RAW Easy Switch Guide
A raw diet does not need to be gradually introduced – mixing kibble with raw is not recommended as they are both digested at different rates. Prepare yourself for the switch by reading, researching, joining forums for support etc.
Make sure you have a good supply of raw food and you know how much you are feeding. Raw is fed at 2-3% of the ideal adult weight (puppies at 2-3% of their ideal ADULT weight) so work out how much you will need to feed. Please refer to our feeding guide for assistance.
Raw fed pets have much higher stomach acidity than kibble fed dogs. This is perfectly natural and is important in helping dogs to digest meat and bone. It is advised when switching to feed just one protein for a week or two, for example either chicken or lamb mince. This helps a dog’s digestive system to slowly adjust to his new diet. It also helps by allowing the stomach acidity to gradually increase. Pets that are given bone straight away often vomit it back up a few hours later (some don’t and that is fine too). This is because the stomach acids have not increased sufficiently to properly digest bones. Don’t panic – if they are sick and seem fine in every other way, they may just need a little more time for their stomachs to adjust.
Raw fed pets obtain a lot of moisture from their food so you will notice your pet drinking less which is perfectly normal. You will also notice that stools are much smaller and pellet-like which, again, is normal.
Bone should be fed sparingly and should always be supervised. Too much bone will cause constipation and could lead to impaction. Bone should be fed in small amounts of 10% of daily allowance or 20% every other day. Never give two bone meals consecutively, a balanced and nutritionally correct raw diet should consist of 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal with 5% of the offal being liver. It is very important to make sure liver is given at 5% of the overall diet. By feeding these ratios you can be sure your pet is getting 100% of the nutrients he needs.
Many people like to add vegetables and/or fruit to their dog’s raw diet. This does no harm but is not essential. Dogs do not possess stomach enzymes capable of breaking down cellulose (vegetable matter) so mostly it just passes through! A raw vegetable treat like a carrot or banana goes down well with many dogs and is certainly better than a processed treat. If you have any concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact us:-
Email: petfood@laverstokepark.co.uk