raw foods: I was just pondering the thought of switching my dog over to a raw food diet, BARF, "raw" whatever you want to call it. What are the benefits and risks of a raw food diet? What IS it? What foods do I feed? He's a dachshund if that makes any difference. Is it expensive? Is it worth it? Basically, I'm just looking for someone with experience feeding raw who can tell me a little more about it. Thanks.|||I have no problem with prey model, but where does the fibre, etc. come from that would be eaten in the wild? From the prey model site:- "All of these prey animals are made up of bones, organs, muscle meat, skin, hide/hair/feathers, fat and other connective tissue. In the average prey animal, the ratio of these parts is approximately:...." But they then say to feed meat, bone and offal. So where's the fibre that would come from feathers or hair? In that respect, I disagree with the prey model.....and only in that respect, which is why I still feed a small amount of porridge to my dogs in the morning.....to mimic what they would naturally eat in the wild. I feed 60% Raw Meaty Bones, 10% offal, a small amount of porridge, and the rest other meats such as tripe, tinned fish, etc. (I can't afford real fish for myself, never mind the dogs!) The benefits are enormous. Dogs that are incredibly healthy......just one vet visit in 18 years of feeding raw......apart from spay and neuter. No bad skin, no gunky ears, etc., etc. My main Raw Meaty Bones are chicken wings or chicken carcasses. (Again, some people say there's too much bone there, but <in my opinion and my experience> the ratio of bone, skin and meat is approx 33% of each.....so not too much at all.) It costs very little for me to feed five dogs......25p per lb for chicken carcasses....for a dachshund it would be minimal cost for maximum results. Good luck!!!!|||If you can afford to feed your pet daily with raw meat, go for it. It's "healthier" because feeding your dog raw meats avoids the additives and fillers used in dog food. You could shoot for a high quality dog food if daily meats are too expensive. You can give them things like raw beef and chicken, and eggs, and even some veggies. Be sure to check with your vet first, or do lots of research so as not to feed your dog too much, not enough, or something that is not healthy.|||Check out this great website which not only goes over the best in dog foods, but also talks about raw diets. Great, great article. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/Nutr鈥?/a>|||There are quite a few people on here that feed raw and I'm hoping one of them answers you. I personally DON'T feed RAW, but I would highly consider it if I was in a different situation. I have 2 (nearly 3) small children and I just don't think I can honestly commit the time that it takes to track down the right foods, weigh and divide up portions, etc. I DO feed my dogs raw on occasion, but it is not exclusive. I feed high quality kibble instead. The people who feed it, swear by it. Healthy coats and teeth, less doggy smell, and the list goes on. When you get the right things from the right places, it isn't actually expensive. Most people feed raw meaty bones, liver, and other organ meat. If you can find a butcher in your area that will help you out...you are there. A lot of people have good success with the "leftover" parts such as chicken heads, necks, pigs feet, and organs. Many of these, the butcher has no need for, and so they will either give them away or sell them for cheap. The risks are similar to those who feed a kibble diet actually. Many dogs are infected with e. coli each year, not from a raw diet, but from commerical kibble. Any food you feed could potentially infect your dog. I'm not saying there are NO risks or even that the risk is lower...just that there is a risk in anything you feed. If you are concerned about parasites and viruses, freeze the meat for a few weeks first. You do need to make sure to feed outside or somewhere that you can wipe down easily. Hope that helps a bit if none of them see your question. Good luck. There are lots of places for information on the internet. @la vita~ yay...I knew someone would come along with the links. I also notice less poop. Overall when I switched to grain free kibble I immediately saw less poop, and when we feed raw...we see even less poop because they dogs are actually digesting and using what we feed them.|||Prey model is the best raw diet, as it properly replicates what canines would eat if they didn't have us to shop for them : ) I'll give you some links and a bit of info: http://www.rawfed.com/myths/preymodel.ht鈥?