Feeding dogs raw food?

Question

I've been reading alot about feeding dogs raw food, which is more natural than the kibble.
What is the best way to switch from the Kibble to raw foods?

Answer 1

You could go slowly (i.e. 1/4 raw and 3/4 regular...gradually switch over during a week or so). I feed my dogs some raw a few times a week - until they are used to it - expect some loose stool/diarrhea!!

I didn't completely change my dogs over (it can be really expensive to feed a completely raw diet) - but I do give them the patties made by Nature's Variety, and raw Bison bones once per week. The bones have made their teeth look much better!

Answer 2

In answering late - it really depends on what you feed, how much you feed, and where you buy. I have 2, 80 pound dogs - the younger gets around 2lbs a day whereas the older dog gets about 1 1/2 lbs of food a day - soon to be taken down to 1 1/4 lbs for winter. the health benefits far outweigh the cost for me. other benefits are my dogs don't stink, skin/fur or breath. teeth are always clean, coat soft and shiny, no big sticky/mushy poop to deal with. I probably spend about $100 a month on food for my dogs. They actually don't eat $100 worth of food a month. I fill my freezer on a monthly basis so they will never run out of food. Although I get most of my meat between $ .50 and .99 per pound I do buy a variety of not-so-common things to feed them that may cost a little more than a $1 a pound.

Answer 3

Very SLOWLY I tried it once and did it too fast, my dogs had diarrhea .
Read more on it . I read too much about it from the site that promoted the RAW food and thought that was enough.
If not done properly you can really run a risk of making your dog sick.
I just tried a few pieces of raw beef and my dogs got so sick, began throwing up and diarrhea right away!
It was scary!
I could not try it again.
I would not say RAW is good or bad, I am saying it must be done slowly and carefully. I would check with your vet also to make sure this is right for your breed of dog.
I am now giving them a natural diet.
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Answer 4

that would be a good question for your vet. its perfectly okay for you to switch to a raw food diet..although some ppl will scream for you not to, (i have no idea why!).
up until 50 years ago, most dogs ate raw food, or table scraps.(of course table scrapes are NOT good for any dog).as long as they get any vitamin supplements that their raw diet does not provide them, they should be fine.

i don't know if there is a "best" way to switch..other than to just mix a raw meal with the kibble and then bit by bit decrease the amount of kibble.

my dogs get raw chicken, beef, and lamb..i prefer not to feed them pork since it is very fatty. they get the bones and all. and it is a common misconception that dogs shouldn't have bones....they should not have COOKED bones..but its perfectly okay for them to have raw bones. i also supplement with a kibble but if your going to "ALL RAW" that's fine too.

ask your vet what you should start out with, how to prepare it...and how much.

good luck!
:)

Answer 5

I would recommend you slowly wane your pup by giving him more raw and less kibble in stages. You must be careful here. make sure you give him the right food and make sure it is fresh. Go on-line(Goggle) is a good choice, and look up raw food for dogs. This will give you a good start in the right direction.

Answer 6

give it a little bit of raw foods at a time mixed in with dry food. trust me. and as time goes by, give it a little more each week. and, tada! you just switched your dogs food from kibble to raw food.

Answer 7

you have to switch over slowly. It's a great diet for dogs if a bit messy. Nobody cooks wolves or foxes or coyotes foods and they all do fine.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

You should check with an Vet before you start giving your dog raw food...................

Answer 10

this is only my opion but i would'nt feed my dog raw food.i was told by a vet that its not a good idea.also you can make them go wild doing something like that.and also a better chance of him or her attacking someone.my opion is don't

kathy