The goal of feeding a raw food diet is to introduce all home foods instead of pellets or canned dog food. Basically, owners who feed dogs raw food want to imitate what wolves eat in the wild, which are the ancestors of domesticated dogs. By using a combination diet of raw bones, meat, and vegetables as well as fruits and organs to replace commercial food, raw food lovers believe that this diet results in healthier dogs.
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Part 1 of 3: Finding the Right Balance
Step 1. Understand the risks
One of the problems with giving raw food is when the nutrients are out of balance. There may be too much or too little calcium. You need to offer a wide enough variety to allow your dog to get the nutrition he needs. Do not let the fat content is also not right. All of these actions can result in health problems in your dog.
- In addition, problems can also arise when food is infected with bacteria such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes. Raw food is more likely to contain these bacteria than canned dog food.
- However, some raw foodists are aware that a dog's digestive system is better able to adapt to these bacteria, as long as the food is not more acidic than human food.
Step 2. Consult a veterinarian
He or she can help find the right balance, as well as check if your dog is a good candidate for this diet.
For example, most veterinarians will not recommend a raw food diet for puppies, as it will be difficult to balance calcium and phosphorus. This problem can cause bone abnormalities in puppies. In addition, dogs with cancer should also not be on this diet
Step 3. Do your research
Different dogs require different amounts of protein. By reading the amount of protein for your dog, you can reduce the chances of nutritional problems.
- For example, 5 kg puppies (which can weigh up to 15 kg as adults) need 56 grams of protein and a maximum of 21 grams of fat a day, while 15 kg dogs need 25 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat per day..
- Pregnant and lactating dogs need more nutrition: 69 grams of protein and 29 grams of fat per day, if they weigh 15 kg and contain six puppies.
Step 4. Know how much your dog needs to survive
Most require about 2 to 3 percent of their body weight-based on race. Thus, a 13 kg dog needs between 270 and 400 grams of food each day.
Step 5. Get to know your food
Do some research on the amount of protein and fat in the food you provide. You have to understand the nutritional content of the food you are giving your dog to make sure it is on the right diet.
For example, 100 grams of chicken contains 31 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat
Step 6. Maintain a 1:1 ratio of phosphorus to calcium
Meat is rich in phosphorus, while bones are the opposite. Other types of raw foods have a balanced nutritional content, such as eggs and fish. Tripe is also a good source of both.
This ratio doesn't mean a dog's diet has to be 50 percent bone. Instead, this means that the amount of calcium a dog consumes should be roughly the amount of phosphorus he eats, which is a ratio of 10 percent bone:90 percent meat
Step 7. Purchase a kitchen scale
The best way to know what you are giving your dog is to measure it. If you try to guess, the dose of food will vary each day.
Part 2 of 3: Feeding Dogs
Step 1. Give it something different
Tripe and chicken feet may sound disgusting, but your dog won't think they are. To him, meat is meat. In addition, these cuts of meat are usually less expensive. You can also try the trachea, tail, and testicles of a cow. Chicken feet and beef are especially nutritious.
Step 2. Give it the muscle meats
The majority of what you give your dog should be lean meat, which is about of its diet. This muscular meat can come from most animals, from beef to chicken to lamb. You can also try other meats, such as duck, venison, turkey, rabbit, and goat.
Step 3. Give the bones
Dogs can and will chew bones, so they get the calcium they need. Dogs should get about 10 percent of their diet from bones.
- Instead of bones, you can use dry, ground egg shells. Pour teaspoon for every 2 kg of meat you give your dog.
- When feeding your dog with bones, you can use what's known as "raw meaty bones," i.e. those that still contain a small amount of meat.
Step 4. Use organ meats, but not too often
Organ meats such as liver are appropriate for dogs. In fact, in fact, organs contain the necessary nutrients. However, these meats should only make up 10 to 15 percent of a dog's diet. Try feeding it once or twice a day, or adding a few pieces to your dog's dish a few times a day.
The liver alone should make up about 5 percent of a dog's diet, while other organs, such as the heart, kidneys, spleen and bile, should make up 5 to 10 percent
Step 5. Add nutrients
The remaining 5 percent of a dog's diet can come from other sources, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. When feeding grains, cook them ahead of time.
- If the meat you are given is meat from animals that eat corn instead of grass, you may need to add flaxseed oil or fish oil to provide omega 3 fatty acids. this problem.
- You should process vegetables before giving them to your dog to help them get as much nutrition as possible. Try grinding or juicing to help break down the nutrients. Alternatively, you can steam it for a few minutes. Dark green leafy vegetables are a good choice.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding What You Can and Can't Do
Step 1. Freeze certain types of meat
Certain meats must be frozen for a specific amount of time before being given to dogs. This process helps kill any parasites that could be hurting the dog.
Pork and salmon should be frozen for at least 3 weeks before giving them to dogs. However, some experts recommend that you never give raw salmon or trout
Step 2. Thaw in the refrigerator
The best place to thaw frozen meat is in the refrigerator, as it ensures that the meat is always at a safe temperature. Make sure you put something under the packaging to catch the melted meat.
Step 3. Do not wash the meat
It may be tempting to try to get rid of the bacteria by washing it, but this will actually only spread the bacteria more. When rinsing, water can splash around the counter and around the sink, making meat more harmful than cleaner.
Step 4. Practice safe procedures
Prepare all the cooking utensils that you use to process raw food and store them separately from other kitchen utensils. Wash them thoroughly in hot water and use soap after using them, or put them in the dishwasher. Make sure you also use disinfectant on any surfaces that have come into contact with raw food.
Step 5. Avoid certain foods
Never give the following vegetables and fruits: onions, corncobs, avocado seeds, raisins, or grapes. Never give walnuts, macadamia, raw dough, alcohol, or chocolate.
Step 6. Do not give cooked bones
When giving bones, prioritize the raw ones. Ripe bones can break, causing problems for dogs.
Step 7. Do not provide weight-bearing bones from large animals
In other words, don't give your dog a bone like a bovine thigh bone, as this can damage teeth and cause digestive problems in dogs.
Step 8. Clean all food debris
If your dog hasn't finished all of his food, cover it up, and put it in the refrigerator to preserve it.
Step 9. Wash both hands
You should wash your hands thoroughly after handling any type of dog food, especially raw.
