The Sweeper wrote: » Feeding them raw doesn't make them vicious, or give them a taste for blood, or encourage them to chase livestock, or any of the rest of the old wives tales. My guy had chronic ringworm, a flea and worm infestation, and was underweight (all ribs and no bum) when I got him. Feeding him raw really helped put weight and condition on him. I fed a lot of raw meaty bones (chicken wings and legs, turkey wings and lamb riblets were favourites and most easily available), plus bones for chewing for teeth (the bone out of a leg of lamb for instance - he'd strip the meat off, chew the ends away and then I'd discard the weight-bearing middle section). I also fed lamb hearts, lamb liver, beef heart and liver, chicken liver, tripe (couldn't get green so just fed white), chicken necks and anything I could find on special, e.g. casserole or stewing meat. Everything I fed was human-grade so it worked out quite expensively because I don't live near a wholesaler or abbatoir, and wouldn't buy pet meat because anywhere that supplies it near me, it's bulked out with crap - blitzed kidneys, too much liver and a whack of preservative. Dog did phenomenally well on the raw though (which he'd want to given the price). He was down on his pasterns when I got him and the raw feeding and a vitamin C tablet here and there solved that - he has quite nice conformation now (for a mutt ).
pixiebean22 wrote: » Fedding raw isn't dangerous, it doesn't give dogs the thirst for blood, make them want to eat the postman or cause worms. <snip> Chicken bones should never be given cooked unless you fancy being on 'stool' watch. Any bones you feed should be uncooked for 2 reasons, 1. they splinter too easily when cooked and may cause internal damage that may go undetected and 2. they lose some of their goodness when cooked, a lot of the essential nutrition a dog gets from bones will be lost in cooking. Good luck.
jap gt wrote: » yea i should be able to get a good load of meat for her thanks
Bog Bunny wrote: » By the way, does anybody know where one can get chicken necks, perhaps in bulk from a chicken place? I think they are considered offal here in Ireland and fall under the restrictions of the 'Special Risk Material' and must be rendered un-usable, but maybe this has changed by now.