Fresh and raw diets for dogs may have health benefits, study says. Many dog owners think of their furry companions as part of the family, and now products are available to feed them that way, too. Some owners are moving away from traditional extruded kibble products, instead choosing ultra-premium fresh and raw diets found in the refrigerated aisle. The foods may look more similar to what we'd feed a member of the family, but many of the newer diets haven't been rigorously tested for performance in dogs. Source 6m.
The amount of fillers in dry dog food is actually astonishing. While cheaper per pound, if reduced to the important foods that your pet needs, it's almost the same cost as raw feeding. We have been raw feeding our dog for 5 years now, and the added benefit to this diet is that the waste product is about 1/4 what it used to be. It does require some prep work if you go all the way and save some money, as store-bought raw mixes cost upwards of $8 per pound or more, although the varieties offered in that fashion (Buffalo, ostrich, emu, kangaroo, etc.) is far more than you get from a store/butcher shop. The standard method of raw feeding from scratch is to have at least five varieties of animal you draw from, which can be difficult to find in a typical store. Chicken, Beef, Duck, Lamb, Pork, Salmon, Sole, and other meats are measured into a standard size and then frozen, based on the body weight of the animal. If the animal is a puppy it gets more, but a typical adult needs 2% of it's body weight per day. These meals should include tripe for vegetable matter, organ meat for vitamins and bone for digestion, skin and fur. These balances are a natural diet for carnivores, not the rice, corn meal and excessive vegetable matter that are included as the main ingredients in normal dog food. Costs per pound may vary, but I've estimated that it works out to about $3.00 per pound, since a lot of what needs to be in each packet is normally not costly (Bone, organ, etc.) and the meat itself can be unusual such as tongue, tripe, or other less popular meat products.
Edited: Gknightbc on 24th Aug, 2018 - 7:09pm