I'm not asking for every detail because I know setting up a raw diet isn't easy. Is there any way someone might know how much it would cost to feed a dog that is about 25lbs monthly on raw? I'm gathering enough info to present a proposition to the wife! HAHA Seriously, that is what I'm doing So don't laugh

Also if there is a beginners explanation to how to start I would appreciate it. Thanks everyone!

Well, it really depends on your meat sources. If you are paying 2.00/lb for your meat (sure hope you can find it for cheaper) and you are feeding 3-5% of your dogs body weight (for an adult dog 3-5%, do you have a puppy? they eat up to 8% I think) that turns into 45-75$ every 30 days, plus any supplements you feed.

Of course that's the really expensive end. If you have hunter friends, it could turn out almost free. I don't currently feed raw so I should probably stop there.

ETA: I have been finding chicken 1/4s at WalMart lately for about 60 cents per pound. For my 60lb dog that translates into roughly 30$/mo

Spencer, here is the article I started with: http://leerburg.com/diet.htm

We started feeding raw to the rescue Akita we have right now just because he was emaciated, but wouldn't eat kibble.

Many stores will sell chicken quarters for .47/lb. My wife got turkey necks and giblets at a local store for cheap.

We are contemplating the same question. I think it can be done for cheaper than premium kibble if you can get the meat on sale and in quantity, but I haven't put pencil to paper yet to prove it. I also know you would likely save on dental cleanings. It's the teeth that have killed us with our dogs who've been feed pricy kibble all their lives. It does take planning and freezer space to stock up on sale meat. Also, if you hunt or know a hunter, elk/deer would be excellent.

Good luck. Please keep us updated on what you conclude!

(after a week of feeding raw to the rescue mutt, I'm sold on the output ends in terms of energy, teeth, and reduced poo, that's for sure!!)

 Quote: Spencer Martin

I'm not asking for every detail because I know setting up a raw diet isn't easy. Is there any way someone might know how much it would cost to feed a dog that is about 25lbs monthly on raw? I'm gathering enough info to present a proposition to the wife! HAHA Seriously, that is what I'm doing So don't laugh

It depends greatly on your per-pound cost of basic RMBs.

Let's say you can get chicken backs for $1 a pound. That means that your biggest chunk of cost is about 50 cents a day (adult 25-pound dog). I got this from 2% of the dog's weight times $1 per pound (8 ounces per day times $1 per pound).

If you pay $2 for those backs, your biggest chunk of cost is doubled.

Then you add variety of muscle meat, yogurt, produce, fish oil, and organ meat.

 Quote: rob abel

.... We are contemplating the same question. I think it can be done for cheaper than premium kibble ....

And don't forget that at least one of the "additives," fish oil, is also necessary to a commercial diet, IMO. (Kibble manufacturers have no better source of long-chain Omega 3s than we do, and probably worse. The ones that brag "good source of Omega 3s" are generally full of poopy, because they usually mean plant sources of 3s, such as flax, canola, etc., and dogs have an about-zero conversion rate of those to DHA and EPA.)

Yes, In Ed's article, he emphasizes Omega 3 and Vitamins C and E as supplements, right? It's definitely true that the supplements don't come free.

Connie - have you fed raw over a long term? How are your dog's teeth?

It is almost impossible to figure out what it would cost. There are alot of variables....prices where you live, where you buy, what you buy, size of you dogs, feeding pups or adult dogs etc etc.etc.

I beleive I did figure it out about a year or so ago for a friend & it was between about $1.00- $1.35 a day to feed 2 adult very active GSDs. (65# female & 80# male) I buy almost everything from a whole sale restaraunt supplier. I occasionally buy some extras at the regular grocery store: like goat, lamb, buffalo, as I use these in small amounts. I buy fresh chicken necks & backs, chicken leg qtrs, 10# rolls of ground beef & turkey, 20# ground ground pork(10# PKGS). The fist thing I would do is to find a good supplier before starting & have a big freezer. It will be more expensive to feed 1 dog as you may not be able to use the larger paks of meat in a reasnable time. I have fed raw for almost 7 years & started with one dog & switch to a wholesaler when I had 3 dogs, 4 years ago. It was costing me less to 3 then 1 when I switched. Obviously, you need to have a large enough freezer to store the large orders. At my last order I bought almost 200 lbs of meat & RMBs. I process it all the day I pick it up & bag it all into 2-4 meal portions & freeze. It is alot of work, but well worth it. It takes me about 2 1/2 hours if I do it alone about 1 1/2 if a friend helps.

I hope that this info helps you a bit.

Eta....The figure I listed includes the fish oil, & other additives. I just didn't list them all. Just the meat which is the biggest expense.

 Quote: Rob Abel

... Connie - have you fed raw over a long term? How are your dog's teeth?

Yes, I have. Years plural, dogs plural.

I think raw is the best diet for the dog's teeth by far. However, that doesn't mean that raw-fed dogs never have plaque. There are individual factors, including a crowded mouth (especially in a bracheocephalic dog), a tooth growing crooked and creating a hidden spot where stuff collects between two surfaces, and the amount of saliva a dog produces.

Makes sense. As the humans and the dogs in my household grow older, we seem to pay an awful lot of attention to teeth.

Would like to tip the scale to the preventative side at some point...

 Quote: Rob Abel

As the humans and the dogs in my household grow older, we seem to pay an awful lot of attention to teeth. ...

Ain't that the truth?