Raw Feeding my dogs - The Switch - My Diary

So, this is something I’ve always wanted to do. The only thing that has put me off is the expense, I say the only thing, but I realise one other factor is the fact I see it as a specialist diet, one that requires a bit of research and understanding before making the change to BARF. I was reading through the August Pet Business World publication and came across an article by Pro Dog Raw. It got me thinking. With the #ditchthedry hashtag, I was curious about their marketing campaign, so went over to their website and had a look at what they had to offer.

Raw feeding my dogs is not cheap. I keep telling the dogs that mummy needs to keep making lots of dog leads and collars to pay for their food and this is very true, it costs more, of course it does, it’s a better quality food.

One year update (Sep 2021)

After one year of trialing this and that food, I have settled with Natures Menu. The benefits are:

Delivered freshly frozen to your door by their own drivers
Much less packaging
Free delivery over a certain amount
Easy subscriptions
Comes in bags so less packaging and waste
Comes ON trays which can go back to the company

Downside:

(This will happen with all bagged meat) be aware of putting in your bin in the summer, your bin will become over run with maggots.

Prep tips:

Get a dog food freezer and fridge
In the winter thaw at room temperature
In the summer thaw in a fridge
Keep away from doggy thieves when thawing

What is BARF?

The acronym BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food. The diet aims to provide your dog with a balance of meat, bone, vegetables, organ meat, vitamins and minerals combined in a correct balance as nature intended.

The fans of bones and raw food are anti-kibble and when you read their websites, it’s easy to see why. Dry dog food does, however, have its’ place. It is convenient, a price range that gives the consumer the choice of ‘affordable’ or high-end dry dog food. It is clean, doesn’t require a freezer or any specialist knowledge and you just scoop it out and feed (or overfeed as the case may be!) It’s so easy just to buy in a bag (or several in my case) of dry dog food, pour it into the feed bin, scoop and feed, what can be easier after all, meat is messy, requires a freezer and not to mention defrosting it at the right rates and ready in time for the dogs’ meal and that’s multiplied by 9 dogs.

My dogs’ profiles

Buster

16-year-old (born April 2004) liver & white male English Springer Spaniel. Never fed raw. Suffers from general old-age ailments, history of vestibular, a cancerous lump on his hind leg and breathing problems. Came to me in 2006 during the days of LESSR for the reason ‘does not like babies’. Dislikes combs, brushes or baths. Tolerates Jasper cleaning his ears and his lump.

Buster update – Busters teeth are one of the worst sets of nashers I’ve seen. I’ve never been happy to let him have a general anaesthetic due to his breathing/chest issues. So every now and then we have to fetch bones and hope most of the hard tartar chips off. Having said that, I have a lot of success with Logic paste. It’s a toothpaste for dogs, but you don’t necessarily have to use a brush, you can put it on their teeth with your fingers and it goes some way to dissolving even the hardest tartar.

What it doesn’t do is cure cavities, that’s a trip to the vets, but while he’s eating well and does not appear to be in pain, we are leaving everything be.

He seems to slobber a lot less, but in no way is his breath fresher. Cleaning his teeth once a week has helped keep his mouth dryer (his chin was wet a lot before).

Today (4th October 2020) he actually wagged his tail! I think his back is sore because his tail ‘hangs’. Doesn’t appear to be in any pain, but then the is on 3 lots of meds – Meloxidyl, paracetamol 250g and Yumove for senior dogs.

Special skills: able to trip you up.

Other names: Chaos, Big Lad & Buster blood vessel.

🌈 Buster is now over 🌈 bridge *June 2021*

Jasper

12-year-old male English Springer Spaniel. Never fed raw. Fit and healthy albeit a long list of allergies. Under control with Royal Canin. Rescued around 7 years ago from a horrible neglected and dirty kennel environment. Now adored by me, a persistent thief, reluctant giver upper of any cushion, bed, blankie, sock, boots, shoes, dirty washing etc. Never used to like being groomed anywhere past his ribs but now fights for position with Breeze at grooming time.

Special skills: Lump and ear cleaner. Trained to pick random objects up like Robert was.

