Raw Feeding Basics

[Guest Swifthounds]

As long as it's not frozen solid, frozen seems just fine. With whole meat like roasts or bone in meats like chicken parts, I've also found it can be helpful for the teeth by increasing the "flossing action." Some dogs, especially when new to raw, will be more likely to regurg cold/frozen foods. Mine haven't had that issue.

[Guest greyaddict]

Can I feed raw Pacific salmon?

I have pink, sockeye and spring salmon in the freezer.

Can I feed whole bone and all?

Do I have to freeze first to kill parasites?

 

Thank you,

 

Dani

[sweetdogs]

Can I feed raw Pacific salmon?

Nope. Here's a linky on salmon poisoning.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Can I feed raw Pacific salmon?

I have pink, sockeye and spring salmon in the freezer.

Can I feed whole bone and all?

Do I have to freeze first to kill parasites?

 

Thank you,

 

Dani

It is not just salmon that can carry the parasite. From what I have read any kind of fish that swims up stream to breed can carry the parasite. And should be frozen before feeding. I found the below information on the FDA web site.

 

FDA guidelines for freezing fish to kill parasites.

 

*Freeze and store at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time); or

*Freeze at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and store at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours; or

*Freeze at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and store at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours.

[Guest mcsheltie]

4.2. Freezing

“Unlike bacteria, molds, and viruses, most parasites are relatively easy to destroy by holding the raw material or finished product at freezing temperatures for a specified period of time; of course, this is dependent upon the internal temperature of the material. The Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guide recommends a temperature below [minus] -4° F (-20 °C) for 7 days or -31° F (-35°C) (internal) for 15 hours to kill the parasites of concern (FDA 1998). Although, based on the data currently available, these recommendations may appear stringent, it is because they were developed for the parasites that are considered most resistant to freezing

[Guest Ola]

I would freeze the salmon (and other salmonids such as trout) and then feed it - it's what we do for our dogs. We've done salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and tilapia so far. And keep in mind that most commercially produced fish are frozen for most of their trip through the grocery chain so that helps also. All the fish I've fed has been purchased whole/frozen.

 

BTW, fish is one of those meats that gets rejected by some dogs, so try feeding some to your puppers before purchasing in bulk. One of mine won't eat fish very well (but he eats everything else so that's fine by me).

[Guest greyaddict]

Thank you. I couldn't find the skinny on it all.

All the fish has been frozen for 6 months.

I don't buy it. I fish for it. The puppers love going out to the river fishing.

Living on the Pacific coast you don't have to buy any salmon

I know about the not eating things. My old gal (Rayvan)she so far doesn't care for moose meat, beef kidney or chicken gizzards. She's turning into a picky little thing.

Oh and we are at one week today on raw

Thank you again,

Dani

[Guest Swifthounds]

My old gal (Rayvan)she so far doesn't care for moose meat, beef kidney or chicken gizzards. She's turning into a picky little thing.

Oh and we are at one week today on raw

 

When you're just starting out, if you introduce a lot of things then, a lot of dogs are thrown by the variety of smell/taste/texture (esp. if they were previously fed kibble - about as "uniform" a food substance as you can get). I found some things they wouldn't eat a few week in,they actually like now, so you never know.

[Guest mcsheltie]

My old gal (Rayvan)she so far doesn't care for moose meat, beef kidney or chicken gizzards. She's turning into a picky little thing.

Oh and we are at one week today on raw

 

When you're just starting out, if you introduce a lot of things then, a lot of dogs are thrown by the variety of smell/taste/texture (esp. if they were previously fed kibble - about as "uniform" a food substance as you can get). I found some things they wouldn't eat a few week in,they actually like now, so you never know.

Mine wouldn't touch fish at first, they gobble it now. They weren't too keen on game meat either. Chicken, turkey and beef at the beginning. Now there isn't anything they won't eat. They will kill for pork!

[Guest RWM]

I have done a fair amount of tuna fishing on the East Coast. When I got a nice blue fin tuna, I cut out the blood meat (the dark reddish meat at the uppermost portion of the tuna), which is generally unpalatable to humans, and gave it to my former hounds. They loved it and it was excellent for them, being quite rich in the Omegas (3 and 6).

 

Julie, a good form of RMB is a pork shoulder with most of the meat cleaved off. It tends to be large, but your hounds can consume the whole thing, bone and all.

 

R.

[Guest mcsheltie]

I have done a fair amount of tuna fishing on the East Coast. When I got a nice blue fin tuna, I cut out the blood meat (the dark reddish meat at the uppermost portion of the tuna), which is generally unpalatable to humans, and gave it to my former hounds. They loved it and it was excellent for them, being quite rich in the Omegas (3 and 6).

 

Julie, a good form of RMB is a pork shoulder with most of the meat cleaved off. It tends to be large, but your hounds can consume the whole thing, bone and all.

 

R.

I think I can get that, I'll have to ask. Pork necks are always in the meat case and I am VERY popular when I come home with those

[Guest Swifthounds]

I have done a fair amount of tuna fishing on the East Coast. When I got a nice blue fin tuna, I cut out the blood meat (the dark reddish meat at the uppermost portion of the tuna), which is generally unpalatable to humans, and gave it to my former hounds. They loved it and it was excellent for them, being quite rich in the Omegas (3 and 6).

 

Julie, a good form of RMB is a pork shoulder with most of the meat cleaved off. It tends to be large, but your hounds can consume the whole thing, bone and all.

 

R.

 

Hey there, Richard. Nice to see you here!

