Dogs eating a raw diet may benefit from improved digestive health (smaller, less smelly stools), balanced energy levels, glossier coats and improved behavior as well as enjoying the advantages of an enhanced immune system.
Add organ meats to your diet as part of nature’s multivitamin supplement – liver is an especially rich source of B vitamins including B1, B2 and B6.
Contents
1. Meat
The ideal raw diet for dogs ideally includes at least three types of meat, providing an all-around balanced meal to help protect against allergies versus limited selection found in commercial kibble.
Organ meats (heart, liver and kidneys) provide essential sources of essential nutrients like folic acid, iron and vitamin A for dogs. Some owners add raw fish as an additional source of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid – omega-3 fatty acids essential for human-like brain functioning in pets.
Raw feeders can either cook their own meals or purchase premade raw diets from companies like Stella and Chewy’s, ZiwiPeak, and Smack Pet Food. These pre-packaged raw foods feature consistent formulations made with ingredients that are safe for freezing or microwaving and make for convenient pet parent options when looking to provide their dogs with natural, whole food-based nutrition. They may be High Pressure Processed (HPP), which kills harmful bacteria while maintaining nutrition content in each bite.
2. Bones
Raw feeders have many options when selecting their diet for their dog: homemade meals, frozen premade frozen diets from specialty pet stores or dehydrated commercially processed raw diets that maintain nutrient content. Finding meals that provide your pup with all of the ingredients and essential vitamins they require is of utmost importance.
The easiest approach is to create a “prey model” diet that mimics what your pet would eat in nature, consisting of 60-80% meaty bones such as poultry necks and backs or turkey tails; 10-15 percent organ meat; and 10-15 percent fruits, vegetables nuts or seeds.
For optimal calcium intake, give your pet a bone meal powder containing both phosphorous and magnesium–for example kelp, seaweed or coral. Puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs should consume between 12-15% of their diet from bones; chewing also cleans teeth while providing mental and physical stimulation (speak to your holistic veterinarian or pet nutritionist for further information).
3. Vegetables
A raw diet, also known as Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or BARF, mimics as closely as possible the ancestral diet dogs were designed to digest. Ideal raw foods do not include cooked ingredients, processed meat or bone meal, grains or carbohydrates or artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Vegetables provide essential fibre, vitamins and minerals. Plus they’re packed full of health-promoting antioxidants like polyphenols that protect against disease and ageing!
Vegetables should account for 5 percent of your dog’s diet. When selecting organic and nutrient-rich vegetables, seek varieties including carrots, peas, beans, kale and low sugar berries.
4. Treats
Raw diets provide essential nutrition that reduces common dog health issues while cutting veterinary bills and making pet parents proud of what their pup is being fed.
Some pet owners try their hand at making homemade raw diets for their animals, but searching for safe ingredients and creating meals takes time and effort. To simplify matters, some owners opt for commercially processed freeze-dried or dehydrated raw foods with balanced nutritional profiles instead.
These foods contain meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables and offer high-quality protein from free-range animals as well as beneficial gut bacteria. Other options for raw diets can be more “prey model”, mimicking what wild dogs eat; this diet may work better for dogs who are very healthy with strong immunity systems; otherwise it is important to consult a holistic veterinarian regarding any changes.
