Raw feed companies recommendations or otherwise!

[palo1]

I am thinking of feeding Red IT raw - it has been on my mind since day 1 but now seems a good time to give it a go. I am planning to make a start with some form of complete meal as that will be easiest and I think I have found a good starter pack. But once we have finished that, if all goes well does anyone have any recommendations for either bulk (30kg per month) complete meals OR a very simple formula for feeding a DIY raw diet. I know there is a huge amount of information out there on t'interweb but a lot of it is contradictory, confusing or irrelevant to me! I currently feed a high spec kibble but it is very boring. Cost is around £50 a month for 2 medium sized dogs - one of which is likely to refuse to go raw so she can stay on that; she looks fabulous. Red is also very, very well but if there is a chance that a raw diet would work for him I would prefer that.

I have seen what seems like very simple and reasonable complete mixes from Middleton Raw Dog foods - can anyone recommend that company or are there other similar things that might deliver to the English/Welsh borders? Durham Animal feeds look ok but don't deliver to here.

Thanks for any practical advice any of you can give. I have also asked Levrier's advice as she is reasonably local to me.

 

[palo1]

Does anyone use The Farmer's Dog too; they will deliver to me and look simple enough products for me to 'understand' lol!! ??

 

[{97702}]

I’ve messaged you back as well but I always used Manifold Valley Meats who should deliver to you - or try K9 Raw Supplies in Cinderford as I’m not sure how far out they deliver? ?

 

[palo1]

Thank you!! I now have a cunning plan...! I will try the starter pack from K9 and if all goes well I will go with MVM various complete things as they will deliver, unless K9 in Cinderford can courier to me a bit cheaper. I do love to have a plan before I go out all guns blazing as it were. This was easier than I thought...

 

[masajackrussells]

I've just gone on to ProDog Raw for my 3 (one of whom is nursing a litter of 5 at the moment) and they all love it. Carrot didn't even go off her food at anytime before or after labour which is great. I've never seen bowls so clean. I did a lot of research before switching and these guys have some fab reviews and the quality looks great along with the price. They do bundles of 15kg or 25kg of complete food (or you can order individually of course) and absolutely all of their packaging is recyclable which was a big plus to me. They also have a reward points scheme that gets you money off your orders and you can set up a subscription so you never need to worry about running out. All in all for me they were the best company by far. I sound like I work for them but I don't I promise! www.prodograw.com

 

[MurphysMinder]

I use Manifold valley meats, products are always good. I've seen a few bad reviews for DAF.

 

[palo1]

I've just gone on to ProDog Raw for my 3 (one of whom is nursing a litter of 5 at the moment) and they all love it. Carrot didn't even go off her food at anytime before or after labour which is great. I've never seen bowls so clean. I did a lot of research before switching and these guys have some fab reviews and the quality looks great along with the price. They do bundles of 15kg or 25kg of complete food (or you can order individually of course) and absolutely all of their packaging is recyclable which was a big plus to me. They also have a reward points scheme that gets you money off your orders and you can set up a subscription so you never need to worry about running out. All in all for me they were the best company by far. I sound like I work for them but I don't I promise! www.prodograw.com

Thanks for this - I have had a look at ProDog Raw; looks very expensive!! I will do some more research

 

[satinbaze]

I use MVM minced carcass and do my own veggies. I did try the MVM veg mix but wasn’t too impressed as there was a lot of cabbage in it.

 

[masajackrussells]

Thanks for this - I have had a look at ProDog Raw; looks very expensive!! I will do some more research

Oh I found it to be cheaper - now hoping I didn't get my maths wrong! I have bought the bulk option though as I have a chest freezer so maybe cheaper that way.

 

[palo1]

Red and I went to the raw dog food shop as recommended by Levrier and came home with 1 month's supply of various delish raw dinners to try. Starting with tripe - yuk!! Red says it smells VERY interesting and even my old lady thought she might try a bit. Both of them snaffled up several sprats so I called a halt to investigating the shopping (I had opened a bag of sprats just to see what they both said ) It all seems remarkably straightforward tbh and the raw food shop can deliver to me by courier which is a more sustainable option than visiting on a regular basis. I probably need to get a small freezer as I think I will also offer my old dog some raw food to see how she gets on. She has always turned up her nose resolutely at anything that doesn't come in a shiny package with lots of e-numbers on the side so I was amazed to see her enthusisasm for sprats and frozen tripe. The lovely lady in the shop has recommended that Red will need much more grub than the general calculations as he is super slim and using every scrap of food/energy up running around.

@masajackrussells - you are right - ProDog Raw is NOT that expensive and would be do-able for us. Sorry - definately my maths and not yours!! Anyhow, we will see how we go over the next few days. Thanks for the recommendations - I have plenty to choose from now and can make the most of various deals now I understand what is generally needed!

 

[{97702}]

I picked up an admittedly small chest freezer for £40 from a place in Longhope if you wanted to pop over again Palo ? A small one is fine for me as I’m only feeding the small dogs on raw ?

 

[palo1]

I picked up an admittedly small chest freezer for £40 from a place in Longhope if you wanted to pop over again Palo ? A small one is fine for me as I’m only feeding the small dogs on raw ?

Does Longhope specialise in small freezers Lev??! If I had known I would have called there on my way home so yes, another visit to FOD may be needed.

 

[{97702}]

Does Longhope specialise in small freezers Lev??! If I had known I would have called there on my way home so yes, another visit to FOD may be needed.

I had no idea, but I saw one advertised on Facebook and when I went to collect it there were loads of them on a little industrial park! I was astonished!

I think you must come over again of course so that George can meet Red ? I was rushing around like a headless chicken today doing all sorts, but I did think regretfully ‘oh, so near but yet so far’ ??

 

[palo1]

Funny you should say that...l have the raw feeding bit between my teeth now and am envisioning a freezer full of dog food. I have seen one for sale in Slimbridge actually but if you want to pm me the location of small-freezer-town then I may make another visit soon!!

 

[Bellasophia]

https://www.facebook.com/rawfeedingcommunity/
USA group but looks an interesting read.

 

[cbmcts]

I picked up a small freezer for £18 on ebay when I went over to raw. It's ugly - brown! - but as it lives under the stairs I don't care It's under counter size and with careful packing fits 100 1lb packs plus a few bones etc at a time.

 

[palo1]

That sounds exactly what I need cbmcts - especially as my 14 year old dog that has spurned decent food all of her blooming life has decided that raw tripe and sprats are the way forward. Although I am very happy for her to adopt healthier eating habits it means that I will now need at least twice the amount of food and somewhere better to put it! I will probably have to re-do my trek to the raw dog food shop as well as I will run out of the week 1 tripe very quickly. I feel slightly overtaken by the dog's enthusiasm for this tbh...!! Red took a few minutes to check out his bowl of tripe but Bess was straight onto it amazingly.