Is raw food good for dogs? How much raw food do I feed my dog? Get answers to all your raw food questions in our raw dog food for beginners guide!
If your dog struggles with allergies, weight issues, digestive problems, or any other common conditions that affect dogs, feeding raw dog food might be just the answer you are looking for.
For years, many dog owners have turned to raw dog foods as a solution pet food, and the results have been amazing. Feeding your dog as nature intended means that they will get nutrients from sources that their bodies are designed to digest, leading to improved overall health for dogs.
If you are looking for honest answers to your burning raw dog food questions, then this guide is for you. You will be able to understand why everyone is so obsessed with raw feeding and be able to confidently decide if feeding the best raw dog food is right for your pet.
What is a Raw Food Diet for Dogs?
How many raw food options to feed the dog? Can you feed your dog raw meat? Is raw food diets for dogs better for dogs than traditional dog foods like kibble or canned? What is the best raw dog food in Canada? All these dog food questions will be answered, but first, you need to understand what raw dog food is.
Raw dog food is not all that complicated; it’s uncooked or raw dog food. However, it’s more than just raw ingredients. It’s the idea of feeding your pet foods the way their ancestors ate. The way that they are anatomically designed to eat.
Domesticated or not, dogs and cats are full of carnivore traits. From teeth to tails, they are built for digesting the best meat, bone, and organ meats.
It’s a common misunderstanding that raw food for dogs is just meat. That’s a large part of it, but the best raw diet for dogs must contain all of their essential nutrients, so muscle meat, organ meats, meat bones, and even a little vegetation may be required to help them thrive.
You can’t feed your dog a high-quality raw steak and call it a day; you have to ensure that the dog's diet is nutritionally balanced. Incomplete or unbalanced diets can cause lifelong health problems from deficiencies or malnutrition.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about feeding your dog raw food diet so that you can take out the guesswork and be confident that you are choosing the best dog diet for your pooch.
Is Raw Food Better for Dogs?
Are you wondering - should I cook raw food for dogs? Is feeding your dog raw food diet good?
Raw Dog food allergies, obesity, diabetes, and cancer are more common than ever, and your dog's diet may have a lot to do with that. The rise in these life-threatening diseases has pushed us to dig deeper and find ways to prevent and treat our dogs naturally.
Feeding your dog high-quality raw dog food can family farms positively affect many aspects of their health, but before you get started, it's important to understand how and why raw food diets for dogs might be right for your dog.
Here are 6 reasons you should trust raw dog food to reliably and effectively improve your dog's health:
1. Cut the Junk
Junk food, sugars, heavily processed ingredients, and the pollutants and chemicals that come hand-in-hand with mass-produced raw dog food are getting harder to avoid, especially in pet best food. A growing desire to get back to nature, cut out junk, and improve our pets’ health has started to push us towards specialty pet foods.
We look for diets that use quality ingredients that are easy to digest and support our pets’ long-term health, but in many heavily processed diets, like kibble, there is still a huge blind spot for dog owners when it comes to knowing what's really in your dog's diet.
Feeding raw dog food lets you take back control of your dog's nutrition by cutting out the mystery ingredients and synthetic additives and replacing them with highly digestible nutrients from fresh, real best food.
Better nutrition leads to better skin and coat, healthier joints, improved digestion, and better weight management.
2. Fad Doesn't Mean Fake
It's easy to get swept up in fad diets; keto, vegan, and the ongoing long battle with grains, are just a few of the diets circulating in the crazy world of pet best food. We fall for some of these fads ourselves, but the merit of each of these dogs' diets depends on the individual, their health, and the diet’s application.
When it comes to your dog’s health, you need to understand that your dog is biologically different. A high-quality diet that may fit your lifestyle and beliefs and make you feel good might not be biologically appropriate raw food for your pet. They have different dietary needs than you, needs that can be met with complete and balanced raw pet food for dogs.
The only way to completely nourish our dogs is to feed them raw dog food that their bodies are designed to thrive on. This concept is called a “biologically appropriate diet.”
We'll admit that "biologically appropriate" is a bit of a catchy term used to get your attention, but it refers to feeding your dog based on how their species should eat. In this case, like their wolf ancestors.
RawfFeeding dogs this way is a common hot point in the pet foods industry, as it directly opposes the information that we have been taught for many years, but it's hard to argue with their ancestry or anatomy.
3. Dogs are Scavenging Carnivores
Even though dogs are technically classified as omnivores, meaning they can survive on both meat and/or plants, their history and bodies tell us a different story. We argue that dogs are scavenging carnivores.
Unlike obligate carnivores that must eat meat to survive, like dogs and cats, scavenging carnivores can adapt to the nutrients around them. They roam for raw prey and eat what is available. Dogs can survive on plant materials if they have to, but they will thrive on a diet made from minimally processed animal protein.
Sticking closer to their carnivorous roots can prevent common health problems like diabetes, obesity, and other life-threatening diseases linked to inappropriate diets and poor-quality ingredients.
4. Your Dog Eats Like a Carnivore
To help you better understand the benefits of feeding the best raw diet for dogs, you need to know how your dog digests pet food free range. Here are some physical features that support the idea that dogs are carnivores by nature:
Their Mouth
Digestion starts in your dog's mouth. The simple act of chewing sets dogs apart from animals that are suited to eating plant materials. This is based on two things: saliva and teeth shape.
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- Dogs do not have the digestive enzyme Amylase in their saliva. Other omnivores, like bears and people, secrete this enzyme to help kick-start the breakdown of the carbs in dry dog foods. Without this enzyme, dry food and carb-heavy best food can be more challenging for their bodies to digest.
- Omnivores have flatter and broader molars that allow them to grind grains, grass, and other plant material to begin the digestion process. Dog teeth fit together like scissors and are not meant for grinding but for tearing and slicing flesh.
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Find out more about your dog's needs in Dog Nutritional Requirements: An In-Depth Dive.
Their Stomach
The next carnivorous stage of digestion is the stomach. Your dog's stomach is more acidic than yours and other omnivores, allowing them to handle the bacteria found in raw meat and break down bone and connective tissues. Here's why:
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- Dogs have a larger stomach cavity that is designed to hold dog food for longer than ours does. This acid bath breaks down raw dog food and edible bone into chyme and reduces the bacteria to manageable levels.
- Chyme is a gooey mixture of pet best food, stomach acids, and digestive juices (yuck!) that is ready to move to the intestines for further breakdown, absorption, and excretion.
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Want to know more about your dog's digestion? The Dog Digestive System: A Beginners Guide to your Dog's Anatomy walks you through the entire digestive process.
5. Going Meat-Free is Possible, But Not Always Recommended
It may seem contradictory to the message of this article, but the fact is - Yes! Dogs can survive on a vegetarian or vegan diet. The trick is that vegetarian diets are hard to balance and can lead to your dog lacking important nutrients over time if you don't know what you're doing.
We are so used to trusting the labels on our pet foods that say complete and balanced, but we often overlook the fact that every dog is different. You need to look beyond the attention-grabbing buzzwords and pretty packaging to make sure that your dog is getting the complete and balanced nutrition that they need.
