When feeding a raw diet, we do want to remind you of a few things:

• Never feed cooked bones to your pet.
• The object is balance over time, by using a variety of proteins, vegetables and fruits over the period of a month, you probably have everything covered. Balance over time.
• No matter what the pet food companies try to tell you, you don’t need a degree in science or nutrition to feed your dog or cat.
• Because processed and cooked foods digest at a different rate than raw food, it is recommended that you don’t feed a combination of kibble and raw.
• Dogs and cats weren’t designed to get a complete and balanced diet every meal of every day. What you want to achieve is a balance over time. There is no need to micromanage a raw food diet.

Most dogs and cats can make the switch to raw foods cold turkey. It is best to start with a few days of ground chicken only. Get their bodies used to raw foods with few variations, we can add variety in time. You should also include a digestive enzyme, which can be purchased at your pet supply store or health food store. Sprinkle this on the raw food, to help with digestion.

After two or three days on chicken only, start including vegetables and fruit. Start with half the recommended portion of vegetable matter. Increase slightly every few days, until you’re at the recommended portion. Mix the vegetable content with the meat portion for each meal.

If your pet is straining to defecate, increase the vegetable content and reduce the meaty bone portion of the diet. Conversely, if your pet is having too many loose stools, reduce the vegetable content and increase the meaty bone content.

Add supplements, such as kelp and an essential fatty acid after getting your pet settled on raw foods. We recommend adding back digestive enzymes for a couple of days each time you introduce a new protein source.

You know your pet best, if you feel your pet suffers from any severe illnesses, it may be best to make a slower transition. Talk to your veterinarian (who is not opposed to raw food feeding) on how to make the switch.

IMPORTANT: Always use safe handling practices when feeding raw meat products. Never cook products that contain bone. Information contained herein does not substitute veterinary advise. Healthy Paws does not assume responsibility for the care and handling of one's pets.

Recommended supplements

Kelp contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and E, plus zinc, biotin, bromine, calcium, choline, copper, inositol, iodine, PABA, potassium, selenium, sodium and sulphur. Its iodine content is very good for glands and organs, especially the thyroid and liver. It can bind with chemical pollutants in the gastrointestinal tract and prevent their absorption by the body. It increases the contractile force of the heart, improves circulation and is often used for hair loss, goiter, ulcers, obesity and mineral defi­ciency.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are extremely important for health and vitality. EFA deficiencies are correlated with degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, skin afflictions, dry skin, behavioral problems, poor wound healing, arthritis, and weakened immune functions.

Alfalfa For dogs, if you’re not feeding a variety of vegetables and fruit, we suggest supplementing with alfalfa, which contains vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, K and U, plus beta-carotene, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, protein, amino acids, trace elements and fibre.

How to feed a raw food diet

You will want to feed between 2 - 3 % of your pet’s ideal body weight, 2% for less active pets and 3% for more active pets. Puppies require anywhere from 5-10% of their body weight. You'll have to keep checking that s/he's not walking away from food or getting a big belly. If your pup walks away from food, it might be time to start reducing his/her daily intake.

We recommend chicken (necks and backs) comprise about 50% of the meat portion your pet’s diet. You can also substitute chicken necks with duck (necks) or turkey necks. Muscle meats should be about 40% and organ meats at least 10% of the meat portion of the diet. The meat (meat, bone & organ meat) will be about 60% of your dog's food intake.

Vegetable matter will make up 40% of a dog's diet, while only make up about 15% of a cat’s diet. The ingredients in our veggie packs will vary. We try to use vegeta­bles and fruits that are in season. By doing this, we help ensure your pet receives the widest possible variety of nutrients.

If your dog likes chewing on “recreational” bones, simply substitute a chicken (neck) meal with a muscle meat meal and let them get their bone content from the recreational beef bone. A recreational bone would be a beef, lamb pork, or any other large mammal bone. Along with regular exercise, recreational chewing will round out a well-balanced, healthy dog’s life.

If you have access to fresh/frozen fish, you can include that in the diet.

Variety will help ensure your pet is getting all the nutrients it needs to live a long and healthy life.

Feeding Table

Weight in Pounds	Total Daily Amount	Raw Meat/Bone Portions	Veggie Portion
10	1/4 lb	2 heaping Tbsp	1 level Tbsp
20	1/2 lb	4 heaping Tbsp	2 level Tbsp
30	3/4 lb	6 heaping Tbsp	3 level Tbsp
40	1 lb	2/3 lb	1/3 lb
50	1 1/4 lb	3/4 lb	1/2 lb
60	1 1/2 lb	1 lb	1/2 lb
70	1 3/4 lb	1 lb	3/4 lb
80	2 lb	1 1/4 lb	3/4 lb
90	2 1/4 lb	1 1/3 lb	3/4 lb
100	2 1/2 lb	1 1/2 lb	1 lb
110	2 2/3 lb	1 2/3 lb	1 lb
120	2 3/4 lb	1 1/2 lb	1 1/4 lb

Add offal to the veggie mix once a week. Substitute the RMB portion of the meal with the offal mix. The ratio should be 2 parts veggie to 1 part offal. Also feed muscle meat and eggs (with the shell) once a week. Just crush the egg shells with your hand or a fork and mix it in with the veggies for breakfast. Add yogurt or kefir for friendly bacteria and variety.