The ideal raw diet consists of 80-85% meat, 10% bone and 5-10% organ meat. Having said that organ meat is not to be confused with tripe which due to it's very high protein content is considered included in the meat category. In addition to a very high protein content it also contains many essential vitamins and nutrients including those that help with digestion and as such it plays a very important part in any raw food diet. There are also plenty of people that will tell you dogs are omnivores however this is only true to a point. A canines digestive tract is one third the size of a humans so if you think you have trouble digesting raw vegetables, imagine what they get from them! Their digestive system isn't built for it. Secreting organs (ofal) are extremely high in vitamins A,B,and C and many other essential nutrients necessary for your dogs health. Dogs also have the ability to produce their own vitamin C however this is reduced if the animal is under stress. Green tripe is also important because undigested stomach contents and the vitamins from them are absorbed into the stomach lining and then ingested and by your pet. Dogs are not farmers, they're scavengers and hunters. Yes its true, coyotes will eat sumac in the winter to fill their bellies and dogs will eat grass and some veggies etc. They also eat socks, underwear, sticks, tennis balls, toys and a whole host of other things that have no nutritional value to them. It doesn't mean it's good for them, it means they're dogs. This is not to say they get nothing from veggies, just very little and over time can they can also lead to skin issues.
It's also important when switching to a raw food diet to start with a single protein source, we recommend chicken. Not only is it the most affordable but most dogs do well on it and it's a good starting point. Once you know what your dog can tolerate you can add other protein sources but only one at a time and the reason for this is to eliminate variables that may affect your dogs short and long term health. Just like not all humans can consume the same foods and have identical outcomes not all dogs can handle all protein sources. For example our Cane Corso (Harold) gets red eyes and eyelids when he eats chicken. Any other protein he's fine, but it may take some to find out what they do well on however as opposed to kibble we have no chemicals, preservatives or fillers so the process is far easier and more rewarding. Additionally it's also important to note that mixing kibble and raw together have been known to cause digestive issues in some dogs due to the fact they metabolize at different rates so to be on the safe side we reccomend an all or nothing approach when it comes to feeding raw.
Now you may be wondering, how much should I feed my dog? Well the answer to that question varies from dog to dog depending on metabolism, energy level and amount of exercise. The general rule is 2-3% of your dogs ideal body weight per day. If your dog is a little thick around the middle you'd want to start off with about 2%. Now if you'd like to see a little more meat on their bones you'd want to start off at about 3%, and if you're happy with your dogs weight then start at 2.5%. Keep in mind these are guidelines only and will likely need to be adjusted over time until you find your dogs ideal weight. We have four dogs and all four have different percentages of food per day which is why we're such a big fan of using a scale and weighing their food. It keeps things accurate and will also be able to give you a heads up of any possible health issues if your dog suddenly starts gaining or losing weight and takes away one more variable in determining your dogs health.
We also recommend adding some of our whole food supplements to your pets diet, not only are they on par to a super multi vitamin for dogs but they're complete, appropriate, and easily digested leading to over all better health. As always if you ever have any questions, even if you don't buy from us, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be more than happy to assist in any way we can. Thank you again for the interest in feeding raw and our products and we look forward to serving you.
The K9 Country Haven Team
It's also important when switching to a raw food diet to start with a single protein source, we recommend chicken. Not only is it the most affordable but most dogs do well on it and it's a good starting point. Once you know what your dog can tolerate you can add other protein sources but only one at a time and the reason for this is to eliminate variables that may affect your dogs short and long term health. Just like not all humans can consume the same foods and have identical outcomes not all dogs can handle all protein sources. For example our Cane Corso (Harold) gets red eyes and eyelids when he eats chicken. Any other protein he's fine, but it may take some to find out what they do well on however as opposed to kibble we have no chemicals, preservatives or fillers so the process is far easier and more rewarding. Additionally it's also important to note that mixing kibble and raw together have been known to cause digestive issues in some dogs due to the fact they metabolize at different rates so to be on the safe side we reccomend an all or nothing approach when it comes to feeding raw.
Now you may be wondering, how much should I feed my dog? Well the answer to that question varies from dog to dog depending on metabolism, energy level and amount of exercise. The general rule is 2-3% of your dogs ideal body weight per day. If your dog is a little thick around the middle you'd want to start off with about 2%. Now if you'd like to see a little more meat on their bones you'd want to start off at about 3%, and if you're happy with your dogs weight then start at 2.5%. Keep in mind these are guidelines only and will likely need to be adjusted over time until you find your dogs ideal weight. We have four dogs and all four have different percentages of food per day which is why we're such a big fan of using a scale and weighing their food. It keeps things accurate and will also be able to give you a heads up of any possible health issues if your dog suddenly starts gaining or losing weight and takes away one more variable in determining your dogs health.
We also recommend adding some of our whole food supplements to your pets diet, not only are they on par to a super multi vitamin for dogs but they're complete, appropriate, and easily digested leading to over all better health. As always if you ever have any questions, even if you don't buy from us, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be more than happy to assist in any way we can. Thank you again for the interest in feeding raw and our products and we look forward to serving you.
The K9 Country Haven Team