Barf Feeding

[jinnyfizz]

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I've been feeding BARF to Jinny and Ella ever since they arrived - a variety of chicken wings, lamb mince, green tripe, turkey mince, liver, heart, spare ribs etc etc.

Many of you may remember that Jinny was the most terribly fussy feeder and would rather starve than let food pass her mouth - consequently I could feed her as much as I could cajole her into eating and, even now at 8 months old, she will only eat as much as she needs and keeps herself in good shape for her age and conformation

However, Ella is a different whippet altogether (w00t) She is of much smaller build than Jinny and very 'solid' :- " She is exhibiting a tendency to gain weight very quickly and I am monitoring her intake to ensure she doesn't turn into a staffie X :lol:

Anyway - to get to the point - I think I remember seeing something on a K9 thread regarding what weight of meat to feed relative to the weight of the dog??? I've tried to find this thread again but failed

What do the BARF feeders among you do as a rule of thumb?? I'm used to feeding racehorses and adjusting nutrition according to workload and the individual's metabolism but I've never had to worry about overfeeding a dog before ......... Ella is my first problem child :lol: :wacko:

Thanks for any advice!! :cheers: :thumbsup:

 

[Janimal]

I have one of those too Jane... :lol: hes called Kobi...he tends to put weight on very easily. Oscar and Achie being father and son seem to burn off calories more easily and dont seem to ever look overweight.

Kobi some days looks 'stocky'in my words...anyway I just feed less food, but Sharon (Saraquele) did recomend Denes tinned food to me to try, but I never got round to trying it, I just feed him less. He is a real thief and I have to watch him like a hawk with the cats food and the other twos food...he would just eat till he burst Im sure of it... :lol:

meant to say mine are on the BARF diet too mainly with a bit of cooked meat sometimes too.

 

[maggie217]

Jane

I believe that you can work out food weight ratios in 2 ways.

1] 10% of the pups weight at 8 weeks old and continue with that same amount until adult

or 2] 2% of the dog's expected adult weight and continue with that amount.

Basically this means feeding a pup that same amount in smaller feeds aas it will consume when adult.

 

[i think that is also the same feed/weight ratio as for a horse too, 2% of adult body weight]

 

Pauline

 

[AnnSa]

This will be interesting..............i've got one the same as you Jane

and Janis, my Sada wouls like a mini pony is i didn't watch her.

So far it looks like K a lean, mean running machine :lol:

 

[alfyn]

What do the BARF feeders among you do as a rule of thumb?? I'm used to feeding racehorses and adjusting nutrition according to workload and the individual's metabolism

I think that statement hits the nail on the head Jane :thumbsup:

My lot vary greatly on the amount of food they have.

As an example,Poppy only has half the amount that her daughter Chrissy has,yet she is bigger than her & has the same amount of exercise

I always weigh their food so that i know exactly how much they're getting,& adjust it accordingly if they're either putting on,or losing a bit of weight.

 

[Evie]

I feed raw, but prey model diet, not BARF. My two get 80%meat, 10%bone and 10%organs approx in their diet.

For a starting point on daily rations it's 2-3% of the dogs weight. 2% if on the heavy side, 3% if on the light. Adjust from there depending on your dogs condition over time.

For young pups give them 10% of their body weight daily in food. Older pups can get the 2-3% of their expected adult weight.

These are just guidelines, a place to start from. You will learn what works for your dog and adjust the diet accordingly. 8)

 

[Evie]

PS: If it's possible for you to get whole pieces of lamb and turkey as opposed to mince, do it. It's more stimulating for the dog and great for keeping the dogs teeth in good condition. Chickens chopped into meal sized portions is great as well (in the case of my two I chop a chicken into four and feed them each a piece a day.)

 

[Seraphina]

When I first started to have my own dogs, as opposite to those my parents fed when I was living at home, i am pretty sure the 2-3% of bodyweight of an adult and 5% growing pup, was what I was given by our vet.

That is a good starting point. But you really need to play it by ear. I have in this moment 2 girls who are good 1/2 kg overweight, i give them hardly anything to eat and they do not loose weight at all. While Claudia eats like a piglet, definitely more than the 5% of her weight and is just perfect

 

[salan]

PS:  If it's possible for you to get whole pieces of lamb and turkey as opposed to mince, do it.  It's more stimulating for the dog and great for keeping the dogs teeth in good condition.  Chickens chopped into meal sized portions is great as well (in the case of my two I chop a chicken into four and feed them each a piece a day.)

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For my whippet Cassie, just turned 4yrs old

I buy frozen raw in cubes from Nature's menu. I have a pet farm shop literally down the road which is very handy.

The banquet has Tripe, heart, lamb, chicken, and vegetables, and they also do a lamb, rice and veg. It is so easy and convenient, just put required cubes in bowl to defrost every day, then i add mixer.

But she loves cooked chicken too, don't they all!