Raws food puppy

thinking about switching my puppy onto raw food is is more expensive to feed raw. How much would she need to eat. x

Cost depends on supply. Buying from one of the big suppliers like DAF, Landywoods, TDFC, etc. make it a fairly cheap way to work - but, like with most things, it's bulk buying that makes it cheap. Many of these companies have minimum orders and delivery charges that make them better value for money if you have a specific freezer to store larger amounts in.
Then there are companies that do all the balancing etc. for you - places like Natural Instinct. More expensive, but if you have a local stockist you could pick up smaller quantities if storage was an issue.
There's in-between stuff like the Prize Choice blocks/minces, Berriewoods' range and so on.
Supermarkets are probably one of the most expensive ways to buy raw food, even buying value range stuff, but probably one of the most convenient. Butchers can be a good source for cheap or even free stuff but obviously it'll be waste products they can't sell for human consumption - if they offer a "pet mince" it may not be balanced enough to feed as the whole diet, probably higher in offal, fats and bone and you'd need to supplement with meaty cuts.

I feed 2 large breed dogs for about £40-50 a month, which is no more than a medium quality dry food, and I personally feel the quality is better as it's not bulked out with cheap fillers/cereals (it's not freerange/organic meat but I don't imagine medium quality dry foods use that either)

The guidelines for puppies is, I believe, 10% of their current weight or 2-3% of their expected adult weight. This is the kind of thing you should read when doing research on raw though - so if you haven't read this already, I would say you perhaps need to go and do some more reading up before making the switch. It's fairly easy when you get the hang of it but does require a little bit of research to get the right balance.

thanks not sure what she weighs going to the vets tomorrow so will find out then.

Good luck!Ive been feeding raw for 3 years now,and will never change back.Before,I was always searching for the "best"food for my precious dogs,thinking the more expensive the better,after doing lots of research(im still reading anything I can find,now!)Im now convinced Ive found the best way.I cant say I find it cheap,though!Some people find friendly butchers,Ive never been that lucky,being vegetarian,I dont tend to frequent butchers! Good luck!

Feeding raw can be as cheap or as expensive to feed as commercial food.

It depends on

Size of dog
Activity of Dog
Temperament of Dog
Time of year
If you can buy in bulk
storage available

etc

I get a lot of food for free

road kill
lamped rabbits
despatched deer
farmers
friends who shoot

Hopefully you will have equipped yourself with some good books and are on some raw feeding forums if you are a novice.

Raw Feeding Guidelines

Quantities

For adults approximately 2 - 3% of their bodyweight per day. Calculate this by multiplying 2/3 by your dog's weight and dividing it by 100.

Eg 2 x 30kg/100 = 600g, 3 x 30kg/100 = 900g.

For puppies feed circa 10% of their present bodyweight or 2-3% of their projected adult weight per day.

However be guided by your hand and eye; if the dog is looking a little too ribby up the amount and reduce if the dog is looking a little too well padded! Dogs will vary on their requirements depending on age, sex, activity level, temperament and time of year etc.

Frequency

Adult dogs should be fed twice a day for the following reasons:

• To minimise the risk of Bloat/GDV
• To avoid blood sugar fluctuations

Meats

Lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, pork, venison, duck, hare, and/or anything you can get your hands on; some dogs regularly chow down on more exotic species.

Dogs require the correct calcium : phosphorus ratio and so it is essential to feed raw meaty bones (RMBs) as well as muscle meat.

Offal such as hearts, lungs, kidneys, tripe, liver is also essential; some offal is muscle such as heart (like tongue).

Fish

Oily fish such as pilchards, mackerel, sardines, etc provide a good source of Omega 3; if it is difficult to obtain fresh, then tinned makes a good substitute (tomato sauce is better than sunflower oil). Tuna may contain high levels of mercury and is a less valuable source of Omega 3.

Vegetables

Onions must not be fed to dogs in any form as they can cause haemolytic anaemia which can be fatal. Avocados contain persin which can produce problems in some animals.

All other vegetables may be fed however, for a dog to get any nutritional benefit from vegetables, they must either be pulped or frozen, otherwise they go out the way they went in and can only be used as source of fibre.

Oxalic acid can interfere with calcium absorption; so don't feed too much of Spinach or Chard.

Care should also be taken not to overfeed vegetables from the cruciferous family eg cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, swedes, turnips and broccoli to dogs as this may inhibit thyroid function.

Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and aubergines all belong to the nightshade family of plants. Dogs who have arthritis may be sensitive to these foods which may exacerbate their condition. It is doubtful if raw potato can be digested successfully in any case.

Garlic is a useful addition to the diet as it performs an antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal function.

Fruit

All except grapes (and raisins) which can cause kidney failure and death in even very small amounts. Bananas are an excellent source of pre-biotics essential for gut health.

Bear in mind fruit and/or vegetables should not make up more than 10% of diet and may have a laxative effect!

Vegetables and fruit provide many phytonutrients not available from animal sources some of which we as yet do not understand but some of which are thought to have health benefits such a carotenoids, lycopene, flavonoids, indoles, sulforaphanes, anthcyanins, sterols, elegiac acid and lignans

Kelp (seaweed) and alfalfa (lucerne) are examples of green supplements which provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and neutraceuticals.

Dairy

No animal post weaning consumes milk bar humans however live yoghurt can be very useful for poorly stomachs because of its probiotic content provided that dogs are not intolerant to lactose (milk sugar) and casein (milk protein). As puppies leave their dams equipped with a full set of teeth bones are a more appropriate source of calcium.

Eggs can be given raw each day, the shells are good sources of calcium but only when powdered, otherwise they merely provide roughage.

Grains/cereals

There is no proven need for carbohydrates in the dog’s diet and of course these need to be cooked before they can be successfully digested by the canine.

Books (in order of simplicity/accessibility/usefulness)

• Switching to Raw by Sue Johnson (good introductory book)
• Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schulze CCN
• Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD
• The Barf Diet by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
• Give your Dog a Bone by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
• Grow your pups with Bones by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
• Work Wonders by Tom Lonsdale (vet)
• Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale (vet)
• The Best Dog Diet Ever by Caroline Griffith (very poor)

Websites - Britbarf, K9nutrition yahoo groups; the first is UK the second is an excellent US site run by Lew Olson; B-Naturals and Dogaware also contain excellent nutritional advice.