Should I...?

[TheLimpShrimp]

So I've been reading about feeding raw for a while now. I would love to do raw entirely, but at this point it's not going to work, however, I would like to feed raw maybe twice a week - twice as in MEALS, not days, and am wondering if this is a good idea or if I should just stick to kibble. Would it be more disruptive to his system and not worth it or would any amount to raw be better than nothing?

Also what would be a corresponding portion of raw vs. kibble?

I would like your input on this please!

[henrysmom]

I'm no raw expert but I can tell you what I do. Henry eats a raw meal in the morning (prepackaged... we alternate between Nature's Variety and Urban Carnivore) and a Fromms grain-free kibble meal in the evening. With his GI issues the way they are, this balance seems to work very well for us and he is doing very well.

The only caveat is not to feed raw AND kibble in the same meal (as they are digested differently).

[CaliforniaLabLover]

It was getting waaaaay too pricey to feed my boy 100% raw with the sheer amounts it was taking to keep weight on him, so I moved to raw in the morning and kibble (he gets Natural Balance organic chicken) in the evening. Works well for us, but like Felicia said, it seems to be important not to give them both raw and kibble in the same meal since it can lead to digestive problems.

[Cinder4evr]

I do a raw meal at night and kibble meal in the AM. I use the nature's variety raw patties. Works well for us, and my male has a very sensitive tummy so this is the balance that haw worked out for us. Lot's of trial and error to get to this balance so it's a process to get to the balance that works well for your dog. Every dog is different

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

It was getting waaaaay too pricey to feed my boy 100% raw with the sheer amounts it was taking to keep weight on him,

Yes it can, that is for sure if you are using pre-packaged stuff. We're so blessed around here that we have chicken farms that we can go buy cases of chicken backs and old style butchers that will work with us.

You can do a meal or so raw. As all ready been said, don't mix in the same meal.

[CaliforniaLabLover]

Yes it can, that is for sure if you are using pre-packaged stuff.

LOL- Yes, for the past few months we've been doing all sorts of raw (based on an Oma's Pride order) from whole sardines to turkey backs to duck necks to beef and it has definitely been cheaper than when I was trying the Nature's Variety raw patties exclusively (which I still loved...I still have a couple packages of the rabbit formula in my freezer for when we have housesitters, etc.). Even that has been getting to be way too pricey for me, though. Partly because of gas prices, I'm sure...but mostly because of the sheer quantity I have to feed to keep weight on him! LOL This must be what it feels like to parent a house full of teenagers!

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

Man, I just don't know how I could do it without the chicken backs. That really cuts my costs and then I'll suppliment with some of the other meats.

[Baloo317]

Don't you have any local butchers or farms Julie? That sucks that you'd have to rely on retail like that, I wouldn't be able to afford raw either if that were the case! :death: