siberian_wolf Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 Just started to introduce my boys to the BARF diet but I have a few questions to ask: 1) Is Natural yoghurt good for them as I read somehwere a while ago that this is good for their tract as an alternative to eggs 2) My boys have previously been fed lamb but it says to avoid this for a while but as they have had it before can I still feed them it or should I avoid it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 I give mine natural yoghurt, works well for their tumms - bit like the probiotic yoghurt drinks us humans have etc. As for the lamb, can't see there being a problem with it, I always avoid beef though as heard it's not great for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 I feed both lamb and beef. The tip when changing to BARF is that some dogs find switching to rich meats takes a bit longer to get used to, so some people suggest starting with plainer meats like chicken and beef and then adding richer, fattier meats like lamb. My dogs didn't have a problem with the switch though and pretty much went straight from dried to BARF - although they were already eating a large amount of raw as well as dried. Natural acidophilus yogurt is great to help with digestion, I put about 1kg of yoghurt in my BARF mix that I feed in conjunction with the raw meaty bones. ETA: my BARF mix includes approx 2kg of human grade beef mince and the dogs do very well on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hi, my girls are on Barf! Actimel if thats how its spelt is reallyu good for them! Beef and lamb are both fine, but make sure you introduce it slowly, a sudden change will end in a big mess!!!! My girls are still on 3 feeds a day due to their previuos lives and needing to be fed up a bit! They have a variety of chicken wings, turkey wings, mixed mince...beef and heart, lamb mince, course chicken mince (with bones in), turkey mince, and of course some feeds of carbs and veg...they have pasta and rice with poatoe, carrots and any other veg i happen to have about! Might be worth considering supplimenting them with zinc and a general vitamin too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted February 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 At the moment I am just feeding them on chicken (wings, necks, backs, mince) and beef (ribs, cut small and mince). My boys have had cooked lamb when I was feeding them dry biscuits and they have been ok with this but the raw lamb, im guess, is alot different to when its cooked (as in its richer when raw) so maybe I should avoid lamb and other rich meat until they are settled into the diet. I have already noticed a change in their stools and they are much firmer and less. Ive also read that pork is a definate no, is that true? Our local butcher knows that we are changing to the BARF diet and said when we are ready to start the organ feeding, we will mix us up some together (ready to feed) with some vegetables as well for us which will be a great help. Going to be getting a food processor/liquidisor tonight for thier vegetabels as it is mentioned to feed these like that instead of whole so it resembles the contents of an animals stomach and they need the nutrients from within the vegetables more than the ones on the outside. If that makes sence. I have given them yakult before, when they had the runs once which helped them out loads. edit: Is it ok to feed them the chicken/beef you can buy from your local shop or is it best from a butcher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 Sorry, SW, I don't know how different meat quality is in the UK, I buy most of my dog's meat from the supermarket often just because it's convenient. Some meat I get from butchers, it really just depends on what is easiest and most affordable. I make a BARF mix that includes: - approx 2kg of beef mince - 3-4 kg of vegetables and fruit (apple, carrot, celery, pumpkin, whatever you feel like). My blender is pretty crappy so I just grate all the vegies up and mix it with the mince - I add some offal, I usually just chop up a tray of raw chicken livers - 4 tins of sardines - 1kg of natural yoghurt I mix this all together and freeze in smaller containers, I feed it as well as all the raw meaty bones (chicken wings, necks, frames, turkey necks, lamp necks and flaps, salmon heads etc). The general recommended ratio is 80% raw meat and bones, and 20% fruit, vegies and offal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 well i have never fed my girl on the full BARF diet, as it would involve no dry food and even dried buscuit, so i say i feed raw whilst still giving them dried treats and food. to start with i also fed chicken wings and turkey necks with raw egg. in the satin balls i am using minced beef and their fine on it, i have bought alaska a small raw lamb shank and she did great on it, i cant feed liver yet becasue it's to rich for them, i can feed lams heart as long as it chopped and mixed with buscuit >>> the buscuit really helps, or you can feed raw minced lamb with cooked rice, they will get used to it and then you can lessen the rice <<<so they don't get the runs. sometimes i get meat from the super market but to be honest it's best to find a reasonable local butchers who cut good meat, for the chicken wings i go to stroured green and buy a big bag of frozen wings (all fresh from his meat but frozen) only for 5 and i can defrost these overnight and give it to them for breakfast. i also buy lamb ribs and feed them raw, the ribs are really bendy and chewy and they love them << nice firm stools as well. I buy turkey necks and find i can give them these as a snack instead of a denta stick as it cleans their teeth better!. i also buy things like: -minced beef or -hamburger meat <<nice and fatty for active sibes -lamb shanks -chicken necks and thighs -diced lambs heart -beef stakes << at christmas and special occasions lol and veggies -carrots -broccoli -spinach -cauliflower and oats -oatmeal and -wheat meal and sometimes i crush some plain ceral down and mix it with a raw egg with crushed shells and i'll add this to the mince or chopped organs I think you should stick to cooking somethings and adding some dry buscuit or dry food as it enables your sibes digestive systems to function perfectly with two types of food, say they ever need to be vetted or kennled, or stay with a friends, it's always good to know they will still eat dry kibble without being fusy for raw and knowing they wont get an upset stomache for the change of diet! so here's what i do: you can buy really small buiscuit from your local pet shop and they call it a mixer, or you can make your own like me: -a bag or oatmeal -a bag of wheatmeal -and half a box of crushed plain ceral and mix this together, and put portians into food bags and keep them in your cupboard, you know it wont go off and you can mix it in with the organ meat and minces meat as this alone can be way to rich alongside the sibes already sensitive tummy! i have a juicer/mixer....