[Part 2: House Plants & Flowers coming soon]
There are a lot of foods, plants, and other substances that are toxic to dogs. Some cause a little tummy upset and some can kill. It's really important to know what, and how much, of a substance can cause harm or kill your dog. I'll go over tobacco and caffeine but I'm skipping the obvious substances like bleach, antifreeze, medications, drugs, and alcohol. As you would with toddlers and children, always keep chemicals and substances like that out of reach of your pets. Only give them approved and acceptable medications. Many medications people use are fine for pets such as children's Benadryl and Imodium in appropriate doses. Plastic bottles containing chemicals can be super fun to chew on and some owners let their dogs chew plastic water bottles, which is not something I'm personally a fan of as sharp bits of plastic are easily swallowed and sharp edges can cut their tongue and gums. Some dogs figure out how to open cabinets under the sink that contain cleaning or beauty products or medications that could make them very sick or kill them. If you have an exceptionally curious and nosy dog then consider putting child locks on your cabinets or other areas your dog breaks into that contain dangerous chemicals. Or put the chemicals somewhere else. Manage your environment as needed to prevent any accidents.
Listed under each substance is the effect of the substance, why it causes a reaction, and the typical amount of the substance needed to cause a reaction. The list is alphabetical. If you're looking for something specific hit Ctrl+F on your keyboard (the Find feature) and type in the name of the substance.
The first items are grouped as all sources contain amgydalin (Vitamin B17) which is a cyanide compound.
Please feel free to copy any/all parts to share.
Food, Plants, and Other Substances Toxic to Dogs
Apple (crabapple), alfalfa, apricot, bamboo, beans (fava, garbanzo, lentils, lima, mung), berries (boysenberry, currant, elderberry, gooseberry, huckleberry, loganberry, mulberry, quince, raspberry), buckwheat, cassava, cherry (chokecherry, cherry laurel, pincherry, wild black cherry, etc), cranberry (Swedish/Lignon), elderberry, eucalyptus, flax, nectarine, millet, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, prune, squash, wild blackberry (domestic is ok): Pits, leaves, and other parts of the plant.
Effect: Rapid or difficulty breathing, swollen and irritated mouth and gums,
tachycardia, dilated pupils, inadequate oxygen levels, shock, coma,
seizures, and death.
Because: Cyanogenic Glycosides called amgydalin (Vitamin B17) which is a cyanide compound. Cyanide inhibits cytochrome oxidase, an enzyme necessary for cellular
oxygen transport, preventing appropriate oxygen uptake by cells.All sources listed have medium to high levels.
Dose
to cause reaction: Varies by fruit. Some fruits are higher in amygdalin than others. In general it takes large quantities of seeds and most seeds have a hard shell preventing the amygdalin inside to be absorbed. It can take hundreds of seeds of one type of fruit, but only a few pits from another type. Death can occur within 3-4 days. Please see this page for more information about foods containing cyanide, and there are more helpful links at the bottom of that page as well.
Almond, macademia nuts: Contains cyanide, see above.
Avocado: The fruit, pit, and plant itself.
Effect: Difficulty breathing, fluid in chest and around heart. In lactating animals, mastitis occurs within 24 hr of exposure to avocado, accompanied by a 75% decrease in milk production.
Because: Persin, a fatty acid derivative. The Guatemalan variety appears to be the most problematic.
Dose to cause reaction: Purified persin at 60-100 mg/kg causes mastitis in
lactating mice and doses >100 mg/kg result in myocardial necrosis.
Goats develop severe mastitis when ingesting 20 g of leaves/kg, whereas
30 g of leaves/kg results in cardiac injury. Acute cardiac failure
developed in sheep fed avocado leaves at 25 g/kg for 5 days; 5.5 g/kg of
leaves fed for 21 days or 2.5 g/kg for 32 days caused chronic cardiac
insufficiency. Budgerigars fed 1 g of avocado fruit developed agitation
and
feather pulling, while 8.7 g of mashed avocado fruit
resulted in death within 48 hr.
Broccoli: Florets and stems. Broccoli is NOT technically toxic to dogs.
Effect: Causes severe gastrointestinal irritation resulting in bad gas.
Because: Isothiocyanate causes the irritation.
Dose to cause reaction: Great than 5% of dog's diet.
Caffeine (Coffee, Tea, Caffeinated or Sugary Drinks (Soda), Certain Medications): The higher the caffeine, the worse it is.
Effect: Similar to the effects of chocolate (see below).
Because: Caffeine is a chemical stimulant that dogs are unable to metabolize
effectively. As a result, it is very damaging to the dog's central
nervous system.
Dose to cause reaction: As a guideline, the lethal dose is considered to be around 70 mg per 1 lb body weight (150 mg / kg body weight). Instant coffee contains over 60 mg caffeine per teaspoon. The lethal dose of caffeine for a 15 lb dog would be 17 teaspoons of
instant coffee. Stronger coffees such as Turkish coffee, percolated
coffees, and energy drinks would take much less to become toxic.
Chocolate: The darker the chocolate, the worse it is. Baker's chocolate is most dangerous form, however pure cocoa is extremely deadly as only 3oz can kill a 50 lb dog and only 1oz is needed to kill a 17 lb dog.
Effect: Seizures, coma, hyperactivity, tachycardia, heart attack, tremors, death. Early signs of include nausea and
vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased
urination or incontinence.
Because: Theobromine, which is similar to caffeine (see Caffeine abpve).
Dose to cause reaction: Please see The Chocolate Chart
provided by National Geographic. This chart allows you to see how much
of certain types of chocolate may harm a pet of a certain weight.
Grapes, Raisins: Any type of grape or raisin, both with and without seeds and including winery grapes.
Effect:
Kidney failure within 1-3 days including dehydration, abdominal pain,
and tremors or seizures. After consumption there may be severe vomiting
and diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, lethargy, weakness,
decreased appetite.
Because: Unknown, possibly a mycotoxin (substance produced by fungus or mold).
Dose
to cause reaction: 9 oz to 2 lbs of
grapes and raisins (between .041 and 1.1 oz/kg of body weight).
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the estimated toxic dose of
grapes is 32 grams of grapes per kilogram of body weight (0.5 ounces per
pound) and for raisins it is 11-30 g/kg (0.18 to 0.48 oz/lb).
Milk: Milk-based dairy products. These are NOT technically toxic to dogs.
Effect: Diarrhea, vomiting, gas.
Because: Lactose. Dogs do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks
down lactose in milk). After weaning, the level of lactase activity falls to about 10%
of its peak activity. Cow and goat milk contains 4.5% to 5% lactose, compared to 3.1% in dog’s
milk and 4.2% in cat’s milk. The high level of lactose in cow's milk
can overpower a dog or cat's ability to digest it.
Dose to cause reaction: Varies by dog and by product.
-Ice cream has 12g per cup
-Whole milk and skim milk have 11g per cup
-Sour cream has 8g per cup
-Cottage cheese has 6g per cup
-Yogurt has 5g per cup
-American and Swiss cheese have 1g per oz; cheddar cheese has less than 1g per oz.
Mushrooms: Entire plant; not all are toxic. Most common toxic mushrooms are Inocybe spp. and
Clitocybe spp. The death cap (Amanita phalloides) is most severe.
Effect: Acute gastric effects, liver and kidney damage leading to jaundice and bleeding disorders, abdominal pain and colic-like symptoms, nausea, salivation and teary eyes, vomiting, small constricted pupils, lethargy, depression. Also hallucinogenic syndrome: Mushrooms that cause this syndrome
are known as magic mushrooms, blue legs or liberty caps. Dogs who are hallucinating frequently snap at
invisible flies, may be extremely depressed, stagger when
walking and become comatose. Muscle tremors and seizures also
occur. Dogs who ingest hallucinogenic mushrooms always require
rapid decontamination and monitoring by a veterinarian.
