[bean]

I've been thinking of adding some pre-made RAW-type patties to the girls diets. Probably won't fully switch over at this point, but rotate with the kibble. I am lucky to have a place in town that has multiple brands to look at. Anyone here use any of the products listed here, or have any feedback on them? I want to start with a full patty that has meat and veggies....

I plan to do more research and take more time later to read the RAW sticky up here for making my own from scratch. Will start out with pre-made patties, and then I know it'd be cheaper over time to make my own patties, however I have to be careful of the protein source because of Frankie's allergies - no beef, chicken or lamb and I think chicken and beef would be the cheapest.....

Thanks for looking!

http://www.meatforcatsanddogs.com/

 

[Luvbirds]

Premade is very expensive.....I use it when I leave the Petester in the kennel, this way he has his bone and organ meat ground in. You could just give your guys a nice chicken wing...and see how they do! It really is that easy. Very inexpensive too. By the looks of the two of them....THEY WOULD LOVE IT!!!

Just noticed the allergy info....how do you know he has meat allergies to fresh meat? It could just be the rendered meat in the kibbles he has had.

Carol

 

[robinb]

I use Nature's Variety 8 oz. patties and rotate between the beef and the chicken-turkey for my boy's evening meal. He gets 1.5 patties per meal. In the am he gets Canidae kibble. The raw Instinct is great and I've used it, but the patties are so much easier to deal with. They come with that freezer paper between them, so very easy to break off a few and thaw. My favorite kibble for adults, is the Evo but Mud Bay is no longer stocking it, nor anyone else where I live.

After the big NW power outage last winter, I tried a container of the Honest Kitchen, it was fine but I decided that since he was on kibble in the am, that there was no need to have freeze dried in case of an emergency.

 

[bean]

When she was younger, I tried meats with her when I was trying to figure out by process of elimination what she was allergic to... chicken irritated her. But it's been a while, I could try it again. I guess I didn't realize that they could be allergic to chicken in a kibble, but not the actual chicken. Hmmmm...

Tonight they had Nature's Variety rabbit, and they LOVED it! I got it because it was in a store I happened to be in (not the one I linked to) and it was the only one they had with veggies in it and with an alternate protein source. So far, so good, but it is a bit spendy. I did some math and it's about $3.30 a meal (total for both.) If I did this for each dinner, that would add up...

Robinb- you have to be in Olympia... Mud Bay? I lived there for 2 years and that was my favorite place to go for food and toys....

 

[robinb]

When she was younger, I tried meats with her when I was trying to figure out by process of elimination what she was allergic to... chicken irritated her. But it's been a while, I could try it again. I guess I didn't realize that they could be allergic to chicken in a kibble, but not the actual chicken. Hmmmm...

Tonight they had Nature's Variety rabbit, and they LOVED it! I got it because it was in a store I happened to be in (not the one I linked to) and it was the only one they had with veggies in it and with an alternate protein source. So far, so good, but it is a bit spendy. I did some math and it's about $3.30 a meal (total for both.) If I did this for each dinner, that would add up...

Robinb- you have to be in Olympia... Mud Bay? I lived there for 2 years and that was my favorite place to go for food and toys....

Were you here when they had the old feed store that they started in on Mud Bay Road? That store was about 2 miles from my place. I really liked that old rustic store. I've taken my dobes in for years. The entire staff at their west Olympia store knows Rex by name. I feel lucky to have the flag ship store 5 minutes away! They have great products and fair prices. They now have stores all over the Puget Sound area. I've never bought the rabbit as it is more $. I'll check and let you know what I'm paying for the chicken-turkey and the beef but they are far less than what the rabbit is. It's more money than making it yourself but sure is easy to feed and get small portions thawed out, right now I'm just feeding the one dog. You may just have to buy a small freezer for the kids and drive up to Olympia a few times a year! If you do send me a pm and we can do Starbucks.

Robin and Rex

 

[bean]

I'll really have to check if she can eat chicken, turkey, beef again. I know it would be far less spendy, and Henneh doesn't have allergies. I'm wondering if she could tolerate the whole food if it wasn't in the processed package of the kibble.... Time to experiment. The funny thing is that we're vegetarians, so don't have meat in the house ever. Although we will occasionally eat meat if say my hubby's brother sends us some venison that he killed himself, or if a friend catches a salmon for example.

