Many are interested in feeding their pets raw food.  Here's a guide.

Going Raw Doesn't Have to be an Intimidating or Scary Experience

Many of you have a fear of feeding raw as we have been told that bones can be very dangerous to our pets and some worry not being able to feed a balanced homemade diet. To take away your worry, for this beginner recipe, I have used the products we carry to address those fear and as you begin and go further in your raw food journey, you will find and develop different recipes that are most suitable for your pet and your lifestyle.

How Much to Feed

Just like people, skinny, small and active pets, you would need to increase the proportion of food to bodyweight and overweight, non-active and large pets would need to decrease proportion. The Rule of Thumb is to feed 2% of ideal body weight per day. Ideal body weight is the weight that your dog or cat's breed is supposed to have - healthy weight. I feed about 5% daily to my the Buttons (My 2.5 kgs Pomeranians) and adjust the quantity based on their weight. Here is an example of how you calculate it:

• A healthy dog weight 11.4 kg
• Total intake per day should be about 230g (11.4 x 2%)

What to feed

Since this is for beginner, bone is skipped and replaced with Egg Shell Powder.

• Use red or white Meat * = approx 80% x 230g = 200g per day
• Use Freeze Dried Turkey Liver = approx 3%** x 230g = 7g per day
• Egg Shell Powder = approx 1/4 tsp per day (1/2 tsp for 450g of food)
• Omega 3 (CoatPlus Small Breed) = 2 capsules a day based on body weight

The above menu is for reference only, remember variety is key have as many different meats (red and white) as you can. *Meat can be beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, best is to buy reliable fresh meats and freeze them for 2 weeks (at least) before feeding. Freezing it for 2 or more weeks will kill most things. Starting with chicken and once your pet is on good track, you can start adding other meats. But in the beginning is best not to feed more than one type of protein per sitting. **% is based on our freeze dried organ only. If you are feeding fresh organ, you can feed about 10% per day. So the calculation will be 10% x 230g = 23g

Snacks

If you need to feed snack, feed fresh or freeze dried fruit and berries and should be at least 2 hours away from meals.g

Conclusion

Congratulations! Now you are ready for your first raw feeding meals, start to read more and join different raw feeding facebook groups. If you are still not sure, try a commercial raw or freeze dried dog food first; see our Natural Healthy Meals section to see what we have selected for you.