libbybell74 wrote:

I buy fresh food and vacuum seal it then freeze it. Lasts a long time.

i do the same!

I have no idea if this is a good deal or not since I don't feed it but figured I'd post in case it caught someones attention.

Rochester, NY Cragsiglist posting:

http://rochester.craigslist.org/pet/2676242216.html

I have 2 10lb boxes of The Honest Kitchen Verve dog food. I bought last week mail order and cannot return. Do to illness my dog can not eat this food any longer I have put him on a home cooked diet. $100.00 takes both boxes. You cannot find this food cheaper. I check my email several times a day. Thank you

FYI-
You can get 2 10lb boxes of Verve on Natural K9 Supplies, includes shipping, for $111, so you'd save $11 if the boxes are unopened.

No wonder its still posted 3 days later.

hello, 1 question is it true that they get parasites more frequent from a raw diet? my husky weight 50lbs and is very picky,doesnt like kibles much i being giving him home cooked meals but hes getting tired im thinking hard about starting a raw diet but dont know how to start giving him if is 1pound of raw meat a day ,that means 80z twice a day and do mixed with raw vegetables or how sholud i start?and also should i give him the food frozen? he s got sensetive stomach also!

elli28 wrote:

hello, 1 question is it true that they get parasites more frequent from a raw diet? my husky weight 50lbs and is very picky,doesnt like kibles much i being giving him home cooked meals but hes getting tired im thinking hard about starting a raw diet but dont know how to start giving him if is 1pound of raw meat a day ,that means 80z twice a day and do mixed with raw vegetables or how sholud i start?and also should i give him the food frozen? he s got sensetive stomach also!

First off, did you read the first post in this thread and the pages linked to in said post?

Second, exactly what does your homecooked diet consist of for your sibe currently? Homecooked diets, just like raw diets, require variety which makes it less likely to get "boring" to a dog compared to a dog that's fed the same kibble day in and day out. I'm just concerned that your dog is 'getting tired' of the homecooked diet and you're looking to change it purely because of that. Like I always try to remind people, picky dogs are not born they are created. And you should feed what YOU want to feed based on preference, means, and ability rather than jumping ship each time your dog gets 'tired' of their food...otherwise you could be setting up an endless cycle.

And dogs on a raw diet may be more at risk of parasites from their food if it is not frozen appropriately first. I think most raw feeders however freeze their meat for at least 24-72 hrs before feeding, depending on the meat & source, so that parasites are not an issue. I always freeze my dogs' raw meat for at least 72 hours prior to feeding and none of my dogs have ever gotten parasites from their food. Now if you were to feed a wild kill immediately after a hunt then you'd have a higher chance of the dog contracting parasites.

thankyou for the reply im srry my english is not that good i did saw the links after i ask you the question.teir very helpfull thankyou for amswering...i was cooking poatatoes,chicken brest brocoly,carrots and sweet peas.boil everything together and make like mashed potateos all together...i bought some chicken backs and im freezin it to star him an a raw diet i did some reasearch and i lkie all the benefits it brings!

Have you decided whether you're going to follow a prey model diet or BARF? I follow the prey model diet since it mimics a dogs natural raw diet more closely and does not call for the inclusion of a veggie slush like the BARF model does.

Also do you plan to or are you adding any supplements to your dogs diet? No matter how good a diet many consider it a good idea to include general vitamin/mineral supplements to help fill in the gaps and balance out a diet...myself included. My 3 favorite general supplements in order of personal preference are Nupro, Wholistic Canine Complete, and Missing Link. You may or may not have those available to you depending on where you live.

Are there other foods besides the potatoes, broccoli, chicken, carrots and peas that you are feeding your dog? If that's all you're feeding all the time then your sibe will have nutritional deficiencies in the long run. It is absolutely ESSENTIAL to have plenty of variety when feeding a homecooked or raw diet. With homecooked diets I like to have a list of different meats, fruits, veggies, and grain/carb sources on hand. Then from that list I do a rotation every few days, making sure to switch things up at the very least once or twice a week if not more. So for example I might feed boiled boneless chicken with carrots and quinoa 1-3 days. Then I might feed boiled boneless pork with sweet potato, green beans, and egg for the next 1-3 days. And then following with a new protein and other veggies/fruits/etc for a varied diet.

Just be sure that if you are following a PMR diet to get the required organs in. Likewise if you choose to follow a BARF diet that you get the required veggie slurry in. And remember, variety is key once you're on an established raw or homecooked diet. Chicken backs are a good starting point for raw feeding, just be sure that over time you also introduce other protein sources and find the right balance of bones and organ and feeding amount that works best for your dog. Of course if you have more questions or need assistance along the way we're happy to help. And if you do start feeding raw be sure to share some pics in our raw feeding picture thread in this forum.

Edited to add: Are you feeding a calcium supplement with your homecooked diet? Calcium is one of those important elements that must accompany a homecooked diet because they're not getting it via bone like in a raw diet or added calcium like in a prepared food.

i decided to follow the diet including organs.but im still a little comfused should i serveed the raw food frozen,or defroze and than served to iker?what its a veggie sluch? and im going to buy some suplements.,i also bouht some chicken liver that im going to freez..and 1 more question if i served rawpork would he be exposed to triquinosis that warn that lives in the pork? and thankyou for your help this is a great website with very nice people!