Yes, I lived in Oly from 1998-2000 - it was on Mud Bay Rd. then. I go back there once in a while to visit old friends... If I head up there again sometime soon I'll have to PM you - would love to meet you and Rex too!

You know, I have a parrot, and take great care to chop him up veggies everyday, I make him birdie bread and a rice/grain mixture. I think pelleted diets (which are common) are far inferior... yet I'm feeding my dogs kibble. I don't think kibble is evil, but think it's interesting that I'm just getting into this now. I guess part of it is that it's easier to buy and prepare veggies than to buy meat - seems more complicated, but the more I read the simpler it seems.

 

[Luvbirds]

Feed only one protein source at a time.....and give it a week. They can have the runs for the first few days on any meat. Petey still gets a bit loose when he has too much organ meat or not enough bone. For us the Premade is way too costly....Petey would eat 3# of it a day. He does love the Natures Variety beef and the lamb. We have also tried Bravo chicken, which he doesn't seem to like as much. His favorite food in the world is lamb breast which I pay 1.49# for and buy all my market butchers every week. They only do a lamb on Wed and another one on Friday.

Carol

 

[charlesmdodson]

Yeah, I love the idea of premade patties but its so incredibly expensive. I added it up the other day and it came out to several hundred a month. Ouch!

 

[bean]

I just joined a RAW group on Yahoo... there are so many!

Nice poops this morning after their rabbit meal- no loose stools at this point. Thanks for the input- the patties are just convenient for me, though spendy- at this time it's easy to do while I learn more.... Strange to hear them crunching bones, but I know it's ok!

 

[robinb]

the crunching will really help clean the teeth.

 

[Luvbirds]

I love hearing others putting their dogs on RAW....and the yahoo group is very hardcore....but tons of great info. I have had no negatives having Petey on Raw....it's been 4 months already, and I am still really happy with it. He poops 1x a day instead of 4+ and almost never in our yard, always on our hike in the woods, can't beat that!!!

Carol

 

[bean]

I think it's interesting that owners talk about dogs pooping less.... that tells us directly how much stuff in kibble isn't used by the body vs. on RAW! The cleaner teeth makes a lot of sense too- and dental work is SPENDY.

Let me know if you have any recommended sites - there's a lot of info out there. I appreciate everyone's input!

 

[sorthund]

Here are a few that I've used in the past. Just remember you'll read and hear many different ways to do it, so you'll have to decide what works for you.

http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdiet.htm

http://rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://www.rawlearning.com/

 

[bean]

Still soaking in all the info... also bought some beef and Frankie has had no problems! (She reacts usually within a few hours.) ALL this time I thought she was allergic to beef - she was allergic to some other thing in the beef KIBBLE.

Carol - thanks for letting me know they could be different! Of course they can, but ya know, once something is stuck in your head it takes a whack to loosen it sometimes.

Stopped at that Meat store I linked to today... lots of good info and things to try. There's also a pacific NW-specific raw yahoo group. They sometimes order in bulk, splitting between the members and it seems we can get good deals that way. May be a few months before I find the best sources, prices, etc. but am excited to get this going!

 

[Hierarch]

I have been looking at threads all day about the patties/nuggets that are pre-made and I think I will try it for sure. Is it ok to do it every couple of meals. Basically what I'm saying is do kibble most of the time a raw a couple times weekly? Will that mess up her digestive system? I also would like to try Raw Meaty Bones! Which ones are the best to try?

 

[SNCBOOM]

is RAW an acronym or do you all just like to emphasis it being raw?

 

[brumwolf]

the crunching will really help clean the teeth.

Yep nothing more natural than seeing a dog chewing down on a raw bone,the keyword being RAW never cooked.Here is Mischa enjoying one of her meaty lamb ribcages.

 

[LuvMyDobes]

I feed raw but just found this food at my local grocery store and bought some to try. http://www.homestyleselect.com/ I cut some off for tomorrow mornings breakfast and gave a little to each of my Boston's and they LOVED it. There is a store locater section on the website. I can't say how good it is, but will let you know after we have tried it.
Carolyn