Starting BARF any tips??

[MollieMoo]

I have given my two lamb ribs before, but only small portions just as additional treats as when I go to the butchers that is all they usually give me.  I understand what you mean about being scared with them eating the chicken wings so fast, I stopped giving them to Daisy becuase of they way she just gulped it down   I have wondered if to try and hold it while she is eating it, but I have this image of it just slipping out of my hand and it going down her throat  

Honey takes longer to eat a rib than she does a chicken wing.... 

That is useful to know Karma, will keep an eye on Daisy with the ribs

[Joules]

Some people do hold the chicken wing to stop their darling piggies doglets scoffing it down in one go.    I am lucky in that Coco does crunch hers up - if she didn't I think I would bash the bones with a rolling pin and hold on to it to make her eat slower 

[AnnieM]

They do crunch them, it is just that they are gone so fast, well under a minute and I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.     I am a bit happier after a few days of them having them, they are all pooing normally, although loads less,  which is a huge bonus I hadn't anticipated. 

[Joules]

They do crunch them, it is just that they are gone so fast, well under a minute and I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.     I am a bit happier after a few days of them having them, they are all pooing normally, although loads less,  which is a huge bonus I hadn't anticipated. 

Sounds fine then - if they are pooing normally and not bringing them up then they must be crunching them up enough to digest them 

[Abby]

If Clive took anything like a minute to eat a chicken wing I would worry 

He regularly eats them without chewing them more than twice and has only regurgitated once in two years of Barf so he does just fine like that 

So long as they don't throw up regularly and are passing their food normally there's no need to worry 

Mind you, if they do throw up, it just makes the meal last longer cos then they get to eat it twice 

[Karma]

Agree with Abby - Honey has regurgitated one meal, but that was a whole lamb heart which she forgot to chew before she swallowed... 

Chicken wings are crunched briefly then swallowed.. other meals she does faff about with a bit more, but that's just her...

Barf-fed dogs poo an awful lot less than kibble fed dogs... it's great!!! 

[AnnieM]

It certainly is when you have 3 to clean up after. 

[MollieMoo]

So can I ask a question about vegetables?  So do most of you feed fruit and veg and if so do you pulverise it? what fruit and veg do you feed?  and if so how do pulverise it? do you use a blender or a food processor and do you add water as I have read that some people freeze it in ice cube blocks?
It is just that I have previously tried to chop up veg with a blender but it didn't go too well

[Joules]

I do mine in the food processor - it ends up a sort of coarse pulp.  I do add water and sometimes tomato juice - I find it makes it easier to deal with. 

I use whatever veg I have at the time really but never onion or potatoes.  I do put in a couple of cloves of garlic to each batch and a scoop of Keeper's Mix. 

Other than that I use any of the following:

Carrots, parsnips, swede, brocolli, apple, banana, courgette, tomatoes, spinach, sprouts, peas (including the pod), celery.  It is up to you what you use and you will learn what your pup likes.  Coco loves carrots so that normally forms the bulk of it - probably 50% of each batch.    I then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze, then tip the cubes into a big bag and take out one or two cubes at a time to thaw.  I don't feed veg with every meal - usually only when Coco has a mince or offall meal so probably about half the time overall. 

[MollieMoo]

Thanks Joules for all that information   I have tried to pulp it with a Blender but it didn't really work, so I will have to invest in a food processor 

[Karma]

When I was feeding veg regularly, I did as Joules described though I never needed to add water... I did add some cider vinegar, as I read this was meant to be a good digestive aid for BARF fed dogs...

Now, as I rarely give veg, she gets the Natures Diet veg cubes... more expensive than doing it myself, but as a bag lasts us ages it really doesn't make too much of a difference in the long term.  She also gets red pepper cut into small peices as training treats on occassion (She loves it - though do be aware it can aggravate arthritis in dogs).

[MollieMoo]

The Natures Diet veg cubes sound a really good idea if I get fed up of doing my own veg, thanks for that Karma   It is always good to know the alternatives, just incase you are unable to get round to doing it yourself it might be worth having a bag of those veg cubes in the freezer.  Will have to have look in PAH next time I go to see if they have them

[Pudding]

hi why can we not feed the veg just cut into small pieces
and whole peas and sweetcorn so on

[Karma]

Dogs can't break down cellulose, so they would get no nutritional benefit from diced or whole small veg... it's not going to do them any harm and can be useful as low-calorie treats, but if you want your dog to get the nutrition you should liquidise it... the theory is that the only vegetable product in a wild dog's diet would be the stomach contents of their prey, so it would be pre-digested... 

[Pudding]

oh right thanks for that i will mash it up from now on
i do notice that the veg come out as it has gone in 
and he is more likely to eat his poo if it has veg in it, as it must smell
just like it did when i put it in his dish