A locally run venture for low cost, quality BARF (Bones and Raw Food) options delivered to your door.
(FAQ is at the bottom of this section, and as a post on the page)
My name is Jason Fischer, and I am interested in providing a convenient and lower cost alternative to quality raw meat and bones for your pets. I have been feeding our two dogs (more below) a 100% BARF diet for 5 years and believe that I can provide better prices than most of the sources out there.
I have access and deals with local butchers to provide quality raw meat and bones for your pet. Currently I can only offer larger portions of the meat that has the bone in, but as my customer base expands I plan on getting the equipment to grind the food so smaller dogs and cats can get the benefit of the extra nutrition.
You can either pick up, or I deliver twice a week to the Portland Metro area, Vancouver, Camas and surrounding areas.
Please order at least a week in advance, and you can create standing orders.
All items are handled in a sanitary environment. I pick up the meat from the butchers and package it to either your specifications or in bundles. All items are available in 2 lb, 5 lb , or 10 lb packs, and are frozen. I individually freeze items that make sense, e.g. chicken quarters and turkey necks.
The different pack sizes are for your convenience of food prep for your pet. I recommend getting the largest size you can safely defrost and keep in the refrigerator until consumed. So, if you have a small dog that eats 1 lb a day, I wouldn't recommend buying the 10 lb pack as the meat would probably spoil in those 10 days. My suggestion is to figure out how much your pet will eat in 3-4 days and get those sized packs.
All items are meat and bones only. It is recommended to include a small % of vegetable material to your pet, but I find it's easiest to keep trimmings from my regular cooking and just add it in to their food dish with the meat. However, if for convenience, you want me to include it in your order, then we can make arrangements. I can't mix it in per WA regulations, but I'm sure you can figure out how :) I'm really trying to make it as easy for the consumer as I can.
All types of meat are priced the same per pound, no matter what you order, but it is cheaper to order larger amounts (only exception is rabbit): $2.50 per lb for the 2 lb packs, $2.25 per lb for the 5 lb, and $2.00 per lb for the 10 lb. Of course this may go up if the supply prices increase, but I am committed to keeping the cost low for the consumer. Delivery fee of $5 will be added for areas w/in 8 miles of my home in zip 98682, $10 for 16, and so on, regardless of delivery amount. Obviously there is no fee if you pick up. If you can coordinate with some local friends and go in on a delivery, you can share the delivery cost and I'll deliver to one location. Also, the larger the order, the less I need to charge for delivery.
At this point, cash or check only please. If you cannot be home during the delivery window, we can make arrangements via Paypal, and you will need to provide a location for me to drop off the frozen food. All packs are guaranteed to be the stated weight or slightly more as meat sizes can vary.
Delivery times and locations: Vancouver and areas north of the Columbia River, Wednesday (usually afternoons). Portland and areas south of the river, Fridays, again usually in the afternoon. If you need a different delivery time we can make arrangements, but the delivery fee will be slightly more as it is a special trip.
Items (I try to get as close to 80/10/5/5 of meat to bone to liver to organ meat). ** Individually Frozen
$2.50 / lb for 2 lb pack ($5.00)
$2.25 / lb for 5 lb ($11.25)
$2.00 /lb for 10 lb. ($20.00)
1) New to BARF Starter Pack: Chicken backs, quarters, hearts and gizzards. Smaller portions than normal in order to ease your pet into the raw diet.
2) Poultry pack: Chicken or Turkey necks and backs, Chicken gizzards, thighs, legs, livers
3) Large Dog pack: Chicken Leg Quarters**, gizzards, liver
4) Land and Air pack: Chicken or Turkey necks and backs, beef heart, pork kidney, pork liver.
6) All items are available separately, ** if possible or preferred
a) Beef hearts, neck bones
b) Chicken backs, necks, leg quarters, gizzards, hearts, livers
c) Pork kidney, liver**, neck bones
d) Turkey necks, tails.
7) Prey items
a) Whole Rabbit, 2-3 lbs, skin on, bladder expressed. Available at $2.50/lb only
8) Dog Treats:
a) Beef Pipe Bones, 6" **
b) Beef marrow bones, cut
b) Chicken feet
Custom orders are also available, at $0.50-$1.00 extra per lb. This means different ratios of the 80/10/5/5 or if you have a smaller / older dog and need things pre-chopped. I don't have the tools at this point to chop bone, so please keep that in mind.
