[Dylansmum]

... have you tired what Helen / Dylansmum uses he might prefer something thats great for you but not dry ... I keep forgetting what its called dont want to get it wrong..Im sure Helen will post soon x

Hi Rich, I get my food from
http://www.naturalinstinct.com
It's basically minced human grade meat and bone with added veggies and supplements to make it a complete, balanced diet. It's a really easy way to feed BARF and not too expensive - about 60p per day. They deliver frozen to your door or there are some suppliers listed who sell it. You buy in 1kg packs and keep them in the fridge once defrosted. I'm feeding their puppy food at the moment, but about to switch to the chicken and turkey.
Dylan has always been a good eater - I think he would scoff anything I put in front of him, but maybe fresh food would tempt Monty more.

 

[Dylansmum]

That's great. You go to the top of my breeders list! It's a shame I'm not looking for another cockapoo!!
I've also seen the difference that barf makes to the teeth, breath, poo etc, and have fed it to previous dogs, but being a busy and fairly lazy mum, I was really pleased this time to find a company who do all the work for you and mix it up into one convenient complete food. They use raw veggies, but double grind them to break them down enough for the nourishment to be absorbed. The only thing I give as an addition is lamb or beef bones as treats. Haven't got the heart to do the fast though!

 

[Dylansmum]

So Helen, I'm being seduced by all the BARF talk. How do you work it with Dylan. Do the packs come in meal sized frozen pieces or do you defrost a pack in the fridge then use it over a few days. How much does Dylan eat each day? 1 or 2 meals a day? Could you explain how you work it day to day, how much you bulk buy and how long it lasts!!!!!

The food comes in 1kg packs, frozen. There are some ranges in 400g packs, but they are more expensive. They despatch the day you order for next day delivery in an insulated box so they stay frozen and you just pop them in your freezer. If you're out, they just leave it outside the house. I currently have decreased Dylan from puppy levels down to about 240g a day, split into 2 meals. I was feeding 360g but now that's too much. They recommend for puppies 5-6% of their body weight per day and for adults 2-3%. Once out of the freezer, they're fine in the fridge for about 4 days, and if you forget to defrost you can scrape it out and feed it semi-frozen after about half hour out of the freezer. So it's pretty convenient. I'm just about to switch from the puppy mix to the adult chicken and will also try the turkey which is on special offer at the moment. I usually order about 10-12 kilos at a time but it depends on your freezer space. So one 1kg pack lasts about 4-5 days. They are also very helpful if you have any queries. There are some suppliers across the UK where you can buy it - the list is on the website. BTW they do a friend referral scheme where we both get £5 off I think, so mention me (Helen Conway) if you're going to try it!!

 

[Dylansmum]

Thanks - I might take the plunge and give Natural Instinct in the morning and Orijen in the evening. One last question - How big is a 1kg box so I can figure how many I can fit in the freezer??

9" x 7" x 1 3/4"
If you try it, let me know how you get on.

 

[Dylansmum]

I know Applaws food has been mentioned on here previously and, as like anything, am sure it works well for some dogs but not others, however I thought I would give it a try as Betty has resorted to not eating any of her biscuits in the last three or four days. I bought a 700g bag and brought it home, stuck about 20 pieces in her bowl and she ate all of it! Then put another 20 bits in there and she ate it all again!! Going to take her out for a walk later and then give her another bowl of Applaws for her dinner and see if she eats it again, if she does I will be VERY impressed as she hasn't cleared a bowl of food in months!!

Applaws was the first dry food I tried for Dylan when I first got him. The ingredients are pretty good - it was the best I saw until I came across Orijen, which is a bit better. Dylan ate it ok (he eats everything!) but for the first few days I had him he had a bad tummy which I was trying to clear up, and the Applaws seemed to make it worse. It wasn't until he went onto Natural Instinct that his tummy cleared up. But it's definitely one of the better kibbles. Hope it works for you.

 

[Dylansmum]

However it is well worth remembering that dogs didn't evolve to eat cereal at all and some dogs are at least intolerant and at worst allergic to cereal. That might be what Betty is trying to tell you indirectly. Maybe you could see if she is better with a convenient cereal free dog food? Just a thought.

