What are /r/rawpetfood's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

deli containers. They come in a variety of sizes, are reusable, and take a ton of abuse all while being economical. I try to feed my cats no more food than they'll finish in 3-4 hours (they like to nibble not gorge). When they want more they let me know.

We used this( Dr Becker's Real Food For Healthy Dogs and Cats: Simple Homemade Food https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982533152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HkXgFbAAWWH1P )as our guide. Very comprehensive and has recipes and cards for your own. Recommends grinding and freezing. Calories by weight for your dogs weight and size

Not my area of expertise but I know that oily fish, and fish oil, is beneficial. If you're giving fish oil look on the back of the bottle for the EPA and DHA information. Do not rely on what the front of the bottle says. The maintenance dose is to give 100mg DHA+EPA per 10lb. For example, a 100 lb dog would need 1000mg, and a 15 lb dog would need 150mg. A therapeutic dose for helping skin/coat, joints, etc, is 3x that amount. Too much fish oil can be detrimental, including increased risk of bleeding ( source ).
Are you familiar with DM in german shepherds too? It's common enough that I'd learn the symptoms and signs of it along with thinking hip dysplasia if you're seeing issues with movement. X-rays will tell you exactly what the hip sockets look like though and you'll get an answer about the hip dysplasia.

Cool! This could definitely be a good partial meal dispenser for some weekend variety. This seems more raw friendly than a Kong with it's larger opening, and you can put bigger stuff in it. It looks to be not very good for tough chewers though? Looks kind of soft, but it's hard to tell. I found them on Amazon here if anyone else is interested.

Fish oil is a great additive for lots of reasons, one of them being joint health. Specifically for joints though, green lipped mussel powder would be my top recommendation. I give my old dog and my young dog one of these every day

I would also not feed that solid gold product or the natures farmacy kelp - if you ever need to supplement Iodine I would feed Now powder as it has a guaranteed analysis and can be dosed properly. the natures farmacy's instructions have you massively overdosing on iodine - and thats including whatever iodine your dog will get from the necks!

Yeah I haven’t given her the antibiotics yet because I really don’t love them. I use this Dr Mercola probiotic I only started giving it to her last night so I think it’s a bit too early to tell how it’s going.

I have some slippery elm at home now, would I just put some into her food?

Ziwi Peak is one of my favorites. It's a food, so is easy to calculate into their daily meal to make sure you're not overfeeding. They are small flat squares that break easily into 4 tiny pieces so they're especially great for small dogs, or if you're working on training and giving a zillion treats a day. It is a little pricey but when used as treats, and if you're breaking each bit into 4, it lasts quite a while.

Be very careful with the liver treats, they are really rich and it doesn't take much to cause diarrhea easily.

i use these plates and use a clean one for every meal.

i’m lucky enough to have a dishwasher, so i can rotate them out this way, but it’s super important to wash their plates thoroughly. let it soak in water to remove any crusty bits that may have dried onto the dish and rinse, then wash the plates thoroughly with normal dish soap under hot water. it’s important to use a dish made with a non-porous material (those stainless steel plates are perfect and cat friendly, glass plates work fine too). no need to use diluted bleach on your cat’s dish. diluted bleach around his eating area is fine.

i hope everything clears up fine!

When purchasing a natural vitamin E supplement, you want to ensure it says “d-alpha-tocopherol,” not “dl-alpha-tocopherol.” The prefix “d-alpha” signifies the product is derived from a natural source, while “dL-alpha” means it was extracted from a synthetic source.

I use this

Look into raw prescription diets (I know Darwin’s has one) and look into this supplement and see if your cat will eat it.

I can only think of adding some probiotics. I know a lot of people like to do homemade gat milk Keizer or something like that, I just add this probiotic to my cats diet and

Def try Darwin’s. Imma newbie as well and I just finished their $15 trial and I love it! I just ordered my second batch from them. Biggest downside of is that they only have chicken and turkey, where the complete for dogs has wayyy more protein variety. So I’m looking for other ways to add variety to their diet as well… which I’m still figuring out. I heard primal Is good but I personally don’t have experience with them.

Also look into adding some probiotics and maybe a bit of krill oil to your cats diet (I linked to the ones I use) im sure it will help with the digestive issues.

