What is raw feeding?
Raw feeding is giving your dogs raw meat, bones and organs for their diet. Dog's digestive systems are identical to wolves (aside from their adaptation to tolerate extras), and thrive on a properly balanced natural diets, as wolves would. Benefits include self-cleaning teeth, less kidney and liver disease, a stronger stomach, less anal gland issues, no "doggie-breath" smell, healthier skin and coat, and smaller poop. Downfalls include extra time taken to make sure its done properly, the possibility of a fast eater choking on a bone, and contamination (same risk as you preparing raw meat to cook for yourself).
Bones? But won't they splinter and puncture the stomach?
Cooked bones are very dangerous for dogs as they are dry and crack and splinter easily. Raw bones don't splinter, they crush and are easily digestible. As long as your dog doesn't eat excessively fast, allowing a whole bone to block his airways, a raw bone is perfectly safe to ingest. Many people are still skeptical, but even if you crunch the bone into a powder, it is equally nutritious and acceptable if it eases your mind. The only downfall to bone meal is that it will not effectively clean your dog's teeth, as a whole bone would.
What about salmonella poisoning? Wouldn't cooking the meat be safer?
Cooking the meat depletes the nutrients, meaning you have to feed more of it to get the same nutritional content, which costs significantly more. Believe it or not, salmonella and most other diseases associated with raw meat are not a concern in a raw fed dog. Dog's (and any other carnivore's) digestive systems are short, compared to the long digestive system found in omnivores and herbivores. The longer tract is needed to digest vegetation properly because it takes more time to break down. Meat takes less effort to break down and only requires a short time to pass through. Salmonella is only a concern when it has time to multiply, which it does not in a carnivore's tract. This is why salmonella poisoning is a concern humans, but not for raw fed dogs. Note that I said "raw fed" dogs though. In kibble fed dogs, salmonella can be a concern. This is because kibble moves through the digestive tract slowly, giving the bacteria time to multiply and wreak havoc.
This sounds expensive. And how does it reduce backyard duty?
If you know where to shop, a raw diet is actually cheaper than quality kibble. This is because zero fillers are used. For example, my 40lb dog on high quality kibble costs me about $60 per month. On a properly balanced raw diet, with variation in proteins, he costs me about $40 per month. Other than cost, another benefit to the lack of fillers is that the body uses everything put into it and wastes very little. The feces is significantly smaller, and after a few days, turns to dirt. Believe it or not, it is as effective as horse manure for gardening purposes. A kibble fed dog's waste is full of fillers and chemicals that don't break down well and don't work well in gardens. A raw fed dog, like a horse or cow, only has organic going in, and only organic coming out.
What about travelling?
You have a few options here. You could bring a freezer chest and feed normally, which is great if you can, but it may irritate your hosts, or just be inconvenient in general. Personally, I save the dehydrated raw for travel. Same nutrition, and less mess. It is more expensive, but I don't travel often, so the price is practical for me.
My vet thinks it is a bad idea, why should I go against his/her advice?
In most cases, your vet should be your go-to for health advice. I would not suggest taking their nutrition advice as gospel though. Veterinary schools are biased towards prescription diets and educate their vet students on kibble, ignoring other options. It is not the vet's fault though, and it does not mean the vet is out to make your dog sicker to get more money out of you. The flaw is in the biased education system. Some vets choose to continue their education and specialize. I would recommend talking to a canine nutritionist if you are doubtful about a raw diet. Many of them see the clear benefits of it and will recommend it as long as you are willing to take the time to do it properly.
How do I know if I am balancing the diet properly?
Poop. That's right, poop. One of the downsides to a raw diet is you want to keep a close eye on your dog's poop. One of the first signs that something is amiss, before a nutritional deficit does harm, is abnormal poop. If you don't even want to read this section, I suggest you reconsider a raw diet. Squeamishness does not do well here. While below I write about basic guidelines for the percentages of what types of food your dog should get, every dog is different. What is too much for one dog may be not enough for another. Poop is a good way to fine-tune the diet to your dog. For example, if the feces is whitish, you are feeding too much bone and if the feces is tarry, runny or too dark, you are feeding too much organ.
Where do I begin?
Now that you've understood the truth behind the misconceptions, below I give an in-depth guide on how to switch your dog over and maintain it on a raw diet. I highly suggest joining the group "raw feeding friends" on Facebook. It is an excellent resource for beginners, and full of long time raw feeders who love to answer any questions you have. I also suggest finding a canine nutritionist to answer your questions and maybe even help you begin.