Because: Various. Refer to this toxicology brief, "Mushroom poisoning in dogs."
Dose to cause reaction: Varies by mushroom. It is advised to induce vomiting with activated charcoal or hydrogen peroxide. The appropriate dose of hydrogen peroxide is one teaspoon (5 cc or 5mL) per 10 pounds of body weight. Use 3% hydrogen peroxide, not the stronger type used for hair coloring.
Nutmeg: The spice is derived from the seed of a tree. Unknown if tree itself causes reaction but the spice does.
Effect: Tremors, seizures, death, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat. Initial symptoms of arousal often followed by dramatic drowsiness. Hallucinations and delusions possible.
Because: Nutmeg contains myristicin, a compound also found in parsley and dill,
which acts to weakly inhibit an enzyme called monoamine oxidase that
helps to break down certain brain neurotransmitters. Myristicin can
cause personality changes and delusions both directly and through its
effects on monoamine oxidase.
Dose to cause reaction: Unknown. Take into account your dog's size and weight. Just two tablespoons can cause a reaction in a human.
Onion (allium): Leeks, chives, garlic, shallots, scallions, and onions. All 95 species in North America can be toxic to cats and dogs. Reaction can be caused from the plant material, juice,
fresh or aged dietary supplements, powdered cooking preparations, and dehydrated material. May be present in baby food.
Effect: Symptoms often develop over several days and may include depression, jaundice, rapid breathing, tachycardia, anemia, weakness, exercise intolerance, cold
sensitivity, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Red blood cells are destroyed.
Because: Wide variety of organosulfoxides, particularly alk(en)ylcysteine sulfoxides. See this article for a very science-y description.
Dose to cause reaction: As little as 5 g/kg of onions in cats or 15 to 30
g/kg in dogs. Dogs and cats are highly susceptible to onion toxicosis. Toxicosis is consistently noted in animals that
ingest more than 0.5% of their body weight in onions at one time. Dogs with heritable high erythrocyte reduced glutathione and potassium concentrations are more susceptible to the hematologic
effects of onions. This trait is relatively common in Japanese breeds. Garlic in small amounts may be beneficial.
Rhubarb: Leaves only.
Effects: Excessive salivation, vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing, burning throat and mouth, stomach pain, diarrhea, seizures and convulsions, kidney damage including kidney stones, stumbling.
Because: Oxalates. Too much oxalic acid in the urine will result in kidney or bladder stones.
Dose to cause reaction: In rats, 375 mg oxalic acid per kg to cause death.
It will only require a fraction
of that to cause sickness. Rhubarb leaves are about 0.5% oxalic acid.
Beet tops, cabbage, and spinach leaves also contain oxalates, as do potatoes and peas.
Salt: Sodium chloride. Other than table salt, keep in mind other sources such as play dough, rock salt, and paint balls.
Effect:
Vomiting, diarrhea,decreased appetite, lethargy, stumbling, abnormal
fluid accumulation within the body, excessive thirst or urination,
kidney damage, tremors, seizures, brain swelling, coma, elevated
temperature, death.
Because: Sodium ion poisoning caused by the dog being unable to process the salt fast enough.
Dose
to cause reaction: About 1 tsp per kg (per 2.2 lbs) body weight. Dose
of 2-3g of sodium chloride per kg causes toxicosis. 4g/kg is lethal.
(Conversion ratio: 1oz = 28.35g).
-One gram of table salt has 400mg of sodium and 600mg chloride
-One teaspoon of table salt contains over 2,000mg (2g) sodium and 3,000mg (3g) chloride.
Tobacco (Nicotine): Chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco (cut, snuff, pouches), cigars (blunts, cigarillos), cigarettes (kreteks), creamy snuff, dokha, gutka, snuff, snus, topical paste, gum and patches, water, pesticide.
Effect: Tremors,weakness, stumbling, depression, hyperactivity, lethargy, irregular or difficulty breathing, salivation, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, irregular heart beat or bradycardia or tachycardia.
Because: Nicotine, a poisonous alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant.
Dose to cause reaction: 5mg of nicotine per pound of body weight. In dogs, 10 mg/kg is potentially lethal. In other words, a 10-pound dog would only need to eat about 3 cigarettes in order to show toxic signs. See below:
-One cigarette contains 15 to 25mg of nicotine depending on the brand
--The butt of a cigarette can contain from 4 to 8mg depending on the
length of the butt and the content of the original cigarette
-Nicotine patches contain between 8 to 11mg
-Nicotine gum contains approximately 2 to 4mg per piece
-Inhalers contain about 4 mg per puff or 10 mg per cartridge
-Nasal sprays contain approximately 80 to 100mg per bottle or 0.5mg per spray
-A cigar contains approximately 15 to 40mg
-Chewing tobacco contains approximately 6 to 8 mg per gram
-Snuff contains approximately 12 to 17 mg per gram
Yeast dough:
Effect: Drooling, lethargy, stumbling, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lowered body temperature, bloat, death.
Because: Expands and produces gas in the digestive system causing abdominal
pain and possible obstruction or rupture of the stomach or intestine, can ferment sugars creating a secondary problem of ethanol (alcohol) poisoning.
Dose to cause reaction: A pingpong sized ball can easily kill a cat or small dog.
Xylitol (artificial sweetener): Sugar-free gum, toothpaste, mouthwash.
Effect: Causes very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can result in vomiting,
weakness, collapse, death. In high doses can cause liver failure.
Because: Causes the rapid release of insulin.
Dose to cause reaction: One stick of gum can severely harm a 20 lb dog.
October 30, 2012
October 22, 2012
Blood Levels of Raw Fed Dogs
Many weeks ago I came across this. It claims there should be different "normal" blood levels for dogs depending on if they are fed raw or a processed food.
This was bothering me for a while when I mentioned it to my friend (check out her blog about her village dog in Africa). She casually mentioned it would be interesting to see what the levels were in wolves. Of course!! The idea of raw feeding is to feed as wild canids would eat, so why not see what their levels are? I started looking online and came across the book "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation" by L. David Mech. The following image is from page 215.
I checked several sources online to find normal dog levels and compared. Guess what? The levels from these wolves, which are wild and eating a raw diet, fall within the normal dog range. Wolves and dogs are different animals but they are close enough. This is not apples and oranges. This is the gray wolf, canis lupus, and the domesticated dog, canis lupus familiaris. The wolf levels fell within normal dog ranges in all but 3 categories where the wolves were ever so slightly above the normal dog range. (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration, and Band neutrophils).
That wolf chart did not include BUN or creatinine, two of the three levels mentioned in the raw feeding study. So once again, let's dig. I pulled this up, the wild wolf levels are outlined in the red box; the normal dog levels are on the right. This is a study apparently done by Champion pet foods so I'm not sure if there could be underlying bias or anything. Just something to keep in mind.
Wolves seem to fall within the normal range, but have a big range when it comes to their BUN and BUN/creatinine ratios. Perhaps due to whatever meal they just ate, or if they haven't eaten recently?
Bottom line I'm getting is that a healthy rawfed dog should not be outside of normal levels and should not have a different standard than dogs fed a processed food. We can assume these wolves are eating a natural diet, as we try to mimic by feeding a raw diet. Therefore, since the wolves fall within normal ranges (which are the ranges for dogs fed a processed diet), so should raw fed dogs.