Why are there no vegetarian raw foods for dogs?
- Meat is the best source of many essential nutrients, like amino acids and omega fatty acids. In a plant-based diet, you would need to source nutrients from a broader spectrum of ingredients to get what you would get from one animal source.
- Some nutrients, like taurine, are extremely difficult to source from plants in the right quantities. Synthetic supplements can be added, but they are not as easy to digest and absorb as taurine from a natural food source.
- Plant-based diets are typically lower in protein too. While this isn't a deal-breaker for all dogs, it does mean that there is less protein to aid in muscle upkeep or growth. This can lead to weight issues in dogs and muscle loss that can affect joints and connective tissues.
6. It's Alive!
No, we are not suggesting feeding your raw live prey, much to their disappointment. When we say that the best raw dog food is alive, we are talking about the meat’s natural bacteria and enzymes.
Gently cooked and heavily processed foods don’t have helpful, live bacteria and enzymes that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. We call these dead foods.
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- Dead foods provide less nutrition and are less easily recognized by your pet's body because the nutrients are not in their natural state.
- High temperatures are used in extrusion and canning processes. Heat not only kills beneficial bacteria and enzymes but also changes some of the ingredients on a molecular level.
Not all raw dog foods contain these supportive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Some commercial raw dog food is made using pasteurization methods to eliminate the bacteria like salmonella. listeria, and e. Coli. The most common method is called High-Pressure Processing (HPP).
HPP uses extremely high pressure to destroy bacteria in raw dog food without the use of heat. This leaves the nutrients intact but kills the bacteria.
While this sounds great on paper, we can't dismiss the fact that not all bacteria are harmful, and HPP and other sanitization methods are ridding raw dog food of some of its beneficial components.
10 Big Benefits of Feeding Your Dog Raw
Now that you see the biological argument for raw dog food, it's time to address some of the benefits that you will notice after switching your raw dog. These benefits of a raw dog diet can help to solve some common health problems that you are dealing with in your dog and some that you may not have known they had.
1. Return to Nature
Raw dog food is the most natural diet for your dog. This style of food is as close as you can get to the natural, ancestral diet that dogs were designed to eat. It won't include cooked ingredients or heavily processed ingredients like meat or bone meal, refined carbohydrates, or artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives.
By feeding their bodies what they are designed to digest, they get more nutrients to help them maintain better overall health, reduce common health issues in dogs as they age, and minimize vet bills that can make or break many pet parents.
Raw fed dogs see fewer instances of diabetes, food allergies, chronic digestive issues, and other illnesses and diseases that can affect both the quantity and quality of your dog's life.
2. Less Smelly stool
If you own a dog, then you are familiar with the worst part of dog ownership: the clean-up. Whether you are bagging fresh poop on a walk, scooping the landmines from your yard, or dealing with a sudden digestive surprise on the carpet, no one likes hovering over a fresh one.
There's no need to sugarcoat that poop is gross; I think we are all nauseatingly aware. A raw diet can reduce the volume and odour of their stool to a more manageable and tolerable level. Raw poops, as they are playfully called, resemble round, firm rabbit poop.
It will also improve the consistency and frequency of their bowel movements so you can plan your dog's routine around their bathroom needs.
3. Improved Coat Health
Everything in your dog's body is connected in some way or another. Your dog's skin and coat are affected by how the rest of its systems function. Poor digestion or absorption of nutrients can affect cell cycles, how the body uses nutrients, and their skin and coat health.
Dry skin, excessive shedding, itchiness, and inflammation are common dog health issues that can all be caused by a lack of or improper balance of nutrients in your dog's diet. A raw diet provides the most natural sources of these essential nutrients in a form that is easy for your dog's body to recognize and use.
Another important factor in skin and coat health is hydration. Feeding a high-moisture diet will not deter your raw dog from its natural drinking habits. However, it will help improve digestion and flush toxins and bacteria out of their system.
4. Weight Control
Obesity is a huge problem in dogs, worsened by inactive lifestyles, eating far too many treats or calories, and diets that aren’t biologically appropriate.
Feeding your dog raw food will not fix all of your dog's body weight issues, but it can help. Raw dog food is calorie-dense and easy to digest, allowing you to feed your dog raw meat in smaller portions and provide better nutrition and energy to your dog.
Being calorie-dense, it's important to not over or underfeed your dog. Check out how much raw food to feed your dog below to learn more about raw dog food for beginners.
5. Assists Renal Function
We all know that water is essential, but you may not realize that kibble and other dry dog food diets can leave your dog dehydrated. Dehydration can decrease digestive function, slow the process of waste removal, and lead to recurring urinary tract problems like infection and crystals.
The high moisture content in raw animal protein helps the kidneys flush these toxins through the urinary tract. This support can also reduce unnecessary strain on the kidneys and prevent possible kidney diseases in their senior years.
A moisture-rich diet will encourage more frequent and healthy urination, which will dilute urine and flush out bacteria.
Helpful Resource:
How Long Can Dogs Hold Their Pee
6. Improved Bioavailability
An ingredient's bioavailability refers to how digestible and usable the nutrients in raw dog food are. When ingredients are exposed to high temperatures, like those used by most cooked dog food manufacturers, nutrients are denatured, making them less biologically available.
This means that they may yield less nutrition than before it was processed. The heat from processing can also change the composition of essential fatty acids, amino acids, and enzymes used to support your dog's body.
Raw-fed dogs are often healthier overall because the ingredients in their diet are more natural and easier for your dog's body to break down and use.
7. Natural Nutrients
Synthetic vitamins are not always nutritionally equivalent or as biologically available as naturally sourced vitamins from raw ingredients. While some synthetic and natural raw dog food digest and are absorbed the same, others are more potent in their natural form. Natural raw dog food vitamins, however, are extra beneficial.
For example, natural Vitamin A and E are roughly twice as bioavailable as synthetic Vitamin E.
Vitamin C is also thought to be more efficiently utilized by your dog's body when the natural flavonoids in their fruit hosts are present. according to one study:
"A significant proportion of animal studies show enhanced circulating and organ levels of vitamin C in the presence of food-derived or purified flavonoids,”
Deficiencies caused by the malabsorption of synthetic vitamins can lead to a damaging effect on cells and normal organ function, so most of the nutrients should be sourced from real foods.
8. Dental Health Benefits
Enzymes in raw meat provide superior dental benefits compared to the abrasion from chewing kibble. These enzymes work by combating bacteria in the oral cavity that can cause dog breath, inflammation of the gums, and other serious dental health problems.
This does not omit the need for regular teeth brushing and dental care, but it will prevent rapid bacteria build-up in the mouth.
Feeding raw bones and natural chews can also provide superior dental health benefits. The abrasion from chewing them removes bacteria from hard-to-reach molars and strengthens their jaw.
9. Enhanced Metabolic Efficiency
Higher bioavailability of food improves the efficiency of your dog's metabolism. When all ingredients are utilized properly, and the raw dog receives optimal nutrition, its metabolism aids in burning fatty deposits and increasing and maintaining muscle mass.
