# Silly Raw Q's: Butcher vs Dog Brands, Frozen vs Fresh, Occasional Cooked?



## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Congrats! Can't wait to see pictures. 

It is perfectly fine and economical to buy cases of parts to thaw. That's what we do all the time, buy a case of pork necks, or riblets, or chicken backs, put the case in the tub, and as it thaws, peel off portions to store in smaller containers. These smaller portions are then placed in the chest freezer in the garage and taken out one at a time as needed to thaw in the fridge.

We are lucky enough to have a raw dog food store in town, and the owner puts together organ mixes. The RMB's and the organ mixes, with fish oil or sardines mixed in, and some tripe now and then, are about all we feed.

We do keep kibble on hand just in case food doesn't get thawed on time ("I thought *you* got the food out of the freezer!") and for other such rare occasions.

If you get necks, get turkey necks for a spoo-sized dog until / unless she's already raw-savvy. The chicken necks are a little small and an inexperienced dog might try to wolf them down and choke. At least, that's what I've heard. My Borzoi can eat a whole pan of those things with no problem. Oh, and they do love the chicken feet!

Good luck with your new little one!

--Q


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks quossum! I can't lie, the idea of squishing raw meat around really grosses me out (i tend to wear gloves and use an ice cream scoop to make meatballs and separate chicken breasts). I do find the idea of feeding raw appealing in other aspects though.

Just curious though. My bosses all feedthe raw brands we carry (to a husky, pit, and small terrier mix) and all of them claim the diet makes their dog's breath reek. By feeding actual meat will i be able to avoid this?


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I've never noticed particularly bad breath from my dogs. Well, Pixie doesn't have the best breath in the world, but then she's got a very dry mouth and her teeth are very difficult to keep tartar-free. They're far better than they would be without all the bones she eats, though!

LOL at your ice cream scoop meatballs! Yeah, it's hard to maintain meat-squeamishness when you're raw feeding. It really is a great diet for dogs, though. Not that there aren't some fine kibbles being made these days, but feeding "the real thing" just seems so right. There are several raw-feeding lists that you might find fun to join, too.

--Q


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau has always been fed raw, or frozen raw patties these days. His breath is almost always perfectly acceptable, at least to my wife and I. All bets are off if you feed green tripe, though. That stuff makes a skunk smell like a rose.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Buying "brand" raw from pet stores is totally overpriced and, with the case of ground medallions and patties, contains lots of ingredients that you may or may not want added in your dog's diet. The price is what really gets me, though. I can handle a few unnecessary ingredients. Primal sells a pack of 4 chicken backs for like..$8.00. The ground patties are ridiculous too - something like $6.00/lb. If I was to feed pre-made raw to my dogs, I would spend $150-250 PER DOG per MONTH. I spend $150/month to feed two standard poodles with homemade raw, I am in complete control of what they eat. Tiger will probably be eating raw soon - and with the three dogs, I will spend $250/month total. This seems like a lot - but I would spend approximately $600/month if I were to feed Henry, Millie and Tiger pre-made raw. Insane, right?

So, you get the same thing by buying some sort of bone-in chicken from the grocery store without breaking the bank. One thing - make sure the grocery store meat you buy is not enhanced. You can ensure this by checking the amount of sodium. There should be no more than 100 mg. per 4 oz.) in chicken.

Cottage cheese isn't really a necessary thing for dogs, and some people say you should never give dairy. I'll be honest, while I don't "count" cottage cheese and green beans, etc. as part of my dog's diet, I do give these things to them as extra snacks. I just balance their diet without taking those extras into consideration. My dogs get a cottage cheese or yogurt snack each morning before their breakfast. I throw in a whole raw egg a few times a week. If I am scrambling eggs for myself, I make some extra and give them some. I'd say you are safe feeding an egg a day if your dog can tolerate it.

I go to the ethnic markets and regular grocery stores around here to get chicken feet, lamb ribs, liver and other organs, chicken quarters and drumsticks. I use My Pet Carnivore (mypetcarnivore.com) to order grass fed ground deer meat, exotic organs, grass fed boneless beef, rabbit and green tripe as well as many other fun things.  They deliver to various places in the midwest once monthly, so this has been wonderful for me. Pre-made raw will help you ease into things, but depending on the size of dog you are feeding (I don't remember if it's a standard or mini), you will likely veer more towards feeding homemade raw simply because of the cost. And I promise, it may sound intimidating, but you will get the hang of it.


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks. I plan on trying to strike a deal with the butcher down the road for a deal, and i'm very friendly with the beef jerky guy a block away, so hope to get some trimmings for training bits.

Question: i read SOMEWHERE on the board to freeze EVERY raw meat and thaw before serving it. That this was safest. Is this correct?


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

FunkyPuppy said:


> Thanks. I plan on trying to strike a deal with the butcher down the road for a deal, and i'm very friendly with the beef jerky guy a block away, so hope to get some trimmings for training bits.
> 
> Question: i read SOMEWHERE on the board to freeze EVERY raw meat and thaw before serving it. That this was safest. Is this correct?


Hmm...I don't follow that rule at all. Freezing wild meat would be a good idea to kill any parasites or bacteria. Otherwise, freezing meat is really an extra precaution that I certainly don't follow. Now, depending on where you get your meat from, it is likely that it has already been frozen at some point. Also, if you buy in bulk, you will find that you let it thaw after buying it, you separate it (in tupperware or baggies, etc.), refreeze it (helps to have a chest freezer). You will likely only take out what you need for the next 3-7 days, and you can always grab something that has already been frozen.

So, if you are concerned, go ahead and freeze it before you feed it. Otherwise, if the meat is coming from USDA inspected stores in the US or Canada, you should be fine either way.


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

Good to know. Final question, and i've asked if before but will ask again. Raw chicken, puppy licking toys, and my almost 3year old. What are the risks for salmonella (sp)


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

FunkyPuppy said:


> Good to know. Final question, and i've asked if before but will ask again. Raw chicken, puppy licking toys, and my almost 3year old. What are the risks for salmonella (sp)


I guess there is no definitive answer. Of course there is going to be some risk, but whether or not it's more than the risk from the rest of the environment? I'm not sure. I personally think that the risk is very small but it doesn't hurt to be conservative with small children. I don't live with any small children around, but if I did, I would probably wipe the puppy's face after eating just to be extra safe. I feed mine in their crate on the plastic bottom OR outside on a towel. I store the towel in the garage and wash it once a week. When they eat in the crate, I wipe down the plastic bottom with vinegar. 

My nieces (8, 3, 2) and nephew (4) come over sometimes and play in the crate, kiss my dogs, etc. and they haven't gotten sick!


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

wonderful! All 7 pups in my puppy's litter are fed raw and there was zero problem with them interacting with the breeder's 3 year old grandson on a consistent basis or the children at his daycare when she brought the litter there to experience lots of kids. I suppose it's a silly concern, i should have never read that Vegan Nazi baby superfood cookbook... she offered all sorts of threats regarding children of carnivorous parents, and basically compared poultry to kitchen napalm... darn vegans.


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