# Favorite Raw Food????



## ksand24 (Nov 21, 2014)

I've been doing a lot of reading about raw food diets, but don't know if I feel comfortable enough making my own (at first anyway). Do any of you buy the frozen raw foods? If so, what are your brands of choice? There are so many to choose from…. 

Answers Detailed Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Aunt Jeni’s Home Made (Raw Frozen)
Bravo Balance Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Darwin’s Natural Selections (Raw Frozen)
Darwin’s ZooLogics (Raw Frozen)
Fresh Is Best Dog Food (Freeze-Dried)
Genesis RAW Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
K-9 Kraving Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Lotus Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen Diets (Raw Frozen)
Northwest Naturals (Raw Frozen)
Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried Raw (Freeze-Dried)
Nutrisca Raw Freeze Dried (Freeze-Dried)
OC Raw Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Primal Freeze-Dried Formula (Freeze-Dried)
Primal Pronto Raw Frozen Formulas (Raw Frozen)
Primal Raw Frozen Formulas (Raw Frozen)
Primal Raw Frozen Grinds (Raw Frozen)
Primal Raw Frozen Mixes (Raw Frozen)
Raw Bistro Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
SmallBatch Dog Food (Raw Frozen)
Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried (Freeze-Dried)
Stella and Chewy’s Raw Frozen (Raw Frozen)
Stewart Raw Naturals (Raw Frozen)
TruDog Dog Food (Freeze-Dried)
Vital Essentials Dog Food (Freeze-Dried)
Vital Essentials Dog Food (Raw Frozen)


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I usually make my own as it's more economical and I can control the ingredients. I also buy preground meat, bone, and organ mixes either from local farmers or a regionally available brand down here. There's a few threads on here that talk more about what I and other members feed if you want to get a better idea. There's also a fantastic facebook group called Vizslas, Raw and Natural where lots of members have posted "What's in the bowl" photos. I weighed everything religiously for the first 9 months, but after that you get a feel for proportions and feeding this way becomes second hand. You have few months to read up, but it's definitely normal to be overwhelmed at first!

I have used Primal frozen nuggets before and maybe some of their marrow bones, Vital Essentials freeze dried mixed with Honest Kitchen for camping trips. Vital Essentials make for really good training treats, btw. I was told that the local Schutzhund training group use those for tracking work a lot. I probably wouldn't use it alone though.
I've heard of Answers, Stella and Chewy's, Nature's Variety, and K-9 kraving and believe those are all fairly reputable.


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

Best decision for the longevity of your dog is to start your pup on raw.

Those pre-mixes are quite expensive. You can probably find a raw food pet store near you that supplies butcher block mixes of pre-ground meats, bones and organs. That is a good way to start.


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

I also assemble my own ingredients. We live in Los Angeles, so there are many ethnic markets that I can hit for economical bits.

All sort of chicken parts are good. We use al lot of drumsticks, feet, necks, hearts, gizzards, and chicken livers.

Beef heart is a staple. Beef liver, kidney, ribs, and necks are regular items.

Same with lamb parts. I don't feel a lot of pork, but some. And eggs, some raw whole in the shell, others with the whites cooked and yokes raw (too much raw albumen can bind to biotin) again with the shell.

He also eats a lot of "oily fish" like sardines, mackerel, pike, and scad. One needs to be careful with raw salmon and trout from the Pacific Northwest.

We also have access to a speciality butcher who caters to raw feeders. So we can get prized green tripe, tongues, head, legs, all sorts of organs like lungs, and other odd bits.

DIY is more work. But it is cost saving (if one can find the right sources). As mentioned above, this way you know what you are feeding. Also, by eating bigger pieces and chewing soft-bone the dogs get a bit of a workout and the teeth get well scrubbed.

There are a few items I can only get ground, and it does not deter me. But all things being equal I prefer whole.

It is good to research early. There are some differing opinions between people following say BARF vs Prey Model. I don't get too caught up in it. I feed by "condition," meaning I increase rations if the V is looking too thin and cut back if he looks too full. The bone, meat, and organ ratios become almost second nature and looking at the dog's stools is a good guide. Meat (and especially organs) make for looser stools, where bone firms them up. Too much either way and one adjusts.

I don't want to oversell doing RAW. It takes work and/or expense, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is the best possible thing I could do for my Vizsla. He's worth it!

Let us know how we can help. Sorry, but I can't speak to the quality of any of the commercial offering.

Bill


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

BTW, the standard advice is to start simply and without too much (or any) variety of protein sources. And to go slow on the organs. Otherwise the dog may get diarrhea. Most people start with chicken and get stable with it for a time before adding the next thing (again slowly).

I pushed the variety a little prematurely, which did lead to a few loose stools. Nothing serious, but....

If you use a pre-mix, see if there is a "simple one" to start. You might find doing your own is actually an easier start.

Bill


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## ksand24 (Nov 21, 2014)

Bill -
Thank you so much for the detailed response. Very appreciated! I live in a pretty remote area, so access to a specialty butcher is not an option. We hunt a variety of game, but wouldn't be getting anything until fall, and I'm getting my V in May or June. I will probably start my pup on one of the commercial raw brands (until I hear a reason not to), and work into making my own when I get the resources. I will definitely shoot ya an email if I have questions. Thanks for the advice on starting with a simple mix


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

ksand24 said:


> Bill -
> Thank you so much for the detailed response. Very appreciated! I live in a pretty remote area, so access to a specialty butcher is not an option. We hunt a variety of game, but wouldn't be getting anything until fall, and I'm getting my V in May or June. I will probably start my pup on one of the commercial raw brands (until I hear a reason not to), and work into making my own when I get the resources. I will definitely shoot ya an email if I have questions. Thanks for the advice on starting with a simple mix


My pleasure. The key to feeding economically, I thnk, is to figure out the local conditions. For me that means exploiting the opportunities in a city. If I only went to supermarkets that catered to upper-middle class suburbanites for my raw ingredients my V would have paltry offerings and the costs would be prohibitive. So Asian markets and Latino markets and Middle Eastern markets are my friends.

Those living in rural agricultural areas often forge links with ranchers and farmers. You might hunt and/or get "parts" from other hunters you know that they won't eat (but the V might love). It is all about being creative.

Read up on game. I'm no expert, but some animals present risks for parasites if fed raw. Some things Are fine if frozen for a certain length of time. Some things you may wish to cook. 

If the pre-mix gives you a stable base you can add to when you have the opportunity, no harm in that. This way of feeding can be a fun and challenging adventure. I never would have guessed that I get all excited about scoring some lung or trachea or something like that. But there you have it.

Bill


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

Sorry this is coming out in drabs, the coffee is starting to kick in , 

One thing you may think about doing, even if using a ground pre-mix forms your "base" is to give some amount of raw meaty bones (RMBs) to eat while supervised, just so the V gets used to "chewing" rather than just "gulping." This is important both for safety reasons and for dental hygiene and for physical/mental stimulation. 

Chicken necks are good for this (but are a choking hazard and need to be watched) and drumsticks are too. As a young puppy a drumstick gave Chester quite a workout. Now he can demolish one in no time, and I now often give them frozen to (slightly) increase the work.

Bill


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