I was curious to see how my own dogs were doing. We went to the vet last week. Kaytu has never been to the vet since I've had her and we adopted her just over a year ago. Never a reason to go! I do want to make sure the raw diet is working well and there are no signs of underlying problems so now that Kaytu has been raw fed for a year, and Denali for 2 years, I thought it was time to have some tests done. I took them in for blood tests, fecal test, and also did parvo and distemper titer testing.
Note that we walked to the vet, which was 1.3 miles. The dogs had eaten about 1:00am right before we went to bed in attempt to give them full bellies and make some poop for a stool sample in the morning (which they didn't poop anyway of course) and the appointment was at 9:30am. It's commonly recommended to fast the dog for 12 hours before blood tests or thyroid testing, which I didn't know until looking for more information this afternoon. Oh well, now I know! If only vets would tell us these things.
Kaytu first. There are two tests.
First, feel free to laugh at the comment saying Science Diet is a high quality food. We sure did. He is right though that raw meat alone is not a balanced diet. There has to be organ and bone too!
On the first test, the BUN/Creatinine ratio is slightly high. Her ratio is 32, and normal is 4-27. The ratio can be high if the dog has eaten within 12 hours of blood being drawn, which she had.
On the second one, Neutrophils are a bit low. Her level is 49, and normal is 60-77. According to this site, these are the primary white blood cells responsible for fighting infections. High levels of neutrophils indicate infection. Low levels can indicate sepsis, an illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria or other germs. Her level of 49 is not low enough to be concerned. Read more about neutrophils here.
Her Lymphocytes are barely high at 36, with normal being 12-30. These white blood cells are also responsible for fighting infection and also develop antibodies to protect the body against future attacks. High levels of lymphocytes can indicate infection, viral disease or certain cancers. Again, 36 is not high enough for concern. Read more about lymphocytes here.
Denali's turn! Same two tests.
Her first test was all normal. On the second, she also had low neutrophils (50) and high lymphocytes (38) which are very similar to Kaytu's levels of 49 and 36 respectively.
Denali also had low Monocytes at 2, with normal being 3-10. This doesn't really seem to mean anything. This white blood cell helps the neutrophils fight infections. High monocyte counts indicate infection. It is unlikely that there will be no monocytes and a differential with zero monocytes does not indicate any specific ailment. Read more here.
Both had normal sodium levels, fecal tests were negative which is good and means they did not see any parasites or other nasties, and both dogs had titer levels greater than 1:5 indicating immune response to vaccines (meaning they don't need boosters).
Healthy dogs!
It is commonly thought that a different set of “normal” values should be developed for raw fed dogs. These slightly higher blood values are to be expected simply because these indicators are a measure of protein breakdown/metabolism and raw fed dogs receive a higher percentage of readily digestible and balanced animal protein in their diets. It may be valuable for your pet to have successive laboratory results from previous years in order to determine what is normal for your dog.This claim is based on a study of 200 dogs fed a raw diet and points out 3 differences. Hematocrit, BUN, and creatinine. Unfortunately the link to the study itself doesn't work anymore and I can't seem to find it elsewhere. But something seemed wrong to me. Why would there be a difference in these 3 levels? Normal is normal for a reason, right? If the dog has eaten recently then it could cause elevated or reduced levels for a short time I suppose but to have a different normal level didn't make sense to me. I was doubting that there should be a difference, but thought maybe I just didn't know enough about it (which is true as well, I knew nothing at all about blood levels before I started looking into this). For example hematocrit basically, from my understanding, measures the volume of red blood cells and thereby the viscosity of the blood. Higher hematocrit = thicker blood = harder on the dog's heart as it has to work harder to pump thicker blood. So if it's higher in raw fed dogs, is that really ok? I dug around online and found a forum and where owners had been posting the blood level reports from their raw fed dogs. Despite the findings in the study raw fed dogs were falling within normal ranges or barely outside them in some cases, which is still ok. Kibble fed dogs can fall just outside normal ranges too.
This was bothering me for a while when I mentioned it to my friend (check out her blog about her village dog in Africa). She casually mentioned it would be interesting to see what the levels were in wolves. Of course!! The idea of raw feeding is to feed as wild canids would eat, so why not see what their levels are? I started looking online and came across the book "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation" by L. David Mech. The following image is from page 215.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
I checked several sources online to find normal dog levels and compared. Guess what? The levels from these wolves, which are wild and eating a raw diet, fall within the normal dog range. Wolves and dogs are different animals but they are close enough. This is not apples and oranges. This is the gray wolf, canis lupus, and the domesticated dog, canis lupus familiaris. The wolf levels fell within normal dog ranges in all but 3 categories where the wolves were ever so slightly above the normal dog range. (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration, and Band neutrophils).
That wolf chart did not include BUN or creatinine, two of the three levels mentioned in the raw feeding study. So once again, let's dig. I pulled this up, the wild wolf levels are outlined in the red box; the normal dog levels are on the right. This is a study apparently done by Champion pet foods so I'm not sure if there could be underlying bias or anything. Just something to keep in mind.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Wolves seem to fall within the normal range, but have a big range when it comes to their BUN and BUN/creatinine ratios. Perhaps due to whatever meal they just ate, or if they haven't eaten recently?
Bottom line I'm getting is that a healthy rawfed dog should not be outside of normal levels and should not have a different standard than dogs fed a processed food. We can assume these wolves are eating a natural diet, as we try to mimic by feeding a raw diet. Therefore, since the wolves fall within normal ranges (which are the ranges for dogs fed a processed diet), so should raw fed dogs.
I was curious to see how my own dogs were doing. We went to the vet last week. Kaytu has never been to the vet since I've had her and we adopted her just over a year ago. Never a reason to go! I do want to make sure the raw diet is working well and there are no signs of underlying problems so now that Kaytu has been raw fed for a year, and Denali for 2 years, I thought it was time to have some tests done. I took them in for blood tests, fecal test, and also did parvo and distemper titer testing.
Note that we walked to the vet, which was 1.3 miles. The dogs had eaten about 1:00am right before we went to bed in attempt to give them full bellies and make some poop for a stool sample in the morning (which they didn't poop anyway of course) and the appointment was at 9:30am. It's commonly recommended to fast the dog for 12 hours before blood tests or thyroid testing, which I didn't know until looking for more information this afternoon. Oh well, now I know! If only vets would tell us these things.
Kaytu first. There are two tests.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
 | |
|
On the first test, the BUN/Creatinine ratio is slightly high. Her ratio is 32, and normal is 4-27. The ratio can be high if the dog has eaten within 12 hours of blood being drawn, which she had.
On the second one, Neutrophils are a bit low. Her level is 49, and normal is 60-77. According to this site, these are the primary white blood cells responsible for fighting infections. High levels of neutrophils indicate infection. Low levels can indicate sepsis, an illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria or other germs. Her level of 49 is not low enough to be concerned. Read more about neutrophils here.
Her Lymphocytes are barely high at 36, with normal being 12-30. These white blood cells are also responsible for fighting infection and also develop antibodies to protect the body against future attacks. High levels of lymphocytes can indicate infection, viral disease or certain cancers. Again, 36 is not high enough for concern. Read more about lymphocytes here.
Denali's turn! Same two tests.
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| Click to enlarge |
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| Click to enlarge |
Denali also had low Monocytes at 2, with normal being 3-10. This doesn't really seem to mean anything. This white blood cell helps the neutrophils fight infections. High monocyte counts indicate infection. It is unlikely that there will be no monocytes and a differential with zero monocytes does not indicate any specific ailment. Read more here.