I see thispure MSM for dogs supplement which has a guide of how much to feed. I have purchased pure MSM powder/flakes for myself off of Amazon before. Human grade. It's in a purple and white jar and it might be cheaper than that dog supplement. Just remember that 1 tsp of flakes =/= 1 tsp of powder or vice versa. They should be the same consistency.

For glucosamine, this BulkSupplements powder might be right. If I'm correct, BulkSupplements is a commonly recommended brand, but I have no experience with them. I plan to get pet supplements from them soon as well, although I'm going to make sure they're reputable first. You should too. They might even make MSM as well.

Good luck.

I give Glycoflex. It has glucosamine, chondroitin, green-lipped mussel, MSM.

Active Ingredients: Glucosamine Hci (Shrimp and Crab), Perna Canaliculus (Glycoomega Brand Green-Lipped Mussel), Chondroitin Sulfate (Porcine), N,N-Dimetylglycine Hci (D mg), Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Manganese (Mn Proteinate), Grape Seed (Vitis Vinifera) Extract, L-Glutathione, Selenium (Na Selenite).

Inactive Ingredients: Arabic Gum, Brewers Yeast, Calcium Sulfate, Canola Oil, Citric Acid, Citrus Pectin, Duck Flavor, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Mixed Tocopherols, Propionic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Alginate, Sorbic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Oil, Water.

I personally prefer to use raw edible bone for the sake of the dogs oral health, plus its a good way to give your pup nice and healthy enrichment!

BUT if you prefer bone meal I really like Better Bones made by Four Leaf Rover. This one is a great option because it is air dried and not many companies specify how they make their product.

However with that brand it seems like they made the price a bit high just because it’s made by a company specifically for pets. The more cost effective option is made by the brand NOW, if you get this brand make sure to get the one that says “bioavailable” to make sure that your dog is getting the highest amount of calcium per serving. But they do not say if they use heat to make their product. The reason heat matters is because it can make the digestion process more difficult than it needs to be.

It costs me roughly $70 to feed my 13 lb. Shih Tzu raw. We get a premade raw delivered from WeFeedRaw. I'm sure this would be cheaper if I sourced my own meat but the time it takes to prep and balance meals makes up for the difference imo.

When he was on kibble, he would go through a 4.5 lb. bag of Orijen Puppy Food in a little less than a month. It costs around $27 for a 4.5 lb. bag.

Depends on the size and age of the rabbits. The older the rabbit the tougher the bones.

8-10 week old rabbit bones are easy to cut with a decent pair of kitchen shears. I just bought these and so far - they are awesome!! They are a bit big for my hands (I have small hands) but I can still use them:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085ZKLMSP?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

I also have a meat cleaver I found in an antique store. The trick with cleavers - the heavier the cleaver the less force you need in order to cut stuff. Mine is a beast!!

https://www.amazon.com/Cambro-Containers-Lids-Food-Storage/dp/B07K5DGWNR

I have 8 of the red lid 6 quart and 2 of the green lid 4 quart. One 10lb bag of frozen chicken quarters will fit the 6 quart. I use the 4 quart for misc stuff that I don't always feed like if I buy tripe or something, just whatever.

We grind about 1x a month. 40lbs, so 4 red cambros. an approximate 50% of their diet is ground chicken quarters, and we go through 1 of them about 10lbs a week, so 4 of them per month basically. The other 50% is muscle and organ (each of them gets about 1oz liver and 1oz usually kidney daily)

Grinding takes about 3 hours. We thaw the chicken until it's almost fully thawed but still semi frozen, it's easier to de-skin, cut, and grind if it's semi-frozen. Then feed it through the grinder, pack it into the cambro and into the freezer. Then clean the grinder and put it away.

we spend around $150-200 a month depending on what meat we're buying and if I managed to get any good deals or sales.

I just got Now Vitamin E-Oil along with Wheatgrass Powder. I haven't tried the Wheatgrass powder with him yet but gave him a drop of the vitamin E oil. One drop is 21.25mg and his RDA is 15mg. I have been watching a TON of The Primal Packs videos on YouTube over the past 2 days but I am finding it very difficult to figure out dosage amounts for a lot of the additions I want to make to my dogs 80/10/5/5 mixes. I already give him supplements from Dogs Naturally but there is no info anywhere on the nutritional information for those and am trying to figure out whole food sources I can potentially replace those with.

I also hope those links work. I've never don't that before.

