Raw Diet Mean Plan?

Question

I am starting my dog on a raw diet and I have done a lot of research but I was wondering if anyone out there that feeds this could give me a rough thing of what his weekly meals should include. I have read a big part is that the meal its self is not balanced but the over all diet is. I just want some help figuring out what I should be feeding him and how many times a week. I know fish is only once a week and not to over do it with veggies or grains. But I would like a more detailed outline. I also read that grains and fat/protien should not be fed together because of how the digestion works. Thanks for your help

Answer 1

Hi Jen,

I raw feed a dog and three cats and would never go back to commercial food.

They eat raw meat, edible bone and offal with the occasional table scraps for the dog. The recommended ratio to feed over the week is about 70-80% meat 10-15% edible bone and 10-15% offal (half of which is liver). Notice there is no mention of grains and vegetables there, just 'frankenprey'!!. this is because dogs are carnivores - just because they can and do eat some vegetable matter doesn't mean that they get optimum nutrition from these foods. See the attached article for more information.
My animals eat a wide variety of meats, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo, fish, even goat, but most people choose to start with chicken for the first few weeks. Try not to get too excited and give everything at once as your dog's digestion may take a while to revert to its optimum state after years of cooked kibble.

The amount to feed is 2-3% of expected adult body weight per day. My 16.5 kg stafford gets between 400 and 500 grams per day and at twelve months old this is fed in one meal. As a pup this same amount was split over several meals a day.

Get hold of Tom Lonsdale's Books Raw Meaty Bones and Work Wonders - these are a great source of information. I would also suggest joining one of the yahoo raw feeding groups - rawfeeding or RawMeatyBones.

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you would like some more information.

Answer 2

It's easiest if you buy frozen Raw dog food instead of making it. I use Oma's and Primal mixed together. Primal is a little expensive but is "complete". The dog's seemed to like Oma's a little better. I also add Missing Link to their food along with canned Pumpkin (a dollop) to increase the fiber and add cottage cheese or plain yogurt for added calcium, and a little olive oil. I also give them raw meaty bones every week or so and add a sardine or 2 every now and then.

I rotate their food as far as chicken and beef. The theory is that a wolf would feed on certain foods exclusively for a while and then feed on something else exclusively. Sometimes that would eat more meat and sometimes more fruits and veggies, depending upon the availability. Over time, the diet is balanced but individual meals aren't necessarily balanced. I wouldn't stress too much about it although I know I did at first.

Answer 3

Just type BARF into Google and you'll get plenty of ideas - I believe there is also a Yahoo group which deals withthis.
Good Luck and don't get too hung up about a balanced diet, just use your common sense and remember you probably don't agonise about your own diet too much.
You'll find your dog really benefits being on a raw diet.

Answer 4

you can feed your dog raw food i cant explain it varey well but you can look it up on the computer it is 100% ok to feed you dogs raw food its there instict to eat raw food anyway but if you do switch just like dry food you have to add the old food to the raw the first few times for like a week or so and just add more meat and less of the old food each time

Answer 5

Feed you can feed any types raw meaty bones and additonal table scraps. Mine like chicken legs, some raw medallions from nature's variety, and some fre range eggs,. NO GRAIN PLEASE. and fruits and veggies are optinial

Answer 6

sounds bad to me