Note: As should be obvious, prices and availability may vary depending on what my suppliers have in. I will communicate via phone or email. Also, as my business expands I plan on offering other organ, offal, and rabbit.
I look forward to helping you feed your pets!
About me (if you want to know): I live in NE Vancouver am a stay at home dad. I would like to be able to work a full time job, but I have Meniere's Disease and am on disability. My wife is 7 months pregnant with our second child, and our son is in 4th grade. My wife, Bree, works as a family and child therapist and is specializing in play therapy, but as her pregnancy continues she is cutting back on clients. I am looking to provide a secondary income, as well as offer a service that I feel is lacking in the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) community. We have two wonderful canine family members. A sock loving 10 year old black lab, and a lovable but nervous 7 year old Great Dane (who acts like a cat when you bring out the laser pointer...funnier stuff you've not seen :) ) Both our doggies have been on a 100% BARF diet for 5 years and are in wonderful health.
Please email me if you have any questions about feeding your pet a BARF diet.
________FAQ_________________
Portland Metro BARF FAQ:
Pre-qualification notice: My experience is with dogs, though I've done a lot of research for cats as well. I refer to both of them as "pets" below, and separate them into their species when needed.
Q: Why is your site called Barf? Isn't that a bit gross?
A: BARF stands for Bones And Raw Food (I didn't coin this phrase...be assured that I would have picked something more appealing) or Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods, and while some may consider feeding your pet raw meat gross...I think it a healthier, more natural, and often cheaper alternative to dry food.
What I consider gross is the bowel problems my Great Dane, Allie, had on dry food. Great Dane + Carpet + Messy Accidents = GROSS
Q: Wait a minute! I have always been taught that it's dangerous to feed your dog chicken bones! (My mom said so!)
A: While not really a question, more of an exclamatory statement I guess, I'll still address it. The above statement has some truth to it, but what it is missing a vital bit of information: Never feed your pet COOKED chicken (poultry) bones. Cooked bones are brittle and splinter, and can cause severe health risks to your pet. Raw bones, while hard, are pliable and don't splinter. Think of it this way...wild dogs eat their dinner raw, chewing through bone and eating the smaller ones. Your dog and cat can do the same. Of course, don't feed your Chihuahua pork neck bones and expect him to eat them.
Q: This is sounding weird, why should I believe you?
A: I'm not an "expert" or "professional", and I don't have a degree in Pet Food Science, or a certificate from the Trust This Person's Statements department. What I do have is hours and hours of research into this diet; advice and suggestions I've received from vets; 5+ years of doing this for my dogs (without problems); and a community of like minded BARF followers to draw from. By all means, PLEASE, check with your pet's vet and make sure that your furry family members can switch to a BARF diet. If your dog or cat is healthy and has good teeth, then it shouldn't be a problem, but call your vet first.
Q: Enough silliness, what are some benefits to the BARF diet?
A: The diet is closer to what the wild ancestors of our furry friends would have eaten. There is no wheat, corn, other grains, additives, powders, rotten meat, waste products, gluten, or pet meat (some dry foods do contain pet meat; and by "pet meat" I mean those poor pets killed on the road, and the unfortunate pets from those shelters that, um...dispose of unwanted animals... ick).
Some likely benefits are:
1) Better weight management. On a BARF diet, there are very few carbohydrates and no processed foods, making it easier for your pet to shed those unwanted pounds and be a good, healthy weight.
2) Fewer allergies. There are some pets who may be allergic to certain meats, but far and wide, allergies go down on a BARF diet. Pets who have food allergies typically are allergic to the weird, non carnivore "foods" in dry food, such as wheat, gluten, or corn.
3) Better coat and skin. The natural fats and nutrients in the organs and bones help your pet more than you'd think. However, since most of the meat you are feeding your pet is low in Omega 3's, it is recommended to supplement with fish oil. Ask your vet for a good amount. We feed our dogs 1000mg a day.
