Why feed a raw diet to your dog?
We live in an era where we have become more conscious of making healthy choices, such as diet and exercise. This state of consciousness is a direct result of our constant exposure to overly processed foods which has forced us to make more mindful decisions regarding our well-being.
For example, if you were to have a sports car, in order to maintain it in optimal condition you would use a premium quality fuel. Failure to do so, would dramatically reduce the life spend of your vehicle and increase the visits to your mechanic, thus making it much less enjoyable in the long run. The same is applied to your dog. If you want your dog to have a healthy life, you will strive to provide your dog with a wholesome, balanced and adapted diet.
When you feed your dog raw, you know exactly what goes into your dog’s system. Your dog will not be eating by-products and fillers that are commonly used in kibble. A dog’s digestive track is designed to consume and absorb meat and certain vegetables and fruits. Feeding your dog raw properly will insure that it will get all the mineral, nutrients and vitamins that it needs to thrive appropriately because it’s not as heavily processed as kibbles are.
A balanced raw diet consists of feeding your dog 80% meat 10% organs and 10% bone. This ratio of meat, organ and bone simulates what a dog would eat in the wild if it were to hunt and catch prey such as a rabbit. The rabbit analogy helps understand the 80-10-10 ratio we amongst many others recommend going by.
I have provided a chart below that lists how much to feed your dog according to its age metabolism and what percent of its body weight should be fed daily. For puppies you can start feeding them raw as soon as they are weaned from their mother’s milk, and this will help them create what many call an “iron stomach” which will help process proteins (chicken, turkey, duck, beef, goat, lamb etc). If you have acquired a puppy that was started off with kibble and you want to switch over to raw, it is recommended to start off with raw right away and not mix it with kibbles as it will cause bloating and upset stomach for your puppy, (this is also applied for adult dogs). Read our blog Raw Diet for Puppies, for more information on how to feed your puppy raw.
| AGE | % OF BODY WEIGHT |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks – 4 months | 10% |
| 4 – 6 months | 8% |
| 6 – 8 months a day | 6% |
| 8 – 12 months | 3%-4% |
| 12 months and older | 2%-3% |
*% represented are based on the dog current weight – This chart is to be used as reference only, before feeding your dog we highly suggest/recommend doing your own research.
To transition your dog from kibble to raw its advised to start with a simple protein that is not heavy on your dog’s digestive track, such as chicken (turkey is another protein that can be used if your dog is allergic to chicken). Once your dog is settled in into its raw diet, you can start incorporating other sources of protein, nutrients, vitamins found in organs and meaty bones for an enriched and wholesome diet.
You will notice changes in your dog, such as:
- Cleaner teeth and healthier gums
- Healthier metabolism
- Reduced shedding
- Shinier coat and elimination of skin allergies
- Reduced smell and smaller stool that is biodegradable
- Increase and cleaner energy levels
Feeding your dog raw will be a rewarding experience for you and your dog. Feeding raw will improve your dog’s quality of life given that you provide it a wholesome diet. As a consequence of feeding raw, your dog will not only live a healthier life but it will also dramatically reduce visits to the vet and potentially increase the lifespan of your canine companion. Please note that in order for a raw diet to be beneficial to your dog it needs to be fed in a balanced and wholesome manner.
Should you have any questions, pleas feel free to contact us at info@big-paws.com, toll free at (855) 826-3535 or simply drop on by the store located at 1847 Davenport Rd. Toronto, Canada.
Written by: Kevin Uhindu