In addition to the great advice you’ve been given here, you might try supplementing fish oil, made a big difference in my dogs summer allergies/itching. I would give a couple of pumps over his evening meal. https://www.chewy.com/grizzly-omega-health-omega-3-dog-cat/dp/162152?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Grizzly&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&show-search=1

I make my own dog food. I use blueberries and pumpkin. Plus a few other things. Dogs need taurine as well, just not as much. I use recipes so I don't think much of the proportions but I'm sure other will jump in. I make with friends in huge batches and can't remember the ratios. Friend has cats and uses the dog mix and adds more taurine and maybe more. Bone meal. Dogs need bone meal. Not sure if that's in a cat's diet in the same amount. Balance over time. A week or two of not perfect meals is fine. If they're interested in continuing they can use something like the Honest Kitchen base and ad meat. A balanced diet and a gateway to feeding raw.

We scale up the recipes from this book. Has a lot of good general information on feeding raw that might be helpful to them.

https://smile.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533152

This is a great book to get started!!

Why You NEED to Feed Your Dog a Raw Food Diet: A Complete Introduction for Beginners https://www.amazon.com/dp/1726202801/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_ET59KC32P6XAJ82KM73B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Pro Series.

Weston (10-3201-W) Pro Series Electric Meat Grinders (2 HP, 1500 Watts) - Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZ505EE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EHGZG8ANFHVN37XJ9DB4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The built in knife sharpener on it is the best I’ve used too.

Would highly recommend this book. Great insights into why you should feed raw and the benefits of raw feeding. Feeding Dogs Dry Or Raw? The Science Behind The Debate https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1916234003/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_5DRVYWWSH48VHDCWFGWP

I love your whole setup there. Sounds like you got it down to a science lol.

Btw you could always use something like these for freezing

Reusable Gallon Freezer Bags - 6 Pack EXTRA THICK 1 Gallon Bags LEAKPROOF Gallon Storage Bags for Marinate Food & Fruit Cereal Sandwich Snack Meal Prep Travel Items Home Organization Storage https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083BV2MVN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TM55CMMWSMYC2YDX0V5E

I have this idea, just connecting your request and someones review of the product online. There is this lockable kitchen container with timer Kitchen Safe: Time Locking Container (Blue Lid + Clear Base) - 5.5" Height - AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGFQTD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_2pt8FbYZMDDQ2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 I think it might work for your lunch feeding purposes. Just put it sideways and the lid will pop. Someone was using it for their cat dry kibble feeding. I am pretty sure it is going to be fine for thawn frozen/raw ingredients. Several of those could be set for different days. I bought a small size to lock up my iPhone. Now that carry iPhone plus it doesn't really fit in it. I can sell it to you for half price.

We feed our dog outside when he has things that he takes out of the bowl (heads mainly), or we give him those items outside on the deck and the rest of his food inside when he’s done with those. In terms of a placemat, try to find something that is food grade silicone. We use this one for our guy: PetFusion ToughGrip Large Plus Dog Food Mat [Just The Right Size Before Getting Too Big @ 27x17]. Waterproof, Extra Tough FDA Grade Silicone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6CQC56/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_PZG5FbST3CP0J?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Then do look into foot baths. Curd soap/marseille soap is great and won't dry them out, you could use that daily for a while. If you happen to be in the UK you could get Ballistol oil to follow the foot baths, it is amazing stuff and very cost effective www.amazon.co.uk/Ballistol-Unisexs-Animal-Care-Oil-Multi-Colour/dp/B003OEFJQE/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1B66LP3NYJA1G&dchild=1&keywords=ballistol+oil&qid=1607567140&sprefix=Ballistol%2Caps%2C233&sr=8-16

Given the size of this thing I would have expected it to easily handle denser/harder bones like beef or weight bearing bones from other animals, but an Amazon page on this thing (if it's the same one) says it won't... not even turkey? I'd love to see it in action anyway though!

Honestly, I just use deli containers. I bought a pack of 40 a few years ago and use them for both human and cat food storage. They'll take a ton of abuse, and cheap, and stack neatly in the freezer.

