[Ellen D]

That’s a great price! I have two co-ops that have delivery drop offs near me in SE Michigan. One of them only does bulk (cases of 40 pounds), and the other one will do individual tubs/containers. I don’t have a chest freezer yet so I have only ordered from the second one. I haven’t done a ton of shopping around yet – only started raw feeding about 6 weeks ago. Between what I ordered and finding a special on whole chickens for $.40/lb, I think I’ve probably spent about $120 for that 6 weeks for my one 35 lb puppy. Granted, I got a little eager and ordered some fancy proteins – llama, beaver, and emu which inflated that price a bit but I got so excited about them lol.

Once I get my chest freezer, which will be free as a gift from a friend who is upgrading hers, I can order from the better priced co-op, and I think it will work out to be about $80/month if I want to really rotate in a variety of proteins (venison, duck, quail, rabbit), or I could get as low as about $60/month if I stuck to just beef, chicken, and turkey. This is just calculating pure pre-ground raw (which are whole animals with meat, bones, organs, some I have to add organs). The 40 cents a pound chickens seem to be a common deal around here, so if I stock up on those when I find them I could cut that even lower. I broke down the chickens and feed them as whole bony pieces, so no cost for a meat grinder. I have a local middle eastern/halal market that sells me goat liver and kidney at 29 cents a pound, and that’s such a minor cost that I haven’t counted that in the totals. They also throw in free duck and chicken feet for me whenever I go in there.

I set my budget at $100/month when I first got my puppy 9-10 weeks ago, and I was definitely spending that and then some in the first few weeks when I was feeding kibble and cans.

[Ellen D]

I emailed Allprovide with some questions, and they sent me a free trial of the food for my puppy. He liked it, and it compared in appearance and texture to the other premade raw foods I’ve tried (or my dog has tried lol) – like Darwin’s, Bravo, etc. My very picky dog liked it. I was happy with the customer service, packaging, and responsiveness of the company. I would most definitely have ordered more to feed full time if I hadn’t decided to go homemade.

[Ellen D]

I think this is the latest list.
Large breed puppy food list

[Ellen D]

InkedMarie – thanks for the suggestion. I have done some investigating into the company, and while I have good friends who feed BRB products to the dogs they breed (and are very pleased with the product), I am still on the fence about it. I was really just using it as an example. I am most likely going to order from My Pet Carnivore, since I can literally see one of their dropoff locations from my living room window. Very convenient. I’m just asking about how much I have to worry about the calcium/phosphorus if I’m using meat ground with bones and organs all together. I don’t want to ruin his joints.

[Ellen D]

I’m hoping there is a simple answer to this question. I have a very picky 15 week old labradoodle puppy. Right now, the only foods he will eat are Darwin’s raw beef recipe and my homemade food (following the Ottowa Valley Dog Whisperer recipe).

I’d like to get into 100% homemade, but I don’t have a meat grinder currently and would like to be sure of everything before I invest in one. I also don’t always have the time to sit and watch him eat his bones, so I’d like to have ground options for times when he doesn’t have my 100% undivided attention.

So, if I order chubs of pre-ground meats (such as Blue Ridge Beef, etc.) that has the correct ratio of meat to bone to organs, and mix that with my own fruit/vegetable and supplement blend (assuming I offer the correct supplements at correct dosages and add no additional calcium), then the inclusion of the ground bone should provide for the appropriate levels of calcium and phosphorus in the correct ratios, yes?

Last question – does any one have experience with Allprovide premade raw food? It looks to me like the puppy mix ha the appropriate ca:phosphorus ratio and has quality ingredients. It has 2.33g of calcium and 2.09g of phosphorus per 1,000kcal.

[Ellen D]

I spent a bunch of money on nice canned food for my pup (I ordered 4 cases), and he won’t eat it. So if you do go that route, I’d say buy one or two cans first! My puppy ate it fine for about a week and then decided he had better things to do and now won’t touch any canned food – unless it is the cat’s food, and then he tries to break down the gate to get to it.

[Ellen D]

I have a SUPER picky puppy, and he will eat anything if I pour a couple tablespoons of this stuff on it: Honest Kitchen Pro Bloom

I did search around for a brand of food he would eat without it since he goes to doggy day care a couple days a week, and they won’t add anything to his food. But he really likes the Pro Bloom, it’s good for him, and it’s helping me use up the leftover kibble from the bags he didn’t really like.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Ellen D.

[Ellen D]

My labradoodle puppy is SuPeR fussy. I’ve started him on a raw diet this week, and he will FINally eat without a battle, but I went through a bunch of different kibble brands because he still needs kibble for lunch at doggy day care. I know all dogs have different tastes, but the one kind I found that he will eat without acting like I’m offering him marbles to eat is Fromm Beef Frittata Veg. Maybe that will work for your lab! It’s one on the list as being suitable for a large breed puppy as well.

We went through: Nature’s Instinct Large Puppy (realized had too much calcium and he stopped eating it anyway), Wellness Core Puppy (he ate it ok once and refused after that), Avoderm Revolving Menu Turkey (he will eat it grudgingly), Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit (wouldn’t touch), and Fromm Pacific Ocean Fish Puppy (wouldn’t touch it).

[Ellen D]

Thank you.

So theoretically, if I skip RMB for the days he gets a higher calcium meal for lunch, it should balance out since he’s not getting another calcium source that day? I’m terrified of ruining his joints with my ignorance, especially since his breed is already prone to hip and joint problems. His parents were clear of problems, but I would assume this can be a recessive trait as well.

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