Raw feeding is giving your dogs raw meat, bones and organs for their diet. Dog's digestive systems are identical to wolves (aside from their adaptation to tolerate extras), and thrive on a properly balanced natural diets, as wolves would. Benefits include self-cleaning teeth, less kidney and liver disease, a stronger stomach, less anal gland issues, no "doggie-breath" smell, healthier skin and coat, and smaller poop. Downfalls include extra time taken to make sure its done properly, the possibility of a fast eater choking on a bone, and contamination (same risk as you preparing raw meat to cook for yourself).
Bones? But won't they splinter and puncture the stomach?
Cooked bones are very dangerous for dogs as they are dry and crack and splinter easily. Raw bones don't splinter, they crush and are easily digestible. As long as your dog doesn't eat excessively fast, allowing a whole bone to block his airways, a raw bone is perfectly safe to ingest. Many people are still skeptical, but even if you crunch the bone into a powder, it is equally nutritious and acceptable if it eases your mind. The only downfall to bone meal is that it will not effectively clean your dog's teeth, as a whole bone would.
What about salmonella poisoning? Wouldn't cooking the meat be safer?
Cooking the meat depletes the nutrients, meaning you have to feed more of it to get the same nutritional content, which costs significantly more. Believe it or not, salmonella and most other diseases associated with raw meat are not a concern in a raw fed dog. Dog's (and any other carnivore's) digestive systems are short, compared to the long digestive system found in omnivores and herbivores. The longer tract is needed to digest vegetation properly because it takes more time to break down. Meat takes less effort to break down and only requires a short time to pass through. Salmonella is only a concern when it has time to multiply, which it does not in a carnivore's tract. This is why salmonella poisoning is a concern humans, but not for raw fed dogs. Note that I said "raw fed" dogs though. In kibble fed dogs, salmonella can be a concern. This is because kibble moves through the digestive tract slowly, giving the bacteria time to multiply and wreak havoc.
This sounds expensive. And how does it reduce backyard duty?
If you know where to shop, a raw diet is actually cheaper than quality kibble. This is because zero fillers are used. For example, my 40lb dog on high quality kibble costs me about $60 per month. On a properly balanced raw diet, with variation in proteins, he costs me about $40 per month. Other than cost, another benefit to the lack of fillers is that the body uses everything put into it and wastes very little. The feces is significantly smaller, and after a few days, turns to dirt. Believe it or not, it is as effective as horse manure for gardening purposes. A kibble fed dog's waste is full of fillers and chemicals that don't break down well and don't work well in gardens. A raw fed dog, like a horse or cow, only has organic going in, and only organic coming out.
What about travelling?
You have a few options here. You could bring a freezer chest and feed normally, which is great if you can, but it may irritate your hosts, or just be inconvenient in general. Personally, I save the dehydrated raw for travel. Same nutrition, and less mess. It is more expensive, but I don't travel often, so the price is practical for me.
My vet thinks it is a bad idea, why should I go against his/her advice?
In most cases, your vet should be your go-to for health advice. I would not suggest taking their nutrition advice as gospel though. Veterinary schools are biased towards prescription diets and educate their vet students on kibble, ignoring other options. It is not the vet's fault though, and it does not mean the vet is out to make your dog sicker to get more money out of you. The flaw is in the biased education system. Some vets choose to continue their education and specialize. I would recommend talking to a canine nutritionist if you are doubtful about a raw diet. Many of them see the clear benefits of it and will recommend it as long as you are willing to take the time to do it properly.
How do I know if I am balancing the diet properly?
Poop. That's right, poop. One of the downsides to a raw diet is you want to keep a close eye on your dog's poop. One of the first signs that something is amiss, before a nutritional deficit does harm, is abnormal poop. If you don't even want to read this section, I suggest you reconsider a raw diet. Squeamishness does not do well here. While below I write about basic guidelines for the percentages of what types of food your dog should get, every dog is different. What is too much for one dog may be not enough for another. Poop is a good way to fine-tune the diet to your dog. For example, if the feces is whitish, you are feeding too much bone and if the feces is tarry, runny or too dark, you are feeding too much organ.
Where do I begin?