/a> http://preymodelraw.com/ http://www.rawmeatybones.com/ Dogs are carnivores. They are NOT omnivores, as some people say. They have the history, the physiology, and definitely the dentition of a carnivore. Hence, vegetation is not necessary whatsoever. It is filler and dogs do not derive any substantial nutritional value from vegetation. That is why I do not agree with the BARF diet. Benefits? Nutrition in it's most natural, pure, bioavailable form. Proper cleaning of the gums and teeth. A task that requires physical and mental attention. You control the ingredients, so you know exactly what your dog is getting. Your dog enjoys a healthy breakfast/lunch/dinner and you rest better knowing that you are giving him a great base to build from, improving his looks and immune system. Risks? If you don't wash your hands after handling raw meat, you can contaminate surfaces. But that is Kitchen 101. Despite what others say, RAW bones are perfectly edible and safe, as they are soft and malleable (cooking makes them brittle which leads to punctures of the esophagus and stomach) Basically, you feed raw muscle meat, raw meaty bones, and raw organs. 80% muscle meat 10% bone 5% liver 5% other organ meat You feed 2-3% of the dog's ideal adult body weight. (Just takes some quick math) I fed a grain-free kibble to my pup, and though he "looked" fine, he had constant, terrible gas, his stools were equally noxious, and he pooped ALL the time, and it was never solid. On prey model, he had minimal poop, NO gas at all, and his stools were small, compact, and I literally had to have my nose about a foot away to even smell them. Plus, chewing on chicken quarters made him slow down, not inhale his food, and take time to worry it over (which also cleans their teeth, by the way). Not expensive if you shop smart. I picked up a 30 lb. bag of Taste of the Wild High Prairie for about $38. That's $1.26 per pound. That's cheap for a whole POUND of food - you can barely get a pound of dried pasta these days for that price. By comparison, you can easily get away with paying $0.75-$1.50 per pound of raw meat/bones/organs, which is terrific for superior nutrition. Visit farmer's markets, butchers, watch for good sales on meaty bones (chicken quarters, whole chickens, ribs, drumsticks, etc.) Also don't turn down freezer burnt meat and venison that people advertise on craigslist. I just read that he's a dachshund - your food bill will be VERY minimal. I cannot recommend it enough, and I'm pleased that you want to feed him properly. I hope this helps you, and good luck! What is your dog's name? Is he a standard or miniature? What color? : ) EDIT: You have to keep in mind, too, that depending upon the prey, dogs will eat it differently. If they catch a larger ungulate, such as a deer, they will avoid the rumen and intestine contents. However, if they catch a bird or lagomorph, they generally just eat it whole. The concern over veggies and fiber and whatnot comes from the misguided belief that there is a dietary need for veggies, since wild canids occassionally consume vegetation in the form of partially/fully digested plant matter. However, that matter is minimal and not enough to compose a serious percentage of the canine's diet. As nellana pointed out, the inclusion of minimal feathers, possible horn, and other odds and ends of the carcass is not to be dismissed, but it certainly isn't a dietary NEED.|||Royal Canin has a dachshund breed specific diet that is a cost effective and well balanced diet that is designed to help eliminate or minimize problems within breed. www.royalcanin.us Human food and raw diets are not every well balanced for them cause they metabolize things differently than we do so you could be over working their liver and kidneys not to mention if not prepared or stored correctly you can cause GI infections that can be costly to treat. the link below goes into detail about some of the problems you could face but also give you a website that has recipes for diets if you decide to go that route that has been research and recommended by the AVMA http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles鈥?/a> regardless of which way you go a good multi vitamin such as Pet tabs or Missing Link is advised to ensure your pups immune system is healthy. http://www.missinglinkproducts.com/produ鈥?/a> www.pet-tabs.us the links below in the source section are a list of things you should avoid at all costs cause they are toxic to you baby along with some information about pet insurance. it is a reimbursement plan and i strongly advise getting it, it will save you in the long run trust me alot of our clients that have it have thanked me time and again for recommending it. I best of luck to you both.