I'm glad we're talking about this. I have the same concerns about feeding Raw food. No storage, nowhere to feed. I'm concerned about blood and bacteria in my tiny apartment kitchen.

Convince me my worries are unfounded, please. My vet is supportive of a raw diet, I really have no excuse not to do it.

 Quote: HILARIE COBY

Also -this question got lost in previous kibble thread -what do you guys do about fish? I heard you must cook salmon due to potential toxins with this species? Otherwise, raw trout, smelt, etc. is good?

I feed fish as whole as I can get it. BUT be aware that many dogs won't eat fish for some reason, or will not recognise it as food in the whole form.

I don't cook anything... But then I don't feed my dogs salmon, I eat it my self!!!

 Quote: Meredith Hamilton

I'm glad we're talking about this. I have the same concerns about feeding Raw food. No storage, nowhere to feed. I'm concerned about blood and bacteria in my tiny apartment kitchen.

You are a vegetarian? No raw poultry, etc., in your home for you?


PS
I actually AM a vegetarian, and still have zero problem with having meat here for dogs (and guests).

You can crate-feed, bowl-feed many dogs, mat or shower-curtain feed the draggers, porch-feed ..... I feed in a bowl on a mat.

I use the same cleanliness practices I would use if I were buying the raw poultry to cook for myself.

Meredith, if you have the one dog in your sig pic, then it is definitely do able!

If you don't crate, and don't want to wash/wipe the kitchen floor each time, or can't teach them to eat on a mat... Then you can do what I do when in a hotel...

I feed them in the bath tub!!!!

It is a small space so any mess is contained. Just a spritz from a cleaning solution (bleach, mold/mildew cleaner, pick your poison ) and turn the shower on with hot water to rinse and you will not only have no raw meat mess, but the cleanest shower in town!

But in reality, most dogs do a pretty darn good job cleaning the juices up off of what ever surface they are eating off of. A wipe with a swiffer and all is good.

Check out my above post for ideas on storage...

The mess is easily dealt with by feeding in the crate.

Larger pieces stop gulping. In fact, two of your concerns are easily alleviated by purchasing whole chickens a couple at a time, and portioning them yourself to ensure large enough portions to force slowing down and chewing.

Acquisition and storage is no different than what you're feeding now. You buy it, you freeze of 'fridge it.

Most of us eventually find a cheap, used box freezer on craig's list, and use that to allow us to buy in bulk from a butcher, and spend an hour or two one day a month purchasing, portioning, bagging and freezing food.

Finding animal parts that humans typically don't consume is easiest done in one of two ways-

First, frequent the "ethnic" grocery stores. Often, non-American cuisine incorporates anatomy you don't see crop up at TGI Fridays. Turkey necks and chicken backs are frequent appearances in soup, and can often be found in ethnic grocery stores.

Second, and often the easier option, is to find an actual butcher shop, and purchase your meat there. You can generally buy in bulk, and they will often special order things they don't carry, if you're buying in a large enough quantity, frequently enough. For example, my butcher store didn't carry chicken necks, only turkey, until they realized I was buying two to three cases of tom turkey necks a month.

One day when I asked, for the twentieth time, if they had chicken necks, they said, "Well no, but you're in here a lot, we can special order them."

It's crazy not to try it. I have no idea what my dog (just the one, Jessica) will do with raw food. He may eat neatly over his bowl. I don't crate, there has been no need to for years. Mats, shower curtains, and/or bathtubs are all feasible, however.

I've been thinking about this for a long time. I'm careful about what I eat these days (not a vegetarian) and I should be feeding Ripley equally well. He's getting older, will be 6 soon, and his system needs all the support it can get as he ages.

Looks like I've just dragged the dog into a New Year's Resolution.

The where they eat question isn't an unreasonable one. I thought the other day everyone was neatly locked in their crate with their dinner and turned around a few minutes later to see this.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1236.snc4/156882_1746295857814_1251322075_2011790_7863631_n.jpg

Happily I needed to mop anyways. I just use a swiffer wetjet these days

 Quote: Meredith Hamilton

It's crazy not to try it. I have no idea what my dog (just the one, Jessica) will do with raw food. He may eat neatly over his bowl. I don't crate, there has been no need to for years. Mats, shower curtains, and/or bathtubs are all feasible, however.

I've been thinking about this for a long time. I'm careful about what I eat these days (not a vegetarian) and I should be feeding Ripley equally well. He's getting older, will be 6 soon, and his system needs all the support it can get as he ages.

Looks like I've just dragged the dog into a New Year's Resolution.

IMO, you can do no more profound favor to an adult or senior's (or pup's, but I am emphasizing that it's NEVER too late) health than to feed fresh raw food.

Please read up, and then let us start you. It's so easy to avoid diarrhea, etc., with a slow start, but many folks throw everything in the first bowl in their excitement and boing! Squirts.

This board can talk/walk you through it; t will be a breeze.

PS
I have nothing but the freezer on my 'fridge, and the butcher where I get most of my stuff only three blocks away. If I can do it, YOU can do it. (I sure would love a small box freezer -- it's a space issue.)

Well, Meredith...welcome to the DARK SIDE. LOL

You dog will love you even more for your New Years Resolution.

It's not hard to do, it really isn't.

Also check out local restraunt wholesale suppliers. I get 95% of my meat from a restraunt wholesaler. I buy 40lb boxes of fresh necks, backs & leg Qtrs & 10lb rolls of ground meat from there. Call around. I buy 200 lbs of meat every 3 months to feed 2 adult dogs. It takes 1 1/2 hrs to package it when I get home & freeze in 2 meal portions. Then I'm done for 3 months.

Will give more about the logistics later, but if you have concerns about where to feed because the RMBs will move around so to speak, consider feeding ground RMBs. My EPI dog has to have hers ground and she never moves away from her bowl. It's really no different than if she were eating kibble or canned...well, except it's gone much faster! Ground RMBs are also a great way to get comfortable with feeding raw, along with using a dehydrated raw product with raw meat added.