Increased energy levels and stamina can be seen even in overweight and senior dogs and dogs with mobility issues, allowing for healthy exercise routines to be implemented.
The high fat and meat content also provides a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Reduced cravings can get rid of that hangry attitude that raw dogs can get. It also promotes better digestion and weight management.
10. Loaded with Flavour
The last, and sometimes the most helpful of the benefits of raw dog food diet, is the irresistible taste. Even the pickiest pets love raw food diet. When faced with a choice between kibble and raw meat, almost all dogs would choose raw food diets.
The texture will have your dog excited about mealtime. Puppies and even dogs missing a few teeth can enjoy this tasty raw dog food format.
4 Challenges of Feeding Your Dog Raw
Raw food diets look like the perfect diet choice on paper, but there are some inconveniences attached to feeding a raw dog food diet. Here are some common factors that can scare dog owners away from feeding raw.
1. Safety Concerns
There is a lot of fear and confusion around the safety of feeding your pet raw meat. Safe food handling practices are required for raw feeding. Feeding your dog raw food diet is not without some risks.
We’ve outlined some Raw Feeding Safety Tips below.
2. Sticker Shock
Probably the most apparent barrier, if you are hesitant about feeding your dog raw pet food, is the price tag. When you are used to seeing the price of kibble diets from the grocery store, the raw dog food section at your local pet store might seem shocking.
Of course, we need to break down the portions and weigh the benefits before we let the feeding cost scare us too much.
Yes, the best raw dog food is more expensive than most cooked commercial diets, but the long-term benefits and savings may help soften the price:
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- Improved overall health, as a result of raw feedings, will significantly reduce vet visits - other than routine check-ups - and can reduce the risk of serious health conditions later in life.
- We know it’s hard to justify a jump in the cost of pet care, especially in our current economy, but paying a little extra for raw dog food every month may also help you cut costs on other items that you use to care for your pet. Supplements, waste management supplies, and grooming supplies may not be needed as often or at all after switching.
This sticker shock is a turn-off for potential raw dog food feeders, but for many, the long-term benefits of feeding raw dog food do outweigh the short-term cost.
3. Meal Prep is Time-Consuming
Another drawback to choosing raw food for your dog is the preparation. Unlike kibble, which can be simply scooped, served, and forgotten, raw feedings take a little more work.
You need to be prepared to plan your dog’s meals by portioning them and defrosting the right amount of food from a single meal to up to 2-3 days worth of meals. You can read more below about How to Feed Your Dog Raw Food.
4. Your Vet May Not Approve
While the raw dog food fad isn't exactly new, its growing popularity has garnered some disapproval from some veterinarians. You may find that your vet isn't exactly supportive of your dog's raw diet, but that doesn't necessarily mean the diet is bad.
The veterinary community is mixed in their support of raw dog food, with some vets being vehemently opposed, some in full support, and others who may not advocate for raw but have taken the time to learn how to raw feed your dog food safely and are able to provide support to clients who have chosen this diet for their pets.
Why are vets against raw dog food?
There are many reasons that vets may not approve of feeding your dog raw food, but the most common concern is whether the diets are actually complete and balanced. Many commercial raw diets are complete and balanced, but not all of them, so if your vet expresses concern over your raw pet food, it's a good idea to at least hear them out.
A lack of regulation, especially in Canada, means that there are both commercial raw dog food diets that aren't nutritionally balanced for all breeds and life stages and a lot of homemade natural raw dog food recipes on the internet that are lacking vital nutrients. If you don't know what your dog needs or what their food provides, then you could end up doing more harm than good.
Even if your vet does not advocate for feeding, it's still a good idea to keep them informed of your pet's diet history and discuss the nutritional needs of your pet. The choice of what you feed your dog is up to you, but your vet is still a valuable tool in making sure you choose the best raw dog food.
How to Choose the Best Raw Dog Food
Many pet owners ask the question, “Is feeding your dog raw food good?” The answer is yes, especially when you pick an affordable raw dog food choice.
With an almost overwhelming number of feeding choices, it can seem daunting to find the diet that is right for your dog. There are many styles, formats, and flavours of raw dog food, each with its own pros and cons.
To find the best raw diet for dogs, start by narrowing down your options. What are your pet's specific needs? What are you looking for in dog food? If you are wondering what is the best raw food diet for dogs, you'll need to take a look at the make-up of the dog food to ensure that the diet meets your unique dog's needs.
After you determine how to support your dog's health, consider things like price, quantity, and ease of preparation.
Complete and Balanced Raw Dog Food
Not all raw dog foods are complete and balanced. There is little regulation for raw dog food labelling in Canada, so it can be challenging to navigate. Make sure you talk to your vet to ensure that the raw food diets you choose is not missing any essential nutrients.
Many raw dog food manufacturers, like Big Country Raw, have the option of complete raw dog food and customizable options that you can add your own ingredients. Make sure you know the difference so that you don’t end up feeding a raw diet that isn’t complete.
How the diet is labelled can often give you an idea of whether the dog food is complete as is or if you need to add to it to ensure total nutrition for your dog:
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- Some diets are labelled as a Full Meal, Dinner, or Whole Prey to indicate the diet is complete, but others may not specify or use more ague wording. If you are not sure, ask. There is no harm in double-checking and lots of harm in unknowingly feeding your dog an incomplete diet.
- Diets labelled MBO (meat and bone only) are likely incomplete diets meant to be supplemented and customized. If you are unfamiliar with what’s needed to customize a balanced raw diet for dogs, it’s safer to stick to complete diets.
Types of Raw Dog Food
Every raw dog food brand offers something different, but they are all based loosely on the same two raw diet feedings styles: the BARF diet. This diet type was brought to prominence by renowned veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst (considered by some as the father of raw dog food).
Both diets have been around for decades (or longer) and are suitable for most dogs. This is why they are the foundation of commercial raw dog food. Let’s take a closer look:
BARF Diet for Dogs
The BARF diet stands for Bones and Feeding. This is the most popular style of a raw diet and has been adapted into many different variations. Here’s a basic breakdown of the BARF diet:
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- 70% muscle meat
- 10% edible bone (whole or ground bones, no bone meal)
- 8% vegetables
- 5% liver
- 5% other secreting organ meat
- 2% fruit
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This basic format ensures a proper variety of essential nutrients are available to meet the needs of most dogs. Most dog food manufacturers use food ingredients that are locally sourced, cost-effective, and nutrient-dense to craft their formulas.
Each raw dog food brand adjusts the BARF ratios depending on the nutrients in their food ingredients to ensure a complete diet for dogs.
Prey Model Diet for Dogs
The prey model raw diet is becoming very popular and is often seen as the more natural diet for your dog. Prey model raw diets are typically suitable for dogs and cats too, so they are preferred by multi-pet households. This formula is much simpler, and it usually does not change much between brands.
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- 80% muscle meat
- 10% edible bone (whole or ground bones, no bone meal)
- 5% liver
- 5% other secreting organ meat
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You may have noticed that there are no fruits, vegetables, or carbs of any sort in this diet. While this is commonly seen as the carnivore way, it’s important to take this information with a grain of salt.
