|
Post by FinnsMom on Oct 12, 2012 7:19:46 GMT -5
For those of you that are feeding 100% raw to your hounds, what is the approximate monthly cost?
I had been feeding Finn kibble for breakfast and then raw for supper but he ended up with diarrhea for a day and a half so once that settled I cooked up a ground beef and rice mixture and have been feeding him that and he has pretty much had "perfect poops" since that time, which has been 5 days now. Before that I was pretty much scooping pudding off the lawn.
I gave him the last of the kibble this morning (mostly to see if it affected his poos), but I'm not sure I want to go back to feeding it to him on a regular basis.
|
|
OwnedBySummer
Hound Nut
"Summer" (aka Coach Standifer)
Posts: 1,392
|
Post by OwnedBySummer on Oct 12, 2012 13:14:30 GMT -5
You need Karen at Camp Greyhound to see this post, she'll be able to answer you.
|
|
|
Post by fastlane on Oct 12, 2012 16:37:14 GMT -5
We normally feed RAW to three dogs (one greyhound and two American Bulldogs all over 60 pounds). The meat is from a butcher in Scarborough - meat and bone ground together and the powder is Urban Wolf. We spend about 25- 30$ per day. People do it for less. There are ways. I am pregnant so not feeding RAW, but using a dehydrated RAW called Carna4 which is about 79 - 90$ per bag which lasts just about a week. Hope this helps a bit. Others will have alternatives too. By the way, for our hounds and bullies it has been worth every penny. Better skin, shiny healthy coat, no dog odours, no farting, smaller output, excellent energy, and happy dogs.
|
|
|
Post by campgreyhound on Oct 12, 2012 18:15:33 GMT -5
It really depends on how you feed, there is a really wide range, but I'll give you an example.
a 75lb greyhound eating 2.5% of his weight would need 30 oz. of food per day, that's almost 2lb. If you're paying between a buck and $2 per pound, your cost would be between $2-$4/day, which works out to between $60-$120 per month. Bargains can be had at the supermarket, you can buy marked down meat and feed it (dogs have no trouble with a little extra bacteria), and a freezer can help you take advantage of sales. Also, if you have friends that hunt, that's a big bonus.
|
|
Redhead
Grey Lover
Teague (Natural Red Head)
Posts: 823
|
Post by Redhead on Oct 12, 2012 18:56:28 GMT -5
Like Karen said, it depends on the amounts of food you buy and where you get it from. If you are willing to drive a bit, there are meat suppliers in places like Newmarket who sell large frozen boxes of chicken for around 1$ a pound. I tend to buy a lot from the grocery store...things like beef heart, chicken backs/necks, pork hocks, cheap roasts, etc. I stay away from premade food as it is a LOT more expensive, but I do buy some ground tripe and ground organ mixtures. I do know people with larger groups of dogs who do buy in bulk and they pay as low as 50 cents/pound. For me, I would guess I would spend anywhere between $3-$5 a day, depending on what I feed. I do mix in some cooked food and a small amount of kibble on some days but I feed mostly raw. Have you check out the Canadian raw supply group on yahoo? There are sometimes good deals on there You can also get some deals from small, meat vendors at the Farmer's Market or butcher.
|
|
|
Post by FinnsMom on Oct 12, 2012 19:09:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses. I have been grabbing the majority of meat from Costco but definitely need to start shopping around as we have only had him for 3 weeks and I am sure I've spent more than $120. I'd love to feed him raw/homemade 100% of the time but would like to get the cost more stable.
He's already getting bone from the turkey necks and chicken feet so I'll have to introduce the organs soon. And for the fish oils I plan to buy sardines for treats, would that be enough or should supplements be added?
And thanks Fastlane for the information on Carna4. I think I'll grab a bag of that to have as a sort of backup.
|
|
xtrawld
Grey Lover
Both thirsty....can't wait for their turn....
Posts: 625
|
Post by xtrawld on Oct 13, 2012 19:40:42 GMT -5
We feed a ground mix here. I tried raw via separate meat/organ/bone portions and for us it just became a bit of a hassle and was actually quite gross, and it took over our fridge. Admittedly going this ground route is not cheap, but it is super convienient and easy for us to feed. We spend nearly $300 a month for our two boys.
|
|
Redhead
Grey Lover
Teague (Natural Red Head)
Posts: 823
|
Post by Redhead on Oct 15, 2012 16:19:23 GMT -5
I feed sardines sometimes and fish oil daily. Everything I have read about Omega 3's is so positive that I always add it. Sardines are great but fish oil has much higher levels of everything. I personally don't supplement with anything else, sometimes I add a bit of kelp and I also feed canned oysters as they have the highest levels of zinc of any food (great for skin/coat and other things!). If you are feeding only RMB's now you will also want to start introducing boneless meats as well as small amounts of organs (gradually). I personally love beef heart, our local Foodland and Sobies carries it and it is a cheap muscle meat source. Also, sometimes roasts/stewing beef go on sale (this is the expensive part of the diet ). A lot of raw feeders feed too much bone...as a general rule I try to feed one meal of raw meaty bones, one meal of boneless meat/extras (eggs, canned fish, cottage cheese, etc.) I have heard the butcher shop in Orangeville sells boxes of bulk trim, lamb heart, backs/necks, etc. at reasonable prices. That is probably a bit of a drive for you, but if you are ever down this way you may want to check it out.
|
|