[Lunareclipse]

Next weekend I will getting a saint Bernard that has epilepsy. The vet believes that a diet without grains might be able to control her seizures better. So I was seriously considering a raw diet. Give me info.

[CorkyMax]

Best thing for me to do is to give you links on the subject!
Way too much for me to tackle.(I may just 'bone' up again myself--I'm kind of stuck in a rut!) I will keep coming back with more links as I find them so will take a little time---so bear with me. Not everyone agrees on how best to do this---You need to do a lot of research. I got all my info out of books and on the net. I think this 1st link gives titles of a lot of good books on the subject. You can then call your library and ask for those books and if they don't have them on hand--They can get on their computer and find a library that does and it will be delivered to your library and then you can pick it up.
Leave your name and phone # and they can call you when it/they come in. No charge for this service! I kind of like studying the books but also have many articles I have printed off the internet. One thing I have noted in this first link I am giving you that I do not agree with--is feeding raw pork or pork bones. Another thing--It is best to feed organic liver if you can--The liver is where all the toxins in the system go! If it was back in 'the old days' you wouldn't have to worry about how bad our present day meat is!!

Dog Food

[Lunareclipse]

Wow, a lot of info. I'll have to read it over again later. It is a lot to take in at one time.

[Lara's mom]

If you decide to try home cooking, you can use potatoes or sweet potatoes and leave out the grain entirely.

[lil mutt]

wow that site has a lot of info not only about dog food.

[Lunareclipse]

I could try it, but I don't even like cooking for myself. If I did home cooking, the dogs would get a lot of pizza.

[CorkyMax]

BARF for Beginners - Most Frequently Asked Questions

I will be adding more sites to this one post--so keep checking this post here out! As I said --I can't undertake such a big task (for me anyway!) but after your research (or even before) if you have any specific questions (requiring 'small' answers) feel free to ask and I'll try my best to give you an answer to the best of my knowledge!

Raw Feeding FAQ

Netrophic

[Lunareclipse]

Where do I find powdered alfalfa?

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

Where do I find powdered alfalfa?

Good question! And I don't know--have never used it! You can prob. put powdered alfalfa in your browser and find a place that sells it but I wouldn't trust it on the net---Actually you can't really trust any vitamin/mineral/supplement to have in it what it states on the bottle!!! It is a greedy world and this is an area where you can get 'rooked' easily! I would think that health food stores may have it. Don't know about pet stores. I just looked in a vitamin catalog I get (and have ordered from) and it has 100% Certified Organic Alfalfa listed . It is listed under the catagory--Green Foods. It is in 500 mg. tablets--360 tablets per bottle @$9.99. Name of the catalog is Swanson (America's Vitamin Superstore Since 1969) Phone # is
1-800-437-4148 (24 hrs. a day/7 days a week) web address: The Best Discount Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements at the Lowest Price - Swanson Health Products

You could crush these tablets---would be same as powdered and you could regulate the amount given this way too. Don't know how much you read that is the right amount. And it is stated as being organic (human grade for humans--but good for the dog too--Prob. better stuff and cheaper than if you were to find this specifically for dogs anyhow!!

Found this on alfalfa:
http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/barfsupp.shtml

and here is some info from it but you may want to see entire site--This is just to give you idea on how much to give-

Dr. Billinghurst's Certified Organic Dried Alfalfa Powder
The alfalfa used in Dr. Billinghurst's Alfalfa Powder is cut at the early flowering stage to ensure the retention of nutrients. After processing, the alfalfa is transferred to storage where temperature monitoring is constantly conducted. Laboratory analysis is performed during processing and storage to ensure product quality.

Alfalfa has been called the "father of all foods" with roots reaching as deeply as 60 ft into the ground making it one of the most nutritious land foods known containing all eight of the amino Acids, Beta Carotene, Biotin, Lysine, Tryptophan, A, B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-9, B-12, B-complex, C, E, G, K, U, P, enzymes, aluminum, chlorophyll, calcium, chlorine, sodium, fluorine, iron, magnesium, potassium, silicone, sulfur, phosphorus, trace minerals. Besides providing fiber, alfalfa also has antibacterial, antioxidant and antifungal properties.

Analysis:
Crude Protein (Protéine brute) minimum 17%
Crude Fat (Graisse brute) minimum 1.5%
Crude Fiber (Graisse brute) maximum 27%
Moisture (Humidité) maximum 10%

Available in: 11.45oz/325g White HDPE jars

BARF World's Certified Organic Dried Alfalfa Leaf Powder is cut at the early flowering stage before it becomes a grain to ensure the retention of nutrients. Our product is human grade and is a finely milled product making it more digestible and easier to mix with food. This fine milling procedure results in a much fluffier product. After processing our product is transferred to storage where temperature monitoring is routinely conducted.

Our bright green color is entirely natural with no preservatives, fillers, color, diary, starch or yeast.

Our product is USDA certified as well as being certified by QAI (Quality Assurance International). It is recommended that the product not be refrigerated because moist air may cause product to clump and lose it's fluffy nature.

The feeding amounts on this product should be as follows:
100 pounds - 1 1/2 tbsp; 50 lbs - 3 tsp; 25 lbs 1 1/2 tsp; 10 lbs 3/4 tsp.

[CorkyMax]

More on where to find it:

Alfalfa Powder

[Lunareclipse]

Did you used to feed raw?

[UnderDog]

Raw feeding!

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

Did you used to feed raw?

