Raw Food Diet for Dogs Portion Size

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The goal of feeding a raw food diet to dogs is to introduce all-natural homemade foods in place of kibble or canned dog food. Basically, owners who feed raw food to dogs want to replicate what wolves eat in the wild, which is the domestic dog's ancestor. By forgoing commercial kibble for a combination of uncooked bones, meat, small amounts of vegetables and fruit, and organs, raw food enthusiasts believe that this diet creates a healthier dog than ones feed kibble.

1. 1

   Understand the risks. One of the problems with feeding a raw diet is not getting the balance right. You can have too much calcium or too little. You need to offer enough variety that your dog gets the nutrients she needs. You may provide too little or too much fat. All of these actions can lead to health problems with your dog.^[1]

   • Additionally, you can cause problems if your food is infected with bacteria such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes. Raw foods are more likely to contain these bacteria than dry or canned dog foods.^[2]
   • However, some raw dog food followers note that a dog's digestive system is more adept at dealing with these bacteria, as it is not as long and more acidic than ours.^[3]

2. 2

   Consult with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can help you find the right balance, as well as help you assess whether your dog is a good candidate for this diet.^[4]

   • For instance, most veterinarians would not recommend a homemade raw diet for puppies, as it can be difficult to get the balance of calcium and phosphorus correct. This problem can lead to bone deformities in puppies. Also, dogs with cancer should not be on this diet.^[5]

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3. 3

   Do your research. Different dogs need different amounts of protein, and by reading up on the amount of protein your dog needs, you'll be less likely to cause nutrition problems.^[6]

   • For instance, puppies who are 12 pounds (and who will eventually be about 33 pounds) need 56 grams of protein and a maximum of 21 grams of fat per day, while dogs who are about 33 pounds need 25 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat per day.^[7]
   • Pregnant and nursing dogs need more, however: a pregnant or nursing dog needs 69 grams of protein and 29 grams of fat per day, if she is about 33 pounds with six puppies.^[8]

4. 4

   Know how much your dog needs to thrive. Most dogs need about 2 to 3 percent of their weight per day--that is, 2 to 3 percent of the weight they should be for their breed. Therefore, a 30 pound dog needs 0.6 to 0.9 pounds of food per day.^[9]

5. 5

   Know your food. Research the amount of protein and fat in the food you are providing. You need to understand the nutritional make-up of the foods you are feeding your dog to make sure you are balancing his diet correctly.

   • For instance, 100 grams of chicken (about 3 ounces) has 31 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat.

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   Keep phosphorus and calcium at a 1:1 ratio. Meat is high in phosphorous, while bones are the opposite. Other types of raw foods have a balance, such as fish and eggs. Tripe is also a good source of both.^[10]

   • This ratio doesn't mean your dog's diet needs to be 50 percent bone. Rather, it means that the amount of calcium your dog is getting should be roughly the same as the amount of phosphorous he's getting, usually about 10 percent bone to 90 percent meat.^[11]

7. 7

   Buy a kitchen scale. The best way to know what you're feeding your dog is to measure it out. If you try to eyeball it, what you feed your dog could vary vastly everyday.

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1. 1

   Branch out. Tripe and chicken feet may sound gross to you, but your dog doesn't think the same way. To him, meat is meat. Plus, these cuts of meat are often cheaper to obtain. You can also try beef trachea, tails, and testicles. Beef and chicken feet are especially nutritious. ^[12]

2. 2

   Feed your dog muscle meats. The majority of what you give your dog should be muscle meat, equal to about 3/4 of her diet. Muscle meats can be from most animals, from cows to chickens to lamb.^[13] You can also try other meats, such as duck, moose, deer, turkey, rabbit, and goat.^[14]

3. 3

   Give your dog a bone. Dogs can and will chew up bones, providing necessary calcium to their diet. Your dog should be getting about 10 percent of his diet from bone.^[15]

   • In place of bone, you can use dried, ground eggshells. Pour 1/2 teaspoon in for every pound of meat you feed your dog.^[16]
   • When feeding your dog bones, you can use what's known as "raw, meaty bones," or bones that still have some meat on them.^[17]

4. 4

   Use organ meats but not too often. Organ meats such as liver are fine to feed your dog, and in fact, provide essential nutrients. However, they should only make up about 10 to 15 percent of your dog's diet. Try feeding it for a meal once or twice a week, or adding a few bits of it to your dogs meals several times a week.^[18]

   • Liver by itself should be about 5 percent of your dog's diet, while other organs, such as heart, kidney, spleen, and gizzards should make up the other 5 to 10 percent.^[19]

5. 5

   Add nutrients. The other 5 percent or so of your dog's diet can come from other sources, including vegetables, fruits, and grains. When feeding grains, you should cook before you give them to your dog.^[20]

   • If the meat your feeding your dog is corn-feed rather than grass-fed, you may need to add a flax seed oil or fish oil supplement to provide omega-3 fatty acids. You can also try feeding fatty fish twice a week to help counter this problem.^[21]
   • You should process vegetables before feeding them to your dog to help her get the most nutrients from them. Try pureeing them or juicing them to help break down nutrients. Alternatively, you can steam the vegetables for a few minutes. Dark, leafy greens are a good choice.^[22]

