Hi Yuko
When I saw those photos I knew right away where they were taken!

too funny!

One thing I've really noticed since changing my dogs over to raw is the fact that my dogs (one in particular) quit recycling. I swear, when my dogs were on kibble, I always caught them eating their crap, no matter how we tried to keep the yard clean. They always found a pile we missed. But since, I've noticed my dogs don't give their poo a second look which tells me they are getting what they need in their diet. There is also a lot less of it to clean up and it seems to break down a lot faster than kibble doo does.
I noticed that within a week that my male shepherd's eyes had begun to dry up and look bright and clear for the first time. He was always plagued with red runny eyes and bad ear infections but the diet has made a huge difference. The last time I took him in to the vet, he said that my dog needed to come in and have his teeth cleaned. No way! Since giving RMB's I've noticed that his teeth look so much better and there will be no need to let a vet even get near his teeth. I look forward to 0 vet bills. My dogs have never looked better. Shiny coats, lots of energy and more enthusiasm toward their meal. Every dog I ever own will be on raw.

LOL - I never answered the original question!

I have been raw feeding for over 6 years, but I didn't switch for any particular reason. My dogs at the time were 6 months and 18 months - I didn't notice any difference with them. We did have a mix that was about 10 or 11 at the time and after a week she started being able to climb the stairs again, but she didn't live long past that

My new pup has never been fed kibble and I notice that he has never been picky or fussy or refused to eat ANY food put in front of him (or on the counter or .....) - he is not related to the other two so it could just be genetic - hard to tell.

I do know that I will never go back to commercial food.

Don't get your food at the grocery store or at teh butcher, WAY too expensive. Instead, go to a produce store where they sell wholesale. On another thread I wrote that I bougt 100lbs of food for $45.00. Sometimes it's even cheaper. Don't worry about variety, dogs are not like humans who need variety. Sitck to something basic and then switch it or add something from time to time. I stick to chicken and sometimes add cow heart, soup bones and beef. Never ground.

Hey, a butcher smock is a great idea.....

Really, I live in a small rural town and there are ALOT of hunters. So I just asked them if they could "donate" and they liked that idea.
During the "hunting" seasons they just come out and drop stuff off. And I break out the saws all and put it up.
We have a meat locker here also, and they save all kinds of stuff and one of our good friends has a buffalo ranch and offers hunts, so the people that come to get a buffalo are asked if they want to donate the stuff they don't want also.

My daughter in-laws grandpa raises feeder rabbits, so those are cheap and easily accessible.

You have to be inventive and not afraid to say, "Are you going to eat that?, If not, may I have it for my dogs?" so to speak.

I do not think there is anything you should avoid, just keep an eye out and see if the dog has any problems.
And, yes I use a hammer or mallet to break bones if needed.
I do this for my Mal who does not chew anything but Gulps it. This way she is not swallowing whole chicken leg bones and scaring the crap out of me....

 Quote: enrique muniz

Don't worry about variety, dogs are not like humans who need variety.

I have to disagree with this. They do need variety. The more protein sources the better. I think I feed 7 (venison, pork, chicken, turkey, beef, moose, lamb) and when I got my new pup I tried out as many as I could (even got him some llama!) to try and prevent allergies.

Variety is the spice of life and the key to a raw diet!

 Quote: Lee Hanrahan

 Quote: enrique muniz

Don't worry about variety, dogs are not like humans who need variety.

I have to disagree with this. They do need variety. The more protein sources the better. I think I feed 7 (venison, pork, chicken, turkey, beef, moose, lamb) and when I got my new pup I tried out as many as I could (even got him some llama!) to try and prevent allergies.

Variety is the spice of life and the key to a raw diet!

I agree with Lee. My dogs would get bored. If I am going to feed them the same thing all the time, I might as well feed kibble....YIKES did I say that

But really, that is like feeding your kids oatmeal for breakfast, PB &J for lunch and spagettin for dinner for their whole life.
Who would want to do that?

Raw is less expensive for me now and I find ways to make it even cheaper.

I agree with variety as being the best route for covering the nutritional bases.

I am just adding this so no one who might be hesitating gets nervous about trying to incorporate twelve protein sources into their dog-meat shopping: Anyone who starts with poultry and/or rabbit, a couple of other meats, a little fish, and the "sides" on the Leerburg sample menu page -- will be feeding a great diet.

I do add a lot of different stuff, but it took me a while to get confident about it, way back when, and my dogs did great all along.

I agree with Enrique on this. Variety does not necessary make a raw diet better. How many of us DID feed the same kibble over and over and over for years before we knew better? Did our dogs complain? How many of them also refused to eat when a different kibble was put down?

I think we are scaring our newbie friends who are trying to establish a sensible first approach to raw feeding. There is nothing wrong with chicken and beef (hamburger) and organ meat. This IS a nutritious diet. It may not be something WE would like, but we are not eating it. We need/choose variety, and therefore, are certain that our animals must also.

How many of us are not in an area to get free venison or raise feeder rabbits? How many of us do not have the resources to buy llama, moose, lamb, buffalo, etc.? What about the dogs that are allergic to many things and must rely on one or two main staples? Are our dogs, therefore, deficient in their diet? I don’t think so.

Variety is wonderful, and if you can get it, go for it. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that, if fed in correct proportions, a diet of only chicken, turkey and beef is less nutritious than a smorgasbord of A to Z selections.

 Quote: Jan Williamson

Did our dogs complain? How many of them also refused to eat when a different kibble was put down?

My dogs ate slower and were not as excited about kibble. And yes, meals were refused at times, and even though that is normal, I have not had a raw meal refused yet.

I agree that if you do not have access, that feeding the mainstay is okay, but if you can get things that are different, even once in awhile, that's great.