Prey Model x BARF

[Vanize Andrade]

Hello everyone!

I've been feeding my 4 EB's raw for the past 4 months. I try to add the most variety I can.. And I've been able to keep the cost on an average of $2 / lb.
My only problem is that I feel my dogs have a hard time eating the bones. So I thought I was cutting the bones-in pieces to small. I usually cut a drumstick in 2 pieces.
I have a hard time cutting the bones.. that's another problem.

So yesterday I decided to give them a whole chicken leg quarter. OMG.. they spent 30 minutes trying to eat it. After 30 minutes.. they were exhausted.. so I just got what was left and cut it in 3 parts and they ate it quickly.
I was avoiding BARF since I was afraid of the mess and prep time. But I spending time cutting everything anyways.

What is your opinion on this? Should I buy a grinder?

I was thinking that I could get the cost down with a grinder.. since I will be able to by cheaper bone-in food.

Thanks,
Vanize

 

[anatess]

Hello everyone!

I've been feeding my 4 EB's raw for the past 4 months. I try to add the most variety I can.. And I've been able to keep the cost on an average of $2 / lb.
My only problem is that I feel my dogs have a hard time eating the bones. So I thought I was cutting the bones-in pieces to small. I usually cut a drumstick in 2 pieces.
I have a hard time cutting the bones.. that's another problem.

So yesterday I decided to give them a whole chicken leg quarter. OMG.. they spent 30 minutes trying to eat it. After 30 minutes.. they were exhausted.. so I just got what was left and cut it in 3 parts and they ate it quickly.
I was avoiding BARF since I was afraid of the mess and prep time. But I spending time cutting everything anyways.

What is your opinion on this? Should I buy a grinder?

I was thinking that I could get the cost down with a grinder.. since I will be able to by cheaper bone-in food.

Thanks,
Vanize

My opinion? Give the dog the bone.

30 minutes of a dog chewing on a bone is 30 minutes of happily occupied, mentally absorbed, well-behaved dog. Better than having to buy one of them rawhide chew toys.

I give my dogs a pork shoulder occasionally. It takes them all day of chomping and chomping and chomping on it. At the end of the day, I throw whatever is left over out the garbage bin.

I am a firm believer of easy and simple means a lot lower chance of discouragement. So, I get a whole chicken fryer or rabbit from the store and give the whole thing to the dog without bothering to cut or do anything else to it. Dog teeth is very very efficient - more efficient than my knife in cutting up the thing.

The only reason I cut up meat at all is so they fit in the little daily containers that I put in the freezer so my husband/kids/pet sitter can feed the dog themselves. If it were not for that, my dogs are going to be eating for 4 hours trying to eviscerate an entire hog or some such...

 

[RiiSi]

I'm with anates here, but in my opinion you can, in the beginning, help them a little by cutting the meat so that it is still in one piece, but they get pieces out of it easier. I also give some harder to eat and digest bones grinded in the beginning so their stomachs get use to it before getting it whole. But I can get them grinded from the store, so I don't have to buy a grinder for it.