Do carnivores need fruit and veg? While it’s hotly debated. Plant ingredients offer natural sources of minerals, antioxidants, and fibre. Even true carnivores nibble on leaves, grass, sticks, and the occasional berry.
Not all dogs need a raw diet that includes plant ingredients, but some dogs can benefit from it.
When feeding a whole prey diet, supplementing their diet with a small amount of fruits and veg can help to improve digestion. Check out Dog-Safe Fruits and Dog-Safe Vegetables to find the most appropriate options to help supplement your dog's raw diet.
What Kind of Raw Meat is Best for Dogs?
When feeding a raw dog food diet for dogs, you'll want to think about protein types. Rotational feeding, meaning including a variety of best food ingredients in your dog's diet, is recommended, especially in a raw dog food diet.
Every protein has a different make-up of nutrients, so regularly switching between a few different proteins will offer your dog a better balance of nutrition.
Some proteins are better suited to different growth stages, like the high calcium content in poultry, while others may only be important to dogs with specific health needs. For example, chicken has reduced potassium, but pork is rich in this essential mineral.
For a healthy dog, these considerations might not be as crucial, but for a canine who suffers from heart or kidney disease, they are factors you’ll want to weigh when picking raw dog food.
Meats that contain low potassium levels benefit animals with chronic kidney problems and low sodium meats are excellent options for dogs with heart conditions.
Beef, chicken, pork, and lamb are good options if your four-legged friend is prone to bladder stones, too. The meats contain lower levels of calcium and are also moderately low in magnesium which will help prevent stone development.
10 Best Animal Proteins in Raw Dog Food
Below are a few types of animal protein to consider when trying to find the best raw dog food for your pooch:
1. Bison (Also Called Buffalo) - Bison is brimming in CoQ10, which acts as an impressive antioxidant. Lean meat is low in cholesterol. It is also beneficial for pets that show allergy symptoms of raw dog food allergies to more common animal proteins.
One thing to note is that bison is higher in protein than other red meats. It has remarkably high concentrations of iron and essential fatty acids.
2. Beef - Beef is a classic raw meat dog's best food choice, and it is widely available compared to harder-to-find bison. It is loaded with essential amino acids that are needed by dogs of all ages. It is also a thorough source of zinc and iron.
Ideally, you should choose grass-fed beef instead of commercially processed beef. So-called confinement-raised beef is regularly fed antibiotics and hormones and is non-GMO grain free, which can all impact your dog’s long-term health.
3. Chicken - Even the pickiest pooch usually adores chicken. Poultry is a reliable source of vitamins A and B and niacin. Many dogs suffer from niacin deficiency which can lead to poor appetite, fatigue, skin health problems, dementia, and muscle weakness.
Always try to choose healthier free-range chicken turkeys so you can rest assured they are hormone-free.
4. Turkey - Your dog will profit from a raw dog food diet brimming with chicken. Both the bird’s white and dark meat are great sources of vitamin A, but dark meat contains higher levels of riboflavin, vitamins B6, B12, iron, and zinc.
If your dog suffers from anemia, then the animal will definitely benefit from the high-iron poultry choice.
5. Lamb - Lamb is favoured for improving the immune system function in canines.
A dog’s immune system requires zinc to manufacture and activate the immune system’s T-cells. A dog with low zinc levels usually has a weak immune response which makes them more susceptible to pneumonia and various infections.
The protein of lamb source also assists with wound healing, blood glucose stabilization, improved metabolic rate, and coat growth.
6. Duck - Duck offers a well-balanced ratio of amino acids. The waterfowl is also high in zinc, riboflavin, niacin, iron, phosphorus, and vitamins.
It is a major source of protein that often helps canines that suffer from inflammatory conditions. Feeding dogs raw dog food diet protein sources helps with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, which regularly occur as a result of aging.
7. Liver - An organ, liver meat fed in tiny amounts, can provide remarkably high concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It is also an ideal option for zinc, iron, manganese, and selenium.
8. Tripe - The term ‘tripe’ refers to a cow’s inner stomach lining. When fed raw, dog food provides many nutrients such as amino acids, probiotics, phytonutrients, enzymes, and omega-6 fatty acids. Green beef tripe is the best type of tripe for dogs because it is not bleached or heavily processed like the tripe that people eat.
Tripe is also low in phosphorus which is beneficial if your dog has reduced kidney function or some other urinary tract issue.
9. Eggs - Most pet owners who opt to feed a raw dog food diet focus on raw meat as a protein source, but eggs are also an excellent option for adding nutrients and protein to your dog's meals. Eggs have the highest biological value of any animal protein, which means it's highly digestible.
Find out more about the benefits and safety of feeding your dog eggs in Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs?
Eggs can be fed whole — including the shell, which is loaded with calcium. For best results, mix the egg into the meat. You can even grind the shells for easier chewing and digestion.
10. Novel Proteins - Uncommon proteins are popular when dealing with food allergies and digestive issues. Proteins like rabbit, goat, and kangaroo are all very lean and very expensive but can be a useful tool for identifying sensitivities.
Types of Raw Dog Food
Feeding the best raw dog food does require a bit more work than a typical dog diet, so look for raw food to feed your dog that fits your lifestyle. Let's break down the different formats of raw dog food so that you can choose the type that will be best for you and your dog.
1. What is Frozen Raw Dog Food?
Frozen raw foods are a ground mixture of raw dog food ingredients, starting with meat, and often include organ meats, bone, produce, and/or botanicals. The best raw dog food is typically sold in large blocks, chubs, tubs, or pre-portioned patties.
Each meal will need to be portioned out to meet your dog's feeding requirements. Choose the size and style that works best for you and your pet.
If you are looking for a complete meal that doesn't require extra supplements of vitamins and minerals, then choose a raw dog food diet labelled as such or those that follow the BARF diet model. Some of the terms you may see are full meals, dinners, and complete meals. This means that raw dog food contains all the essential nutrients needed in a standard complete diet.
Feeding a fully frozen raw diet, like K9 Choice Frozen raw Dog Food, doesn't mean that you can’t add more nutrients to your meals as needed. Try including edible or recreational meat bones, fresh produce, essential fatty acids, or any other supplements that can make the raw dog food better suited to your dog’s needs.
Don’t go overboard on the add-ins, though. Additional calories from "extras" might mean you need to increase activity or reduce regular feedings for your dog. You also want to avoid offering too many extra vitamins and minerals, as some can be toxic if fed in excess.
If you choose to feed an incomplete diet, be prepared to use supplements and other foods to balance the meals. Incomplete diets are customizable and allow you to have more control over your pet's food so that you can accommodate specific dietary needs, such as allergies, but it is much more difficult to ensure a biologically appropriate balance of nutrients.
Incomplete diets are not recommended for beginners. If you need to go this route for health problems, then I strongly recommend doing a lot of research to ensure you are offering the right nutrients to your dog.
Only choose this type of frozen raw dog food diet if you understand your dog's dietary needs. Many frozen raw dog food brands will offer recommendations of supplements and foods that can be used to balance their diets, like meats, fish oils, or kelp.
