How To Raw Feed Your Dog For Beginners (Complete DIY Guide)

How to Create Homemade Raw Meals for Your Dog

Step 1: Choosing the Right Animal Parts and Their Portions

• A homemade raw meal should mimic a wild dog's diet, which includes whole prey animals. This means including specific body parts in the right proportions.

• Recommended portions are: 51% muscle meat, 12% raw bone (15-17% for puppies), 25% muscular organs, 4% liver, and 8% secreting organs.

• Muscle meat is crucial as it constitutes the majority of a prey animal's body; examples include pork chops, turkey breast, and ground beef.

• Raw bones provide essential nutrients like calcium and phosphorus; they must be uncooked to avoid splintering hazards associated with cooked bones.

• Muscular organs such as heart and lungs transport vital substances in the body; including them enhances nutritional value.

Step 2: Determining How Much to Feed Your Dog

• To determine daily food intake, consider your dog's age, weight, and activity level. Two methods exist: percentage-based feeding or calorie counting.

• For adults, feed between 2%-4% of their body weight daily; average dogs typically require about 2.5%-3%.

• Example calculation for a dog weighing 45 lbs at an activity level of 4% results in approximately 1.8 lbs of food per day.

• For puppies, adjust based on age; use a simple formula by calculating percentages of their body weight to find appropriate serving sizes.

How to Determine Your Dog's Daily Food Needs

Calculating Ingredient Portions

• The process begins by determining how much food your dog needs daily, which can be challenging for some owners.

• Convert the percentage of each ingredient (bone, muscle meat, organ) into decimals by moving the decimal point two spaces left and multiply by your dog's daily weight of food.

• For example, if Matsu requires 10 oz of food daily, you would multiply each portion decimal by 10 to find out how much of each part to feed.

• It's important to note that meaty bones should not count towards the bone portion; the meat surrounding them is considered muscle meat instead.

• To determine the bone percentage in a specific meaty bone (e.g., duck wing), weigh it and apply its known bone percentage.

Filling Nutrient Gaps with Fresh Foods

• Whole prey animals provide all necessary nutrients, but homemade raw meals may lack certain vitamins.

• Vitamin D is crucial for health and can be supplemented with oily fish like salmon or mackerel, pastured egg yolks, or pork fat.

• Manganese is another nutrient often low in raw meals; sources include cooked mussels or beef tripe.

• Iodine is essential for thyroid health and can be boosted with kelp or dulse; dulse also provides iron.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for skin and coat health; oily fish like sardines are excellent sources.

Transitioning to Raw Food

• Transitioning your dog to a raw diet should be done gradually over 2 to 3 weeks to avoid gastrointestinal upset.

• Start by mixing a small amount of raw food with their old food while gradually increasing the raw portion until only raw food is fed.

• Puppies can typically handle raw foods immediately due to their quicker adjustment capabilities compared to adult dogs.

• Begin transitioning with lean light muscle meats such as chicken or turkey rather than red meats which may cause GI issues initially.

• Introduce one new protein every few days after initial transition proteins have been established; consider adding digestive aids like high-fiber foods or probiotics during this period.

Transitioning to a Raw Dog Food Diet

Step-by-Step Transition Process

• Days 1-2: Remove 1/8 of the dog's old food and add chosen muscle meat. Monitor stool consistency for firmness.

• Days 3-4: Remove 1/4 of the old food and introduce raw meaty bones, which help maintain firm stools. Continue monitoring stool.

• Days 5-6: Remove 1/2 of the old food and add another type of muscle meat for protein variety. This step is optional but encouraged for nutrient enhancement.

• Days 7-8: Remove 5/8 of the old food and incorporate muscular organs, which boost nutrients but may cause loose stools if introduced too quickly.

• Days 9-11: Remove 3/4 of the old food and add liver or other secreting organs gradually over three days to avoid digestive upset.

Finalizing the Raw Diet

• Days 12-14: Eliminate remaining old food and introduce additional secreting organs, following a gradual feeding approach similar to previous steps.

• By this stage, all components should be in calculated portions. The dog will now be on a fully raw diet, with an emphasis on adding whole foods gradually to ensure no gastrointestinal issues arise.

Meal Prepping Tips

• To save time, consider meal prepping by preparing meals in advance for a week or more. Portion out ingredients into containers for easy thawing and serving.

• Ensure proper thawing of frozen meats in the fridge before preparation. Designate a clean space free from human eating items for meal prep.

Cleanup Procedures

• After portioning ingredients using a kitchen scale, seal containers and freeze them except for one meal intended for immediate use. Clean tools thoroughly post-preparation with antibacterial soap.

Conclusion & Resources

• Following these steps can lead to improved health outcomes such as better weight management, shinier coats, and cleaner teeth in dogs. A free raw feeding cheat sheet is available that summarizes key points discussed in this video along with details on various raw food ingredients.