ABOUT FEEDING A RAW DIET Our dogs eat a raw diet. They eat pork, chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit, deer, lamb, duck, elk, goat and any other standard "prey" animal. I don't feed anything to them that had pointy teeth! They eat all sorts of parts, Meat (meat with bones) organs. The goal for the week is Meats 80%, Bones 10% and Organs 10%, for the week...not necessarily every single meal. Raw chicken bones go crunch crunch and digest properly and keep the stools from becoming "cannon butt" in addition to adding nutritional values. But Cooked Bones of any type are dangerous because they become brittle and can splinter. Note: heavy weight-baring leg bones like (cow, deer, other large animals) are dense and can break teeth. But my dogs do get them. They will usually break them in pieces and lick out the marrow. I monitor the large pieces and pick up ones that are sharp. Feed meats with normal fat content as dogs and cats require the raw fat for healthy skin. Do not feed fat that has been cooked as a dog cannot digest cooked fat. Cooked fat can lead to pancreatitis. Cooked fat is grease, raw fat is just fat. If you are feeding poultry such as chicken thighs, use the raw skin as the source of fat. Since we feed a normal amount of fat, use a normal amount of skin. When feeding poultry, feed dark meat rather than white meat if you can. Dark meats have more nutrition than white meat. A dog on a raw diet will need a variety of different meats in order to reap the benefits that each protein provides; for example one type of meat may be higher in iron, while another may be higher in vitamin A. This is why a rotating diet is recommended in order to maintain a healthy raw diet. In addition to meat, you can include vegetables, eggs, fruit, yogurt, etc. Raw eggs, like bones, are a good source of calcium, so are good to use when you don’t have bones. Do not over use raw eggs. Pumpkin is a good system regulator. There are countless good foods to give your dog, once you start looking! A dog does not need fruits or vegetables but if your dog enjoys any of them that is ok, but do not go out of your way to get them into your dog. Grains, however, are completely unnecessary- since commercial pet foods are always grain-based diets, many people are used to the idea that their dogs need grain. It’s just not true. Some of the positive effects of feeding raw are related to eliminating grain from your dog’s diet. I also give my dogs Raw milk, either cow or goat. I make sure they get a calcium source when feeding meat without bones. A note on bacteria: This was one of my concerns when we starting looking into the raw option. Raw meat is not safe for humans because of bacteria like e-coli and Salmonella. But, canine digestive systems are have some natural immunity to bacteria, and can handle the bacteria in meat without issue, when in good overall health. The easiest way for me to start feeding raw food is… My dogs always have kibble down, self feeding, so they can eat what and when they want. They get raw meat in the evening, when their bellies are full you do not want the dogs running around afterwards. So evening time is quiet time. I started with ground beef and gave about ½ pound to each dog. This is NOT to be added to kibble. It is given separate in a separate bowl. I slowly increased the amount and slowly added in different meats and meats with bone. As the amount of meat increase their desire and need for kibble went way down. To this day I still have some kibble down but their main source of food is raw meat. Most of them eat about 2 pounds of meat per day. My kibble protein changes also. If you are feeding only a raw diet , a guide for the amount of meat they need is... As a general rule, a normal active dog requires about 2% of its body weight per day. A highly active dog may require about 3% of its body weight per day. No two dogs are alike in their metabolic rates, age, or activity levels Puppies can use up to 10% of their growing body weight. 80 lbs dog at 2 % is 1.6 lbs meat at 3% is 2.4 lbs meat 100 lbs dog at 2 % is 2.lbs meat at 3% is 3.lbs meat If you are feeding raw with kibble on the side, then your amounts do not need to be as great, unless you want them to eat as little kibble as possible. My dogs eat between 2-3 lbs of meat a day, with kibble on the side. IMPORTANT NOTICE: NEVER FEED COOKED BONES AND NEVER FEED COOKED FAT FEED RAW DIET AT OR CLOSE TO ROOM TEMPERATURE I love this link, it shows you just how simple it can be http://www.rawfeddogs.net/Recipes |
| This information is about how I feed my dogs. So many times I am asked how and what I feed and how to feed a raw diet. This works for me and I am happy with the results. I am not telling anyone that this is the way to feed your dog. Everyone needs to do what they feel is right and how they want to do it. |
| Dry dog food recommendations California Natural GRAIN FREE Wellness Simple Solution Infinia Taste of the Wild, this food can cause off and on diarrhea and gas for some dogs |
| I do give supplements but ones made for people not animals A whole food multi vitamin/mineral and a Raw green foods supplement, I alternate one each day. Fish oil since I do not use fresh fish often for raw meat. |