# Switching to Raw - Simplest Menus?



## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Hi Everyone,

I have been feeding Dulcie raw in the mornings and high quality grain free kibble in the evenings for awhile now and am seriously considering switching her completely over to raw.

I've been reading everything I can find on PF and following the links and I think I am getting there regarding formulating a feeding plan.

What I would like to have from experienced raw feeders is some feedback on my plan for feeding Dulcie raw.

I need to keep her diet as simple as possible - a wide variety of protein sources, but as simple as possible otherwise.

I would like to know if this diet I have in mind would provide a proper balance of nutrition over time:

Feedings twice a day:

Morning: raw meaty bone such as turkey neck (plus about 3 oz of either turkey or chicken meat, cubed) 

Evenings: ground meat plus some liver and other organ meat.

I intend to use the 8-1-1 model (80% muscle meat, including heart; 10% bone and 10% organ meat, half of it liver).

Will this plan be an optimal raw feeding plan? Would there be any additives recommended?

Thanks!

P.S. I have also heard people say good things about Honest Kitchen dehydrated for people who travel with their dogs (that would be me!) -- I cannot determine for sure if that is dehydrated raw or simply dehydrated kibble type food. Can someone elaborate? Would it be a proper feeding resource for traveling with a raw fed dog? It would certainly make life easier on the road if I can continue to feed Dulcie raw using a dehydrated formula so it will keep!


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

And a couple of more questions:

I realize that turkey necks have a high ratio of bone to meat and so would have to limit using them to every other day or similar, to keep the balance correct.

What about country style pork ribs? These are very meaty with very little bone at all and I can often get them on sale at my local grocer. 

I have seen people mention ribs and necks of other animals many times and I would like to know if these ribs and pork or lamb necks can be fully consumed? Is it safe?


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

LOL I keep responding to my own thread! 

I guess what I meant by that last question about safety is this: what bones are safe for the dog to completely consume? I know that weight bearing bones like beef leg bones are not safe (broken teeth etc) and obviously any cooked bones. I have read a lot about ribs and necks and so on - and yet when I am at the butcher or grocery and I look at beef or pork ribs, I am still not sure if I can give a dog an actual small rack of ribs with meat. Are those bones safe for the dog to crunch up and consume? What about chop bones? For instance from lamb chops or pork chops? I'm just trying to get a sense of what varieties of bone-in meats would be safe to add to the diet so that I am not relying completely on poultry for RMBs.

I hope this makes sense!

I've been thinking I can find pork, lamb, beef and chicken/turkey fairly easily. Duck and rabbit and game animals not so easily. Fish - both yes and no. Yes to fresh fillets of various fishes, but not so much to bone in fish. Also I am worried about bone in fish - is there a choking risk? I understand that there is a level of risk with anything -- and even snacks and kibble can pose a tiny choking risk if gobbled - and yet I grew up with so much concern around fish bones that this is one I am having a hard time figuring out. 

Any feedback would be sincerely appreciated!


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

The honest kitchen is not raw food. It is dehydrated so it's cooked to a point. If you want to do raw with honest kitchen you would need to purchase the base mixes, like preference, and mix in the raw meat with it. As for types of bones I have given all types of chicken, neck, wings, legs, ribs, back with no issues. With beef I've only given marrow bones and oxtail, but my dogs are very small. I have never done pork just because it grosses me out lol. Idk why. I have given them my own home raised and butchered rabbit, duck, chicken and mice. They loved it. Again I gave them all bones in the carcass except the heads and they had no issues. The rabbit I froze for three days because I wasn't sure his background and if he had ever been dewormed properly. I have never given larger game ribs only because my dogs are so tiny they really wouldn't be able to eat them. I think Mollymuia has given pork ribs before so you might want to ask her. Oh and I've never done fish other than canned sardines.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Thanks poodle crazy#1! I've been hunting on PF for more information and I know it's all here somewhere! I did find CharismaticMillie's suggestion of My Pet Carnivore and now I am really excited!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I fed homemade raw for a few years. Here is something to chew on in regard to the Prey Model diet (8-1-1). Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | Prey Model vs. BARF Diets: Possibly the most...

Even though I followed Prey Model for awhile, I ultimately ended up adding supplements to make up for what meat, organ, and bone cannot provide. I did Honest Kitchen Preference and added raw to the mix. 

