| Choosing to switch your dog to a raw food diet can | | | | allergies you should only feed items that you know are |
| be a bit intimidating. There are so many things to | | | | tolerated by your dog. Red meats are a good source |
| consider and you want to do what's best for your dog | | | | of B vitamins and iron whereas meat from cold water |
| as you are ultimately responsible for his health. Feeding | | | | fish contains essential fatty acids. You should be |
| a raw diet means you don't have the AAFCO | | | | careful when feeding your dog fish to make sure it |
| regulating your dog's diet and you won't have the | | | | comes from a safe source and never overfeed your |
| convenience of prefabricated nutrients. Your vet may | | | | dog fish as it can cause a mercury overload on your |
| not be in favor of recommending a diet that he doesn't | | | | dog's system. |
| sell and any information about raw diets seems to | | | | Organ meats are good sources of vitamins and |
| point out it has its pros and cons. | | | | nutrients but keep in mind that organs usually contain |
| Another question you may find yourself considering is | | | | toxins and hormones that are added to meat. |
| how much food does your dog need when on a raw | | | | Livestock given antibiotics and hormones will store |
| diet. The first change you'll come across when feeding | | | | these harmful substances in organs such as the |
| a raw diet is that you'll be weighing portions now and | | | | kidney, liver and spleen. Hearts are nutritious and |
| not measuring them with a cup or spoon, so it's time to | | | | relatively safe to add to your dog's raw diet. |
| invest in a good kitchen scale. | | | | Green tripe a hard to find food is much loved by most |
| A general rule of thumb is to feed normal, healthy adult | | | | dogs. It smells awful but is very nutritious as it contains |
| dogs approximately 2-4 percent of their body weight. | | | | digestive enzymes and partially digested grasses that |
| You should also take into consideration your dog's | | | | your dog will benefit from. |
| activity levels and adjust accordingly. Depending on | | | | If you can, try to feed your dog exotic meats such as |
| what you feed your dog, you will have to take into | | | | elk, venison goat, rabbit and duck. Pork is fine as long |
| consideration fat to lean ratios in the food you're giving | | | | as you don't overdo it as it contains a lot of fat and |
| your dog. This means if you're feeding a fatty cut of | | | | can cause some dogs pancreatitis. |
| meat, you should use less than you would with a lean | | | | If your dog likes them, you can add fruits and |
| cut as fat contains many calories. | | | | vegetables to your dog's diet but avoid foods that are |
| Pregnant or lactating females and puppies need higher | | | | toxic to dogs such as onions and grapes. Dogs aren't |
| calories and will need a higher percentage of food to | | | | completely carnivorous and can eat a variety of foods |
| total body weight. Never increase or change your | | | | unlike cats who are solely carnivorous. You can also |
| dog's diet suddenly, you should introduce any changes | | | | feed your dog yoghurt if he likes it but try to use |
| in food or quantities gradually to avoid digestive upsets. | | | | brands with probiotics added. Dogs also enjoy |
| When feeding a raw diet, it's recommended that you | | | | buttermilk which is another good source of probiotics. |
| feed different kinds of meats because different meats | | | | You can also feed your dog table scraps and |
| contain different nutritional values. If your dog has food | | | | leftovers but be careful not to overdo it. |