Raw food diet?

I've switched our dogs over to a raw food diet.  I NEVER fed them Purina.  I have fed them Pedigree, which they liked, but their skin and coats didn't shine.  I was NEVER happy with a kibble diet and, believe me, I've tried some expensive brands.  They do like Taste of the Wild, which IS expensive, and I've had them on the COSTCO (now "natural") kibble of lamb and sweet potato, but even that was...underwhelming.  So, like Sue (http://rvsueandcrew.net/the-crew-gets-a-raw-deal/), I did some research online and decided to switch both girls to a raw food diet.

Is it more expensive than kibble?  YOU BET!  But, I can stop at WINCO (off Interstate 10 at the Jackson street exit) and buy a package of raw ground turkey for $4.00, a package of chicken legs for about $5.00, a HUGE container of yogurt (which lasts for a couple of weeks), one of cottage cheese, which also lasts a couple of weeks, and a package of frozen beef bones for $3 or $4 (I forget now...)  So, basically, I spend about $15.00 a week on raw dog food.  A large bag of the COSTCO kibble is about $30.00 and would last 3 weeks, so I spend an extra $15.00 a month for a raw food diet....BUT...I really think it is WORTH IT!  :-)  How about you?

We are also fortunate to now have a small, neighborhood WalMart just 2 blocks away and I can zip up there and restock, instead of driving 12 miles to WINCO (from our house).  So, I have a steady supply of raw options.

I haven't tried feeding them raw pork yet.  I had a second cousin who raised pigs up in Washington state, near Yakima, and his pigs were CLEAN!  And, your dog SHOULD be able to eat pork...I just haven't tried it on them yet.

Oh, and now Lady, our German Shepherd, shares her raw chicken with...LOKI, our senile white cat.  We figure Loki is 17 years old now.  He rarely moves far from the front porch and takes a sun nap on my chair out front every day!  Silly old thing.  But, when I throw out a couple of chicken legs for Lady, MAN, does he come running!  Oh, and sometimes I'll feed them a little can of anchovies.  WalMart also has packages of  filet salmon for $1.00 (the pink package...in the canned meat aisle)...

If you want to read up on a raw food diet, I follow one on Facebook...
Here is their website:

http://www.k9instinct.com/   (You can find their Facebook page on this site)...

This was VERY helpful for me, so please head on over there and read on!

***HOWEVER*** they DO love the Trader Joe's peanut butter dog treats, so I do spoil them with those once a day!  They know they get one every morning!  :-)

***UPDATE*** 6:45 a.m.  I made a run to our neighborhood WalMart store (which opens at 6:00 a.m.) and stocked up for this week and next.  The cottage cheese was actually the most expensive item (at $7.38)...I think from now on I'll buy that at WINCO.  Yogurt was $4.28, which is about the same.  I also stocked up on 3 cans of anchovies ($0.88 each, which I believe is the same as WINCO), and 1 bag of rice, which I also like to give them.  I bought 1 package of drumsticks  for $6.78, a package of gizzards for $1.73, 2 packages of pink salmon at $1.98 each (GOOD PRICE), and 18 natural-raised eggs for $3.48. So, really, the only thing I might buy at WINCO would be the cottage cheese.  Oh, and I forgot the raw turkey...My TOTAL was $32.09, but some of the items will last for 2 weeks and I have a full-sized refrigerator at home.

And, remember, I have TWO large dogs, a German Shepherd and a black lab mix.  This should last them 2 weeks, except for the chicken and the gizzards, so I can run out and restock that.