Running The Numbers - Fresh Meat Vs Dry Dog Food

• 

  GG57 on 01/08/2023 - 11:20

  +1

  Chicken breast seems wasteful to me; cheaper cuts of meat should suffice.
  If you are comparing costs, include your time/effort in preparing the meat.

  • 

    gfjh567gh3 on 01/08/2023 - 11:39

    -3

    It was meat intended for human consumption but we left it a bit long and it got a bit stinky - didn't want to risk half a day on the toilet so I gave it to doggo. Probably half a kilo

    • 

      Protractor on 01/08/2023 - 12:17

      Not what I would have done. You're lucky you didn't upset the old gut flora or worse.

    • 

      newjerseydamo on 01/08/2023 - 12:51

      +1

      If you wouldn't eat it, why do you think it's good for the dog? If it's off meat, it's off meat, throw it out. Otherwise that's just cruel.

    • 

      coffeeinmyveins on 02/08/2023 - 13:31

      You have rancid meat and you thought "dog'll eat it"?

      Surprised it didn't end up violently ill

• 

  7ekn00 on 01/08/2023 - 11:23

  I noticed when I fed her chicken breast that she did a whole heap LESS poos.

  That is how animal products work, they are 90% absorbed (compared to <30% of grains/fiber/plant product).

  You should also notice the frequency of eating reduces on pure meat too (both animals and humans remain satiated for much longer).

• 

  cookietime on 01/08/2023 - 11:45

  Grain free food increases risk of heart failure in dogs so please reconsider feeding her grain-free food.

  My dogs are fed raw food in the morning and dry food in the afternoon as the raw food may not give them all the nutrients that they need. I usually get a 5kg bag of kangaroo/kangaroo+beef from Petbarn for $45, then mix it with $4/kg minced chicken carcass from my local butcher. That works out about $6.50/kg of raw feed for them. You can add vege, rice, etc. into the mix to make it cheaper and healthier. So far I don't have any concern about the volume of poo that I have to pick up lol.

  • 

    gfjh567gh3 on 01/08/2023 - 12:01

    +1

    Thank you! We also give our dog scraps whenever we have them, bit of rice/bread/pasta/veggies/meat here and there

    • 

      newjerseydamo on 01/08/2023 - 12:52

      +2

      Not a good idea. Best to stick to a straight forward diet. Differences in diet leads to upset stomachs in dogs and what you're trying to avoid (picking up poo) will be worse.

      Also, waste product is natural for any animal. Be responsible and just feed the dog correctly and clean up afterwards, it's part of being a pet owner.

      • 

        CheapskateQueen on 01/08/2023 - 22:14

        ikr. pick a diet based on the health and enjoyment of your dog.

        a diet based solely on trying to reduce poo is bizarre and selfish

        i give my fluffball small bits of human food but his stuff is purpose cooked (i.e his meat/ fish gets cooked separate so no spices). make sure any scraps you give don't have any spices harmful to dogs

• 

  Protractor on 01/08/2023 - 12:15

  If it aint broke don't fix it.

• 

  SydStrand on 01/08/2023 - 13:50

  +3

  100% meat is not a balanced diet. And before people say 'it's more natural than commercial food,' canines are omnivores, and don't just eat skeletal muscle in the wild, they eat offal, skin, cartilage, and scavenge everything else. If you want to feed your dog home-cooked, that's fine, but add in carbs and veggies too.

• 

  seannami on 01/08/2023 - 15:07

  +1

  As others have said, dogs need a mixture of food types- perhaps look into Nosh or similar if you want to go for something less processed. Other option is to look at cooking your own- cheap cuts with some rice, basic veg (check online before deciding what veg, though) and if you do a bulk lot and freeze it could be fairly economical. Maybe talk to your vet about changing food, but dogs definitely need more than just meat (and even for cats, chicken only isn't the best option unless you have gibblets and offal in there too)

• 

  coffeeinmyveins on 02/08/2023 - 13:34

  It was meat intended for human consumption but we left it a bit long and it got a bit stinky

  As mentioned, surprised the dog didn't get very ill from you feeding it rancid chicken.

  We also give our dog scraps whenever we have them, bit of rice/bread/pasta/veggies/meat here and there

  This is really not good. I'm assuming when you say "pasta" and "meat" you aren't saying the pure form of them and they both have sauces and spices on them? Dogs can't eat onion and a number of other things.

  The person you were replying to said they mix those ingredients with them, they are talking about plain rice but you are talking about scraps from human food. Two very different things. That's like comparing water to diet coke.

  Main benefit will be less poo in my garden to pick up

  That's really bizarre

  She's a happy healthy girl

  Despite your best efforts to the contrary, surprisingly.