4) Cleaner teeth and nicer breath. The chewing, crunching action of eating the bones and meat help keep your pet's mouth in better shape than before. It won't necessarily reverse bad hygiene, but it could lessen it; and if your pet already has good, clean teeth, then they shouldn't have increased plaque. Pippin (our lab) has awesome teeth. We had his cleaned shortly before we started the BARF diet (just a coincidence) and the vet is always exclaiming over how good his teeth look. Allie (our Dane) would get terrible build-up from her dry food, and since we switched to the BARF diet, it has gotten about 30% better in 5 years. Which is nice, because dental cleanings are expensive!
Along with cleaner teeth is better breath. Not sure why, but I am thankful for it. I suspect is because they aren't trying to digest grains and the like.
5) Smaller, non-smelly, poo's. Seriously, this is probably the biggest change I noticed when we switched our dogs to the BARF diet. You all know that dog and cat poo stink...I mean a lot. So much that if you step in it, the shoes are banished to the outside, shunned as if they have a scarlet letter (of poo). And, at least the dogs', are messy to clean up. Once their system switches over from dry to raw, the change is amazing. The stuff I had to pick up in the back yard went down to at least 1/3 the size it was before, and didn't smell. They were small, compact, easy to pick up, and the greatest part...if you happen to "forget" to clean them up, the rain dissolves them in no time! :)
6) Lower cost. Depending on the quality and quantity of dry food you've been feeding your pet, this may not be true, but it was for us. We had to buy the high end brand (rhymes with True Muffalo) for Allie as she had allergies (diarrhea all over the carpet!) with anything less. Once we switched to the BARF diet, we cut our pet food bill by 2/3.
7) Less chance of bloat. Raw food doesn't swell like dry food does, and it takes your pet a lot longer to eat raw meats and bones than it does to inhale a bowl full of kibble. More chewing means slower eating, and that means more time for the stomach to get ready for the food.
8) The "Cool" factor. You can now act snobbish if you wish and state that you feed your pets raw foods such as chicken quarters and beef hearts. This makes your pet sound ferocious and people look at you in awe. It's also fun to tell them how many of something your pets have eaten in the last year. Example: Allie has consumed close to 200 chickens in the last year, and Pippin...a mere 160.
Q: Ok, sounds good. But! There can't be all upsides to this diet, right? What are the downsides?
A: I don't want to discourage anyone from doing this because I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives. However, you did ask.
1) While their breath may be better, the air from their derriere (i.e. "farts" ) are worse for some reason. This may be because of some of the vegetables you feed your pets, but it also is just normal for the bones and raw food. Just accept it, sorry.
2) Prep time. Gone are the days when you just have your kid scoop dry food into Fido's dish and call it good. You have to be intentional in preparation. It is raw meat, so you need take care to be sanitary and clean up after your pet and the prep. We keep the food in a plastic tub in the bottom of our refrigerator, and wash it thoroughly after we empty it. We wash our hands well, as well as any surface that came in contact with the meat...just like you would (or should) do when you prepare meat for your family.
We feed the dogs outside, so we don't have to clean up anything other than their bowls.
3) Thinking ahead. The food is frozen and does have a shelf life when thawed. You need to know how much your pet is going to eat per day and make sure that amount is thawed. We've forgotten, and there is no guilty feeling like having hungry dogs stare at you at dinner time and you just realized you forgot to take out the chicken from the freezer... sorry dogs.
Q: Can I feed young pets on the BARF diet? What about pregnant pets?
A: Definitely! Once the pet is weaned, there is no reason not to start them on the raw diet. In fact, you can save even more money as the commercial brands of dry food would have you purchase "puppy chow". Raw foods help your puppy/kitten get the natural nutrients to grow at normal, healthy rates.
And expecting mothers (pet mothers that is) do fine on the raw diet. Talk to your vet about specifics, but I would increase their food amount a little in stages as they progress in their pregnancy and delivery.
Q: How much and how often should I feed my pet?
A: You're going to have to experiment with this a bit as all pets are different. On average I'd start with pound of food per 50 pounds of pet per day, or about 2 to 3% of their body weight. More if they are very active, less if more sedentary. This is also a good time to help your pet get to a healthy weight. Base their food portion off of the weight you want them to be, not the weight they are. If they are grossly overweight then do this in stages. Feed them once a day, and it's good to give them a fasting day about once every 7-10 days. It won't hurt your pet and many believe that it gives their digestive system a short break. This is entirely up to you though. We fast our dogs once per week, and they do fine (other than the confused looks come dinner time). Remember, wild dogs don't eat every day...
