Questions about raw for cats and dogs

[Deleted]

So I am trying to figure out some numbers to see how much it would cost to feed 4 cats and 1 dog raw. If I can get the cost to something reasonable, I think I can convince my parents to switch them. The dog would probably be switched first, and hopefully the cats if the cost isn't too high.

The cats all weigh approx. 15+ lbs each. Though I think 3 (all males) are overweight. They are not any specific breed. The only cat (female, named Minnie) not overweight is an avid hunter and I think she only supplements her diet with kibble. Two cats Junior and Budd are 4-6 (cannot remember), the female Minnie is about 10, and the male Mouse is about 12. Mouse is also fully blind and very overweight (18+ lbs I think).

They are fed Purina One Smart Blend Salmon + Tuna. A 25 lb bag lasts about a month, costing about $25 or so.

The dog is a purebred yellow lab named Marley. He's a couple years old (maybe 3-4). I think he is feed Purina One chicken and rice (not 100% though). I cannot remember his exact weight, but somewhere around 85-90 lbs I think. He is slightly overweight from my recollection.


1) About how many lbs of meat would a 90 lb dog need a month? He is relatively active. Has a large fenced yard most of the day, enjoys swimming in the pool. Going by 3% of his bodyweight, that's 2.7 lbs a day That is a LOT of meat. That would be about 80+ lbs of meat a MONTH!

2) Does the same rule of 2-4% of bodyweight apply to cats?

3) Do dogs to be feed a balance over the course of a week like ferrets? Or can the balance occur over a month?

4) What are the percentage of meat/bone/organ/veggie for dogs and cats, respectively?

5) What bones are appropriate for dogs? What should be avoided?

5) If the cost of a raw diet isn't feasible, what kibble options are best for a dog? Cats?

Any other advice is appreciated

[goingpostal]

Most people I know seem to be feeding 2% of body weight for dogs, although obviously depends on the dog. Not sure on the cat weight, I feed about the same amount of raw as I did canned, 4-6 ounces a day for a 10 pound cat, some days she gets less, some days more. You can balance over months, any weight bearing bones from larger stuff, cows and the like should be avoided as they can crack teeth. For decent kibble options for a dog, anything grain free like TOTW or Wellness or grain inclusive Chicken Soup, Diamond Naturals is ok and inexpensive. For cats wet would be better than kibble and helps a lot with weightloss.

[Sherry]

No idea about dogs, but when looking to transition my cats, it was 3-5% of ideal body weight. So for a 10lb cat, so goingpostal is right- 4-6 oz a day, depending on activity level, age, etc.
Some cats don't do as well with as much bone or liver as ferrets do, others do well on it. I was told about 2 grape sized bits of liver a week, and a couple chicken necks a week is a good amount. Again, like ferrets, cats are obligate carnivores, so maybe 3-5% pumpkin, etc.

[katt]

Just a thought, perhaps you could convince them to switch the cats completely, and just supplement the dog's diet with raw? If they are opposed to the cost of doing a complete switch. At least it would be better than nothing., and maybe as they see how it benefits the cats, they will eventually come to realize they should feed the dog all raw too...

[goingpostal]

Plus raw would really be better for the cats, being carnivores and with a tendency to not drink enough water, and you can feed all the cats for less then the dog probably. I still haven't switched my dogs to raw because of the cost.

[crazylady]

Yeah and you could also point out the benefit of getting the cats off kibble health wise cats are more prone to urinary tract infections and stones due to kibbles than dogs are so that simple switch could save a trip to the vets and an expensive bill ! good luck take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady

[Deleted]

So how much would it cost to feed the 4 cats? Or quality wet food?

What about epigen 90 for cats kibble?

I'll look into getting the dog on a better kibble maybe supplemented with raw occasionally.

[Heather]

I find that it's no greater cost feeding raw than feeding kibble, once you factor in the added vet bills caused by feeding kibbles, it's cheaper. I know it's hard to think long term, but when you get a better quality of life, length of life and health the cost is easy. There are a lot of raw feeding coops now. You find one, and then the cost is even less. I'm still finding suppliers, the search is never ending. I just bought a months supply for the dog. It cost me $125. Sounds like a lot but you figure out that he eats about 3 to 5 lbs of food a day and do the math....can you feed kibble for that amount. I know that I can't. You can't look at my costs and make them your own, I presently feed 180lbs wolfhound, 10 ferrets and 3 cats (seniors of 14 yrs). The smaller animals meats or supplies are basically purchased quarterly. I've got 2 large freezers full of meat. It allows me to purchase when the opportunity presents itself. I can take advantage of sales, or opportunities....like the rabbits... I bought a dozen rabbits for the wee ones. The cost was $150 but it was an awesome price and I could take advantage of this. This is a factor to take a look at too ;D
Good luck, I'm sure that your furkids will eventually love the change in their diets (the cats like the ferrets often think you're trying poison them ) but the dogs will worship you.
ciao

[Deleted]

Thanks for the input everyone

They're all my parents pets & $$ is pretty tight, but I'm hoping I can get them to make some changes, even if they're small

[Sherry]

Then how about a daily raw soupies for the cats? I know many people who feed kibbles, but put out canned once or twice a day as a supplement. If that supplement could be raw, it would be great.
I do know it actually would actually cost less to feed my cats raw, than a quality canned.
Speaking of- we had to go back to canned because Mr. Stubbs started throwing everything up again once we hit 1/3 raw, 2/3 canned. Every meal And this time, it was lamb, not fowl

[Heather]

I'm sorry that your guy started having problems Sherry. I found that Samurai had certain proteins that he couldn't eat. At first there was only one that he could, surprisingly...chicken. In the end there was only 3 or 4...chicken, turkey, duck and rabbit. All the rest caused projectile vomiting
ciao

[Sherry]

He does not too badly, until it reaches a certain point. And the protein seems to determine what the level is. At the age of 18, I'm no longer going to put him through all that vomiting just to find what each protein tolerance is. You see- he doesn't just vomit THAT particular meal, but every meal for the next couple of days

[Deleted]

OKay so here is a new question:

I think switching to a high quality kibble will be the first step (in case they are resistant to the switch to raw, at least it's better than Purina).

So I was looking at the Wysong Epigen - and it says it's appropriate for cats and dogs. What do you all think of the ingredients?

Ingredients: Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Giblets, Vegetable Protein (consisting of one or more of the following: Potato Protein, Rice Protein, Corn Protein, Wheat Protein), Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of Vitamin E), Eggs, Yogurt, Flax Seed, Apple, Beet Pulp, Plums, Inulin, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Krill Oil, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Oregano Extract, Sage Extract, Rosemary Extract, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis), Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.

The vegetable protein kinda bothers me, but because it's starch free, there shouldn't be any sugars coming from it, right?

It's 60% meat, 60% protein - Is that too rich for a dog?

Are there any better options for cats and dogs?

[Sherry]

If you're going to feed a kibble, that's certainly one of the best on the market(if not THE best). Problem will be if they free feed. If it's anything like Evo was, much over the recommended amount can cause a LOT of weight gain, depending on how much fat is in it.
If they free feed, they'll still need to get the cat's used to certain meal times first.

[Deleted]

The Wysong Epigen 90 is way to pricey for their budget, so the Wysong Epigen Original formula is the only option. Is it still a good choice?

I will talk about getting them on meal times. How does that work with cats? 2 meals a day? let them eat a certain amount of food then remove it?