Good luck! I think a properly created raw diet is the best.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Thank you, CharismaticMillie! I was thinking also that a slightly more varied diet which included some veggies and fruits and berries might be a sensible thing to do. I can never quite buy the dog/wolf analogy because we know that dogs have evolved with humans for millennia and that had to bring on differences - and the article by Dr Dodd confirms that.

Do you still use My Pet Carnvore to supply the meats and tripe you feed? I was looking at their site and wow the variety that can be had there - even though I live in Chicago and theoretically everything should be possible to gather here, the idea of being able to order such a variety from one source is very tempting indeed!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Fjm had some very useful posts on food preparation for Poppy and Sophie. She's fortunate to have a supplier of mince from a butcher in the UK, which is much cheaper than starting with a pre-made base. She incorporates vegetables in their food and their meals sound delicious.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

I still have a lot of kibble on hand (darn my thrifty soul - I buy in bulk when there are good sales on!) and yet I think I am going to move forward with this anyway. Perhaps I can donate the unopened bags of food to Anti-Cruelty.

I know that I can get the hOnest Kitchen base mix at a local small business near me (and if she is out of it, I know I can order it online) and I will have that on hand as back up for when I don't happen to have some veggies and such going on here myself which would be appropriate to mix in for Dulcie (or just for ease of feeding on busy days). 

I'm definitely considering ordering from My Pet Carnivore for the amazing variety they offer - since I live in Chicago, I can get a delivery once a month from them and of course there is always the option of a fed ex delivery. However, that could get pricey, so I will think about monthly deliveries and then source locally (for the more ordinary proteins) to make up the difference. I don't have a huge freezer section in my fridge, though I think it will be adequate. I have absolutely no space for a separate freezer so I need to plan efficiently. I like that challenge though!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I do a combination of raw and cooked, so my method may not be quite what you are after. Raw green tripe is excellent if you can find it, and can cope with the repulsive smell; in the UK I have found Durham Animal Feeds minces to be good, and more reliable than some other brands. I get chicken wings from supermarkets, as they are fresh and more convenient than dealing with huge blocks of frozen meat. I cook vegetables, including a small amount of spinach or another green leafy vegetable, in with the mince to ensure vitamins are retained as far as possible - pureeing them, or cooking them gently in a little water or broth and feeding the liquid along with the veg would also work.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Thanks fjm! Yes, I looked up some older threads and I like your feeding ideas. The supplier that CharismaticMillie recommended (My Pet Carnivore) does sell raw green tripe and so I am going to try it, too.

I just came back from the local merchant who sells top quality kibbles and raw - I had seen the Honest Kitchen in her store before. Today, she did not have any regular boxes on hand, but she did have some samples and gave me two of the Preference to try out. If Dulcie and I like it, she can order the boxes for me on the regular, so I have got that supply source sorted!

I'm excited to make this change! The biggest reason, honestly, was for her teeth health (I am concluding that Dulcie is just one of those unlucky dogs (Like unlucky people aka me!) whose saliva is just the type that allows plaque and tartar to build up a little more easily. 

However, after doing a lot of reading, I think the switch to raw will be at least as good as the top quality kibbles I Have been giving her and there may be other benefits that I will see as time goes on. I plan to watch nutrition and balance very carefully until I am more experienced and the resources here on the raw feeding link and others I have found have provided a lot of excellent guidance.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

nifty said:


> Thank you, CharismaticMillie! I was thinking also that a slightly more varied diet which included some veggies and fruits and berries might be a sensible thing to do. I can never quite buy the dog/wolf analogy because we know that dogs have evolved with humans for millennia and that had to bring on differences - and the article by Dr Dodd confirms that.
> 
> Do you still use My Pet Carnvore to supply the meats and tripe you feed? I was looking at their site and wow the variety that can be had there - even though I live in Chicago and theoretically everything should be possible to gather here, the idea of being able to order such a variety from one source is very tempting indeed!


It's been awhile since I fed raw. Not because I don't still think raw is a wonderful diet, but with 5 dogs and at least one coming and going often to and from the show kennel, and occasionally having a litter of puppies, I decided it was easiest to feed everyone a high quality kibble. When I fed raw last, I was using My Pet Carnivore. I highly recommend it and would continue using it if I were to switch back to raw.  I do still occasionally give my dogs turkey necks or chicken backs for dental health.


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