What is good Food for working Lab ?

[Gaoler 83]

Hello All,

 

I have been reading about the BARF diet, does anybody use it and what do you think of it ?

 

What is the cost ?

 

Thanks

John...

[Sako.243 1]

Hello All,

 

I have been reading about the BARF diet, does anybody use it and what do you think of it ?

 

What is the cost ?

 

Thanks

John...

 

Alright mate, My Lurcher, Terrier and Lab are all fed on minced Lamb, Beef or Tripe, I buy it in 500grm packs in boxes of 24 Which cost around 50p per pack, Which i feed with some mixer biscuits, Also a spoonfull of sa37 and a Codliver oil capsule Daily.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Sako.243

[Gaoler 83]

Thanks,

 

What is sa37 ?

 

Does the lab work well on it ?

 

Thanks

John...

[Sako.243 1]

Thanks,

 

What is sa37 ?

 

Does the lab work well on it ?

 

Thanks

John...

 

 

Its a mineral compound mate.

[Back Stabbath 1]

Bones and raw food is absolutely the best thing you can give your dog!! Nearly everything else is what we in the human world would call junk food. Raw food has necessary enzymes for digestion and proper assimilation.

 

Good on you for actually researching what to feed your dog!

 

 

I have found that my dogs have little or no smell when fed a raw diet. My Dobermans coat is very shiny and I'm almost sure we wont have any problems such as hip dysplasia because I've fed him well since he was a young pup.

I know no dog that will turn their nose up at a BARF diet.

My doberman has eaten a whole rack of pig ribs in less than half an hour once!

 

Dogs diets are the main cause of nearly all illnesses (allergies, bad teeth, cancer, hip dysplasia sometimes, arthritis, etc.)

My Jack Russel, Lil, has become much healthier and happier since I started feeding her properly.

 

Now I do give the dogs dry dog food sometimes, but I am very picky about what I buy. As a cheap but not too bad quality food I go for Red Mills (PET or STAR, WINNER is exactly the same but more expensive packaging). The ingredients are not too bad.

 

Try to stay away from dog foods that use BHA or BHT as preservatives, or generally any E numbers. DO NOT buy any food with colourants in it, they are totally unecessary and dangerous.

 

Burns Holistic is a good food, quite expensive, but it could be used as a primary food.

 

Pedigree Chum is not great, you really pay for the brand name there, but I know dogs that have lived long lives on it.

Hills, or Royal Canin I wouldn't bother with unless you want to pay through the roof for something thats not much better that Pedigree. (Vets get commission for recommending it)

 

 

A typical healthy meal -

Grated carrot (must be grated for them to digest it)

Raw meat (beef, pork whatever)

 

or

 

Raw chicken wings/legs

raw peas

A big bone to chew for the evening.

 

I give the occassional apple too.

FEED OFFAL as well as carcass meat. All of one or the other is not good. Give some scraps, leftover potatoes, veg, meat, rice, stew, soup, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

The cost of a raw can be a lot more than a 'normal' diet. Thats why I feed dry food and scraps too.

You do not need to give your dogs the absolute freshest meat you can find, get the reduced stuff. Bulk it up with carrots, peas, scraps, etc. Bones are free. Pig liver is cheap. It wont cost you a massive amount, and your dog will be healthy.

Give the scraps of what you hunt too. Eg. rabbit liver, heart, fur offcuts, its all good. Even the odd foot wont harm a healthy dog!

I believe in Britain you can get cheap frozen raw meat foo dogs too, I don't know much about it but I'd say its good.

 

 

 

Good luck!

[Hannah4181 260]

Raw feeding is by far the best diet for your dog.

I buy all my dogs meat from a local supplier, if you can find a good butcher they will sell everything you need. Best bet is to get a saperate freezer and order in bulk. Mine have everything, minced beef,lamb,chicken,tripe, offal, whole rabbits, beef rib, pork, chicken wings and carcasses, turkey necks. . . you name it they get it!

 

I don't feed any veg or fruit, and i dont suppliment, they will sometimes have raw egg as well. My three are fit, healthy and have great teeth, coats etc. The local farmer has 3 labs who have recently gone onto raw and they all look 100% better for it.

 

I think it is cheaper to feed raw food. I but for my 3 lurchers and the 3 farm labs, they are all very active and have 2 meals a day, my order costs normally £30 every 10 days, thats to feed 6 big dogs. I used to feed James wellbeloved and would spend £40 a sac which lasted 2 weeks. So raw is 100% better and much cheaper.

 

Good luck with it.

[Gaoler 83]

Hello All,

 

Thanks for that info,

 

I have put her on Burns Active and starting mixing the odd raw chicken and rabbit in with it, she will also get fresh veg from when the wife is cooking. She seems superb on it and i have noticed a lot less dog sxxt in my garden also.

 

John...

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Some real good advice there!

 

I feed as much raw as possible, and it costs nothing, from rabbit and game, venison ribs etc, to butchers scraps including offal and lamb rib/neck bones.

 

A good point that old ditch shitter made clear to me, was that the heavy beef bones and most leg bones are not too good, as the dogs will gradually wear their teeth down on them, and wont be able to actually eat most of it. The best bone for feed value being ones they can chew up and eat. Ribs and neck bone of livestock and larger game, and all small game and gamebirds.

 

Hope this helps

 

DnN