2. What is Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food?
For those looking for an easier-to-store option, freeze-dried raw dog food are a good choice. The moisture is removed by lowering and raising the temperature of the fresh raw dog food in a vacuum chamber, leaving a freeze-dried and nutrient-packed meal.
You can find them in similar varieties to frozen raw food diets but in more condensed and easier-to-prepare formats. Many pet parents consider freeze dried food for dogs to be one of the best raw dog food styles.
These are great for travelling, portioning smaller meals, and as a "whoops, I forgot to defrost some frozen raw last night" emergency option. They are also popular among pet owners who don't like handling frozen raw meat or just don't have the freezer space to dedicate to their dog's raw food.
Freeze-dried raw dog food, like Primal Pet Foods, often comes in pucks, bricks, or nuggets and can be easily rehydrated, giving the raw dog food a similar texture to canned dog foods. They are still essentially the same as freeze-dried without moisture, so handle them with the same care and safety as you would a freeze-dried raw diet.
If you are just starting to consider a frozen raw diet, but aren’t quite sure if it’s right for your dog, then use a freeze-dried meal topper, like Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers, to test out raw dog food before trying frozen raw. Just add a few pieces to your dog’s diet to start seeing the benefits of Canadian frozen raw dog food.
Check out What is the Best Freeze Dried Dog Food to help find the right formula for your pooch.
3. What is Dehydrated Raw Dog Food?
Another style of raw diet that is popular for those looking for something a little less messy is dehydrated raw dog food. Another style of raw diet that is popular for those looking for something a little less messy is dehydrated raw dog food. The moisture is removed using very low heat, leaving shelf-stable and nutrient-rich dog food.
They come in a few different styles to suit your and your dog's needs, but each style has positives and negatives. Take a look at some of the options:
Ready-To-Eat Dehydrated Dog Foods
If you are looking for raw nutrition in a kibble-like format, then try dehydrated dog food, like Smack, that is designed to be fed as is. These are a simple choice that offers similar nutrients and benefits to a freeze-dried or fresh raw diet.
Air-dried dog foods are another style of ready-to-eat raw dog food. These have a very palatable texture and are a great option for extremely picky pups. Check out ZiwiPeak Air-Dried Dog Food.
The convenience of this diet type may be appealing for some, but they do have some downsides. For one, raw diets do not have the benefit of the high moisture content that freeze-dried or fresh raw food diets for dogs do. This does not negate the nutritional benefits but may not suit all of your pet's needs.
Secondly, this is not the best option for anyone looking to stay within a budget. Just like most consumer goods, you pay for convenience. Feeding a large breed or multiple dogs can add up quickly.
Alternatively, you can use this style as a treat or topper for your pet's current diet. This is also a great way to introduce raw dog food slowly.
If you prefer the convenience of this raw dog food format, we encourage you to find other ways to supplement moisture in your pet's diet. Feeding bone broths, goat’s milk, and raw bones are a great way to ensure that your pet is receiving the moisture he needs but don't forget to supply accessible, fresh, and clean water at all times.
Freeze-dried and dehydrated dog food can be made with room temp or lukewarm water for pets that aren’t used to cold food. Never use boiling or hot water, as this will cook the food and alter the nutrients in the diet.
Dehydrated Raw Dog Food
Some dehydrated diets require rehydration. They may look similar to freeze-dried dog food, but won’t be as finely ground. These can be easily made to order, prepared in advance, or taken on the go. Once rehydrated, the raw dog food will have a texture similar to a canned diet.
Like the ready-to-eat formats, these raw diets are not the cheapest feeding style, although some formulas are more budget-friendly than others depending on the complexity of the formula. They are a favourite for anyone with limited storage space or just grossed out by raw meat diet.
Not all dehydrated dog foods are raw dog foods. Popular brands like Grandma Lucy’s and The Honest Kitchen offers high-quality dehydrated meals that are quickly blanched before dehydration. While they aren’t quite as natural as frozen raw dog foods, they will lose less nutrition than kibble or canned dog food that is cooked at high temperatures.
Another perk of dehydrated raw dog food is that you can buy premix raw diets that allow you to customize your dog's raw food by adding your own meat diet to a balanced premix. Sojos Mix-A-Meal is a great example of a diet that you can customize to suit your dog's needs, whether it be health or just preference.
Need more recommendations? Our 5 Best Dehydrated Dog Foods can help point you in the right direction!
4. What is Homemade Raw Dog Food?
For dogs with certain allergies or illnesses, feeding dog food might be an option. Using a basic ratio of food ingredients, a raw diet can be customized at home to suit the individual needs of your dog.
As we become more comfortable with feeding raw dog food and more aware of the raw dog food industry’s flaws, you may be considering homemade raw dog food diets to take more control of your pet's health.
Another reason pet owners are turning to raw dog food is to help balance out the rising costs of raw dog food ingredients, especially in raw dog food diets for dogs. It's becoming less and less affordable to raw feed, and if you have a pet with dietary restrictions, like allergies to specific animal proteins, those costs can soar even higher.
Feeding homemade diets for dogs allows you to source your own food ingredients and only feed what you know your dog can have.
Before choosing to make your dog's diet at home, I encourage you to do lots of research and talk to a holistic vet with experience in crafting raw dog food Canada recipes. This will prevent unbalanced raw diets or a diet lacking essential nutrients.
How to Make Raw Dog Food
To learn more about what your dog requires from a homemade meal, we recommend reading Homemade Best Raw Dog Food: A Complete and Balanced Raw Diet for Your Dog. It breaks down the basics of what makes up a raw diet and provides helpful tips for getting started.
Homemade diets can be tricky, and I only recommend this style of food for experienced raw feeders. It’s just too easy to feed a poorly balanced diet that could have long-term consequences on your pet’s health.
Helpful Resource:
How to Feed Raw Dog Food
Now you know the advantages of feeding raw and how to choose the right type of diet, but just what are you getting yourself into? Choosing the food and feeding the food are two different things.
I'm not going to lie; feeding your dog a raw diet isn't as simple as throwing kibble into a bowl and walking away. The best raw dog food diets require you to be more involved in your dog's meal prep and eating habits. It's an investment of both money and time, but if you want the best for your dog, some sacrifices need to be made.
There are a few extra steps involved in feeding your dog a raw diet. Build a consistent routine to help simplify the daily and weekly process of feeding raw dog food. You'll see that raw dog food preparation isn't as complicated as it sounds.
These helpful tips and best practices can ensure that you are raw feeding dogs appropriately and that your dog will thrive on its new raw diet.
How Much Raw Dog Food To Feed Dog
How much raw dog food should I feed my dog? Raw dog food is not one-size-fits-all. Unlike kibble diets that offer formulas for puppies, seniors, or large and small breeds, to find the best raw dog food diet, you may need to learn to customize a commercial raw dog food to best suit your dog's specific nutritional needs.
Raw dog food is usually an all-life stage dog diet, meaning that it is generally suitable for all breeds and all life stages, from a young puppy or adult dog all the way up to a senior dog, but that doesn’t mean that every formula is perfectly balanced for your dog. How much raw food you feed your dog can change depending on age, breed,
How Much Raw Dog Food To Feed Dog
and lifestyle.