Both had normal sodium levels, fecal tests were negative which is good and means they did not see any parasites or other nasties, and both dogs had titer levels greater than 1:5 indicating immune response to vaccines (meaning they don't need boosters).
Healthy dogs!
October 21, 2012
Is That A Wolf?!
One of the first things that draws your eyes to a Siberian husky is the wolf-like appearance. The same is true of malamutes and a few other wolfy looking breeds. I regularly have people ask me if Denali and Kaytu are wolves or wolfdogs (or incorrectly, "wolf hybrids"). I grin and politely inform them that no, they are huskies.
So what are the physical differences? How can you tell just by looking at one?
Here is Denali, a Siberian husky.
These are grey wolves.
There is no mistaking a wolf.
Wolves have a longer muzzle with less of a stop (angle between muzzle and forehead). Wolves have larger heads and teeth compared to body size. Their eyes are almost always yellow, but may be amber or brown. They also have round and very fuzzy ears, enormous feet, a narrower chest, and a tail that never curls among other other differences.
Also, wolves are huge! This is a wolfdog, about 98% wolf.
Here is an excellent example of feet. Both these are wolfdogs. The female on the left has dainty dog-like feet. The male on the right has huge feet that are much more wolf-like.
Wolves also have something different about their fur. This is a lowcontent wolfdog but exhibits this wolf trait well. They grow a ton of it in the winter:
and then lose it all in the summer! Anyone with a double coated breed knows how different their dog can look in short summer coat or fluffy thick winter coat but rarely can it compare to the change that happens in wolves.
Wolves also walk in a nearly straight line. This is a mid-content wolfdog that has a wolf-like walk. Dogs do not walk like this.
See the differences? Dogs are not wolves. They are closely related and share a common ancestor but they are not the same.
Wolfdogs can look very wolfy or hardly like a wolf at all depending on how much wolf content there is.You never know which wolf traits or dog traits may be inherited. Physical appearances are just the tip of the iceberg.
Wolf behavior is very, very different than dog behavior. There are too many differences to list in a short blog post and I wanted to focus on the physical differences. But I will mention one of the aspects I find most fascinating, and that is how dogs and wolves respond to people. Dogs seem to read our faces, whereas wolves don't. Using technology to track eye movements it was discovered that dogs examine our faces in a way that is similar to (though not as elaborate as) how people examine each others' faces. As explained on Dogs Decoded, when humans looks at pictures of the faces of other humans we look at the left side of their face first. When dogs look at pictures of objects or other dogs' faces they randomly look left or right, however when shown a picture of a human face they look left first. Could it be they are reading our emotions?
Dogs also interpret our gestures. The narrator of Dogs Decoded explains. "Cognitive psychologist Juliane Kaminski compares chimps with dogs, in a series of revealing experiments. At Leipzig Zoo, Kaminski is testing chimps to see if they can understand human gestures, like pointing, to find a hidden treat. As simple as it seems to us, even our nearest primate relatives fail the task miserably." For example, there may be two bowls a few feet apart. A treat is placed under one, and that bowl is pointed to. In this way it can be observed if the animal understands the association between following the gesture and the treat. The primates seem to make a choice before the gesture is even given. Dogs on the other hand quickly learn to follow where you are pointing. Dogs are so tuned into us that they will even follow our gaze. And wolves? "Unlike dogs, the wolf cubs do not respond to pointing. In fact, they hardly make eye contact with humans at all."
So what are the physical differences? How can you tell just by looking at one?
Here is Denali, a Siberian husky.
These are grey wolves.
There is no mistaking a wolf.
Wolves have a longer muzzle with less of a stop (angle between muzzle and forehead). Wolves have larger heads and teeth compared to body size. Their eyes are almost always yellow, but may be amber or brown. They also have round and very fuzzy ears, enormous feet, a narrower chest, and a tail that never curls among other other differences.
Also, wolves are huge! This is a wolfdog, about 98% wolf.
 |
| Cindy's Wolf Dogs |
Here is an excellent example of feet. Both these are wolfdogs. The female on the left has dainty dog-like feet. The male on the right has huge feet that are much more wolf-like.
 |
| www.hoofandhowl.com/dogs.html |
and then lose it all in the summer! Anyone with a double coated breed knows how different their dog can look in short summer coat or fluffy thick winter coat but rarely can it compare to the change that happens in wolves.
Wolves also walk in a nearly straight line. This is a mid-content wolfdog that has a wolf-like walk. Dogs do not walk like this.
See the differences? Dogs are not wolves. They are closely related and share a common ancestor but they are not the same.
Wolfdogs can look very wolfy or hardly like a wolf at all depending on how much wolf content there is.You never know which wolf traits or dog traits may be inherited. Physical appearances are just the tip of the iceberg.
Wolf behavior is very, very different than dog behavior. There are too many differences to list in a short blog post and I wanted to focus on the physical differences. But I will mention one of the aspects I find most fascinating, and that is how dogs and wolves respond to people. Dogs seem to read our faces, whereas wolves don't. Using technology to track eye movements it was discovered that dogs examine our faces in a way that is similar to (though not as elaborate as) how people examine each others' faces. As explained on Dogs Decoded, when humans looks at pictures of the faces of other humans we look at the left side of their face first. When dogs look at pictures of objects or other dogs' faces they randomly look left or right, however when shown a picture of a human face they look left first. Could it be they are reading our emotions?
Dogs also interpret our gestures. The narrator of Dogs Decoded explains. "Cognitive psychologist Juliane Kaminski compares chimps with dogs, in a series of revealing experiments. At Leipzig Zoo, Kaminski is testing chimps to see if they can understand human gestures, like pointing, to find a hidden treat. As simple as it seems to us, even our nearest primate relatives fail the task miserably." For example, there may be two bowls a few feet apart. A treat is placed under one, and that bowl is pointed to. In this way it can be observed if the animal understands the association between following the gesture and the treat. The primates seem to make a choice before the gesture is even given. Dogs on the other hand quickly learn to follow where you are pointing. Dogs are so tuned into us that they will even follow our gaze. And wolves? "Unlike dogs, the wolf cubs do not respond to pointing. In fact, they hardly make eye contact with humans at all."
October 17, 2012
Weight
How can you tell if your dog or cat is the right weight? Both dogs and cats have the same basic guidelines but there are exceptions.
For most dogs and cats you should be able to feel but not see their ribs. They should have a tummy tuck when viewed from the side, and when viewed from above their sides should tuck in between their last rib and hips. Depending on breed, you may or may not be able to see the dog's spine and hips.
This chart is a great guideline but it's a guideline and your pet's breed and structure need to be taken into account. Some breeds will not adhere to this and their healthy weight may be seen by this chart as being overweight or underweight.
For most pets it's easy enough to tell but it can be problematic for pets with longer fur or very thick fur as you would never be able to see their ribs even if they were emaciated skeletons, and judging how much of a tummy tuck and how much their sides tuck in can also be challenging. When you feel their ribs through all the fur you should be able to feel the space between the ribs but they should not be prominent for most breeds. Often the easiest way is to check while giving your dog or cat a bath. With their fur soaked and flattened down you're better able to see their shape. Here is a great example of how different a fluffy dog can look when wet.
My own dog, Denali, is a Siberian husky and her thick fur hides her ribs. When she's wet I can make sure she's not too thin or too filled
out.
For cats, many have loose skin on their belly that hangs down. This is ok if it is mostly loose skin and is not firm and full of fat. My cat Zebulon has a pooch that is a little fatty, but is mostly just loose skin. It is not firm. You can tell that he is slightly overweight though.
