Combined Raw and Kibble

[Gayle and Bailey]

Hi All

Have been looking into feeding BARF - unfortunately I think it will work out too expensive to go totally raw.

I have been reading a lot of the old threads on chicken wings and my boys had their first wings tonight.  With my cocker I had to hold the wing for him to eat it (thanks for the tip) and my GR had to cut into small chunks with the first couple then he got the idea and ate a whole wing with no problems.

My GR has had anal gland problems and that was the reason for thinking about changing

I have read that a few of you feed kibble and raw, and think this option would be best for us.

Are there any "rules" to follow feeding this way?

Did you find your dogs were less keen on their kibble?

Thanks
Gayle & Bailey (and Jura - the GR)

[spanielcrazy]

The only "rule" I know of is to feed kibble and BARF at separate meals, because of the difference in digestion time. So for me it's kibble in the morning and BARF at night, because that's what works for my schedule.

I didn't find that they were less keen on their kibble, but mine are not exactly a fussy lot 

[Gayle and Bailey]

thanks for info spanielcrazy.  Do you follow normal barf rules and feed offal, other meats, oily fish as well as raw meaty bones?

[spanielcrazy]

Not really  I sort of make it up as I go  Because they are on kibble I try to fill in with what I feel is lacking in kibble, fresh meat, bones, organ meats, etc. (and occasional tripe )

Often they get a portion of what I'm having--theirs uncooked, and ground beef is a big staple of their raw diet (Jordie has issues with chicken so we limit that) so it doesn't end up being too expensive for me. 

[Nicola]

I feed kibble in the mornings and then a variety of raw stuff in the evenings too, I also haven't found that the dogs have gone off their kibble but they are gannets and will eat whatever's put in front of them. In a typical week they might get 2 meals of chicken wings, one of a portioned rabbit carcass, one of lamb ribs, one of tripe, one of sardines and one of NatureDiet wet food, they like the variety and the bones keep their teeth really clean. Tilly can't have this diet any more though, she's now on prescription food only so I'll be keeping a close eye on her teeth.

[Gayle and Bailey]

Thanks

Are lamb ribs available in the supermarkets?

What quantities do you feed of the raw food for your cockers?  I know it'll be trial and error getting my proportions right but it would give me a rough guide.  Will be harder getting it right for my goldie.

They both ate their kibble ok today after their dinner of wings last night 

Thanks again

Gayle

[Nicola]

Yep, I usually get the chicken wings and lamb ribs from Sainsbury's, they're not expensive (I buy the basics range wings). Morrisons also do a good selection of stuff - ribs, lamb breast, wings etc. Rodaidh weighs just over 13kg and for one meal he gets 3 wings or 2 ribs.

[spanielcrazy]

I used this calculator in the beginning, now I can usually just eyeball it and tell how much it is 

 http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

Tilly can't have this diet any more though, she's now on prescription food only so I'll be keeping a close eye on her teeth.

Can she not even have a knuclke bone or some other hard chew bone? 

[Nicola]

Tilly can't have this diet any more though, she's now on prescription food only so I'll be keeping a close eye on her teeth.

Can she not even have a knuclke bone or some other hard chew bone? 

She can't have anything other than Hill's d/d salmon variety and water for now, if we can get her symptoms managed and under control with the drugs then at some stage she might be able to have some other stuff in small amounts but one of the main treatments for IBD is strict dietary management as there's so little she can now digest, pretty much everything aggravates the inflammation and just runs straight through her.

[Gayle and Bailey]

Thanks Spaniel Crazy - very useful.

Nicola hope Tilly and you had a better night last night and thanks for taking time to replt to my posts specially when your girly is so poorly

Gayle