Now that you've understood the truth behind the misconceptions, below I give an in-depth guide on how to switch your dog over and maintain it on a raw diet. I highly suggest joining the group "raw feeding friends" on Facebook. It is an excellent resource for beginners, and full of long time raw feeders who love to answer any questions you have. I also suggest finding a canine nutritionist to answer your questions and maybe even help you begin.
Transitioning a dog from Kibble
The short answer is you don't. When it comes to switching brands of kibble, you always want to slowly introduce the new food, but that is not the best choice for raw. As I mentioned earlier, kibble moves through the GI tract slowly, while raw moves quickly. If you have kibble in there, it could back up the raw, slowing its digestion. This is when the bacteria of salmonella can cause problems. The raw is slowed down and can make your dog sick. This is also the same reason you do not want to feed your dog half kibble and half raw in the same meal. You can feed half and half if there is a large time frame between the meals, giving the slower digesting food time to digest before adding raw (like kibble for breakfast, raw for dinner). All of these following recommendations are a starting point. Every dog is an individual and has different dietary needs. After the transition period is over, watch your dog's poop and determine if you need to feed more or less of ratios or content.
How much do I feed?
To begin, your dog should eat 2-3% of its body weight daily. Puppies should receive 2-3% of its expected adult weight daily, but in smaller, more frequent meals. If you are unsure of the size your puppy should mature at, feed roughly 10% of it's current weight until it reaches 6 months of age, then you should have an accurate idea of what size it will mature at, and can adjust accordingly. Feed as many meals a day for adults as you are comfortable with. A dog's stomach, like a wolf, is designed to stretch to accommodate large amounts of food (in a wolf's case, because they may not see another meal for a few days). Most dogs can safely handle one large meal a day. While wolves and dog's digestive system are nearly identical, certain dog breeds have been more likely to develop a condition called bloat (similar to colic in horses and equally deadly). If you fear for bloat, a few smaller meals a day may be easier for you.
What if my dog won't eat it?
Some dogs are more finicky than others, and refuse to eat it. Don't give up quite yet. No healthy dog will starve itself. If the dog argues, put the meat back in the fridge and try again later. The dog will soon realize that that is it's only option and eat it. My dachshund went on a hunger strike for three days, but when she finally tried it, she clearly loved it and no longer argues.
What parts of the meat do I feed?
The end goal is to feed 80% muscle meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver meat, and 5% any other organ. As each dog has individual nutrition requirements, you may need to change that up (for example, my Dachshund does best with 15% bone, rather than 10%). Also note some meats can be confusing. Heart is actually considered a muscle meat, rather than an organ in terms of raw feeding. Fat, tendons, gristle and such can be factored in with muscle meat in moderation. There are two types of bones, edible and raw meaty bones. Edible ones consist of the 10% of a dog's diet, and can include chicken necks, feet, drumsticks, wings, pork ribs, cow tail, etc. Raw meaty bones will not break under the pressure of a dog's jaw. When they have a bit of meat on them for the dog to pick off, they are the best toothbrush, courtesy of nature. Raw meaty bones generally consist of weight bearing bones of larger animals, like lamb shanks.
What do I feed for the first few weeks?
To begin, you need to pick a simple protein source. Chicken or turkey is a popular option because of how "bland" it is, making it easier for a dog's stomach, who's pH levels are suitable for kibble to digest. The stomach acids quickly get stronger and can handle other proteins, as long as you do it gradually. Beginning, you also want to avoid organ and bone. Stick to the single protein for at least a month or however long it takes for your dog to transition. Then you can start adding variation in the protein sources.
During transition, the dog's feces may appear mucusy. Do not be alarmed, as it is commonly referred to as "detoxing" or "transition poop". This goes away after about a week or two, and when you no longer see it, it is a good time to add bones to the diet. After another week, the dog's body should be well adjusted enough to add organ meat. Over a month's time you want to go from a bland muscle meat to the complete diet. If a dog takes longer than a week in each step, I suggest adding probiotics to help it strengthen its stomach easier. You can get a supplement for probiotics, or you could feed yogurt with it's meal. A hard to find, but excellent source of probiotics is green tripe. Not the bleached tripe you'd find at the store, but raw tripe. The smell is horrible, but dogs tend to go crazy over it.
How do I feed to continue raw?
