What I’m going to share with you is the result of successfully breeding, raising puppies and feeding a raw diet to 100’s of dogs over a 10-year period. This is the result of a lot of research and trial, trial, trial.
I Feed 3-4 chicken quarters(depending on the size of your pet) with .5 - 1/lb of a raw meat roll daily and give raw meaty bones sporadically....That's it....it's THAT EASY! You can do this as your basic routine daily and as you learn about new additions and varieties such as spirulina, tumeric, garlic, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, ect. You can add these extras as you want, switching combinations for variety.
I want to set your mind at ease about balance and nutrition while you learn. Dogs are omnivore, herbivore, and scavenger, dogs find nutrition in the trash, so don’t worry about hurting your dog while you are learning. Stick to the above basic recipe as you learn, and you will find things you and your dog like and things you and your dog do not like. Soon you’ll find that groove that fits and you’ll both love what your doing. Now onto a few rules to remember with a little detail to help you understand what you’re doing.
Top 10 Points to Remember for a Successful Raw Diet
# 1: All about the bones. You must feed raw bones with the meat, an all meat diet will cause an imbalance and serious issues. NEVER feed COOKED bones.
Dogs must have calcium and phosphorus and RAW meaty bones are your dog’s source of minerals. Puppies are growing and need a true balance of Calcium and Phosphorus, but kibble will grow puppies too fast. The muscles and bones are not ready for the fast growth and weight, possibly resulting in a dog with skeletal problems, hip problems, joint problems, (not to mention allergies, yeast, ect….but that’s another article.) Calcium and Phosphorus work closely together and raw meat and bones contain both in the right amounts.
So how much bone is enough? About 1/3 of your dog’s diet should be raw meaty bones. I have found the Chicken leg quarters are sufficient for the amount of bone needed. You’ll know your feeding enough by watching the changes in your dogs’ poo. It will be very well formed and turns white in a day or two, turns to powder and returns to the earth(it also does not stink). Some good choices for meaty bones include:
Chicken wings, necks, legs or thighs
Turkey necks (other bones are large)
Beef tail bones (great for larger dogs)
Lamb or goat necks or ribs
Whole animals such as fish, rabbit, and poultry.
Raw eggs WITH the shell
#2: Muscle Meat
Muscle meat is the protein-rich component of your dog’s diet which build strong tissues and supports the hormones and enzymes he needs to survive and thrive. Good choices for muscle meat include:
Beef (ground beef, cheek meat, stewing beef)
Beef heart (but not more than 5% of the diet as it’s very rich)
Bison (ground bison, stewing bison meat)
Turkey (ground turkey, boneless thighs, breast meat, tenderloin)
Lamb (stewing lamb, ground lamb, shoulder or breast meat)
Pork (pork shoulder or butt, cushion meat, boneless rib meat, loin)
Chicken (boneless thighs, breast meat)
#3: Organs Are The Vitamins
Organs are the nutrient-rich parts of the animal full of vitamins your dog needs to stay healthy. Feed anywhere from 10% to 30% organ meats. Blue Ridge Beef carries the Natural mix which is the organ meat.
Don’t overdo the Liver (keep it at 10%). Liver is really high in vitamin A and can give your dog some messy diarrhea if you feed too much.
Organs include: Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Pancreas, Thymus, Brain, Lung, Testicles. * Pancreas and thymus are called sweetbreads. Go easy on organ meat at first because it can cause loose stools until your dog is used to it.
#4: Fruit & Vegetables
You are in charge when it comes to fruit and veggies. You don’t have to add them for the meal to be ‘balanced’. Many people find that their dogs really enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables. Experiment and find out which one’s your dog likes or dislikes. Dogs are very good at knowing what they need and when, you’ll see many dogs eat grass quite a bit. Grass is super high in chlorophyll which has superior healing properties. Wheatgrass juice is considered a superfood for humans, so when you see your dog eating grass, let them, there’s a reason for it.
