Comments on: Switching To Raw

By: Salmon Poisoning Disease Can be Deadly for Dogs

Salmon Poisoning Disease Can be Deadly for Dogs — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:06:38 +0000

[...] few months ago I wrote a post called Switching to Raw and in the comments of that post one of my readers commented that he was under the impression that [...]

By: Anal Glands: Is it Time to Evacuate?

Anal Glands: Is it Time to Evacuate? — Tue, 18 May 2010 07:53:03 +0000

[...] late 2008, never comfortable feeding my dogs commercial kibble, I switched them back to a raw meaty bones diet, and Sweety who is now going on 15 years old, has not had to have her anal glands expressed [...]

By: Is Your Dog’s Health Worth More Than a Starbucks Latte?

Is Your Dog’s Health Worth More Than a Starbucks Latte? — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:17:08 +0000

[...] If you’re a savvy shopper, you’ll be able to find even cheaper ways to feed raw. I’ve mentioned a few places to buy raw in yesterday’s post. [...]

By: The Raw Knowledge: A Starting Point

The Raw Knowledge: A Starting Point — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:25:25 +0000

[...] tomorrow’s post I’ll talk about how to go about switching your dog over to a raw diet. It’s easier than you [...]

By: What Are You Feeding Your Wolf? : Raw Feeding Series

What Are You Feeding Your Wolf? : Raw Feeding Series — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:23:14 +0000

[...] Switching your dog to a raw food/bones diet. [...]

By: 5 Raw Meaty Bones Feeding Questions, Answered

5 Raw Meaty Bones Feeding Questions, Answered — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:22:44 +0000

[...] wrote here to follow the Nike approach and “Just Do It!” The same approach Tom Lonsdale recommends [...]

By: Jim (Doggybytes.ca)

Jim (Doggybytes.ca) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:55:03 +0000

Thanks for your input Diane.

There really are a ton of options, feeding your dog raw does not have to break the bank. I think I might look into my own grinder one day soon and make my own food. Keeping some whole raw meaty bones in the diet of course, for periodontal health.

By: Jim (Doggybytes.ca)

Jim (Doggybytes.ca) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:55:03 +0000

Thanks for your input Diane.

By: diane

diane — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:32:52 +0000

Great post! You're absolutely right – just do it! I finished kibble one day, switched to raw the next. I don't feed pre-packaged – I have two dogs with a combined weight of over 160 lbs, so it is way too expensive.I started with chicken, let them settle in with that for a couple of weeks, then added beef. A couple of weeks later, added pork. Now, I mix each meal with many different things.

I did do so prep – got myself a freezer (check kijiji for great used freezers). I found an asian market that had cheap chicken quarters. I bagged the meat into daily portions. I still remember the first meal they ate – I was so fascinated, yet grossed by the sound of crunching bone! Now, I've gotten so used to it, I throw any kind of meat down – tongue, esophagus, tripe. No problem.

Butchers are great – if you develop a relationship with them you never know what they'll throw in. I once got a whole garbage bag full of chewing bones…free! Asian markets are a great resource, and so are some of the discount stores (No Frills, Price Chopper). I know people who get freezer burned meat from kijiji and Craigslist – I just haven't found the time to do that! But if you're creative, and make lots of raw feeding friends, switching to raw isn't any more expensive than premium kibble (which for me cost $45 per week!).

By: GoPetFriendly1

GoPetFriendly1 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:44:47 +0000

Yes Jim, I did mean the Honest Kitchen! I guess I was getting a little tired! Since we've switched the food a couple of weeks ago we haven't done any edible bones – mostly because we have quite a bit of snow, it's darn cold, and I can't have the dogs eating them on the living room rug! Once the weather gets nicer, or we go somewhere more conducive, we're planning to give them bones a couple of times a week.