How Can I Make My Own Raw Dog Food
The simplest way to make your dog raw food at home is to follow any of the recipes listed above. You can also get creative and combine ingredients from various recipes. Use the ingredient lists and the other information we outlined to create a balanced meal your dog will love based on the ingredients you have on hand.;
Bring Back Your Dog’s Natural Luster
Everything in your dog’s body is connected in some way or another. Your dog’s skin and coat are affected by how all the rest of its systems function. Poor digestion or absorption of nutrients can affect cell cycles, how the body uses nutrients, and, eventually, their skin and coat health.
Dry skin, excessive shedding, itchiness, and inflammation can all be caused by a lack of or improper balance of nutrients in your dog’s diet. A raw diet provides the most natural sources of these essential nutrients in a form that is easy for your dog’s body to recognize and use.
Another important factor in skin and coat health is hydration. Dogs that do not eat a moisture-rich diet will end up losing that moisture through bowel movements. Dehydration negatively affects your dog’s skin by limiting natural oil production that supports the life cycle and quality of your dog’s skin cells and fur.
Feeding a high moisture diet will not deter your dog from its natural drinking habits. However, it will help improve digestion, keep them better hydrated, and flush toxins and bacteria out of their system.
For many pet owners, shedding is a constant issue. A reduction in shedding is one of the first benefits you will see when switching to raw feeding. In combination with a regular brushing routine, you can significantly cut down on shedding and dander in your home.
Step : Determine Activity Level
Its important we take activity level into the equation. How much exercise does your dog get?
Be honest here.
The vast majority of dogs today fall into an inactive;activity level. Most are cooped up at home all day while their caregivers are at work. And few are lucky to get dedicated walks, play sessions and exercise;every day.The reality:Many dog owners assume their dogs are more active than they truly are and in turn feed more than they need to.Use the following as a guide:
Most companion canines fall into this category. These are the dogs that spend most of their days lying around the house. They venture outside to potty or for;short;walks and play sessions.If you have an inactive dog, you may need to feed;2% or less;to maintain a healthy weight.
Inactive
A dog with an average activity level may receive anywhere from an hour to several hours of exercise a day. In this case, feeding between 2-3% of body weight is appropriate, but 2-2.5% might be more ideal.
Average
An active dog is one that gets;plenty;of exercise.These dogs get out of the house more often. And they tend to exert themselves far beyond routine walks or average play sessions. Active dogs generally participate in more adventures or activities with their caregivers. This could include hiking, running, biking, hunting, and so forth.If you feel your dog is more active, than you may need to feed;2.5% or more;to maintain a healthy weight.
Active
Canine Athletes & Working Dogs
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Dogs Fed Less Live Longer
It seems as if some dog owners are caught up with their dogs being big. Others seem to perpetuate the humor in fat or obese pets.;Extremes in size and weight can be awe-inspiring and even funny.But understand they may put your dog at;risk;for future health problems.If theres anything you take away from this feeding guide consider this little-known secret for longevity:
Adult dogs with a body score condition;less than 5 live 16% longer;than their overweight peers.And;studies;show that by keeping your dog lean and reducing food intake from early puppyhood through adulthood, you could add;two years;to their life.
And remember, this only a place to;start.Each dog is different, and their needs will change. Understand you may need to make micro adjustments over time .Lets put this into perspective Do you eat the same amount of food every day or does it vary?;Remember this is something that is easily adjusted.Get out of your head. Choose a quantity and begin.
Detoxing Effects Of Raw Dog Food
You will no doubt have read about the immeasurable benefits of feeding your dog a raw diet.
;In this section, we cover some minor side effects that can happen when you change your dogs food from highly processed food to raw, natural food. Please remember these symptoms are relatively rare and almost always short-lived.
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Find The Percentage Of Bone
The simplest way to figure out how much bone is in your dogs diet is to know the percentage of bone in the foods you feed.
Lets say you feed your dog a half pound of meat in the morning and a half pound of chicken necks in the evening. Using the above numbers, you know that chicken necks are 36% bone. So if they account for half of your dogs food, then his diet would contain half that amount or 18%. Thats a bit high, so if you fed your dog 2/3 pound meat and 1/3 chicken necks, now he would be eating 12% bone, which is perfect!
Heres another example
Lets say you bought duck feet on sale at your local pet store. Using the above list, you know that duck feet are 60% bone. If you feed duck feet as half your dogs meals, his bone content would be 30% too high! But if you half that again, your dog would get 15% bone. Perfect! So you would feed 3/4 meat and 1/4 duck feet to get to 15% bone.
