Feeding dog raw meat (BARF) instead of kibble?

[nath]

I was wondering if anyone on the forum feeds their dog(s) raw meat instead of kibble? Either confirm the BARF (Bones And Raw Food) or complete fresh meat meals (not sure the name in English but what they sell it seems everywhere but in Tenerife in frozen food section complete meat with percentage of ground bones, small % of vegetables etc).
The reason I'm asking is I can't seem to find a well balanced meal for my dog in Tenerife. He can't eat gluten, not even rice and so far every brand of kibble we tried (Orijen as well) he always gets diarrhea from all these sorts of feed.
I think I posted some sort of similar request on the old forum over a year ago but am not sure anymore. And even if I did maybe someone changed to this or someone who feeds according to these principles just joined.
I tried different places to get a variety of meat but could not find a well balanced meal for him then. And nowhere could I find the tripe straight from the cow (the "dirty" version all of what I found was the clean (white) version which does nothing for the dogs health besides filling is stomach.
Please help us find our little man a healthy balanced meal....
Thanks for reading and even more for posting a helpful reply or suggestion!!

[WeeJake]

I think You should be able to get dirty tripe from any butcher who deals in Fresh Meat i.e not the frozen Uruguayan or Brazillian you get in most supermarkets. Only one I know of is in Cabo Blanco, Carniceria la granja. He deals only with Spanish & Gomeran Meat. He MIGHT be able to get it for you. PM me if you want his telephone number.

[nath]

I have not tried the one in Cabo Blanco yet. Did try the one in Guargacho though. Can you give me his address? We are about to return to Tenerife and thought I'd start my homework a little ahead of times that's why I posted my question here already. Supermarkets have nothing for dogs I found. The only place I found was the store in Los Cristianos where they sell frozen foods, they sell poultry for dogs about 80 or 90 cents per kg. But that's all they have so not really a balanced meal for too many days in a row. Will def go and check out the one you mentioned though as soon as we are back!! Thanks!

[Zara]

I cook my dogs meals. I buy a pack of dog mince from Ocean 5 €1 and a pack of Chicken Livers €1, I cook them with mixed veg and sometimes pasta, sometimes rice (you would leave these out) I then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil as it is good for their skin and coats, squeeze of garlic, a squeeze of tomato puree and some gravy. They love it, don´t get upset stomachs. Being small dogs this quantity lasts for a week in the freezer.

[nath]

I cook my dogs meals. I buy a pack of dog mince from Ocean 5 €1 and a pack of Chicken Livers €1, I cook them with mixed veg and sometimes pasta, sometimes rice (you would leave these out) I then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil as it is good for their skin and coats, squeeze of garlic, a squeeze of tomato puree and some gravy. They love it, don´t get upset stomachs. Being small dogs this quantity lasts for a week in the freezer.

Thanks for sharing that! Our dog is a bit bigger and at the moment he gets a little over 1 kg a day. My main worry is it won't have enough variety (he just turned 1 so still "growing/developing for almost another year). But if I can add a few suggestions together I must be well on my way. I have not heard of Ocean 5. Where is this store?
I don't use olive oil (any longer) but changed to Salmon oil (heard it was better since it not a vegetable oil and so far I did see a change in his coat so am willing to believe that at least for Darwin it is better).
Garlic is great idea as well, must help some against flees and other nasty critters!

[jewels]

I cook my dogs meals. I buy a pack of dog mince from Ocean 5 €1 and a pack of Chicken Livers €1, I cook them with mixed veg and sometimes pasta, sometimes rice (you would leave these out) I then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil as it is good for their skin and coats, squeeze of garlic, a squeeze of tomato puree and some gravy. They love it, don´t get upset stomachs. Being small dogs this quantity lasts for a week in the freezer.

Zara do you use the frozen mixed veg.I used to make the meals for my 2 but only used chicken and the livers but they got the runs maybe a mixture may not be so rich.