Curious--Why do you think I still don't!!?? I started feeding raw about 2-3 yrs. ago--and used to feed home-cooked before that--I never hardly ever fed commercial dogfood, just in the beginning (When I didn't know any better!) My dogs are 11 and 10 now--so kind of forgot exactly how long before I quit the commercial 'crap'. Not even sure if the 10 yr old ever had the crap!---So I'm thinking maybe about 6 month or less for the crap! "Crap, crap, crap!!
---Actually I feed both raw and home-cooked now! Has to do with price of food and ease of feeding. Chicken is cheap and don't like cutting off the raw meat so I tend to cook quite a bit of chicken (and turkey--although I will cut up raw chicken breasts, but has to be skinless and boneless--as too much work cutting off the bone when raw.---But have to get this when on sale as pretty expensive. And a note of caution here--Check these pkgs for sodium/salt content--Too much salt is very bad for the dog! And it seems that these bags of prefrozen cheap breasts are full of it. Check out the thread I did on Foods that are Hazardous to your Dog! (Go to my profile page and find all threads by me and you will find it or go to top of page(s) in this forum and find blue strip across the page--click on word Search --Put hazardous foods in the field box--find threads. And won't feed raw pork or fish. Geez--I sound a lot like I'm going back to home-cooking but I really do prefer the raw--Just hard to get what I need. I do feed a lot of raw hamburger (that isn't very cheap anymore either) and the rolls of ground turkey-----Words of caution on the turkey--Check label and get the one with the least amount of fat in it as turkey fat is the worst fat-very dense--Want to avoid the dog getting Pancreatitis, etc. My Corky gets raw chicken necks but my Max has decided he doesn't want them anymore--the little fart--Think he is to lazy to chew them. My favorite meat for them is raw venison which I depend on from the deer hunters in my family to supply me with if they get enough deer!! Haven't had any for quite awhile--but deer hunting is coming up in a few months! I figure venison is very good because the meat has not been contaminated by humans!! Grass-fed is by far the healthiest for many reasons! But I sure need to clean out my freezers as I have no room---Fighting with this right now as My veggies from the garden are ready to 'be processed' (cleaned, ground really fine, blended together--dif. vegs in each batch, pkged in small containers and 'squeezed' into my full freezers!)

And darn! My faucet in kitchen just quit (think it builds up air) again--Prob. take a couple days to get the air out and start running again! Lol, my son-in-law put the faucet fixture in for me---Typical man-Will not read directions--even though I stuck them in his face a couple of times!! So now I have 10#s of chicken thighs/legs thawed and need to cook and a bunch of veggies to WASH and chop and add in with the chicken thighs and then try to get it all in the freezer (so I will prob. have to clean out a freezer today). Then I have a bunch of green beans, carrots, broccoli, celery, okra, and tomatoes and a few other odds and ends of vegs to WASH and process for the freezer! Think I will be tearing my hair out before this day is over!! And I get on this forum and I just have one h-ll of a time getting out. So, will talk 'at' you later.

[Lunareclipse]

I grew up on a farm, and several farmers where i grew up will give me whole chickens for .35 a lb. They are raised right on the farm. No salt added. But the thing that sucks is, I have to pull all the feathers out. And one farmer said i can have a few pheasants. Our family is going together to butcher a whole cow. My freezer will be full. My uncle is getting his hunteing liscence this year, so hopefully, we'll have fresh venison.

[Lara's mom]

Hmmmm....Can't say that my idea of a family day out is staring at some poor unfortunate bovine with murder in your eye...

[UnderDog]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

I grew up on a farm, and several farmers where i grew up will give me whole chickens for .35 a lb. They are raised right on the farm. No salt added. But the thing that sucks is, I have to pull all the feathers out. And one farmer said i can have a few pheasants. Our family is going together to butcher a whole cow. My freezer will be full. My uncle is getting his hunteing liscence this year, so hopefully, we'll have fresh venison.

Pull all the feathers? why?
Ours get whole foods, fur, feathers, bones, guts, everything. The fur/feathers are good roughage and help cleanse the system!

[Lunareclipse]

lol. Wow, If I can feed the feathers and all, that makes life simpler. And Lara, I'm sorry you feel that way, but that's how we did things on a farm. I did have a pet cow growing up, and no we didn't eat him. he was a pet.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

lol. Wow, If I can feed the feathers and all, that makes life simpler. And Lara, I'm sorry you feel that way, but that's how we did things on a farm. I did have a pet cow growing up, and no we didn't eat him. he was a pet.

You are bringing back memories! I was raised on a farm as a kid too. I had a pet heifer I had for 4-H. Used to ride her (I was 10). Lol, she stepped on my bare foot one time and had an awful time making her move off of it--So tame! My sister (1 yr. younger than me ) and I use to do the milking by ourselves (ages 10 and 9) in the morning before school. It happened because my dad found out we could do it when on Sat. nights the 2 of us would start milking a little early cause we wanted to go to the 'show' (theater) and get there before the movie started. So he got a 2nd job in the mornings and 'us kids' got the milking job!!

[Lunareclipse]

I remember when one of our clydesdales stepped on my foot. It broke 4 or my toes. They didn't heal right, and they still don't move to this day. I didn't have a my cow for 4-H. I just had my cow because I wanted one. I never rode my cow, but I did take him for walks. I would tie him to the tractor and walk him down the road like that. He came to school with me a few times. Nobody minded because it was a farm school. On FFA day and Farm and Science review day, we were allowed to drive our tractors to school. I always begged dad to let me take his tractor (Farmall Super M) because my tractor was just a little Allice Chalmers B.

[Lara's mom]

I lived on a farm for the first part of my life too but, since I tended to make friends with EVERYTHING, my Grandmother always took me into town for a week when they butchered animals. Then, she fluffed my off by telling me that they'd gotten married and went to live on other farms with their husband or wives. I was young enough to fall for it.