Abulafia (03-30-2017)
I fed my dog kibble for 6 years because, like you, I didn't think I would do BARF right. Now, I wish I didn't feel that way and switched earlier. It's really not that difficult. You can find the guidelines on the internet but I strongly recommend starting with this book: https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Natural-N...ywords=raw+dog
Cookie Black Snowflake
July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.
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Abulafia (03-30-2017)
One dog on raw isn't hard, what was hard for us is the other 5 eating other stuff...LOL. I would keep an eye on fat though. You say she doesn't have an issue now, but we fed Earthborn Holistic to Jack for a couple of years and the fat was relatively high and in 2 years, the weight crept up. And they also don't need super high protein either. Some foods are up around 38%! No reason not to try a small bag of Orijen. We do home cooked WITH kibble or canned with kibble or some raw tidbits from time to time. Our go-to "natural" food is Evangers.
Jen
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Abulafia (03-30-2017)
windycanyon (03-30-2017)
I think you know I fed BARF with Oban. I'm going back to it slowly, our Vet much prefers to see dogs fed raw. It did take a little study and like a lot of things the internet was a source of wonderful and questionable information. Does your Vet support raw feeding? That's where my greatest source of information was, she let me run ideas I found on the net by her. One great one was a month long diet plan where I substituted foods I could buy and that Oban could eat and then I just went to the raw supplier (who conveniently had moved closer to me and of all things turned out to be friends with a family member) and stocked up.
It was fun buying fish heads at the grocery store and waiting to see if the teller or person behind me would ask what I was going to do with them. I home cook sometimes and trade recipes with some ladies and their dogs.
ONe thing, I always thought i'd go raw sometime, when I had more time, and then I was thinking prey model. Well, our Vet prefers BARF and I think it must be more time and trouble to make up a blend of veggies and fruit, the actual blending time. And then I need more freezer room to store not just meat but packets of veggie. And for some reason the labelling of those is something I find to be a tremendous nuisance. Oh, I do get the OH to help with his game saw when I buy larger cuts of meat that have bone in.
FWIW when I rotated 3 foods two had grain, different grains, and one was grain free. There wasn't any difference in energy, stool, coat. The grainfree was a bit lower calorie and I did have to feed a bit more of it.
ETA: Well I know the reason. The meat is labelled simply beef kidney, or chicken frame. The veggie mix might have 5 or more things in it and I like to write them all down on the label and sometimes they don't fit and it takes a lot of time for multiple labels since I package in meal sizes.
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Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
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Abulafia (03-30-2017)
Yeah, the Orijen is about 38-40% protein, which seems really high, as for a dog that is active but not field / working dog active. The more I am looking into other comparable brands (or simply other options), I'm finding those protein levels excessive for her activity and needs.
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