Other names: Beautiful, JJ, J Dog and ones I can’t repeat.

Breeze

9-year-old female English Springer Spaniel. Never fed raw. Fit and healthy. Rescued around 8 years ago, due to be shot or at least that was the story I was given. Breeze is very timid, a licker of paws and air when feeling particularly anxious. Confident with me, a total darling with very long ears. My first Springer I have never clipped.

Special skills: General ninja, Parkour specialist.

Other names: Peepee, Baby Dog, Little Face.

Top

8-year-old Boxer, German Shepherd, Dobermann. Ginger, very fit & healthy. Rescued around 8 years ago at 9 months of age. Only surviving puppy out of the litter. The owner wasn’t aware the mum was pregnant. Official breed Goof x Scooby-Doo. Very intimidating guard dog, but a complete sop in real life.

Special skills: Lump cleaner, bipedal rabbit watcher, has been known to catch his own breakfast.

Favourite foods: almost a whole fryer of oil, various full loaves of bread, stolen full kilos of frozen meat and generally most things that would have killed any other dog.

Other names: Scooby Doo, Big Ginge.

Nala

8-year-old American Bulldog Staffy. Never fed raw. On the whole fit and healthy, sorry scrap that neither fit nor healthy! Also has a tonne of allergies that affect mainly her ears and skin/coat condition. Under control with Royal Canin. Has aggression problems, but through training and routine, we have this under control. A complete softy with humans doesn’t like rain, heat, wind or cold.

Special skills: Sleeping.

Other names: Nala Banana, Snala, Sna.

Casper

Cyprus born. Probably Husky in there somewhere. Came to me after being in the country for just 10 days and given up because he chews. True yes, but he was a pup and just needed the right owner. Came to me as RBU but I kept him. Now 7 years old, fit and healthy, never fed raw. Dislikes being groomed but we are getting there and has a lovely coat.

Special skills: Able to steal Squirrel Dude off Top and evade him for all of a few seconds. Casper is good on corners Top is not.

Other names: Pencil legs, Twiggy, Wolfetta and pretty much permanently named Wolfy.

Maisie (Jalfrezi)

Also Cyprus born, 13 years old. Rescued as a street pup at about 4 weeks of age. Surrendered to me around 10 years ago due to ‘a complicated personality’! Another dog that just needed some understanding. Fit and healthy but starting to show age. Official breed – Ginger Fluffball. Dislikes the comb, baths, Jasper and boring kibble (so she will be happy about this diet change). Enjoys baiting Nala for ‘fun’. Never ends well for her!

Special skill: Sits in bedroom window, able to go from calm to devil dog in 1 second flat, intimidates all the others.

Other names: Fluffy wuffy, Maisie Jalfrezi, Do you do ginger poos, Big Ears, Ginge and Princess.
Update: now at rainbow bridge.

Savvy

Approximately 9-year-old Munsterlander. Came to me along with her younger friend who we think is about 6 in December 2019. Both now spayed and apart from being a little underweight are fit and healthy albeit noisy with very high prey drives and endless amounts of energy that I would dearly love to bottle and sell.
Update: now at rainbow bridge.

Poppet

Approximately 10-year-old Munsterlander. Fit and healthy other than occasional seizures & a little underweight. Savvy & Poppet are affectionately called ‘the girls’. Poppet is a bit of a trouble maker with Nala but we have this in hand. Both girls are lovely, no real dislikes that I know of.

Special skills: none

Other names: Gummy bear

Day -1 – I am expecting the food to be delivered 2nd September 2020

The raw food came by DHL in a 1-hour delivery slot. When I opened the box, the food was still frozen and I could see a lot of time and research had gone into packaging it properly. All the food was in 500g tubs not bags, I’ll cover that later. The consignment was insulated with a wool padding in a bag which surrounded all of the tubs.

My first thoughts were all these plastic tubs and the wool, why not polystyrene, so I messaged the company and they very kindly replied out of hours.