<<well whatever it is it's great so i usally make the veggies into a smoothie as i find they get eaten lol however if im feeding things with bones i give it to them outside, so like lamb ribs or chicken wings here's my usally schedule however it will vary from meat to meat: 1pm << first meal 2 chicken wings, 4 lamb ribs(depending on size, if they are the really big ribs then only 3) and a turkey neck <<<each, they will eat the lot after a walk and it may not seem like a lot however they are only 8 months and i sometimes give 3 chicken wings if they are still looking around for food 6pm their final meal >> sometimes i make them wait until 7 or even 9pm since i know they were bred to survive on as little as possible, i walk them, play with them, give them games to do, so by the time it's dinner they really eat it all >>including the veggies!!! it will either be a mixture of a block of tripe from the petshops (lamb, rabbit, chicken and tripe or just plain tripe) with minced hamburger meat or minced beef, then this is where i will get my homemade mixer and either make the veggies into a smoothie (which they prefer as it is like a stew) or i will mash them up, if you do decide to make them like a smoothie the oats and wheatmeal will thicken it. i give them a whole bowl of this (we have those medium sized stainless steal bowles if that helps) and after that if still peckish we give them a chicken wing each outside << they see this more like a treat anyway i really would reccamend making your own mixer as it will provide the fibre needed, dogs on a whole don't need to much fibre or starch however for sibes they can get very lean due to their high activity levels, The raw feed gets a lot more exciting as my puppies get older and as your dogs become more used to it, my pups cant have most organ meat and whole carcasses until their older, so when they are you can give them whole rabbit carcass << which they will love!! OH:o and btw i aslo give them fish.fish.fish -salmon -macrel -sardines -tuna -kippers <<< and to be honest i usally go to the supermarket and get the tinned ones! The one meat i wont give is pork, it's not safe in the UK raw, and there is nothing benifcial from pork! i will say that whilst on 80% raw and 20% dry, their coat is amazing, shedding is soooo much easier, their teeth at their whitest, their breath..hmmmm well it's not soo bad lol, they have healthy activity levels and they really thrive on it! things i add to meals charcoal >> helps with foul smelling farts and breath and is good for digestive system << i get this from my pet shop extra virgin cold pressed olive oil >>> about 2 table spoons a few times a week raw eggs natural yogart>> a good source of calcium and nice and gentle on the tummies if your sibes do get the runs when you introduce the organ or lamb meat, lessen the portians and give it with some plain boiled rice for a week or two and them add a little more and lessen the rice i know this is really long but i hope it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 OH p.s what smeagel said is great advice btw, i also freeze my raw food into bags and it makes life soo much easier lol, so like the hamburger meat, oats, yogart, egg..and so on i will mix and then freeze, but the stuff with bones i don't have to unless i buy a lot of it!! take this recipe from satin balls, the molasses sugar gave my girl the runs because i swtiched the foods two quickly however it's all natural cane sugar if you have lean sibes..if not take the park about the oats and stuff: http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm p.s she is still on the satin balls but with plain boiled rice which has stopped the runny poo, i am lessening the rice now and her stools are still nice and firm, and i have noticed her coat is softer, shineier and after a week has already gained a few pounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 SW....if u are going to be going onto a complete BARF diet, I would advice you look at http://www.landywoods.co.uk/ this is where i get all my meat from, it is really good stuff and all DEFRA approved! Also far cheaper than getting it from the shops! I get a delivery once a month and have a small chest freezer to store the girls food in! Wouldn't worry about liquidising veg etc, my girls get on fine with it cut up, and takes them a little longer to get through it! I do bate it with a little tuna, just for a bit ofadded taste! My girls still get the odd biscuit as a treat, but they dont get any dried food as this is digested at a different rate! Lx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules dief taz tor Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 lucy great link added to rep , will be placin an order with them very soon , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted February 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Thanks for link Lucy, added to rep. Looks a good place to get the supplements from Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 lucy really good site, im going to check it out some more but i could deffinately benifit from them...added to rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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