Hi, I have been thinking for some time of changing my labs food from dry to raw but despite researching it I feel confused as to how to make the change and how much meat, bones she should have per day. Do you only feed meat or supplement it with vegetables? How can I make sure she is getting a balanced diet? Sorry for so many questions but I want to get it right.
Have you seen thread advice before I start? I think they are talking about raw too. I know what you mean it sounds complicated
Hi @trish65 this article will help https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/raw-feeding-articles-and-information.1540/
I've just started giving Ripple one meal of raw a day (and one of kibble), I've posted on the raw feeding forum, there's loads of advice on there; just takes a bit of reading through. It is confusing but I am gradually getting it sorted although a lot is trial and error for me.
Hi there - good for you for considering the change to raw! I fed a combo of raw or home-cooked my dog's whole life and really feel strongly that it is the best way for me. You've already gotten good advice about places to look for further reading. What I'll say is what I always say when this question comes up and that is: don't worry so much about getting every meal nutritionally balanced. This is a bit of marketing from dog food manufacturers. Rather think about it on a 3-5 day cycle and try to hit all the needed nutrition in that span. Do feed raw bones, meat, fish, veggies, fruits and eggs. Think about oils, too. Understand what dogs CAN'T eat (that's important) otherwise, think about what is healthy. Generally most starches (wheat, rice, corn) are fillers in manufactured dog food and don't need to be in a home made diet at all. Otherwise there are tons of things to try. As @SteffiS said, it's lot of trial and error and down to the individual dog. For example, I've seen tons of places recommending yoghurt or cottage cheese and my boy couldn't stand any dairy... it would come up out of him like a fountain. Ditto on potatoes. Ick. Bottom line is that for everyone who feeds fresh food, there's probably a different opinion on the "right" way to do it. Start with some good basic guidelines, get into the kitchen, see what works best for your dog and you'll be doing fine.
