You will love PMR!! I say go for it!

Its so much more fun for both you and the dogs, plus cheaper and you can source locally if you are good at making friends with butchers, etc., not to mention the dental benefits! :smile:

 

This will be interesting since I am not a meat eater and will def have to make friends with "the butchers". What are the best ways to purchase raw other than co-ops? It is hard to find anyone in my area doing the "raw way" )

 

My little guy is so EXTREMELY picky that it's on the border of insanity, lol. My concern is will he go for the raw. Does anyone just feed organic raw? It seems this would be a really expensive form of feeding but what I've read on here seems otherwise. Also, do I understand correctly that you do not have to supplement on PMR?

 

I forgot to add, a lot of people on here also struggle with picky eaters. I am fortunate that my dog is part piglet :biggrin: But basically no dog will starve itself, so if you start and he's not eating, you can always try what we call 'tough love.' If he doesn't eat it, take it away after 15 minutes, and don't feed anything until the next meal. Sometimes when you start raw, another thing is that some dogs don't know how to eat it. You have a Frenchie too, and we all know how tough life can be for them :biggrin: He may have to learn how to use his jaw muscles and figure out how to eat. It's as much a learning experience for them as it is for us sometimes.

Another option for raw meats might be local farms. I found a couple in my area, some even do bulk orders, which is too bad because I have zero freezer space...

Many of us supplement with salmon oil for omega-3's, but for the most part, that's it! :smile:

 

I feed organic raw, or try to mostly. Whether or not you can afford it is up to you and the prices in your area. My dog is also only 12 lbs, so feeding organic is doable. Sometimes I don't feed organic if I can't find it at a decent price, but I try.

You will find on here that many of us are supportive of grass fed meats as well, and ultimately it's not the organic vs. non-organic that matters, as much as it is feeding a species appropriate diet of fresh foods.

 

This is good to know...unfortunately, there are only 2 places in my area to buy organic and meats come already pre-packaged boneless.

 

A good butcher can be your best friend. We were really struggling here....but we ultimately turned to: cheap deals at the grocery store, restaurant caterers and providers, and our awesome butcher - who we definitely had to search around for! Now we are so lucky to have him though. (and this is feeding a dog over 100 lbs)

Also, if there are co-ops in your area, go for it....you can get lots of exotic stuff (later on of course), but around here, it's mostly too expensive to go through them.

 

No co-ops here already checked but there is one 2 hrs away. Don't know how convenient that would be. I will prob have to just start buying at our local Publix or another grocery for now. I do have about a month left of Stella and Chewy's but want to get everything ready for "the change" )

 

Alot of folks just get meat from the grocery store. I don't belong to a co-op, I buy from ethnic supermarkets, the grocery store, and a company (My Pet Carnivore) that sells raw for dogs. I get all the good stuff from them like spleen, pancreas, rabbit, etc.

My dog with the environmental allergies still has them - sneezing, runny eyes, etc. Raw helped alot, but not that.

good luck, if you go to raw with your dog you won't be sorry.

 

Thanks so Much! We are looking forward to the winter because mostly his allergic reactions to the outside world are due to any and about every kind of weed out there. So, here's to the cold killing them all!!! The side effects from his allergies are skin breakouts with hair loss He acts fine and happy but wears the signs. It looks like the local grocery stores are going to be the best for us to begin with especially since you start out on chicken.

 

before got my dog to raw...we never go to butchers or check out meats! after couple trips since u have to ask about chicken necks, backs, parts that most ppl dont want...most likely butchers or staff there will remember u! :wink: then u'll realize what days the fresh bones/meats comes out & easier for u to get them..trust me...u want bony meats so he wont get loose stools & bad teeth/breath...Penny's plaque from kibble already scrapped off from the raw bones!

be careful of the ingrediants on the PMR because most of the time they add supplements, fruits & vegetables etc which ur dog may not digest it anyways...check out if the brand offers meats & organs only...

 

This is great because I am not a connoisseur of meats by any means. I don't eat meat myself so need guidance. I have about a month left of Stella and Chewy's and diving into PMR. I have given so much food away the last couple of months due to my picky little eater that I'm adamant about finishing what's left...tired of seeing money wasted. You are correct about premade there are added fruits and veggies but picked the best on the market I could find.