There are big exceptions for some breeds, notably sight hounds. A sight hound, such as a greyhound, afghan hound, or saluki, are built in such a way that it is normal for their skeletal structure to be a bit more visible. They are meant to be lightweight dogs, fast as lightning, for surviving in harsher climates and hunting extremely fast game such as gazelle. They have very deep chests which often makes their ribs more prominent. Their spine and hips may also be visible. This is not an excuse to have an emaciated dog and each dog will vary. There is a clear difference between a sighthound at an appropriate weight that has a more visible structure, and one that is emaciated and unhealthy.
Even sighthounds have their limits. This dog, a Saluki, is emaciated.
For some dogs a heavier build is encouraged especially in the show ring. Labrador Retrievers come to mind. I have heard of labs who, after their show career, lose as much as 20 to 25 lbs.
Ironic as the dogs often preferred for retrieving and doing the job they were bred for, the "field" variety, tend to be kept much lighter. That's not to say the "show" labs couldn't do it, though this gets us into the health concerns with heavier dogs such as hip dysplasia- and the whole fiasco of breeding dogs who are less able to perform their original function due to breeding exaggerated features, but that's a rant for another day.
As with people there are numerous health concerns for overweight pets. It strains their joints, ligaments, bones, and heart. They can get diabetes, arthritis, and hip dysplasia. Dogs with long back like dachshunds and basset hounds can get slipped discs in their backs. Heart disease, high blood pressure, trouble breathing especially when it's hot, decreased liver and immune function, and decreased quality of life and lifespan are all common in overweight and obese pets among other concerns. Likewise, being too skinny can also have serious and severe consequences. We are surrounded by overweight pets and can become desensitized to it, making us think a dog or cat at a proper weight is too thin. Your dog should not look like a sausage with legs and a head. They should have tummy tucks and side tucks, and you should be able to feel their ribs without having to dig for them.
There are many things you can do to keep your pet at a healthy weight, and get them to a healthy weight if they are too heavy or too thin.
-Feed a high quality food.
-Measure their food. Use a measuring cup or weigh their food if they are raw fed, and don't free feed (have food available 24/7). Portion control is one of the most important factors in keeping your pet at a healthy weight. Different foods have different feeding guidelines. For example, my foster dog being fed a low quality corn based food needed 6+ cups a day, but on a high quality food needs just over 2 cups a day. Look at the guideline on the package and adjust as needed.
-Consider the impact of treats, edible chewtoys, and handouts. Treats are often high calorie and with a new dog or when working on new behaviors you may be going through a lot of treats. Use the dog's kibble as treats when you're giving lots of treats, or cut back on their regular food if necessary.
-Exercise! Have your dog play fetch, tug, teach it to jog with you or run with you while you bike, get involved in a sport like flyball, agility, disc dog, dock diving, free style, weight pulling, etc. For cats, play with them. Have them chase and play with feathers, laser pointers, balls, and other toys. Take it easy when exercising an overweight or underweight pet. Start slow, don't have them exercise in the heat, and keep sessions short. As with people, your pet needs to gradually get used to a workout routine and they can injure themselves or push themselves too far.
-Consider your pet may have a medical condition. Their thyroid gland may be affecting their weight. Diabetes or other conditions may be having an effect as well.
Be very careful when having a cat lose weight. As cats process the excess fat stored in their body it can potentially overwhelm their liver. This leads to a potentially fatal form of liver disease called hepatic lipidosis.
If your pet is rapidly gaining or losing weight take it to the vet as soon as possible.
It's a good idea to consult a vet about having your pet on a diet to gain or lose weight before making any changes, but don't buy in to any silly prescription diets. Healthy pets need healthy food!
This chart is a great guideline but it's a guideline and your pet's breed and structure need to be taken into account. Some breeds will not adhere to this and their healthy weight may be seen by this chart as being overweight or underweight.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
For most pets it's easy enough to tell but it can be problematic for pets with longer fur or very thick fur as you would never be able to see their ribs even if they were emaciated skeletons, and judging how much of a tummy tuck and how much their sides tuck in can also be challenging. When you feel their ribs through all the fur you should be able to feel the space between the ribs but they should not be prominent for most breeds. Often the easiest way is to check while giving your dog or cat a bath. With their fur soaked and flattened down you're better able to see their shape. Here is a great example of how different a fluffy dog can look when wet.
 |
| www.linein.org |
 |
| A nice tummy tuck, and no ribs visible. |
 |
| Her sides tuck in between her rib cage and hips. |
For cats, many have loose skin on their belly that hangs down. This is ok if it is mostly loose skin and is not firm and full of fat. My cat Zebulon has a pooch that is a little fatty, but is mostly just loose skin. It is not firm. You can tell that he is slightly overweight though.
There are big exceptions for some breeds, notably sight hounds. A sight hound, such as a greyhound, afghan hound, or saluki, are built in such a way that it is normal for their skeletal structure to be a bit more visible. They are meant to be lightweight dogs, fast as lightning, for surviving in harsher climates and hunting extremely fast game such as gazelle. They have very deep chests which often makes their ribs more prominent. Their spine and hips may also be visible. This is not an excuse to have an emaciated dog and each dog will vary. There is a clear difference between a sighthound at an appropriate weight that has a more visible structure, and one that is emaciated and unhealthy.
 |
| This dog, an Azawakh, shows how the hips and ribs are often prominent on a sight hound. This dog could gain a few lbs but it is not unhealthy or at risk at this lower weight. If a dog such as a Labrador was this thin it would be quite alarming. |
 |
| Racing greyhound, also showing ribs. |
For some dogs a heavier build is encouraged especially in the show ring. Labrador Retrievers come to mind. I have heard of labs who, after their show career, lose as much as 20 to 25 lbs.
 |
| GCH CH Casbar’s Hart to Hart |
 |
| http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com |
As with people there are numerous health concerns for overweight pets. It strains their joints, ligaments, bones, and heart. They can get diabetes, arthritis, and hip dysplasia. Dogs with long back like dachshunds and basset hounds can get slipped discs in their backs. Heart disease, high blood pressure, trouble breathing especially when it's hot, decreased liver and immune function, and decreased quality of life and lifespan are all common in overweight and obese pets among other concerns. Likewise, being too skinny can also have serious and severe consequences. We are surrounded by overweight pets and can become desensitized to it, making us think a dog or cat at a proper weight is too thin. Your dog should not look like a sausage with legs and a head. They should have tummy tucks and side tucks, and you should be able to feel their ribs without having to dig for them.
There are many things you can do to keep your pet at a healthy weight, and get them to a healthy weight if they are too heavy or too thin.
-Feed a high quality food.
-Measure their food. Use a measuring cup or weigh their food if they are raw fed, and don't free feed (have food available 24/7). Portion control is one of the most important factors in keeping your pet at a healthy weight. Different foods have different feeding guidelines. For example, my foster dog being fed a low quality corn based food needed 6+ cups a day, but on a high quality food needs just over 2 cups a day. Look at the guideline on the package and adjust as needed.
-Consider the impact of treats, edible chewtoys, and handouts. Treats are often high calorie and with a new dog or when working on new behaviors you may be going through a lot of treats. Use the dog's kibble as treats when you're giving lots of treats, or cut back on their regular food if necessary.
-Exercise! Have your dog play fetch, tug, teach it to jog with you or run with you while you bike, get involved in a sport like flyball, agility, disc dog, dock diving, free style, weight pulling, etc. For cats, play with them. Have them chase and play with feathers, laser pointers, balls, and other toys. Take it easy when exercising an overweight or underweight pet. Start slow, don't have them exercise in the heat, and keep sessions short. As with people, your pet needs to gradually get used to a workout routine and they can injure themselves or push themselves too far.
