Ok,

I have obviously been researching this LOADS with my dogs Giardia and other food issues. And I really want to go the RAW route as I have plenty of time on my hands to prepare.

I am not entirely happy with Orijen and alot of the really premium foods as they seam to contain a hell of a lot of foods that can upset the tummy. As displayed by both Diesel and Banjo from time to time (They also quite often turn their noses up at bowls of it). I know they are getting over Giardia, but even before this Diesel would quite often have looser stools than I would like. Even in the same motion, half would be firm almost too hard, the other like chocolate pudding - not quite that bad.

So, def some intolerance to something. Also, from day one Diesel has had recurring bouts of staph infections and ear infections. Going the raw route I can eliminate any possible causes of stomach irritation.

I have obviously been bombarded with recipes etc.

What I would like is an easy to follow starter recipe? Does anyone have one?

Whilst I will be giving bones, and do already, the main meals i want to feed from a bowl, so probably bone meal will need to be added along side the minces and vegs.

Also, particularly for UK member, where is a good place to buy barfing supliments, seaweed extracts and bone meals etc.

Thanks in advance for any help. I am really desperate to get my boys interested in food again.

Hello
I have fed my four dogs on a barf diet for ten years and in the main have found it fantastic. The only problem I have ever had is with greedy dogs and chicken wings not being chewed up properly but if you feed raw meat and ground bone and big raw butchers bones then that is just as good.
A really good site to look on is

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

We get all our exellent quality meats and bones delivered from them and they have lots of great information about a balanced diet , supplements etc and deliver over most of the uk.

Needless to say my Tamaskan pup will be fed on this diet when she joins the pack in a couple of months ( sooo exited!!).

Hope that helps

I also started RAW / BARF recently... Jasper didn't seem too impressed when I got him Orijen kibble and I think the egg in it is upsetting his stomach... on top of the recent Giardia issue he's lost a LOT of weight (5 Kilos) and I really want to get some weight back on him before the cold weather sets in... nothing worse than a skinny dog in wintertime! He's got his appetite back but is not at all keen on the kibble, any kibble for that matter. So I've stocked up on meat & offal, which is very cheap here, and it's going down a treat. Livers / Kidneys / Lungs / Heart / Tripe with a bit of lard, broccoli, spinach, garlic and carrots mixed in... both Jasper and Vixen love it.

In the Netherlands we have complete raw food meals for dogs. I get 144 kilos delivered to my home every month
Is there not something like that in other countries?

I could also go on BARF or something, but I am being reluctant to making the whole recipes and week program myself.
This way I am sure they get everything they need in the perfect amount of ingredients they need in their diet.

I agree with Karen. Sadly we cannot get anything like you get here in UK (that I know of) but I do believe you can in USA. If you make up your own Barf diet you can never be sure that your dog is getting all the essentials and may suffer because of it. I think there is too much said about the Barf diet and much confusion resulting in people feeding their animals allsorts of different permatations with maybe none of them actually doing any good. I tend to feed a commercial food and give fresh meat/chicken etc along with fruit and veggies and other things as treats in between meals so that they are getting a good variety throughout the week.

Having just read my reply I realised it reads a bit like all I feed is raw meat and bone! Of course this is not the case as this would lack hugely in what a dog needs! I agree with what Lynn says about it being difficult making sure your dog is getting everything they need when you formulate your own diet but the is many books and websites to look on to give you a pretty good idea.

I give all mine a small handfull of organic burns food with every meal and a cereal mix called wholebake in with all the meat and veg, fruit,oils and many other things that I vary frequently. I feel if I am missing anything then the burns will provide it but they are still getting all the benefits of a lovely natural diet that nature intended.

I have always been very pleased withthe diet, the dogs look great on it and the golden retrievers who I have had hip and elbow scored have had great scores far lower than the breed average which is said to be in part down to diet.

Overall in my experience the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Well guys, its been about a week on the barf and we are loving it.

They still only getting minced turkey with carcass, but soon starting on the beefs, lambs, offals and tripes.

Both dogs getting 700-800 grams of meat a day and 300 grams of pureed veg. THEY GO NUTS FOR IT. And neither will entertain the idea of kibble now.

But best of all, they have been regular and passing proper solid (sometimes too solid) motions.

Why I haven't fed barf before I do not know. They are getting all the kelp, alfalfa and other goodies mixed in, along with probiotics.

My butcher does me the RMBS for free. My green grocer whom I pass every day on my walks is giving me bruised and over ripe fruit and veg for free and the meat is so cheap from Landywoods.

I am saving over half the amount of money as when I had them on kibbles.

Heres what I am feeding.

For meats

Frozen (defrosted) Turkey, beef, lamb. With 10-20% addition of heart, lung, kidney and liver, tripe.

Vegs (All blitzed together)

Lettuce, Spinach, Apple, Orange, Celery, Sweet Potato, Red Pepper, Courgette (zucchini), Carrots.

Then they have ontop of this for treats etc, Lamb meaty rib bones and the odd RMB from the butchers.

Hrm..what about Honest Kitchen? It's dehydrated raw, but I haven't really looked into the ingredients. Would HK be good to feed with RMBs?

Thank you Nick for this thread and anyone else who's contributed.

This is really helpful and detailed information on what to feed and what to avoid. The Landywood site looks really useful and cheap too.
I'm just in the process of researching the forum for as much useful advice as I can, in anticipation of our very own new arrival!

Cheers,
Jan

Okay, I just read on the website:

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

"60% of the diet should be raw meaty bones and 40% a mixture of the other foods of which vegetables should be fed at least once but no more than 3 times a week"

veggies no more than 3x per week?

hey guys.

I will be back later to talk a little more about what I have learn't about BARF/ RMB diets.

But for now, here is a useful link. Well for us UK'ers anyhow, but I am sure other people will find useful info.

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!