BARF Diet, anyone tried it? (for fur-kids)

[andiesenji]

When I had big dogs (Great Danes) i used to buy turkey necks and backs from a processing plant not far from my home.  I pressure cooked them in my big pressure canner until the bones were almost like mush.  I mixed it with rice, carrots and other stuff to make a complete diet. 
I also pressure cooked big beef bones until they were at the point where they wouldn't splinter.  I would stab the thickest part with an ice pick and if it penetrated easily, they were safe. 
I also lived near a dairy processing plant and would go to the plant to buy cottage cheese in big containers that was the "clean-out" run between different batches of cottage cheese in the packaging machinery.  The dogs didn't care if some of it contained pineapple or chives, etc.  It's now unusual to see the flavored cottage cheeses  but once they were common. 
That was back in the late '60s and 70s when I was much, much younger. 

People keep telling me that wild dogs eat raw animals all the time without problems and do very well on the diet.
Well, I have seen a lot of coyotes out here that don't look all that healthy and don't live all that long.  Most of my basenjis have lived well past fifteen years and were active and healthy.  I had one that lived to 18+.

[meganjane]

I agree, andie. My little Jack Russell was 16 when I finally put her down. Her teeth were perfect and she was happy and healthy until the last few months of her life when she got too tottery and wouldn't eat.

She lived on people food, cat food and cat bickies.

[miss thermo]

I'm doing a version of my own barf for my big dog because i don't agree with some of the ingredients in the bought barf (our little one wont touch it)..
cos big dog is still growing at a very rapid rate i give him a very high quality dry food(sent over from the eastern states)  for his brekky, sometimes mixed with some natural yogurt and or sardines and the occasional egg. I'm quite strict with what i give my big boy, i want him to last me a very long time....
his evening meal is mostly offal, necks, sardines, 3-4 carrots, 3-4 pears (cores removed), use to use rice but will change to oats...
vet told me lamb, roo (all the meats u cant get in the shop) and sweet potato are best for allergy dogs... all mushed up in the thermo, it doesn't take any where near as long as it use to.... i usually make enough for a few weeks at a time....
everytime the vet sees my dog he comments on how well he looks.
i might pay closer attention to the correct ratio of meat vs veg next time i do it tho

[meganjane]

I ran out of meaty bones last night and gave Rambo some canned food. He normally won't eat it, so I mixed in some roasted balsamic vegies that I'd cooked for tea. He scoffed it!!

[Leicesters4]

I feed my dogs on raw chicken mince and whatever vegies I have left over zapped in the TMX.  They love it and I have to admit it certainly cuts down on the cleaning up.  If you think of it really dogs dont get there food cooked in the wild.  I do sometimes give them biscuits as well but mostly the raw chicken mince.  Biscuits become like red cordial to kids