I don't think a puppy has the bite capabilities to eat frozen raw food. The only time I feed it frozen is when i've forgotten to take it out of the freezer the night before.

Where are you located? In the US the pork isn't an issue but other countries i'm not sure.

mine its 10 month old and weght 60 pounds.,yes im in new jersey but ialways heard that pork carries triquina that it has to be cokk at certain temperture to be kill.,thats why im not sure but maybe it doesnt afect the dogs/?and i have to include the suplements in the raw diet also or is just for cooked food? im planing to start with some chicken bone and after the 3rd day i want to add some chicken liver would that be suficent?

elli28 wrote:

i decided to follow the diet including organs.but im still a little comfused should i serveed the raw food frozen,or defroze and than served to iker?what its a veggie sluch? and im going to buy some suplements.,i also bouht some chicken liver that im going to freez..and 1 more question if i served rawpork would he be exposed to triquinosis that warn that lives in the pork? and thankyou for your help this is a great website with very nice people!

You'll want to thaw the food first before feeding, I always cut up, weigh & separate my dogs' raw meals into 1-2 day servings and freeze that. Then each day I take that days raw meat out of the freezer in the morning so it's thawed by the time they are fed.

The veggie slush is not necessary for a prey model diet. But it basically consists of a slurry of vegetables with or without fruit made into a paste which breaks down the cell walls like cooking would. That's not something you'll have to deal with since you're including organ.

The pork thing is not really an issue in the US unless you're getting your pork from a less than desirable source. Even so, an extended freeze for like 5 days or so should render even questionable pork safe enough I believe.

elli28 wrote:

mine its 10 month old and weght 60 pounds.,yes im in new jersey but ialways heard that pork carries triquina that it has to be cokk at certain temperture to be kill.,thats why im not sure but maybe it doesnt afect the dogs/?and i have to include the suplements in the raw diet also or is just for cooked food? im planing to start with some chicken bone and after the 3rd day i want to add some chicken liver would that be suficent?

Supplements are not required with either diet but it certainly can be a good addition to both homecooked and raw diets. I supplement my dogs' raw diet with Nupro, as recommended by my late holistic vet who recommends supplementing raw diets.

Chicken is a great foundation and starter protein. And you really don't even need to wait until day 3 to feed bone inclusive meals either. Organ can be a bit rich for some dogs so don't feel the need to rush it in on the first week. Also remember that the same way you'll want to offer a variety of protein sources, you'll to need to offer different secreting organs as well which again you'll want from various different animal sources. It's a lot to take in but keep at it with your research and ease into it at your own pace.

thank you so much..where can i buy that nupro is that a human supplement...maybe GNC or that sort of store or thats something i have to get from my vet?and thankyou again this is my first dog ever and i loved him hes my companion we go out running for 2 hours from 3am till 5,and i want him to be strong and vital,i felt really lost when i bought him from spain before i found this page !

Nupro is a dog supplement, some vets carry it but you don't have to get it from a vet. Most holistic pet food stores should carry it. I usually order mine online. Missing Link supplement is a decent alternative that might be easier to find locally. I think both PetSmart and Petco carry Missing Link. Wholistic Canine Complete is a bit harder to find than the other two but it's a great supplement if you do find it.

thank you val..

No problem.

heres is a picture of iker having hes first portion of raw meat!,its a querter leg of a frozen organic,cornish hen!

How did he take to his first raw meal?

he loved, but i notices lose stool and he did vomit once!.,any advice and what kind of treat can i used to train him i was giving him the dogswell treats happyheart,but i dont know if its a good idea to be giving him those after i started this diet

Nothing wrong with those treats. It's normal for some dogs to experience loose stool during their switch to raw. Did you feed a bone inclusive meal? Also, when he vomited did his food come up with it? How long after his raw meal did he vomit & experience diarrhea?

i gave him the bone of the querter leg and half of a back bone..he vomit about 1andhalf hour after he ate.,and yes some diahrrea.this morning i just finish of feeding him about the same amount of food...and he hasnt do any stool after...and yes he food came up with it i !i didnt find the supplement you recomended me..so i bought the GNC superfood complex premiun formula powder.,he iwas smelling the food for a while before he started eating it i gue he didnt like t that much

Hopefully he'll get over the supplement addition, the one you got looks to be pretty decent and is better than nothing at all. How is he doing today? Has he had any repeats of the diarrhea or vomiting since that first time?

hello iwasnt able to reply my computerbroke.and im somebody ese pc..my iker doesnt want eat the supplemen nor any organs.just the meat and the bones i dont know if i could give him raw in the morning and cooked in the dinner meal..or should i just forgot about the rawdiet the vomiting has stoped and the diarreha too.

Glad to hear the upset was only a one time thing. Have you tried feeding the organs with his bone-in meat or with something sprinkled on it like parmesan cheese? If you stick with prey model raw you've got to get him eating his organs. Of course you can do raw at one feeding and homecooked at the other, just make sure it's a balanced diet. Same way you need balance with raw, you've got to find balance with homecooked. I wouldn't give up on the supplements, if you can find a way to get him to eat if without fuss then great. I mix Nupro and water with my dogs' meals to make a gravy and they gobble it up.