Yes! Well I use these: https://www.amazon.com/DuraHome-Storage-Containers-Microwaveable-Container/dp/B01FKKDEJI/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=soup+tupperware&qid=1603068208&sr=8-2

But yeah!

edit: Err I also use mason jars, we have a ton of mason jars and I use them for anything liquid, we have the plastic lids (in addition to the metal ones for canning, but obviously the plastic ones are for non-canning purposes)

Oh yes, all three love the tracheas, and we also get a lot of our stuff through mypetcarnivore and raw tracheas from them are amazingly inexpensive. I also get bags of dehydrated ones at Amazon, and I think they love the crunchiness of those as much as the raw, though the raw ones take longer to get through, which is great.

Reditainers - They come in various sizes, just search for them on Amazon to see what other sizes there are if you are looking for different sizes.

Got it on Amazon in size Large. Here is the link: Mr. Peanut's Stainless Steel Interactive Slow Feed Dog Bowl with a Silicone Base, Fun Healthy Bloat Stop Feeder (Large) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073NH96JC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8CP6Cb4N86V59

Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/Deli-Containers-Lids-Leakproof-Microwaveable/dp/B01FKGJ5NG?th=1
^^^I'm ^^^a ^^^bot ^^^and ^^^this ^^^action ^^^was ^^^performed ^^^automatically.

Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/Tovolo-Perfect-Silicone-Resistant-Stratus/dp/B000QIU7X6
^^^I'm ^^^a ^^^bot ^^^and ^^^this ^^^action ^^^was ^^^performed ^^^automatically.

I use this book. It has recipes with everything you need to make sure the diet is complete and balanced. All the nutrition information is in the back of the book.

I make my own food so I can control the quality. I use the recipes in [this book](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B3BDJW6). It also has good information about feeding raw.

I haven't used it for raw food, but I used to use this one for wet food: https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Bowl-Feeder-Pack/dp/B0002YHUPC

I believe the one you linked has a smaller ice pack. Also, if you freeze the food inside the bowl it will take a few hours to thaw even without the ice pack. I think it would be fine.

It could be eating too fast! I had a similar issue with my cats where they loved the food SO MUCH that they seemed worried I'd take it away if they didn't gobble it up. You can try what another commenter suggested and break up the meal, or maybe feed her on a plate and spread it out thin to slow her down. Long term you can get meal mats that you spread the food on to that'll slow her down too if that proves to be the issue. (something like this https://www.amazon.com/Lickimat-Fish-Shaped-Reduction-Alternative-Turquoise/dp/B089DN3H47/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=slow+feeder+mat&qid=1601484366&sr=8-13)

Delaying the meal COULD be a problem too. Do you ever notice any clear sort of throw up around before you serve the meal? When cats are fed on a schedule their body starts making the appropriate digestive bile before mealtime and sometimes if that meal is delayed that can make them nauseous. It's not an issue with all cats though, just depends on how sensitive they are.

The only other thing I could think of is food being too cold, but sounds like that's not the problem!

This is the book was recommended by my vet. Don't know if it's detailed enough for you but there is a break down of each recipe in the back of the book. Super helpful for me. The recipes are complete and balanced, AAFCO compliant. I just followed the recipes and haven't looked back.

I prep raw meals into individual daily containers that work great on road trips, with a cooler, if traveling less then a week. Just take one or two thawed containers and bring the rest completely frozen. You don't even really need ice packs in your cooler, they basically are the ice pack!

Same daily-serving containers keeps it simple for pet sitters too, but never tried boarding. I use these.

I know someone who started feeding raw by giving her dog a whole chicken. That’s it. Each day her dog got a whole chicken. There are different types of raw feeders. I feed a BARF diet (that could use a different name) that includes a little veggies. There are people on this sub who think it’s not needed. My vet thinks it is. Anyway, sometimes it’s easier to recommend commercial so you know it’s at least everything they need while they figure out what diet model they’ll choose to follow. I use the recipes in this book because I do think it’s important to feed a complete and balanced diet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982533152

I use plastic meal prep containers for my three, specifically these guys. If I were feeding a fish with thiaminase, I would probably have picked one with a small compartment so it didn’t touch the meat.

I’ve heard some people say glass/stainless steel are easier to get clean than plastic, due to how porous it is. I don’t think that’s very accurate, though, and as long as you practice food safety (which, to be fair, people should be washing ANY kind of dishes with soap and hot water anyways) you’ll be fine.

