Raw Diet - Info Needed

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

I think I've asked this before, but do you wash their paws and faces and the front of their bodies after they eat so that they don't spread bacteria around the house? Do they give you kisses still?

Just a little background, so you understand how much thought I put into doing this RAW thing. We almost lost my daughter (total care, multi-challenged) in '03 to staph infection after a serious surgery. She was 6weeks on very high powered antibiotics at home through a PIC line. I don't think the drs even thought she'd pull through. When one is on high powered antibiotics for a certain amount of time, it kills the good bacteria along with the bad. Her immune system was basically shot. I developed a mild form of OCD after that (feeling so responsible for her life). Her care providers know to wash their hands when they come into the house before touching her. I tell you this, because I don't think anyone could be more paranoid than I about germs.

I do wash faces, but not always paws. I don't know why ....but, thanks for putting that into my head, so I'll obssess about that . I also clean bums after they've been potty. Kisses? Oh, Abigail delights in climbing on my chest and smothering me with kisses right after she's eaten!! I do watch her more closely after she's had tripe, and make sure she's cleaned before running all over the house.

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by kalina82

oh my.... i went looking for chicken feet one day and boy did i find some. i went to the local grocery store and asked if they had chicken necks, backs, feet, blah blah blah and he said sure and threw a whole package of chicken feet down in front of me. I nearly threw up. LOL i don't know what i was thinking but fresh chicken feet are GROSS!!!!!!! especially when they come in packages of 30. needless to say i didn't buy them and left the store i think i need to start out with only a few feet, not 30. *shudders*

LOL...Kellllliieeeee! Try no less than 10 lbs! My source can only get them in bulk of 40 lbs, so she sells them to me in 10 lb bags! That's a LOT o' chickie feets. Well, my source actually gets the whole chicken feet just for me. Seems other customers prefer the ground....?? Maybe you could google and find a place online to order ground chicken feet?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by abbie's mom

LOL...Kellllliieeeee! Try no less than 10 lbs! My source can only get them in bulk of 40 lbs, so she sells them to me in 10 lb bags! That's a LOT o' chickie feets. Well, my source actually gets the whole chicken feet just for me. Seems other customers prefer the ground....?? Maybe you could google and find a place online to order ground chicken feet?

i don't know if i can do it. LOL those feet were so gross. they weren't frozen. they were soft and floppy and flesh colored. ugh...gross. PLUS there was blood leaking out of the bottom of the package.

morgan doesn't know what she's missing so i'm gonna keep it that way for a while. yuck

[MyFairLacy]

I think we have an asian grocery store here. Do you think that would be a good place to look for chicken feet? I've never seen them in person...kindof scared LOL. How often should I feet chicken feet? They would be more like a "treat" in addition to her normal meals

[abbie's mom]

Yes, the asian grocery would be possible source.

Some folks feed as treats. I usually make a meal of feet and gizzards/hearts/ a couple times a week.

[Tissy]

Originally Posted by abbie's mom

Yes, the asian grocery would be possible source.

Some folks feed as treats. I usually make a meal of feet and gizzards/hearts/ a couple times a week.

Delilah asked what time should she be there? Said if gizzards are there, count her in!

[Yorkieluv]

Originally Posted by abbie's mom

Just a little background, so you understand how much thought I put into doing this RAW thing. We almost lost my daughter (total care, multi-challenged) in '03 to staph infection after a serious surgery. She was 6weeks on very high powered antibiotics at home through a PIC line. I don't think the drs even thought she'd pull through. When one is on high powered antibiotics for a certain amount of time, it kills the good bacteria along with the bad. Her immune system was basically shot. I developed a mild form of OCD after that (feeling so responsible for her life). Her care providers know to wash their hands when they come into the house before touching her. I tell you this, because I don't think anyone could be more paranoid than I about germs.

I do wash faces, but not always paws. I don't know why ....but, thanks for putting that into my head, so I'll obssess about that . I also clean bums after they've been potty. Kisses? Oh, Abigail delights in climbing on my chest and smothering me with kisses right after she's eaten!! I do watch her more closely after she's had tripe, and make sure she's cleaned before running all over the house.

I'm so sorry that your daughter's health has been that way! I hope that she's doing much better...

