So I'm thinking about raw but here is my main concern. It almost sounds like the dog is going to eat better than my self or my kids! First and foremost what's the monthly cost of doing raw vs normal healthy choice brand of dog food for a dog? How long does it take to make a meal for the dog? I'm busy like the rest of us and I'm used to just giving my other dogs a dog bowl of food and being done with it.

I'm open to the idea but I really need to know what to feed, how ect ect ect.

I hope you understand my opening statement. We live on a $500 budget for my house hold. That's my wife me and my two girls. I'm eating to much lately so I'm going to cut back

I'm thinking for a dog maybe $50 to 100 a month? I've never bought dog food before. My folks did and I'm sure they bought whatever was avail

Please advise

You can roughly figure that any dog will eat about 2% of his adult weight in raw food per day.

So just for argument's sake, a 75 pound dog will eat about 1.5 pounds of raw food per day. 45 pounds a month.

If you can buy food in bulk and do some legwork, most raw feeders can find food for $1 - $1.50 a pound. Plus some extra for things like fish oil supplements (advisable no matter what you feed) and etcetra, which we can get into.

If you feed raw, plan on about $75 a month to feed a 75 pound dog.

(fyi, the dog eats the same amount as a puppy or adult.)

I don't feed kibble, but I imagine that's comparable to a "premium" kibble price.

eta: feeding raw does take time and commitment--and some know-how. Many of us do it...but just as many feed a high-quality grain-free kibble and their dogs thrive on it. There is no one right way to feed a dog. The wrong way, however, is to feed a cheap grocery store brand kibble.

First order of the day, if you're going to do raw, is a small chest freezer.

If you don't have one, you'll probably want to acquire one before you go any further.

For most people, the way to make raw feeding economical is to buy in bulk, which means you *have* to have a large amount of freezer space.

Check craig's list and yard sales.

Freezer is a MUST. As Aaron said. It is way too expensive to feed raw of you can't buy in bulk. But I suppose if you have 1 smaller dog you could get away with it. But it would most likely have to be maybe a 2nd freezer dedicated to the dog.

You can also look into buying in bulk & splitting the boxes with another raw feeder. I actually did this the first couple of times until I got a sense of what it was going to be storage wise as I had a smaller upright freezer at the time & 3 dogs. I have since (it stopped working about a year or so ago & I purchased a new 20+ cu ft model) so I can purchase 200 lbs of RMBs & gr meat at one time & it usually lasts me about 3 months with the 2 dogs. I would NOT get a frost free model, as they stay colder especially if you loose power. The frost free modles have to turn off & warm up to 'defrost' the freezer...no keeping the food at an even cold temp.

Buying in bulk means 40 cases of backs, chicken or turkey necks, chicken leg Qtrs. Also muscle meats I feed mostly ground. I purchase 10lb rolls of trukey & beef. I also get pork, buffalo, lamb, goat to feed as variety meats. Ive been buying this way for 5+ years.

It costs me $ 1.00 to $ 1.50 maybe occasionally up to $2.00 a day to feed 2 adult GSDs. Maybe closer to the $2 if I add in all the suppliments & figure it out on a higher end meat.

My female is 65lbs & my male is 78lbs.

LUCKY for me I have a freezer. It's a full size one. It was given to us because we requested the old owners leave it here when we bought the house. I haven't used it yet so it's bare and been off for almost a year. I'm sure it works though

I'll most likely shop at walmart and get chicken and other goodies.

Shopping at wal-mart is going to be nowhere near economical.
I doubt you're going to be able to find whole chickens for under $1 per lb.

You need to find a butcher, or at a minimum, get a Costco membership.

Just want to P.S. that with this: The total per-month cost depends completely on the per-pound cost of RMBs and meat you find.

Tracy gave a good number with that $75, IMO, but not if you end up paying supermarket prices and buying mainly quarters, for example (and many do!). That $1 to $1.50/pound dictates the kind of matching-kibble numbers we see.

Very doable -- with careful sourcing.


eta
I consider it worth it to do it even I did pay all supermarket prices. Don't get me wrong. I'm just saying that careful sourcing is what drives the monthly cost.


Edited by Connie Sutherland (04/28/2011 01:00 PM)
Edit reason: eta

 Quote: Tracy Collins

eta: feeding raw does take time and commitment--and some know-how. Many of us do it...but just as many feed a high-quality grain-free kibble and their dogs thrive on it. There is no one right way to feed a dog. The wrong way, however, is to feed a cheap grocery store brand kibble.

Important points.

 Quote: aaron myracle

Shopping at wal-mart is going to be nowhere near economical.
I doubt you're going to be able to find whole chickens for under $1 per lb.

You need to find a butcher, or at a minimum, get a Costco membership.

I find a few things occasionally at the Super Wal-Mart. Sam's Club is a decent place for ground beef and whole chickens--if you buy an entire case of each.

But finding a place (butcher shop, restaurant supply, mom-and-pop or ethnic grocer) that will order for you (or stock) 40-pound cases of parts is the way to go. The preponderance of the diet will come most often from chicken parts--chicken backs and/or necks are by far the cheapest way to go (we're talking like 50 cents a pound)...and they happen to be very digestible bones, perfect for raw feeding. If you can find that resource, you're set. Then you can fill in the diet with oddball meats that you pick up here and there, perhaps even from the same place. Beef hearts, turkey necks, chicken gizzards, pork tongues...you're looking for things you won't find in a "regular" grocery store--that is, if you're looking to do this on the cheap. A dog would just as soon eat a pork tongue as a pork tenderloin.

Finding cheap meat is my favorite sport.

I purchase from a restraunt wholesale supplier. Check around. Some will sell to private parties.