Not sure whether to go full raw

[Shabnam S]

Hi, I’ve joined a bunch of raw feeding groups on Facebook and I’m sure I want to feed mostly raw while I’m there but then when I see cooked recipes here I start to doubt my decision. They told me to feed him (based on his age, weight, activity level) 17.92 ounces of raw muscle meat, 2.56 ounces of raw edible bone, 1.28 ounces of raw liver, 1.28 ounces of other secreting organs, 1.8 ounces of veggies (I’m assuming cooked), .512 ounces of nuts/ seeds, and .256 ounces of fruit. I was hoping @Dr. Jeff and others could tell me if this sounds good. Thanks!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for asking @Shabnam S!

The blend you mention sounds fine.

Please don't get confused about raw vs. cooked diets.

The raw is invariably higher in healing Vitality.

We have the cooked diets here as an option for everyone and especially for pet parents not used to feeding fresh food.

I will also mention that even though the ratio that you decribed is fine, it seems unduly complex and is really only important if you feed the same recipe at every meal.

If you vary diet, as dogs do in the wild, and as we do with our daily diets, the proportions can vary widely.

Reason being, that the nutrients balance out over time.

The only constant is the calcium requirements of dogs.

This only becomes relevant if you are not using eatable bone.

If that's the case, use either Eggshellent Calcium (very finely ground eggshells from Pet's Friend) or seaweed calcium (Animal Essentials).

 

[Dr. Christina]

Welcome.
What is your name and your pet's name?
So glad you are asking questions as we all continue to learn from each other.

I totally agree with Dr. Jeff that you are complicating things a bit. It is fine to do that and certainly better than commercial "dog" food.

Over the last 40 years of teaching and practicing holistic medicine, I saw many people decide that feeding fresh ingredients were the best for both people and animals. Recently I realized that a minor problem was to try to replace "dog" or "cat" food with fresh ingredients. A recipe. A formula.

In the wild, dogs are scavengers and eat a huge variety of foods (or none on some days) over a month. Until 100 years ago no "dog" food existed, so they also ate scraps of any people food. They did not eat the same meal twice a day for their entire life.

Does that make sense? Also, if you think about people you know - many of the same weight need to eat different amounts of different ingredients.

As we work to build vitality and balance, some clues include BEAM symptoms (behavior, energy, appetite and mood) and the early warning signs of an internal imbalance.

As you begin to feed your mixture above, or begin to try something a little less rigid, let us know how it is going!
Dr. Christina

 

[Shabnam S]

Thanks for asking @Shabnam S!

The blend you mention sounds fine.

Please don't get confused about raw vs. cooked diets.

The raw is invariably higher in healing Vitality.

We have the cooked diets here as an option for everyone and especially for pet parents not used to feeding fresh food.

I will also mention that even though the ratio that you decribed is fine, it seems unduly complex and is really only important if you feed the same recipe at every meal.

If you vary diet, as dogs do in the wild, and as we do with our daily diets, the proportions can vary widely.

Reason being, that the nutrients balance out over time.

The only constant is the calcium requirements of dogs.

This only becomes relevant if you are not using eatable bone.

If that's the case, use either Eggshellent Calcium (very finely ground eggshells from Pet's Friend) or seaweed calcium (Animal Essentials).

Thank you for the info @Dr. Jeff. I appreciate it. He isn’t used to eating like this and he’s very picky so it hasn’t been easy but I’m going to keep trying. I’m getting Answer’s detailed food tomorrow and hopefully he’ll want to eat it. I’ve gathered all of the files that were available from his past vets and am trying to get them into one email to send to you. I’m looking forward to setting up an appointment. Thanks!

 

[Shabnam S]

Welcome.
What is your name and your pet's name?
So glad you are asking questions as we all continue to learn from each other.

I totally agree with Dr. Jeff that you are complicating things a bit. It is fine to do that and certainly better than commercial "dog" food.

Over the last 40 years of teaching and practicing holistic medicine, I saw many people decide that feeding fresh ingredients were the best for both people and animals. Recently I realized that a minor problem was to try to replace "dog" or "cat" food with fresh ingredients. A recipe. A formula.

In the wild, dogs are scavengers and eat a huge variety of foods (or none on some days) over a month. Until 100 years ago no "dog" food existed, so they also ate scraps of any people food. They did not eat the same meal twice a day for their entire life.

Does that make sense? Also, if you think about people you know - many of the same weight need to eat different amounts of different ingredients.

As we work to build vitality and balance, some clues include BEAM symptoms (behavior, energy, appetite and mood) and the early warning signs of an internal imbalance.

