I now get most of Jake's food from the butcher's (a different one to the one I mentioned in my other post) and I guess in some ways it is fit for human consumption... it is edible (except the bone), it's just not the bits they like to sell...

The pet minces though, are certainly not for human consumption I have got them for Jake in the past, and I did have a look at the packaging but couldn't find percentages of what was in it. The ones from the butchers also rely on them telling you what is in... and them actually knowing, and not just sticking in whatever they have available, which I think a lot of them do.

Jake gets fat, offal and bone but I like to know how much of each thing he is getting.

I hate minces, I much prefer Jake to get a munch from a chunk of meat (I always try to get big chunks, the bigger the better IMO).

I know exactly what is in the mince I buy as it is from a butcher and is for human consumption. Yesterday my neighbour bought fresh chicken mince and beef mince for me, and I have been open freezing it in slightly flattened balls, and once frozen putting into thick plastic bags to pack away.

I have no idea of the price but as the mince is for both of us - raw for Pereg and cooked for me as meatballs/meatloaf/whatever - it is well worth whatever it costs. Obviously what I have to pay for meat for Pereg is a lot more than that which is sold in the UK for pet food, but I am more than happy because I know that the meat I give her is the same as that I eat myself.

Oh, I won't feed veg (or fruit) either! Had forgotten that one.

I don't worry about the fat content because I don't want him to have it, I just don't like not knowing the fat content... I love raw coz I can see exactly what he is eating, I just don't get the same satisfaction from minces. There is also the dental/jaw benefit too.

The good thing about raw is you can feed mince, chunks, whole parts of the body etc.

Variety, that is what it is all about. Mince is also an option for dogs who cannot eat huge chunks etc on occasions eg with a sore mouth or throat.

So I like to keep all my options open and not rule out a valuable method of feeding which could be useful if my dogs are ever ill

Im going to get mine some guinea pigs to try

theres pretty much nothing i wont feed. i am limited to what i can feed because they have such small portions per meal. id love to feed things like whole rabbit or carcasses, but they only have about 80g a meal so realistically by the time ive chopped them up, theres not much point

thats why i like mince. i can give them a variety of meat through the mince as there are so many different ones i buy. they still have their bones, they have them 3 times a week, and they also have fish 3 times a week. id say their diet is varied enough and they look fine to me eating mince, their teeth are still nice and shiny, and they still work their jaws when they have bone.

That is fair enough for you, I however, will rule out mince. I don't see mince as adding variety, there is no difference in terms of variety between a dog having minced beef, and whole chunks of beef.

The only way I can see me ever choosing to feed mince, is if I had a dog will no, or little, teeth... I am hoping the raw will prevent that happening though. I do think it is a big difference between feeding your dog, short term due to things like a sore mouth or throat, and actually choosing to feed something as a long term part of the diet. I think, I will most likely just cut up the meat in small enough chunks for him, or if it HAS to be minced, then I will do it myself.

I would just like to point out, that I did say in my first post, that I would feed tripe minced. I don't like to feed mince though, but that doesn't mean I NEVER will, especially if it was for the short term. I would say just now that I would never feed a pigs head, coz I couldn't stomach that... well, I could barely cut a chicken up at the beginning, and now I get stuck in and do it in minutes... Things can change, just coz of what I have posted on here, doesn't mean I will NEVER do it.

Why don't you give them rabbit legs or something as a meal but then don't feed them so much the next day?

Louie had his whole rabbit but he left one leg and a bit of back, so this was his meal for the next day after training class..

Lol, seriously? Thats quite 'way out'...!

I have got some half lambs heads coming complete with eye etc,

Trotters are a favourite in our house by my raw feeding friend blanches at the sight of them, and lungs keep my neighbours amused........