I have the 14 cup version and love it this one is in your price range though highly recommend

We found a ‘slow feeder’ bowl really helped slow down our Amstaff and her rocket speed food consumption. I don’t know they existed until I walked someone else’s dog and saw it in their kitchen. Outward Hound Fun Feeder Dog Bowl https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FPKNRG4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rjWeFb40HHERV

I use this Sunmile Grinder! It’s taken care of chicken drumsticks all the way up to duck heads and turkey necks for me. It works great, and takes me maybe 4 hours of straight grinding to go through 100-ish pounds of meat.

Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742M47V5
^^^I'm ^^^a ^^^bot ^^^and ^^^this ^^^action ^^^was ^^^performed ^^^automatically.

I got my start with this book, Raising Cats Naturally which I appreciated not only for its directly instructional content but also some nice history on the topic. The Amazon link I just provided are some silly prices - check your local digital library.

Second Alan’s comment of mental stimulation!

I got a large puzzle feeder off of amazon for £11 UK Amazon link and a slow feeder recently and he loves it.

Snuffle mats are supposed to be really good but I wouldn’t wanna use raw meat in them!

Little late to the party, but my Sunmile goes through thawed chicken thighs/necks/whatever with absolute ease. It’s probably gone through about 450 pounds of chicken bones and it still works like brand new. I haven’t tried it with Turkey bones yet, but I imagine it would go through with a little convincing.

Plastic, wood, etc are porous and can harbor bacteria. Ceramic is fine if the glossy coating is intact, but any chip will make its surface porous too.

Steel is durable and nonporous. I've had good experience with these.

Most likely a fungal or bacterial issue my vet told us. This shampoo helped my dog who was constantly scratching. Leave it on them for a 5-10 minutes then rinse off. Took away all scratching. Douxo Chlorhexidine PS + Climbazole Shampoo 500 ml (16.9 oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O1HEJ0

Use a tiny 5 cubic foot freezer as side table? I fed a 35 pound dog from half a top freezer refrigerator for a year. 20 smashed tight pounds packed in plastic bags fit nicely in there. Figure how much you need to buy a month and see how it looks in the freezer. If you use plastic tubs then pack it tight rather than doing single meals so you don't waste space.

I have tile and when I feed bones in the house the exercise pen is set up so the dogs don't scatter and eat where they prefer - middle of the living room rug. Some people use a wire crate as the plastic tray is easy enough to clean. Some people train the dog to eat on a towel or buy a mat of some sort that's easily scrubbed clean, a good sized scrap of vinyl flooring that you slide next to the refrigerator maybe. When they get easy bone it never hits the floor but since the dog might want to drop and grab for a better angle it is a good idea to have some way of keeping meat off the floor for sure.

Am on my second food scale. Just get anything that has a reasonable number of good and few poor reviews. The one I have now has an easy to clean glass top. I'm annoyed because I often use pie tins and it's difficult to read the weight unless I balance the pie tin on a bowl though. Looks like this one, no idea if it is the same brand.

Good luck on the chicken. Trade off is it is easier to control the food than the environment.

Dr. Becker's book <em>Real Food</em> book has some recipes that I put together, but I am finding now that fruit/veg are not nearly as important as the M/B/O meal, and now very seldom do I get out any of the frozen portions that I put together. Remember, that fruit/veg should not be a substitute for any portion of the M/B/O meal, but an addition. There are some benefits to them, but they are not at all essential.

If you do serve them, Dr. Becker advises that blending/pureeing are the best ways to make fruit/veg bioavailable.

To avoid plastic waste, why not use molds like these? I got 10 of these (5 fit on a single baking tray at a time, and then I stack in a deep freezer to set) and when I blend up the mixes, just pop out of the molds and dump in a 1-gal ziploc. We even wash and rinse the 1-gal ziplocs for reuse.

This is the one I bought

I cut a wood board and drilled 4 holes and just put some nuts on to hold it down. Not tedious, but you will need clamps to hold both sides of the board down so you have both hands free.

All in all, I can process 14 pounds of food in about an hour, including set up and clean up.

You must be a writer. Very lovingly put together with lots of expression and feeling for your best friend. We share a similar path! Hugs to you from a human friend up north. =)

Add: Have you considered a doggy door? IdealPets makes some really good ones.

I've done some research, and most of the better grinders over 1hp can do turkey, like Weston's 22. It's expensive, but I'm prepared to saddle the cost if necessary. It'll pay for itself down the road if my oldest gets to the point that his teeth can't take it anymore. I hope it won't come to that.