So what benefits do fruits and vegetables offer that can’t be found in meat? Vegetables have Plant fiber that cleans the colon, Chlorphyll, which detoxifies the liver and protects against cancer. Carotenoids in yellow and orange fruit, contain important antioxidants. Lutein, found in dark green and yellow plants, important for the eyes, skin and heart. Flavonoids, regulates cell signalin.
My dogs enjoy fruits and veggies and to get the most out of their fruits and vegetables you can either run them through a juicer or mulcher or lightly steam them first.
#5 Forget Starches
Starchy foods like grains, peas and potatoes are not dog food and can cause harm to your dog and make him sick. Starchy foods cause your dog to continually produce insulin, leading to insulin resistance and diabetes. Your dog has no need for starches and grains. Starches and grains disrupts the dogs digestive tract causing allergies, yeast, and inflammatory health issues. There is no benefit to feeding starch and the negatives outweigh and positive. Cutting starch and grain from your dog’s diet is the main reason people see so many healthy changes when they switch their dog to a raw diet.
#6: Variety
Dogs enjoy and need a variety of foods to provide them with a wide range of nutrients. Can you imagine eating the same kibble year after year? Feed a wide variety of different foods, including different sources of meat. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try some of the more exotic things like chicken, duck or turkey feet, beef trachea, tails, lung, testicles and pizzles.
#7: ‘Complete and Balanced’ is a marketing term.
One common concern with raw feeding is that it’s not “complete and balanced.” Just like with humans, balance happens over time with variety… every meal doesn’t need to be completely balanced. As long as your dog’s nutritional needs are met over the course of a few days or weeks, you’re good.
#8: Feed Fish Once A Week
Don’t go out and buy fish oil for your dog. Fish oil goes rancid very quickly (if not already from the manufacturing), it’s heated and processed and not a raw product. And it’s not cheap. So, just feed fish once a week and your dog will get what he needs.You can feed whole fish like sardines, smelts, herring, mackerel once or twice a week.
If you follow #1 through 9, you’ll be feeding a well balanced, healthy diet to you dog and they will show it through their shiny coat and energy.
It really is that easy to feed raw. The only step left is to start doing it! But before you do, here are just a couple of things to keep in mind.
FAQ’s
How many times a day should I feed?
I feed my dogs once a day and fast them on Sundays. Fasting gives the body time to stop the work of digesting and work on some immunity building, repairing and rest. If the dog’s digestive system is continually digesting meals, there’s no time cleansing. The dog’s immune system will suffer. The fast day is a good day to give the larger raw bone with marrow for chewing and teeth cleaning.
How Much should I Feed?
The standard for starting out is 2-3% of the dogs body weight. So, if dog weighs 50 pounds, feed one pound +/- of food and watch the body shape. In a grown adult, you want to see the last 2 ribs just barely showing. The amounts of food will vary depending on your dogs age, activity level, and size.
Growing puppies need more calories and nutrition to support their rapid growth. Feed them the 2-3% of their ADULT weight.
Always watch your puppy’s body weight, they need lots of food, but don’t worry, the endless black hole that never seems to get filled will slow down on food intake as they reach 2-3 years old.
Overall, raw feeding is quite easy and you only need to follow these simple points to be successful. With a little time and experience you will become more comfortable with your dog’s new diet.
You will start to see that your dog is vibrant with a shiny coat (no bathing or products needed), clean teeth (no dental vet visits to ‘brush’ their teeth), fresher breath (no tarter build up) and fewer health issues. I hope this will help you feel confident in feeding your dog a healthy diet and to ditch the kibble….You’ll be joining thousands of others who have made the jump into raw feeding and have never looked back!
Heaven sent Healthy Pet carries all the variety of meats you will need to feed your dog a healthy raw diet, including raw bones, herbal supplements and even healthy treats!
I have created packages that will make your raw feeding journey easy (practically a no brainer) and you can rest assured everything you need to feed a successful raw diet is included. I have a Transition package with all the instructions to transition from kibble to raw, Complete Nutrition Packages and many more....including packages for cats!
You can order a monthly autoship or whenever you need on our website at www.HeavenSentHealthyPet.com
Visit my Cane Corso site to see over 3 generations of Raw Fed Dogs!
