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KingstonTodd · 05-02-2008, 12:11 AM

I alternate a commercial raw diet with meat form the butcher, usually stuff marked down because its best before date is getting close. This week i gave them turkey wings, chicken thighs, chicken wings, and chicken back, beef liver, some whole fish, ground beef and tripe.

Here is a list of commercial diets from another forum, some are less expensive than others:
http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/inde ... 347.0.html

And a list of foods that people have tried:
http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/inde ... 356.0.html

I try to go to a butcher shop or farmers market over a standard grocery store, you get better prices. Most people can have their food average out to under 0.75-1$/lb. I have a butchers that will set aside the breast bones and attached meat from when they debone chicken breasts, i have them add some more meast to make it 50% meat/50% bone and grind it for me, cheap since its half scraps.

There is a tonne of stuff you can read on the internet on various permutations of raw, and I am by no means an expert with making it balanced, which is why we use a commercial ground product for 50% of their meals, so i know at least part of it is balanced.

One tip, its its all chicken based, your dog gets iron deficiency. If its all beef, you get vitamin A deficiency. You have to include bones, either whole or ground to watch calcium and ohosphorus ratios. Also tripe is usually super cheap, since its a scrap meat for a butcher, i have a guy gring it and freeze it in 3 lb bags.

05-02-2008, 12:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
KingstonTodd Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,005	I alternate a commercial raw diet with meat form the butcher, usually stuff marked down because its best before date is getting close. This week i gave them turkey wings, chicken thighs, chicken wings, and chicken back, beef liver, some whole fish, ground beef and tripe. Here is a list of commercial diets from another forum, some are less expensive than others: http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/inde ... 347.0.html And a list of foods that people have tried: http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/inde ... 356.0.html I try to go to a butcher shop or farmers market over a standard grocery store, you get better prices. Most people can have their food average out to under 0.75-1$/lb. I have a butchers that will set aside the breast bones and attached meat from when they debone chicken breasts, i have them add some more meast to make it 50% meat/50% bone and grind it for me, cheap since its half scraps. There is a tonne of stuff you can read on the internet on various permutations of raw, and I am by no means an expert with making it balanced, which is why we use a commercial ground product for 50% of their meals, so i know at least part of it is balanced. One tip, its its all chicken based, your dog gets iron deficiency. If its all beef, you get vitamin A deficiency. You have to include bones, either whole or ground to watch calcium and ohosphorus ratios. Also tripe is usually super cheap, since its a scrap meat for a butcher, i have a guy gring it and freeze it in 3 lb bags.