How we’re BARFing

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the dogs

we’re starting out with a basic 60% RMB and 40% veg. right now their RMB’s consist of mostly chicken leg quarters and wings because that is what is easily available at Alberton’s. When we get our co-op order they will be on a mix of chicken necks, turkey wings, mackeral, and greentripe.com tripe & organ meat blend. right now we’re trying to stick with what we know the dogs will like and tolerate well. we already know they do not respond well to pork or beef, so we’re avoiding those. within the next few months we’re looking to add cod, lamb, duck, and possibly buffalo or rabbit to the mix.

other than what the dogs will like the only other rule we have when it comes to RMB’s is that it is economical, and that we have room for it. we’re very lucky to have a large deep freeze that we inherited, but nonetheless we simply do not have the room for several different types of meat in 40lb boxes. Like most people we have a budget to worth within. my personal guideline is that we not spend more than $80 per month including meats, veg, and supplements. this is affordable to us, and well within reach. buying meat from a co-op saves us a ton of money, and then it’s just a matter of looking for sales, and knowing where to shop. when I get to the grocery store I look for sales on canned or frozen veg. otherwise I have a small family run veg. market nearby to shop at which is much better on prices than the chain markets generally speaking.

their diet breaks down like this:

AM: veg. mix + supplements
PM: RMB’s

supplements:
Missing Link canine
Trader Joe’s Ester-C (1,000 – 1,500mg per dog)
Trader Joe’s Natural Vit. E (200IU per dog)
Plain Yogurt
Fish Oil

So every morning they get their veg mix. today we had potato, carrot, zucchini, and banana. The day before that they had yams, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, broccoli, and peas. When we first started out doing this a month ago I would mix up enough veg. for 2 days, put it in the freezer and then defrost as needed. I still do that if I know I won’t have time to prepare it freshly. there’s nothing wrong with doing that and it makes things a lot easier time-wise. But…I broke my blender! apparently my veg. were a bit too much for it. it smoked and arced, and that was that! it was the $18 special at target, so I can’t really complain. until then we’re mashing up (by hand) steamed or canned (make sure they’re salt free!) veggies until I have time to buy a replacement blender (and hopefully one that’s more sturdy). Idealy though for best vitamin content you should use fresh/frozen veggies that haven’t been cooked, just pureed, so that they can be digested. To this we add 1 chicken liver, 1 chicken egg (sans shell), 1 – 4oz tin sardines packed in veg. oil (we add the oil as well). sometimes I add garlic, but not more than 1 or 2 times a week since the Missing Link already contains it and they get that daily.

I know some people don’t believe in feeding the vegetable mush, but I think it’s an important source of vitamins and minerals and our dogs really love it. it’s super easy to mix their supplements into as well, so that makes it easier on me. We do avoid grains as Hunny has grain allergies, so instead we use potato, sweet potato, or yams; not every day, but 2-3x a week. We may eventually do away with the supplements, but for now they’re kind of our “safety net”, or at least they make me feel safer, lol. we have been using the Missing Link for a long time and really like it, but everything else we may eventually give up or use less frequently.

At night they get their RMB meal. no supplements, just Raw Meaty Bones.

the cat

this is the recipe we have been using with the cat. I have made a few alterations; I replace some of the ground chicken with fish (salmon), and I add 1/4c plain yogurt to the mix.

Raw Kitty Food Recipe
Courtesy of:
Dr Susan Beal

4 pounds muscle meat (ground turkey, chicken, beef,….)
1 pound heart and gizzards, ground
2 pounds liver, chopped or ground

1 3/4c veggies

1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil (or olive and canola)
A handful of chopped fresh parsley
4 or 6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

Cook the grains, and vegetables (if needed for palatability). Add all to
the meat mixture and combine well. The amount of oil needed will depend
on the fat content of the meats used. You may have to add some water to
the mixture, depending upon whether the meat is fresh or has been
frozen.

Add food grade bone meal at the rate of one teaspoon per cup of meat
used. (One Tablespoon per pound of meat used).

Portion, and freeze more than a few days’ supply.