After your dog is well adjusted to the full diet on a single protein, you can start fine-tuning. The first month you want to follow the average of 80/10/5/5 for the ratios, but after the month, continue to keep an eye on their poop to find out if anything needs to be changed. You may need to feed the dog a higher or lower percentage. Your dog may still have runny stools at 10% bone, so you need to adjust that by reducing the organ percentage and adding bone percentage. When you feel your dog's diet is perfectly tailored to him, you should have already noticed the benefits of this diet.
Preparation Tips and Example Diets
To make things easier on me, I make 10 days worth of meals at a time. I stock up on what I need and portion it up in freezer safe containers to make the following days really simple for me (just thaw and serve). This website is excellent if you hate math like I do. You should average the 80/10/5/5 ratios, but 10 days is still a good time to average between. One day may be more bone heavy, but that is fine as long as it evens out.
The short answer is you don't. When it comes to switching brands of kibble, you always want to slowly introduce the new food, but that is not the best choice for raw. As I mentioned earlier, kibble moves through the GI tract slowly, while raw moves quickly. If you have kibble in there, it could back up the raw, slowing its digestion. This is when the bacteria of salmonella can cause problems. The raw is slowed down and can make your dog sick. This is also the same reason you do not want to feed your dog half kibble and half raw in the same meal. You can feed half and half if there is a large time frame between the meals, giving the slower digesting food time to digest before adding raw (like kibble for breakfast, raw for dinner). All of these following recommendations are a starting point. Every dog is an individual and has different dietary needs. After the transition period is over, watch your dog's poop and determine if you need to feed more or less of ratios or content.
How much do I feed?
To begin, your dog should eat 2-3% of its body weight daily. Puppies should receive 2-3% of its expected adult weight daily, but in smaller, more frequent meals. If you are unsure of the size your puppy should mature at, feed roughly 10% of it's current weight until it reaches 6 months of age, then you should have an accurate idea of what size it will mature at, and can adjust accordingly. Feed as many meals a day for adults as you are comfortable with. A dog's stomach, like a wolf, is designed to stretch to accommodate large amounts of food (in a wolf's case, because they may not see another meal for a few days). Most dogs can safely handle one large meal a day. While wolves and dog's digestive system are nearly identical, certain dog breeds have been more likely to develop a condition called bloat (similar to colic in horses and equally deadly). If you fear for bloat, a few smaller meals a day may be easier for you.
What if my dog won't eat it?
Some dogs are more finicky than others, and refuse to eat it. Don't give up quite yet. No healthy dog will starve itself. If the dog argues, put the meat back in the fridge and try again later. The dog will soon realize that that is it's only option and eat it. My dachshund went on a hunger strike for three days, but when she finally tried it, she clearly loved it and no longer argues.
What parts of the meat do I feed?
The end goal is to feed 80% muscle meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver meat, and 5% any other organ. As each dog has individual nutrition requirements, you may need to change that up (for example, my Dachshund does best with 15% bone, rather than 10%). Also note some meats can be confusing. Heart is actually considered a muscle meat, rather than an organ in terms of raw feeding. Fat, tendons, gristle and such can be factored in with muscle meat in moderation. There are two types of bones, edible and raw meaty bones. Edible ones consist of the 10% of a dog's diet, and can include chicken necks, feet, drumsticks, wings, pork ribs, cow tail, etc. Raw meaty bones will not break under the pressure of a dog's jaw. When they have a bit of meat on them for the dog to pick off, they are the best toothbrush, courtesy of nature. Raw meaty bones generally consist of weight bearing bones of larger animals, like lamb shanks.
What do I feed for the first few weeks?
To begin, you need to pick a simple protein source. Chicken or turkey is a popular option because of how "bland" it is, making it easier for a dog's stomach, who's pH levels are suitable for kibble to digest. The stomach acids quickly get stronger and can handle other proteins, as long as you do it gradually. Beginning, you also want to avoid organ and bone. Stick to the single protein for at least a month or however long it takes for your dog to transition. Then you can start adding variation in the protein sources.
During transition, the dog's feces may appear mucusy. Do not be alarmed, as it is commonly referred to as "detoxing" or "transition poop". This goes away after about a week or two, and when you no longer see it, it is a good time to add bones to the diet. After another week, the dog's body should be well adjusted enough to add organ meat. Over a month's time you want to go from a bland muscle meat to the complete diet. If a dog takes longer than a week in each step, I suggest adding probiotics to help it strengthen its stomach easier. You can get a supplement for probiotics, or you could feed yogurt with it's meal. A hard to find, but excellent source of probiotics is green tripe. Not the bleached tripe you'd find at the store, but raw tripe. The smell is horrible, but dogs tend to go crazy over it.
