Many pet owners are interested in switching their dogs to a raw food diet plan, but how do you do it? Fortunately, a raw food diet plan for your dog is not complex, expensive, or time-consuming, so you can get started on it immediately with these principles in mind:
- Everything you need to set up a successful raw food diet plan is to know the ingredients that are compatible with your dog.
- With some careful planning, executing a raw food diet for your dog is not more complex than opening a few cans.
- Dogs are designed from the start to consume raw food. So, it is completely safe for them to change to a raw food diet plan. Remember that a dog’s stomach acid is so strong, it can damage your skin.
- Your dog does not require fancy, expensive meat to stay healthy. He will do well on many kinds of cost-effective ingredients detailed below.
- Unless your pooch has health issues highlighted below, there is no reason not to switch your dog to a raw food diet immediately. However, a few dogs may need time to adjust to a raw food diet.
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What Are The Main Ingredients In A Raw Food Diet Plan For Dogs?
The basics of a raw food diet plan for dogs are meat, bone, and vegetables. The overall plan is quite simple:
- Take your chicken, beef, lamb, pork, or other meat and mince or dice it.
- Grate vegetables into the meat so that the serving is approximately ⅔ meat and ⅓ vegetable. However, you should not use potatoes.
- Get some bones with meat on them from your butcher and give the dog every two or three days.
Will Every Dog Do Well On A Raw Food Diet Plan?
Most dogs do well on a raw food diet with the occasional exception. Experts say the only dog that should not eat a raw food diet are those with immune system problems or who had bowel surgery recently. Also, a good raw food diet has benefits that can help your dog with many health problems.
What Does Your Dog Need From Its Food?
If you wonder if a natural food diet will agree with your dog, consider that the food we eat has two major functions. First, food gives us energy. Second, it helps the body to stay in good health. How much food and energy your dog needs to thrive depends on many factors. For example, your dog’s age and how much exercise it gets are critical. Also, if your dog is pregnant or nursing puppies, these factors will affect how often and how much you feed it a raw food diet.
One of the reasons that conventional dog food diets are problematic is they often contain a high degree of carbohydrates and sugars. Your dog cannot digest these ingredients. Their major requirements for a healthy diet are fat, protein, essential fatty acids, and important vitamins and minerals.
Everything your dog needs for energy and good health can be obtained in a raw food diet. Below is more information on the ingredients that are ideal for your dog’s health in a raw food diet:
- Muscle meat, including lamb, venison, beef, chicken, pork, or turkey. The meat can be diced or minced.
- Internal organs from the lung, liver, or heart. However, the liver should not comprise more than 10% of your dog’s raw food diet.
- Dairy, including goat’s milk, sugar-free yogurt, and small quantities of cottage cheese.
- Eggs. Any kind of whole egg works well. Give your dog whole eggs two or three times per week.
- Fish, including salmon, sardines, and herring. If you cannot locate affordable fresh fish, consider just adding herrings or sardines to his food.
- Leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, winter greens, and cauliflower.
- Fresh fruits, but not avocados or grapes. Also, avoid dried fruits because they contain too much sugar.
- Oil in small amounts, including sunflower, flax seed, safflower, and cod liver.
- Bones, including those with meat, turkey, or chicken attached.
How Much Raw Food Is Enough?
At first, you need to watch how much raw food you give your pet carefully. However, once you get in the swing of things, you will know how much food keeps your dog fit, trim, and healthy. Many raw food feeders just watch how their dogs look and behave over a few weeks to determine how much is needed.
While there is no precise rule, dogs over 20 pounds should get about 2% of their weight in food daily. For example, a 35-pound dog should get about one pound of food per day. If your dog works in the field or gets a lot of exercise, increase the quantity by 2-5% daily. If the dog is old or overweight, reduce the amount by 1-2%.
You can give your dog several raw food meals per day at whatever times work. However, you should not allow your dog to tell you when they will eat. Note that because wolves get so much exercise, they need about three times as much food as a dog.
How Do You Know If Your Dog Is Being Fed Correctly On A Raw Food Diet?
The best way to know that your dog is getting sufficient raw food is to check their ribs. If you can see their ribs easily, they probably are getting enough food. If you cannot see them, you may want to cut back. However, if their ribs are too obvious, you might increase the quantity of fat-rich meat.
Summary About A Raw Food Diet Plan For Dogs
There is no question that your dog has been made by nature to thrive on raw food. Many people have been taught that conventional dog food is best for their pooches. However, most dog foods contain too much sugar and carbohydrates as preservatives. Your dog’s digestive system cannot absorb these ingredients effectively. So, switch to a raw food diet for your dog today. They will be healthier, leaner, and have more energy than ever!