An ideal raw diet provides your pet with high-quality nutrition. In general, dogs should ingest 2-5% of their bodyweight in raw food.
An ideal raw diet includes muscle meat, organ meats (such as liver, heart and spleen), whole fish, kelp and fruit and vegetables that are safe for dogs and cats. For optimal results, incorporate this diet gradually by mixing raw food with their current kibble food diet.
Contents
Protein
No matter which diet your dog follows – BARF or prey model raw diet – protein should make up the bulk of his or her meal. Since dogs are natural carnivores, their bodies have evolved to digest meat, bones and organs.
But feeding raw isn’t as straightforward as just tossing steak into a bowl and calling it good; dogs require calcium-rich bones for healthy paws, which is why many raw feeders provide a variety of bone choices as well as organ meats with vitamins. Liver should make up 10% of a dog’s diet while hearts, sweetbreads and green tripe can contribute 5% of vitamins. These natural multivitamins may also help ease digestion issues such as constipation, gas, diarrhea or itchy skin conditions while short chain fatty acids like sulforaphane can provide short chain fatty acids that boost immune systems further.
Organs
Advocates of raw diets claim it can lead to healthier coats, skin and teeth as well as more energy and smaller stools; however, there has not been sufficient scientific research that supports these claims (1,2).
Raw diet protein sources that offer a great balance of amino acids and omega fatty acids as well as iron are free-range poultry necks, backs, wings and feet (without skin) along with lamb.
Morgan advises including five to ten percent of organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart and sweetbread in your diet as “Mother Nature’s multivitamins.”
Bone
Dogs are born carnivores with teeth and stomachs designed for devouring meaty bones. Chomping on bones provides mental stimulation while helping keep their teeth clean while also providing essential minerals like calcium and phosphorous that contribute to overall dental and bone health.
Raw diets containing meaty bones, organs and tripe contain more natural proteins that may help avoid allergic reactions, digestive issues or obesity in dogs and cats.
Raw bone provides more than essential proteins; it is packed with CoQ10, riboflavin, niacin, iron and zinc which are vitally important in helping your dog flourish and may be lacking from kibble diets. A well-balanced raw diet should consist of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% organs to ensure maximum nutrient absorption for maximum wellness in your pet.
Fruits & Vegetables
Even true carnivores nibble on leaves, sticks and berries – it is important to remember that a raw diet doesn’t mean just meat for your pup! Plant ingredients contain essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which support digestion while simultaneously helping regulate intestinal bacteria.
Other than the proteins listed above, raw food options include eggs and organ meats such as liver, kidneys, and heart. Novel protein sources like rabbit, kangaroo, goat and duck offer balanced amino acid ratios while kelp is nature’s multivitamin that can complete an nutritionally-balanced raw diet plan.
For optimal results, introducing a balanced raw diet slowly is recommended for best results. Doing so could prevent digestive issues caused by sudden shifts.
Supplements
Raw diets provide a fresher, more natural approach to pet feeding that may actually save pet parents money over time by reducing costly health problems associated with poor kibble-based diets. Furthermore, raw feeding may improve skin and coat quality as well as allergy symptoms or obesity and help with other common conditions like digestive issues.
Raw diets can be either homemade or purchased commercially unprocessed frozen options. Either way, it is crucial that research be conducted into how best to source ingredients that are safe and prepare a well-rounded balanced meal plan.
Homemade raw diets should always include bones to provide macrominerals such as calcium and phosphorus. Many raw food manufacturers provide premade grinds containing the main base for a meat-based diet (80 percent muscle meat, 10 percent bone meat and 10 percent organ meat). Some pet owners supplement with other whole food sources in order to meet any nutrient gaps that remain.