-Consider your pet may have a medical condition. Their thyroid gland may be affecting their weight. Diabetes or other conditions may be having an effect as well.
Be very careful when having a cat lose weight. As cats process the excess fat stored in their body it can potentially overwhelm their liver. This leads to a potentially fatal form of liver disease called hepatic lipidosis.
If your pet is rapidly gaining or losing weight take it to the vet as soon as possible.
It's a good idea to consult a vet about having your pet on a diet to gain or lose weight before making any changes, but don't buy in to any silly prescription diets. Healthy pets need healthy food!
October 12, 2012
One Year Later
Our pretty miss Kaytu has been with us a year now, as of October 10th.
There were quite a few goofball shots as well. Lick lick lick!
She's come a long way from the crazy, untrained, sack of bones she was. Counter surfing, getting into the trash, swallowing socks, bolting out the doors (which still happens when we're not careful), pulling on leash so hard she'd stand up at the end of her leash, always jumping up on us, fence running, not paying any attention at all to us, she was an out of control and untrained mess. She's learned so much and has impressive manners and impulse control now. Amazing what some simple rules and training can do!
Kaytu also has many nicknames now. I'll do my best to remember them all..
K2-D2 (like R2-D2 in Star Wars)
K2 Belly Rubbin' D2
Miss Kaytu
Buh-Kaytu
Little Kay Little 'tu
Pretty Kay Pretty 'tu
Silly Kay Silly 'tu (you get the idea!)
Kay Bear
Pretty Bear
Little Bear
Little Miss Kaytu
Basically any combination of pretty, bear, little, miss, and Kaytu! We also call her Flop Dog or the Red One when we don't want to say her name, like when she's being really cute and I want my husband to look at her before she moves. "Look at the Flop Dog!"
 |
| Click to enlarge |
She's come a long way from the crazy, untrained, sack of bones she was. Counter surfing, getting into the trash, swallowing socks, bolting out the doors (which still happens when we're not careful), pulling on leash so hard she'd stand up at the end of her leash, always jumping up on us, fence running, not paying any attention at all to us, she was an out of control and untrained mess. She's learned so much and has impressive manners and impulse control now. Amazing what some simple rules and training can do!
Kaytu also has many nicknames now. I'll do my best to remember them all..
K2-D2 (like R2-D2 in Star Wars)
K2 Belly Rubbin' D2
Miss Kaytu
Buh-Kaytu
Little Kay Little 'tu
Pretty Kay Pretty 'tu
Silly Kay Silly 'tu (you get the idea!)
Kay Bear
Pretty Bear
Little Bear
Little Miss Kaytu
Basically any combination of pretty, bear, little, miss, and Kaytu! We also call her Flop Dog or the Red One when we don't want to say her name, like when she's being really cute and I want my husband to look at her before she moves. "Look at the Flop Dog!"
October 5, 2012
Harnesses Are Awesome
As noted in other posts about trying to find booties for Denali, she was hurting her paws while mushing which I unfortunately was not immediately aware of how much it was really hurting her. I soon figured it out, but she had already made a negative association of mushing = pain, and harness = mushing, therefore the harness was to be avoided. Her paws have completely healed and she has taken a couple months off from mushing. I ran her a few days ago and ran beautifully and better than she has in a long time. She pulled hard and ran fast and didn't hurt her feet despite being barefoot. I'm still taking it easy and considering options for booties, but she is ready to mush again. However, she still cowers at the sight of the harness. Time to fix that so she can love mushing again! Instead of forcing her, I wanted to make the harness the best thing ever.
Her association is so strong that as soon as I pick up the harness she cowers. She lowers her head, backs away, and will not come when called. We started by rewarding her for looking at the harness, which was laying on the floor. She was also rewarded for stepping toward the harness. Then she was rewarded when I would touch the harness and pick it up for second, then for picking it up higher and for longer durations. I didn't record that bit, but did record the progress from that point on.
First up, she is rewarded for bumping the harness and after a couple easy trials of that she must walk under the harness for her treat. Notice at first how as she steps under the harness she is stretching and leaning forward but her weight is back, and you can often see "whale eye" meaning the whites of her eyes are showing. This is a classic sign that the dog is feeling nervous, unsure, or fearful. She displays several calming signals throughout each video, such as shaking her fur, lip licking (keep in mind she's taking treats so not every lip-lick is stress related), and looking away as she backs up.
We took a couple breaks during the first session to keep her stress level low, which is what the cut scenes are. We'd stop for 2-3 minutes to do some basic obedience, petting, play, etc.
We stopped for a while before the next session. In this session, the focus is on having the harness on her shoulders, having her stay instead of immediately backing up, and learning that the harness brings treats but as soon as the harness isn't touching her then the treats stop. How awesome it is to wear the harness when it brings the treats!
And again had a break before the final session of the day. We practice putting the harness on, clipping it, adjusting it, and pulling. We covered a lot this session but she has shown very little nervousness or hesitation when clipping and adjusting the harness therefore I could progress pretty quickly.
I'll backtrack a little and have a review of each major step for each following session. Bump, walk under, stay under, let it touch, stand still with it touching, clipping, adjusting, and pulling. She made a lot of progress in one day!
Her association is so strong that as soon as I pick up the harness she cowers. She lowers her head, backs away, and will not come when called. We started by rewarding her for looking at the harness, which was laying on the floor. She was also rewarded for stepping toward the harness. Then she was rewarded when I would touch the harness and pick it up for second, then for picking it up higher and for longer durations. I didn't record that bit, but did record the progress from that point on.
First up, she is rewarded for bumping the harness and after a couple easy trials of that she must walk under the harness for her treat. Notice at first how as she steps under the harness she is stretching and leaning forward but her weight is back, and you can often see "whale eye" meaning the whites of her eyes are showing. This is a classic sign that the dog is feeling nervous, unsure, or fearful. She displays several calming signals throughout each video, such as shaking her fur, lip licking (keep in mind she's taking treats so not every lip-lick is stress related), and looking away as she backs up.
We took a couple breaks during the first session to keep her stress level low, which is what the cut scenes are. We'd stop for 2-3 minutes to do some basic obedience, petting, play, etc.
We stopped for a while before the next session. In this session, the focus is on having the harness on her shoulders, having her stay instead of immediately backing up, and learning that the harness brings treats but as soon as the harness isn't touching her then the treats stop. How awesome it is to wear the harness when it brings the treats!
And again had a break before the final session of the day. We practice putting the harness on, clipping it, adjusting it, and pulling. We covered a lot this session but she has shown very little nervousness or hesitation when clipping and adjusting the harness therefore I could progress pretty quickly.
I'll backtrack a little and have a review of each major step for each following session. Bump, walk under, stay under, let it touch, stand still with it touching, clipping, adjusting, and pulling. She made a lot of progress in one day!
October 2, 2012
Cost of Raw Feeding for 5 Months
Since the end of April I've been keeping records of how much money I'm spending on raw meat for the pets. The dogs both weigh 40 lbs and eat about 12-14oz each per day, and the cats about 3-4oz each per day. That's about 2 lbs total per day, sometimes a little more or less, to feed 100 lbs worth of pets.
Prices vary widely by region, what is available, and what you're willing to spend. Some people may be able to feed their pets for free or cheap if they are able to get wild game regularly or leftover or freezer burned meat. Some people are able to pay big bucks for organic, naturally fed and raised meats. Some people even raise their own animals such as rabbits.
With that in mind, I'm averaging about $60/month to feed both dogs and both cats.
