Raw diet for LGDs any opinions?

[BoboFarm]

My dogs don't have a problem with most bones. I do not allow them to consume weight-bearing bones because they are too hard and can crack teeth. Sometimes I allow a beef knuckle bone if they have tartar buildup but I only let them have those for half an hour or so. My dogs can eat a knuckle bone if given enough time. You have to consider the abilities of your dogs. Rotties can and will eat anything. If you feed too much bone they can regurgitate it. Chicken leg quarters can be a bit much for a new dog. Bone-in chicken breasts are best to start with. Rib bones are also a good start but you do have to watch poops. White, crumbly poop means too much bone. Black poop usually means they were fed a meal heavy with blood like heart and liver. You will be a poop expert

As far as spoilage, the smellier the better to my dogs. I try not to leave food out long enough to get smelly but it happens. I just fed a beef heart that turned my stomach. My dogs were drooling

I'll try to post pictures and have a bit more detail shortly.

 

[Baymule]

Well, let me walk back my earlier statement. We butchered chickens and the dogs eagerly await me tossing the guts to them. I keep the gizzards and livers for us, we love them fried. But the dogs get the rest. Then as I cut up the chicken and package it, there is more skin and trimmings, which they enjoy. We did 4 last week and 10 a few days ago, still have a bag of chicken goodies in the refrigerator which they ought to finish up today.

I was going to can the backs for them, but made chicken broth yesterday, then picked the meat off the bones. We had chicken mole' for supper and I have a container of cooked meat in the refrigerator. Too bad doggies. I was down to two jars of chicken broth and I needed to get stocked back up on broth! I got 17 jars.

 

[BoboFarm]

Here's a picture of Anja working on a chicken leg quarter

I buy 40-60lb boxes of food from the butcher. I thaw it in a large, flat (fits under a bed) storage container. Then I cut up the beef heart and pork into approximately 1.5lb chunks. I put them in plastic food containers that I get from Walmart. The leg quarters usually fit in the small containers but sometimes I have to use larger food storage containers. Here's a picture of the containers with a leg quarter and pork

 

[Baymule]

I guess the advantage to feeding raw is that the sheep/goats won't eat it. The sheep circle Paris and her feed bowl like a bunch of buzzards waiting for something to die. If she walks away, they dive in. They even like gravy! But raw meat/trimmings? Cooked meat? They sniff delicately, then snort, trying to get that awful odor out of their noses. LOL

 

[Skiesblue]

Our two years ago.
I miss them. The male on the right was 9 or 10 when that was taken. The gal next to him was five. They both went to thirteen.

 

[Skiesblue]

^ @Baymule, gravy? I’m seeing a Farside cartoon with sheep at a Thanksgiving dinner table and a timid ram saying “Can you paaaass that?”

 

[Baymule]

^ @Baymule, gravy? I’m seeing a Farside cartoon with sheep at a Thanksgiving dinner table and a timid ram saying “Can you paaaass that?”

When I fry meat, sausage etc, I make gravy from the pan drippings. WE don't need the fat and flour, but the dogs love it. My husband mixes it with their kibble and they scarf it up.

Those crazy sheep will eat the kibble, gravy and all. If the dogs have had all they want, the sheep get the rest. I find it funny when the dogs are hungry, ringed by a flock of sheep, who want their dog food. If they venture too close, the dogs snarl and run them off. Silly sheep.

 

[BoboFarm]

One thing to be very careful of if you purchase meat from a grocery store or even the butcher is the sodium content. They can and often "plump" meat with a sodium solution to "enhance" flavor. This can make dogs very sick.

 

[Baymule]

One thing to be very careful of if you purchase meat from a grocery store or even the butcher is the sodium content. They can and often "plump" meat with a sodium solution to "enhance" flavor. This can make dogs very sick.

We raise our lamb, chicken and pork. We bought half a grass fed steer. Our dog gravy is healthy!

 

[BoboFarm]

I was speaking more generally for those feeding raw that purchase meats. The gravy sounds yummy