I am the worst cook! And yes i'm italian too! Haha My poor husband suffers enough with my cooking..why put the dog thru it too?LOL

My uncle lives on a farm in Italy..and that dog ate everything including PASTA!! lol

Here's what we do
 

We have a yorkie-poo puppy that we have fed RAW for 2 months (she is 4 months old). She is almost 4 pounds.

We go to the grocery store and buy raw chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken legs, beef liver, and whatever red meat is on sale. We feed 3 times per day and the total for her day is 4 oz (a little larger than a deck of cards). When she gets to 6 months I may go to feeding twice a day if that seems to work for her.

There is a rawfeeding yahoo group that has a bunch of information on it that you could join to learn more.

An example of what I fed yesterday was: boneless chicken strip, a hunk of chuck roast, and some more chicken strip. About 5 times a week I'll add a fingernail size piece of beef liver. Today I started with a chicken thigh and she decided to eat it all (usually she eats 1/2 in the morning and the other 1/2 at her lunch... she must have been hungry).

Just a quick note... it is odd to hear/see them crunching on the bones for the first few times, but it seems to really help the teeth. Chicken bones are soft bones so they are easy to chew and pass. I will be anxious to see if she needs any dental work done when we go to the vet for a 6 month well visit.

Feeding RAW has many benefits to it (doggy odor and doggy breath is gone, bowel movements are less often, teeth are super shiny, allergies to grain do not exist as it's not being fed), but I will admit it is not quite as easy as measuring out dry dog food and pouring in a cup. With some research and help from others you will find that it is worth the little bit of extra work.

Good luck with your decision.

Oh my gosh, I searched my zip and there is a new speciality pet store close to me that carry's Primal. I will be there at lunchtime! YAY.

I'm sure I should start out slow by mixing with my current food, right?

Thank you all so much....you all are GREAT!!!:D

I'm curious to know what the benefits are. Is there a website that explains? I'm assuming its organic as well (?).. I'd also be interested to know if dogs have less of health issues eating this way. My Presley suffers from pancreatic attacks sometimes (maybe once a year), and I wonder if feeding raw food would help with that.

smaller, firmer stools, no doggy smell or bad breath, better for their teeth, more energy (some may not like this, but Apple wasn't going for her walk, as well, before we switched)...improved immune system, more sheen to their hair, brighter eyes...Honestly, I don't know about the pancreatic thing...I'd write to Primal Raw, Bravo Raw or Stella & Chewies customer service and ask them, or try googling it...

thanks...Sweet Apple.

Don't mix anything with the raw. You can switch cold turkey with it. If you're planning on feeding 100% raw, you can start by giving it to your pup in the morn or evening and have the eat kibble for their other meal. Or you can just switch cold turkey, your pup will be fine with it.

Good Luck!! I'm excited for you, please let us know how it goes!!

Smiles-
Snick & Viv

Thanks! I'm excited for us too....of to the shop now. Will let you know how it works out for my Zhoie girl!

Oh, and do you all use anyother treats or snacks??

Snacks: Fromm Grainfree Biscuits Fromm Four-Star Grain Free Treats for Dogs, human-grade, ultra premium, Tri-Natural Products, Special Coupon Offers, fresh yogurt, raw carrots, apple, banana, and strawberry

Treats: Bully Sticks (Moo! OdorFree,) Ziwi Peak Good Dog Treats Natural Range Of Premium Pet-food Products - Ziwipeak - Natural New Zealand Pet Nutrition, Freeze Dried Tripe

:):)
Snick & Viv

I keep seeing people say they give bully sticks to their dogs...I just can't bring myself to do it after finding out what they were made of!

Rhetts Mama...I got tell ya, Zhoie has never...ever chewed anything. Not even as a puppy, but she will now chew along time on a bully stick. I too, was sorta grossed a first, but hey, if she will chew it...I'm good with it. lol

You can google BARF diet for dogs and get lots of info. I never thought I would feed raw, but my schnauzer has allergies and is prone to pancreatitis! I've read that cooking changes the nature of the fat in the food, and that raw is better tolerated. I was in to the vets today for a full blood work-up, and will let you know the results :)
if you are going to make the change you might want to monitor your protein sources for lower fat alternatives! My girls like the rabbit and the venison...turkey is well tolerated too:D

Good luck!

I feed Primal to my boys too :).

I feed mine Nature's Variety raw. They each get 1 medallion in the morning and again in the evening. I usually thaw out 2 days at a time. I use the small paper plates as to eliminate the need for washing their food bowls twice a day. Sophie will each any of the flavors, but Jacie will only eat the beef. They poop much less than on kibble and their teeth are in great shape. I'm sold on it.

The only issue I've run into is that some kennels refuse to deal with the raw. Petsmart Pet Hotel won't take it, but I did find that Pet Paradise would feed it to them.

Nature's Variety does make a freeze dried version as well, but it's $10 more for the same amount as the frozen.