This is usually all you need to do its fine to estimate the bone content since you dont have to be exact with the amount of bone to feed. If youre a bit off, your dog will be just fine. Just make sure you have at least 12%;bone for puppies; they need a good supply of calcium to support their growth.
If youre more of a math kind of person, heres how to calculate the amount of bone in your dogs raw diet:
My Dog Is Not Drinking
TOTALLY NORMAL dogs on a raw diet tend to drink a lot less especially if they have been used to kibble keep an eye of course but if all the motions are OK dont worry.
Most of the moisture they need comes from the raw meat you feed. Bone: bone is essential, however especially when you start build it up slowly TOO MUCH BONE IS NOT GOOD and to be avoided and is an often mistake for those just starting, REMEMBER ITS JUST 10%!! if your dog is struggling pooing give some offal or heart.
Look at what comes out the other end you after FIRM poos not hard, clean kickable is perfect! Too hard, crumbly, white, your dog straining means its too much bone. Also poo colour changes are quite normal depending on what they have eaten.
Dogs are individuals and have different bone tolerances its important you learn what your dog can handle.
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When Should You Start Feeding Your Puppy A Raw Diet
It’s best to start feeding your puppy a raw diet as soon as possible. You can avoid many common gastrointestinal issues by starting them off on raw food.
Usually, you’d have to follow a transition plan if you’re making the switch to a raw diet. However, if you have a puppy that’s never consumed dry kibble, you can skip this step entirely.
Most puppies start to wean off their mother’s milk at about 3 to 4 weeks of age. Because raw food is naturally soft and easy to digest, you won’t have to worry about any additional preparation steps. Your puppy’s soft palate will have no problem chewing up the food immediately.
Organ Meats Are Essential
When acquiring the beef for your precious dog, do not just buy any flesh. To make the diet complete, you will need to include:
The heart
It should be 5% of the whole beef. It is the main source of taurine or amino acid. Without it, your dog may suffer from heart disease.
The liver
It should be 10% of the whole diet. It is the main supplier of vitamins B and C, folate, and copper minerals.
Spleen, pancreas, and kidney
You should know that each organ you add to the beef complements the corresponding dog part. So, the liver adds nutritional value to the dogs liver, the pancreas to the dogs pancreas, and so on.
For example, the pancreas makes enzymes, and if your dog has a pancreas problem, it may not perform this function well. So, adding the pancreas to its diet will supply it with the enzymes it needs.
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The Rise Of Canine Health Issues
An inappropriate diet can affect your dogs blood sugar, create inflammation and lead to health issues.;
Advocates of raw feeding attribute the rapid rise of dog cancer and early-onset autoimmune disease to the mainstream food and chemicals which dogs have been increasingly exposed to over the last 15 years. Ones which they were;never designed to eat.
Just like with ourselves, we want our dogs to experience health, longevity and vibrant energy. By switching them;over to the foods they have evolved to eat, most of the mainstream health issues dogs experience seem to be miraculously disappearing.
We wouldnt be surprised to hear the garage mechanic tell us we had voided the warranty on our new car because we filled it with wine, not petrol.;
Why should we be surprised to hear that feeding dogs;newly invented,;processed food which is high in sugar, carbohydrates and rancid fats is remotely healthy or helpful?;
Feeding raw respects the warranty on your dog, so to speak. This is what theyre built for, so this is what you should feed them.
Figuring Out Your Dogs Daily Calorie Needs
There are two ways to figure out how many calories your dog should eat per day.
1) How Much Have They Been Eating?
Most of you will be switching over from dry kibble. Take a look at the calorie content on the bag and use that to determine how many calories you have been feeding your dog per day.
Make sure you take into account the serving size. Also, make sure to add up all the meals. If you fed them the serving size on the bag twice per day, make sure you account for both servings.
Lets say your dog was eating around 700 calories of dry kibble per day. When switching to a raw diet, you want to maintain that 700 calories. More on how to do this shortly
2) Using Math
Maybe youve been feeding your dog dry kibble but arent sure how close you stuck to the actual serving size. Or perhaps your dog has been free feeding, and you have no idea how many calories theyve eaten.
If thats the case, you can use math to determine approximately how many calories to feed your dog per day.
The average dog needs 25-30 calories to maintain weight. This means if your dog weighs 40 pounds, they should 1,000-1,200 calories per day. Small adjustments will need to be made each week until you find the number of calories it takes for your dog to maintain body weight.
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The Benefits Of Raw Dog Food
When you feed raw dog food, you will begin to see amazing changes in your dogs health and happiness within days.
In fact, 92% of our happy customers said they noticed an improvement in their dogs health within only 8 weeks of switching!
Some of the more obvious benefits of raw dog food include less wind and firmer poo, an improvement in coat quality and more evenly balanced energy levels.