More than that, raw feeding guidelines may need to be adjusted to accommodate changes to routine and activity. This can be done as needed or seasonally to accommodate your dog's normal activity throughout the year and prevent unwanted weight gain or loss in your dog.
Here’s a simple taw dog food calculator tool to give you a basic guideline of how much freeze dried raw dog food to feed:
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Can Puppies Eat Raw Dog Food?
During developmental stages, puppies have an increased requirement for certain nutrients. Their bodies are growing and changing rapidly, so their diets need to supply the right types and quantities of nutrients required to support this growth and maintenance as they age.
Many pet owners wonder - Should I feed raw food to my puppy?” From supporting energy levels need to cognitive development, puppies and seniors have some common nutritional requirements that a raw dog food diet can meet.
Raw dog food is also recommended for senior dogs. You may not think puppies and seniors have that much in common, but the nutrients in raw do as much for growth as they do the slowing the decline of an aging dog.
Check out a few nutrients to consider when choosing the right raw puppy food and raw senior dog food.
Omega Fatty Acids in Animal Fat and Oils
Puppies and senior dogs have some similarities. Both need nutrients to support cognitive function, skeletal structure, and muscle mass. Therefore, their diets may need to be supplemented to ensure they are getting the nutrients needed to stay healthy as their bodies adapt to changes.
Omega fatty acids are essential for dogs of all life stages, but certain fatty acids are more important to support cognitive function while the brain is developing and to prevent cognitive decline. DHA is the fatty acid required to provide this support.
DHA is best sourced from animal fats and oils, as very few plant sources have an abundant concentration of this fatty acid. Supplementing your young and old dogs with fish oil supplements or offering fresh raw fish as part of their diet is the best way to supply biologically appropriate levels of DHA.
While salmon oil is the most popular fish oil supplement, it’s certainly not the only option. Herring, sardine, cod liver, Alaskan pollock, calamari, and seal oils all offer generous amounts of essential omega fatty acids.
Here are a few of our top picks:
If you prefer to feed raw, fresh, whole fish, then stick to small fish with soft meat bones that your dog can easily chew and digest. Sardines, anchovies, and mackerel are all great choices.
Start small and slowly increase portions to allow your dog to adapt to the increased fat levels in his diet. Fish or fish oil supplementation can be done daily or a few times per week if you prefer to offer it as a treat instead of a meal topper.
Calcium and Phosphorus in Raw Dog Food
Puppies go through several growth spurts in their first 12-18 months, so it's important to make sure that you're supplying the nutrients they need to help support their growing bones. Bones rely on calcium and phosphorus, which are sourced from meat bones and muscle meat, respectively.
Puppies do need a little extra calcium during their developmental stages. Offering raw edible meat bones or whole eggs as treats or meal toppers is a great way to offer a natural calcium boost.
Just remember that this should be done in moderation. Too much calcium can be harmful. During their first six months, puppies absorb up to 70% of their dietary calcium, which is stored in the body. Overfeeding calcium can cause growth abnormalities during developmental stages.
If your puppy's poop looks chalky or white, that’s a clear sign that you are feeding too much calcium.
Raw Dog Food is Calorie Dense
Puppies, even lazy ones, need more calories to support their constant growth. During times of high energy levels, they will need calories to support endurance, but even during downtime, your puppies' body is still hard at work.
Puppies require a high protein and high-fat diet to provide long-lasting and efficient energy levels for the body and the brain. Your puppy will be growing quickly, so you will need to adjust portion sizes as he gains weight and builds muscle.
Seniors, on the other hand, are slowing down. They don’t process calories as quickly and tend to have lower activity. You will need to adjust their calorie intake as they slow down. Old dogs also don’t need as much fat or sugary carbs but need plenty of lean protein.
Healthy fat is still good, so don’t skimp on the omegas, but limiting dietary fat and feeding leaner proteins can help your old doggo stay fit.
They still need high protein to help support long-term energy levels and maintain muscle mass. It’s a common misconception that senior pets don’t process protein as well. As long as the protein is fresh and good quality, most older pets do very well on high-protein foods like raw.
Though most raw dog food diets are all life stages, Instinct Pet Foods offers unique and tailored raw nutrition for puppies and senior dogs. These are a great place to start if you are new to raw and want something that doesn't need much adjusting or supplementation to suit your dog's life stage needs.
Raw Food for Large and Small Breed Puppies
Depending on your dog’s size, you may need to consider modifying its diet to support its breed characteristics. While their basic diets are the same, large and small breeds have subtle dietary differences.
Raw dog food is often considered a one-size-fits-all, which is why age or size-specific formulas are not common, but some dogs need some modifications to ensure they get the right nutrients for individual needs. This is especially true for puppies.
Their developmental stage can have a huge impact on the rest of their life, so feeding a diet that supports your puppy's breed and size might be important. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a raw diet for dogs.
Skeletal Support
We talked about the calcium and phosphorus requirements for puppies, but the size and breed of your dog can play a role, as well. Large-breed puppies are at a higher risk of osteoarthritis and other orthopedic issues.
You may think these are old dog ailments, but offering too much calcium can trigger these health problems at a young age. Avoid feeding too much additional calcium with their raw diet. Edible bones as treats should be limited to once or twice a week.
The one extra puzzle piece that needs to be considered is the right amount of vitamin D they get from their diet. Vitamins are a good thing in moderation, but one of the reasons that vitamin D can contribute to skeletal issues during puppyhood is that it increases the absorption of calcium.
Feeding too much calcium is bad, but when combined with a diet that is naturally high in vitamin D and you could be compounding the issue. It’s best to limit additional calcium supplementation to large breeds by offering edible bones less frequently.
One or two times per week is fine, but more than that, and you may be feeding too much. If you are looking to give your puppy something healthy to chew, then consider feeding bully sticks, beef tendons, or other non-bone natural chews.
Metabolism and Body Weight
Small breeds have a higher metabolic rate. This means that even when sitting still, their bodies burn more calories than a large breed dog. They use calories more efficiently and gain weight more gradually during their puppy stages. This puts less pressure and strain on the hips and joints.
Large breeds have a lot more growing to do, and that extra weight can damage the connective tissues that support their joints. This is why large breed dogs should monitor their calories to prevent gaining too much weight too fast.
When calculating how much raw dog food to feed for small and medium breed puppies vs large breed puppies, the smaller breeds will require a higher percentage of raw dog food based on their body weight.
Stick to more conservative portions for your large breed to slow growth and prevent joint issues. Don’t underfeed but try not to offer more than is needed. This will reduce wear and tear on your dog’s connective tissues and bones.
Keep in mind that both large and small breeds can quickly gain too much body weight if they are eating too much and not spending enough energy. Make sure that your feeding guidelines suit their activity levels.
Can a Dog Be Allergic to Raw Dog Food?
Many pet parents are turning to raw dog food as a solution to dog food allergies and poor digestion, but is it the perfect solution? Switching your dog to a limited ingredient and minimally processed diet can help to eliminate allergens and improve digestion, but that doesn't mean that dogs can't be allergic to something in their new raw dog.
