Advice

Moving Your Dog Onto Raw

First things first... stop feeding kibble.

When moving your dog onto raw food, we do not recommend starting straight away with pre-made complete meals. Most good-quality complete raw foods follow the 80/10/10 prey model ratio, which includes meat, bone and offal. However, when first transitioning, the bone and offal content can be too much for some dogs to digest immediately.

For the first 7 to 10 days, your dog’s stomach acidity will begin to adjust. A kibble-fed dog’s stomach pH is usually around 4 to 5, while raw feeding encourages this to drop to around pH 1 to 2. This stronger stomach acid helps your dog digest raw meat and bone safely and properly.

We recommend starting with boneless meats for the first few days. Offal is very nutrient-dense and can cause stomach upset if introduced too quickly, so it should be added gradually and in smaller amounts at the right stage of the transition.

How Much Do I Feed?

Most adult dogs eat around 2% to 3% of their ideal adult body weight per day.

A good starting point is 2% of their ideal weight, then adjust depending on your dog’s activity level, age and body condition. More active dogs may need slightly more, while less active dogs may need less.

You can also use our feeding calculator to help work out how much your dog should be eating each day.

  • Very thin: Ribs are easy to see or feel, with a very noticeable waist when viewed from above.
  • Underweight: Ribs are easy to feel, with a clear hourglass shape from above.
  • Ideal: Ribs can be felt, with a slight waist when viewed from above.
  • Overweight: Ribs are difficult to feel, with little to no visible waist.
  • Obese: Ribs are very difficult to feel, with no waist and a broad back when viewed from above.

Our Recommended Transition Stages

Stage 1: Days 1 to 7

For the first 5 to 7 days, we recommend feeding boneless, skinless chicken, turkey, duck, or green tripe.

Green tripe, either lamb or beef, is a great starting point as it is gentle on the stomach and acts as a natural probiotic. Avoid red meats at this stage, as they can be very rich.

During this first week, loose or darker stools can be normal as your dog adjusts to the new diet.

Stage 2: Introduce Bone

After stage one, you can begin introducing bone.

Stick with the starter protein you used during the first week, such as tripe, turkey, duck, or chicken, and add around 10% soft bone. This could include necks, wings, or a mince containing 10% meat and bone.

Stage 3: Introduce Organ

Once your dog is comfortable with meat and bone, you can begin introducing organ.

Aim for 5% liver and 5% another secreting organ. Introduce this slowly, as too much organ too soon can cause loose stools.

At this stage, you can also begin moving onto complete meals. Complete meals help ensure your dog is receiving the correct balance in each meal.

Stage 4: Introduce New Proteins

Start introducing new complete proteins gradually. Each new protein should be fed for a minimum of three days before introducing another.

This gives you enough time to notice whether a new protein is causing any digestive issues or sensitivities.

The more variety you can build over time, especially with red meats, the better.

Stage 5: Introduce Oily Fish

Once 3 to 4 new proteins have been successfully introduced, you can begin adding oily fish.

We recommend starting small with sprats, or you can use oily fish minces if preferred. Fish should make up around 15% of your dog or cat’s overall diet.

Stage 6: Introduce Raw Egg

Once fish has been introduced, you can begin adding raw egg.

For dogs, egg can be fed twice a week. For cats, one egg every other week is usually enough.

Chicken, duck, goose and quail eggs are all suitable. However, avoid chicken eggs if your dog has an intolerance to chicken.

What Is Raw Feeding?

Raw feeding, often known as BARF, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding, is based on feeding dogs and cats a diet that is closer to what they are naturally designed to eat.

Dogs and cats have a much lower stomach pH than humans, which helps them break down raw meat and bone.

Many commercial pet foods promise complete nutrition, but often contain ingredients such as sugars, meat meals and meat derivatives. Raw feeding focuses on simple, natural ingredients that are more appropriate for your pet’s digestive system.

What Is Prey Model Raw?

Prey Model Raw is based on an 80/10/10 ratio:

  • 80% meat
  • 10% bone
  • 10% secreting organ

You can also feed whole prey with fur or feathers included. Fur and feathers can act as a natural source of fibre, but care should be taken with weight-bearing bones.

The easiest way to ensure your dog receives a balanced raw diet is to feed good-quality complete meals. You can also add raw meaty bones with boneless mince twice a week to support oral health.

If your dog’s stools become white and crumbly, this can be a sign of too much bone. Adding more boneless meat can help correct the meat-to-bone ratio.

Important Note

Every dog is different, so always transition at your dog’s pace. If your dog has any existing health conditions, is very young, elderly, pregnant, or has a sensitive stomach, we recommend speaking to your vet or a raw feeding specialist before making changes to their diet.