Raw food diet

[Mountainhound]

Was just curious how many feed there hounds this way? How you like or don't like it? And how you go about it? Just getting back at hunting and when I started looking at this and other sites I came across refrences to it, and the guy I got my pup from was feeding a raw meat diet (she looked awsome). So been doing some research and would like to hear from others thoughts on the subject. Thanks!!!

David

[Benny G]

David,
In the past, I have fed meat scraps (from custom butchers). When doing this, I have always fed a mixture of dry dog food along with the meat scraps. I cut WAY DOWN on the dry feed. When I have had dogs that were difficult to keep weight on while hunting hard, the meat scraps put weight on them while I continued to hunt them hard. Most dry dog foods contain corn as the number one ingredient. Dogs are designed as carnivores. It's only natural for them to do good on a meat diet. Besides all that, I would hate to have to pack enough hay to camp for my dogs, as well as my horses and mules!

[Montana Hounder]

I have been feeding beef meat scrapes to my hound for about a year. It is the only thing that keeps wieght on my hounds when running them hard. I also give the dogs a little dry food but it might take the dogs a week to eat a few cups of dog food. If you can get scrape i think it is the way to go.

[Mountainhound]

Thanks Benny I have also feed scraps to a few dogs that had a hard time keeping weight on. But I have never didn't feed kibble so to speak. Guy i got the pup from said the dogs just don't break down like the do on kibble and they also have a firmer stool and look so much healthier. The last two I noticed with the pup when I brought her home. Since she has been home with me (2 weeks) she poops more (less firm) and coat isn't quit as shinny.

[Mountainhound]

Montana hounder when you say scrape are you just talking whats left over from your own meals (I have done that but theres never enough). Or are you talking scrape from like the butcher? And are you feeding raw or cooked? Thanks!!

[houndcrzy]

I also feed raw meat all through the year and a little dry food as well, but very little. I think there's alot of advantages to it. We just let all the ranchers around the area know if they have a cow die or break a leg etc. just give us a call and will come take care of it. I butchered about a 2200lb bull last week, he was perfectly healthy just broke his leg fighting.....thats ALOT of dog food! I just bone it out and freeze it in fairly large peices then slice it up into bite size peices to feed.

My dad runs sled dogs and switched to this style of feed a few years ago, he said the difference in the energy, looks, and STAMINA of the dogs was almost unbelievable.....it was a really good example of how feeding a poor quality dog food leaves you not getting near as much as you can out of your dogs. Just my thoughts.

[grouse]

Do you have more problems with tape worms feeding raw meat ?

[Benny G]

I never have.

[bluesman]

I have a friend who has St. Bernards and all they feed is raw meat. Chicken necks, liver, heart, they will even feed them a whole chicken. They say as long as you dont thaw the chicken other than leaving it out to thaw slowly the bones don't hurt them. They have been doing it for 13 years and not a problem yet. Of course we are talking about a 200lb dog, not a hound but I would think if you stuck to things beef or wild game scraps you should be ok. The best part is there is hardly any mess. There St. Bernards leave less to clean up than any one of my puppys because there is no filler in raw meat. But like others have said, I just add it to the dry food.

[Mountainhound]

Thanks guys keep it comming. Bluesman from what I understand about the chicken/turkey bone or even fish, rabbit and what not is for it not to be cooked. Because once cooked is when it becomes brittle and will splinter.

[bluesman]

Thats right. But it will also turn brittle even if you thaw it in warm water. You have to let it thaw naturally. But with that there is a whole new problem. you have to be very sanitary. They thaw the food in 5 gal. buckets and as soon as they feed the dogs, they scrub them with bleach. They also say that the bones are good for the dogs because the marrrow is full of nutrition

[Mountainhound]

Yea I getcha. From what I understand (and that aint much) is it is the marrow which is basically like fat and also the calcium the bones provide.

[Montana Hounder]

Montana hounder when you say scrape are you just talking whats left over from your own meals (I have done that but theres never enough). Or are you talking scrape from like the butcher? And are you feeding raw or cooked? Thanks!!

When I say scraps I mean from the butcher. The scrap i get is all usda beef scrap. I get two 55 gallon barrels every two weeks. Yes and I do feed it raw.

[Mountainhound]

Wow thats some scrapes. A few dogs huh

[Montana Hounder]

Wow thats some scrapes. A few dogs huh

I got about 9 dogs at all times.