Some people opt to give their dogs a raw-food diet.
The most important part of a raw-food diet plan for your dog is a well-balanced raw meal that will provide sufficient nutrients. Nutrient intake is higher in dogs fed raw animal products versus those dogs fed rendered animal products; as dogs are carnivores, many people consider this reason to put their animals on a raw diet.
What's in the Meal?
Many raw food diets prepared at home combine raw meat with vegeatbles.
Raw meat and eggs should be the base of your dog's food pyramid, making up the largest portion of daily food intake. The next layer is raw bones (chicken necks, marrow bones and knuckle bones), and then raw vegetables. The smallest portion of the pyramid, sitting at the top, is supplements, such as vitamin C, kelp, alfalfa and omega-3 fats).
How Much to Feed
Meat is the mainstay in the canine diet.
Most raw feeders will feed 2 to 3 percent of their dog's body weight in raw meals. For example, a 50-pound dog would get about one pound of food. Follow the basic proportions of 80% meat to 10 percent organ/supplements (enough to mimic stomach contents of the animal) and 10 percent bone, but alter the amount you feed your dog according to its energy and activity level, age and variable conditions like pregnancy.
Supplement
Kelp, in powder form, is a frequently recommended supplement to raw food diets for dogs.
Feeding raw meat alone is not enough as part of a raw food diet, as meat is not a balanced food. Rounding out your dog's raw food diet helps to make up for missing vitamins and minerals. Supplement its food with kelp, alfalfa, vitamin C and omega-3 fats like cod liver oil.
Pregnancy
Raw bones like this marrow bone are recommended in raw food diets for dogs, especially during pregnancy.
If your dog is pregnant or nursing, feed her more than the normal amount of food to help with the developing puppies. Give generous amounts of raw, meaty bones up to about 10 to 14 days before whelping. Too much calcium during the whelping stage can cause birth defects like calcification of the soft tissues in the canine fetus.
Warnings
Young children can be more vulnerable to bacteria in raw meat.
Handling uncooked meat increases the risk of bacterial contamination. Use extra care around very young children, the elderly or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Tags: food diets, animal products, diets dogs, food diets dogs, kelp alfalfa, omega-3 fats, raw-food diet