This [plastic bags] wouldn’t be suitable for the food to be kept protected and fresh without leakage, unfortunately, as it is raw and we are mainly on online business, it needs to be practical to transport in the packaging in transit. You can recycle the tubs locally (we used to however we no longer can due to Covid 19 as advised by Trading Standards) and we accept returns of the wool liners.
ProDog Raw

Recycling of the containers and packaging

OK, so I rushed to ask questions, which were promptly and patiently answered when all I had to do was look on the website. All the info you need is on the companies website. It covers what the containers are made form and how to reuse or recycle them. An overuse of hyphens left me a bit confused, I thought I was missing something but I just think they like hyphens.

The wool packaging can be sent back, but you can also reuse it or recycle it. I’d probably reuse it as packaging, but there are some great suggestions on the website.

Then after reading all about the packaging, I felt annoyed I’d overlooked the most important thing – animal welfare. I’m vegetarian, almost vegan, but don’t expect my dogs to be, I do however expect companies to have good animal welfare policies. Let’s look at what they say?

Animal Welfare

Taken from their website:

“Our premium raw dog food ingredients are 100% natural and all that your dog needs for optimum health. 100% complete and nothing artificial – 100% DEFRA approved. All of our ingredients are British! Our quest for perfection has resulted in what we believe to be the best choice for our dogs and of course yours – Raw Feeding as clean and as close to nature as it gets.

Did you know all of our meat is sourced from a company that is farm assured approved? Being farm assured takes animal welfare very seriously, they require their farmers to meet a number of standards that are over and above regular legislation.

And why do we use it?

A mark of quality food you can trust
They know where every single piece of meat comes from
The farmers care about their animals
Farmers care about the countryside
The union jack flag in the logo confirms your meat has been born, grown, prepared and packed in the UK

Day 1 Thursday 3rd September 2020

Today I start feeding. Thursday 3rd September 2020. I think I’ll start on Breeze as she’s the smallest and fittest. She will eat the least so this batch will go further.

So, after waking early and stressing about this. How to defrost in time, how to feed without waste, how to give the right amounts, the deal breaker for me was when I asked myself, ‘what’s best for the dogs?’ That’s a no brainer – they’d love to eat this food, so there you go, full steam ahead with price research and the consideration of other companies.

I’d already made contact with Natures Menu last year plus wanted to find out who used their own vehicles to deliver locally. Natures Menu do trade freezer deals, so I’m waiting to hear from their rep again.

I was a bit disappointed this morning as I’d decided Breeze was going to be my guinea pig, I guessed her weight (I’m weighing them all later) and worked out 3% bodyweight, put it in the bowl and I was like UHHH?????? There’s not much there and it’s not thawed. So, I left 2 tubs out on the side and will do this again at this afternoons feed.

Moving the feed kitchen area about

If I’m gonna do this, let’s do it right. I need to be near the freezer, the prep area and a washing up sink. So this means I’ve got to have a move around today.

Day 5 – Monday 7th September 2020

So, we’re doing OK. I’ve ordered some more raw from ProDog Raw and the reason for this is as follows. Natures Menu don’t trade accounts for none brick and mortar pet stores any more as they’ve been bought out by a Spanish (I think they said …) company and they won’t allow minions like me to have an account and I can’t find anyone else with a decent website, decent prices and customer service.

I had some salmon oil come today for my very willing guinea pigs. I’ve been doing a lot of searching for a goose, pheasant or boar frozen food for Jasper but the nearest I got was Natures Menu Country Hunter Seriously Meaty in cans, not cheap at £29.21 for 12 cans – this will just be a treat for J as I’m starting to feel sorry for them eating boring dried kibble twice a day every day.

Day 6 – Tuesday 8th September 2020

Not wanting to jump the gun and jinx the situation, I was too excited not to mention this. My willing guinea pigs, Maisie and Buster are my 2 oldest of the pack. Buster, bless him was 16 in April 2020 and his legs are not what they used to be. Frequently on a walk, he will either lay down knackered or stumble over on his rear end while he takes a rest for a minute then he’ll get up again and trot along with us or catch up.

Today, Buster hasn’t stopped once on our morning walk. Yesterday I got some salmon oil so I’m weaning him on to that. Today is day 5, might this be a change in Buster’s health that’s actually tangible?