Here is the spreadsheet I have going. Almost all the meat has been bought at the commissary on a Naval base here in San Diego. I've listed the date of purchase, the item name, cost per pound, weight of package, total cost of the package, and a combined total for when multiple packages of the same item were purchased. The bottom of each purchase date includes the totals for that purchase, including the average $/lb, total lb, and total $.
*Note: The receipt was lost for the first purchase in July. We were out of town and I didn't remember to record it.
Also note that at the end of May I got about 45 lbs of wild moose and elk for no cost.
I have not included the cost of fish oil supplement, which was about $20 from what I remember for 400 softgels.
The complete total so far is $357.65.When that number is divided by 5, to cover the 5 months of May through September (not counting April since that purchase was the last day of the month), the average is $71.53. This is a little misleading as I usually have about 3-4 weeks worth of meat in the freezer. I buy more of a specific item when I run out or when it goes on sale, and it's extremely rare for my freezer to be truly empty. So really, the $357.65 would be able to cover me for almost 6 months, which would be $59.06 per month.
Total amount purchased over the last 5 months is 367.04 lbs. That's an average of $0.97/lb. Not bad, and certainly much cheaper than a high quality kibble! Without factoring in the free moose and elk, the average would be $1.11/lb which is still really low.
Assuming the meat I have now could last through the end of this month, meaning for 6 months total, cost per day is $1.94. On average, the amount fed per day is 1.99 lbs. I don't think I could quite make it to the end of the month but at least 2-3 weeks as of now before the freezer was completely empty.
Again, prices vary widely by region and what you're willing and able to pay for. You may be able to spend a lot less, or you may have to (or be able to) spend a lot more. If your pets are bigger or smaller, or if you have more or less pets, that will be a major factor as well.
There are many ways to help cut costs of raw feeding. Look for a local co-op in which people bulk order to save on shipping costs, and bulk orders cost less per lb. They often have more variety than you may be able to find in stores as well. Check in reputable ethnic and foreign markets as well. Often you can find great variety for great prices in Asian or Hispanic markets. You can post a want ad on Craigslist or Kijiji for unwanted, leftover, freezer burned meat. Often hunters will be looking to clear out their old freezer burned meat from previous years to make room for the upcoming hunting season. You can consider roadkill too. Check on Freecycle and other such sites for meat. You can also contact slaughterhouses, abattoirs, taxidermists, and contact farmers and ranchers to see if they could sell you stillborns, animals that need to be culled, animals that have stopped producing, and get any "scraps." Check the advertisements for your local stores for weekly sales so you can stock up when prices are low, and check to see if they have a discount bin for meat that is about to expire.
Be creative and don't be shy! It can help if you phrase your inquiries in such a manner that it appears you are doing a service by taking/purchasing unwanted meat that would otherwise be wasted, and I've also found it helpful to say I make a "healthy homemade diet" for my pets instead of saying "raw" as ill-informed people may panic at the R word and decide not to give you the meat.
Prices vary widely by region, what is available, and what you're willing to spend. Some people may be able to feed their pets for free or cheap if they are able to get wild game regularly or leftover or freezer burned meat. Some people are able to pay big bucks for organic, naturally fed and raised meats. Some people even raise their own animals such as rabbits.
With that in mind, I'm averaging about $60/month to feed both dogs and both cats.
Here is the spreadsheet I have going. Almost all the meat has been bought at the commissary on a Naval base here in San Diego. I've listed the date of purchase, the item name, cost per pound, weight of package, total cost of the package, and a combined total for when multiple packages of the same item were purchased. The bottom of each purchase date includes the totals for that purchase, including the average $/lb, total lb, and total $.
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 4/30/2012 | Pork Tails | $1.65 | 0.86 | $1.42 | $1.42 |
| Trk Nk | $1.45 | 2.67 | $3.87 | ||
| $1.45 | 2.50 | $3.63 | $7.50 | ||
| Pork Picnic | $1.13 | 3.87 | $4.37 | ||
| $1.13 | 4.90 | $5.54 | |||
| $1.13 | 5.41 | $6.11 | |||
| $1.13 | 4.58 | $5.18 | $21.20 | ||
| Ch Qtr | $0.66 | 10.00 | $6.57 | $6.57 | |
| Whole Ch | $0.77 | 4.32 | $3.33 | ||
| $0.77 | 5.24 | $4.05 | |||
| $0.59 | 5.13 | $3.03 | $10.41 | ||
| Ch Heart & Giz | $1.04 | 0.70 | $0.73 | ||
| $1.04 | 0.75 | $0.78 | $1.51 | ||
| Sardines | $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | ||
| $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | $4.00 | ||
| Ch Liver | $1.04 | 0.80 | $0.83 | $0.83 | |
| Beef Liver | $0.97 | 2.03 | $1.97 | $1.97 | |
| Total | $1.17 | 55.76 | $55.41 | ||
| APRIL TOTAL | $1.17 | 55.76 | $55.41 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 5/10/2012 | Ch Heart & Giz | $1.04 | 1.06 | $1.10 | |
| $1.04 | 1.17 | $1.22 | $2.32 | ||
| Whole Ch | $0.99 | 5.38 | $5.33 | $5.33 | |
| Pork Belly | $1.60 | 2.39 | $3.82 | ||
| $1.60 | 2.54 | $4.06 | |||
| $1.60 | 2.09 | $3.34 | |||
| $1.60 | 2.53 | $4.05 | $15.27 | ||
| Total | $1.35 | 17.16 | $22.92 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 5/22/2012 | Ch Heart & Giz | $1.04 | 1.24 | $1.29 | |
| $1.04 | 1.07 | $1.11 | |||
| $1.04 | 1.17 | $1.22 | $3.62 | ||
| Ch Liver | $1.04 | 0.91 | $0.95 | ||
| Pork Boston Blade | $1.46 | 10.23 | $14.94 | $15.89 | |
| Pork Picnic | $1.27 | 11.97 | $15.20 | $15.20 | |
| Sardines | $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | ||
| $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | $4.00 | ||
| Ch Qtr | $0.66 | 10.00 | $6.57 | $6.57 | |
| Total | $1.28 | 38.59 | $45.28 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 5/24/2012 | Moose and Elk | $0.00 | 45.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 | 45.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| MAY TOTAL | $1.31 | 100.75 | $68.20 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 6/5/2012 | Ch Heart & Giz | $1.04 | 0.94 | $0.98 | |
| $1.04 | 0.97 | $1.01 | $1.99 | ||
| Ch Liver | $1.04 | 0.87 | $0.90 | ||
| $1.04 | 0.90 | $0.94 | $1.84 | ||
| Beef Kidney | $0.78 | 2.69 | $2.10 | ||
| $0.78 | 2.45 | $1.91 | $4.01 | ||
| Total | $0.95 | 8.82 | $7.84 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 6/21/2012 | Ch Thigh Filets | $2.19 | 2.80 | $6.13 | |