 

welcome to the forum and welcome to raw....

 

Thank You!

 

Grass fed yes.

As someone from a ranching family who produces natural beef, I would not go organic. Here's why: organic means that you cannot worm your livestock. Or vaccinate your breeding stock. At. All. I am very not okay with that. Even with vaccines we still lose lambs to chylamidia via abortion or being born with nasty water bloat and other disgusting things. Brucellosis is cattle is no bueno. And coccidiosis is a constant battle even with feeding decox to the sheep in their salt. We lost close to 10 lams this spring to coccidiosis and we are a very small scale, clean operation. Granted this year was worse than usual, but do you see my point?

I do believe antibiotic/hormone free is the way to go. If we have to treat any of our calves for pneumonia or whatnot, they drop out of our program and are sold at the regular stock sale instead of being sold locally under our business name. We bale our own hay mostly or buy from other local ranchers and grow our own oats to feed the ewes and lambs in winter/spring (we lamb in february). But we aren't going to sit back and watch our animals die when we can save them and let them have a good life until they are ready to eat. Our breeding stock have awesome lives... better than most pet animals out there I have to say.

There is a LOT of misinformation out there about the meat industry. Just stay away from factory farmed stuff, go antibiotic/hormone free, and buy from local producers whenever possible. That is MUCH better than buying some fancy organic label shipped in from god knows where. :wink:

 

That is MUCH better than buying some fancy organic label shipped in from god knows where. :wink:

Totally esp from China...u DO NOT want to know how the meat was rasied & fed...n this is from me born in China...god bless ppl who ate them...

 

So, am I being foolish thinking this seems to be moderately easy for the most part...as long as my dog goes for it??? This will be raw meat with bone and eventually introduce organ meat and supplement with omega's only. It seems to be an exciting next step for a better life for my youngin)

 

It's pretty darn easy if you go slow in the beginning and don't try to rush the process. :wink:

 

"We" have two Frenchies that "we" feed PMRaw!:biggrin: :thumb: (Ok, ok, they are my parents....but they are my little brother and sister so I claim them as well!:tongue1

First there is Hubbers(My "little brother", ie my Dad's dog,) he is 3, was started on raw last month and thinks it is the best thing since....well since raw meat!LOL :laugh: He, of course being a Frenchie, has always had sensitivities to food, we never even thought about raw...just changed is food every 6 months or so("high quality kibble")...but he never LOVED to eat...it was just something that he had to do!! Now he starts DROOLING when my Mum is prepping dinners!LOL He has also always had quite bad seasonal and grass/weed allergies...my Mum is now VERY rarely even giving him his allergy meds!:biggrin:

Then there is little Jazzmyn(my "little sister", ie my Mum's dog,) she will be 10 weeks old tomorrow and was started on raw as of 2 weeks ago Sunday!:biggrin: She LOOOOVES her meals, eats them with gusto(something that her breeder who had her on krapple said she didnt do...although she IS a gulper)and is a WONDERFUL little princess...ok Im going a wee bit over board...but Im a little partial to her!LOL We are hoping to be able to keep all of her allergies at bay and never have to deal with them like we have with Hub!:smile: :thumb:

Anyways...Just figured I would throw in my $.02! ;=) I know that with my 3 boys and these 2(and our combined 3 cats) we would/will NEVER leave PMRaw!!

 

Oh, it is sooo GREAT to hear from you!!! I was so wanting to hook-up with a Frenchie owner on here or well sister to Frenchies, lol. My little booger has been the same way...never cares or gives any thought to meal time...like it's a chore. He seems to like Stella and Chewy's for now until I make the transition. Let me tell you how he loves whatever we are eating though. The crazy thing is my dog LOVES fruits...apples, bananas, blueberries, etc eats them raw like candy. So, how did your brother, Hubbers, adjust...did he go for it right away? My little sweetie is beyond picky. Thank You for the pics and posting!!!

 

OMG all of the Frenchie's are killing me! They on my "must have" list!

 

They are on my "must have another list", lol!!!

