How to Start Your Dog on a Raw Food Diet

The raw food diet for dogs is a controversial subject in the dog world, partially because veterinarians are rarely educated about raw feeding in vet school; and because there aren't many studies on the long-term effects of raw feeding dogs. If you are inclined to believe proponents of the raw food diet that it is healthier than serving your dog commercial food; it is vital to change your dog's diet in the proper manner to prevent intestinal stress.

Things You'll Need

  • Regular dog food
  • Raw meat with bones
  • Starchy vegetables like carrots and potatoes
  • Fruits like apples and oranges
  • Dairy like yogurt and cottage cheese
  • Eggs with shell
  • Plastic baggies
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Instructions

    • 1

      Reduce how much commercial dog food you serve by 25% on the first day. Substitute that 25% with a small amount of raw meat, bones, chopped starchy vegetables, chopped fruits, dairy and eggs.

      You may wish to mix a large portion of the raw mixture and keep in the refrigerator to save time. Any of the raw mixture that you will not use within a few days, freeze in meal-size portions in plastic baggies. The raw food diet is not an exact science: So play around with how much you include, remembering that the largest ingredient should be raw meat.

    • 2

      Serve half commercial dog food and half raw dog food on the second day. When feeding your dog raw food, make sure to always serve it in a clean, sanitized bowl. Although there is bacteria on the raw mixture to which your dog is naturally resistant, you do not want extra bacteria to build up in your dog's bowl.

    • 3

      Prepare 3/4 raw food with 1/4 of commercial food for your dog on the third day. Carefully monitor your dog's behavior and stool for unusual signs like listlessness or loose stool. If your dog appears to react adversely to the change in its diet, return to step 2. If your dog seems oblivious to the diet change, proceed to step 4.

    • 4

      Serve your dog 100% raw food on the fourth day. Observe your dog's weight and adjust the amount of food accordingly.