Update on Kofi's raw feed
Submitted by Carol and Griffin on July 11, 2010 - 9:41amKofi is starting on week four today of eating raw. She had no chronic problems before, but had lost interest in her kibble. I had to mix it with food and she was getting yeasty in her nose rope and eye buggers causing beginning of tear stains.
Week one showed that those problems were getting better. I swear, her coat looked fuller and healthier too. She loved it from day one!
I'm beginning to relax a bit more, and this past week I've been giving her a couple of whole chicken necks for her noon time snack or a chicken wing. I hold on to it as long as I can and praise her when I hear the crunch. Once she gets it from me, she'll chew some and then it's quickly gone.
We've been mostly on ground up chicken,i.e, backs and liver and some veggie glop mixed in. Cod liver oil, unprocessed, enzymes and we're good to go. I'll update the nutrients as soon as I read a little more on the subject.
Bottom line, we are both enjoying this. It is so much more simple than I thought.
Thanks to Cathy, Judy and all who have offered their help.
I'll keep you posted. I plan to have some blood work done soon.
Oh I forgot to mention that she had a few spots appear this spring and the vet said it was allergies (big problem down here for people and bullies). Those cleared by the second week.
If Sophie were my only dog, I would try raw.
But with a 104 pound Doberman, I think it would be cost prohibitive to me right now. But, should I ever have just Sophie, I would try it. I wouldn't watch her eat though!!!
Amy and Sophia
you should look for a co-op
if the dobi weighs 104lbs and needs 2% of that every day, even with meat that's $1.29 lb it would only cost around $80 per month. Considering what high quality kibble costs, it may not be as expensive as you think it would be. Also consider fewer health issues. My 13 yr old dog has improved so dramatically, I just can't believe it!
Cathy and Audrey
Lol, honestly the way I prepare her food
It looks good enuf for me to eat (not raw tho'). I'm only getting in to giving her the raw parts. I become so engrossed in wanting her to crunch and chew (cleaning her teeth) that I don't even think about the rawness of it. I do grind most of what she eats and it actually looks more appetizing than her other food did. Interesting book by Carina Beth MacDonald: Raw Dog Food Make it easy for you and your dog. She has two rotties, doberman and a few rescues from time to time.
If you ever decide to try it, she has some very practical advice. She broke down the cost at feeding six lbs per day to feed 360 lbs combined to $85 dollars as opposed to $100 for premium kibble. Price per month. Don't forget chicken nicks, backs and organ meats are pretty reasonable.
Anyway, I'm having lots of fun. Kofi is happy, so I'll keep you posted.
raw should be fun
to me its the best bonding time.....dinner time...i get my supper going and they get their supper....i feed 4 dogs average weight 54 lbs.....it took talking to my local butcher a few times....and now i get 100lb of chicken for 85 cents a pound...so thats 85 dollars for my chicken....and maybe another 30 dollars for bones and add on....not any more expensive then a good bag of kibble for 4 dogs....