Raw feeding

Raw feeding for dogs involves providing uncooked ingredients—primarily muscle meat, organs, bones, and sometimes fruits and vegetables—to mimic a dog’s ancestral diet. This approach has gained popularity, but it requires careful planning to ensure nutritional balance and safety.

Core Principles of Raw Feeding:

Balanced Nutrition: A complete raw diet should include muscle meat, organs, bones, and may also incorporate fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals.

Safe Handling: Raw meat can carry bacteria harmful to both dogs and humans. Always wash your hands and clean surfaces thoroughly after handling raw foods.

Gradual Transition: Transition your dog slowly to raw food by mixing increasing amounts of raw with their current diet over several days to weeks, allowing their digestive system to adjust.

Types of Raw Diets:

– BARF “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food” or “Bones and Raw Food” – Includes raw meat, bones, organs, and some plant matter.
– Prey Model – Mimics whole prey; mostly meat, organs, and bones, little/no plant matter.

– Commercial Raw – Pre-packaged, nutritionally balanced raw meals. Convenient, often meets nutritional standards.
– Homemade Raw – Prepared at home, tailored to dog’s needs . Requires careful supplementation.

Sample Homemade Raw Dog Food Recipe:
250g raw beef or lamb
1 cup raw carrots
1 cup raw apple
¼ cup defrosted peas
1½ cups cooked pumpkin or squash
⅔ cup cooked brown or basmati rice
4 tsp sunflower oil
4g fish oil
Vitamin/mineral supplements (as recommended by your vet)

Mix cooked and raw ingredients, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 weeks. Always consult your vet to ensure nutritional adequacy.

Benefits and Risks
Potential Benefits:
Shinier coat, healthier skin, cleaner teeth, higher energy, smaller stools.
Risks:
Nutritional imbalances (deficiencies or excesses in calcium, phosphorus, vitamins).
Bacterial contamination (salmonella, E. coli) risks for pets and humans.
Not suitable for puppies, immunocompromised dogs, or those with certain health conditions.

Other Diet Options for Dogs
–  (Dry) Commercial dry food, shelf-stable. Convenient, balanced, economical.
– Canned (Wet) Moist, commercial food. Palatable, higher moisture, costlier.
– Homemade Cooked – Cooked at home, tailored. Fresh, customizable, time-consuming.
– Vegetarian – Plant-based, requires careful balancing. For allergies, needs supplements.
– Grain-Free – No grains, often more protein/fat . For sensitivities, not always necessary.

Key Takeaways
Consult a vet or veterinary nutritionist before switching to a raw or homemade diet to ensure all nutritional needs are met.
Commercial raw diets offer convenience and are often formulated to meet nutritional standards.
Homemade raw diets require precise supplementation and careful ingredient selection to avoid deficiencies.
Consider your dog’s health, age, and lifestyle when choosing any diet, and transition gradually for best results.

Note: at JDC, we feed raw following BARF formula.