100% dried beef liver You can break them into whatever size you need quickly in your palm. They're also labelled as 'low cal' so you should be good to feed in quantity.

I'm not sure about the one you mentioned but this one (with the foot pedal) works great for me. It handles chicken bones and rabbit bones very well (I wouldn't try anything bigger though, including turkey bones). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D1TN7XS/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_YvQSAb1M6WE7Y

I'm with u/caninetrovert_ though... I wouldn't have bought the grinder if I didn't have to (we have a dog with dental issue that developed long before we started raw, vet advised us to avoid her chewing hard items). Grinding up a while batch at once makes meal time easy to portion out for two different sized dogs (all the hard work is done once a week determining ratios and such, plus all those frozen little meals are a big space saver in the freezer).. but it's basically just a long extra step and the fact my rottie mix will never get to grind anything herself to clean her teeth will always be a concern (she will probably need another dental cleaning sooner than I would have liked, I can see the tartar build up that is exacerbated by the fact she is allowed to chew anything hard). If you are deadset on pre-grinding (for ease of meal time) /and/ your dog's teeth are fine, make sure you factor in leaving a few bones out now and again and giving them to your pup to afford them the chance to grind them naturally and clean their teeth (or commit yourself to brushing their teeth daily)... But yeah, I wouldn't pre-grind unless I absolutely had to.

I do plan to make raw eventually, thing is my kitten got very sick when i first got her, and I'm still kind of recovering from the financial strain, so it'll be a few months.

Damn I thought $30 for a small bag was kind of premium?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1H3ZYE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Btw so is the bag I linked actual raw food? Cause I imagine it's not going to come to me frozen, like I find in freezers at cat stores? So how will that work out?

Amazon for the exact one I used here. I also order molds off of the WISH app.

My homemade recipe came from https://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1506636504&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=karen+becker - unfortunately this book in out of print, thus the high price on Amazon.

The book has different ways in balancing a homemade diet and depending on which route you take, supplements may be required. I settle on the recipe of this book because it uses common ingredients that are easily sourced and Dr. Becker is someone I trust.

The raw diet saved my dogs life. I've noticed a huge difference for her. My two boys were switched to raw when I found them and they have more energy, nicer coat, and are now in great health.

This is the book I use, but it's very pricey right now because it's out of print. Dr. Becker said that she'd be releasing a new one some time this year.

https://smile.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128

https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Natural-Nutrition-Dogs-Revised/dp/158394947X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1494514938&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=raw+and+natural+nutrition+for+dogs+lew+olson

Extensively sourced and footnoted, basically has all the information you need.

I use the recipe from this book by Michelle Bernard. I picked up an ebook version of it at some point so that particular link might not be the best place to actually obtain it. It's a great book because it does more than just provide a single recipe. The only thing it does poorly is recommend meat grinders (consider all of that out of date).

Even if you only add it to what you're feeding now you'll be ahead of the game.

Raw and with shells. They love the shells. It's like eating potato chips for them.

This is the book I use. I think it's out of print because the price has sky rocketed. Maybe you can find it someplace else. My vet used to sell them. There is a complete nutritional break down at the back of the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128

https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Natural-Nutrition-Dogs-Definitive/dp/1556439032?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51yqhF7xf3L&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_

There are sections specifically for kidney health, liver health, etc.

I go to a butcher and buy the meat there. We also ask for scraps. This book helped a lot. My GSD went from having Colitis symptoms to no issues all.

Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones

I use the recipes in this book. They are complete and balanced. They talk about grinding the meat, but I usually don't.

https://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469656140&amp;sr=1-1

I had a hard time keeping weight on my very active dog. I was feeding him 3 pounds of raw a day and he just wouldn't gain weight. I finally started adding digestive enzymes to his food. He started gaining weight within the week.

http://i.imgur.com/eM2hH3O.jpg

I feed a complete and balanced raw diet. I add veggies, fruit, and mineral support to their food. I can't say that will help him gain weight, but you'll know he's getting everything he needs. I follow the recipes in this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468983598&amp;sr=1-1

I recommend this book. It does a good job of explaining a raw diet and includes recipes so you can make your own.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462066970&amp;sr=1-1

Have you given him digestive enzymes? They made all the difference to my dog. He just would not gain weight. Once I started those the weight gain started. I also gave him a little probiotics for a while. After a few months I stopped with the enzymes and he's done fine every since. I make my own food and follow the recipes in this this book. They are complete and balanced and meet the AAFCO requirements. There is a complete nutritional break down in the back of the book. That was enough to calm the fears of my first vet. It's more work to feed this way, but worth it to know that they're getting everything they need.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1459142759&amp;sr=1-1

Edit:typo

1. Though there are some dogs that can handle a abrupt change to raw, two of my dogs could not. I'd do a gradual transition over 4 or 5 days just to be safe.

