Raw dog food like Jambo

Thanks to all of you who have asked for more information on raw dog food like Jambo! He left about 5 years ago, but I’m about to tear myself up every time I think about him: like now.

Not all dogs are suitable for a raw chicken diet. My present Bouvier, Bliss is a good example.

She doesn’t eat her food, she swallows her food. My first attempts with raw chicken and Bliss led me right to croquettes. He didn’t eat the chicken like Jambo did, he devoured it intact.

Jambo would take a chicken quarter or back, pick it up and chew on it. He could hear the snap/crack. She would lay him down and take him in a different part, repeating this process at least 3-4 times. Then she swallowed it whole.

Feeding raw chicken sounds a bit complicated and expensive. I looked elsewhere besides supermarkets and after a few phone calls, I was able to make an arrangement to buy raw restaurant grade chicken in 30 pound bags. When we got back home, I wrapped and bagged the chicken into individual portions.

This was not complicated or expensive at all. The owners fell in love with Jambo and we paid wholesale prices! Jambo usually ate his chicken in the backyard or garage in bad weather.
When I was on the road I would stop at a market and buy some chicken pieces and then feed Jambo in the parking lot.

Dog health is a big concern for people like us who have canine friends. In Oregon we are required by law to vaccinate our puppies every 3 years against rabies.

Every time it was time for all the other injections, I had the vet draw a blood sample and check it to see if any booster injections were needed.

This procedure is called Titles. In all cases, the original shots were enough to last his eight years on earth. I doubt Jambo’s total veterinary bills exceeded $150 in the 7 years we spent together. Most of that was to run the Titles test.

Now to a less tasty thought: poop, it happens. Jambo’s was small and turned whitish after a couple of days. On the other hand, kibble-eating Bliss is huge, telling me that kibble doesn’t digest as well as raw chicken.

I hope I have answered some of your questions about eating a healthy raw food diet. I still think it’s the way to go for a lot of dogs, but not my hairy-legged girlfriend, Bliss.