I am not anti kibble. There are some great quality kibble out there.
With that being said. I have loved the switch and my dogs thrive on it. Raw comes in different variations. Mine do meat, bone and organ. When they gain a bit of weight I back it down and add in some veggies which is not that often.
I like:
The variety
They are eating real meat which they should be
No fillers and additives
No diarrhea
Small stools
Grain free
Great teeth!
Good muscle tone
The dogs enjoy it LOTS
They eat in under 5 minutes - no clean up, mine eat outside
Affordable to good quality kibble
Not switching foods every other month
Not worrying about recalls
Dislike:
Nails grow super fast
Coat grow super fast (this can be a pro for some)
Some will say prep work but it depends on what route you choose - I am fine with it. Takes on average 10-15 minutes a week.
Switching is not difficult. Pick a day and do it.
I started out this way:
For 30 days nothing but chicken and or Turkey. Wings, drumsticks and quarters. Their bodies need to adjust to the bone. This takes a while so you do see major changes in poo.
The next month introduce another protein - I did pork. So pork and chicken. Chicken for one meal, pork for the other.
Month three - Another protein fish or beef. Again add variety, switch the portions around.
Once month three goes well. I typically feed one meal with bone and one boneless.
Once they are doing well then you will gradually move onto liver, heart, kidney. I do this in small portions even now. I am not fortunate enough to stumble on some good organs
So mine tend to get calf or chicken livers.
You can feed any proteins really but with raw, take it slow. My dogs also turn their noses at fish SO I must rely on sardines and whiting (canned).
Things to think about.
1) what are your resources ie: grocery, co-op, butcher
2) how much freezer space (I have a chest and hold a lot) this allows you to stalk up on mega deals you find
3) where is the best place to feed? I started in the kitchen with x-pens, it just didn't work and eww it was messy, same with crates, too much clean up for multiple dogs.
4) in the beginning your dogs are adjusting so you may get occasional pukes with some bone fragments. NORMAL. This will go away.
I hope this is not information overload, just want to give you my experience.
I don't take orders that well, but Taxtel (PF member) said "JUST DO IT " one day and I did, thanks Terry! She was a great mentor
There is a great deal of information on yahoo.