RAW Diet for Dogs

 

Cooked bones run the risk of splintering - NEVER feed cooked bones!

Natural food suitable for pets:

• Chicken: whole or any parts (backs, necks, wings, etc. or carcasses after meat has been removed for human consumption)
• Turkey: whole or any parts
• Fish: whole fish, fish heads or canned sardines in water, jack mackerel
• Cornish game hens: whole
• Beef: any cuts
• Oxtail
• Pork: any cuts
• Buffalo, kangaroo, goat, sheep, deer, calf can be sawed into large pieces of meat and bone.
• Rats, mice, rabbits, quail can be fed whole
• Organ meat: liver, lungs trachea, hearts, stomach of ruminants, tripe.  Your dog needs organ meat for its high nutrient content.  Feed organ meats as 10% of thier diet.
• Raw carrots, bananas, rice, apples, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries.
• Canned/cooked pumpkin
• Eggs, fruit, yogurt, vegetables.  Eggs, like bones are a good source of calcium.

AVOID: 

• Excessive meat off bones
• Excessive vegetables
• Small pieces of bone
• Cooked bones
• Mineral and vitamin additives
• Processed food
• Excessive starch, bread and pastries
• Onions, chocolate, coffee, grapes, raisins, sultanas, currants
• Milk

OTHER TIPS: 

• Liver should not be fed more than once a week.
• Offal (stomachs, hearts etc.) should not exceed 50% of the diet.
• Avoid feeding the same meat consistently.
• Avoid a large amount of grain as it has no nutritional value in dog food.
• Feed a healthy dog between 2-4% of it's weight daily (adjust as needed)
• Puppies may require up to 10% of their weight daily during growth.
• Introduce one protein source at a time.  Feed chicken for a week, then beef for a week etc.  This helps detect allergies.
• Raw meaty bones can be fed frozen.  Small carcasses for example rats, mice, birds can be fed frozen with entrails.  Larger carcasses should have entrails removed before freezing.
• Feeding bowls are unnecessary: Food will be dragged across the floor so feed pets outside.
• Low-fat game animals, fish and birds provide the best source of food for pets.  If using meat from domesticated animals avoid excess fat and bones.
• Feed meat and bone together.  Dogs can break their teeth on large knuckle bones if it's not covered in meat.
• Feed meat and bone ration in one piece so that ripping, tearing and gnawing is required.  This cleans teeth.
• Table scraps can be 1/3 of their diet.   Liquidize scraps, both cooked and raw to increase digestibility.
• Puppies can eat minced chicken at around 6 weeks. 
• Puppies get their adult teeth between 4 and 6 months.  This is a good time to feed raw meaty bones.

Safe handling!

• Immune compromised individuals should not handle raw meat.  
• Use gloves to cut and process meat.
• Thaw out enough meat only for 1-2 meals.  Keep the rest frozen.
• Wash your hands after handling meat with soap and hot water.
• Wash all utensils used in preparing dog meals.
• Give your dog a short time to finish its meal and throw away any left overs