| Pork Belly | $1.61 | 2.58 | $4.15 | ||
| $1.61 | 2.93 | $4.75 | $15.03 | ||
| Ch Heart & Giz | $1.04 | 1.24 | $1.29 | ||
| $1.04 | 1.21 | $1.26 | |||
| $1.04 | 1.20 | $1.25 | |||
| $1.04 | 1.13 | $1.18 | |||
| $1.04 | 1.11 | $1.15 | |||
| $1.04 | 1.22 | $1.27 | $7.40 | ||
| Pork Picnic | $1.31 | 4.66 | $6.10 | ||
| Beef Heart | $0.98 | 6.07 | $5.95 | ||
| $0.98 | 5.62 | $5.51 | |||
| $0.98 | 5.68 | $5.28 | |||
| $0.98 | 5.22 | $5.12 | $21.86 | ||
| Total | $1.21 | 42.67 | $50.39 | ||
| JUNE TOTAL | $1.13 | 51.49 | $58.23 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 7/9/2012* | Ch Qtr | - | - | < $4 | - |
| Ch Drumsticks | - | - | - | - | |
| Ch Thighs | - | - | - | ^ < $5 | |
| Total | ~9 | ~ $9 | |||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 7/16/2012 | Trk Nk | $1.21 | 2.12 | $2.57 | |
| $1.21 | 1.99 | $2.41 | $4.98 | ||
| Beef Liver | $0.92 | 2.08 | $1.91 | ||
| Ch Qtr | $0.94 | 10.00 | $9.44 | ||
| Ch Liver | $1.25 | 1.25 | $1.56 | ||
| Ch Thigh Filets | $1.99 | 2.68 | $5.35 | ||
| Pork Belly | $2.05 | 1.98 | $4.06 | ||
| $2.05 | 2.16 | $4.43 | |||
| $2.05 | 2.23 | $4.57 | $13.06 | ||
| Total | $1.52 | 26.49 | $36.30 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 7/27/2012 | Sardines | $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | |
| $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | |||
| $2.00 | 1.00 | $2.00 | $6.00 | ||
| Chicken Thighs | ~1.8 | ~ 5 | ~ $9 | ||
| Total | $2.00 | 8.00 | $15.00 | ||
| JULY TOTAL | $1.64 | 43.49 | $51.30 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 8/3/2012 | Turkey Drumsticks | $1.38 | 2.38 | $3.28 | |
| $1.38 | 2.56 | $3.53 | $6.81 | ||
| Total | $1.38 | 4.94 | $6.81 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 8/18/2012 | Beef Heart | $0.96 | 3.27 | $3.14 | |
| $0.96 | 2.77 | $2.66 | |||
| $0.96 | 2.71 | $2.60 | |||
| $0.96 | 3.24 | $3.11 | $11.51 | ||
| Beef Kidney | $0.72 | 2.70 | $1.94 | ||
| $0.72 | 2.53 | $1.82 | |||
| $0.72 | 2.60 | $1.87 | $5.63 | ||
| Beef Liver | $0.92 | 2.02 | $1.86 | ||
| $0.92 | 2.03 | $1.87 | $3.73 | ||
| Turkey Neck | $1.12 | 1.98 | $2.22 | ||
| $1.12 | 2.24 | $2.51 | $4.73 | ||
| Total | $0.92 | 28.09 | $25.60 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 8/28/2012 | Pork Spare Ribs | $1.68 | 3.94 | $6.62 | |
| Ch Heart & Giz | $1.00 | 1.37 | $1.37 | ||
| $1.00 | 1.45 | $1.45 | |||
| $1.00 | 1.53 | $1.53 | $4.35 | ||
| Ch Qtr | $0.80 | 10.00 | $7.99 | ||
| Ch Thigh Filet | $1.99 | 2.82 | $5.61 | ||
| Ch Drumstick | $0.99 | 4.47 | $4.43 | ||
| Pork Belly | $2.28 | 2.08 | $4.74 | ||
| $2.28 | 2.01 | $4.58 | $9.32 | ||
| Total | $1.45 | 29.67 | $38.32 | ||
| AUG TOTAL | $1.18 | 62.70 | $70.73 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 9/12/2012 | Trk Nk | $1.11 | 2.10 | $2.33 | |
| $1.11 | 2.14 | $2.38 | |||
| $1.11 | 1.98 | $2.20 | |||
| $1.11 | 2.13 | $2.36 | $9.27 | ||
| Total | $1.11 | 8.35 | $9.27 | ||
| Date | Item | $/Lb | Lb | Total $ | Combined Total $ |
| 9/24/2012 | Turkey Drumstick | $1.31 | 2.29 | $3.00 | |
| $1.31 | 2.39 | $3.13 | $6.13 | ||
| Beef Kidney | $0.72 | 2.03 | $1.46 | ||
| $0.72 | 2.22 | $1.60 | |||
| $0.72 | 1.97 | $1.42 | |||
| $0.72 | 2.18 | $1.57 | $6.05 | ||
| Pork Picnic | $1.27 | 5.71 | $7.25 | ||
| Ch Liver | $1.25 | 1.25 | $1.56 | ||
| $1.25 | 1.25 | $1.56 | $3.12 | ||
| Ch Qtr | $0.80 | 10.00 | $7.99 | ||
| Beef Liver | $0.92 | 2.07 | $1.90 | ||
| $0.92 | 1.92 | $1.77 | $3.67 | ||
| Beef Heart | $1.06 | 2.08 | $2.20 | ||
| $1.06 | 2.27 | $2.94 | |||
| $1.06 | 2.51 | $2.66 | |||
| $1.06 | 2.36 | $2.50 | $10.30 | ||
| Total | $1.01 | 44.50 | $44.51 | ||
| SEPT TOTAL | $1.03 | 52.85 | $53.78 |
*Note: The receipt was lost for the first purchase in July. We were out of town and I didn't remember to record it.
Also note that at the end of May I got about 45 lbs of wild moose and elk for no cost.
I have not included the cost of fish oil supplement, which was about $20 from what I remember for 400 softgels.
The complete total so far is $357.65.When that number is divided by 5, to cover the 5 months of May through September (not counting April since that purchase was the last day of the month), the average is $71.53. This is a little misleading as I usually have about 3-4 weeks worth of meat in the freezer. I buy more of a specific item when I run out or when it goes on sale, and it's extremely rare for my freezer to be truly empty. So really, the $357.65 would be able to cover me for almost 6 months, which would be $59.06 per month.
Total amount purchased over the last 5 months is 367.04 lbs. That's an average of $0.97/lb. Not bad, and certainly much cheaper than a high quality kibble! Without factoring in the free moose and elk, the average would be $1.11/lb which is still really low.
Assuming the meat I have now could last through the end of this month, meaning for 6 months total, cost per day is $1.94. On average, the amount fed per day is 1.99 lbs. I don't think I could quite make it to the end of the month but at least 2-3 weeks as of now before the freezer was completely empty.
Again, prices vary widely by region and what you're willing and able to pay for. You may be able to spend a lot less, or you may have to (or be able to) spend a lot more. If your pets are bigger or smaller, or if you have more or less pets, that will be a major factor as well.
There are many ways to help cut costs of raw feeding. Look for a local co-op in which people bulk order to save on shipping costs, and bulk orders cost less per lb. They often have more variety than you may be able to find in stores as well. Check in reputable ethnic and foreign markets as well. Often you can find great variety for great prices in Asian or Hispanic markets. You can post a want ad on Craigslist or Kijiji for unwanted, leftover, freezer burned meat. Often hunters will be looking to clear out their old freezer burned meat from previous years to make room for the upcoming hunting season. You can consider roadkill too. Check on Freecycle and other such sites for meat. You can also contact slaughterhouses, abattoirs, taxidermists, and contact farmers and ranchers to see if they could sell you stillborns, animals that need to be culled, animals that have stopped producing, and get any "scraps." Check the advertisements for your local stores for weekly sales so you can stock up when prices are low, and check to see if they have a discount bin for meat that is about to expire.
Be creative and don't be shy! It can help if you phrase your inquiries in such a manner that it appears you are doing a service by taking/purchasing unwanted meat that would otherwise be wasted, and I've also found it helpful to say I make a "healthy homemade diet" for my pets instead of saying "raw" as ill-informed people may panic at the R word and decide not to give you the meat.
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