 

I think I can get that, I'll have to ask. Pork necks are always in the meat case and I am VERY popular when I come home with those

 

If you're looking for pork shoulders, most of the time they can be found at a local grocery store. Sometimes they call them pork shoulders, but they're also sometimes called pork picnics or pork shoulder picnics (just to keep us confused, it seems).

[Guest RWM]

Hi, Jen. Nice to see you here, as well, especially with your wealth of information and knowledge about raw feeding.

Edited January 8, 2010 by RWM

[Guest mcsheltie]

 

If you're looking for pork shoulders, most of the time they can be found at a local grocery store. Sometimes they call them pork shoulders, but they're also sometimes called pork picnics or pork shoulder picnics (just to keep us confused, it seems).

I have to order stuff like that. But a local butcher shop usually can get what I ask for. Pork picnics ehhh? Wonder where that name came from! How big, lb-wise are they?

[Guest RWM]

 

If you're looking for pork shoulders, most of the time they can be found at a local grocery store. Sometimes they call them pork shoulders, but they're also sometimes called pork picnics or pork shoulder picnics (just to keep us confused, it seems).

I have to order stuff like that. But a local butcher shop usually can get what I ask for. Pork picnics ehhh? Wonder where that name came from! How big, lb-wise are they?

 

Julie, pork shoulders can be fairly large, especially if they have a lot of meat on them. Probably in the 1 to 2 pound range, depending upon the amount of meat. I usually get most of the meat cleaved off. They can be messy, so it might be a good idea to freeze them, as we've discussed.

[Guest mcsheltie]

 

Julie, pork shoulders can be fairly large, especially if they have a lot of meat on them. Probably in the 1 to 2 pound range, depending upon the amount of meat. I usually get most of the meat cleaved off. They can be messy, so it might be a good idea to freeze them, as we've discussed.

 

 

That's an okay meal sized portion. I didn't want to end up with a 30 lb piece of bone and not expect it

 

I've had some OH What did I get myself into!!! moments when the butcher came out with a first time order

[Guest Ola]

I have to order stuff like that. But a local butcher shop usually can get what I ask for. Pork picnics ehhh? Wonder where that name came from! How big, lb-wise are they?

Around here most every grocery store has them. What I often do is cut a couple of large hunks of meat off and serve those with another source of bone (pork neck bones or a few chicken feet) and then leave a bunch of meat on the bone for another meal (this one will take longer).

 

The pork picnic roasts that I get around here are probably between 3-5 lbs, depending on where I get them from.

[Guest Swifthounds]

That's an okay meal sized portion. I didn't want to end up with a 30 lb piece of bone and not expect it

 

I've had some OH What did I get myself into!!! moments when the butcher came out with a first time order

 

They run (at least around here) between 2-5 lbs. I usually toss them in the freezer for a bit and cleave off the "extra" meat for part of another meal, leaving enough meat to cover the bone. Having the pork (any pork) partially frozen when you cut it makes it soooo much easier. At room temperature pork is quite squishy, so I always cut it when only partially thawed to minimize mess and for safety.

[Guest greyaddict]

Has any one found that a dog may not want anything but raw meat?

My younger Grey won't even eat cookies without looking at it for a few minutes. She looks at cookie, then you, then cookie, then you. I swear she's saying "You want me to eat what? It isn't raw meat. I want the real stuff."

She does eat then eventually if another dog doesn't get to it first.

Any one else find this with their dogs?

 

Thank you again,

 

Dani

[Guest RWM]

Has any one found that a dog may not want anything but raw meat?

My younger Grey won't even eat cookies without looking at it for a few minutes. She looks at cookie, then you, then cookie, then you. I swear she's saying "You want me to eat what? It isn't raw meat. I want the real stuff."

She does eat then eventually if another dog doesn't get to it first.

Any one else find this with their dogs?

 

Thank you again,

 

Dani

 

Yes, mine definitely have a preference for raw food. They don't seem to be much interested in cookies, but will tolerate them. I give them dehydrated chicken tenders or dehydrated liver pieces as a snack.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Has any one found that a dog may not want anything but raw meat?

My younger Grey won't even eat cookies without looking at it for a few minutes. She looks at cookie, then you, then cookie, then you. I swear she's saying "You want me to eat what? It isn't raw meat. I want the real stuff."

She does eat then eventually if another dog doesn't get to it first.

Any one else find this with their dogs?

 

Yeah, my pack really doesn't care much for carbs anymore. They like their meat, bones,and organs. They like meat-like things like bully sticks and dehydrated chicken strips, but not biscuits or milkbones. They'll politely take it from an offering and and then set it on the ground.

[Guest Ola]

Has any one found that a dog may not want anything but raw meat?

Not my dogs, they don't turn their nose up at food of any type (mostly).

[MTFSTHNDS]

Has any one found that a dog may not want anything but raw meat?

Not my dogs, they don't turn their nose up at food of any type (mostly).

 

Mine are like that except Java doesn't care for Beef liver and Boo Zsee & Java don't care for kidney but other than that I have yet to see them turn down anything else. Kibble, raw. treats whatever!

[Guest RocketDog]

Mine are equal-opportunity eaters - raw meat, kibble, dog treats, table scraps, rabbit poop... it's all fair game if it's in front of their face!

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Frank was finicky when I first started him on raw; I would sit down with him and remove little bits of the meat from the bone and had feed it to him. I had to do this every time I introduced a new protein. Chelsa, on the other hand, took to raw like a duck to water after she figured out that the first piece of chicken I gave her was meant for her and she wasn't going to get in trouble for having it! Now both of them will readily eat anything I offer them.