As you begin to feed your mixture above, or begin to try something a little less rigid, let us know how it is going!
Dr. Christina

Hello @Dr. Christina,

Thanks for the information. My name is Shabnam and my dog’s name is Rajah.

I have a tendency to over complicate things. I am just worried that because he’s not eating pre-made food he’s not getting all the vitamins and nutrients he needs. But like I mentioned above to Dr. Jeff I’m getting him Answers pet food tomorrow and their detailed formula is pretty complete.

I’ve just noticed that he seems down since I stopped giving him kibble. He also had a game he liked to play while he ate his kibble and so I think he misses it. I just worry that he’s not eating enough or enough of what he needs. He just doesn’t seem as happy as he used to be. It’s been 13 days so I’m hoping over time he’ll feel better.

Thank you for all of the info. I appreciate it. Nice to meet you.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Great observation, Shabnam, about being down and the game he played with the kibble.

Once you stop worrying that you much provide all the vitamins and nutrients he needs (do you worry about that for yourself?) you can be much more creative in what you feed. Think about how you eat and how wild animals eat - you balance your nutrients with variety over time.

Try making some dry chunks (Amy has some recipies for them) and after he eats his meal (feed a little less), put down the chunks and see if he plays with them.

Try not feeding a mixture. Just offer pieces of different foods for a few weeks to see what he LOVES. A piece of everything you are eating. Try cooked, try raw.

Experiment. Play. This needs to be tasty and fun for him - easy and fun for you.

Veggies can be raw or cooked (best pureed for nutrition, whole for treats).

 

[Shabnam S]

Great observation, Shabnam, about being down and the game he played with the kibble.

Once you stop worrying that you much provide all the vitamins and nutrients he needs (do you worry about that for yourself?) you can be much more creative in what you feed. Think about how you eat and how wild animals eat - you balance your nutrients with variety over time.

Try making some dry chunks (Amy has some recipies for them) and after he eats his meal (feed a little less), put down the chunks and see if he plays with them.

Try not feeding a mixture. Just offer pieces of different foods for a few weeks to see what he LOVES. A piece of everything you are eating. Try cooked, try raw.

Experiment. Play. This needs to be tasty and fun for him - easy and fun for you.

Veggies can be raw or cooked (best pureed for nutrition, whole for treats).

Great idea @Dr. Christina! I will definitely try that.

I’ve been spending too much time on the Raw Feeding University facebook page and also on the perfectlyrawsome.com website they created because I’m trying too hard to keep up with them. It’s like a science over there. I’ll definitely give your great suggestions a try and relax more. Thank you!

 

[ChristineL]

Drs Jeff and Christina - I've been trying to switch my pup to complete raw (Answers) for a long time. He never liked the texture of raw food. However, he's recently been open to it a bit more but I have to be creative - I make "Answers sandwiches" (raw food in between some air-dried single protein treats) and he would eat a little bit. For the rest of his meal, I give him cooked food. After doing some research and getting in touch with Answers directly, I was told that mixing raw and cooked may or may not cause digestive upset. Answers had also suggested I use the "tough love" method - where I just give him raw food and if he doesn't eat, take it away and let him be hungry...try this for at most 2 days in a row. What is your take on it?

Also, when he's undergoing homeopathic treatment, should I just stick with cooked food if the chance of him getting diarrhea is less than if I abruptly change him to raw? What if raw food causes diarrhea (Answers said my pup may go through a phase of releasing toxins and that's through diarrhea). Would that create confusion in the picture of determining if the right remedy's given?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hiya.

Great questions as always!

The "answer" to whether the blend of raw and cooked might trigger diarrhea or other GI upset is found in his food history.

If he has done well with cooked in the past, then the combo. is not a problem.

Answers is 100% correct however that the cooked + raw could be a problem if he was not used to the cooked animal fats in the food.

Raw animals fats are fine, but the cooked ones may not be.

A 2 day fast is fine for most healthy pups.

Since your goal is to transition to more raw, during this time I would feed only on demand.

If he asks but won't eat what you're offering (raw or raw blend) then just tell him "sorry" and let him see you put the food back in the 'frig.

He'll probably eat next time he asks. It would also help if you make a big deal about the food you are taking out for him.

Regarding the food transition and dosing, the answer is that it depends.

It depends on the timing of any homeopathic dosing.

Exactly as you said, if you do both at once, it can be much more difficult to assess his response to the remedy.

However, it's still fine to transition to the higher Vitality raw food.

The Vitality boost will help him heal.