True food allergies are not as common as you might think; they do exist. If your dog is allergic to an animal protein, even if the meat is raw, could still result in an allergic reaction. Make sure you choose a type of raw diet that avoids ingredients that you suspect are contributing to allergies and skin health issues.
The most common cause of skin reactions that are commonly mistaken for allergies is poor digestion. Switching to a raw diet can help, but rebalancing gut flora and improving digestion takes time, so don't expect immediate results.
How to Prepare Raw Dog Food
Not every raw dog food diet is designed the same. Portioning out your pet’s food may require you to divide and weigh large blocks of raw food for dogs, add supplements, or even mash the raw dog food to make it easier for your pet to eat.
Look for raw dog food that is in a format most suitable to your pet’s size. For larger dogs, blocks and patties are convenient. They tend to be the most cost-effective.
For small breed dogs and cats, dividing a 1 lb chub or block can be challenging. Some raw dog food offer options for smaller pets that are pre-portioned into kibble-sized morsels or 1 oz. cubes.
Make sure that whatever style you choose, that your dog will be able to eat the whole defrosted amount within 2-3 days.
Rehydrating
If freeze-dried or dehydrated diets are your choice, then you’ll need to add water before serving. Each brand will offer instructions for how much liquid you’ll need to rehydrate the food, but this is flexible. You can change the texture to your dog’s preference by adding more or less water.
You can also use liquids other than water. Bone broth and goat’s milk are great ways to rehydrate these diets and add a little extra nutrition or support to the meal.
Most freeze-dried diets will rehydrate in a few minutes, but some styles of dehydrated foods take longer. To save yourself some time, you can do some meal prep by rehydrating several meals overnight and freezing what you won’t use in the next three days. Then just defrost and serve.
Routine
Raw dog food digests quickly and efficiently, so work on a consistent feeding schedule. This type of routine will help you manage bowel movements, which will be fewer and smaller, and help you manage your pet’s weight, muscle meat development, and activity.
Feeding two meals per day is standard for an adult dog, but that may need to be increased depending on your dog’s calorie requirements and life stage.
Whatever routine works best for your and your dog’s schedule, try to be consistent. Their bodies will use calories more efficiently if meals are properly scheduled.
Making Adjustments
There are a few more factors that may influence your dog’s feeding requirements, like the breed.
The calorie-dense nature of raw diets is ideal for the average dog’s metabolism, but many breeds are also prone to weight problems. Small breeds are often at a higher risk of obesity because of their lifestyle. They are often indoor dogs and don’t always participate in the same physical activities.
Calories should be balanced with their activity levels. A strictly indoor dog that only leaves the house in a purse will not need the same calories as a dog park regular. Be prepared to adjust feeding guidelines depending on your dog’s energy output.
Stick to small changes at a time. One day of high energy does not justify double portions. Adjustments should be less than 10% at a time.
5 Safety Tips for Feeding Dogs Raw Diets
There is much debate over the safety of feeding raw meat diet to dogs. We've long been taught that the bacteria in raw meat diet can be harmful to us, so it's easy to assume the same for your dogs.
Knowing the right way to feed raw will ensure that you and your dog will stay safe. It is additionally helpful to know how much raw dog food to feed.
There are bacteria present in the raw meat diet. Scary bacteria like salmonella, e Coli, and listeria can be found in different types of raw meat diets. It’s important to keep this in mind when handling any raw meat.
Raw meat for dogs should be handled with the same caution we use with our own raw meat preparation. Safe food handling practices are a necessity. Wash your hands, utensils, and any surfaces that the raw meat diet is prepared with or on. This will prevent the spread of any harmful pathogens to you or anyone else in your home.
A common misconception is that this bacteria will harm our pets when it is ingested. The fact is that your dog’s digestive system is designed to handle this level of bacteria.
They have an extremely acidic stomach environment that can kill many bacteria and prevent the rest from colonizing their digestive system.
Their efficient digestive systems can also process food much faster than ours. This means that bacteria can pass through their system quickly enough to prevent the bacteria from populating any part of their digestive system. Nevertheless, there are many benefits of the best raw dog food!
1. Store it Properly for Risk Prevention
The fact that dogs can handle bacteria that we can't doesn’t mean that they are invincible. Improperly stored or prepared raw diets can still pose a risk to our pets.
How long can freeze-dried raw dog food sit out? Like the raw meat you prepare for your own meals, it shouldn’t be left out for long periods. Exposure to room temperature will allow the bacteria to multiply quickly.
Even though they can kill and pass these pathogens under normal conditions, if they are present in abundant enough amounts, they can still cause digestive issues.
Uneaten portions of raw dog food can be stored in the fridge for three days. If you are defrosting multiple meals at once, make sure you only take out what can be consumed within three days.
The materials that you use to store raw food should also be considered. Plastic cracks and scratches easily. Sometimes, these tiny, invisible marks on a bowl or container can host harmful bacteria transferred from the raw meat. Opt for glass, ceramic, or metal dishes and containers for feeding and storing.
One of our top picks is the Messy Mutts Raw Bowls. These stainless steel bowls are stackable and have silicone lids for safer food storage. They are great for prepping raw or dehydrated meals in advance.
Raw dog food should be kept freeze-dried until you are ready to use it. Only defrost what you will be able to store in the fridge and feed in the next two days.
How to Defrost Raw Dog Food?
The most common and safest way to defrost raw dog food orders is in the fridge. Taking out 2-3 days of the meals and storing them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight will be the safest way to defrost your dog's raw food.
There are faster ways to defrost raw dog food orders, but they are also riskier. If you are in a bind because you forgot to defrost some raw meat for yourself, your first instinct might be to use the microwave to speed up the defrost process, but please avoid this practice for your feeding dogs raw food.
Even on a lower power setting, the microwave can start to warm the raw meat enough to begin damaging the nutrients. Additionally, the best temperature for bacteria to thrive in is neither cold nor hot. This method of defrosting can allow bacteria to flourish quickly and could lead to the meat spoiling.
Forgot to take out food last night? That’s OK. This quick defrost method can save the day.
1. Fill the sink or a bowl with room temperature water, enough to cover the food.
2. Put the food, sealed in a Ziploc bag, into the water.
3. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
It will still take some time, but it will speed up the process. The thinner the layers of food, the faster it will defrost, so avoid stacking raw dog food patties while defrosting. Defrost just what you need for your dog's next meal, and place the remainder in the fridge to defrost the normal way.
2. Wash Your Hands
A little-known fact about pet food is that regardless of format, all pet food can host bacteria that can make us sick. Whether you are touching kibble, washing your hands and surfaces that the food touches is the best practice to prevent harmful bacteria from affecting you.
The biggest concern with raw is scary bacteria like salmonella and e Coli, both of which should be taken very seriously. How you handle your dog's food is important. Use common sense, and treat their raw dog food options just as you would treat your own raw meat.
3. Disinfect the Natural Way
Bowls should be cleaned after every meal, counters and utensils should be sanitized, and any surface or container that touches the food should be disinfected. Disinfecting makes us think of chemicals, but there are natural, pet-safe solutions to eliminate bacteria.