[lara2913]

I do wash their faces after most meals (if they are just eating something like ground lamb, its gone in seconds and doesn't even touch their mouths) but honestly its not like they look really disgusting or get themselves covered in it lol. I don't generally wash paws because none of them hold their rmb's between their paws. They are pretty efficient eaters. They still give me kisses all the time

[Yorkieluv]

I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions...How do they eat the RMBs without their paws? I would think they would try to hold it? Is lamb bone okay to give?

[lara2913]

Some dogs use their paws to hold to rmb's but none of mine do. They just rest them on the floor and as they crunch on the bones they break pieces of meat and bone off into their mouths which they then crunch up further and swallow. I should get a video lol.

I usually hold Benji and Malachi's rmb's for them while they crunch on them and pull the meat off because they are fast eaters. I think its a good idea to hold them at first for all dogs because it teaches them how to eat them.

Yes lamb bones are great, I feed lamb chops and lamb breast (the breast meat attached to the rib bones).

Edited to add: Actually I WILL get a video, watch this space

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

I'm so sorry that your daughter's health has been that way! I hope that she's doing much better...

Thank you . She did recover from the staph; but she has ongoing problems from dpt vaccine when she was in her fifth month. You may see our story, here.

Originally Posted by lara2913

I don't generally wash paws because none of them hold their rmb's between their paws.

a-ha! Bet ya hold it for them sometimes, too, huh? C'mon....fess up! Mine subscribe to the "No-RAW-on-MY-paws" technique, too. I'm teasing Lara, because our RAWfeeding peers would scold me for holding RMBs for Abigail. They do get more benefit if they will hold it to rip and tear, rather than just gnaw. I'm not that much of a die-hard, though. I feel sometimes comprises must be made - whatever one must do (within reason) to succeed in RAWfeeding, at least the dog is eating a species appropriate diet.

[lara2913]

Haha yes I do, our RAW feeding peers would scold me for quite a few things I think, holding RMBs, sometimes feeding ground meat, not always giving them RMB's that are bigger than their heads, giving them yogurt, left over cooked veg once in a while, theres probably more! I think though that at the end of the day you have to do RAW the way it works for you and your furbutts, I never was one to follow the rules

[JCarlson2004]

We tried turkey necks last night. Codie didn't want to have anything to do with it. Cali and Tia were curious but they didn't touch it. SO I fed them something else and put the turkey necks away. Then again this morning I tried and Tia went NUTS for the turky necks! She ate a whole big one all by herself!! Codie still didn't want to touch it. I'm not sure why but it just may not be his thing. It was too big for Cali to chew so I cut it up into chunks and she was able to eat some that way.

[JCarlson2004]

Can you help me make a list of what I should buy? I went to the butcher this weekend and they looked at me like I was out of my mind. Maybe I worded what I wanted wrong but needless to say, I was really embarrassed.

Here's my monthly doggy grocery list:

--Live Yogurt
--Canned Pumpkin (just in case they get anymore runny poop)
--Green Tripe (that is what it's called, right? the guy looked at me like I was nuts lol He kept talking about honey comb tripe ... what the heck is that?)
--Ground Beef
--Ground Chicken (not for Codie)
--Ground Turkey (not for Codie)
--Turkey Breast, Drumsticks, Thighs, Legs, Wings
--Chicken Breast, Thighs, Legs, Wings
--Turkey Neck
--Chicken Neck
--Chicken Feet (eeeew!!! I haven't bought it yet but it's on my to do list lol)

What kind of rabbit parts? What would you call them EXACTLY?

What kind of lamb parts? Lamb ribs? What would I ask for specifically?

What about duck, what would I ask for?

Sorry for these silly questions, I just don't want to be embarrassed again in front of a line full of people.

[lara2913]

Turkey necks are a funny one, it took my Indy a while to get into them but I do find chopping them into smaller chunks gets them more interested. Thats whats on the menu tonight actually!

That looks like a great shopping list to me,

Honeycomb tripe is extra lean but it has usually been treated so not good. Tell him that green tripe is tripe that has not been washed or bleached, it is usually a green or grey like colour.

I would ask him for ANY meaty rabbit bones, but if you like specifically rabbit legs would be good (I wish I could get them!)

Lamb parts- I give lamb chops and lamb ribs, I ask to have the lamb breast meat with the ribs because I find the ribs alone to be a bit low on meat.

Duck is just like chicken really, you can ask for wings, thighs and legs.

I appreciate your anxiety about being embarrassed but don't worry, he will have some of those things and it doesn't matter if you can't get them all.