 

now i'll jump in....abi you crack me up.

i have two dogs. one is a pug, the other is a corgi mix. between the two of them, they eat slightly less than a pound of pound of food per day.

i also have two and a half freezers, and my husband and i get one drawer...

poo discussions run amok on this site and we get into some detail, don't we abi....

that's half the fun of feeding raw.....poop and teeth and health.

some of us started with backs, some drumsticks, some quarters...depends on the amount you're starting out with...which is determined by the weight of your dog, 2% of the body weight less some because in the beginning, less is better for the first little while

we watch the stools because that is the indication of how well they are adapting...too loose, add more bone, too crumbly, add more meat.

i think you'll do fine.

 

Thank Ya and your info helps! I'll be feeding .58 and looking forward to the change. Hope Yogi will do great on it!

 

I have a question and hopefully no one beats me up too bad for asking...haha. When I switch to PMR is it ok for my dog to eat some raw fruits and veggies...only because he is nuts over them. Actually, maybe when I start feeding him raw meat he will say bye bye to such morsels.

 

Brody still gets the OCCASIONAL raw carrot slice.
But that is only when Daddy is being naughty and wants to give him all that unneeded sugar!:wink:

I think it will be a while for me also and will start slowly. My dog is allergic to pork and venison so those are out. Call me crazy but don't know if I can feed him wittle wabbits)

Also, have you *tried* raw pork and venison? As allergy test, test for COOKED meats...which have different properties!:wink: (Brody is HIGHLY allergic to chicken, cooked chicken that is, Im talking hives, hair loss, red/itchy/hot-to-the-touch skin, but he is TOTALLY and absolutely fine with raw chicken!:thumb

 

i don't have a problem shopping at my asian stores...my favourite chinese restaurant sent me to their supplier and it's like this hole in the wall but man, they have stuff...

and the other place we go is like any other supermarket and have the best fish and odd stuff, like goat and lamb and parts of animals i don't usually find....

but it took a while before we went outside the norm before feeding them the more exotic stuff....

 

I think it will be a while for me also and will start slowly. My dog is allergic to pork and venison so those are out. Call me crazy but don't know if I can feed him wittle wabbits)

 

Many of the dogs that are allergic to a processed or cooked meat are perfectly fine on that same meat raw so I would not write off pork or venison right away. Lots of dogs are supposedly alergic to chicken but do great on raw chicken.

As for the fruits/veg, I definately wouldn't give any during transition as they could cause loose stools also your little guy doesn't eat much. I hate to waste my little dog's tummy space with fruit or veg as I prefer she eat good meat, organ and bone, which is more benficial to her. We have been on raw a little over a year and once in a while she will beg banana or peanuts from family members and its not a big deal but she got nothing extra at first.

 

This little dog loves his bananas, apples and blueberries...eats them raw...loves to take a whole apple or banana to his bed and chow down. I will def take them off the menu when we start the transition. Pork I am scared to even attempt at trying since he is HIGHLY allergic but venison is borderline for him on allergies.

 

I have one VERY important question for our household that is held SUPREME in our little nugget's eyes. :biggrin:What do you feed on PMR for treats...raw small pieces? Our doggie will think he is being punished if treats are taken out of his diet. Now, please don't think I overload on these little morsels but everytime my dog comes in from going out to pottie a treat is expected. :angel:

 

I have a condo Doxie. Whenever we go to out to potty and come back, I give him a tiny piece of boneless chicken, fish, or heart out of a small container I keep in the fridge. I normally just open the container, flip the lid over, grab a spoon, put his "treat" on the lid, and serve it like that! Zero clean-up (except for the spoon).

For outdoor activities, you will probably do well with dehydrated chicken pieces.

 

I love to train so I always took whatever protein they were on and diced it then dehydrated it in my oven. So at first I took chicken brest, diced and dehydrated these for treats, then turkey, pork, beef, and lamb lung. Now lamb lung is the all time favorite along with diced/dehydrated chicken. Honestly this is really easy, makes a ton (I have 6 dogs) and much, much cheaper than commercial treats.

 

This is great and been saying for a while I wanted to start dehydrating our own treats. This sure all seems a lot easier than making homemade food like I was doing! Commercial is just ridiculous for the few that come in the bag!

 

YAYYYYY! Another frenchie owner! As soon as I saw your username I knew it would be about a frenchie

I feed premade raw. I just don't have the freezer space in my studio apartment for keeping fresh meats on hand I am going to try to supplement with some RMB's once a week or so.