2. Each dog needs a different amount of food based on their own needs. My 55 and 40 pound dogs get feed 20 ounces a day. My 48 pound dog gets fed 34 ounces a day. You should have him checked out at your vet. He'll be weighed. Your vet might be able to give you an idea on what to feed. I'm assuming you've found a vet that is on board with feeding raw. If not, be prepared for the vet or staff to lecture you. After a few weeks take him back just to be weighed. Getting him weighed is a nice routine in the beginning. It helps you adjust the food as necessary and also gives him some positive association with the vet's office.

3. Don't guess on the recipe for his diet. You should feed a complete and balanced diet. It's a little more work, but you'll know he's getting everything he needs. This is the book I use. There is a compete nutritional breakdown of the recipes at the back of the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1456637568&amp;sr=1-1

1. I bought a chest freezer so I can buy meats when they go on sale and then store it after I've made it. I make food in bulk with a couple of friends. You can buy meat every week and freeze it. You can thaw it in a sink of water a few hours before needed depending on how much it is.

How about something like this maybe: Kong Teething Bone or their Teething Stick

Yes she does. She doesn't like feeding tripe. I can't remember why. I know one reason was it's harder to get the good stuff, she only recommends if it's sourced directly from the farmer and not washed. I can't remember the other reason(s). I heard about the smell and that was enough for me. I have three dogs, that much tripe might be overwhelming, especially since I can't feed them outside for half the year.

I don't. It's probably in the book I recommended. I read it so long ago I don't remember all the details. I just use it for the recipes these days. I did all the research years ago. What I found about adding the fruit, veggies, and minerals made sense to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1442973966&amp;sr=1-1

Not every solution works for every dog either. A friend's dog could not ever handle raw. She tried cooking it lightly and still had issues. She's now baking the food and having some success. My dog was allergic to grains, so it was easy to figure out that it was the kibble that was killing her. While we were getting her back to normal she couldn't have beef, chicken, or rabbit. That made for a fun food budget. We do the best we can for our dogs and hope for the best. I have my dog's blood work run every 6 months (the gift of having vet friends) and it's perfect every time. My oldest dog went from being on death's doorstep to being a very healthy dog full of energy. She shines like a new penny. I have a ton of dog friends who feed the same raw diet I do. They all have exceptionally healthy and long lived dogs. It might be anecdotal, but it's enough for me.

I know there are different thoughts on feeding raw. I'm in the complete and balanced diet camp. I follow the recipes in this book. There is a ton of great information and nutrition charts.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1430758639&amp;sr=1-1

I use Real Food for Dogs and Cats. My dog's blood work is perfect at their biannual exams.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1428527346&amp;sr=1-1

I feed raw to my dogs. I don't wash the food, just feed it raw. I get the food from a variety of sources. From Sams Club to direct from the farmer. I can't recommend what bones to feed cats since I have dogs. I feed a complete raw diet, that means veggies, fruit, and mineral support. I make it in mass with friends and we grind all the bones to make it easier. I follow the recipes in this book. It's by the same vet in the links below. There's a ton of good information in there.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1430272014&amp;sr=1-1

I make food for my dogs with two friends. We make 700 pounds at a time. Clearly that's not need for your cat, but you can take a day and make food in bulk and freeze it. We follow the recipes in this book which includes cats.

If you want to buy commercial food I would recommend Primal based on the recommendations of my friends who feed that. Since cats don't eat nearly as much as a bigger dog, you can feed commercial raw without it hitting the pocketbook as hard.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1430084982&amp;sr=1-1

I make my own food and feed Northwest Naturals.

This is the book where I got my recipes.

http://www.amazon.com/Beckers-Real-Food-Healthy-Dogs/dp/0982533128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1421341419&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=real+food+for+healthy+dogs+and+cats