Time to switch
Raw food for dogs is finally becoming recognised by many as the most natural, healthy way to feed dogs. New to raw? Then you may like to read the beginner’s guide.
If you’re considering changing your dog’s food to a more species-appropriate, natural diet, you may be wondering what to expect when switching your dog to raw. Let’s start with the basics.
Before you begin the process of switching to raw dog food, it’s helpful to ask yourself a few questions first.
All dogs are different, and you know yours best, so consider these factors before you jump in:
Dogs on commercial kibble diets frequently have sensitive stomachs due to some ingredients being hard to digest, and hence causing inflammation.
If this is the case for your dog, you may want to take it slowly when transitioning to raw dog food, so as not to upset their tummy further.
You can do this by replacing a small portion of their regular meals with raw, increasing the new and decreasing the old gradually over 7-14 days.
Adding a dog-specific probiotic to their food will help to support their gut and improve their transition experience.
Whilst dogs of any age can gain the benefits of a raw food diet, and successfully transition from kibble to raw, it’s still important to consider their age when making dietary changes. Younger dogs need more food than older dogs.
Older dogs may be prescribed medications that affect their tummies and make them more sensitive to change. Senior dogs might require a lighter meats, like chicken, turkey or white fish to begin with, whilst others may be more prone to digestive issues or food intolerances.
Puppies generally transition to a raw diet with ease, but may require a finer mince, and more nutrient dense complete meals, to support their growth and development.
If your dog is already eating raw treats, whether human food scraps, raw bones, natural dog treats, or any other version of animal protein-based natural treats, they’ll likely have an easier time transitioning to raw food.
This is because their digestive system will naturally be more acidic, and already used to digesting some high quality natural meat and bone.
Their familiarity with natural food may allow them to transition to a raw food diet with minimum upset.
Dogs are susceptible to food sensitivities and intolerances, and in rare cases, allergies, which are mainly caused by inappropriate ingredients such as wheat, corn and grains.
However, certain proteins can also be the source of their discomfort. If your dog is sensitive or allergic to any proteins, it’s best avoid these when transitioning to raw dog food, at least to begin with.
Once balance is restored to their gut, you may find that allergies are no longer an issue, but it’s best to play it safe.
Some dogs can switch to raw right away with no problem, whilst others require a more gradual transition.
Healthy, younger dogs who generally have no issues with different foods will likely be in the “cold turkey” group. However, if your dog is older, has existing gut issues, or other health concerns, the gradual method is best. It looks something like this:
Replace a small amount (approximately 10%) of your dog’s current food with raw.
Gradually increase the amount of raw over several days, decreasing the old food by equal amounts as you go.
Continue increasing the raw and decreasing the old food until they’re eating all raw.
Alternatively, there’s another way to make the switch that’s not as sudden as the cold turkey method, but faster than the gradual transition:
Replace one quarter of your dog’s current food with raw.
Replace half of your dog’s current food with raw.
Replace three quarters of your dog’s current food with raw.
Feed your dog 100% raw food
Keep an eye out for any potential digestive upsets, and consider changing to a new protein if you identify any adversive reactions. Also, with some sensitive dogs, additional supplemental digestive support is beneficial.
