Hi Samadhi, tasty little treat that one! Good price too when you consider the price of dried mussel treats for dogs ;o)

Many thanks for the great feedback as well!

I have a flat coat retriever who eats to live. She can go for 2 days without eating, an absolute nightmare. I have tried raw meat, mince, beef, lamb. I air fried a whole chicken, given it to her cooked. I’ve given her raw chicken necks I’ve slow cooked silverside. She will eat all of them at least once, won’t try it again. Actually that’s not true. She does eat beef mince occasionally, just not the cheaper mince, only at least 3 star. She’s not a big biscuit eater. I have 2 cats and she does clean up what they don’t eat every so often. We are vegetarians and she doesn’t like what we eat. She does like cheese. We did give her appetite stimulants from the vets, didn’t do much after 2 weeks. She’s 16 kilos, 20 months old and has barely put on any weight in 6 months. Any ideas? She has not eaten anything for 3 days right now and is not interested, we have spent $380 on tests to see if there are any internal problems, nothing. The vets just said, she eats to live.

Hi Katrina, thank you so much for the positive feedback – always appreciated!

Minced chicken frames can certainly be a cost effective way to bulk up a dog (or cat)’s diet, or even just regular chicken frames – the chewing is good for your dog’s teeth. You’re right to be concerned with feeding a high proportion though, as a balanced diet (such as raw) would require a range of nutrients from organ meats as well. Too much bone can be problematic, but only over a long period. But you’re also feeding quality protein as well.

Personally I buy some mince about once a week, which may last a day or two. It’s very cheap per kilo at my local butchers. I don’t feed it every day though.

There’s some great raw feeding groups on Facebook. Most will dictate specific ratios but I don’t tend to overthink it. We don’t eat our meals in fixed ratios!

Hi Sue, some dogs like the taste of grass. One of my dogs often chews grass, and her diet is the same as my other dog who doesn’t. The diet you’ve said seems pretty good to me, although perhaps some organ meats would be good (often cheap at the supermarkets). You may also find probiotics helps.

Here’s some more info: Probiotics for dogs, Why dogs eat grass, and an article on Foodie Pooch which goes more in depth with the science behind dogs eating grass and dirt (known as Zoopharmacognosy!) – https://www.foodiepooch.com.au/why-do-dogs-eat-grass-and-dirt/

Our local poultry shop sells’pet mince’ which is minced Chicken frames. Would it be okay for our dog to be having this daily, along with some kibble, a little extra meat and legumes? My main concern is whether having a high proportion of chicken bones on a daily basis is an issue.
Thanks so much for your web site. It is fantastic!

Hi Ebony, yes this is mostly appropriate for cats as well, it’s just when I wrote it I did it specifically for dog owners. With a cat the best thing to keep in mind is they’re an obligate carnivore, and should have a diet consisting of mostly “whole prey” ingredients – meat, organs, bones. If you read the ingredients of the Hill’s Prescription formula you’re currently feeding and ask yourself if it sounds appropriate for a carnivore then that’s a good starting point. There’s a review of Hill’s Prescription Diet which has some info as well.