I made a thread a few weeks ago regarding hiro and his disappearing appetite. We bought him some Stella's and he simply ADORES it but the issue is, its just too expensive to feed hiro stellas every day. The prices are quite steep.
I do want to go to a raw diet but frankly I am just too overwhelmed with the information out on the web. I read the beginners guides and I still feel out of place. Unfortunately I might have to take the cowards way out.
Is there any premade raw brands that you guys can recommend? Something that is good quality but affordable? Im not looking for something dirt cheap or generic like the kibble sold at the grocery store but something that is a bit more manageable to the wallet. At least cheaper than Stella's.
Premades all tend to be quite expensive. I don't really know what to recommend since the only brand I can find locally is Stella and Chewy's which costs way too much for me to even give it a try. Have you seen any smaller local brands? Sometimes a smaller company that is only in one area or a small amount of states pops up here and there, and they are sometimes cheaper than the bigger brands.
Doing home-made raw certainly seems overwhelming at first, but it's really not once you get into it. You just need to know the proper ratios that work for your dog and the general jist of what nutrients he is getting every day and make sure he's not lacking anything.
I dunno I feed prey model raw.. I did buy nature's variety raw bison to give a try. I haf 3 $ off coupon it was 16$ normal and 13$ with coupon.. comes with like 48 nuggets I think.. Saya according to guide needs like 6 nuggets a day as meal.
I'm just trying it, but I'd never feed it full time much cheaper to do prey model raw..
Maybe feed pre made and do whole raw to help offset price and ease you into the diet?
Saya loves chicken thighs, drumsticks, feet, neck, quarters. Start out with chicken and once good on that give little bit of chicken gizzard and chicken heart.
If yor dog doesn't do well with chicken due to allergy the pork ribs are yummy. Saya handles pork ribs, lamb ribs, lamb necks fine..
Coarse be sure any meat isn't enhanced by broth, brine, or sodium.
What is your definition of "affordable"? And where do you live?
I'm tempted to respond that pre-made raw DOES tend to be prohibitively expensive for exclusive feeding. During the worst of Bowdu's allergies, and right when we first started experimenting with raw feeding, he ate only Primal Raw for about 6 ~ 8 weeks, and his food alone was costing about $90 ~ $100 a month (different formulas had different prices).
Stella & Chewy's is one of the most expensive pre-made brands on the market. Not worth it, in my opinion.
And if you're not ready to leap right into DIY raw, which is really the most cost-efficient option, I think another good alternative is Honest Kitchen dehydrated meals. A 4-pound box of powdered meal might sound expensive at $30 ~ $50 (again, it varies with the formula), but each 4-pound box is supposed to make about 16 pounds of food, and it lasts a long time, especially if you cut the mixture with bits of meat and veggies of your own.
I would recommend asking around at pet boutiques, doggy daycares, and other places that sell raw. Premades really vary by region. Inquire about the different brands, sizes, and cost.
Around here, I buy a brand called Pets Go Raw. One package of chicken meals is 5 lbs for $15. For me, that works out to about $1/day to feed my dog. Of course, buying large boxes is even more cost effective, my freezer just isn't big enough to do that or to do homemade raw right now.
