My dog has been off her food since before Christmas and is having tests to see if there is a medical cause (I've googled and googled and believe me I know them all ).
But today I got some organic beef mince on offer. Out of curiosity I tried her on some and she ate it - raw
I've sometimes thought about switching to a raw diet but was afraid to - given her age.
Just wondered if anyone has tried it or made the switch?

I read up recently about a raw diet for cats - very interesting and something I think was worth persuing. However, I live in a very hot country and my cats all tend to be grazers rather than eating a whole meal in one go so I couldn't leave the food out for very long... Also, having 5 in the house makes it a bit of a free for all with meaty treats like that!

I would comment though that as it's their original diet, it's worth investigating properly. When we move back to the UK and get the dogs we want, it's certainly something I'd be looking at. A friend of mine has an EBT and she lives very well on it.

I've offered raw meat to my cat and she's behaved like she doesn't comprehend its food. Not too surprising as she never eats the birds & mice she catches.

Lol... My two english cats fortunately do eat what they catch - whole rabbit (excluding bob tail) is a favourite. But my Saudi cats don't have that kind of prey to choose from. Gheckos and rats bigger than they are don't seem too enticing to them! But a whole raw chicken is more interesting. As I discovered one day whilst loading shopping out of the car...

Raw feeding is supposed to be very good for dogs, but you've got to get the balance right. Dogs don't just eat meat, they need other things too, and if your making your own food you need to make sure your putting in the correct amount of vitamins, minerals etc that are already done for you in ready made food. Which is why I personally think its better to just buy a bag of good quality dog food, that someone else has done the hard work of preparing. Also, you need a strong stomach, for your freezer would have all sorts of 'delights' in it, and you've got to prepare it. Personally it makes me feel queasy and I could never ever deal with it, so my dogs are and always will be on the nice looking kibble.

I've fed raw for years, after my older dog just never thrived on any commercial brand.

It's not difficult once you've done a little research and got a feel for the correct balance.
There are lots of myths and misconceptions about it. It doesn't make your dog bloodthirsty, it won't give them salmonella and poison all the local children, bowel impactions, blockages and perforations are rare (more likely to be caused by plastic toys than bones) and it won't give them worms!

There are some pretty good premade versions widely available now too... eg. Nutriment.

I have changed my 3 dogs over to raw food 1 year ago (ages at the time 7 yrs, 6 yrs and 7 mth). They love it and their teeth are nice an clean. I feed mostly minces (which have bone included), and the natures menue chunks which have everything included. Then they get the occasional raw egg on mince, and the sprats and sardines (mostly frozen) and then ofcourse very important the offal.
It should be about 80% meat (different types), 10 % bones, and 10 % offal of which liver should be 5%.
I also sometimes give them fruit and veg (blended) bought from a supplier. I know its not really needed, but my dogs like a spoonful added.

My dog and her lone litter of pups thrived on raw food diet. She ate raw meat for years, supplemented with household scraps (because she is the kind of dog that happily eats vegetables, so that gave her a balanced diet). She did really well on it. We only switched to commercial food when she got elderly, and we realised we needed to control her diet more.

Every check up she ever had the vet would comment she was the perfect weight and that they get sick of seeing obese dogs, so it made a nice chance to get a svelte one. We found it was a cheap way to feed her, and she enjoyed more variety than she could ever have got with commercial foods which are largely fillers an rubbish however they're marketed.

I've always fed my dogs beef raw. It's really good for them, and always got wolfed down.

Chicken, and other meats always cooked.

I looked into raw but wasn't something I felt I could do but I do home cook for them, which seems to be very popular and keeping them happy and healthy. No grains in their diet either which IMO is a cause of many of the ills our dogs these days suffer from.

I feed my two raw. Best thing I ever did. One of my dogs was back and forth to the vets for almost a year with stomach issues. The only thing he could keep in was scrambled egg and boiled potato.

So I read up on raw. He hasn't had a single stomach issue since I switched.

I started on the basis of 80% meat. 10% bones and 10% offal (5% of which was liver). Then worked out what ratios were best.

One dog can't do 5% liver so only has 2%. Anything more makes him ill. The dog who used to have the dodgy stomach eats anything and everything.

I use manifold valley meats as the basis for their diet. And add liver and bones when needed. I add blended veg sometimes too. No reason other than they like it.

This morning they had 300g venison

This after noon I'd was 250g lamp tripe and a chicken leg.

Once you get your head around it and stop worrying it's great.

The ratios I mentioned don't have to be for every meal. I balance it out over a week. So over a week their diet will consist of 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal. Once you know how much they need per week day (2-3% of body weight), times or by 7 to get a week total and do it that way.

Example

If your dog weight 25kg and you want to maintain weight. Go for 2.5% of body weight. Means 625g food per day. Times that by 7 is 4375g of food per week.

