hi ppl,
ive recently switched onto a barf diet for my dog, shes 38kg so she needs roughly 800g a day i think. The only raw food i can source here in northern ireland is prize choice from pets at home. So her daily meals now consist of 600g of the free flow mince rabbit, turkey, chicken and beef. i also add the tripe chunks every other day and 200g of a mixture of veg that i made up and froze, broccoli, cucumber, potato, peas, carrots, spinach, and a little pasta.
ive also tried her with raw chicken wings but shes a little unsure and doesnt seem sure what to do with them. She likes lamb ribs and gets them once a week, she also has sardines twice a week.
im just wondering if her diet is varied enough or if i should be adding something else??
tonight ive bought 3 books on the subject lol so ill plenty to read through in the near future. Any hints, tips, info is greatly appreciated.
one last thing, should all the veg be fed raw? what about potato and their peelings?

Right, broccoli, white potato, cucumber and spinach you should be a bit carefull with. Broccoli should only be given once a week, because it has alkaloids in it, it could cause stomach cramps, same with cucumber peel [cucumber itself doesn't have much nutritional value just water].
Raw white potato again is high in alkaloids, I for example don't give any.
Spinach should be slightly steamed and fed with a dairy product because of the nitrate content.
Here's a list of fruit and veg that are suitable to feed http://www.romanyblues.de/fruitandveg.html
And yes, if you feed a proper raw diet, all veg should be raw. I would also drop the pasta, no need.
You'll soon get the hang of it ;)

This might help

Quantities

For adults approximately 2 - 3% of their bodyweight per day. Calculate this by multiplying 2/3 by your dog's weight and dividing it by 100.

Eg 2 x 30/100 = 600g, 3 x 30/100 = 900g.

For puppies feed circa 10% of their present bodyweight or 2-3% of their projected adult weight per day.

However be guided by your hand and eye; if the dog is looking a little too ribby up the amount and reduce if the dog is looking a little too well padded! Dogs will vary on their requirements depending on age, sex, activity level, temperament and time of year etc.

Frequency

Adult dogs should be fed twice a day for the following reasons:
*  To minimise the risk of Bloat/GDV
*  To avoid blood sugar fluctuations

Meats

Lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, pork, venison, duck, hare, and/or anything you can get your hands on; some dogs regularly chow down on more exotic species.

Dogs require the correct calcium: phosphorus ratio and so it is essential to feed raw meaty bones (RMBs) as well as muscle meat.

Offal such as hearts, lungs, kidneys, tripe, liver is also essential

Fish

Oily fish such as pilchards, mackerel, sardines, etc provide a good source of Omega 3; if it is difficult to obtain fresh, then tinned makes a good substitute.  Tuna may contain high levels of mercury and is a less valuable source of Omega 3.

Vegetables

Onions must not be fed to dogs in any form as they can cause haemolytic anaemia which can be fatal. Avocados contain persin which can produce problems in some animals.

All other vegetables may be fed however, for a dog to get any nutritional benefit from vegetables, they must either be pulped or frozen, otherwise they go out the way they went in and can only be used as source of fibre.

Oxalic acid can interfere with calcium absorption; so don't feed too much of Spinach or Chard.

Care should also be taken not to overfeed vegetables from the cruciferous family eg cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, swedes, turnips and broccoli to dogs as this may inhibit thyroid function.

Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and aubergines all belong to the nightshade family of plants. Dogs who have arthritis may be sensitive to these foods which may exacerbate their condition.  It is doubtful if raw potato can be digested successfully in any case.

Garlic is a useful addition to the diet as it performs an antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal function.

Fruit

All except grapes (and raisins) which can cause kidney failure and death in even very small amounts.  Bananas are an excellent source of pre-biotics essential for gut health.

Bear in mind fruit and/or vegetables should not make up more than 10% of diet and can have a laxative effect!

Vegetables and fruit provide many phytonutrients not available from animal sources some of which we as yet do not understand but some of which are thought to have health benefits such a carotenoids, lycopene, flavonoids, indoles, sulforaphanes, anthcyanins, sterols, elegiac acid and lignans

Kelp (seaweed) and alfalfa (lucerne) are examples of green supplements which provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and neutraceuticals.

Dairy

No animal post weaning consumes milk bar humans however live yoghurt can be very useful for poorly stomachs because of its probiotic content provided that dogs are not intolerant to lactose (milk sugar) and casein (milk protein).  As puppies leave their dams equipped with a full set of teeth bones are a more appropriate source of calcium.

Eggs can be given raw each day, the shells are good sources of calcium but only when powdered, otherwise they merely provide roughage. 

Grains/cereals

There is no proven need for carbohydrates in the dog's diet and of course these need to be cooked before they can be successfully digested by the canine.

Books (in order of simplicity/accessibility)

*  Switching to Raw by Sue Johnson
*  Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schulze CCN
*  Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD
*  The Barf Diet by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
*  Give your Dog a Bone by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
*  Grow your pups with Bones by Ian Billingshurst B.V.Sc (Hons)
*  Work Wonders by Tom Lonsdale (vet)
*  Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale (vet)

Websites - Britbarf, K9nutrition yahoo groups the first is UK the second is an excellent US site run by Lew Olson,

Fab stuff. Just be a bit carefull with garlic. Too much of it can cause anemia.

As FF says, ANYTHING can be toxic in excess.;)

Rough guide:

Teeny pups, weeny dogs better off without any

20 - 25 lb dogs 1/8 clove
25 - 50lb dogs 1/4 clove
50 - 75lb dogs 3/4 clove
100lb + dogs 1 clove