[Zara]

Thanks for sharing that! Our dog is a bit bigger and at the moment he gets a little over 1 kg a day. My main worry is it won't have enough variety (he just turned 1 so still "growing/developing for almost another year). But if I can add a few suggestions together I must be well on my way. I have not heard of Ocean 5. Where is this store?
I don't use olive oil (any longer) but changed to Salmon oil (heard it was better since it not a vegetable oil and so far I did see a change in his coat so am willing to believe that at least for Darwin it is better).
Garlic is great idea as well, must help some against flees and other nasty critters!


Zara do you use the frozen mixed veg.I used to make the meals for my 2 but only used chicken and the livers but they got the runs maybe a mixture may not be so rich.

Ocean 5 is the large freezer shop at Las Chafiras.

I buy their loose frozen veg and give them a mixture of spinach, peas, beans, and carrots.

Like you Nath, I thought variety was good for the dog but according to the vet it takes them a while to get used to different meals in the meantime getting an upset stomach. (that is why vets recommend the same boring old dried food daily).

I alternate mine week on week off with chicken breast so they are used to both meals and we never have any problems with them being ill.

[WeeJake]

We have a west highland terrier (WeeJake) and I previously owned an english bull terrier. Both have had allergies to products containing gluten. Anyway, both my dogs have been fed on Breast of Chicken , Liver either chicken or lamb, Beef and Lamb all of which are boiled. To these I add a variety of freshly boiled vegetables, rice (which is gluten free) & olive, corn or sunflower oil - or dried fruits, and nuts with a tiny bit of treacle or golden syrup. Full of protein and nutrients. These are then bagged individually and frozen. Treats for him are by way of salt and flavour free popcorn, rice cakes or corn tortillas dipped in treacle or syrup. He loves them, but they are a treat so not too many in one go. Being Small, he never gets bones and besides it only takes one dodgy one to give him serious food poisoning. In between times, at least once a week, he does have a bowl of dried food "Hills Advanced Mobility Prescription Diet" which we buy from the vet. He is twelve now, a bit of an old man and he seems to enjoy the variety.

There´s hundreds of gluten free recipes on internet for both humans and dogs.

[nath]

@Zara, I've shopped around at Chafiras a lot but did not bump into (or got referred to) Ocean 5 yet. I will go and check it out as soon as we are back (on way back from butcher at Cabo Blanco :) Thanks for telling me!!

I feed our dog (American Bulldog, the one jumping on the small picture next to my posts). Only raw and including bones. I hope this time around I can find enough variety in meat (and bones) for our little darling!

I've been reading up on it a lot and studied a book from Mogens Eliasen. If anyone is interested you could google for B.A.R.F.
I can also forward you a few links of course, just send pm. I really hope I can get Darwin his diet the way it should be (according to these principles to which I became a believer) when we return "home" and leave all this nasty Dutch rain.

thanks all.

[Zara]

Hi Nath

Ocean 5 is on the opposite side of the motorway to Mercadona, McDonalds etc. It is slightly up the hill on the San Miguel road but you can if you know what you are looking for see it from the TF1.

They don´t keep the dog mince in the freezers you have to ask for it and they bring it from their storage area - probably frightened someone will take it and eat it for their dinner although it can look quite good. Just cooked a batch this morning and boxed for the freezer.

[nath]

Thanks that is really helpful especially the comment how they don't have it in the store up front. I would probably look through the store a few times and then get all annoyed how they just stop selling it all together just when I wanted to buy it. Does the packaging mention anything like if there are also bones in the minced meat?

It sounds like Ocean 5 is near Lidl and the Mercedes garage? (I should have looked around better when shopping there, at the Lidl that is not the garage unfortunately).

I must say the pictures from the food don't look bad at all, I'm sure if you would not tell people would eat it!

[henry]

sorry!! i never give raw meat to my dog. he eat is dry food dduring the day and i give him can food half a small can round 7ish.

[Zara]

sorry!! i never give raw meat to my dog. he eat is dry food dduring the day and i give him can food half a small can round 7ish.

I am sure your dog is very happy on that Henry - both my dogs are old and don´t have many teeth, one has had 17 removed and the other has lots of broken teeth where she used to eat stones before we took her from the finca so neither of them can eat dried food. It would be good if they did but as it happens I dont mind cooking for them as they are my girls. :love: