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Raw Diet Basics
Raw Meaty Bones
Muscle Meat
Organ Meat
Veggie Mush
Benefits
Drawbacks
Getting Started
Premade vs DIY
How Much to Feed
Feeding a Raw Diet
Grinding
Recreational Bones
Planning Orders
Finding Sources
Supplies & Tools
Helpful Tips
Here is a listing of some of the supplies and tools we use here at the Raw
Dog Ranch when feeding our dogs.
Stainless Steel dog bowls - easy to clean (just toss them in your dishwasher) and very durable and tough (ours get banged around quiet a bit)
Kitchen Shears - I use these for cutting up chicken parts (including bones), cutting up muscle and organ meat, during rabbit butchering, and more. A good, strong set will be well worth the money.
Plastic Bags - I use the ziplock-type freezer bags. These are stronger than the regular ones and, if you want, you can wash them and reuse them. I use these for storing just about everything. They are my second-choice storage container.
Plastic Containers - I use these are my first-choice storage containers. I buy the Gladware brand as well as the discount house-name brand. I get the 64 ounce size containers with lids. The lids tend to break more often than the containers but as long as they will still sit on top of the container I will use the lids. Remember, you are not concerned about getting a good seal on these. They won't be in your freezer or fridge that long (not with the dog food in them). I've used duct tape on the containers that break - it sometimes works!
Knives - I have many different knives I use here at the Raw Dog Ranch. From the machete we picked up at a garage sale (good for whacking chicken parts into pieces) to the cleaver we found at an antique store (the thing is BIG and HEAVY), the little knives I use for cutting open the tubes of ground turkey, the Remington knives I use when butchering the rabbits and more! Keeping the knives sharp is the key to getting the most use from them. You should run your knife over a sharpening steel after every use.
Scale - I have two scales I use. The one I use every day to weigh the dogs food is digital and reads up to 60 ounces. I place the bowl on the scale then reset the scale. That way I can just drop the food in to get the right weight. My other scale is a large scale with measures up to 20 lbs. This scale has a tray that sits on top and you have to zero it manually. It comes in handy when I'm weighing large amounts of food.
Grinder - I use a Northern Tools model # 168620 grinder. 110 volt with a 1000 watt motor. This grinder has handled all chicken parts, rabbit, turkey necks, etc. It won't handle beef, lamb or pork neck bones - for those you would need a commercial grinder (very expensive).
Blender - back when I made veggie mush this was my appliance of choice. Easiest to use and clean but it did require the addition of extra liquid to keep things moving.
Juicer / Food Processor - both these can be used for making veggie mush as well.
Towels (small) - I have LOTS of dog towels! I use them for cleaning the dogs prep counter, I put them under the containers of food when they sit on the counter to defrost, I use them for holding the whole fish when I'm removing the fins and more! I get these at my local Sams Club discount store. I buy the 100% cotton towels found in the automotive area of the store. Since we use these towels as well for ourselves in our kitchen, I dyed the dogs towels purple so we could tell the difference. Otherwise we ended up with ALL the towels in the basement for the dogs! Now the white towels go upstairs and the purple towels go down.
Towels (large) - I buy old bath towels from garage sales and the local thrift stores. These become dog towels. I use them when the dogs are bathed or come in wet or muddy and need to be whipped down. I also use them to cover the wall behind the prep counter when I'm whacking chicken to catch the splatters.
Feel free to email me at info@rawdogranch.com if you have any questions!