Use vinegar to clean surfaces, floors, bowls, and anything else used in raw feedings. Don't use full-strength vinegar, as that would be overpowering. Instead, use vinegar and water dilution. 10-15% vinegar to water is suitable for cleaning, and the smell will dissipate quickly.
4. Don't Leave it Out
Some dogs guzzle their raw dog food like it’s going out of style, but raw meal suggestions can be a bit trickier for daintier eaters. Kibbles can be left out for hours, even days, without a second thought, but raw meat should never be left out for more than 30 minutes at a time.
The best method for correcting this behaviour is taking the food away when your dog walks away from the bowl. Store it in the fridge until the next mealtime. Eventually, your dog will get used to eating larger portions at each sitting to provide the calories and nutrition that they require for their daily activities.
5. Avoid Plastic Bowls
As we mentioned above, plastic can scratch easily and create a place for bacteria to hide. Over time, those grooves will be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
Instead, choose metal, glass, or ceramic dog dishes, like the Be One Breed Bamboo Bowl Set. They are easy to clean and sanitize and will not host bacteria as plastic does.
Wash your dog bowls after every meal plan, and sanitize them at least once per week with a 10% vinegar and water solution. This will kill off any bacteria that has been caked onto the dish.
Travelling with Raw Dog Food
Raw dog food isn't the easiest type of dog food order to have on the go, so if you like to take your doggo on vacation with you, especially camping or hiking with your dog where there is nowhere to store the food, raw dog food is just not going to work. Or will it?
Dehydrated Raw Dog Food is Great On-the-Go
Dehydrated, freeze-dried, and air-dried raw diets offer a much more convenient format for raw feeding. They don't require the same freezer space as frozen raw dog foods. They are an excellent alternative style of raw dog foods for travel or last-minute meal plan and can be used as a treat or a meal topper too.
The only thing that these ancestral diets are missing is moisture. Many freeze-dried and some dehydrated diets are designed to be rehydrated, allowing you to take only what you need, while others marketed as scoop-and-serve styles will offer little moisture, similar to a kibble diet.
Can You Bring Dog Food From Canada to the US?
Did you find a Canadian option that might work for you? Are you wondering, can I bring dog foods into the US from Canada? Sadly, the answer is no for raw feeders. All pet food coming into the US from Canada is required to be shelf-stable, meaning no refrigeration is required.
Additionally, the USDA prohibits any sun-dried, or raw products across the border for personal use. This can be limiting if you are travelling with a raw-fed doggo, so you may want to look into some kibble-style dog foods that use very low temperatures to gently cook the food and retain nutrients normally lost in the extrusion process of kibble.
Take a look at some of our top oven-baked dog kibble brands like Carna4 and The Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters. These are great options to help ensure your dog is getting a natural and easy-to-digest ancestral diet while you are travelling and don't have access to your dog's regular raw food.
What about the other way around? Maybe? The wording from the CFIA and Canada Border Services Agency is a little vague. The requirements for bringing pet food into Canada from the US state that food must be:
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- a product of the US and commercially packaged
- in your possession when you cross the border, and the pet that will be eating the food
They don't specify whether the food must be shelf-stable or any size requirements, so it's possible that raw dog food is allowed, but you are better off calling ahead to find out instead of getting stuck at the border. It's also a good idea to have a meal plan for getting raw dog food locally at your destination to make sure you have a backup meal plan if you aren't able to cross the border with your dog's raw food options.
Transitioning to Raw Dog Food
Making the switch to raw dog foods is different for every dog. Some easily swap from one dog food diet to the next with no adverse effects, while others need a slower and softer transition.
You understand your dog better than anyone. How you transition should reflect what you know of your dog's eating habits and sensitivities. Their feeding routine should also suit your daily schedule.
Start by determining how much raw dog food to feed my dog. This will make it easier to be consistent during the transition and track changes and issues in their digestion, appearance, and energy.
Once you've found the food or recipe you want to feed, you'll need to decide how to introduce your dog’s new food. There are many different ways to transition your dog to raw dog foods, but here are the three most common methods:
How to Transition Your Dog to Raw Food?
Once you've found the best raw dog food for your pooch, then you may be wondering how to start feeding your dog a raw diet. How many raw food options do to feed my dog? Changing diets can be difficult for some dogs, so it's important to understand the safest and easiest ways to switch your dog to a raw dog food diet.
How you make the raw switch should be based on past dietary changes, current health issues, and your daily routine. Slower transitions take more time but may reduce reactions in some dogs. If your dog is known to have a sensitive stomach, then make sure you will be able to monitor your pet's food during the change.
The Quick Way
Going cold turkey is the most popular method for transitioning your dog to a raw dog food diet. This method is preferred by many pet owners who are comfortable with their dog's digestive health.
Simply fast your dog for 12 hours and switch entirely to a raw dog food diet. A digestive supplement, like Omega Alpha Probiotic 8 Plus or Carna4 Flora4 Sprouted Seeds to feed healthy gut flora and reduce tummy troubles during the raw dog food switch.
This method may seem abrupt, but it is the most effective method and has the best chance of minimizing digestive upsets during the transition.
The Slow Way
You can transition a little slower and give your dog time to adjust to the raw food, but it's not always the most efficient method.
Do this by cutting up some of the raw dog food into treat-sized pieces, and feeding them as treats over 2-3 days.
If your dog seems to be handling the raw pieces well, then fast him for 12 hours and replace one meal with raw, keeping the other meal suggestions as their original dog food diet. Try to keep the meals 8-10 hours apart.
Once you're sure your dog is digesting the raw dog food well, then it's time for a complete switch. Most pets can handle this transition with no issues, but give each step a few days before moving on to monitor stool quality and eating habits.
There is no one correct method for transitioning all dogs to raw. The style you choose should be based on your dog’s health and your own personal preference.
Nine times out of ten, I recommend the cold chicken turkey method, but special circumstances may warrant a more cautious approach. Connect with your vet to determine the most suitable options for supporting your dog’s digestive system during dietary changes.
You Are Raw Ready
With the right knowledge, choosing a raw diet should feel much less daunting. The results will help you provide the best life for your dog so that it can continue to bring joy to your home. Raw dog food brands like Instinct Raw Dog Foods offer life-stage options to help take out some of the guesswork when you are getting started.
If you are not quite ready for the mess and fuss of a freeze-dried raw dog diet, then check out a ready-to-eat dehydrated option like Canisource Grand Cru. It's a simple scoop and serves diet-style that can make the transition from kibble to raw a lot easier.
Or maybe your dog is suffering from allergies or digestion issues, and you need something limited and customizable. That's where a brand like Carnivora diets or Big Country Raw Pure formulas can be a great choice to take control of your dog's diet.
No matter how average or unique your dog's dietary needs are, there is a raw dog food option to help your pet thrive. Check out our full selection of the best raw dog food in Canada.
Give raw a chance. Your dog will thank you, and with the money, you’ll save on vet bills, and so will your wallet. Best of all, your dog will live its absolute best and healthiest life. Don't take it from us! Try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Is your dog ready for raw? Let us know why you are making the switch in the comments below!
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