Get a free download to our Raw Feeding Dog Guide to help you and your dog transition to a healthier lifestyle.
**Advice and content of this page is based on my own personal experience from working in veterinary clinics and owning dogs. Utilizing this post and website in general is not intended to replace the medical advice given by your veterinarian. Always consult with a veterinarian for medical advice concerning your pets care.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed about what you should be feeding your dog, you are not alone. When I first started learning about dog nutrition, I quickly fell into analysis paralysis. So, I kept delaying switching my dog to a healthier diet because I wasn't sure where to begin.
That's why I put together a complete guide on how to start improving your dog's diet and making the transition to raw food. This is the guide I wish someone had given me when I first started learning about nutrition!
You can get a free download at the bottom of this post!
Raw Feeding Dog Guide
If you're anything like me, wanting to do the best for your dog goes without saying. However, not knowing where to start makes it difficult to start feeding your dog better.
There are so many thousands of books, ideas, youtube videos, pinterest pins and podcasts that it's almost impossible to feel like you're getting quality information.
Should I Feed my Dog Raw Food?
Always consult your veterinarian for specific advice as it pertains to your dog and their individual health needs. There are risks to everything. Just like there are risks to feeding dogs raw diets, there are also risks to feeding your dog just kibble.
Kibble is an easy, convenient way to feed your dog. However, eating one type of food for your entire life, doesn't exactly meet all the ideal health standards. Especially when that food doesn't grow on trees and is manufactured to be stored at room temperature in a bag or can.
Raw Dog Food For Beginners
While feeding dogs 100% whole food would be an ideal diet for many dogs, feeding half whole and half kibble can be a good substitute, because.. well expensive...
A guideline that might be helpful to start in the beginning is to aim for 10% of your dog's diet to be real, whole foods. You can do this by adding in one thing a day that you don't usually feed your dog, like carrots, broccoli, seeds, or a spice!
Then, as you become more comfortable and discover what your dog enjoys, you can start to add in more things.
Even if you can work up to a point where your dog's diet is 50/50 kibble to whole food, that's a much healthier diet than 100% kibble.
If you are looking for a detailed account on how and why to feed your dog whole food diet, then your research only starts here!
One of the must-read books for any dog owner is the Forever Dog. This book is written for dog owners who want to enjoy their dog for as long as possible. The Forever Dog discusses the supply and demand plus the research backing the kibble industry (spoiler: the dog food industry IS a for-profit industry).
This book also discusses what veterinarians recommend, why they recommend it, and how to find a veterinarian that has your best interest in mind.
The Forever Dog
Regular Price: $11-$31
The Forever Dog is one of the most essential reads for dog owners who want their dog to live longer. It's a great book for anyone, regardless of their pre-existing knowledge of dog nutrition. You can grab it as a paperback, kindle or audiobook!
While this book is a great place to start, sometimes it's easier to just visualize what you should feed your dog. What does an actual, half-whole food half-kibble diet look like?
That's why I took all the knowledge I learned from the Forever Dog and a few other sources, and put it together into one guide to share how I transitioned my dogs safely onto a better diet!
Once you start adding in things like eggs, seeds, spices, or even some prepackaged meals, you'll start to see your dog adjust to a healthier weight, their skin and hair look and feel healthy, and they have more energy!
In this guide you'll learn:
- Things to absolutely avoid feeding your dog
- What results to look for by feeding a healthier diet
- 7 Ideas for upgrading your dog's diet
- How to use things you already have in your kitchen
- Learn 3 steps for improving your dog's meals without buying anything extra for your dog.
7 Easy Steps to Improve your Dog's Diet (+11 Example Meals)
Raw Dog Food Calculator
If you are looking to feed 100% raw food, there are several online raw dog food calculators that you can use to help check to make sure your dog is getting the proper nutrition requirements.