How do I feed to continue raw?
After your dog is well adjusted to the full diet on a single protein, you can start fine-tuning. The first month you want to follow the average of 80/10/5/5 for the ratios, but after the month, continue to keep an eye on their poop to find out if anything needs to be changed. You may need to feed the dog a higher or lower percentage. Your dog may still have runny stools at 10% bone, so you need to adjust that by reducing the organ percentage and adding bone percentage. When you feel your dog's diet is perfectly tailored to him, you should have already noticed the benefits of this diet.
Preparation Tips and Example Diets
To make things easier on me, I make 10 days worth of meals at a time. I stock up on what I need and portion it up in freezer safe containers to make the following days really simple for me (just thaw and serve). This website is excellent if you hate math like I do. You should average the 80/10/5/5 ratios, but 10 days is still a good time to average between. One day may be more bone heavy, but that is fine as long as it evens out.
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Dog:
5 y/o female Dachshund Weight: 10lbs, ideal weight Energy levels: Moderate, but because of her separation anxiety, she burns more calories than most dogs her size, so she needs a bit more food. Amount: 4oz daily - ideally about .5oz of organ, .5oz of bone, and 3oz of meat. Frequency: One meal a day. She is older and doesn't need multiple meals to help her grow. Her breed is unlikely to suffer from bloat. 10 Day Menu: 1.) 3.5oz chicken drumstick +.5 oz liver 2.) 3.5oz chicken thigh + .5oz kidney 3.) 3oz ground beef + .5oz chicken feet +.5oz liver 4.) 3.5oz chicken drumstick +.5 oz liver 5.) 3.5oz chicken thigh + .5oz kidney 6.) 3.5oz bone-in turkey breast + .5oz kidney 7.) 3.5oz chicken drumstick +.5 oz liver 8.) 3.5oz chicken thigh + .5oz spleen 9.) 4oz whole bone-in, organ-in tilapia 10.) 3oz beef heart + .5oz chicken feet + .5oz liver |
Dog:
1 y/o male Coonhound/Border Collie Weight: 35lbs, ideal weight Energy levels: High, because of the Border Collie in him. Just from daily activities, he eats more like a 40lb dog. Amount: 12oz daily - ideally about 1.5oz of organ, 1.5oz of bone, and 9oz of meat Frequency: Two meals a day. Being a medium to large dog, with a narrow chest, he is more prone to bloat. He had 3 meals a day until 6 months of age. 10 Day Menu: 1.) 10.5oz chicken drumstick +1.5 oz liver 2.) 10.5oz chicken thigh + 1.5oz kidney 3.) 9oz ground beef + 1.5oz chicken feet +1.5oz liver 4.) 10.5oz chicken drumstick +1.5 oz liver 5.) 10.5oz chicken thigh + 1.5oz kidney 6.) 10.5oz bone-in turkey breast + 1.5oz kidney 7.) 10.5oz chicken drumstick + 1.5 oz liver 8.) 10.5oz chicken thigh + 1.5oz spleen 9.) 12oz whole bone-in, organ-in tilapia 10.) 9oz beef heart + 1.5oz chicken feet + 1.5oz liver |
Dog:
3 y/o female Boxer Weight: 40lbs, slightly underweight Energy levels: Low, but has a fast metabolism and burns off her food fast anyways. Amount: 16oz daily - ideally about 2oz of organ, 2oz of bone, and 12oz of meat Frequency: Two meals a day. Being a large breed with a narrow chest, bloat may be a concern so multiple meals is safer. 10 Day Menu: 1.) 14oz chicken drumstick + 1oz liver + 1oz kidney 2.) 14oz chicken thigh + 2oz kidney 3.) 12oz ground beef + 2oz chicken feet + 2oz liver 4.) 14oz chicken drumstick +2 oz liver 5.) 14oz chicken thigh + 2oz kidney 6.) 14oz bone-in turkey breast + 1oz kidney +1oz liver 7.) 14oz chicken drumstick +2 oz liver 8.) 14oz chicken thigh + 2oz spleen 9.) 16oz whole bone-in, organ-in skinned rabbit 10.) 12oz beef heart + 2oz liver + 2oz chicken feet |