Also today, I received some Golden Turmeric Paste aka golden paste. You have to wean them on to that too, so Busters pm feed will have a pea size of that. Received 12 kg of raw complete chicken from Pro Dog Raw today too.

Another diary entry today is about Jasper & Nala. Jasper had full allergy blood tests and came back allergic to everything but pheasant, boar and goose. I looked around and could only find pheasant, so I’ve ordered some of that from Kiezebrink.

Day 13 – Tuesday 15th September 2020

I’ll be honest with you, I was expecting more. Our biggest thing to report is the dogs’ anticipation – their health and happiness is top of my to-do list. Buster has started giving paw again and is more vocal at feed time – for me that is a dog looking forward to their meals. When I say I was expecting more, I guess there will be health benefits I can’t see.

Today, I introduced Breeze to raw. She didn’t like the first offering, but she likes the chicken mix.

Day 16 – Friday 18th September 2020

Yesterday, I started Nala on raw, I didn’t think she would like it as she can be picky about change. What I want to talk about today is the variation I’ve added in rightly or wrongly, I’ve taken this from lots of reading on the subject.

Golden Paste (for Buster)
Salmon oil (not for Piriton dog Jasper as he’s allergic to it)
A few extra carbs (only a small amount) for Buster in the form of new potatoes, sweet potato & brown rice
Apples
Raw carrots
Fage yoghurt
Butternut squash if I have it

28 days in & what changes have I seen?

Nothing, nil, zilch, zero. I know many people report they see skin and coat improvements, energy changes and general health, but I’ll be honest with you the only thing that’s changed for me is the amount of time it takes to prepare dog food and a reduction in poop picking duties.

The main thing is my most allergic dog, Nala, is NO BETTER OFF. I chose pheasant (not complete) for her as well as Jasper who is also allergic to many things (he’s been tested). Jasper thankfully though, only scratches a bit, but Nala the poor love, her ears flare up and she chews her feet. If she doesn’t settle over the weekend it will be another £70++ trip to the vets for more swabs and medications.

I think what triggered Nala was either the banana or chia seeds, so needless to say, I’ve stopped those and she just gets Phil pheasant and some blueberries. I’m mindful it could be either of these or her supplement but it’s hard to tell with her because once her ears have started they don’t get better by stopping what she’s allergic to, it is only helped by veterinary intervention, poor girl.

Nala also gets quite depressed when her allergies start causing her problems. I feel for her I really do. If any one has any suggestions, I might try tripe as disgusting as it is, it’s not too bad when it’s prepared especially for dog food.

2.5 months in, what have I got to report?

Having run out of food a couple of times, I had to go to a local store to stock up. Here are my findings from using those plus the ones I recommend.

1st September 2021 – 1 year later

One year after starting raw feeding and there’s been no looking back. I now use Natures Menu Free Flow mince, it is easy to use and there is minimal waste unlike all of the other companies I’ve used.

The ridiculous amounts of packaging with Kiezebrink, ProDog Raw and MJ Frozen Meats is just a joke and although their food is good, I don’t want to be disposing of huge amounts of cardboard and polystyrene every week.

Kiezebrink UK Ltd

This is the company I buy the Pheasant from for Jasper and Nala. Great service, great delivery. Nicely packaged and the meat comes in sausages so much less plastic use than ProDog Raw. The meat looks good quality and the dogs love it and above all, it solved their itchy dog problems. There is no excess water and only a small amount of blood.

Downside: None.

Rated: 5 stars Highly Recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pro Dog Raw

This is the company I used for most of my dogs’ meat. I have it on subscription to come every 2 weeks. I buy chicken & chicken and tripe. Sometimes its a bit watery, which makes it a bit too soggy for my liking. It is a good quality food and complete which is important as it makes it convenient to use. I still food-boost though to add in variety.

Downside: most expensive.

Varieties tried: Pheasant Mix and Alaska Dog Pheasant.

