Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: Changing to BARF - We're up and running!
At the weekend I am changing Majic over to BARF and I have ordered a book that Kay (KayC) recommended and done some reasearch on the web but unfortunately my book has been delayed and will not be here until the middle of next week so I am looking for starting points please.
Majic is 25.3 kg and is 11 months old, she has an intollerance to chicken and quite a fast metabolism.
Now where do I start regarding food, where to buy, how much to buy?, what to feed per weight portion ration and a mixture of what? I know 60-70% should be RMB'S daily but what else can I give? A weeks typical menu?
Does her portion size go on her current weight or her expected fully grown weight?
I probably know the answers to most of these but it is just that little bit of reassurance I think before I take the leap into BARF feeding, I'm getting to the point where I am reading and re reading and it dosen't seem to be sinking in.
Any help would be lovely.
Last edited by Animal-Outings on Sat May 27, 2006 7:24 pm; edited 2 times in total
Quantities - as a guideline feed 2 - 3% of your present dog's bodyweight per day. Calculate this by multiplying 2/3 by your dog's weight and dividing it by 100.
Eg 2 x 30/100 = 600g, 3 x 30/100 = 900g.
However be guided by your hand and eye; if the dog is looking a little too ribby up the amount and reduce if the dog is looking a little too well padded! Dogs will vary depending on age, sex, activity level, temperament and time of year.
For a puppy either 2/3% of the projected adult weight or 10% of its current weight.
A three joint chicken wing weighs approximately 100g (as opposed to some of the two joint chicken wings you get in supermarkets) so work out the quantities from this. ( I know you wont be feeding chicken) but just as a guidline to others
Meats - lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, pork, venison, duck, ALL on the bone ie: lamb rib, beef rib, whole rabbit etc
Hearts, lungs, kidneys, tripe the list is endless.
Fish - oily fish is good, pilchards, mackerel, sardines, trout fresh or tinned.
If you can invest in a freezer specifically for the dog, then bulk buying can save quite a bit of money.... look in your free ads for freezer... or even a kitchen specialist... I got 2 of my freezers free, kitchen renovations included new freezers etc... so I asked for the freezers before they ended up in the dump (dont be shy) A good butchery (not usually a high st butcher) supermarket reduced price meat, offers etc... poultry processing plants, are good if you can bulk buy...Farm shops are good for trays of eggs, and cheaper than the local supermarket And my favourite.... the local gamekeeper
Veggies - All except onions; they can cause haemolytic anaemia in dogs because they contain chemicals that oxidise the animal's red blood cells.
Oxalic acid can interfere with calcium absorption; so don't feed too much of Spinach, Chard or Beetroot Leaves.
Care should be taken not to overfeed cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, swedes, turnips, cassava, and broccoli to dogs as this may inhibit thyroid function.
Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and aubergines all belong to the nightshade family of plants. Dogs who have arthritis may be sensitive to these foods;
Fruit - all except Grapes and raisins which can cause kidney failure.
Dairy - IMHO nothing except live yoghurt. (I do feed milk to my lot, they can tolerate it, but dogs on the whole are lactose intollerant) This is purely down to your preference
Eggs - raw with shell
Grains/cereals - none; dogs are not built to digest them (says me who feeds Ambrosia rice pudding ) well... they are entitled to little treats
Vitamins/Supplements - Again that is down to the individual; my dogs get:
a fresh minced clove of garlic every day,
1000mg FBO (Fish Body Oil),
400 iu Natural Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol),
1000mg of Ester C with bio-flavonoids
and Keepers Mix (alfalfa/kelp)
Books - The simplest one is Switching to Raw by Sue Johnson but that is not easily available in the UK. The next best one IMHO is Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schulze, very accessible, easy to read, has diet plans. Some extraneous stuff you don't need ie reader testimonials and I personally don't agree with fasting.
Ian Billingshurst has written several books; The Barf Diet is probably the easiest, Give your Dog a Bone is very comprehensive but very badly written, Grow your pups with bones is more for the stud dog/brood bitch puppy owner. Tom Lonsdale's Raw Meaty Bones is less useful for the beginner IMHO.
Frequency of feeding - twice a day, remember though, puppies still need fed 4 times per day until 12 weeks and then 3 times until around 6months or whenever they themselves decide to miss out lunch
Well another stumbling block I don't think this is meant to be, Majic has nearly come to the end of her Burns and thinking that I would be able to order stuff from Landywoods and have it delivered in a couple of days was a huge mistake the order will take 4 weeks to deliver as they have just been up this way and not back again for another 4 weeks
My butchers keep looking at me as though I have gone mad and ooo don't know whether we can supply that madam.
All times are GMT Goto page : 1, 2, 3 ... 27, 28, 29Next
Page 1 of 29
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
well... they are entitled to little treats 
to deliver as they have just been up this way and not back again for another 4 weeks 
