how much barf xxx?

Question

my 2 greys(yes here i go again) are on a semi barf diet ....soaked food at lunch and raw for tea and i want to swap them completly to raw....bit of maths needed here am afraid so does any one no how much meat a day a 31kg and a 30kg greyhound will need?calculations on the barf web are a tad confusuing and maths aint my strong point!!! they are fed 400gdry aday(31kg grey) and 250g dry aday(30kg female)will the ammount of meat be the same or will it be less than the ammounts they are getting in the dry? Thanx in advance xxxx

Answer 1

The 31kg dog would get .62 kilograms per day the 30kg dog would get .6 kilograms per day. This is based on 2% of their body weight. Start their and watch their weights for a couple weeks. If they lose a little, add some more, if they gain to much, feed a little less. 2% is generally a good starting point.

Remember to feed a variety of foods, raw meaty bones from several animals, (stay away from weight bearing bones of large mammals), organs, and throw in a few raw eggs shell and all once in awhile. Remember balance is achieved over time.

http://www.hare-today.com has some good resources, including a feeding calculator.

Another good site is http://www.rawfed.com

If you still have questions there is a community on http://www.livejournal.com called rawdogs, full of raw feeders who are always glad to help those starting out.

I think you and your dogs will be very pleased with taking the plunge into full raw.

Answer 2

According to the BARF nutritionists it is by feeding it the diet that it has evolved with it or it's evolutionary diet. According to Dr Ian Billinghurst the BARF diet is simple in philosophy and construction because it looks at the diet of wild or feral animals and mimics that type of dietary system but at the same time using whole raw foodstuffs that are readily available to pet owners everywhere. BARF proponents also point out that these diets may be enhanced with various supplements and they say that once the principles are understood, almost everybody is capable of doing this and no extended or highly specialized education is necessary.

A BARF diet comprises of:

60% Meaty Bones
60%-70% of which are RAW chicken bones, the remainder (30%-40%) being bones from RAW lamb, rabbit, beef, pork, venison etc.

40% Other Food Stuff
Green leafy vegetables should make up about 60%-70% of the vegetable part of the diet, with grain and starchy vegetables being between 20%-30%. The offal portion of the diet, that is liver, kidneys and hearts etc., should be about 5%-15% of the diet. Throw in some eggs two to three times a week, more often if you wish.

Answer 3

Remember that meat and Raw Meaty Bones are two different things. Rmb's should be around 60% of the total diet, the rest comprising of 10% offal, and other meats of a good variety without bone.

Your dogs, depending on their metabolism, will need around 2 - 3% of their bodyweight per day. That's 30kg x 2% = 0.60kg, which is 1.32lbs or 21ozs. Or 30kg x 3% = 0.90kg, which is 1.98lbs or 31.68ozs.....to be rather precise!!

I would personally start on 2% if your dogs ribs can't be easily felt......if they can, I would start on 3%.

If you want a diet sheet to start you off, feel free to mail me.

Good Luck........your dogs will love you!!

Answer 4

Your question clearly illustrates my point ... That pet nutritionists and veterinarians (the experts) don't agree on ingredients and quantities on pet food regimens. I can't answer your question, but I bet if you posted the same question on a BARF blog, you'd get many different answers (probably better answers than you'll get here).
I think the best way to answer your question would be for you to step back, look at your dogs and ask yourself questions ... Are they the right weight? Are they strong and healthy? Do their coats look right? Are they physically fit? If the answers to questions like these don't respond to your liking, then you might have to make adjustments to their diets.
Good luck.