A note about puppies: Puppies should be fed no more than 10% of their body weight, or 2-3% of their ideal adult weight. Do not fast your puppies, they need to grow!
It's pretty easy to tell if you are feeding too much or too little, and you can adjust accordingly. Increase or decrease the amount a little and give it a week or two. Eventually you'll find the right quantity. If you can barely see the ribs on your dog, they are a good weight.
Q: Do I have to feed my pet the exact amount you recommend each day?
A: No. The amounts I give are guidelines and you should pay attention to the average over a span of days, rather than worry about the specific amount per day. Try to get close, but if you give your dog 2 pounds today, and 1 pound tomorrow, then it's the same as if you fed them 1.5 pounds each day. The same is true for organ meat and vegetables. It's the overall amount that matters. Try to look on an average of 3-4 days, a week at the most.
Q: How should I start my pet on the RAW diet?
A: Let me know you are starting, and I can make recommendations.
1) To start with, begin with just one type of meat and make sure your pet can handle it. How to tell? Their dog piles on the lawn have become a consistent smaller, denser, less smelly composition. After you've determined they're OK with that meat, introduce another kind and repeat.
a. It is pretty normal for your pet to go through a brief adjustment period as they switch to the raw food. They may have loose bowels at first, but this should pass quickly. Remember, your pet has been on commercially processed foods for a long time, if not their entire life. It's normal for them to "detox" . Canned Organic 100% pumpkin is good for digestive upsets that last a while.
b. I offer a "New to BARF Starter Pack" for your pet that focuses on just one type of meat, chicken, allowing you to start them off right.
2) Stop giving them dry food. Just stop it. Close the bag, tape it up, and give it away or use it as garbage liner. Ideally you can time the switch from dry to raw when your dry food is about gone. Your pet doesn't need mixed food to get used to the raw food. Just start with a smaller amount (say 1/3) of their target raw food intake the first day, 2/3 the second, and then give them the whole amount.
a. If you are tempted to taper off the dry by mixing it with the raw, this is bad. DON'T DO IT! Why? Dry and raw food digest differently, and at different rates. The dry food swells and the combination can cause gastric problems for your pet.
b. When changing from one dry food to another, you *do* need to slowly mix in the new with the old. It's because your pet's digestive system is used to the certain grains, preservatives, added oils, and such that is in the dry food, you have to introduce it slowly so they can adapt. Sounds healthy right?
3) Mix in organ meat and veggies (more on veggies below). The packs I provide have a good ratio of muscle meat to bone to organ meat. The finer chopped the veggie the better. Ideally you are going for what the wild version of the pet would find inside their prey (yum!). Though, this is not that necessary if you don't want to do it.
4) Supplement with fish oil, or other Omega 3 oil as most meat produced in the US is grain fed, and consequently is lower in these oils than they should be. Of course if you go organic, grass fed beef you don't need to worry about supplements...just your pocket book.
Q: I'm confused about your pack sizes, what size should I order and why?
A: The pack sizes I offer are 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb. They all have the same meat, bones and organs, but are packed in sizes that your pet should eat within 3-4 days. The smaller your pet, the less food he will eat per day, and so you don't want a large amount of thawed meat in your refrigerator spoiling because your pet doesn't eat it fast enough. If your pet eats less than 1 lb a day, or you want to try something new, order the 2 lb packs. If your pet eats between 1 and 2 lbs a day, order the 5 lb packs. If he eats more than 2 lbs a day, go for the 10 lb pack. If you have more than one pet, just combine their needs and order the pack size that meets their total amount consumed in 3-4 days.
Of course, buying in bulk is cheaper and if you don't mind thawing, separating and then refreezing, feel free to order the 10 lb packs to your heart's content. I am trying to make the BARF diet as easy on the customer as I can. :)
Q: But what about the bacteria on raw chicken and other meats?
A: Your pet can handle a wider variety of pathogens than we poor humans. Their bodies are made to take care of raw food. When you start out feeding your pet the BARF diet, take care to give fresh, clean meats. Over time, as their body adjusts to the raw meats and bones, they are able to eat less than perfectly handled meats. Things that we would cringe at for human consumption are perfectly fine for your pets. As an example, we now toss 10 lbs of frozen chicken in the sink overnight and then put it in the refrigerator...maybe even 12 hours later. Never had a problem. If the meat smells like it might be going bad, it's probably still good for the pets. Again, remember, wild predators aren't too picky about what condition they find their prey in. Obviously, if it is truly bad, throw it out; no reason to make your pet sick.
