we have been looking in to Zeus’ diet and how to give him the best we can. At the min he is on a holistic kibble after changing from Royal canin. We can see a massive improvement in his coat since we changed. My husband is keen to give him some raw food...but I know literally nothing about it. Is it something you have to go full blown with or could he have one meal a week that’s raw? Sorry if I sound stupid asking these questions!
also with raw does it have to be on the bone? Or can you do the raw complete food? I’m so lost with it all but just want to get it right for him.
If you're prepared to give raw a go, I'd really recommend you switch totally - is there a reason you only want to feed one meal a week of it? Any raw is better than none, in my book... I'd always recommend anyone starting with raw (and many others besides) use a complete raw which is formulated to be balanced and contain all the nutriments a dog needs in the long-term.
Lots of die hard raw feeders are convinced that you shouldn't mix raw and processed food. I can't see any evidence for it myself, however, I do absolutely love raw feeding so 90% of Loki's diet is raw with some cooked and even the odd bit of kibble for training. Before I switched to raw I did feed occasional meaty bones with no problems. You don't have to feed bones, but for me seeing the joy dogs get from a good bone is one of the main benefits of raw. Knowing what he's eating and where it comes from is also really important to me so I do a lot of DIY meals . Raw completes are fine if that's what you'd rather do. Some are more 'complete' than others. Most are described as complete if they contain the 'prey model' ratios of meat bone and offal ie 80 10 10. These rely on you feeding lots of variety to avoid any nutritional gaps. Others are more carefully formulated/supplemented to contain all the nutrients dogs need according to FEDIAF guidelines. If you just want to replace a few meals, I'd go for tripe. It's well tolerated by most dogs ( unlike completes which some dogs struggle with at first due to the offal content) contains lots of friendly microorganisms and prebiotics they won't be getting from processed food, loads of vitamins and minerals, and dogs love it. Are you in the UK? Pets at Home sell it in 500g blocks if you want to give it a go. Paleo Ridge do an organic lamb tripe, which is low fat and doesn't smell as bad (maybe I'm just used to it!) but you'd have to order that online if you don't have a stockist near you.
Is there a complete you would recommend? How do I start if I want to complete transition? Any advice welcome
Yes I’m in the uk so will have a look. What do you give Loki? How’s best to start? I just want to do what’s Best but finding all the information a bit overwhelming. Is there a reason why it’s advised not to have kibble and raw? Sorry for all the questions
I switched to raw recently but have the added problem of not all proteins agreeing with my dog. I am working my way through a variety of complete meals with single protein ingredients. So far we are ok with duck/turkey/salmon but not chicken. I believe the reason not to mix the raw and kibble is because it is digested differently. I expected to break him in gently but was told by the supplier just to give it all straight off. He had no problems(until I tried chicken) I use Nutriment because their distributors are near me in Camberley. Going to order from Paleoridge soon to try theirs and have also been recommended Natures Menu.
Is raw food safe with a young family? We have two small children so obviously need to be mindful of their wellbeing
The idea that kibble is digested differently is and shouldn't be fed alongside raw is a myth. All food - bone, offal, veg - digests differently and dogs cope just fine with it. With regards to hygiene, it's the same as any raw meat, maybe keep children out of the way at feeding times if you're worried. Dogs are quite unhygienic animals - they eat disgusting things they find on walks, roll in poo, sniff bottoms, whatever they are fed and children seem to survive. I alternate between making up meals from scratch using the prey model ( a typical days food will include meaty chunks, tripe, fresh sprats, liver, kidney and a really meaty bone like venison neck or lamb ribs or rabbit portions, cooked green veg) and on other days I feed completes from a range of companies, Naturaw and Paleo Ridge are my favourites at the moment because of their organic ingredients and compostable packaging. If money was no concern id consider Honeys but they are geared towards a subscription service and I like to mix things up. My next order will probably be with Prodograw as they have a half price offer on. I didn't do a careful transition to raw, I always fed him bones and he loved tripe so when I got freezer space sorted I just went for it. Some people recommend starting with plain meat ( single species no bone or offal or veg) and gradually introducing new things so if you have a problem you know what's causing it.
It is a minefield out there in the raw world and it took me quite a while to pluck up the courage to give it a go. Lots of people have different ideas of how to introduce it/what bones to feed etc If you look at the help pages on the different manufactures’ websites they tell you how to transition. Again they vary a lot. The Nutriment advisor I spoke to said just go for it and throw away the kibble. Paleo Ridge say don’t mix kibble and raw. Others say start with tripe. I went straight in with a duck complete meal because Toby was already on duck kibble as a single protein his stomach would tolerate. He was absolutely fine with it and poos changed to how they should be straight away. I know he needs a variety of proteins so it is trial and error introducing new ones. As for hygiene, I have a utility room sink which I use to wash anything raw related and lift his bowl as soon as he has finished. The complete meals are easy to serve with no mess(just looks like a load of minced up food)
I started my pup on a completely raw diet a few weeks ago. She had kibble the evening before and raw the next morning. No gradual switching. She had no problem switching. Because she is still a pup I use a balanced pre-made formula. I use gloves (I have a few food allergies) and cover my counter. But since I am using premade there isn't much mess. I just immediately wash both my dog's food bowls and brush their teeth (only because of my own allergies). I'm in the US so I can't really recommend a brand of pre-made. I also give her raw whole prey twice a week instead of her mix. She absolutely loves chomping down on anything bone (her faves are chicken legs, duck head, rabbit backs, lamb bones, or goat bones).
I'd suggest using a complete raw from a well-established and reputable large scale manufacturer - like Nutriment or Natural Instinct or similar. These companies do batch-testing for bacteria, including salmonella, listeria etc - so what the dog eats is actually tested to be free from these bacteria - which means there isn't a risk for other members of the household. Small scale raw manufacturers also may not ensure a balanced diet with the right phosphorus to calcium levels (or may not even test to find out what the ph:ca levels are) and may be deficient in some nutrients/vitamins - or excessive - and won't do this batch testing. Large scale manufacturers will ensure a balanced diet. Here is some info from Nutriment: https://www.nutriment.co.uk/raw-feeding/bacteria-raw-food/ And Natural Instinct: https://www.naturalinstinct.com/about-us/why-natural-instinct "We've got all our paperwork in order; all our raw foods comply with DEFRA requirements and we carry out regular inspections and testing to ensure everything meets our impeccable health and safety standards." There is no need to switch gradually IMO, you can just do it right away.