We also suggest this diet be supplemented with a Vitamin/Trace mineral
supplement such as NuCat, as well as some additional Vitamin C with
rosehips (about 250 mg morning and night).
There are many other beneficial supplements you may add to you kitties’
diets, as well as many special needs supplements. These will vary with
the individual.

the NuCat supplement and bone meal used in this were easy to find on amazon and reasonably priced.

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The Usual Suspects

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a brief introduction

So what is this all about? this is about our journey from a house that fed high end premade pet foods to a raw (also know as “Bones And Raw Foods” or “Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods” – “BARF”). Until the little thing I like to call “the never ending recall” we were dedicated kibble feeders. I remember the exact moment I was pushed out of my lovely, insulated, white tower of safety; it was when Natural Balance began recalling foods. Granted they aren’t the best, but there was a time when we fed them, and given the brands recalled to that point it was really quite a blow to me. A food I’ve used and recommended to others recalled!? well guess we’re not so safe in our ivory tower of premium dog food. that was the point we decided to put our dogs and cat on a BARF diet.

some background

we attempted feeding a BARF diet several years ago, but found it price prohibitive because we did not have a co-op through which to buy bulk meats through. However, even though we went back to kibble I incorperated some aspects of it into our feeding routine. Namely at least 2 days a week they would get some kind of protien (fish & usually either chicken or turkey), and on 2 other days a veggie “mush”. I honestly think that doing this has enabled our dogs a much smoother transition to a completely raw diet than had we not been doing it.

the “kids”

age: 11 / sex: female-spayed weight: 85lbs
allergies, medical conditions, etc: grain & airborne allergies; severe arthris in hips; stomach ulcer
hunny’s story: Hunny is my second dog who came into our home when I was 14. she was absolutely The Worst puppy I have ever had; completely destroyed everything (and I mean *everything*), but she got all her “bad” out that first year and has been the best, most trustworthy dog we’ve ever had. PS- hunny is scared of camera’s, so getting a picture of her is rather tough

age: 7 sex: female-spayed weight: 45lbs
no known allergies or medical conditions
edie’s story: edie found us in 2001. from all accounts she did not have a very good life before then, and I strongly suspect that she was abused at some point. we do know that she was dumped on the roadside, and then was hit by a car, which broke her leg. she was picked up by LA county animal control, and adopted to a woman who left her in a dog run and didn’t feed or water her on a daily basis. she was rescued from that by a friend of ours, and we brought her home. we don’t know her exact age, but estimate she’s about 7. she looks like a golden retriever, but it very small, only weighing about 40-45lbs. I don’t know if that’s due to lack of proper care at an early age, or she’s some kind of mixed breed & the size she’d be either way. she’s a love though. I honestly don’t know how anyone could be cruel to her. all she wants in life is to cuddle w/ her humans. she’s not ill behaved in the slightest.

Riley
age: 1 year sex: male-altered
allergies, medical conditions, etc: allergic to fillers/by-products
Riley’s story:we actually had no intention of adopting him. we had seen his brother on petfinder.com, but he just wasn’t for us. the litter was born to a ferral mother, and all were very leary of humans. his brother, though a lovely cat, was just too much for us to take on; he needed someone more well addapted at turning him into a non-ferral cat. But we did see Riley, and james just said “that’s the one!”, and we ended up bringing him home. When we got him the adoption group cautioned us that he had “food allergies”, but were unable to tell us what exactly. When I inquired as to what he was being fed (Iams & whiskas wet food) that kind of explained itself. I tossed that bag of Iams so fast! once he was on a premium food his bowel movements were solid, and his coat went from dry and brittle to soft and silky. for a cat he’s very affectionate. he’s still unsure of strangers, but he’s quicker to come around, and he’s very attached to us.

Pepper
age: 5 months sex: female
allergies, medical conditions, etc: allergic to nuts
Pepper’s story:the newest addition to the house hold! I’m a boxer fanatic, and after we lost our first boxer almost a year ago to cancer I knew that some day I wanted another one. I love all my animals immeasurably, but boxers steal my heart. I found a breeder I liked through the AKC, and we found Pepper. The breeder wanted her to go to a home where she’s just be a pet because of her small size (though honestly if she’s the runt of her litter, I’m scared of what her other siblings look like!). before we got her the breeder did a great job with her, and I’m confident she got the best start in life. she is absolutely the “life of the party” in this house, and her and Riley LOVE to play.

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