I have a 3 year old chihuahua who i have recently put on the BARF diet.
What i would like to know is a little about the diet, like:
How it helps them?
Why its preferable over kibble?
Maybe some recipes?
Would i need to mix vegetables in it also? As otherwise he would be eating protein and nothing else?
Should i still give him kibble as well as Bones and Raw meat?
Can i feed him raw fish as well as meat?
And some additional info would be great, thanks

I’m seriously considering doing the raw diet for my dogs. I’ve read many a web page on the topic and I think I get the basic idea of how to go about it, but unfortunately, most of the sites were raw food retailers who sell in bulk and were pushing me to use their product and only gave me guidelines for the use of their product- nothing about how to do it on my own. I have a wonderful Italian market in my locale that sells every part of the animal you can think of, and at low prices. I think the average cost of a whole lamb liver is .50, and about the same price for gizzards and other body parts such as pigs feet and snouts. They also sell their meats at a great price (chicken is usually around per pound). So the tools are there, I just need to implement them. Can anyone reccommend a good online resource for a homemade raw diet? Or perhaps you prepare homemade raw foods for your pets and have valuable recipes/advice? I also have questions about feeding veggies- which ones are acceptable and do they have to be steamed before consumption (some sites say yes because steaming them brings out all the nutrients, but other sites say no because technically it’s no longer raw)? And is mixing in rice a good idea, and if so, which type of rice is best to use? And I’m kind of worried about feeding bones because while all the raw sites say it’s good to do that, many of my friends who have worked in a vet clinic before say that most of the dogs on a raw diet came in with torn intestines from the bones peices. Logic tells me they should be OK, but I’ve been scared by one to many people to just let this go without asking someone who has had succes with the raw diet. As always, any help is much appreciated and links are wonderful!

My dog loves cooked food. She hates dry food, although I buy her a good brand.
Some people believe that dry food is the best solution, because it is formulated to have the nutrients a dog needs.
Some other people believe that fresh high quality ingredients that we’d eat ourselves is the healthiest solution.
I give both opinions some basis. So I want to combine them, by cooking some food and adding some kibble in it, or giving her some cooked meals and some kibble when I don’t have time or ingredients to cook for her.
However, I want to make sure she gets the nutrients necessary in her cooked diet. What would you suggest? I cooked her chicken+chicken livers+rice today. With a few peas in it too. One day I had added pasta instead of rice.
How much rice or pasta is allowed so that she doesn’t have diabetes problem? How much and what type of veg should I add?
NOTE: 1. I know what foods are poisonous and must not be given, so don’t tell me.
2. I also know some people suggest raw food and bones, but I won’t do this so don’t tell me to do that.

I was asking a question last night about a cat food by Taste of the Wild and I had a couple answers that informed me of how bad dry food really is for cats…I was shocked to find this out. So apparently more canned food would be better or just switching to a raw diet. I would like to do the raw diet if someone can give me a good, easy, cheap recipe to do it. I also don’t have a meat grinder, so is that something you HAVE to have in order to feed raw since cats are supposed to eat a small amount of bones?

If you feed your cats raw, please list what foods you buy and how much you feed them daily and WHAT meats you feed them daily. Also, how much a month approx would it cost to raw feed 2 cats? Tell me all you know! I looked at some sites, but none were really explaining the types of meat to buy.

One last question-one of my cats is a kitten, would a raw diet give him all the nutrients he needs?

THANKS!
Ok, now i’m getting confused. Everyone was saying that a raw food diet is so much better because cats are carnivores and most of the proteins in dry food are plant proteins while proteins in canned food or raw diet are animal proteins.
I don’t want to risk them getting a disease from infected meat so I guess I will continue to offer them dry food at all times, I’m going to use Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline and then I’ll give them a canned food once a day…That sounds easier anyway. I just was curious about the raw food because everyone said it’s the healthiest for them.
I too know of several cats that lived solely off of dry foods and they lived to be 15+, I just thought maybe raw would be better…but I’m too afraid to do it because I’m afraid I wouldn’t get the right amounts of different nutrients etc.

whats are the pros and cons of feeding my dog the BARF (bones and raw food diet? is it cheaper than regular dry food from the store in the long run? ive been kind of reading about it and every website says like feed your dog meat like chicken, but i dont understand. are you supposed to go to wal-mart and by some chicken that humans would season and just give it to the dog?? can someone explain everything and leave some recipes or a website?? thanks soooo much, details appreciated!
i meant for not fir, i dont know how to change it :)

I have always thought that dogs were omnivorous with a carnivorous tendency.
I know lots of dogs don’t exactly get any meat since they live on dry dog food, but I am curious since I want to put my dog on a vegan/vegetarian diet if it is healthy.
If it isn’t healthy can you please tell me why?
I am sure people do do it but whether it is good for the dogs I am not sure.
And just to clarify I am not talking about putting my dog on a BARF (Bones and raw food) diet.
Thank you.
I really care about my dogs, that’s why I posted the question. At the moment they get fed probably better then most dogs, I coook for them three times a day and they ALWAYS have meat.
I was asking because I know that alot of people eat meat, but research shows vegetarianism and veganism is healthier if done correctly.
I was curious if this is the same policy for a dog.
Okay?

they are 7 and 9 weeks and have been on dry kibble but would like to introduce them to a raw food diet what food should they be having. is it true that they will eat bones and such like. Advice on meat that should be given and other bits….i am researching online aswell but it is nice to have advice of people who are feeding this diet.