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1. 1

   Freeze certain meats. Some meats need to be frozen for a specific time period before you feed them to your dog. This process helps kill parasites that could harm your dog.^[23]

   • Pork and salmon should be frozen for at least 3 weeks prior to you giving them to your dog.^[24] However, some experts recommend never feeding salmon or trout raw.^[25]

2. 2

   Thaw in the refrigerator. The safest place to thaw meat is in the refrigerator, as it never leaves meat at an unsafe temperature. Be sure to place something under the package to catch any spills.^[26]

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   Don't wash your meat. It may be tempting to try to rid your meat of bacteria by washing it, but all that really does is spread the bacteria around. While washing it, you can splash it on the counter tops and around the sink, doing more harm than good.^[27]

4. 4

   Practice safe handling procedures. Keep all of the utensils you use for preparing raw foods separate from others in your kitchen. Wash them thoroughly in hot water and soap after using them, or put them in the dishwasher. Also, be sure to use disinfectant on any surface that came into contact with the raw food.^[28]

5. 5

   Avoid certain foods. You should never feed your dog the following fruits and vegetables: onions, corn on the cob, any fruits with pits, avocado pits, hops, raisins, or grapes. You should also not give your dog walnuts, macadamia nuts, raw dough, alcohol, or chocolate.^[29]

6. 6

   Don't feed cooked bones. When giving your dog bones, stick to raw bones. Cooked bones can splinter, causing problems for your dog.^[30]

7. 7

   Don't feed weight-bearing bones from large animals. In other words, don't feed bones such as a cow's femur to your dog because they can break teeth and cause digestion problems.^[31]

8. 8

   Pick up any leftovers. If your dog doesn't finish all of her food, cover it, and put in the refrigerator after she is done to preserve it.^[32]

9. 9

   Wash your hands. You should wash your hands thoroughly after handling any kind of dog food but especially after preparing raw dog food.^[33]

   • Scrub your hands in warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds after handling dog food. Be sure to get under your nails, as well.^[34]

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Add New Question

• Question

  My dog was diagnosed with leucocytosis. Now she's losing weight. I'm trying to cook for her because if she continues to lose weight, she will have to be put down. Any suggestions?

  

  Meals consisting of cooked meat and vegetables are the best for sick dogs.

• Question

  What is the best way to add extra fat to a dog's raw diet?

  

  Use cheap chicken or beef. Both have a high fat content to lower the cost of the product.

• Question

  Do you have any specific raw diet suggestions for dogs?

  

  Go with ground meats (chicken breast, turkey necks, beef ribs, and salmon are good for your dog), brown rice (more of a filler, go easy on that), and eggs (chicken or quail). Remember organ meat should not exceed 15%! Freeze wild animal meat for at least 6-8 weeks to kill parasites and do not feed your dog cooked bones.

• Question

  At what age can I start my puppy on the BARF diet?

  

  You can start them between 9-12 months old. I would aim for 9 months, it will make it easier for them to adjust.

• Question

  How do I work out how much raw food I should feed my dog by its weight?

  

  Generally you want to feed 2-3% of your dog's body weight. Weigh your dog, get the number, and multiply it by .02 for 2% or .03 for 3%. If your dog weighs 50 pounds, that is 50 x .03 = 1.5. So you will want to feed 1.5 pounds of food per day. If you feed twice a day, give .75 pounds per meal. Always watch your dog's body condition and adjust the amount of food accordingly. Some dogs who are very low energy or need to lose weight only need to be fed 1.5% of their body weight per day.

• Question

  It says not to feed a dog raw chicken bones, but there is raw chicken meat in their diet mixture. What is the difference?

  

  Crystal031305

  Community Answer

  They say chicken bones because the dog can choke on the bones. You can feed them raw chicken off the bone.

• Question

  What is meant by the term "wild animal meat?" Are we supposed to freeze all meats given to dogs?

  

  Yes, freeze the meat for at minimum 6 weeks to get rid of any bacteria infested in it.

• Question

  Can I give my dog cooked meats and treats if I put her on a raw diet?

  

  Treats should be okay, but not cooked meats. This will make her sick. If you put her on a raw diet, her body will adjust to that. If you give her cooked meat while her body is used to a raw diet, her body will basically not reject it.

• Question

  Is it safe to feed my dog completely raw chicken?

  

  Yes, it's safe to feed your dog raw chicken. However, never feed your dog chicken bones as these can cause intestinal damage.

• Question

  Can I feed uncooked chicken bones to my dog on a raw diet?

  

  No. I did once and my dog had to go to the vet and stay overnight. Try other raw meat, not chicken. It basically gave my dog food poisoning, he was very ill.

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Article SummaryX

Feeding your dog a raw food diet is possible, but you'll need to work with your vet and do a lot of research to make sure your dog is healthy enough first. Depending on your dog's size, age, and weight, it'll need a certain amount of protein and fat, so you'll need to research this first. This will ensure you don't underfeed or overfeed it. Once you've chosen the raw meat you want to feed your dog, look up how much protein and fat is in the food so you can work out how much to feed your dog. For more tips, including how to store and prepare raw meat for your dog, read on!

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Raw Food Diet for Dogs Portion Size

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Raw-Food-Diet-for-Dogs

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