It can be scary thinking of starting your puppies on raw food diets, especially if you’re a first-time dog owner with no experience with raw dog food.
The short answer is yes. Your puppy can handle a raw diet as soon as they transition from milk. To help put your mind at ease, here are our best tips for starting your puppy on a raw diet!
Start Feeding Them a Raw Diet ASAP
We recommend swapping your puppy for raw food as soon as you can. If they are less than 16 weeks old, you should boil the meat for just under 10 minutes; otherwise, you can start them on a raw diet, no transition or prep needed – but you can mix it in with kibble to begin with, and transition over roughly two weeks if that works best for you and your pup.
Know How Much to Feed Your Pup
A good indicator that your puppy is getting the perfect amount of food is when you can feel their ribs but not see them. Usually, the amount of food your puppy requires is based on a percentage of their predicted adult weight. However, this can vary, so check out our Feeding Guide to help you determine what’s right for your puppy as it grows
Understand the BARF Diet, and the Benefits
The BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet consists of an 80/10/10 ratio; 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal – and 5% of the offal should specifically be liver. This ensures that your dog gets all the nutrients they need. We do still recommend adding in supplements, especially into delicious homemade treats! Check out our supplements page to view our range
Hold the Bones Until Your Pup is Over Six Months Old
Not only are they delicious for your dog, but raw bones also help keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy. However, only when they reach six months old should they be given raw bones, and these should only ever be fresh – cooked bones can splinter and can damage your puppy’s insides!
Know When to Feed Your Puppy
Just like children, puppies burn a lot of energy as they explore and play. We recommend you feed them four times a day in the first six months of their lives and three times a day until they are a year old. After this, you can feed them twice daily as they grow into adults.
Enjoy the Benefits!
Enjoy your time with your healthy, happy pup! Benefits of a raw diet include shinier coats, better teeth and gum health, improved fitness and more energy – but most importantly, you get a happier dog, with likely fewer vet trips they’ll hate, and isn’t that what all dog owners wish for?!
We hope this has answered some questions about starting your puppy on a raw food diet. Remember, dogs have different digestive systems to humans, so whilst this may be a little scary to you, you can rest assured that your puppy will love their delicious meals and be healthier because of them too!
We hope this has answered some questions you may have about starting your puppy on a raw food diet. Remember, dogs have different digestive systems to humans, so whilst this may be a little scary to you, you can rest assured that your puppy will love their delicious meals and be healthier because of them too!