You will start to notice major changes in your dog with a raw dog food diet:;
- Glossier coat
- Less itchy
A Word About The Recommended Daily Intake Figures
Dog food labelling makes great play of the recommended daily intake figures for individual ingredients. Even some raw feeding experts refer to these so-called recommendations. By and large you can ignore them completely. They have almost no basis in fact.
In America, for instance, AAFCO and the USFDA have laid down figures based on the assumption that the animal should be able to survive on those quantities, with no observable ill effects for at least 36 months.
Hardly meaningful. And, anyway, the actual recommendations change frequently as a result of pressure from dog food manufacturers.
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Disinfect The Natural Way
Bowls should be cleaned after every meal, counters and utensils should be sanitized, and any surface or container that touches the food should be disinfected. Disinfecting makes us think of chemicals, but there are natural, pet-safe solutions to eliminate bacteria.
Vinegar is nature’s secret disinfectant. Use vinegar to clean surfaces, floors, bowls, and anything else used in raw feeding. Don’t use full-strength vinegar, as that would be overpowering. Instead, use a vinegar and water dilution. 10-15% vinegar to water is suitable for cleaning, and the smell will dissipate quickly.
Chicken And Turkey With A Fish Twist
- 12% 15% Ground chicken and turkey bones
- 35% 50% Herring a marine fish, the herring is an exceptional source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and essential oils
- 10% 30% Chicken and turkey hearts and liver
- 5% lightly boiled chicken eggs
- 5% 10% Organic spinach
- 5% 10% Chickpeas highly rich in natural fiber
Simply mix and freeze or serve. The eggs should be lightly boiled as a protection against Salmonella.
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How To Count Calories
Counting calories isnt nearly as hard as people think lets say you want to feed your dog a pound of chicken breast. Simply search the internet for how many calories in one pound raw chicken breast. In this example, youll see that its 231 calories.
Figuring out the calorie content of primary meats youll be feeding your dog makes counting calories much more manageable. Within a few weeks, youll have the calorie content memorized.
How Come My Dog Lost Weight On Raw
After figuring out how much to feed, some people remark that the quantity of food seems;too;small. That or it seems;less;than what their dogs were eating before.This is nothing to be worried about.Raw diets are;calorie dense;foods. They contain more fat than kibble, which is mostly starch-based. Fat carries more than twice the calories per gram as protein and carbohydrates.From a food volume perspective, you may be feeding less raw than dry dog food and thats okay.Remember;why you chose to feed raw. Now that your dog is eating;real, quality foods, expect there to be some differences in how their food bowl appears.
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How Much Bone To Give
With bone its better to start slightly lower and build up then feed too much. You will know if you feed too much bone as poo becomes very hard and chalky or the dog is straining to get it out if this happens skip a bone meal for a boneless meal like tripe or just some more meat . If you are concerned you have given too much bone and the dog is struggling with constipation feed offal this gets the bowels moving, or heart can also help. You can feed pretty much any meat; chicken, turkey, lamb, goat, pork, beef, venison, rabbit, duck, pheasant, wood pigeon, kangaroo, fish the list is endless and it will mostly be about what your hands on.
You can also add in some vegetables: this is the big debate in the raw feeding world! Some are against some for you will have to make up your own mind with it I personally do feed veg but not always. If you do decide to feed your own vegetables they need to be pulped/ mashes/slightly cooked as dogs cant break down the cellulose walls of vegetables. Onion, corn on the cob and potatoes should not be fed. And nice leafy greens like spinach and kale together with squash or pumpkin are nice.
Can You Bring Dog Food From Canada To Us
Did you find a Canadian option that might work for you? Are you wondering, can I bring dog food into the US from Canada? Luckily, the answer is yes as long as it is in quantities of 50lbs. or less! What about the question, can I bring dog food into Canada? Again, yes you can, but the limit is 20kg or a personal reserve.
Don’t take it from us! Try it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
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Preparing Raw Food For Dogs
Preparing raw food for dogs is a fairly straightforward, but there are a some questions you probably have such as:
- What type of raw food should I feed my dog?
- How much food should I feed at one time?
- Where do I buy raw food for my dog?
- How much is this going to cost me?
- How is the food prepared?
- Is it messy?
- What eating space is required?
- How do I switch my dog from kibble to a raw food diet?
Not to worry. Ill answer all of those questions for you on this page. By the way, if you havent already, I recommend you go back and read Page 1: Raw Food Diet For Dogs before you continue. Another thing to keep in mind is that most dog food review sites will not recommend raw food for dogs. This is because they make money through affiliate marketing and get paid to promote commercial dog food companies.