I love Yogi. And Abi I love your moms new one soooooo much lol.


Here is my raw fed frog dog, Murph:

 

LOVE it, I was so hoping to connect with some Frenchie owners. Cutie, Murph!!! You got me, name was totally in reference to our wonderful breed!!! eace: I am also feeding premade raw at this time but intending to make the transition in about a month. I want to be totally ready when the day comes where I just open the freezer. We, unfortunately, had a bad episode arise with allergies right when he turned 1yr. What brand are you feeding cutie Murph? We are on Stella and Chewy's.

 

when we are making our salad, be it fruit or veggie....my pug is right there to catch what we drop...

we just don't feed it on a regular basis...as part of the diet. bubba only gets under 6 oz per day....so i'm not going to waste valuable food real estate.....if i can help it.

as to allergies. none of my dogs did well on chicken kibble. my old lady didn't do well on cooked beef.

they both do super wonderful on raw anything. even wabbits.

 

That seems to be the norm...allergic to certian meat but not when given raw. Love that "food real estate".

 

Murph is on Northwest Natural's.

While I prefer to not have fruits/veggies, he was really having trouble keeping weight on with Vital Essentials, which was 99% meat, bone, organ, and 1% kelp.

This new brand we are using is like 80% meat I believe. His weight is good. Still not chubby, think he dropped a pound from the 1 or so month inbetween that he was on kibble, but he's not too thin either. Nice balance.

 

My problem finding premade for Yogi was his allergy to kelp and if they didn't have kelp they had peas. I was looking into Paw Naturaw Raw Frozen Grinds (B.A.R.F.) until PMR. I'm going to try and take the leap

 

we go to our favourite asian market for fish...

herring, mackerel, anchovies (in season) and sardines have the lower amounts of mercury and the highest in omega threes.

we buy them frozen, not fresh...since i'd be freezing them anyway.....and they are cheaper that way.

 

Too bad there are no asian markets where I live. I see your south of Seattle...how wonderful!

 

I know, I might be driving ya'll crazy with all these questions. :wacko: I'm totally inquisitive and research like a mad woman. I REALLY should get paid for it, lol.

Yogi loves bullysticks...can't begin to express how much...on PMR is that a thing of the past and replaced with raw meaty bones? Also, are bullysticks just a no no???

 

when i first started raw.....there were questions about if there were only one protein you could feed which one would it be...

and across many forums, it was venison....

having fed my dogs venison now for almost two years....i have to say that if there were only one protein i could feed, i would also choose venison.

but you try it in a tiny piece.....and see if there's a reaction....

that's what we do with all new proteins.

right now, my honey is cleavering some emu scrap. my dogs have never had it before.

before i feed it, they will get a dime sized piece and i will increase until i see no reaction...

i did the same with goat, rabbit, venison, beef, turkey, and any other proteins, exotic or not.....

during transition, my opinion is to give no bullysticks, no treats that are not raw or dehydrated raw

 

I'm hoping he will not have a reaction to venison because that is so easy to obtain here. We are over flowing with deer...they're like squirrels now...everywhere. The best thing is to feed raw meat in very small portions as treats or dehydrated, correct? Will there be a time to introduce bullysticks or will raw meat bones replace?

 

It just dawned on me that Yogi already eats raw salmon, sardines and eggs with his premade raw patties. Really hoping it will be an easy transition and my boyfriend - Yogi's daddy - will have no objections. I read that you should give your dog at least one raw egg a week with shell...is this true? Also, what kind of eggs are best...chicken, quail, etc?

 

after my dogs were fully transitioned, i brought bullysticks and antlers back in for when they are crated....and i have to go somewhere...it keeps my pug from eating the blankets.

some people feed eggs daily.....some once in a while..

my kids won't eat the shell, so every once in a while they get an egg....mainly because i have so many proteins, i forget about eggs, not because they shouldn't have them.

it's my co op's fault...they are constantly bombarding us with goodies LOL

 

I have never heard of anyone...pet or human eating egg shells...at least I don't think I have until now. I read feeding them one egg a week keeps the doctor away...like the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away":tongue: