How frequently does one have to purchase the items needed for a RAW diet?

Question

I shop once a week and as the food is being given raw how long will its nutritional value last, especially the raw meats.

Answer 1

Every raw and uncured meat should be no more than a few hours past the kill.

Grocery store meat is to old to give raw to an animal.

If you want to feed a raw diet, check out properly prepared raw diets in speciality pet stores. It will come frozen and guarenteed.

Otherwise, cook the meat and keep it in the fridge or freezer. Either way, its better than stuff sitting on a shelf. No matter what shelf. Nutritional content however, is a major concern.

Answer 2

You can shop once a month - IF you have the freezer space.
Market bought (i would suggest local) meats are perfectly fine. You may find a local butcher that will give you a discount though on bulk buys.
this is a great place to check nutrition content
http://www.nutritiondata.com/

Freezing raw food is perfectly fine. Just thaw it in the fridge and then feed. It's actually suggested that you DO freeze if you are packaging yourself (like fresh killed rabbits) as freezing for 3-7 days will kill off any parasites.

Or you can go for a pre-packaged raw diet like Nautures Balance or Pepperdogz... again just thaw in the fridge overnight and you are set to feed.

Make sure you supply bones if you use Ground meat... or even if you feed whole meat. This will keep the dog(s) teeth clean. All my dogs have teeth as white as a puppies.
either raw bones, or the sterilized or smoked meat kind you can get at Petsmart, etc.

To comment on the guy who says it's to expensive.. I currently own 8 dogs and it costs me less then $100 a month to feed them *LMAO* so you can't say that raw is expensive. Probably looking at some wierd kookie raw diet.
Also take into account the health of your dogs, I haven't had a vet bill (due to illness) in over 2years. And that time was actually for the two cats *heh*

Answer 3

Two routes: 1) There are cos that make packaged raw foods now ... 'nuggets' and such, but to me that's kinda defeating the purpose. To me, one of the benefits of going raw is you cut out the processing middle man and you have much more direct control over what is (and is NOT) going into your dog. Another benefit of raw is - you save money. Paying some Co. $$$ for processed 'nuggets' isn't my idea of "raw" You can order direct from these cos (and pay to have it delivered too) or find some of their stuff in freezers at higher-end pet food stores. 2) your grocery store/butcher. Your grocer probably sells soup bones, chicken livers and all sorts of things you never gave any thought to before - right there in the same packaged meat display as the packaged hamburger and steaks. And the best part is - they're dirt cheap because they're undesirable 'scrap' parts to humans. Option #2 is how we roll. Salmon, chicken thighs, meat, bones, organs, etc. all in the same place.

Answer 4

I took the list for the raw diet to a very good pet store today that carries foods for the raw diet. Mostly frozen stuff.
I can't afford to feed 2 dogs on this diet! Their food for a week is more than I spend for our own food and we eat very well and only good things.
Quality dog foods is wonderful but if it's to expensive than you do the best you can.
It is very well and good to say this food is the best or that food is the best but if it means that a person cant afford to pay a light bill then guess what it's not the best for you or your dog. I keep feeding my dogs what I am feeding them now they are fine.

Answer 5

You can also check IAMS own site:
www.iams.com
Please do your research on dog food over the internet. The Whole Dog Food Journal takes no advertising from manufactures and publishes a yearly guide to the most nutritional pet food made every year. READ THE LABEL; UNDERSTAND the ingredients and NOT the hype on the package. You can buy holistic natural dog food with high quality lamb or beef, whole grains that are all HUMANE GRADE. Azmira food is CLINICALLY proven healthy food for less then $.68 for a 50 Pd dog. Ignorance is the only reason someone would feed their dog Beneful at $.87. No matter what the company make sure it is humane grade!!! Surely no one who loves their dog would knowingly feed it dead, disease, disabled and/or dying sick animals shot full of antibiotics, growth hormones and chemicals regardless if their vet tells them its a "good food" or they saw a commercial that told them it was good for their pet. Keep in mind Vets not only make good commissions off the food the sell they also get rewards, gifts and bonuses for sales. Vets in general do NOT have nutritional education and sadly "prescribe" pet food from these same companies as part of their earnings daily.

I would never consider feeding any of my pets ANY of the poor quality foods that Menu Foods makes. Take a look at the LONG list of company's that they sell their food to for these same companies to stick their labels on the can, goes to show doesn't matter what names on the label it's all the same in the can. Labels from Iams, Eukanbu, Nutro and many other cheap dog food sellers now are having their dog food recalled as it has been KILLING our pets. Do you have any idea how many pets must have died BEFORE this big of a recall was made? How many more companies and or labels will be added to the recall list before this is all done with? The root cause has of yet to be identified so I would throw out EVERYTHING by all these companies', the risk is not worth it to me, is it to you and your pets?

Please take your pets health into your own hands. They are what they eat and dry dead poor grade kibble or soft food is the root cause of most allergies, hotspots, ear infections and of cancer. Most Vets’ DO NOT STUDY nutrition any more then most doctor's do. SEE the label is just that, what is inside is preservatives, fillers, artificial colors and the garbage from the human food industry packaged all pretty for you to believe you are feeding your dog something good.

Google "dog food the 4 D's" and read away. Search Amazon for Holistic pet books and see what ALL the natural vet's that study nutrition recommends. Make a wise healthy decision for your best friends. GET YOUR HANDS ON THE 2006 AWARD WINNING Book "Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care" (http://www.amazon.com/scared-poopless-st...
Care/dp/0977126501) This book is a pure joy to read as it is written from the dogs prospective and educates you on what choices you really have in regards to everything from medical types of vets, alternative care, vaccines or titers to foods.

While you’re at it study up on vaccines too. I will leave you with a scary thought. The EXACT same amount of vaccine for a 5 Pd Maltese is given to a 150 Pd Iris Wolf Hound! WHY?

Choose for your pet wisely for they are unable to choose for themselves. If they could I don't believe they would pick dead granola every meal for the rest of their lives even if it was humane grade. Give them real food full of enzymes, vitamins, natural probotics and life giving energy