Raw Feeding Guide
At I Want Pet Foods we know that raw feeding can be over complicated when you try to research it on the internet. We want to assure you that it is a very simple way of feeding that doesn't need to be difficult.
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This page is designed to help you from the start with some tips and tricks to help you on your way. If you follow this guide you will have no problems with your dogs diet!
Step 1 - How much to feed
Below is a raw feeding calculator, the first step to raw feeding is knowing how much to feed. Knowing this will give you an idea on what to buy, making it easier to work out how much it is costing per feed etc etc
Step 2 - What to feed?
When it comes to starting raw feeding we have always recommended starting with chicken, this is because its one of the most common flavoured dog foods, its gentle on the stomach and what dog doesn't enjoy chicken?
There are lots of different brands, flavours, prices shapes of raw dog food and choosing the right one can be a bit daunting. Each one has its own benefits which you will find helpful along the way. We will give you a quick breakdown on the brands that we recommend and find value in them.
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Durham Animal Feeds
This one is one of the most popular in our shop, they offer a large range a minces, bones and offal all packaged at 454g (1lb). They are very competitive on price and offer a good quality meat. The majority of their minces are 80/10/10 meaning that there is 80% Meat 10% Offal 10% Bone which is considered a balanced diet for dogs. It comes in packaging that is easy to open. Their boxes contain 14 blocks.
Below are a few of the boxes and packs that we recommend to start with your dog. The starter packs offer a range of minces, treats and information to help you out if you are still confused
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Nutriment
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Nutriment is one of the more expensive raw feeding brands but it does come with its benefits. It is more finely minced making it more suitable for small breeds. It contains fruit, veg and lots of supplements which your dog will reap the benefits of. Whilst this isn't necessary in a dogs diet, it does have huge advantages as it is all extra goodness that is in aid of your dog. The packs come mainly in 500g tubs packaged in black containers with a nice label on. We would 100% recommend this product. They also do specific flavours with supplements added in for dogs with liver, kidney and a few other health problems.
Below are some of the flavours we recommend, just bear in mind that this is packed with lots of extra ingredients to benefit your dog which is why it costs a bit more than other brands.
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Birmingham Raw, Natures Menu & Southcliffe are also good choices in raw dog food, they all offer a reasonable range of flavoured minces to suit all. Birmingham and Southcliffe are both reasonably new to the raw dog food scene and we are looking forward to what they bring to the table. Natures menu offer a range of different types of raw food such as Free Flow, Natures Variety, their single blocks, and quite a range of dried pet products as well, not all there minces are considered completes where the other two are.
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Below are some of the chosen products that we thing are worth checking out!
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Step 3 - Feeding the raw food
Now we have covered the brands that we sell its time to move onto feeding. This is a very simple bit so it won't take up much of your time
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We recommend leaving your raw food in a container either in the fridge or on the side out of the way to defrost for a 4 or more hours. Remember that calculator at the start? This will tell you how much to feed per day, portion the meals up into the relevant sizes and place down for your dog to eat. When feeding raw you will begin to notice the difference in about 2 weeks. Some of the differences you will notice will be, healthier teeth, shinier coat, better stools, improved digestion and so forth.
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The raw food may be kept in the fridge in a seal container for up to two days, by then you will have used it all anyway more than likely but if you have a small dog who doesn't require much you can partiality defrost, portion what you need up and then refreeze the rest. I bet your thinking, you can re freeze raw meat? You will be fine to do it once as dogs deal with bacteria a lot differently then us, they have stronger digestive tracts meaning that it is not going to effect them after one partial defrost. Don't take my word for gospel though, we would only recommend doing this once, don't go overboard and do it several times as this would cause issues.
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There are extra bits and bobs you can add into the diet but for a dog new to raw we recommend you stick to the basics for a few weeks before introducing anything else. We say this because if you add too much at once and your dog doesnt agree to it, it makes finding out what it was a whole lot harder for you. Later in this guide we will cover the extras you can add and the benefits of doing so.
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To make things even easier for you we have added a FREE Cheat sheet PDF for you to download and use at your own leisure. Just click the icon to your left and it will take you straight to the information
Benefits of Raw Feeding
Benefits for Pets:
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Improved Teeth & Breath
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Reduced Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia
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Improved Immune System
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Increased Mental Stimulation
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Reduced Risk of Diabetes
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Helps Maintain Ideal Weight
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Reduced Allergies (Skin & Food)
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Less Ear Wax Build Up
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Increased Stamina
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Chewing Enrichment
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Bladder Control
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Shinier Coats
Benefits for Owners:
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Longer, Healthier Pet Life
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Reduced Chance of Disease
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Fewer Visits to the Vet
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Lower Dental Bills
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Less Shedding
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Healthier Stool, Less Odour
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Lessen Bad Breath
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Reduced Flatulence
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Reduced Hyperactivity
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Prevent Fleas & Ticks
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Reduce or Eliminate Prescriptions
Raw Feeding Extras
Now that we have gone through the basic of raw feeding, I'd like to cover a few other parts to raw feeding. As a beginner I would hold off on these for a few weeks at least before you start adding these treats, bones and supplements to your dogs diet. Remember these are not a necessity but they have there benefits and help keep it interesting for your dogs. We will cover items that we see have the most value and benefits to you and your pets
Treats/Bones
Treats/bones are a great way to add some excitement to your dogs meals. A few of our personal favourites are chicken feet, sprats, marrow bones, duck necks, turkey necks and much more. we will give you a quick run down on a few of them so you can understand the benefits.
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Chicken Feet
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High in protein
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Helps maintain dental hygiene
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Improves joint health
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Fewer calories than processed meat
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Eco-friendly
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Full of vitamins and nutrients
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High glucosamine and chondroitin content
Frozen Sprats
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Boosting and maintaining heart function.
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Improving the glossiness of the coat.
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Decreasing itchiness and dryness of the skin.
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Decrease inflammatory processes such as allergies.
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Improve joint health and provide arthritic pain relief.
Duck Necks
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Frozen Duck Necks support oral health and clean teeth.
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They are high in single sourced protein.
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They include calcium, phosphorus and other minerals.
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They are a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin.
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Great Boredom breaker
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Supplements
Supplements are products that you add to your feeds to give them a boost in certain areas. For example, salmon oil has omega 3 which aids the skin and coat. We offer a few other supplements as well which are worth checking out. Again, why it is not a necessity to add these supplements we do advise at least adding one to help with the raw food diet.
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We hope that you found this guide helpful and if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to get in touch with one of the ways below, we liked to be quizzed so we can keep it all fresh in our minds
Increase Immunity
Improve immune health and resistance to illness and lethargia. Empower your dog or cat's health and energy levels with B.A.R.F.
No Tooth Plaque
No more filthy plaque filled teeth! Your dog or cat will maintain sparkling white teeth on the B.A.R.F. diet. Bad breath will also improve!
Improved Weight
Manage your dog or cat's weight with ease! B.A.R.F. means No more bloating or unwanted fat. This Raw Dog Food Guide has examples for meal planning
Improved Health
Overall health from physical activity levels, to emotional health, to the healthy appearance of your companions fur.
We can't possibly tell you everything you need to know on this page but if you are serious about improving your dogs diet and making them the best they can possibly can be!
Click the below link