he wouldn't touch that. So he is on a good  brand dry food. I'd be interested to know what you do, do you buy in bulk and mush it up and freeze it..?

I do give him raw stuff, although he started turning his nose up at raw eggs and any chicken wings get buried in the garden and only brought in when they go rancid and covered in maggots... :blink:

[gizooty]

i get it in 25lb bags... and just put it in tubs for the lot of em... 2lb a day each.. and then freeze, and take out the next days ready to defrost over night..

mine also get a cheap biscuit... i first thought it was rubbish as its £9 for a 17kg sack... but its really good. they get them 2times a day... and meat once..

i also add, veggys or garlic... and then they get some added sand eel oil, only cos i know its really good for there coats..

AND they get a few carrcusses on alternat days.. and a marrow bone once a week,
with tripe sticks, wings and lamb ribs when ever...
as a treat they get bambi's mom... lol (sorry)

[Caralou]

With biscuits price never seems to show quality. The main thing for a good cat or dog biscuit is it should be free from colourants (these cause stomach and skin flare ups) and avoid for cats biscuits that use wheat or wheat by-products as their bulking agent and make sure it has a good protein content - about 40%. The biscuits I buy are only £15 for 10kg and work as well for my cat with senstive stomach as the specialist biscuits (£13 for 2 kg) the vet originally prescribed him when he first got ill (I do use the special ones if he is unwell though as they fix him up quicker).

[Rubellite]

Hi Gizooty.
Yes, my dogs are raw fed although haven't managed to convert the cats, just rejoice when they catch their own!
I've found you can get a lot for free from your local friendly butcher but I buy in tripe and turkey necks. Had a result just last weekend when I was in the butchers. A lad was offering rabbits to the butcher and I managed to catch him after he had "done his business". He ferets locally and caught me 6 good sized and healthy rabbits for £1 each.  I'd never go back to commercial pet food. 

[dizzylizzie]

I have a friend who feeds his dog on the RAW diet. The dog is in lovely condition. He has tried to convert me, and while i agree in pricipal im afraid i just dont have the stomach for it. im a veggie, who still cooks meat for my family, im going on a killing/gutting/plucking course after Christmas, but im not sure that my stomach is up to raw meat in the dogs bowl at breakfast time! i do agree about most commercial dog/cat foods though 

[gizooty]

HAHA dizzy thats NO excues.

im almost a vegan.... and i can do it...
god i couldnt imagine going on that course thou..

but i was fine with a whole deer ribs... like the whole frame... yuk.. haha
you would do it if you saw how much your dogs benifit from it...and u knew how BAD tinned meat is,,,

[Rubellite]

Yes, I'm not a great meat eater, often take the veggie option and prefer fish.
When I started looking into raw I had to go into my local butchers and ask lots of questions in order to get my supplies...........I didn't know one end of a lamb/pig/cow from the other, was never interested, just wanted to watch them grazing in a field, not eat them!
But, I love my dogs and dogs are carnivores, their digestive systems are not designed to cope with grain. So I overcame my personal angst at handling meat for them. The benefits have been huge and what I may spend extra on food at times I have recouped through lack of vets bills 
When Ruby had her pups they were raised on raw. To see a border terrier pup chomping it's way through a chicken wing at 6 weeks you could never argue that it wasn't a natural way to feed. When we looked for a replacement for big Rex this year I looked for a raw fed puppy and was lucky enough to find a breeder who feeds exclusively raw. Bruce was the result 
On the other side of the coin Bertie the Yorkie came from a breeder who proudly gave us a commercial pet food breeder pack - I didn't have the heart to tell her it wouldn't be used. Poor Bertie stank of this food and had a guffy eye and scurfy coat. We put him onto raw immediately and within a few weeks these problems had cleared up, no medication, no expensive vets bill.
(I told you once I get started on BARF you won't stop me.....................................)