If your pet has a weaker immune system or is older, then I would maintain my vigilance on keeping the meats fresh.
All the food I provide is clean and handled properly. I don't provide old or rotten food for your beloved pets! That being said, meats do spoil, and refrigerators vary, so only you know how long to keep your meat before it spoils. In our house, we can thaw our meat on Monday, and if by some chance the dogs haven't eaten it all by Thursday, I know it's still OK.
Q: I need to travel with my pet, can I still feed them the BARF diet, or should I just bring along some dry food?
A: The short answer is Yes, and NO-NO-NO! You can certainly travel with your pet and keep up the healthy BARF diet. The easiest way if you are only going to be gone for a day or two is to feed your pets a bit more before you leave, and then feed them when you get home. They'll be fine, and you don't need to worry about transporting their food. Of course if you have the room, just bring their food in a cooler.
Another alternative is to feed them eggs, some veggies, and canned meat (low sodium pls). While not ideal, again it is easier on you and they'll be fine.
Never switch back to dry food! Just don't do it. If you end up not liking the BARF diet then of course you'll switch back to dry food, but please don't do it just for a few days. It could easily lead to gastric distress, and if you are on vacation, you probably don't want your pet having digestion issues...at least I know I wouldn't.
Q: My dog/cat doesn't want the food, what do I do?
A: Most dogs and cats take immediately to the raw diet. But if they are more finicky, like our Dane, Allie, they may be confused and stare at the raw meat, as if daring it to do something. Then they look at you with the expression of "What the hell is this?!?". Finally they may give a resigned sigh and give in, realizing that this is their new "food". Give them time to try it; be positive and encouraging. Try small pieces as "treats" to get them used to it. If, after enough time they don't want to eat, put it away for tomorrow and try again. Remember, they aren't going to starve with no food for a day or two. Worst case is they refuse to eat that meat, and then you just try a different one. I have never heard of this happening though.
(Tip: if you have two dogs like we do, there is nothing like the motivation of "This is my food, and I'm going to eat it before you even get close, even if I don't think I really want it". To do this, feed pet A, then allow Pet B to start to go for the food. :) )
Also remember that pets know how they are feeling better than you do. Sometimes they just may not be hungry, or they need to clear some room in their bowels... Don't be concerned if they miss a meal. Maybe be concerned if they've never had a problem and then go off food for a couple of days (this is true with dry food too).
Q: What kinds of fruits and veggies shouldn't I feed to my pets?
A: Your pets should not have garlic or onions (any form, causes blood cells to burst over time...um, yeah, that's bad), grapes and raisins (may cause kidney damage) or citrus fruits and persimmons (can cause stomach upset). Rhubarb and wild mushrooms are also toxic.
Q: What kinds of fruits and veggies can my pet have, and how much?
A: About 5% or so of your pet's meal can be fruits and veggies. Most fruits are ok in moderation. Keep in mind that they contain more sugar and too much can cause tooth problems over time, or stomach issues.
Wash all fruits and veggies, remove the pits, and chop finely if you want them to get the most out of them. Apples (my dogs love the apple cores after we eat the rest), apricots, bananas, blueberries, melon, pears, pineapple, and berries are all good fruits.
Wash and chop fine all veggies. If you want to maximize the nutritional value, blend the heck out of these guys...though cooking scraps are good too. You don't need to be too picky. Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, green beans, lettuce, pumpkin / squash, spinach (Pippin loves spinach), sweet potato, asparagus.
Q: What about Eggs?
A: Eggs are great! Whole, hard boiled or raw they are a good source of protein (if you are running low on meat, you can substitute eggs until the next delivery). For extra calcium give your dog the egg shell (Pippin, as usual, loves raw eggs, shell and all). Too many egg whites *can* interfere with digestion, but several eggs a week is fine...just don't make it the primary of multiple meals.
Egg shells can be a great bone alternative for dogs or cats that can't eat bone directly, either because of size or of poor teeth. Save your shells (in the fridge) from frying up your breakfast, toss them in a food processor and sprinkle on your pet's food. Mmmm.
