Starting Out with a Raw Diet

You've read all of the pros and cons's and have made the decision to give RAW feeding a shot. What now? Getting started can be one of the most intimidating parts of the entire process. How much to feed… what types of meat… and how to prepare the meals are some of the first questions that are asked by first timers. Another big question is always storage and where to obtain a good supply of mixed meats.

My goal in this article is to help you answer those questions and put your mind to rest. Along the way I'll try to head off a few of the more common stumbling blocks you'll run into along the way.

Raw feeding, in its most basic form, can be described as doing our best to duplicate the sort of diet that our companion animals would have in nature. Yes… I realize that you won't find many packs of wild toy poodles being tracked and studied on a National Geographic special but even though our domestic dogs look a lot different than their wild wolf cousins their digestive systems are identical.

Commercial dog food has only been with us for 70 years or so. Before that, our pets were generally fed the left-over parts of those animals that made up our own diets. One of the great features about RAW feeding is that, as a general rule, those parts of a food animal that we don't normally eat are some of the best things you can feed your pets. Careful shopping can easily keep your pet food bill well under a dollar a pound. Granted… a lot of the kibble you can buy costs half that much but there's another thing to think about.

A very large percentage of commercial dog food is made up of indigestible filler and simply passes through the dogs system. This produces more waste and tends to cause an "always hungry" feeling in the animals that are then prone to weight problems due to overeating. All of this filler just ends up in your yard as doggy land mines. RAW fed dogs digest and USE far more of their food and so produce substantially less waste.

It's a sad fact that MOST dogs and cats in this country are overweight. This condition leads to various health problems and shorter life spans. This is even more pronounced in the larger breeds. So much so in fact that it's quite common for owners to EXPECT larger breeds of dogs to have shorter lives. This is NOT necessary nor is it a natural condition. It's a direct result of an improper diet.

Let's start off with the two main beginner questions because until you have a source of food and a place to put it it's difficult to continue. Storage is simple… get yourself a chest freezer. How large will depend on the size and number of dogs your planning to feed but don't forget that your pets wont care if the meats slightly freezer burned. Buy in bulk whenever possible and don't be afraid to take any old or freezer burned meat off the hands of family and friends.

You need to start thinking of shopping for the ingredients of a RAW diet as hunting. That makes it a lot less work and can even be enjoyable. Check the internet for any RAW feeding Co-op's in your area. Be sure to check the meat ads from all of the local grocery stores for the best prices. Always keep a variety of meats, organs and fish on hand to provide a balanced diet and don't forget to take the time to cut and repackage larger portions into manageable, meal sized portions. (Note: Ziploc bags are your friend… buy them on sale and reuse the bags as many times as possible.) I've yet to have one of the monsters give me a dirty look for taking their dinner out of a used bag…

You'll hear a lot of talk about dangerous bacteria from the nay-Sayers but as long as you practice normal, safe food handling it won't be an issue. This is to protect you and your human family by the way. Dogs' digestive tracts are way to short to be bothered by such things unless they have a pre-existing stomach condition or a severely compromised immune system. RAW feeding is no more or no less dangerous in this respect as feeding commercial dog food. If you don't think I'm telling the truth here then you must not have been paying to the news lately.

So you understand all that part… how much do you feed at a time and what is a proper mix? Dog's and cats are quite adaptable by nature. Wild animals, after all have no control over the type and number of prey animals they can catch. What does this have to do with RAW feeding you ask? Simple… It makes the process a LOT easier. The target goal for most companion animals is 3% of their normal adult weight per meal. This includes puppies and kittens as they need the extra nutrition to grow.