Rated: 5 stars Highly Recommended

MJ Frozen Meats

This is another favourite of mine for the following reasons. It comes in a plastic outer (not like a chub sausage) and each pack has 4 cubes of meat about 2.5-3 inches cubed. You can buy complementary or complete diets. The main selling point for me on MJ is the food is nice and clean, it has hardly any water and blood. This one would be ideal if you have smaller dogs because you can take out a cube at a time to thaw. Cheapest option without losing quality.

Downside: None.

Rated: 5 stars Highly Recommended

DAF

This was one of the brands I tried when I ran out, more out of curiosity as I knew it was a popular food. This is not one of my favourites and I wont be buying it again. It is full of water and when it thaws, it is like slop. I’d say this is worse than making your dog eat dry food every day.

Downside: Sloppy and cheap.

Rated: 1 star. Good for an emergency supply.

Bulmers

The worst of the brands I tried when I ran out. The first chub I cut into, water went everywhere. Curious, I weighed the water that I squeezed out. Out of 4 x 400g chubs, over 400g was water. Complete slop when thawed, would rather go back to feeding my dogs dried food than these last 2.

Downside: Sloppy and cheap.

Rated: 1 star. Good for an emergency supply.

What kit do you need?

A sink nearby to keep your hands and cutlery etc clean.
Cleaning cloths, wipes, detergent/spray etc for cleaning up afterwards.
A decent length of countertop.
A small sharp knife for cutting fruit and veg.
A large serving spoon if you have dogs who eat large portions.
A fork for squidging in any powders like supplements.
For multi-dog households, more than one kitchen scale is useful (I have 3 and plan to get more).
A fridge ideally right by your prep area.
A dedicated dog meat freezer (obviously).
Somewhere to safely store thawing meat if it’s not in the fridge (mine is in a very cold room when not in the fridge).
Storage containers.
A large tray that fits in your freezer, so you can bring everything out at once.
A larger container to transfer more than 1 tub of meat into so you can serve from one container rather than 2 or Slow feeders are a good idea or alternatively add food like carrot or apple to slow their eating if prone to being a pig.

Can I mix normal dog food with raw meat?

No, this is strongly advised against due to the times it takes to digest the 2 different types of food. Only mix in this way if you are doing a transition from kibble to raw. Raw dog food only takes around 4-6 hours to digest and kibble takes 8-10 hours.

What readily available for can you boost your dogs raw diet with?

Carrots
Apples
Steamed Kale
Cucumber
Pineapple
Blueberries
Spinach
Kiwi
Broccoli
Banana
Honey
Yohurt

What are the benefits of feeding your dog raw meat?

The physical benefits your dog may experience might be:

increased stamina & energy
harder, smaller, less smelly stools
improved digestion
cleaner teeth and fresher breath
increased mobility in older pets
better weight control
skin and coat improvements

Do dogs poop less on a raw diet?

Yes, they do. The frequency is the same – nothing changes there, but the amount they poop out is a lot less.

BUT, beware! To my dogs detriment less poo doesn’t always suit the dog to the extent it will suffer from anal gland issues. Please monitor this so as not to cause distress for your dog.

Look after their bowels with enough fibre

Out of 9 dogs, only one of my dogs had anal gland problems. Every day I now add either bran flakes, oat bran or weetabix in to their meal.

How much raw meat should my dog eat?

There are many raw dog meat calculators on the internet but as a rule, you should feed 2-3% of their body weight. The total given is the daily amount, so if you feed your dog twice a day, halve this amount.

So, a 27 kilo adult dog on a maintenance regime will require 270 grams am and then 270 grams pm.

Monitor their body weight to increase or reduce this as necessary. You can ‘supercharge’ their diet with veggies and fruit.

Keeping tabs on their weight

Here’s what I did/do, to make sure my dogs are getting the right amount of raw food.

Before starting on the raw journey, weigh your dogs so you have a starting point. Then decide if they need to lose weight, gain weight or maintain. Feed 2% body weight to lose, 3% to gain or 2.5% to maintain. We recommend using an online calculator to work it out properly.
Buy a decent set of scales with spare batteries.
Weigh every meal you prepare.
After one month, weigh your dogs. Adjust their food accordingly now you know their weight. Your dog should have a waistline, ie the bit behind their ribs should indent. Seeing ribs is not a bad thing as long as they are not too skinny and they have no underlying health problems.
When I boost the contents of their bowl, I don’t always include that in the food weight. Things I don’t weigh are – kale, pineapple, spinach, carrots, apple, banana, honey (small amount and not daily), yoghurt, blueberries and other fruits. I do include sweet potato in the weight of the food but also bear in mind the boost food is a small amount anyway.

