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♣️Why should dogs and cats eat raw?
Anatomy of a dog is designed differently to ours, starting with their mouth, teeth and jaw. They are designed to tear down meat and the molars are solely designed to crunch bones. Their bite has enough pressure to devour large parts of an animal. Their mouth and throat is able to open wide enough to swallow huge pieces and leave the stomach to digest.
A dog’s gut is around four times their body length as opposed to a human gut that is ten to eleven times your body. The short gut and low PH makes them a perfect example of why dogs are made to eat meat, making food move very fast in the gut and giving no time for bacteria to colonise. Having a low PH means containing a high acidic level. As they are eating meat, the dog’s stomach grinds and releases acid, something which their stomach does not do when eating dry food. As the digestive system is not operating as it should be when on dry food, the PH level rises to one that is not healthy or recommended.
Dogs are very resilient to bacteria. Their saliva contains an enzyme called lysozyme, which destroys harmful bacteria.
Cats are true carnivores with a short digestive tract. Carnivores eat a meat/whole prey diet only.
Cats same as dogs that are fed a balanced raw diet or a home cooked meal have a higher acidic stomach then those fed biscuits, dry food and wet food. Cats also have antibacterial salivary enzymes together with a short gut. When raw fed or home cooked they are less likely to develop illness from exposure to pathogens.
For cats, taurine is necessary for brain, nerves, eyes, heart, digestion, immune function and fetal development. For dogs, taurine is needed for eyes, reproduction, bile acid (for fat digestion) and for healthy heart.
Cats require more taurine in their diet than dogs. The daily taurine dietary requirements for a cat is 320mg/kg of food per day. During gestation and lactation cats require 450mg of taurine per day. Chicken hearts are a great source of taurine.
♣️What are the benefits of raw feeding?
✔️Their skin and coat changes drastically to the better once fed a fresh diet. It becomes silky and shiny. This is because of the fats and oils that are fed naturally.
✔️Raw meaty bones help with oral and dental hygiene, giving their jaw a good work out and keeps them mentally stimulated. Chewing releases endorphins which in turn relaxes the dog or cat and reduces anxiety. It removes tartar on the teeth and avoids unnecessary bacteria to build up.
✔️Fresh is always better as no additives are added to the food. It improves “sensitive” stomachs. As raw food is not processed or cooked all the nutrients are stored and not wasted. A home cooked diet is not cooked in extremely high temperatures. Faeces are therefore smaller and less frequent because the body is absorbing all nutrients and not releasing fillers and additives that they do not need.
✔️Raw feeding can be adjusted to your pet's needs depending on his or her medical history, life stage and behaviour.
♣️How much food should I feed my pet per day?
Adult dogs and cats should be fed 2-3% of their ideal body weight per day. Very active dogs and pets that need to put on weight need to be fed at least 3% of their body weight. Dogs and cats that need to lose weight or are not active must not be fed more than 2% of their body weight.
As pups and kittens are still growing and developing they require higher amounts of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Do not be afraid to give them extra food. It is highly recommended that puppies and kittens up to 6 months of age are fed three to four times a day. For instance a 10 week old puppy weighing 4 kgs requires at least 400 grams per day. If fed four times a day, they need to be fed 100 grams per meal.
This below chart is just a guideline and percentages need to be adjusted according to the dog and cat. If dog or cat is losing weight increase quantity. Intact dogs and cats normally eat more whilst spayed or neutered pets may need to eat less.
♣️How do I introduce raw to my pet?
Introducing proteins should be done slowly. This will indicate if the dog or cat has an intolerance to any protein. If you re adding veg for your dog, avoid organs and vegetables for the first few weeks. Many dogs and cats tend to have allergies towards chickens. You may either start with chicken or introduce chicken at a later phase when the dog or cat has transitioned. Normally dogs and cats with intolerances toward chicken develop ear infections, marks on skin, severe scratching and severe paw licking. It is recommended to speak to a pet nutritionist or holistic vet to guide you through the transitioning process.
As raw has no fillers or additives you can introduce raw cold turkey - meaning you stop dry food completely in the evening and immediately do the switch in the morning. Start with a very lean white meat for instance chicken or rabbit for at least a week. I normally recommend beginners to start with a premed raw until they get confident enough to start doing DIY.
With cats it may be a bit more difficult as they tend to become addicted to the sugars that dry food contains. There are a few ways to transition a cat. The best way to transition them is according to your own cat.
1️⃣Cold turkey - Most kittens will adjust very easily by doing to switch overnight as they would have not been for long on dry food. Some adult cats might also adjust to it immediately
2️⃣Start by transitioning the cat on solely wet food. So you would start with 3/4 dry food and 1/4 wet food for four days. Then 1/2 dry food and 1/2 wet food for another four days and so on. This will get the cat used to the wet consistency. Once the cat is fully on wet food repeat the process with raw. 1/4 raw and 1/2 wet food and so on. Pre mades would be the best choice to use in this scenario. This may take a few months however at the end it would be well worthed. Do not give up.
3️⃣ Stop dry food or wet food completely and start the transition. For instance 1/4 dry food and 3/4 raw for fours days 1/2 dry food and 1/2 dry food for four days and so on.
Once they are fully transitioned to raw start getting them used to eating bones. Start with a chicken wing. They may not be sure what to do with it at first and may just lick and play with it. Try and spread some raw pre made on it and leave the play with it and figure out for themselves what they need to do. It is a good mental stimulation came for both dogs and cats.
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