What do people think of the barf diet and is it really so cheap to feed? I've heard of one person  feeding 3 malamutes for £5 per month all in!!  I tend to feed complete, probably because of work commitments and its easier, but would be interested in knowing more about BARF as its supposed to be better for the dog, and what would i feed a shepherd sized dog?  I'm also guilty of adding some mince to complete food, if i stick to conventional, what about biscuits and meat and would this give all the nutrients required?

Hello Guest. 

Feeding raw is similar to commercial it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be! :D

A lot depends on your individual situation and if you buy in bulk or not.

FWIW a group of us buy a huge amount each month from a wholesaler which further reduces the price and the other week I bought 70lbs of chicken wings and carcases for £21.  This would last my Weimaraner and GSD puppy around a month, however that is not their total diet.

I buy green tripe at PAH and then all of their other meat comes either from the abbattoir or from someone who has their beasts knackered (so I get free lungs, liver etc) or short dated stock at end of day at supermarket.

Bones are free from Butcher, and veggies and fruit can also be next to nothing.

Amounts vary not only by breed but by sex, age, temperament, activity and time of year.  EG my Weim gets 2 chicken wings per meal, my GSD pup gets 8, both are fed twice per day.

If you are feeding a "complete" dry or wet food then that is what it is designed to be, complete.  Other wet foods are designed to be given with the appropriate biscuit etc.

HTH

>Bones are free from Butcher

Not necessarily ...my butcher charges for them

I have 3 Malamutes and it costs me more than that :D They must be lucky enough to have *friends* in the trade ;)

That would probably be me - I always tell people I can feed my three for a fiver a month :D

Nope - not friends in the trade - just lucky to live by a chicken factory and decent butcher.

I get all my carcasses and chicken wings, backs, necks for nothing as I do with my trotters, lamb bones, offal and tripe.

I do have to pay for fruit and veg and fish but always buy from Lidl as its soooo cheap :)

Shop around - ring some suppliers - Halal places are particularly good. It's well worth looking around. Some people were even willing to sponsor my dogs if I put their company on my rig for the working rallies - more food for free :)