Applaws is cereal free. I researched it before I tried it, and it is pre-biotic and hypo-allergenic. It is 75% chicken and 25% veggies and natural extracts. Ingredients are: dry chicken meat, dry potato, poultry oil, fresh chicken, poultry gravy, salmon oil, beet pulp, dry whole eggs, cellulose plant fibre, brewers yeast, cranberry extract, yucca extract, citrus extract, rosemary oil, seaweed extract, chicory extract, alfalfa extract, thyme extract, carrots, peppermint extract, rosehip extract, paprika extract, turmeric extract, carob extract, fennel extract, dandelion extract, oregano extract.
So you see, it's one of the best kibbles in my opinion and if Betty likes it and it suits her tummy then I think you've cracked it Jules

 

[Dylansmum]

Thanks for all your info on food products. It gives us much more options with weaning our puppies, because of the convenience we've previously had to use a puppy kibble with cereal in. We have now joined Orijen Breeder Programme so can give their puppy packs with each pup and we can tell new owners about Natural Instinct. This leaves is free to experiment with weaning our pups straight onto a BARF/Orijen puppy diet from now on. We're really chuffed about this. Thank you!

That's great. Everything we can do to give our gorgeous dogs a healthier, more natural life has got to be worth it. They deserve it! :twothumbs:

 

[Dylansmum]

Yes I agree with your thoughts, BARF is too extreme for 90% of people. So an Orijen based weaning programme is our preference too.

I agree that a lot of owners are reluctant to feed BARF, but hopefully with companies like Natural Instinct, it may encourage more to do so. It's just as easy and convenient as feeding any other food now, and it's nice to be sure that the diet is complete and balanced. That, for me, was always the worst part of feeding BARF - having to add supplements and worry about deficiencies and now I don't have to think about that. Also, at 60-70p per day, I think it's quite reasonably priced and it actually gives me pleasure to see Dylan enjoying "real" food rather than little brown pellets! Illogical, I know!

 

[Dylansmum]

That's great Jules - I'm glad it's getting easier. Just one thing to watch though - after Dylam was neutered he put on quite a lot of weight. I think it was more that he had stopped growing rather than the neutering and it was time to lower his quantities to adult levels which I was a bit slow to do. Now I've decreased his food by about 40%. So just as Betty is eating better, you may need to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't gain too much weight!!

 

[Dylansmum]

Thanks Jules, We have a large freezer, and also a smaller one in the garage, but with 3 kids it's usually stocked full as it is! I will certainly look into Applaws.

The funny thing is, when we had a dog many years ago, my mum would never let him have chicken bones, as she said they were too sharp for him. I have always assumed this to be correct, and am now freaking out slightly about feeding them raw chicken wings!!

Sarah xx

It's cooked bones that you must never feed. Also not recommended are weight-bearing bones like thighs. The best raw bones to feed are wings, necks, spines, ribs and carcasses. If you have some freezer space then take a look at http://www.naturalinstinct.com as an easy, convenient BARF diet. The minimum order is 5kg so that's not too bulky, but I usually order 10kg at a time.

 

[Dylansmum]

What do you think Dylansmum (compared to Natural Instinct)? You're our resident BARF expert so would be interested in your opinion as I would like to switch Flo in next few months (once I can sort a second freezer!)

Thanks for the link. I've had a look, and my opinion (for what it's worth ) is that Natural Instinct still seems to have the edge. Firstly Basil is a little more expensive, at £3.60 per kilo against £2.70 for natural instinct, although they do supply beef and lamb as well, which would push the price up if you bought those varieties at NI. Personally I only buy chicken and turkey, but to add an occasional beef or lamb would still work out ok price-wise. The constituents are very similar, but NI include sea kelp and salmon oil which i think are quite important supplements. Basil recommend adding biscuit/mixer and giving usual treats which I find very bizarre, as the whole concept of BARF is to be cereal free and pure.
NI also guarantee not to use battery farmed chickens. They give an explanation of what each ingredient is good for and seem to be a bit more clued up and more doggy experts. Basils appears to be a bigger operation, with a meat processing plant and butchers. They also only despatch on Tuesdays, whereas NI despatch Monday to Thursday.
Really, I'm sure that either would be great in terms of diet, but I can't see a good reason to switch from NI.

 

[Dylansmum]

I have a fridge freezer and a small chest freezer in the utility room. It doesn't take up that much room - a pile of 5 x 1kg packs is about 8.5 x 7 x 9 inches and that is the minimum order and will last over 3 weeks. The only thing is that you pay a bit more for delivery if you buy smaller amounts, so I buy 10 packs at a time. To be honest, the thing that takes up more of my freezer is the bones. I buy them fresh and freeze them and they are everywhere!

 

[Dylansmum]

I used to leave my last dog's food out all the time (it had to be dried with no smell). He was very happy grazing on it throughout the day and never ate more than a few mouthfuls at a time. I know some people frown on it but he never over-ate and was always slim- he lived till he was 17!

I think you have to judge each dog individually. I reckon Dylan would always clear whatever I put in his bowl straight away, but other dogs are picky eaters.