What can I add to my dogs raw meal?

Raw eggs
Goats milk (can be made into frozen cubes)
Sardines in spring water
Pumpkin (puree or cooked)
Bone broth (also freeze them in cubes or cool bone or paw shapes)
Pureed veggies
Whole/raw carrots and apples for teeth (also slows your greedy doggo down)
Coconut oil
Apple cider vinegar (start with a small amount)
Spinach
Salmon oil
Quail eggs
Salmon
Sweet potato
Sardine oil
Duck neck
Mix spirulina with coconut oil and freeze into cubes
Blueberries
Banana
Chia, hemp & flax seeds
Duck feet
Red bell peppers
Kelp powder
Raspberries
Mackerel
Turkey hearts
Zucchini
Brocolli
Cantaloupe melon
Green beans
Honey
Kiwi
Mango
Oatmeal
Peaches
Peanut butter (please check the label doesn’t contain sweetener)
Pears
Pineapple
Cooked potatoes
Pumpkin
Rice
Yoghurt

Day 1053 – July 2023

Despite the growing popularity of commercial dog food options, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to feeding my dogs a raw diet. Over the years, I have fine-tuned my approach and now utilise a basic tripe mix, without incorporating any additional supplements or additives. While some may argue that this approach is flawed, I firmly believe that it has led to the improved health and well-being of my beloved canine companions.

Feeding a raw diet to my dogs has been a journey of discovery and learning. Initially drawn to the idea of providing my pets with a diet more aligned with their natural carnivorous instincts, I began experimenting with various raw food options. Eventually, I settled on a tripe mix as the cornerstone of their diet.

Tripe, the nutrient-rich stomach lining of grazing animals, has been a traditional canine dietary staple for centuries. Rich in protein, essential fatty acids, and natural enzymes, tripe offers a well-rounded nutritional profile for dogs. Unlike commercially processed dog foods that often undergo extensive cooking and lose essential nutrients in the process, the raw nature of tripe preserves its inherent nutritional value, contributing to my dogs’ overall vitality.

Some skeptics may argue that my dogs’ diet is lacking in certain nutrients that can only be achieved through synthetic supplements. However, my experience has shown that a balanced and diverse raw diet, including tripe, can provide all the essential nutrients my dogs require for optimal health. I am committed to sourcing high-quality tripe that meets the nutritional needs of my pets, allowing them to thrive on this natural and wholesome food.

The results of feeding my dogs raw tripe have been undeniable. Not only are my pets physically fit and healthy, but they also suffer from fewer health-related issues compared to when they were on a commercial diet. Their coats have grown shinier and softer, their teeth are cleaner, and their digestive systems are more efficient. Additionally, their energy levels have improved, leading to a more vibrant and enthusiastic demeanor.

Embracing the raw diet philosophy for my dogs has also allowed me to establish a stronger connection with them. Preparing their meals with care (yes this means weighing it out every day) and attention fosters a deeper sense of responsibility and love, knowing that I am providing them with the best possible nourishment.

I understand that each dog’s dietary needs are unique, and what works for my dogs may not suit every pet. However, based on the remarkable improvements in my dogs’ well-being, I am confident in my decision to continue feeding them raw tripe without added supplements.

As a responsible dog owner, I closely monitor my pets’ health and make adjustments to their diet as needed. Regular visits to the veterinarian and staying informed about the latest nutritional research allow me to make informed decisions about their diet.

In conclusion, despite differing opinions, I firmly stand by my choice to feed my dogs a basic tripe mix as their primary diet. The positive changes in their health and overall vitality have reaffirmed my belief in the benefits of a raw food approach. As a loving and dedicated pet owner, I am committed to providing my dogs with the best possible nutrition to ensure their continued well-being and happiness.