I have a cat and two kittens, aside from the mother cat I’m fostering for the local shelter. My cat, Tigger, is a Maine Coon Cat that weighs 16 pounds. In some cases that can be a healthy weight for Maine Coons but she’s extreamly fat and none of the conventional diet food have worked for her, not even the vet recommended Medi-Cal. I’ve been doing research on BARF (Bones & Raw Food) diets thinking maybe that the lack of preservatives might do her some good. What do you think?

After reading about the raw food diet and looking into it more, I think I’m going to talk to my grandparents. So far, I know that you need meat, bones, and organs. I also know that they have to be given to in a certain amount of each. I also know that asking a vet wouldn’t matter, since they don’t study nutrition much in college.

I have two dogs. A 70lbs wolf mix, and a less than 5lbs chihuahua, and I plan on feeding them both the raw food diet. I already know that they eat raw food anyways, because I’ve seen them eating a rabbit, a rat, and a bird that my wolf mix killed. I feed them both Blue Buffalo right now, and I know that that is a good dog food, but I think a more natural diet would be better. I’ve read reviews, and seen that people have seen improvement in their dog’s energy and overall health. I just want to know every piece of information I possibly can, so I can present my grandparents with the facts.

Also, Blue Buffalo is about for a large bag. The bags last about, eh, a month and a half, give or take. How much would the raw diet cost us monthly? Basically, the dog food is, like, 0 a month.
I just read that online book, and now I am definitely getting my grandparents to get it. I cannot believe how in danger my dogs are. I didn’t even know they could live well into their 20′s! No doubt in my mind: I’m switching to raw food for our dogs.

My dad is 63 yrs old, he needs vitamins to boost his energy up and for stronger bones. What vitamin do ya think would be good for him? Also what kind of foods should he eat for energy and stronger bones?

I’ve been feeding my 10 week old puppy ORGANIX Puppy kibble and Castor & Pollux Natural ULTRAMIX Puppy canned food, but I’m considering switching to BARF (Bones and Raw Food) Diet, has anyone tried using this or currently using this?

Today I had a salad an a health drink called naked all natural super food. It’s the green one with kiwi broccoli chlorella, spirulina, echinacea and a whole bunch of other plants that are supposed to be good for you. But after eating it an hour later, I had a really bad headache and sore throat that turned into a fever. I am getting hot and cold over and over. I tried sleeping but i felt nauseated when I laid down. So i have been sitting up for 3 hours wondering when the headache will stop. I took 2 tynenol 500mg and my headache went away a little but it is still bad. I don’t know if I have the chills or if I am getting sick. I hope it’s not what I ate but I don’t know for sure. I put on a whole bunch of clothes to see If I need to sweat it on, and it’s working a little but I still don’t know what it is. I’ve been drinking tea with a little ginger, I am light headed and my bones ache really bad like I the morning after a hard workout. I am getting worried. I don’t know what it is.

Hi. I feed a raw food/raw bone diet to my cat for the past month.
Cat has had bad constipation.
My Question is- Bones or No Bones raw diet???
Which is best. I know the bones grounded up (mine are grounded up very well, to the size of sand almost it) are suppose to be good for the cat but now I am not so sure. I know it’s not worth my cat haveing constipation problems.
Thanks for any help. Do appreciate it. God bless.
p.s Yes I use fiber in the raw diet.
Physillum.

Ok so I’ve decided I want to try my cat on the raw food diet…I’ve been on the internet looking at all different sites and am a little confussed. I’ve seen on some sites the BARF diet which says its best to leave the bones and grind them up too then I’ve been to other and they said not to put the bones in and use a supplement powder…So which one is better or are they pretty much the same??
What do you give to your cats??
Also if you are feeding your cats a raw diet what sort of grinder do you have and does it grind bones??
I think that’s all I’m confussed with at the moment…thanks :-)

Hi. I just posted the Raw Bone Diet Recipe for cats.
If I need direct help, I guess I should have put ALL necessary info. Please forgive me. Ok, Here it is again in detail.
People who commented- will you please comment again…

Raw Bone Diet for Cats.

4.4 lbs. Raw Muscle meat w/bones (chicken)
14 oz.Raw Chicken Hearts
7 oz. Raw Liver
4 Raw egg Yokes
4 capsules of Glandular Capsules
4000 mg. salmon oil
800 iu Vitamin E
200 mg. Vitamin B Complex
1/4 t. Kelp
1/4 t. dulse
4 t. psyllium husk powder
400 mg. of additional Taurine to make up for what gets lost during storage.

Does this sound ok, Top Contributer (cat lady) I believe your name was.?????????
Would you please be willing to share your Raw reciepe with me also???? If not, that is Ok. Thanks, God bless.

I decided to try and switch my dogs dry food to a raw food intake. I did google the subject and i didnt find any cons to the raw food diet, plus, i never been comfortable with the dry food..
Anyone here feeds their dog raw food? i do leave in apartment building and we have carpet so i wont give him whole bones.
How can i transfer my dog to a raw diet food? should i do it right away or just add some raw ingredients to his food? My dog always liked veggies, like carrots and tomatoes. Does raw feeding gives dogs upset stomachs?

Deer necks (meaty) my dogs are power chewers but I don’t know if deer necks are "break bones" and if I’d need to remove the bones after they eat the meat?

Also can they eat beef gullet? Is that a good choice to buy?

Thank you in advance for the help.
These are raw not cooked. Dog food contains a ton of chemicals in it to give it an abnormally long shelf life. I choose to feed my dogs fresh natural food, safely though.

Do you think one could cut up deer,or have it ground..bones and all and feed it to our dogs? Also what about old,freezer burnt,or spoiled meat..Is it still feedable?

I have read a lot about feeding chicken to dogs but is turkey just as good?
Thank you!