Over a week is feed 3500g of muscle meat. 437g of bone and split the rest between offal and liver.

If my math is off I apologise. It's late lol.

Basically. It's not as complicated as it seems. As long as you have the basics down and a good variety of meats. Start with the basics and tweak to suit your dog.

I'm not slating commercial here. Just wanted to say I'm vegetarian. My stomach for meat is about as weak as it gets but I have zero problem giving my dogs a bowl of pre-made mince. There's no 'delights' in my freezer.

As I said I'm not slating commercial. If not for the stomach issues my dog had I'd no doubt still be feeding it. I'm not a fan of dry food but that's for my own reasons. I'm basically saying feeding raw doesn't have to be hacking away at bits of carcass etc

Quite. Look in the freezers in pets at home. Full of everything ready prepared for a raw diet. All you have to do is defrost. I'll refer as others have done in past threads about a dogs diet in the wild. That didn't consist of vegetables and the fault recommended dosage of vitamins and minerals. It's not as complicated as it seems.

But it can be easily messed up if you don't take in the basics.

Once you get your head around it. It's simple. But people shouldn't be mistaken. It's not just throwing a steak to the dog.

Also from what I have seen of raw feeding you need somewhere suitable to feed them, the idea of raw liver etc in my living room turns my stomach.

I usually put my dogs food in a bowl lol. It's gone in five seconds. My dog cat eat half a chicken in under a minute. So a slice of liver is gone in literally seconds.

Me too. The thought of what it is makes my stomach turn as well, and I don't just mean the offal and liver (which I couldn't even bring myself to buy), the chicken and pre made mince is enough, I have no stomach for virtually any meat asides those packet slices for sandwiches, I can't even stand tins of salmon. My dogs would have to be vegetarian for me to try raw feeding, and that's no good for them so I stick to dry food. I Applaud anyone who can feed it, as it is obviously very good for the dog if you get it right, but it's not for me, under any circumstances.

I am vegetarian but, imho, dogs do need meat or/and fish. Let me explain why; I used to breed boxers and, as with any pedigree, they have proprietary complaints, in their case hip dysplasia can become a problem in layer life, eye ulcers, sensitive stomachs, the list is endless. I believe the flesh provides the nutritional requirements such as vitamins and proteins. Also, the dog is an originally wild animal, domesticated through the ages, and is a natural carnivore. So a correctly constituted vegetarian diet might provide the necessary vitamins and minerals, it is this eason which persuades many pet parents to try feeding raw. Personally, after doing extensive research into feeding raw, I decided it was not for me or my babies; I wouldn't consider giving them raw egg they wouldn't eat it! - or brains and the like. If a dog is hungry, it will eat. What brand is the OP feeding? My guys, a dad and son, are on James Wellbeloved Ocean white fish and rice and they love it. Pedigree is a brand I wouldn't consider feeding my guys; anything with meat and animal derivatives - this can be birds' beaks and feathers - is a no go area. They are fed holistic/organic/natural food and treats. Even a dog food, the ingredients of which are ideal, has to be tasty for the dog and, whereas lots of dry food has no 'delicious' smell at all, the JW smells so strongly of fish. Having said that, I am also cognisant of the fact that we all have budgets; I would just advise that you feed the best quality you can afford. Liver is such a healthy food for dogs, and mine love it, but mum cooks it for them, as she does with steak, I wouldn't feed it raw. I have read positive feedback, however, from those who do. I do think that, whichever route you go down, it has to be all or nothing.

I agree with you, but don't be mistaken that a dry food is no good because of smell. Dogs noses are up to 100,000 times more sensitive than our noses, and what might smell awful or not even smell at all to us could be delicious and overpowering to a dog!

All 3 of our dogs have been feed raw since pups and they love it it can be a little be gross at times especially when we give then a treat of half a sheep's head between them - we have a really good pet supermarket by us who do a wide range of BARF food

I am lucky if mine keep theirs in bowls, both of them are messy eaters. But the idea of half a chicken in my living room raw just appals me.

One of my late dogs didn't even like meat he was a real vegetarian and did extremely well on it too.

My dogs get fed in the kitchen not in livingroom. Its a tiled floor and I wash the floor when they finished eating.
They also lick every little bit out of their bowls, love the raw food. But I give mainly minced chicken (my butcher is selling it now too), or the ready made Natures Menue with the odd frozen spratt/liver/kidney.

Kitchen not big enough and they tend to take an age to eat so living room has always been where they have it, when we had 3 it was best way to keep enough space between them to stop swapping bowls as they all had different diets.

3 different diets must be difficult to do.

Wasn't that hard we only have two now, one gluten free and one egg and turkey free. Now the late Duncan was the hardest had a list long as your arm of allergies to foods.